Guest posts are content exchanged between two partners, so that each blog posts content produced by the other. This strategy ensures the strengthening of link building strategies as well as gives greater visibility to both partners.
Making smart and interesting content is always the most important point for a website or blog you have created.
And maintaining this content with excellence is a must to keep the flow of visitors to your page.
With that in mind, it is important to find a way to maintain and create high-level publications on your site.
One of the ways found in texts or posts written by others – what we call Guest Posts, articles written by guest authors, who are not usually part of a blog’s content production team.
How about understanding a little more about Guest Posts and seeing tips for getting your articles published on important sites?
Check it out below!
What is guest post?
Guest posts are the well-known guest articles, ie when a person is invited to write on a website or blog where they are not the owner.
If you own a blog and invite an expert in the niche your blog approaches to write, this article to be published is a guest post.
The Importance of Guest Blogging
If you think that only you – the website owner – is who should write and publish the material, begin to slightly change his concept – using guest post is a great alternative so that sites maintain frequent publishing quality posts in the site.
This way you will get smart material, as well as keep posting good content posts and consequently maintain the number of hits to the site.
The guest article allows the page to gain greater credibility with the target, because by bringing specialists of various subjects any site has a better acceptance.
The advantages of posting guest posts
Have you ever thought, ‘Why is it important to be a guest author to write articles?’
Let’s now change our view a bit: We’ll stop thinking of a website owner inviting a writer to post on their site and thinking of a guest post writer.
So how important is being invited to write a guest post?
If there are advantages to websites that invite specialists to write special texts, why wouldn’t there be for a writer?
A good content generator will always be invited to write on websites.
But in order to become known to the general public, he needs to have his articles published on widely circulated websites.
Therefore, there are advantages and benefits to be gained when the writer has their content published on big moving websites.
The Real Benefits of guest posts
If your goal is to have your guest posts published on important sites, start by understanding the advantages of producing these content.
Greater disclosure of generated content
As the creator generates material for other sites and blogs, he reaches different people, so he can reach a new audience and publicize his work.
Note that once your content is published in new environments, your audience will be renewed, as your posts can reach people they have never had before with your services.
This makes a new audience interested in your content, and consequently for you and your site, through more materials that have been developed by you.
Better market recognition and positioning
By writing on various websites and blogs the writer gains credibility and better market positioning on a particular subject.
It is recognized by the market and people who are interested in certain content and this is a great way to gain authority on the topic you are offering.
Indications
Publishing as a guest post on other important sites will generate more traffic to your site.
And, depending on demand, it will increase your chances of getting a referral on sites that have top rankings on search engines like Google.
But there is also the indication within the site itself: If you write a guest post on another blog it will create links for you, directing the audience to your own blog or site.
This makes you known, that is, we will have a cycle between disclosure and referral.
Relationship with other bloggers
Every person who owns a blog needs content. If you are a good guest blogger and are able to add value to others’ blogs, you will build valuable relationships.
Getting to know other bloggers may be essential for you because many have influence and a great network of relationships in the area.
Therefore, guest blogging can be an opportunity to increase your social network followers and visitors to your site.
Search Engine Ranking
Your guest post can come in many different formats, but one extremely important factor must be present every time you post content on a third-party blog: a link to your site.
This link is usually placed at the beginning or end of the post.
Regardless of your position, the presence of this link is essential to improve your ranking on the search engine results page such as Google.
This is because one of the determining factors for a good Google ranking is the quantity and quality of the links pointing to your site.
Search engines consider links as votes and use them to measure a site’s popularity and relevance.
If you want to better rank your blog on Google, guest posts are a great way to get these external links.
Determine the purpose of your guest post
Before you start writing and publishing guest posts, it is essential to determine which goal you want to achieve. This goal will be critical when choosing the right blogs to submit your guest posts to. In general, there are 3 main goals in guest blogging:
- Establish market authority and recognition
- Increase the visibility of your site and drive traffic to it
- Attract external links to your site
If your guest post is published on blogs that are already established in your market, it will be easy to achieve all three of these goals at once.
If you want to reach goals # 1 and # 2, look for blogs that have a large and engaged audience. In the case of # 3, you will need to find blogs with strong domain authority.
