What are Guest Posting? The Ultimate Guide

Want to leave a positive digital footprint and expand your audience reach? So, guest posting can be one of the things that can be done for these two things. Maybe some of your friends are just getting to know the term "guest post" or are looking for guidance on starting guest posting tactics.

Guest posts are content written by bloggers to be published on other people's blogs. In the world of marketing, guest blogging is a strategy for the following things:

Build domain authority in your niche
Expanding the audience and blogger network
Increase website traffic

However, how do we create an effective guest post so that our writing can be posted on other people's blogs?

So, this time we will explain a complete guest blogging guide, starting from how to write guest posts for beginner bloggers, finding guest posting partners, and steps for content optimization. Let's just get started!

What is Guest Posting?

What is Guest Posting?

Article writing activities that follow SEO rules can be an effective way to optimize the performance of your website. Publications on other blogs can increase the level of fame of your own blog. Guest post is a term that is often heard in online article writing activities. As a guest, you act as a content writer for a company's website. In general, guest posting brings benefits to the author himself.

Guest posting activity is something done with the aim of increasing traffic to other blog websites. This form of collaboration can also increase brand awareness of the website itself. Writing articles on other blogs also provides benefits for the author himself.

By writing articles on other blogs, you can increase your website's Domain Authority. On the other hand, writing content on other blogs can also provide space for promotional activities for your own brand.

Read: Blog Visitor Interaction Gives Negative Signals to SEO

Why is guest post important for SEO?

The strategy of writing articles on other blogs can provide benefits for you. Not only in terms of improving website performance from an SEO perspective, implementing guest posting activities is something that can give you status as an authority figure in the field you are involved in.

Guest posts are something new that can give a different look to a brand. Having content from guests or other authors can be a refreshing change from the same routine and discussion every time.

What is the purpose of a guest post?

Especially for beginner bloggers, the benefits of guest posting are:

1. Improve SEO and Website Authority

Guest posts can maximize website SEO in two ways, and the first is the number of backlinks. Backlinks are links that lead to your website or blog, placed on other people's websites or blogs with the aim of increasing the website's ranking on search engine results pages (SERP).

Guest post authors are usually allowed to insert one or two links to their website into the guest post content or author bio. This step is commonly done as a way to get quality backlinks.

Google will read these links as 'references', which means the author's blog will be considered a trusted website. As a result, Google will consider it a credible source, providing an opportunity to increase website traffic.

According to Ahrefs, the number of website backlinks will contribute to the amount of organic traffic the website gets. This means that the more backlinks, the greater the number of website visits from Google search results.

Apart from backlinks, another function of guest posts is to popularize your brand on the internet. For example, your blog has a business theme and you often write guest posts on websites like Forbes. The more often your name appears on websites relevant to your niche, the more likely Google is to consider you an expert in a particular industry.

However, you can't write as many guest posts as you want. Google will detect too many guest posts as a link manipulation scheme. So, just do enough. For WordPress users, optimize your WordPress website so that ranking and website traffic continues to increase.

2. Reach More Target Readers

You can invite other blog readers to your own blog via guest post content. If done correctly, referral traffic and conversions will also increase.

Many big brands have proven this. SaaS startup Groove claims that they were visited by more than 1 million readers by guest blogging. Help Scout also managed to get 36,000+ new newsletter subscribers this way.

To expand the target audience on your blog, try collaborating with websites that have the same target readers, both in terms of interests, habits and demographics. They will likely become loyal readers after reading your guest post.

3. Expanding Business Network

Another benefit of guest posting is that it gives you the opportunity to build relationships with fellow bloggers and brands. The more you provide content ideas and publish articles on other blogs, the more you will be known in your niche. It's even possible that there will be offers of collaboration from well-known brands or bloggers!

However, you need to be selective in choosing the website that will become your partner. Don't just be tempted by the number of 100,000+ monthly visitors.

Also make sure that the website where you write a guest post provides quality content and has a good level of audience interaction. Avoid blogs that have spam and low-quality content to maintain your online reputation.

4. Promote Products or Services

If you already have an eCommerce website and are starting to sell online, you can market your products and services through guest post content. Most blogs allow guest post writers to promote their products or services.

Sometimes, you can also clearly state the name of your product or service if it is still relevant to the topic of your article and partner website. Let's look at Ahrefs' guest post content about increasing blog traffic below. The author introduces his agency, Growth Machine, to illustrate the success of the strategy he wrote about.

