The POWER of Guest Posting

Understanding the Power of Guest Posting

How do you get traffic to your site?

Whenever someone decides to set up a website or a blog, the main intention is to get as much traffic to it as possible. There are different ways to get traffic to a site, but not all of them can be ideal in your case. Some of the options include social media, affiliate marketing, internet marketing, blogging and SEO. Guest blogging is one of the best ways to have more traffic on your site. Unfortunately, not everyone places enough importance on guest blogging, and many fail to see how helpful and beneficial it can be. Guest posting and influencer outreach can be a hugely powerful ally in vaulting your website to stardom and massive revenue. So let us take a closer look at what guest blogging is and the various advantages it can offer you.

Guest posting and influencer outreach can be a hugely powerful ally in vaulting your website to stardom and massive revenue.Click To Tweet

So let us take a closer look at what guest blogging is and the various advantages it can offer you.

Understanding guest blogging:

In layman’s terms, guest blogging refers to a person who does not own the website but comes and contributes to its content. Blogging is, simply put, writing content. This content may be related to the site, or else be more generic.
But why would anybody want to contribute to the content in another website? Would there be any relevance to the content? Are guest bloggers ever paid for their contribution?

Naturally, Guest bloggers want to earn something from the contributions they make on other blogs or websites. The relevance of the content depends on the niche they select. Contribution in general niches where people contribute content related to different niches helps. However, the returns are not as high as what can be generated when the content is more specialized. This is because most people will not look into general forums for specialized content. However, there are bloggers who decide to contribute to such forums and are satisfied with the lower returns.

There are not that many people who contribute specialized content, and therefore, there is a greater demand for such content. Apart from being more rewarding from a monetary point of view, since the visitor does not have much choice then he is more likely to read the content. As a result, such guest posts are more rewarding.

Many times, guest bloggers, irrespective of whether they are specialized or general blogs, do not get money, but rather build up their exposure and build relationships. Besides, many guest bloggers decide to do this simply to be able to get quality backlinks and traffic in return.

Here are some links to get you started creating an income from guest blogging, guest posting or becoming a freelance “ghostwriter”:

• Freelance Writing Jobs
• Guru.com
• Upwork.com
• TheWriteLife

Generally speaking, most guest bloggers are happy to get indirect rewards rather than monetary returns. To many bloggers, exposure is important for their relatively new blog or website. There is no denying that guest blogging is one of the best ways to get exposure online.

What are the benefits of guest blogging?

A blogger can benefit from various advantages when taking guest blogging seriously. So if you have just set up your personal blog or you want to become better known as a writer online, guest blogging might just be the best promotional tool for you. Guest blogging can offer various benefits, including:

a. Generate traffic of high quality and getting subscribers –

So what is quality traffic? Quality traffic means the visitors hang on to read the content. Some 1000 visitors a week with a low bounce rate would be considered as good quality traffic. Such traffic should not merely arrive, read and leave. A decent percentage of that traffic should join the website and become subscribers. When a guest blogger joins an established blog or website and contributes content to it, the traffic that gets generated is usually high-quality traffic. Bounce rates can be low. Some guest bloggers can even get one-fourth of those visitors becoming subscribers. The subscribers keep on increasing with regular contributions by the guest blogger to the established site. Despite the fact that some will fetch a lot of traffic, only a few would be converted into subscribers. The speed at which quality traffic is generated by becoming a guest blogger, and the percentage of that traffic becoming subscribers is perhaps the greatest advantage of guest blogging.

b. Increases influence online –

Online presence is increased because of such blogging, and in turn, whatever is mentioned in the content gets spread out. This, however, comes with a disadvantage as well. At times, negative influence can also arise with such a big online presence and influence.

c. Establish and rank their own website –

Guest blogging helps to establish and rank the personal blog of the guest blogger. Obviously, a guest blogger has an online identity through his or her blog, web page, or website, and this is different from the site in which he or she is contributing as a guest blogger. This personal site, as well as the name of the guest blogger, needs to get recognition online. When the visitors of the site where the guest blogger is contributing see the site and check the content in it, they are going to read through what the guest blogger wrote possibly for the first time ever. If they are impressed by what the guest blogger wrote, recognition is going to be built in the mind of the visitor. This also applies for the name of the guest blogger. In time, more and more people will start to recognize that blogger and be interested in his or her contributions, including his or her own personal blog. The more helpful or instructive a post is, the more the guest blogger is going to be viewed as a reliable source of information for what they are looking for. Guest bloggers also do not have to necessarily spend on buying backlinks, which are supposed to be necessary for promoting websites, blogs, and web pages.

