What is Guest Posting in SEO and How Can It Improve Your Website Traffic

Guest blogging, guest posting, or submitting guest posts can enhance your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. It can also improve your website traffic.

But, a concern is that you must be careful with this practice. You may do more harm than good if you submit guest posts without a strategy.

The solution?

Design a guest blogging strategy!

If you follow the tips in the article, you’ll learn why is guest blogging so effective for improving your site's organic traffic.

What Does Guest Post Mean?

Guest blogging in SEO is when a content creator writes and publishes an article on someone else's website.

Here is an example of a guest post:

It usually begins with the words "Guest post written by" or similar and contains the author's bio.

The example above shows the bio before the article. In most cases, however, you can find the guest blogger's author bio after the article.

Many bloggers and website owners are open to hosting guest posts from industry experts. And they may want to share these opportunities with you if you reach out to them.

Email platform GetResponse has a page on their site asking blog contributions:

You can also search for guest posting opportunities on social media platforms (like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook). Or, you can use a service or tool that connects bloggers and website owners with writers looking for guest post opportunities.

Why Is Guest Posting Important for SEO?

Guest blogging requires tons of investment on your end.

So, if you're wondering if guest posting is worth every penny regarding SEO, the answer is a resounding "YES!"

It can help you get exposure to a new audience. As a result, it can reel in more traffic to your website.

Here are more benefits of guest blogging in SEO:

Helps Build Backlinks for Improving Search Engine Ranking

A backlink is a link from one website to another.

If a website has a lot of high-quality backlinks, search engines like Google see this as a sign the website is a good resource. As a result, they will often rank it higher in search results.

Note that the quality of the backlinks is often more important than the quantity. It's better to have a few high-quality backlinks from reputable websites than many low-quality backlinks from spammy or untrustworthy websites.

So for backlinks to work in favor of your own blog, be selective with the websites you contact.

Below are tips on how you can do that.

* Look for sites relevant to your business or industry - Backlinks from related websites will be more valuable and carry more weight than links from unrelated sites. After all, search engines view links from relevant sites as a sign that your site is also relevant and valuable.

* Check the authority of the site - Authority is a measure of the trustworthiness and credibility of a website. You can use tools like Ahrefs or Moz's Domain Authority (DA) metric to check site authority. The higher it is, the more valuable the link will be.

* Look for sites with high organic traffic - The more traffic a site gets, the more likely a potential customer will see your link. You can use tools like SimilarWeb to check the traffic.

Demonstrates Your Expertise in Your Industry

Nowadays, there’s a concept called E-E-A-T. It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

While E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor, it helps readers set themselves apart from their competitors by showcasing their extensive knowledge about the topic.

Of many things, E-E-A-T content demonstrates and strengthens your credibility as a writer. It magnetizes your target audience.    

For example, there’s the guest post submitted above by Brian Dean — an authority in blogging and SEO.

People (who want to learn more about blogging and SEO) would gravitate toward a guest article by Brian Dean. They’ll prefer posts from him more than the ones from his competitors because of his superior knowledge about both topics.

Below are ways to demonstrate your expertise in your industry.

* Write a steady stream of content - Submit articles or blog posts about your field and share them on your website or industry-specific websites or publications.

* Give presentations at industry conferences - Share your expertise on social media platforms by posting relevant content and engaging with others in your industry.

* Publish research or case studies in your field - Collaborate with others. It can be a great way to showcase your knowledge and contribute to the body of knowledge in your industry.

Attracts Higher-Quality Traffic

The links you'll build on your guest post? Readers may also click on them.

And if they click on them, it indicates these people like the post content.

You can call this "referral traffic."

Referral traffic is traffic or the visitors that arrive at a website by clicking on a link on another website.

For example, if you have a link to your website on your social media profile or on a blog that you wrote, and someone clicks on that link to visit your website, that person would be counted as referral traffic in your website's analytics.

Below are the best ways to earn referral traffic with guest posts.

* Provide significant value - Write a great guest post that provides value to the reader and encourages them to visit your website for more information or to see related content.

* Use social media networks - Share your guest post on social media and other platforms to drive traffic to your website.  

* Socialize - Engage with the audience of the host website. It can help build your reputation and encourage readers to visit your website.

How to Do Guest Posting Effectively?

It’s inarguable that you can elevate your brand if you start to write guest posts. But, it’s a double-edged sword. If you do it without caution, it can also come with negative effects.

Below are ways to submit guest posts effectively.

Find the Right Blogs and Websites to Guest Post On

Determine what you want to accomplish as a guest author. From there, form decisions based on your goals. For example, choose websites that align with your personal brand. Also, go with those that can bring value to your business.

Below are more (in addition to the tips discussed earlier) ways to find the right guest post opportunities.

* Use Google - One of the easiest ways to find guest post opportunities is Google — search for websites accepting guest posts. Use advanced search operators and keywords related to your niche and add terms like "submit a guest post" or "write for us" to your search query.

