Recently, there have been several rumours that guest blogging is no longer an effective way to build links and boost search rankings. In fact, some individuals are even claiming that companies using guest blogging for SEO will be penalised. Despite this, there is still plenty of evidence to suggest that guest blogging remains a viable way to drive traffic, generate targeted leads, and improve search engine rankings. A recent survey found that 60% of online blogs write 1-5 guest blogs per month and consider guest blogging to be a powerful tool for lead generation and SEO. With this in mind, here is everything you need to know about how to utilise guest blogging as part of an effective digital marketing strategy.
What is guest posting?
Guest posting is a marketing method used by online businesses to increase leads to their website. With guest blogging, businesses post content on another blog in an attempt to increase exposure through backlinks, gain authority, and build relationships. To be effective, it’s crucial that the content is high quality and includes a strategically placed anchor text. Anchor text is a direct ranking factor, so you must choose your text carefully to ensure that it’s most effective.
Professionals also advise against overusing keywords in your content for the sake of it, as this can harm your search rankings. You should aim to produce natural, well-written content that is informative, reliable, and adds value. You should also ensure that your content includes sources to several other relevant, authoritative sites and not just your own. Otherwise, you risk your content coming across as promotional and spammy. This is likely to harm your credibility and may destroy your chances of being offered another guest blogging opportunity with that publisher in the future.
How does it work?
Ideally, you should post content on sites that are credible and authoritative in your industry. Links should not be the main motivation behind your guest blog, or the quality of your content will suffer. Keep in mind that you should only publish content on sites you would choose to post on even without a link. Choose a relevant, quality blog that has built a high level of trust and domain authority. You can find blogs accepting guest blogs by searching online or joining websites and forums that connect publishers and content writers.
Once you have a few publishers that you would like to contribute to, you need to write a quality pitch. This should be as concise as possible, while still being personalised and tailored to the person you’re pitching to. Make sure you research the publisher beforehand and offer clear details of the value you can add to the blog. And don’t forget to follow up in a couple of days time.
Advantages of guest posting
When used correctly, guest blogging offers several excellent benefits. This includes:
- Generating new leads and traffic
- Building relationships with a larger target audience
- Increasing brand authority and awareness.
Overall, guest posting helps to increase search rankings, boost sales, and improve revenue potential. This makes it one of the smartest digital marketing strategies you can invest in. Not only will guest posts give you instant exposure to your target audience, but it can also be used to encourage social media shares and grow your online presence by increasing your followers.
In addition to these great benefits, guest blogging also gives you a fantastic opportunity to develop your content marketing skills. For these reasons, all online businesses should be taking full advantage of the power of guest blogging as part of their SEO strategy.
A holistic approach
In summary, there is plenty of evidence to demonstrate that guest blogging is still an excellent way to build links and boost search rankings, but it’s not the only way. While guest blogging is clearly an important tool for online marketing success, businesses should also use a combination of SEO strategies to boost brand exposure and reach their target audience. An effective SEO strategy should include several methods such as optimised H1 tags, brand building, and fully-responsive web pages.