Guest blojjer. Do you know who that is?
No, it’s not a spelling mistake.
It is a term I coined for all website owners who guest blog as a joke.
Guest blogging + joking = guest blojjing.
Sounds nasty, right?
Like something you wouldn’t do.
Guest blojjing is bad for business.
Let me explain.
A guest blojjer writes guest posts only because there is a backlink at the end.
Or some monetary compensation.
Not to educate or entertain.
Just another 500-word-or-so post to score a link.
Guest blojjing is sad.
It is lonely and treacherous, unbecoming and unwanted in the blogosphere.
Because it defeats the sole purpose of true, honest guest blogging.
You guest blog because you:
- First, have something to say and want to educate others.
- Want to entertain and connect with your audience.
- Are an authority in your industry.
Really, you don’t need five hundred words for a backlink.
You can earn quality backlinks from many sources, including:
- Participating in discussions on other blogs/forums, like Another Admin Forum.
- Performing outreach to other websites for links.
- And writing high-quality content that attracts backlinks naturally.
You should face the guillotine if you guest blog for the sole purpose of earning backlinks.
And this is because…
Guest blogging is a powerful marketing channel when done right. You’ll most likely deliver crap If you only do it for the link.
Plus, editors often see through the facade and won’t accept your guest post.
If you need a few tips to pull it off, here we go.
How to Create Effective Guest Posts
Your web content extends far beyond your website pages.
Every post out there that points back to your website is part of your digital presence.
The shinier your digital presence, the easier the conversion.
With that in mind…
Guest blogging is a free (or relatively inexpensive) way to reach your target audience and expand your brand.
If you know what you’re doing, it is easy to create a formidable brand image and digital presence for your business.
But, how do you create great guest blog posts?
Stick to Your Niche
Beginner website owners without a definite target audience often miss the mark with niche selection.
So they shoot out of the blue and, as you might guess, guest bloj in vain.
Without direction, you’ll guest bloj in about every industry there is.
If you don’t have a clear picture of your target audience, you won’t know who you’re talking to.
And it will make you a very unhappy person.
Here’s why.
The good:
- You might land some traffic and a few leads (if any).
The bad:
- Readers see you as the Jack-of-all-trades. Yet you want to come across as an expert.
- You waste time writing for a community that doesn’t give a hoot about you or your products.
- Google will blacklist you thanks to your weird backlink profile. Well, not exactly, but you can expect your SEO rankings to take a hit.
- You confuse and send away potential customers. Ever followed a link to content totally unrelated to what you expected? Not the best of feelings, right?
You want none of this, so guest blog only within your industry/niche/topics.
What’s more?
The content (and you need lots) is easier to create when it is something you already know and love.
Stick to your niche, but if you need help, don’t hesitate to hire a freelance guest blogger.
Make Hay While The Sun Shines
Creating effective guest posts (and web content in general) demands taking conscious and deliberate action.
When you write a superb guest post for a friend, make sure that your website is ready to receive the new visitors.
That’s right, make hay while the sun shines.
Don’t just dump your guest post visitors on your homepage.
Instead, link to targeted pages. A landing page with an email newsletter, perhaps?
A blog post on your website about the same topic?
Your offer page maybe?
If your offer (service/product) is not on the homepage, don’t assume the reader will find it amidst other pages.
Link to a specific page as long as the web content is informational (rather than promotional).
If a reader wishes, they’ll check out other parts of your website when they have the time.
However, if your main goal is to create traffic back to your blog/website, direct readers to your homepage.
Guest Blog Already
What are you so afraid of? Oh wait, time eludes you.
Not confident in your guest blogging skills?
It is super-duper easy.
Just enter “your topic/industry + write for us” in Google and you’ll have a list of websites that accept guest bloggers.
For example, “gardening write for us,” or “technology write for us,” and so on.
Reach out to these websites and follow the guidelines.
Most website owners guide you through the entire process. You simply need to show up.
Just guest blog already or hire a competent writer to help with the hard work.
Put your worth out there without stalling as I did.
What? Nobody is perfect, but we all get there somehow.
Start pitching related blogs and extend your brand today.
Or, Guest Blog About Favorite Topics
Guest blojjers post in several industries, not because they are passionate about any of the topics.
They are in it for the backlink or perhaps some monetary compensation. We’ve already said this.
You can beat them at their game, and we won’t call you a guest blojjer.
How?
While we discourage guest blogging in different niches, your ideal tech customer might have a thing for dogs.
Or perhaps some of your customers are die-hard coffee fans just like you.
Or there is just so much to write about your dog.
You can use this to beat guest blojjers at their game.
Point is, you can guest blog in different niches, seeing as your ideal customer has different interests.
Best would be something you’re passionate about since it is easier to create content this way.
You will shine through, and readers will appreciate sharing in other facets of your life.
If your guest blog is good, readers will feel compelled to check out your website. And they will click through.
Who knows, a coffee lover or pet owner might be interested in your WordPress theme, plugin, or web development services.
See where I am heading with this?
Stick to your niches to establish authority.
But then mix niches to drive more traffic back to your website.
Just don’t overdo it or step completely out of line.
For instance, no one will take your dental website seriously if you have links from gambling and XXX sites.
If you had links from other doctors, hospitals, and medical associations? Now that’s something.
Promote Your Guest Blogs
Writing the mother of all guest blogs is pointless if no one finds it.
Share all guest posts with your followers on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites.
Pin your content and tweet and Reddit and do anything you can.
You want more people to find your guest blog.
Then sit back and enjoy the traffic. Easier said than done.
It is a hard task, but not impossible.
Your efforts will surely shine through.
And if you don’t know where to start or lack the time, contact me for writing services.
Reply to Blog Comments
Didn’t we mention guest blogs are an extension of your web content and more so your brand?
Yes, we did.
Don’t contribute your guest blog and vanish.
Show up and engage with readers in the comment section.
Answer their questions right there and then. Show them you care.
They are your prospects, the commenters, so treat them like a lead reaching out via email.
Show that you are a relatable person, a professional, and an efficient worker who is ready to help them on time.
Hire help if you must.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Your guest posts must follow all search engine optimization (SEO) rules – images and all.
SEO helps your guest blogs rank higher in search engine results pages.
This sends the website owner more traffic, and you get more readers. It’s a win-win.
When you’re done, don’t forget to claim a fat backlink for your awesome efforts 🙂 The best links will come naturally.
See you around.
PS: Another version of this blog post lived at Business2Community.com a long time ago – courtesy of The Wayback Machine.
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