While it doesn't directly promote the writer's business, the content briefly tells potential clients about the services their agency provides. Remember, most blogs do not allow overt promotion of products and services in guest post content. So, don't deliberately write salesy content, and read the blog owner's guidelines to find out what is and is not permitted.

5. Making Money from Blog Content

Freelance writers and bloggers can make money from blogging through guest posts. Some blog owners provide a commission for each guest post content published. However, written content usually has more specific requirements.

The price for each content varies. Most popular blogs pay ±$75/post, depending on word count and content topic.

How do you write a good guest post?

The guest blogging journey usually starts from looking for a blog partner to write for, conveying content ideas to the site owner, sending content, and promoting your posts for visitors to read. So, below we have a complete guide on how to write effective guest posts with effective tips that you can try straight away. Check it out!

1. Find a Blog to Guest Post on

The first step in starting a guest post is to look for a website that you can partner with in the same niche. After you have a list of several potential partner blogs, find out guest posting information on the website's About Us, Contact, or FAQ pages.

Another option, open Google and type site:namawebsite.com guest post or site:namawebsite.com write for us. The results will show websites that contain these keywords. Or, use the Indonesian guest post keyword to see a list of websites that accept guest post content.

Apart from that, try the alternative keywords below. Make sure to replace “keywords” with terms related to your target industry or niche.

“keyword” + “guest post”
“keywords” + “write for us”
“keywords” + “guest post guidelines”
“keywords” + “guest blogging guidelines”
“keywords” + “guest posting guidelines”
“keywords” + “contributor guidelines”
“keywords” + “guest post submissions”
“keyword” + “accepting guest posts”
“keyword” + “submit guest post”

The following is an example of search results for the words "tech" + "write for us":

Then, you can also look for guest blogging opportunities on Twitter. In the search field, enter keywords related to your niche + the term guest post. The following is an example of search results on Twitter:

Next, you can look at competitors' backlink profiles and find websites where they have created guest post content. Use Ahrefs' backlink checker feature to do this.

Please note that not all websites include information about guest blogging. However, that doesn't mean the blog doesn't accept content from third parties.

You can save the email of the blog owner or editor. Later you can contact them to promote your guest post idea. Don't forget to always check each target blog too. Make sure you write content for your blog that is legal, safe, and credible. You can focus your choice of blog targets by evaluating the following things:

Target audience. Are they the reader segment you want to reach? Do they have the same interests or demographics as your blog readers? Will they be interested in visiting your website after reading your guest post content?
Engagement. Check content performance by looking at comments and how many times your guest post content was shared. Additionally, check the blog owner's social media to see if they promote content from their contributors on their social platforms.
Credibility. What is the blog's reputation? So, check with Ahrefs' backlink checker tool and find out their DR (Domain Rating). Target websites with a DR score between 20 and 50 first. Even though they lack authority, usually websites like this are more open to collaborating with new bloggers.

Next, choose a blog that best suits your needs, then continue to the steps below.

2. Brainstorm Guest Post Content Ideas

Start thinking about blog content ideas that you will write for partner blogs. Remember, posts must comply with the website owner's terms and conditions, be able to answer reader questions, and discuss new topics that have not been written about in other guest posts.

Some blogs usually have guest post guidelines that cover the topics the blog owner needs and their formats. Use this guide to help your brainstorming process. Then, you should also find out the most popular content on partner blogs to see what their audience is interested in. Use the Ubersuggest tool to find out the most popular pages of any website.

Apart from that, look at the latest posts to find out the content strategy that the blog owner is implementing. Your writing is guaranteed to be more easily accepted if it matches the targets and goals of the current blog owner. Here are tips you can try for brainstorming guest post content ideas:

Choose ideas that demonstrate your skills. Your personal experiences, success stories, and evaluation of mistakes can make the article appear more credible, unique, and interesting to readers.
Look for trending blog topics in that niche. Use Google Trends and BuzzSumo to see what trends are popular among readers.
Offer to rewrite guest post content that isn't working. Take advantage of SEO tools to find out which articles are not able to get much traffic. Then, identify things that can be optimized, such as whether the content is up-to-date, complete and well structured.

From here, choose two to three blog topics that have the greatest chance of being accepted by the blog owner.