d. Establishing backlinks –

The term backlink might be new for many people, or they may not necessarily understand what it means. It merely means that when a word or a phrase or link is pressed, the user is taken back to another page. Obviously, this is really beneficial for a guest blogger. If a reader is interested in what he is reading, then he is likely to want to know more about the writer and his contributions. So with good quality content, a guest blogger can prompt a visitor or reader to click on the back link and read other content on his or her personal blog or site. Effectively, this helps in increasing traffic while improving the blogger’s reputation. In fact, guest blogging is one of the best ways to build authority backlinks to the blogger’s personal blog or site, and the best thing is that it is really simple to get this great result.

e. Develop authority and credibility in a niche –

People start recognizing the guest blogger. Often they will identify the blogger with his or her area of specialization. Credibility matters and association with credible bloggers and reliable blogging sites helps to make the guest blogger get an aura of authority. Thus guest blogging undoubtedly helps bloggers to build their credibility and more people will start to trust them. This obviously increases the blogger’s popularity online and helps to build up a better image of him or her, and the content that he/she writes.

f. A portfolio to be proud of –

Inevitably, in time the content becomes associated with the guest blogger. If the content is on a specialized subject, and it is considered to be reliable content, more people would soon be reading the posts of that blogger. They will also start reading his or her content more regularly. Good guest blogging is not about resting or stopping after one or two blogs. It is about some regularity too, so as to remind the people of your presence and also manage to find and establish new relationships. So guest blogging is all about building your brand image online.

g. Improvement in writing skills is inevitable –

Different blogs accepting write-ups from guest bloggers have different standards. There is always a better blogger to measure up to. Therefore, the writing style and presentation need to be in such a way that it is easy for a visitor to understand, read through and relate with. There are many simple things that a first time blogger may not be aware of. But when he or she starts writing on a regular basis and learns through guidance and feedback, in time it will improve the overall quality of his or her writing. Proof reading will also help, and it is also a good idea to check out what other bloggers are doing in terms of writing style and presentation.

h. Flexibility in working hours –

Unlike many jobs, guest blogging is a freelancing job. Therefore, the guest blogger can choose when to submit the post, and spend as much time on the post as he or she needs to spend on the post, perfecting it as needed.

i. Exposure and branding –

As mentioned before, guest blogging helps a great deal in exposure. But what exactly is exposure? If a guest blogger joins a website that has many visitors and contributes content there, he or she then receives some visitors to his or her post, and at least a small percentage of those visitors would go on to check his or her website or blog. This could not be achieved without latching on to that well-established website in which guest blogging is being done. For example, if a well-established blog such as Problogger gets 40,000 visitors each day, then the chances of a guest blogger’s post receiving visitors from at least one fourth of them in a week are definitely much higher. Effectively, the guest blogger’s name is exposed to that many people. In marketing, it is accepted that when a brand name is to be established, people have to see it very often so as to get used to it and have it imprinted in their minds. With the kind of exposure that guest blogging offers, establishing a professional branding or name becomes easier because of the higher traffic generation as well as the speed at which it is generated. This, in turn, helps to frequently get featured in top blogs related to the selected niche on which the content is developed by the guest blogger.

j. Genuine feedback

On the blogger’s personal blog or website, it is difficult to get feedback and criticism, because readers and followers are somewhat limited. Consequently, it is difficult to improve. But with guest blogging, more and more people are going to be exposed to your post. There are also going to be more posts related to the same subject, which you will need to measure up to. The readers may be reading the content, and some of them may be the audience of content from other bloggers. Effectively, they won’t hold back when it comes to pointing out any flaws in your content, and their feedback will really help as they will be naturally comparing what you wrote to what other bloggers contributed. This will help you to improve considerably and in time the ameliorations will be felt and seen by the readers.

k. Social media presence

Guest blogging helps to establish the name of the guest blogger on social media platforms as well. This exposure, in turn, fetches more traffic on a regular basis, without much effort on the part of the guest blogger.

Can you make real money from Guest Blogging?

There are guest bloggers whose single post has roped in over 10,000 visitors in a span of about three weeks. In one week, a guest post could churn out 400 subscribers. While these figures may seem unbelievable and rare, they are true and repeated in the blogging accounts of many of the top bloggers. Thus, guest bloggers can, and do make some serious money and several are making a full-time income online because of guest posting alone!

