If you are running a personal blog or heading the search engine optimization (SEO) operations of a company, you should already know what guest posting is. But are you making the most of it?

Put simply, guest posting is publishing your blog article on somebody else’s website. Otherwise known as guest blogging, guest posting is one of the most effective SEO practices today. 

For one, a blog is a good way to direct your target audience to your website and gain new customers. With its many benefits, guest blogging should be part of your campaign. 

However, if you’re already managing your own or your company’s blog, is it worthwhile to spare some of your precious time to publish blogs on other websites?

This article answers that question by identifying the advantages of writing guest posts. 

Before we go there, however, let’s clear up some of the most common misconceptions about guest blogging.

Guest Posting Myths Debunked

In this section, we rounded up the most common misconceptions about guest posting and answered them one by one.

1. Guest blogging is dead.

Does Google really discourage guest posting? 

Not really. 

Google has specific guidelines for acceptable guest posts, but it does not prohibit the practice altogether. Essentially, the algorithm doesn’t mind guest blogs as long as they are informative and used for raising awareness about your company or your causes. 

Repetitive, surface-level articles that do not provide value to readers will not help your SEO campaign at all. Furthermore, a website can be penalized for publishing articles with spammy links. 

So, guest blogging is still alive and well. It is just constantly evolving, just like everything else in SEO.

2. Guest blogging is too much trouble.

While it wouldn’t be correct to say that guest blogging is easy, it can be easier to manage if you have a plan. 

Think about where you want your blog to be published, read the site’s guest posting rules thoroughly, and write your articles according to those guidelines. Make sure that your article is relevant to the website where you want to get published, and that the website is relevant to your niche.  Additionally, ensure that your article is educational and error-free before submitting it. Avoid keyword stuffing and duplicate content.

Trying to get numerous guest blogs published without minding the quality of your articles and of the websites will make guest blogging more harmful than beneficial to you.

3. A guest blogger can relax when the article is published.

After your article is published, your next step should be to promote the piece and make sure it reaches more people.

Reply to comments on the article to keep your audience engaged. Share the article link on your personal and professional social media accounts, too.

Now, we’re back to our first question. How exactly will you benefit from guest blogging? 

Key Guest Posting Benefits

Now that you know just how much work is required from a guest blogger, let’s talk about how investing your resources in guest posting will boost your SEO strategy.

1. Expose yourself to the right audience.

Since your blog article is getting posted on a website that is connected to your business (i.e., in the same industry), you will be able to take advantage of the exposure. If your article is insightful and the links you provided are relevant, people who read the article will be interested in who you are and what your business is about. After all, they already have interests or needs in the same industry.

However, be careful not to write a guest blog solely for getting backlinks because Google disapproves of this. Specifically, Google frowns on private blog networks where you can pay for your link to be posted on supposedly authoritative websites.  

2. Establish yourself as an industry expert.

How do you convince your customers to see your website as a trustworthy resource?

Well, you can start by enhancing your site. Provide excellent user experience and content. Make it easy for customers to find the information and products they need. But revamping your website alone won’t be enough. You will need to get old customers and new prospects to visit it.

A good way to do this is to contribute articles to other trusted websites within your industry. When people see that you are discussing fresh insights, they will remember you and even check out your website. Also, if you recommend good products and add useful links to your article, readers will trust you. In this way, writing guest blogs can also act as a form of referral marketing.

Blogs are the best method of showcasing expertise because they allow you to talk at length about the areas that you know most, areas that your potential clients want to learn more about. 

3. Make new, lasting connections within your niche.

Are you interested in joining a network of bloggers with similar interests? What about brainstorming with or even co-writing blogs with fellow industry leaders? Have you ever wanted to interview an excellent blogger who has written for a website that also published your work?

All of this is made easier by guest posting. Every website has a different structure and process of interacting with guest bloggers, but getting your articles published on various websites will give you an edge. Just don’t be afraid to reach out to other websites and bloggers.

4. Increase your social media reach and followers.

At the end of a blog article, you’ll usually find social media links or icons. This makes it convenient for readers to share articles that they find entertaining and useful. Additionally, interested readers can also follow you on social media or subscribe to your blog. Usually, you can put this information on your contributor bio. 

5. Beef up your backlink profile.

Another great thing about guest blogging is that it is beneficial to your link building efforts. Most websites allow guest blog writers to leave at least one link to their own website. Considering that they won’t pay for the article itself, it seems like a fair deal. Also, remember that even one backlink from a high-ranking site can help expand the discoverability and indexability of your content.

But as we mentioned earlier, you have to be cautious with using guest blogging exclusively for getting backlinks. Submit articles to sites with authority and a connection to your field. 

6. Enhance your writing and content marketing skills.

With the amount of work required for researching, writing, and pitching your articles, it is not possible to just dabble in guest blogging. You need to invest significant time and effort to make sure that each article will be approved by the website and shared by the readers. This involves doing content research and adopting the right voice for the website’s readers, among others. Additionally, you will need to dedicate yourself to promoting your content. One way to do this is to add your blog posts to the email newsletter. 

But all this effort will pay off because it’s a brilliant way to sharpen your writing and content marketing skills, which you’ll be able to use in many other endeavors.

Conclusion: Why Write Guest Blogs

Contributing articles can help you achieve these six advantages:

• reach out to your target audience,
• earn a reputation as an industry leader,
• expand your network,
• gain higher social media engagement,
• get more high-quality backlinks, and
• sharpen your skills in writing and content marketing.

Just remember to focus on providing fresh, well-written content. To learn more on how to create the best content, read more: 10 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Content For Your Website.