<span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2014, Matt Cutts from Google published a </span><a href="https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/guest-blogging/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that declared guest posting dead for link building.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So then why do we still see SEOs </span><b>guest blogging opportunities</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> advertised on the web?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Many websites, both big and small, allow users to </span><b>submit a guest post</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. And many people do </span><b>submit guest posts</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Expert </span><a href="https://www.uplers.com/guest-posting-services/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">guest posting services</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are also available and the results of these services are verifiable, to say the least. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Why? </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, because </span><b>guest posting</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> might not be the best backlink-building <a href="https://www.inbusinessworld.com/what-is-a-market-study/">strategy</a> out there, it sure is good for <a href="https://www.marketing1on1.com/professional-seo-services-company/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">SEO</a> in other ways. Before we elaborate on the why and how of guest blogging, let’s begin by breaking down </span><b>what guest posting exactly is</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.  </span>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Is Guest Blogging?</span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">When you publish your blog or article on someone else’s website, that’s called guest blogging. You are a guest on the other website and thus, your post on the site is a guest post. Simple. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Most SEOs use guest blogging for embedding backlinks. And that’s how it gets abused. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to excess (and often illegitimate) use of guest blogging for getting backlinks, Google does not give weightage to guest blog backlinks. And in case guest blog link building is found to be unnatural, the pages are penalized in rankings.  </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a href="https://twitter.com/johnmu/status/1271697162762686464?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tweet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from a Google insider, John Mu, even recommended that all the links in a guest blog, even if they are natural, should be no-follow. Even the one in the byline. </span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, if guest blogging isn’t a link-building tactic, then what is guest blogging in SEO?</span></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Guest blogging is a great reputation <a href="https://www.inbusinessworld.com/social-media-analysis/">marketing</a> tool as it allows building awareness about your brand in front of a wide audience. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You can establish your expertise by writing valuable content.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You can engage an audience by developing content that is relevant to their needs.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You can build trust in them for your brand (or yourself) by offering insights and information.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It can also help bring in the referral traffic, increase organic traffic, boost conversions, and enhance social shares. </span>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Short and Simple Guide To Guest Blogging For SEO</span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Writing a guest blog is no rocket science. </span>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You write an information-rich piece of read-worthy content.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure it meets your target site's guest posting guidelines.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">And then you submit the post, it gets published, and you reap the SEO benefits.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s a roundup of how many guest blogging pitches are sent each month:</span>

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12443" src="https://www.inbusinessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/email.jpg" alt="Blogging For SEO" width="700" height="450" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Are all these pitches successful?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">No.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Here is how many guest posts are actually written each month:</span>

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12444" src="https://www.inbusinessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/email-1.jpg" alt="Blogging For SEO" width="700" height="450" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This means, unless you follow the best practices, you won’t be able to master the art of guest blogging for SEO. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And here is the shortest and simplest guide to help you understand (and implement) all the best practices</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s get started:</span>
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finding Guest Blogging Opportunities</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Guest blogging opportunities won’t come knocking on your door. You’d have to search for them. On Google and on social media platforms. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A simple web search for “Write for us” or “Submit a guest blog/post” would bring up a flood of results. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The next step is to find out the opportunities in your niche. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Look for opportunities where:</span>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The site you are deciding to post on should have a good readership base.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The readers of the site would be interested in the content that you would be creating and posting.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The site has good domain and page authority, along with a plausible social media presence. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">You can also look at your competitor’s backlink profile to find out what sites they are posting guest blogs on. Also, find out where industry leaders in your niche are posting their content. Those would be good places to start. </span>
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pitching For A Guest Blog Posting</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">As seen already, a lot of people pitch for guest blog posting, but most don’t succeed. A wrong pitch could not just lead to rejection but also tamper your image in the eyes of other webmasters. Some best practices that you should follow include:</span>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Get to know the site’s audience. Once you know who will be reading your blog, your blog as well as the pitch for it will be more relevant.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read all the guest posting guidelines for the website you are pitching to.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Send a personalized email pitch.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Introduce who you are and what makes you a suitable candidate to write about the subject. Also mention why the site’s audience would like to read your content.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do NOT ask for backlinks. Most guest blogging opportunities allow you to include one link to your domain, given it is natural and adds value to the blog. Asking for a backlink makes you look immature and inexperienced in the world of SEO.</span></li>
</ul>
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Writing The Perfect Guest Blog</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Once your pitch yields a positive response, it is time to don your writing hate and blog on.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But </span><b>how to write a guest post?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s how:</span>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is no replacement for good content. The first thing that you need to ensure in your guest blog is that it should be well-researched, relevant, grammatically correct, free from spelling errors, and written in the right tone. </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure the content is written for the reader and not to boast about yourself or your brand. While it is okay to occasionally mention your business, the majority of the post should be about topics that concern the reader.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Format the post like other blogs on the website. The readers are accustomed to that style and would prefer a similar look.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Include some internal links to the website that your guest blog is going to be published on. Also, if you are mentioning, and tools, products, services, books, or something else, include a link to that too. This aids readers to act on the suggestions you are making in your blog. </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Include a call to action at the end. It should be usually urging readers to comment on the post.</span></li>
</ul>
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crafting a Guest Post Bio</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">For guest bloggers, the most important part of the guest blog is the guest bio that includes a link to your website and social media accounts. (That’s how you’ll get referral traffic.)</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You should spend at least 30 minutes crafting your guest post bio. Keep the following points in mind while you are at it:</span>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Include your social profiles so that people are encouraged to connect with you.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be descriptive yet concise. Include information that would hint at why you are an authoritative voice on the subject matter. Your current job/employment and experience should be included. </span></li>
</ul>
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">How To Track Your Guest Blogging For SEO Efforts?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are not tracking the results of your guest posting efforts, know that most of them are going to go to waste. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Measuring various metrics will help you understand what you are doing right and where you need improvement. Some areas to track include:</span>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How much referral traffic your website is now getting?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Has your organic traffic improved?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are people more aware of your business?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What kind of social engagement do you get from the guest blogs?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do people comment and engage with your guest posts?</span></li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Getting Started </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that you know the what, why, and how of guest blogging, it is time to get started. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Find - Pitch - Write - Track - Succeed. Start taking action today. </span>

&nbsp;