Finding sites that accept guest posts
If you are a writer and interested in writing a guest post, be aware that it is important to search and publish on the right websites.
However, this task is not as simple as that: it is important that you look for websites and blogs that publish materials with the topics you write.
At first, these sites and blogs may be simpler, but it is very important that they have good traffic, so that your guest post will be accessed by people who are interested in the content you produce.
But if your goal is the big sites, which have thousands of hits every day, it’s important that you follow the ideas we’ll suggest.
Start by searching for the websites that fit your profile.
But, how to find these sites?
One way to find interesting websites and blogs is to follow up on social media experts like Twitter.
Another way to find potential guest post blogs is through Google search.
Search for prominent blog names in your area or authorities on the subject, and include the keyword “guest post”.
So you will find blogs where top authorities have already written articles, and you can submit your pitch to these sites.
How to prepare the Guest post proposal
Once you have identified a list of possible guest posting sites, you will need to contact them and submit your guest post proposal.
Before you make your pitch, check out the tips we have prepared for you.
Know the blog content in depth
You already know the general theme of the blog, but that’s not enough.
Before writing your proposal, you should research about the types of content produced by the site.
Do they write basic, intermediate or advanced level content on the subject at hand?
Are all contents the same, or are formats such as tutorials or lists also used?
In addition to the content format, try to understand the audience of this blog.
Who seems to be the persona? Does the information seem directed to a B2B or B2C audience?
All of these factors will help you make an incredible pitch that is in sync with the blog.
See who else is a guest blogger on this site
If this site has other guest posts, find out who wrote them and what their profile is.
Most blogs accept guest posts from people who have some common characteristics, such as job title, area of occupation, or life experiences.
This information will help you when you introduce yourself to the site administrator.
Analyse the performance of other guest posts
Before submitting your proposal, remember that you are investing your time in guest posts to increase your visibility.
So research on the performance of past guest posts that were posted on the blog.
On some sites, this type of content does not generate traffic or engagement.
Determine if the guest posts on this site receive the same amount of comments or shares as posts written by the site owner.
If this audience prefers posts written by the owner themselves, guest posting can be a waste of their time.
The best time to propose a guest post
You will not always have the opportunity to propose a guest post to the blog of your dreams. However, some favourable situations may arise and you cannot miss them. See below some examples:
- When the blog mentions you on social networks;
- When the blog indicates you, your product or your service in a post;
- When the blog announces that they are looking for guest bloggers;
- When the blog posts another guest post.
Tips for Making an Amazing Guest Post proposal
When you are pitching a blog owner or blogger, you cannot hit the ball. Follow our tips to increase your chances of being a guest blogger.
Read the instructions carefully
Before submitting a guest post proposal, please check if the blog already has instructions for this type of post.
Do they want you to come up with just one idea or would you rather have the post ready?
Is there a preferred format?
Should you send the attached file in an email via Google Docs or Dropbox?
There are several nuances to submitting a guest post pitch, so follow the instructions.
Customize your email
As we mentioned, one of the benefits of guest blogging is building a relationship with other blog owners. So start this relationship with the right foot.
Find out the name of the person you are contacting (this information is probably somewhere in the blog).
With this detail in hand, you will be able to write an introduction email that sounds personal, cordial and conveys the idea that you are striving to publish your guest post.
Introduce yourself clearly
Before you wrote your pitch, you researched the profile of others who wrote guest posts for this blog, right?
Rely on these people when writing your first email to the blog. If you find that all guest bloggers also have a blog, emphasize this when introducing yourself.
Remember that the first impression is what you get, and the blog owner will want to know who you are before you consider your pitch.
Justify your contact
Upon receiving your contact email and reading your proposal, the blog owner will want to know one thing: why should you be a guest blogger on his site?
After all, no site accepts guest posts from anyone.
So remember to justify your proposal. Adding links from other guest posts you have written and even from your own blog can be a great idea.
Choose posts that have had a good engagement so the blog owner can see their potential.
How to write a good guest post
Writing quality guest posts can pay off for you, like invitations to write on other blogs and further increase your visibility.
So invest time in writing this kind of content.