* Join a guest blogging community - Many online communities connect bloggers and blog owners that look for and accept guest posts. Joining one of these communities can be a great way to find guest post opportunities. You can also know and mingle with other bloggers in your niche.

* Look at the competitors - Analyze the backlinks of your competition and see where they published their guest posts. Then, follow their lead — and like them, approach the owners of websites where they submitted guest posts and inquire about guest blogging opportunities.

Pitch Your Ideas

Tailor your pitch to the specific website and audience. Perform due diligence to understand what content they are interested in and the gaps you can fill with your guest post.

Better yet, see if the website has a section that features guest post guidelines. If it has, stick to these regulations when writing guest posts.

Additionally, consider the following points when crafting your guest post idea:

* Show your interest in the website and its mission - Explain how your guest post will align with the mission and values of the website. Also, inform them how it will contribute to their overall content strategy.

* Be professional - Proofread your pitch and double-check for any errors or inconsistencies. Use a formal tone and address the website owner or editor by name if possible.

* Be respectful of their time - Keep your pitch concise and to the point, and respect their time by not following up too frequently if you haven't received a response yet.

Below is an email pitch template you can use.

Hey [Name],

I'm a big fan of [Blog Name] and the valuable information and insights you provide to your readers. I'm excited to pitch an article idea that I believe would be a great fit for your audience.

The article I'm proposing is titled "[Proposed article title]" and it will explore [summary of the article]. My goal is to provide [website audience] with [what the article will provide].

I'm already writing regularly for [Blog name 1], [Blog name 2], and [Blog name 3], and I believe my expertise in [expertise] would make me a great fit for your website. Here are a few of my latest posts:

[Blog post link 1]

[Blog post link 2]

[Blog post link 3]

Please let me know if you are interested, and I'll be happy to send you some more detailed topic ideas.

Thanks,

[YOUR SIGNATURE]

Write High-Quality Guest Posts That Will Be Accepted

Once the host approves your pitch, be ready to start writing your guest post. From here, be sure you produce nothing but high-quality content.

Below are some tips to keep in mind while writing your guest post.

* Make sure the article is a good fit - Align the content with the mission and audience of the host website.

* Use anchor text for links wisely - Be strategic with your anchor text. Avoid keyword stuffing and ensure that the link text accurately describes the content of the link destination.

* Keep the subject matter topically relevant to the website content - Maintain continuity for the readers and ensure that the linked pages are relevant to the article's content and themes.

Additionally, create backlinks for posts — think of alternative link building methods. It enhances the PageRank of the article — leading to a boost in the link equity passed to the website through the contextual links.

Follow Up With Blog Editor

Following up on guest post pitches can be a delicate task. As part of your guest blogging strategy, you should ensure that you communicate well with the potential host — without annoying them.

A tip is to get straight to the point and keep your message short. Don't add unnecessary information (or repeat information).  

Below are more tips to help you with this process.

* Respect the host's timeline - It's important to remember that everyone has their schedule and priorities. You can send a follow-up message if the host hasn't responded to your initial pitch within a reasonable time frame.

* Personalize your follow-up - When following up, make sure to personalize your message. Show that you have taken the time to read the host's website or blog and that you have a genuine interest in contributing to their platform.

* Show your flexibility - If the host expresses any concerns or issues, be flexible and willing to address them. Show that you want to work with them to make your guest post a good fit for their platform.

Promote Your Published Guest Post

Promoting guest blog posts can benefit the guest blogger and the host website owner. If you don’t promote your post, nobody will know it exists (unless you have a loyal following).

Below are tips to help promote your published guest post.

* Post on online communities (like forums and Facebook groups) - Search for the B2B Bloggers Boost Group on Facebook to find other bloggers open to cross-linking with your sites on their guest posts. In exchange, they will want to get links back to their website from your guest blogging opportunities. You can also answer questions on Q&A sites and inform the audience about your guest post.

* Promote guest posts on social media - Run social media campaigns to promote the guest post. For example, you can boost a guest blog post on Facebook or run a promoted tweet on Twitter.

* Leverage SEO to boost visibility - Follow SEO tips to optimize your guest post for search engines. You can include relevant keywords in the post title, body, and meta tags. Also, you can feature the guest post on your homepage or (on the top navigation) for better visibility.

Conclusion

Are you still wondering why guest blogging is so effective?

It’s because it comes with an advantage that may not be immediately obvious: professional networking, collaboration opportunities, audience expansion, and more!

When you post on someone else's site, you can connect with the site's owner, audience, and other guest bloggers.

Guest posting is also a great way to learn from other writers and editors. It can also provide an opportunity to develop new skills and improve your writing style.

Plus, by reading and interacting with other bloggers and industry experts, you may be exposed to new ideas and perspectives that can help you to improve your content and approach.