By now, you should already know that guest blogging is probably one of the most powerful link building strategies on the planet.
I bet it sounds good but there’s a problem; There are over 50 million bloggers competing for the top spot.
So, what’s your chance of succeeding in terms of website ranking and guest posting possibilities? Rather low huh?
A few years back, applying for guest posting is rather easy and you could easily land yourself with one without much effort. Nowadays, you definitely need to step up the game if you want to earn a spot in the guest posting segment.
The requirements for publishing guest post has increased dramatically and do you know what it takes to stand out from the crowd?
Getting started for guest posting … the absolute basic
Guest posting 101: Knowing your targeted website is important
Choosing the right website is important for every guest post opportunity. There are hundreds and probably thousands of websites that you can apply for guest posting position.
However, you need to know which websites will give you a better boost of both traffic and ranking.
You can easily do so by asking yourself the following two questions:
- What is the niche or topic I want to target?
- How do I approach others to give me a chance to write?
I have very weird thinking on this and therefore, feel free to discuss it using the comment form at the end of the article 🙂
1. The hunt begins: Niche hunting
One of the biggest misconceptions about guest posting is that bloggers want to build a fast backlink.
Honestly, link building doesn’t work that way.
Bloggers tend to signup for any type of topics with some crazy hopes … literally.
Do you think this is a waste of time?
Absolutely! Why don’t you just spend some time finding 5 or 10 niches that you really want to target instead?
Deciding on the niche you are going to get your hands dirty with will actually opens more doors when it comes to guest posting.
Let’s see it this way. There are many websites which offers general information but at the same time, there are also many who offers specific information.
Now, which do you think will benefit you more?
I would go for websites offering specific information as I am sure 75% of the traffic heading towards there are looking for that same type of information. This gives you a better chance to grow your authority.
Does this make any sense to you?
Fact: Choosing the right niche and website will give you the most benefits when it comes to guest posting.
2. Please give me a chance – Try before you buy
Do you feel better and safer when you are able to try out a dress before you buy? I bet it does and the same concept applies to guest posts.
If you want others to give you a chance, you need to offer them something back in return. It can varies from making them feeling safe, helping them to accomplish certain tasks or 100 more ideas you can think of.
The 70 words above might sound super easy but honestly, life doesn’t go that way. Nowadays, most editors are more picky and choosy when it comes to guest posting.
Hey, they are not wrong! After all, guest posting is all about quality right?
Here’s my confession: If you want to be given a chance for guest posting, then start building authority and make your presence counts. This means that spending time to build a certain level of ‘existence’ in that particular topic especially on social media.
This would take time and probably months. I personally took a month plus to build my presence on 3 specific niche and at the end, I was offered several chance of guest post.
Once that happens, the rest are rather … easy and straightforward from there on.
My guest posting checklists
If you want to be successful in guest posting industry, you need to have a strategy … a damn good one.
I call it, “My guest posting checklists”. This checklist doesn’t only serve the purpose to write a good guest post but at the same time, making the whole process as smooth as possible.
Here are some of my personal guidelines:
- Rules of engagement
- Quality control
- Mentally and physically prepared
All in all, keeping in mind that guest posting is all about a win-win situation between both bloggers and editors.
1. The rules of engagement
You should only start thinking about guest posting topic after knowing where you are going to publish the article.
Why is this important?
Each website has their own rules and regulations. You wouldn’t want to your articles to rejected just because you might have overlooked on a certain rule.
You are definitely facing a series of rejections if you are not applying on the right websites. For example, you might be writing about fashion niche and what will happen if you decide to write for CopyBlogger?
Does this make any sense to you?
The trick here is to write for websites that require your expertise or in line with your niche.
I make it a habit to discuss on the guest posting rules and regulations over email with the respective party. Ask them 101 questions if you got to.
It is never wrong to ask … but please, do ask logical questions only.
The best questions you can probably ask are:
- Topics that the editor has in mind
- The length of the article
- Number links (DoFollow and NoFollow) in a blog post
- Size and number of images allowed
- Time frame for submitting the guest posting
2. Quality above everything in guest posting
If you are putting 100% in your blog post, then you should put 120% or more in guest posting.
Remember this: You are putting not only your brand and name on the line but as well as that editor’s one as well.
Even though guest posting is apart of creating backlink, this doesn’t mean that you should do link stuffing into the article. Instead, provide useful links to support your writing and not just links from your website.
Note: If your main goal for guest posting is to get backlink, then you are wrong. The correct goal is to provide relevant information, tips and tricks to boost not only your authority and credibility but as well as that particular website’s ranking.
3. Sending in your first draft
Waiting for the editor to reply could be the most nerve-wracking and nail-biting experience I ever had.
This is probably the moment of truth. Usually, the editor will take about 24 to 72 hours to get back to you and trust me, it felt like forever.
You got to be mentally prepared as there is a high chance of failure especially when it comes to submitting the first draft.
Once you received the review, do the appropriate amendments if needed and make sure you follow the guidelines given by the editor.
You could take a week or so to redo the draft but don’t take forever!
Go ahead and tell me. Did I miss out anything?
I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I do. Remember to hit the Reply button and tell me if I overlooked anything.
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