Guest posting can be an extremely effective way to grow your business and establish authority in your niche. However, with so many sites accepting guest posts these days, it can be tricky to determine which ones are actually worth your time.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about guest posting in 2024, including:
Why Guest Posting is Beneficial
There are several key benefits to guest posting:
1. Increased Brand Exposure and Traffic
By publishing content on reputable, high-traffic sites in your industry, you can expose your brand to an entirely new audience. This leads to more people visiting your website and engaging with your content.
2. Backlinks and Improved SEO
Most sites that accept guest posts will allow you to include a backlink to your website within the article. These backlinks signal to Google that your content is reputable and help improve your search engine rankings.
3. Establish Yourself as an Industry Expert
Consistently publishing high-quality guest posts allows you to build authority and credibility within your niche. Readers will come to recognize you as a subject matter expert.
4. New Business Opportunities
Guest posting expands your network within your industry. This can lead to potential partnerships, speaking opportunities, client referrals and more.
Finding Sites that Accept Guest Posts
Here are some tips for finding relevant sites that accept contributor submissions:
- Use Google operators – Search queries with "guest post", "submit article", "write for us", etc. can help surface sites accepting pitches.
- Check websites for submission guidelines – Many sites will have "Contribute", "Write for Us", or "Guest Post" pages detailing what they look for.
- Utilize guest post boards/marketplaces – Platforms like Contently, Skyword and Guest Post Tracker connect writers to publications seeking contributors.
- Use broken link building tools – If a site has removed certain pages/posts, there may be an opportunity to pitch something similar to what they previously covered.
- Look through your RSS feed subscribers – Those who follow your content may be interested in syndicating posts.
- Reply to industry bloggers – If you regularly comment on other posts with valuable insights, bloggers may invite you to contribute.
Crafting Pitches That Convert
Once you‘ve identified possible sites and publications, here are some tips for crafting effective guest post pitches:
1. Personalize Each Pitch
Generic pitches are easy for editors to dismiss. Make sure to address them directly and indicate you are familiar with their specific site/blog.
2. Keep It Concise
Editors are busy. Keep your pitch short, direct and scannable – summarize the topic clearly upfront.
3. Focus on Value for Their Audience
Demonstrate that you‘ve done research on their site and readership – how will your post uniquely benefit both?
4. Include Any Relevant Clips
1-2 writing samples (ideally related to your pitch topic) help back up your experience on the subject.
5. End with a Clear Call to Action
Let them know exactly what you‘d like next – a chance to discuss further or schedule the post?
Optimizing Your Guest Post Content
Once your pitch has been accepted, optimize your guest post for maximum impact:
1. Write Compelling Headlines
Drive clicks from social media shares with irresistible yet accurate headlines. Study what performs well for the publication.
2. Structure Content Strategically
Lead with the most useful information, break text into easily scannable sections, end by recapping key points.
3. Include Multimedia
Stats, polls, images, videos, gifs and other media make posts more engaging and shareable.
4. Check for Consistent Internal Links
This improves on-site user experience. Link to other relevant articles published on the same site where applicable.
5. Promote Your Guest Post
Repurpose the content across your own social channels, link to it from your site/emails to generate more clicks.
Guest Posting Dos and Don‘ts
Keep these best practices in mind:
DO
- Thoroughly research sites before pitching
- Craft thoughtful, personalized pitches
- Deliver posts matching guidelines by deadlines
- Promote your post upon publication
DON‘T
- Submit duplicate pitches without customization
- Pitch sites completely unrelated to your niche
- Include excessive links back to your own site
- Expect guest posting alone to make up an entire strategy
Conclusion
By focusing on value-driven partnerships with reputable industry sites accepting high-quality guest contributions, you can take your personal brand and business growth to exciting new levels in the year to come.
What strategies have you found most effective for guest posting success? I‘d love to hear what‘s worked for you in the comments below!
