Guest post by Amanda DiSilvestro
Do you own a successful blog, with hundreds of subscribers and readers? Are you looking for a method to increase your audience and traffic to your website?
Guest blogging is a profitable yet affordable way to achieve these ends. By allowing guest authors to post on your blog, you can increase traffic to your website and deliver quality content to your readers.
In addition, one of the most common reasons why guest blogging occurs is because of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). When guest bloggers submit a post, oftentimes they include a link back to their website, so that it increases backlinks to their site. Backlinks are critical to appearing higher in search engine results and increasing the SEO of your website.
However, guest blogging is not as easy as writing up and article and emailing it to a website. There are many guest bloggers who provide low quality, unrelated content, or are simply looking to increase their SEO. Here are some tips that will help you avoid reputation-killing posts, and to preserve the quality of your blog:
What to Avoid When Guest Blogging
1. Avoid Spam Posts
Many guest writers are simply looking to increase backlinks to their site and will submit posts that are completely irrelevant to the tone or topics of a particular blog. If you put up guest posts that appear to be spam or are written with the purpose of selling a product, then your website’s SEO will actually decrease.
When it comes to detecting spam, the red flags are usually blue underlines. If a post is submitted to a blog with lots of blue underlined words, or links back to a particular site, it is usually very obvious that the writer has bad intentions. Even if your post is free of blue underlines, do not assume that editors will not read your work. Sometimes bloggers write about two different topics in one guest article simply to get something out there—this is not a mistake you want to make.
2. Ensure Relevance
Webmasters should ensure that submitted guest posts are related to the blog’s niche. Unlike spam which is usually intentional, as a new guest blogger you may unintentionally write and post content that is irrelevant. Do not get too excited about guest posting and forget to read the blog’s content. Readers may become confused and frustrated when they expecting content on travel stories and experience, but see a guest post on baseball. In addition, this has a negative effect on your blog’s SEO, as search engines will view your blog as a dumping ground for content.
3. Be Careful of Plagiarism
There are guest authors out there that copy their content from others. If you use plagiarized content on your blog, this will have a negative effect on your website’s SEO and may decrease traffic.
4. Poorly Written Content
In the rush to increase SEO to their site, many guest bloggers simply submit posts to a variety of websites, and hopes that one of them will bite. Always read over the content before agreeing to submit them on your site! Your audience will not appreciate a guest post that is poorly written, irrelevant or has an uncaring attitude. Plus, your website will lose credibility amongst anyone who readers that article. After all, who would want to work with a company who can’t even write a quality article?
In general, before allowing a guest post onto a website editors should ensure that it comes from a reputable, reliable source. One way to verify is to look at the author’s past submissions, and check if they are well written and contain premium content.
By taking such precautions, webmasters can ensure that their blogs receive the best quality content available. In other words, most of the schemes listed above simply will not make it through to quality websites. If you’re a beginner blogger, takes these notes and put them on your “not to do” list!
Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to b2b telemarketing. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including managed voip service to small businesses and entrepreneurs for Resource Nation.
About Amanda DiSilvestro
Thanks for the great tips. It’s really necessary to write high quality and creative post in order to be successful in this method. If you’re article is poorly written, there’s a big possibility that the Blog owner won’t publish your article and it will just go to waste.
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Absolutely. Another thing to keep in mind is this: If an editor says no to your post because it is poorly written, do not try and publish it somewhere else. Go through the article, see what you can fix, and then try sending it out to another editor. Thanks for reading!
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..How Should You Handle Negative Customers?
The no.1 tip and the avoid copying content would be the most important thing to remember as a novice.It’s not easy to build reputation but it would be satisfying that you get on the top without stepping on somebody’s foot. haha. I’m really glad you brought this up.
Annmarie Delaney recently posted..Cancer Tips
Hi….nice post…..guest blogging is a for sure a great way to get good and regular content on the blog but the quality check is must before allowing a guest blog… good tips to keep unwanted and spam post out of the ur blog..
Regards
Aniket
great, helpful blog….i think guest author rules and guidelines page on your blog are a must, these set the standard for potential authors. i realise some people ignore you but at least you seem professional
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
I’m really glad you brought this up. It is important not to get discouraged if a publisher ignores you. As long as you are professional, you should feel good about yourself. In my opinion, it’s that website’s loss; not yours!