Fundamentals of guest blogging:

a. Have an objective in mind –

Should a guest blogger submit posts on several different sites, or focus on a single site? This is a common problem relating to guest blogging. When people opt for guest blogging this way they are hoping such diversification will help them succeed at least on one of the sites that they are contributing to. However, Internet marketing has become a more definite science and is less likely to be effective with what worked merely a few years ago. Now, people need to be sure what they want to achieve with their guest blogging. Whether they want to increase exposure to their blog, improve their recognition, or increase domain presence. Likewise, they need to be certain whether they want to add more subscribers, or simply increase traffic to their site. Sometimes the guest blogger is merely out to create brand awareness and authority.

Whatever is the reason for guest blogging, the goal should be clear, and the content should be developed accordingly. It matters because when the guest blogger is developing content to make the visitor view his or her blog, then the backlink should be placed in the right place within the content so that the visitor feels the need to check the content in the backlink. There are various tips and tricks that can be used to help a guest blogger achieve his or her goals, and once the goal is clear in his/her mind, chances of achieving good results get maximized.

Likewise, they need to be certain whether they want to add more subscribers, or simply increase traffic to their site. Sometimes the guest blogger is merely out to create brand awareness and build authority.  Whatever is the reason for guest blogging, the goal should be clear, and the content should be developed accordingly. It matters because when the guest blogger is developing content to make the visitor view his or her blog, then the backlink should be placed in the right place within the content so that the visitor feels the need to check the content in the backlink. There are various tips and tricks that can be used to help a guest blogger achieve his or her goals, and once the goal is clear in his/her mind, chances of achieving good results get maximized.

b. Get your tools right –

If the guest blogger intends to increase traffic and consequently subscribers, then he or she needs to focus on what is being written. Lengthier and more detailed posts that demonstrate his or her knowledge in an area are critical in that case. On the other hand, if the person is looking at gaining back links, then shorter posts should do the trick. Therefore, a guest blogger should definitely check out which type of blog will help him or her to achieve the desired objective. 10 small blogs are hardly going to be as good as a single large one for getting the desired traffic. Likewise, 1 good quality blog will not prove to be as rewarding as 5 good quality smaller ones for getting back links. If the objective is to establish brand or credibility, then 1 good quality lengthy post would be better. A single high-quality guest post can fetch more subscribers than 20 smaller ones. Needless to say, the quality of posts is crucial. There can be no compromise on that.

Likewise, 1 good quality blog will not prove to be as rewarding as 5 good quality smaller ones for getting back links. If the objective is to establish brand or credibility, then 1 good quality lengthy post would be better. A single high-quality guest post can fetch more subscribers than 20 smaller ones. Needless to say, the quality of posts is crucial. There can be no compromise on that.

Many bloggers believe that a single large blog can get them more back links. There is this general belief that the larger a blog is; the more power or authority it will have. To a certain extent, that is true. But practically being on Problogger, which is one of the biggest blogs is not always as rewarding as being on five blogs of high quality that are ranked for page 4 that have different texts that anchor to exactly the same page.

Stay organized!  Keep a list of the blogs you’ve already published to and the keywords you used.  Here’s a great free-to-try tool to help your guest posting efforts organized:  Ninja Outreach

TOP Five blogging rules for Guest bloggers

In order to be a successful guest blogger, one should do a lot of research. This information should then be written lucidly and organized in a manner that can be understood and retained easily by a reader. After this comes proof reading, and finally comes the submission and interaction. Let us go over these steps one by one in more detail.

a. Research –

No blog, whether small or big, is going to accept content that has not been thoroughly researched. The research, however, should not only be confined to the subject of the post. The guest blogger also needs to do some research on the blog. This means that it is necessary to know the blog host, and exactly what type of content is suitable or acceptable on that particular blog. Obviously, writing about home loans on a blog focusing on stock markets would make the content seem to be out of place. Similarly, some blogs offer simple content, whereas other blogs offer more details on the subject. It is, therefore, necessary to get the feel of the blog before starting to develop the content to be a guest blogger on it. This can be done by reading some 25 to 30 posts that have recently been published on that blog. Google Trends can help give you an idea about trending topics to write the guest post on. But it is not compulsory that all blogs focus on trending topics. Some blogs such as SmartPassiveIncome publish posts that are unique and different. Other blogs such as DailyBlogTips are filled with information, whereas Problogger is suitable for blogs that present ideas. Other factors that will be revealed during such research are something unique or acceptable to each of these blogs. For example, Problogger allows posts with links that are in some way connected with the content. DailyBlogTips does not allow inclusion anchored texts (SEO). Knowing something about the blog is, therefore, absolutely necessary.

