If you’ve been writing blog content for a while now, perhaps you already know the tips and tricks for effective content writing, like using a grammar checker, plagiarism checker, and a word count tool – mind map tool. That’s the basics. But if you want to take your content marketing to the next level, you should do a guest posting.
Guest posting is one of the most effective ways to promote your brand or business on the internet. If you want to learn more about it, sit back and make sure to take note of this guide below.
Determine Your Goals
Like any other endeavor, you should figure out what you want to achieve in doing guest posting. Knowing your goals at the very beginning is essential in determining the ideal sites or blogs to send your articles. The following are the common goals that content marketers and SEO practitioners set their eyes on while creating an effective guest posting strategy.
- Promoting your business, products, and services.
- Increasing traffic to your website or a specific landing page to acquire more leads and sales.
- Building backlinks to your site.
- Making a name for yourself as an expert or authority in your chosen industry.
Look for Guest Post Targets
Of course, you need to find websites where you can send your articles. Here are various ways on how to find guest post targets.
Google Search Strings
Google is the ideal place to find your guest post targets. You just have to type in your keyword + the phrase “write for us” in the search box. Then, Google will provide you with a list of websites that accept guest posts.
You can also try other search strings, such as “become a contributor,” “submit a guest post,” “submit an article,” “contribute to our site,” etc. Keep in mind to read the website’s guest post guidelines before writing your article.
Twitter Search
Yes, you heard that right. Aside from posting your world views and opinions, you can also look for guest posting opportunities on Twitter. Just type your preferred keyword and the phrase “guest post” in the Twitter search box. For example, “fitness guest post,” and then wait for just a second for the results.
Google Reverse Image Search
Another way to find guest posting opportunities is through Google Reverse Image Search. Well, first, you need to know someone who prolifically writes guest blog articles in your industry. Then, right-click the profile pic in his/her author bio and left-click “search Google for the image.” This will show all the sites that this person has posted upon.
Competitor Backlinks
If you have ever done a backlink analysis of your competitors, they likely got backlinks that come from the guest posts they have done. You can use tools like Ahrefs or Online Site Explorer by Moz to look for websites or blogs that your competitors have written for.
Search at AllTop.com
AllTop.com is a place where you can find blogs that accept guest posts. Just visit the site, search your topic, and then you’ll have a list of the top blogs in your niche.
Form a Connection with the Website/Blog Owner
Most website/blog owners today only accept guest posts from someone they know and trust. Poor pitch templates and low-quality content won’t work anymore. So, right then and there, you must form a connection with the site owner.
Get to know about the website and the type of content in it. It’s also advisable to subscribe to your prospect sites in Feedly to receive updates. Read the articles so that you know what ticks their readers. Also, follow the website/blog owners on social media, and don’t forget to like, comment, or share their posts.
Choose a Topic to Pitch
After knowing about the site, the type of content they post, and its audience, it’s now time to choose an ideal topic to pitch. Make sure that the topic you pitch is relevant, informative, or entertaining to the readers of that website. You can also use tools like Buzzsumo to look for content that’s a good fit for the site you’re going to pitch.
Moreover, stay away from generic guest post pitches. You should see to it that your pitch is personal to your prospect website. Keep it natural and direct to the point. Next, describe the topic you’re going to write and why the owner should publish it on his/her site.
Write the Content
Now it’s time to write your guest post content. You must write an article that the blog owner can’t refuse to publish. As a content writer, you should know the basics.
For instance, your headline should be catchy. Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes, and make sure that your article has a smooth flow. Also, observe good SEO practices like property keyword usage and appropriate link profile. Format the article correctly and include images in it.
Takeaway
Now you know how to do guest posting. If you forget something, just review the essential points that we have discussed in this article. Good luck with your first guest post!
