Guest Blogging: 7 Steps to rank your website higher in search engines
Guest blogging involves writing and posting articles on websites other than your own for the promotion of your brand. Guest blogging for traffic and ranking is a popular marketing tactic but does it work?
Yes, if you do it right. Excessive guest posting and manipulative linking practices can hurt your search ranking and SEO. Here are our top 7 strategies to draw the best results out of guest posting.
Step 1: Learn the process theoretically and set goals
Blindly stepping into the process of guest posting with the only goal of posting your article on as much as sites as possible is a clear path to failure. You need to learn and research to find the best possible ways to maximize the results of your strategy. It starts from finding the right sites to post into monitoring the progress.
Set your goal depending on what you want to get out of this process. It may be driving more traffic to your website, generating more leads, or even brand awareness. Having a perfect and clear goal will help lay out the process you need to follow to achieve it.
Step 2: Identifying the right platforms for posting your blogs
Most people tend to look for guest posting opportunities on Google search operators to find the sites with ‘Write to us’ pages. But choosing this method means you’ll find the options that others are also landing on.
We would suggest you go searching through research while also including the above strategy. Identify where your target audience is looking for answers to their questions and also consider your niche. Find websites that cater to this audience and are related to your niche. The domain authority of the site should be 50 or higher and make sure that the site has good audience engagement.
Contact them with a unique pitch that will appeal to the site owner. Keep it concise and include the blog title.
Step 3: Draft the perfect content
This probably is the most important step since the success of the process greatly depends on the quality of the content you post. You have already identified the target audience and now it is time to create content that will not only stand out from the rest but also benefit them genuinely.
Create a compelling headline since it is the first thing that would attract the readers. It should be catchy, and relevant and should urge the person to read the blog.
As for the content, it should be well-researched and informative. Choose a storytelling-type format to make it more interesting and readable. Include relevant keywords in places necessary. Wrap with a strong call-to-action (CTA).
Step 4: Promote your guest posts
Your job isn’t over after posting the blog. Even if you have found an influential site to post on, you just cannot sit back and wait for the results to roll in. Actively promote your content in all possible ways so that it reaches your target audience.
You could share the guest post link on social media channels and encourage your followers to read it. Create a short post about your blog, add the link to the post below, and promote it to your followers through email newsletters.
Step 5: Respond to comments and mentions
Once you have posted the guest blog, you should regularly monitor audience engagement with the blog. If there are any comments, be it compliments or questions, make sure to craft a suitable reply as soon as possible. Ignoring the comments will negatively impact the blog’s reach.
On the other hand, regularly engaging with your audience not only increases the conversion rate of the blog but also builds brand awareness.
Also Read: The Role of Guest Blogging in SEO and Traffic Generation
Step 6: Monitor and analyze your results
To understand the performance of your guest blogging efforts, you have to monitor and analyze the results. This will help you find the points you did right and the ones that need refinement.
Track the traffic generated from your guest posts through tools like Google Analytics. Next, check the backlinks you are gaining through the post using tools like Ahrefs and Moz. Finally, check the conversion rate by tracking how many visitors of the blog converted into leads or customers.
Step 7: Scale your guest blogging strategy
When you have figured out the results of the guest blogging strategy, you will know how to scale it up to achieve better results.
You can increase the frequency of guest posting and target more high-authority sites. Set your revised goal and create a calendar to track your progress. Make sure you don’t sacrifice the quality of the content you are churning out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is guest blogging?
Guest blogging involves writing and publishing articles on other websites to promote your brand and increase traffic to your site.
Why is it important to set goals for guest blogging?
Setting clear goals helps you focus your efforts, whether you want to drive traffic, generate leads, or build brand awareness.
How do I find the right platforms for guest posting?
Look for websites related to your niche with high domain authority and good audience engagement. Avoid overused methods like simple Google searches.
What makes content effective in guest blogging?
High-quality content should be well-researched, informative, and engaging. Use a compelling headline and include relevant keywords and a strong call-to-action.
How should I promote my guest posts?
Share the guest post link on social media, include it in email newsletters, and use other channels to increase its reach and visibility.
Why is monitoring and analyzing results important?
Tracking performance through tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs helps you understand what works and what needs improvement, allowing you to refine your strategy.
- Aug 26, 2024