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..3 Black Hat SEO Pickup Lines You Never Want to Fall For
For effective guest blogging, the guest post must be unique and highly related to its niche. Its the duty of the website editor to check for quality and duplicate content before approving the ( guest ) post.
very usefull tips specialy for me bcoz am new and i allowed guest posting on my blog. i know that guest blog can increase traffic and readers, but after reading your post i will be carefull before posting any guest post on my blog. Thanks for sharing!
Have a nice day!
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If you can’t fulfill this simple tips, then it is not even worth trying guest posting at all as you can only decrease the ranking of your site by such behavior and not improve it. Guest blogging is the same like real blogging for yourself with the same amount of responsibility
Hi, Amanda! Guest posts could really make or break the reputation of both the site owner and guest poster. But most sites now impose appropriate submission guidelines to ensure relevancy and uniqueness of the content, and also the writing skill of the guest poster. I believe guest posting, when done right, could really generate more traffic and loyal site visitors.
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Submission guidelines are sooo important, so I’m glad you brought this up. Usually a site will list off appropriate guidelines, so all the blogger has to do is follow those guidelines (especially if the blogger is a beginner). This would definitely help any reputation-killing that may have otherwise occurred.
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..Put Your Resources into Locating the Right HR Software
Actually guest posting has lot of benefits but at the same time if the contents are not well written or contents are duplicate, it can definitely hurt your reputation.
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The no.1 tip and the avoid copying content would be the most important thing to remember as a novice.It’s not easy to build reputation but it would be satisfying that you get on the top without stepping on somebody’s foot. Great article!
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
I would have to agree. If you copy content, you will make many people (the editor, readers, and author) very angry.
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..How Should You Handle Negative Customers?
Hi Amanda!So true, not just angry but they could also report your blog and causes to be banned. As possible, post only your OWN thoughts, ideas and valuable insights. Reader and bloggers would appreciate it a lot.
Sheen recently posted..Build-A-Bear teddy bear recalled
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Great point!
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..Debt Collection Strategies When Customers Don’t Pay
great blog amanda…..i do wish more people would pay attention to the guidelines of making guest posts.
it would make all of our lives easier!
Thanks for sharing these very useful tips for guest blogging. It’s really important to know these tips. Keep on the good work!
Peter recently posted..Reservationless teleconference
Amanda,
Thanks for the post. I really need to start doing more guest posts. What’s the best way to find good blogs to guest post on? How many should I start with? Thanks
Bill
Small Business Internet Marketing recently posted..Giving Thanks
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Hi Bill,
Those are great questions. I often use blog rolls to find good sites for guest posting (blog rolls are simply just a list of blogs another blog “likes” that they post on their website). I also have Google Alerts setup so every time the words “guest post” or “write for us” are shown online, I”ll know about it. Typing these words into Google will also help get you started. Finally, you can utilize sites like this! Leave comments asking if anyone knows anywhere you can potentially guest post. I know my company’s websites (http://www.business.com and http://www.resourcenation.com) accept guest posts if you’re interested.
How many you start with really depends upon how much time you have. I usually ask about ten sites per week if they accept guest posts, and normally I only get about two or three responses. In other words, I don’t think you can ever ask to guest post on too many blogs. Gage how many articles you can write in one week, and then I’d times that by two or three when it comes time to pitch. Does that make sense? Thanks for the questions!
Twitter: issuesEthical
says:
I am really trying to avoid this terrible event. I am getting better.
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Twitter: rumblinglankan
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Another thing you should think about when accepting guest posts is the amount of guest posts you’re accepting. It’s alright to post guest posts occasionally but to do it frequently is a bad idea in my opinion.
Nishadha recently posted..How Companies Use Social Media Successfully
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
I would have to agree that it is not a good idea to accept a bunch of guest posts. Although I have seen some websites that run successfully using only guest posts, most companies stick to one or two per week and fill the rest with their own content.
I think guest posting frequently on other sites, however, is a good idea. As long as it does not take away from your blog!
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..Small Business and the Need for Workers Comp
To ensure your reputation, before accepting any guest post it would be better to review it. Check if its a duplicate content, relevant to your niche, useful on your blog as well as for your readers. Better accept guest post to your friends on your blogosphere. :)
To be honest, guest posting is a really easy task to do, as long as we follow certain rules. Because high quality articles ALWAYS get posted, no matter what, given that it is on the same niche or something related to that. Simple as that.