As we mentioned above before you start getting to know the formats most used by the blog. If all posts are less than 500 words, for example, follow this pattern.
Check out other helpful tips for writing your guest post.
Focus on content
Contrary to popular belief, guest posts are not an occasion to advertise your brand, products or services.
Instead, focus on writing valuable and relevant content for the blog audience.
Of course, some information about you should be included in the post, but it should be reserved for the space dedicated to the author’s profile.
If you want to use examples of situations that have occurred to you or your company, do so with caution so as not to appear to be advertising yourself.
Format the text like the rest of the site
Do all blog posts use bold? Do texts have intertitles, images, quotes? Stay tuned for these formatting elements, and follow the same patterns in your guest post.
Include internal and external links
Include links to other blog articles in your post. This way, the blog owner will know that you know their content and have struggled to create useful content for their audience.
Also, if you mention third-party products, books, or articles, be sure to include the link to these external sites.
Add a CTA for post comments
At the end of your guest post, include a call-to-action for readers to comment on your article.
The more engagement you generate, the better!
Tips for posting guest posts on important websites
Below are some tips that you, the content creator and blogger, can take to have guest posts posted on important sites.
Start building relationships with sites
The first important step in getting guest posts on a site is to build a relationship with the site by sharing the content of the site on your social networks and commenting on the site and social networks about the content the page makes available.
A tip: Be present and engage with the blog or website you want to build a relationship with.
Try to be indicated
We have spoken before, but it never hurts to repeat: look for directions!
Getting referrals from common contacts between the site administrator and his friends, especially on social networks (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, etc.), will always make a difference.
Keep your content portfolio up to date
If you have a website or blog and have a good amount of posts and posts you are on the right track. Being loyal to your audience and your publications is always important.
So maintaining a content portfolio allows you to have a track record, which helps your site gauge the way you treat content, expose your ideas, and whether you and your texts match what they share.
follow the instructions
That’s right: don’t try to decorate, try to follow the briefing or pitch and your text will be as the site requested. A good partnership arises from knowing how to listen to what the site wants and then produce what is needed.
Have new material to present
It is important that you have good quality material that is interesting to your target audience and the audience of the site you are going to publish.
This is the best way to introduce yourself and show that you want to write as a guest post.
Presenting content at the beginning of the contact demonstrates knowledge about the subject and the page, as well as dedication and commitment to the relationship you want to initiate.
Create wonderful content
We’ve said that too, but it’s always important to reinforce: You need to be awesome, create content that engages the reader and gets them back in the next post.
Some expert tips are:
- Keep in touch with the reader to know what he wants;
- Visit competitor websites, read their texts and improve what they have done;
- Keep SEO up to date, work keywords well;
- Be sure to check if your content is pleasing;
- Get feedback from those who understand it, listen to people who have been working in the field for a longer time and know the market better.
Don’t forget to measure your results.
Writing multiple guest posts and not measuring the outcome of any can be a waste of your time. If not, how will you know if this strategy is working for you?
If your goal is to generate traffic to your site, the results of your guest post should definitely be measured.
In this case, the metric you will track will be the number of visits to your site from the blog where you posted the guest post.
If you already use Google Analytics to track your site traffic, this task will not be difficult. Just follow the instructions below:
- From the Google Analytics main menu, located on the left side, select “Acquisition.”
- Click on “All Traffic”
- Select the “Source / Media” option.
- In the analysis table, the Source column will show all sites that generated traffic to yours via external links.
- Look for the site where you posted the guest post and see how many visits it generated!
If you don’t already use Google Analytics, check out our complete Google Analytics guide.
One step at a time
That’s right: never try to grab the world with your legs, so try to take one step at a time, go up each step slowly but always understanding what you are doing.
A tip for those just starting out is to submit a draft and ask if you want to make changes, this shows concern for making the post the way the site is and you will be pleased.
Be persistent
And last but not least: try to be persistent.
Today everyone produces content and can promote, but only the best stand out.
So try to create the best content, if it wasn’t published on the big site you’re looking at right now, try it further. But never give up!
After all, these tips, how about putting your guest post on great sites?
Have you got any great publications? Tell us how you did it, share your experiences and share your knowledge!