This is a good question, because a lot of people talk about guest blogging, but very few people really know how to do it for maximum profits.
So let me share with you the best practices that will optimize your success with this strategy.
Take a look…
Look For High-Quality Blogs
The goal here isn’t to scatter your content around the web willy nilly in hopes of getting some traffic and establishing yourself as an expert.
Truth is, putting your content on the wrong kind of blog can actually backfire on you. It can destroy your reputation, dampen your search engine rankings, and waste your time.
So your first step actually includes two steps:
Step 1: Find guest blogging opportunities.
Simply search Google for your niche keywords (e.g., “organic gardening” or “online marketing”) alongside words that indicate a site accepts guest submissions. For example:
- Organic gardening guest blogging
- Organic gardening guest articles
- Organic gardening article submission
- Organic gardening article guidelines
- Organic gardening blogging guidelines
Once you have a big list of blogs that accept articles, then…
Step 2: Select the BEST blogs.
Take these steps:
- Review content on the blog to ensure it has high-quality, useful content.
- Look for guest posts from well-known, respected people in your niche.
- Check out the comment section for plenty of activity and thoughtful discussion.
- Check out the social media badges to see how often good content gets shared.
- Search Google for the blog owner and the blog to check that they have a good reputation. (Your name is going to be associated with this blogger, so be sure you’re being associated with someone reputable.)
- Ask the blogger about their visitors and demographics.
Next…
Follow the Rules
Read the submission guidelines carefully and follow them exactly. Most popular blogs get a lot of guest content submissions, so they weed them out by first checking to see who didn’t follow the content guidelines.
Model After Success
One good way to figure out what the blog owner likes is to look at what type of content he or she publishes. Then model your article after the style of these successful articles.
For example, maybe the blog owner publishes a lot of “top ten” lists. Take a hint and create your own list article. E.G., “Top Ten Copywriting Secrets For Doubling Conversion Rates!”
Use Your Byline Wisely
Blog owners will tell you that you can insert a byline or “author bio” after your article. This isn’t the place to tell readers about you, how long you’ve been writing, etc. Instead, use this byline and link to send people to your website.
For example, you might send people to your lead page like this: “You just discovered ten tips for getting rid of belly fat. Now you can get the full “Blast Away the Fat” report for free by clicking here. But do it now, because this offer won’t last long!”
Conclusion
So there you have some of the best practices and tips you can use to get started guest blogging.