b. Writing style –

Not only does the language standard need to be high, but even the content needs to be presented coherently and logically. The reason is that there are several such blogs out there, and those who are reading them would only look for the best. Something unique would obviously draw attention, but the details and simplicity in presentation makes it easier to get more traffic. Merely filling up the blog with words would not do. Information needs to be presented in a manner that does not require too much reference as many of the visitors may be first-time visitors. Offering a higher standard information is good, but it might scare away such visitors. So a blogger needs to know how to strike just the right balance in this regard. Presentation matters a lot too. The information in the post should be presented sequentially, and in a manner that it sticks to the mind. There should be a sense of practical application to the content. Some examples and illustrations should also be included in the writing.

c. Proofreading –

Many people are overconfident of their writing skills and sometimes this makes them do away with proofreading. Their argument is that spelling errors are taken care of by the program or similar tools. But there is more to proofreading than merely avoiding errors in spelling. Proofreading helps to prevent anything that has been missed out and which can result in the post being rejected by blog host. It also ensures that nothing wrong is conveyed, and overall the presentation is such that the content makes sense more easily. Grammar errors can also be easily identified nowadays. Therefore, reading the guest post again critically, as if some other writer has written it, can help to see the flaws in it, and allow you to make amendments instead of having the post rejected after all your hard work.

d. Submission of the guest post –

There are two ways of submitting a guest post to a blog host. The first approach is to tell the blog host that you have a guest post that you would like to submit, in which case, the blog host has no clue on which subject the post would be, and whether there are better submissions available on the same subject. So obviously the guest post might not be published, and it would seem such a waste of effort, especially if it is a large post. When guest posts are rejected, it is obvious that the guest blogger will be disappointed. In such cases however, rudeness is uncalled for. But that is what happens, and in the process bloggers and guest bloggers do have permanent differences. A simpler way would be to have a post ready and submit it, to confirm whether or not it would be acceptable by the blog host. In such cases, the decision is faster, and there is no disappointment in store since the host can tell whether or not such a submission is needed at the moment. The Guest blogger can only identify the subject on which the post can be written, but cannot be sure whether other bloggers have already covered it. Because of this, it is always good to develop a portfolio of posts, and give the blog host a chance to see which of the posts can be published from the submitted selection. A covering letter on the guest post stating the title and asking for the Blog host’s opinion can create a favorable relationship between the guest blogger and the blog host, which can pay off in the long run. The covering email also offers an opportunity to highlight the unique features of the post, so that the Blog host finds it easier to peruse and approve the content.

e. Comments and interaction –

Comments help to improve the blog, while interaction helps to clarify any doubts. Interaction with the reader establishes a rapport. In some way, readers like the guest blogger to interact with them and not ignore their comments. Therefore, interaction is a crucial part of any blogging, be it guest blogging or otherwise.

Where should you guest blog?

The make-money-online (MMO) niche is the one which usually has most guest bloggers. However, there are too many content contributors here. As a result, there is a smaller probability of doing that well considering the high supply of guest bloggers. In forums and social media websites that are not MMOs, there are other forms of returns that keep guest bloggers happy.  Simply do some research on Google and other avenues listed below to find niche-related blogs.

In fact in other more specialized niches, such content contribution may fetch payment for the guest blogger. Moreover, there are many other benefits in joining such specialized niches. When the specialized niche has a high amount of web traffic, along with well-known bloggers in the niche, a guest blogger can do well in terms of the exposure that he or she can get.

Searching for blogs

Some blogs are small, whereas others are large. Some accept guest posts, and others don’t. Some blogs are communities of bloggers offering only the best of blogs around in specific niches. Other blogs offer quality content on different niches. For a guest blogger, it is not very difficult to find a blog that will accept the guest post he or she has written, as there are hundreds of blogs to choose from on the net. But let us list some ways that can help a blogger find a suitable blog.

There are different ways to find a blog where guest posts can be submitted. These include:

a. Search engines

Search engines include Bing, Yahoo, and Google. Almost anybody using the Internet is familiar with using these search engines. But for locating the blog specific to the niche, the user has to type words such as
Niche preferred, guest blogging, or guest blogging + niche. Other combinations with the preferred niche could be: submit post, contribute, “write for us”, “guest blogging”, “submit an article”, “submit a post”, etc., with a comma or plus sign, and without quotations as well.

b. Google Blog Search

Unlike search engines, here, the guest blogger just needs to specify the niche. All the blogs in the niche would then be listed. Basically, this blog searching community indexes the blogs. Since top blogs will be listed, it would be possible to check whether these blogs accept guest blogging. Asking the blogger whose post was opened can also help to know whether guest posts are acceptable at that blog.

c. Technorati

This is another leading community or directory of blogs. But the blogs here are big blogs. In other words, for somebody looking for smaller blogs, this is not an ideal option.