Great article, I wish more people would pay attention to the guidelines of making guest posts.
Gary Ashton recently posted..Missy Davidson of RE/MAX Elite continues to sell homes in Nashville and Springhill TN
Amanda, very good reminder on tip number 3 to check any guest posts to your site for duplicate content. I haven’t done any guest posting yet (despite knowing I should) nor used any on any of my sites but that is a very good tip.
@Nick you could try Copyscape or Plagium content checkers I’ve heard of. I’m sure Amanda is aware of some good one’s too. :)
Nicolas recently posted..Invicta Pro Diver Watch vs Rolex Submariner
I think I would be great at guest posting. Do you know where I could find a Hip Hop Blog looking for a guest poster.
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Very informative post.
Submitting duplicate articles or poorly written articles will almost never get approved by the more reputed webmasters/authority sites.
And even if it gets approved, it will be the most sure-fire way to loose your credibility, and in the long run – your business.
Thanks for the share!
Twitter: Janis167
says:
Interesting guest post abut guest posting :)) Thanks, great read!
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Twitter: issuesEthical
says:
Very nice post, I try to avoid copying and plagiarism.
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Nice! I like this post. It’s cool.
I do own a blog page. But as a beginner, I have never mastered the do’s and dont’s. What I only did was posting ads through Google Adsense, was that a good step as well, Amanda? I could only get one visitor a month, which is sad. I appreciate your tips. Cheers.
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
I do think Google Adsense was a good step; however I will continue to push for the guest posting. I know it can be hard sometimes to find editors willing to post your articles, but trust me…they are out there! Business.com and Resource Nation (the companies I write for) do accept guests posts on their blogs, so feel free to send something over to me and I’ll take a look!
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..Small Business and the Need for Workers Comp
Twitter: ditesco
says:
Solid points Amanda. Sometimes, I still don’t understand why people can’t follow some simple set of guidelines when submitting a guest post. Go figure…
BTW, on a side note…. Wow, you are all over the place.. haha. Good job your doing. Keep it up :) Hope to see you soon
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Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Thank you very much! I think I found your blog–iBlog Zone for those who don’t know–through this website. Thanks for keeping in touch and reading my articles!
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..Small Business and the Need for Workers Comp
Good points Amanda,
Its very important to have a guest author rules and guidelines page on your blog to basically set the standard for potential authors. Although some of them still ignore the rules, it does make a difference.
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Twitter: davelucas
says:
Hi Amanda! With the “guest post craze” going full-tilt since the blogging gurus began hyping it up two months ago, I can’t tell you how many JUNK guest-posts I’ve come across! The writers obviously use spell-check (I don’t because it messes up my blog template when turned on) but they have no command of the correct order of many english words and phrases.
My advice to bloggers accepting guest-posts : perform your own editorial surgery on these monstrosities, and if the writers are paying you to post their articles, explain to them you’re doing them a favor by correcting their errors!
BLOG ON!
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Twitter: aadicia
says:
Yes, Bloggers need to be very careful from black hats who send you plagiarized articles, also there are no relevancy with your blog. so stay safe from them.
thank u for the information. helpful.
I was thinking of allowing guest blogging to my blog and your post give a new way on how to handle guest blogging..
Thanks for sharing this helpful post.
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Guest posts really are a great way to start one’s blogging career. Your site’s popularity will have great dependency on this one.
Twitter: GearOutdoor
says:
This is a very useful article Amanda. I also hate plagiarism; I believe it is one of the most dishonest ways to cheat ones words. I was wondering Amanda if you know any good quality tool of finding plagiarism, but by inserting the whole text. I have tried some programs that check sentence by sentence and they were good enough, but time-consuming. Thank you for your help in advance.
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Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Great question. I will look into it and get back to you after the holidays. Thank you for your interest (I love questions!)
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..Small Business and the Need for Workers Comp
Twitter: ADiSilvestro
says:
Hi Nick,
I looked into it and most people are saying that “Copy Scape” is a good tool to use when trying to check for plagiarism. However, I often just take a chunk of the article, put it in quotes, and then put that into the Google search box. If something identical comes up, you will know it has been plagiarized! I hope that helps.
Amanda DiSilvestro recently posted..3 Black Hat SEO Pickup Lines You Never Want to Fall For
I suggest using CopyScape!
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