Guest Blogging

What is guest blogging?

Also known as guest posting, guest blogging, as the name suggests, is the act of writing content for a website that you are not associated with.

If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:

Question #1: What are the benefits of guest blogging?

The benefits of guest blogging include:

1. A bigger audience for both parties
2. Hassle-free content creation for the host website
3. Income for the writer (in some cases)

Let us take a look at each one in more detail:

Guest blogging gives both the writer and host website instant access to a bigger audience. The former gets introduced to the latter’s readers and vice versa. If both of them operate in the same industry and, as a result, have the same target audience, it could help both gain new followers.

The second benefit of guest blogging is that it allows the host website to post content without having to actually produce it.

The final benefit of guest blogging is that in some cases, the writer gets paid for producing content for a host website, especially if they are a known authority in their field.

Question #2: What are the downsides to it?

The main downside to guest blogging is that done incorrectly, it is a massive waste of time.

But how exactly do you do guest blogging incorrectly? Below are some examples:

1. A writer writing for a host website that operates in an entirely different industry
2. A host website tapping a writer that does not know anything about its industry
3. A writer writing for a host website that has no audience
4. A writer writing for a host website with a bad reputation
5. A host website tapping a writer with a bad reputation

Let us take a closer look at each one:

If you are a writer who specialises in fitness for example, guest blogging on an aviation website would do absolutely nothing for you. Not only will doing so require you to spend a lot of time doing research because you are unfamiliar with the topics, it will also not bring you any new followers because the people who will read the finished piece would be interested in aviation, not fitness.

The only reason to do so is if you are getting paid. But even then, it is still better to dothis type of blog for websites that operate in the same industry as you.

Of course, the opposite is also true. If you have a website, you should tap a writer that specialises in your field to ensure you get an expertly written article with valuable insights.

Now, if you are a writer, it is also a good idea to write for a website that already has an audience. That is the only way you will be able to attract new followers.

Aside from this, however, it would also be wise to only write for reputable websites. Associating yourself with shady websites will not do your brand any good.

Of course, if you have a website and want to tap a guest writer, you also need to make sure they have a good reputation for the exact same reason.

Question #3: How do it affect SEO?

Guest blogging can help with SEO by generating backlinks for both the guest writer and the host website.

You see, whenever a guest writer submits content to a host website, their by-line appears either at the top or at the bottom of the article with a link to their website and social media accounts. And when the writer shares the link to their guest post, that is a new backlink for the host website.

But why is this important?

Well, the more quality backlinks a website has, the more it appears as a credible resource to Google. This, in turn, helps said website to show up more often and rank higher in search results.