d. Alltop

This is one of the best blog directories. It covers all niches and has links to relevant blogs. On the whole, this is one of the most comprehensive blog directories around, since it has both small as well as big blogs in its directory. It is also easy to go to the respective blogs on this blog directory.

e. MyBlogGuest

This is also a community of bloggers. It does not have many blogs unlike Alltop. Overall, it has about 10,000 bloggers in it. The reason this community is worth checking on is because it focuses a great deal on quality. Another unique feature of this blog community is that it automates guest posts. Unlike some of the other blogging communities, this blogging community does not confine itself to small blogs, or blogs of specific niches only. Effectively, quality blogs of all niches can be found in this community.

Guest Blogging (Outreach) Automation Help

While you can manually scour the Net searching for the top influencers within your niche market, this can take a HUGE amount of time searching for blogs, influencers, setting up, tracking and more.  We have found that automating much of this is simply the smart way to go.  Ninja Outreach has the perfect companion to help you expeditiously accomplish your guest posting and outreach goals:

Ninja Outreach can help you accomplish the following crucial aspects of influencer outreach and key guest posting opportunities:

• Lead Generation
• Influencer Outreach 
• Finding Guest Post Opportunites fast
• Content Marketing Promotion
• Collecting Contact Information
• Instagram Prospecting
• Content Research
• Link Building
• Email Marketing
• Twitter Prospecting

With a massive database of bloggers and a keyword niche research tool, you can quickly find key influencers for outreach as quickly as possible. This is a combination CRM tool with over 4 Million Websites and growing.

Discover the top Twitter and Instagram influencers in minutes – sort, filter and add to your created lists.

Quickly and efficiently setup your guest posting correspondence, tracking and all aspects within one interface.

Developing content

The final hurdle is developing the content. Basically, you need to decide what to write about. There is going to be the selected niche, but that niche covers a wide range of subjects in itself. Some topics are simpler, whereas others are much more complex. Then, at times, a large bunch of users may only be searching for a specific topic in that niche. How to decide on what to write about? There are simply too many topics around to write on. But this does not mean that all those topics are worth writing about. Here are some online communities and search engines to look for ideas on what to write about.

a. Check the top blogs –

Trending articles invariably get more readers. But which articles are being searched for by online visitors? You may get some ideas by visiting top blogs. Leading blogs include SmartPassiveIncome, Viperchill, Problogger, and Copyblogger. This is a good way for guest bloggers to get an idea about which subject to write the post on.

b. Comments section of blogs in your niche –

What the readers are looking for can be learned from their comments. By reading those comments it is also possible to get to know new things that were not mentioned in the blog. Therefore, going through the comments sections of blogs can help you to find a topic on which to write the blog post on. Often such comments highlight something that might have been overlooked and needs to be included in another post.

c. Yahoo answers –

Like in the comments section, it is possible to identify the information that people are seeking from questions on Yahoo answers. Many people may be having similar doubts, and waiting for a comprehensive reply and not a general reply. By simply using the same question as the title, and developing a good answer for it, can help you to come up with a nice post.

Here it is possible to know whether people have wrong notions about some issues and what they are finding difficult to understand. That can give a guest blogger an idea on writing something to make such a complex idea simpler.

d. Forums –

These work in a manner similar to the comments section and Yahoo answers. By reading them, it is possible to identify gaps or areas of expertise that seem to be missing. Such areas become an opportunity for a guest blogger to develop a post. Some forum members also offer exceptional advice which needs to reach a larger audience. Guest bloggers can read those forums and collect all the relevant information from different members. This information can then be weaved into a single post, duly including other general information.

e. Social media –

On social media marketing platforms people talk about whatever is trending, and contributions come from all over the world. Guest bloggers can pick not only the subject of the guest post, but also additional information from social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and StumbleUpon. Sharing is a great way to identify what people are interested in at the moment.

The Power of Guest Posting Conclusion:

Guest blogging can be a fun as well as a financially rewarding job. If the listed simple steps are followed, the rewards can be unbelievable. In due course, revenues from advertisements also start pouring in, and the guest blogger can earn a passive income for a long time from the few posts uploaded on his or her personal blog. Of course, hard work is necessary. Content needs to be updated periodically, and new posts need to be submitted to other blogs so as to get more and more traffic. The content on one’s own blog also needs to be changed at regular intervals so that the visitor does not think of the blog as an outdated or non-operational blog and stops visiting it. Even so, once the guest blogger’s personal blog acquires recognition, the guest blogger can afford to take it easy and do work occasionally.