Guest Blogging

What Is Guest Blogging?

Guest blogging (also known as guest posting) is an SEO link building strategy that involves writing and publishing a blog on another website.

The guest blogs usually include credit to the original author in the form of a link. Some guest blogs don’t include author credit but allow you to insert a backlink to your site.

That’s what most guest bloggers want…

The main goal of guest blogging is to write great content for another website. In return, you get a high-quality backlink to your site, which boosts your SEO.

Think of it like a win-win situation.

You give the content, and you get a valuable link in return.

Guest blogging has been a popular link building strategy for years. It still continues to be one of the most effective link building strategies.

But it is also harder than it used to be!

Why?

The truth is that guest blogging is competitive! Most website owners understand the value of an outbound link from their website.

It’s common for website owners to ask for the free content AND a placement fee.

How Does Guest Blogging Work?

Guest blogging works by having someone outside of your organisation write and publish a piece of content on your website.

The writer is usually an expert on the subject and adds unique insights from which your audience will benefit.

On the other hand…

You could also pitch guest blogs to build more links from other sites and increase your website’s visibility in the SERPs.

Here’s how the guest blogging process works:

1. Find guest blogging opportunities
2. Pitch relevant topic ideas
3. Write an excellent content
4. Submit the guest post to be published

Simple, right?

Once a guest blog is published on another website, it’s common to promote it to your own audience.

This drives traffic to the post, increases your visibility, and helps you continue to build a relationship with the website owner.

How To Do Guest Blogging

Follow these steps to do guest blogging correctly:

1. Find Guest Blogging Opportunities

To get started, you need to find prospect websites relevant to your niche and industry.

Aim for high DR (domain rating), page authority, and organic traffic sites.

I like to use Ahrefs and Semrrush to speed up the process. But you can also use Google Search for free.

How?

Shooter answer – SEO Footprints.

Think of these like digital imprints that help you narrow down your search. For example, if your site is about sustainable living, search on Google:

This will list WordPress websites in the sustainability niche, which are ideal for guest blogging opportunities.

Cool, right?

Check out our complete SEO footprints tutorial to get even more ways to find guest blogging opportunities.

2. Craft Your Pitch

Crafting a great pitch is key to getting your guest post accepted.

Here’s how to do it:

First, personalise your email pitch message. Address the blog owner by name and write a few lines about their site.

This shows you’re not just sending out a generic pitch.

Next, propose 2-3 relevant topics that would truly benefit their audience.

This helps them see exactly why your ideas matter. And don’t forget to showcase your expertise!

They need to know that you will actually provide value to their audience.

Here’s an example guest post email pitch:

Subject: Writing for [WEBSITE]

Hi [NAME],

I was checking out [SITE] today and found the guest post you published from [GUEST POSTER’S NAME].

I loved that article, I just shared it with my audience.

I’d love to be your next guest author.

Here are some topics that I think would do really well with [SITE] readers:

• Topic #1
• Topic #2
• Topic #3

Do any of these ideas look good? Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!

[YOUR NAME]

Customise the template to match your style and brand. Also, check out any guest post guidelines they might have on the site.

3. Create Excellent Content

Got accepted?

It’s time to deliver high-quality content that the website owner (and their audience) will love.

Don’t hold back here…

Put everything into the guest blog to make it the best it can be. Your goal is to create the best guest post they’ve ever received.

That means adding:

Provide fresh, unique content based on your own experience and expertise. Think about it like this…

“Would I publish this piece of content on my website?”

You know it’s ready when you would.

4. Get It Published & Promote

Once the guest blog is ready, send it to the website owner.

As soon as it is published, promote it to your own audience. I like to promote guest blogs I’ve written to my email list and on my social media accounts.

This adds extra value to the website owner and will help you build a stronger relationship with them.

Most guest bloggers don’t do this, so it’s a great way to stand out for future collaborations.