Guest blogging by applying to Write for Us pages has a lot of advantages for writers.
You can extend your reach and readership or earn more backlinks to improve your site’s SEO. But you need to know how to do it the right way.
A good place to start is by searching Google for “write for us + [your niche]” or checking the footers of sites you follow for ‘Write for Us’ links.
A high-quality guest post can bring readers to your site who may not have discovered you otherwise.
Guest posts to find more readers
Guest blogging is the practice of writing blog posts or articles for websites other than your own.
When done well, it can offer a range of benefits.
A guest article published on a high-ranking site can increase your online traffic by introducing your work to readers who might not have discovered you. You might even attract new subscribers.
Beyond traffic, guest blogging can also give you opportunities to connect with influencers in your niche, opening doors for possible collaboration.
It can also create many opportunities to help your marketing strategy and link-building.
Content marketing is becoming more popular due to challenges with social media content delivery.
Many marketers are reducing or even abandoning their activity on social networks.
In some ways, digital marketing is returning to the basics of earning organic traffic from search engines.
In this environment, guest posting is one of the best ways of reaching a new audience.
But it’s not a quick process, so you have to do it the right way.
The benefit of guest blogging is a two-way street
If you own a blog, writing high-quality content for other sites can help you increase your reach and improve your SEO.
On the flip side, accepting great guest writers for your blog can add more variety to your content and save you time.
For a content writer or affiliate marketer, finding guest blogging opportunities on quality sites with good domain authority is a key ingredient to success.
But, as with all online opportunities, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are great writers and great sites where you can submit your articles.
However, aggressive backlink schemes abound, as well as deceptive content with links to shady operators.
To succeed with guest post opportunities, you need to do it the right way. But many are doing it the wrong way.
The wrong way to guest post
Backlink hunters abound. They use software to target and collect hundreds of potential websites and then spam the contact page of each site, asking to post content.
The same method is used to ask for a backlink in a site’s existing content. It is quite easy to spot, as the software can usually only run using a Gmail account.
Any article submission request I receive from a Gmail account on my general contact form heads straight to my junk folder.
Whether automated or not, sending an article submission request to a site’s general contact form will usually result in your message being ignored or trashed.
A site that accepts guest article submissions will usually have a dedicated Write For Us page with a specific contact form.
If you want to submit an article, contacting a lot of sites to publish it will cause real problems.
If more than one agrees, your content will not be unique, and the chances of the site owners taking it down are very high.
How to fail at guest blogging
One great way to fail at the first hurdle is to have spelling or grammatical errors in your submission message.
I read a submission request yesterday that offered me “useful advices” for my readers.
Lastly, sending a request to post an article about Bitcoin investing or iPhone hacks full of spammy links to a site specializing in camping equipment is not very smart.
Submissions that are way off-topic end up in the trash folder.
If you only want to submit or accept guest posts to get a bundle of backlinks, especially from low-ranking sites, you will be disappointed.
Google knows how this works, and it will adversely affect your SEO unless your links are “nofollow.”
John Mueller stated, “From my point of view, they’re essentially links that you’re placing on other sites yourself, so they should not be seen as natural links. Using nofollow there to drive traffic & visibility of your site is fine, but it’s more like an ad than a natural link. Our systems work to detect & neutralize these, or if they’re a big problem, we may take stronger action.”
Find guest blogging opportunities the right way
Guest blogging is all about top-notch quality writing for high-authority sites.
It can be time-consuming to learn how to find guest blog opportunities.
It takes time to find a reputable site accepting guest posts, get their approval, and then write an in-depth article.
For site owners, it takes time to read, check, and decide on the best submissions.
If you want to allow writers to submit a guest post submission to your site, create a page specifically for this purpose.
Most sites call it a Write For Us page.
Most importantly, add it as a menu item in your site’s footer and ensure that it is an indexable page.
On the page, outline your guest post guidelines and your process for accepting guest blog posts.
You should also add a contact form at the end of the page and identify it so you will recognize it when you receive an email notification.
An automated reply confirmation email is also a good idea.
You can give an estimate of the time it will take you to respond to a request.
Searching for Write for Us pages
If you want to find sites to submit your content, start by doing a Google search for, write for us.
Even better, you can also use Google searches to find sites for your target topics by using the plus sign.
For example, try searching write for us + publishing, write for us + technology, write for us + digital marketing, write for us + health, or write for us + creative writing to quickly find sites accepting guest posts in your niche. You can also use write for us + general to discover opportunities across broader topics.
You are sure to find guest posting opportunities from sites in all market segments.
Also, check sites that you already know about. Scroll down to the footer of the page to see if there is a link.
Here is the footer of Smashing Magazine, which includes a Write For Us link.
You can make a list of sites for potential guest posting and then read their guidelines carefully.
If it is a good fit for your subject, send all the necessary information.
Applying to write for a site
Most sites will ask you to include a link or links to some of your published work.
Perhaps also, a few of your article topic ideas with reasons why they will suit the site’s readers.
There is very often a text box where you can ask questions.
In your guest post pitches, always ask two or three questions. This shows that you have looked at the site and want to know more.
Asking and answering questions builds relationships.
But remember to check your spelling and grammar carefully. Then, go ahead and send your request and post ideas.
If you receive a positive reply, check that you agree with everything and, if not, ask more questions.
Check how many anchor text links you can add to your article, and if they will accept commercial links.
It is also worth checking if the site plans to add its own external or internal links to your article.
Also, ask if they can give you an idea of the time needed to publish.
It is always wise to make sure that you and the site owner agree before you write your article.
Then, you can go ahead and write your excellent guest post.
Summary
If you are a guest blogger or want to accept guest blog posts on your site, the right way is the best way.
Getting accepted by one high-ranking reputable site will bring you a new reading audience and perhaps valuable backlinks.
For a site owner, nothing is better than a well-written and highly informative article.
Excellent writing will always gain readers. If you respond to comments you receive, you will enhance the value of your piece of content.
Do it the right way by doing your research first, asking questions, and being clear about your objectives.
Related Reading: No One Reads My Blog – 10 Practical And Simple Solutions
Writing on Technology, AI, Security Issues, Bussiness and Gaming is my passion. I have good writing experience in the field of technology. I started writing at age 16 when I was in high school. Today I write about donation opportunities as an independent blogger. I have written many articles in existence and many articles have been published in various articles. I have written a number of research studies on companies to understand the true importance of digital innovation for their businesses.