3. Propose Guest Post Content Ideas

Now we will help you compose a good email to propose a guest post topic to a partner blog. Remember, there are some blogs that directly ask for complete articles rather than just ideas. So you should have read all their guest posting guidelines before doing this step.

Also, make sure you have the right contacts. Content ideas should be sent to the content editing team. Don't send the wrong email to the Customer Service team. It's also a good idea to get to know the blog owner or editor first before sending an email. By getting to know you as a fellow blogger, the chances of your email being opened and read will certainly be greater.

So, first by commenting on their latest blog post, sharing their article on your platform, or interacting on social media. Try doing all this a few weeks before sending out a guest posting pitch. Below are some tips for promoting guest posts:

Make the content of the email feel personal. Don't use the same message for all potential partners. Mention the blog owner's name in your message, and include posts of theirs that you like. Show your research skills with this email.
Use a catchy email subject. Don't just write a “guest post offer”. Try mentioning your content idea as the email subject as well.
Short and clear. Introduce yourself, explain your purpose, and share your guest post idea. The ideal email length is between 50 and 125 words.
Include writing samples. Show your writing skills and experience, as well as tell them what kind of writing you will write. If you already have a guest post on another blog, you can also put the link in the email.
Correct and proofread the contents of the email. Double check the grammar of your email message to make it look more professional.
Enable email signature. Include your full name, website title, and social media accounts. Give blog owners access to find out more about you.
Have someone introduce you first. If you know a blogger who has written a guest post on that blog, try asking them to recommend you. Blog owners are usually quicker to accept bloggers from recommendations from writers they have worked with.
Use a custom email. Use a professional and credible email so that it is not mistaken for spam or fraud.

4. Write Quality Content

Once your idea is accepted, it's time to write the content! Although each blog has its own guidelines, there are some of the best guest post writing tips that you can try:

Understand the reader's search intent. What do you think the reader's goal is in reading your content? Make sure to answer all their main questions in your writing regarding the topic.
Create unique content and be different from competitors. Provide the latest information, look at the topic from another point of view, or share tips that readers can try straight away.
Include expert quotes. Professional quotes make your posts more informative and credible. Visit HARO or Help a B2B Writer if you write for a business niche.
Don't promote yourself. Most websites definitely reject guest post content that explicitly markets the author's products or services in the content. Just mention your product or service as an example.
Include keywords for SEO. Use sufficient keywords with correct grammar.
Adjust the writing style and format to the previous post. At a minimum, your writing must match the structure, language and explanation of other content that has been published.
Make sure the content is easy to read and understand. Use simple language and terms, active sentences, short paragraphs, and a clear and neat content list.

5. Give an interesting title

What's the meaning of a good post without an interesting title? So, arrange the title words carefully so that they can invite readers to click on the article from the homepage or search results. Some things to consider when determining title ideas include:

Show that the article is able to answer the reader's questions. Readers tend to click on article titles that are interesting and answer their curiosity.
Include numbers where appropriate. It turns out, titles that include numbers are clicked on more often by internet users. Use this trick for how-to articles and listicles.
Use questions. 8% of searches on Google use question sentences. Use this format to show that your article will answer potential visitors' questions.
Title optimization for search engines. Google can only display 70 characters in a title tag. So, make sure your title does not exceed this limit and includes keywords.
Avoid clickbait titles. Don't exaggerate the content of the article or promise discussions that are not in your article.

6. Include Internal and External Links

Not only do they help maximize the SEO of the target website, internal links also show that you understand the content of your partner's blog so they are more likely to publish your guest post. But don't just choose the link. You should always choose blog post links that fit the context and topic of the article.

The fastest way to find internal links is to enter site:websitename.com [keyword] in Google. The results will only display pages on the website that use that term.

In addition, use contextual anchor text so that search engines and visitors know the source you are citing. You can also add external links to your own blog to drive referral traffic. However, make sure it is appropriate to the topic being discussed.

Always check the guest posting guidelines or ask the blog editor to find out how many links can be included in one article. It's best to only include links to blog content, not the homepage or sales page so that it doesn't become promotional content.

7. Submit a Guest Post

Yay! Your content is ready to be sent to the blog owner! Make sure there are no grammatical errors, spelling errors, broken links, or unclear images.

