One of the best ways to build traffic and get your website noticed by others is to feature a guest post on another website. It's often difficult for bloggers to strike up a conversation on their own blogs, as everyone is too busy blogging for them. So guest posting on another's blog can be very beneficial. Here are some reasons guest posting is great:
o You can get additional backlinks to your own blog. If you write a guest post for another site with an inbound link back to your own, other readers will see your name along with your link. This can have a dramatic effect on your own search engine rankings. Just make sure that your guest post isn't just a "place holder" that no one will ever visit.
o You can help out a site that you yourself may not even be aware of. There are dozens of blogs and websites out there that don't receive much attention from the mainstream bloggers. By becoming a guest blogger for one of these sites, you'll give them a little exposure and help them get more traffic. They'll likely also want to feature you on their own site.
o Your opinions count. If you have a popular blog or site, others will certainly be interested in featuring your guest post. Why? Because they're already popular! You don't need to create a whole new blog or site just to guest post. All you need to do is simply contact the owner of the blog or site and explain that you would like to write a guest post.
o You can improve your own SEO rankings by guest posting. You'll get a lot more traffic from the search engines if your guest post is picked up by other websites. Every time someone clicks your link in a guest post, it will send them straight to your site. This can boost your site's search engine rankings dramatically!
o Don't try to be too "helpful." If you have a guest post on another blog, don't post a link to it! You don't want to "help" the other blog owner or site owner but you also don't want to put anyone off. Make sure the person knows that you're a guest blogger. You don't need to put any links in the body of the article; however, if you have an affiliate link in the author resource box, make sure you include this link. Including an affiliate link helps the owner of the blog or site who've invited you to guest blog, as it helps increase their traffic as well.
o If you do decide to post a guest post, make sure you follow the standard courtesy. Try not to be rude or arrogant, as this can really have a bad effect on the other party involved. However, you should try not to make the other party look bad either!
In conclusion, guest blogging is great for both the guest writer and the blog owner. The guest blogger gets exposure, the blog owner gets exposure and the third party get exposure as well. It's a win-win situation! Good Luck!
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what to say when you're invited to guest post on someone else's blog or site. It's simply meant to illustrate some of the things to keep in mind when you're considering doing a guest post. It's also just a quick guide to the etiquette behind guest blogging. If you don't intend to post any offensive material, consider the points mentioned above before posting anything. If you do intend to offend anyone, make sure you double check your posts before they're published.
If you are asked to guest post on a blog or site by a site owner, make sure you take the time to investigate the guest blogger prior to agreeing to be a guest blogger. Don't agree to be a guest writer without first getting to know the owner and/or site owner. You may not feel comfortable with the idea, but there's nothing like the risk of offending someone to drive you absolutely insane. Take the time to get to know the owner and the blog or site, and if you're okay with it, sign up for the job. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy your search for a new career.
If you're a current or former guest blogger and you haven't received any comments or questions about your role as a guest blogger, please shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you! As a former guest myself, I have had many situations where I wasn't completely appreciated as a guest, either because I was busy with other projects, not able to commit to the guest post, or not provided the specific services needed. If you've encountered any of these problems and you're considering guest blogging, please consider my advice above to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise from your decision.