Apart from that, don't forget the author bio section. This is where you can introduce yourself and include a link to your website landing page. After sending an email, wait a few days for a reply. Depending on the guest post they receive, there will usually be a follow-up email to ensure the guest post submission is ready to be published.

If your post has been published, maintain a good relationship with the blog owner or editor. That way, you can get more opportunities to write back on their blog.

Send thank you emails and promote your articles on social media. Reply to all reader comments to build a relationship with your audience and demonstrate your expertise as the person who wrote the content.

Guest Post Content Optimization Tips and Strategies

Hey! After the guest post content is published, you still have to optimize the content. You definitely want your content to be read by lots of visitors, right? So, below we share ways to optimize guest post content that you can follow.

1. Monitor Guest Post Performance

The first optimization step after publishing guest post content is to check website traffic. That way, you can know whether the content is able to attract readers to visit your website.

To track website traffic, open Google Analytics. Login to this tool, then click Acquisition -> All Traffic -> Referrals. This section shows how much referral traffic comes from your guest post link.

If available, you can also check how many times your post has been shared on other platforms.

2. Add Visual Elements

Visual elements can break up long chunks of text and make content more interesting. You can also use images to explain complex information. Add infographics and charts to display supporting data. Screenshots are also great for displaying expert quotes, software tutorial content, or for showing examples of specific actions.

When adding photos, choose high quality photos so they don't break. It's best to use personal documentation, especially if you write travel or food content. On the other hand, regular stock photos are enough to beautify the content.

3. Add Click-to-Action (CTA)

Try ending the post with a call to action (CTA). Include sentences that invite readers to take the action you want, for example commenting or sharing the article.

Engagement rate is an important factor for SEO because it shows that the blog is still active and readers are enjoying the content. The time visitors spend on the website is also a determining factor in ranking.

Here are some examples of CTAs for blog articles:

Come on, share your opinion about [topic name] in the comments column!
Don't forget to share this post with your friends who like [topic name] too.
Have any other tips we haven't mentioned? Let us know in the comments column, OK?

4. Promote Email List in Author Bio

Some guest bloggers put their website link in the author's bio, while there are also those who promote their mailing list. This mailing list strategy is suitable for those of you who want to build relationships with new audiences, not just traffic.

To create a mailing list, you need an email subscription tool that will help register new subscribers, create newsletters and campaigns, and manage email. Some examples are Mailchimp and OptinMonster.

After that, create a landing page so readers can register their email. The design of this page should focus on your main goal: converting visitors into customers. Don't link the link to the homepage because it can distract visitors from subscribing to the newsletter.

5. Active in Online Forums and Communities

Apart from social media, forums and online communities are other best platforms for promoting your guest post content. Share post links on websites or groups that are relevant to your niche and target readers.

For example, if you write content about tips and tricks for using the iPhone, join this community about Apple products. Look for threads that discuss life hacks about iPhones, then try to share your knowledge and links to the content you write.

Read: 8 Ways to Improve Your Organic CTR (Click-Through Rate)

Conclusion

In short, a guest post is a blog post written by a blogger for another blog. Bloggers usually create guest posts to build authority, expand relationships with fellow bloggers, and reach a larger audience. There are 7 steps to create a quality guest post, namely:

Find blogs that accept guest posts. Look for popular websites that accept guest blogging content. Make sure the type of website aligns with your audience and the content you frequently write.
Brainstorm interesting content ideas. Adjust the format of your writing to the blog owner's guidelines. Demonstrate your expertise to provide solutions that address audience problems.
Submit ideas to the blog owner. Before submitting an idea, you should interact with the partner website first and understand the content. After that, just send your idea via email.
Write quality content. Your content must match the reader's goals and the writing style of the other guest posts. Create content that is unique, easy to read, and optimized for SEO.
Create a catchy title. Use numbers or questions to make visitors curious and want to click on your article.
Include internal and external links. Place links to other relevant posts from partner blogs so visitors can find supporting information. If you want to add external links to your content, make sure they are relevant to the guest post you write.
Submit guest posts. Double check the content and create an author bio before sending the final draft to the blog owner. After the article is published, promote it on social media and respond to readers' comments and questions.

After creating a blog and knowing how to make guest posts, now is the time to expand the reach of your blog. Visit the blogs we recommend to start guest blogging. Still have questions? Immediately write your questions or input via the comments column below this article!

What are Guest Posting? The Ultimate Guide

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