This is a guest post by Nitin, founder of Offshore Ally.
If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
First of all, why would you want someone to guest blog on your website?
Truth be told, guest blogging provides a number of benefits, especially if you are doing reciprocal blog exchanges. When you invite a guest blogger to your website, you will most likely experience an increase in traffic as that blogger’s readers come to your website to read the guest blog post. This boost can be expected for a couple of days, and if you do have a quality blog that relates to the guest blogger’s niche market, then many of his or her readers will be likely to subscribe to your RSS feed and continue to visit your blog as a result.
This tactic works very well to increase your exposure online by advertising yourself in other blogging communities.
If you do exchange guest blog posts with another blogger, this is also the best free form of advertising that you can get on another blog. If you write a quality post relating to your niche market, the readers of that blog will likely want to know who you are and what you are doing guest blogging on that website. Within your guest blog, you will be able to leave a resource box with your author information and a link back to your website, which provides both SEO and Internet marketing benefits to further increase the visibility and reputation of your brand online.
So where do you find these guest blogging opportunities?
1. Try Blogger Linkup: This is an e-mail newsletter that you can subscribe to, which will list a number of guest bloggers offering their blog posts for your website. You can create relationships within the blogging community to either do reciprocal guest blog posts or host another guest blog on your website. The best part about this newsletter is that you can choose guest bloggers based upon their expertise, website, and post topic to fit in with your niche market on your blog.
2. Social Networking Connections: If you already have Facebook fans and numerous followers on Twitter, you can begin to make connections with other bloggers in your industry. This is the virtual way to rub elbows with your colleagues and peers, and you can follow up by sending messages and asking them to guest blog for you. Most bloggers will be more than happy to provide a guest post that will have a link going back to their website and further promote their blog, which will also benefit your website through an increase in traffic.
3. Search on Google: Of course, you can easily search on Google by plugging in such keywords as “guest post” + your keywords, “write for us” + your keywords, or “guest blog submission guidelines” + your keywords. You can weed through all of the search results to find blogs in your niche market, or you can also use the above keywords and add your specific niche market keywords to them to find more closely related guest blog opportunities. Once you have this information, you can request to guest blog post on a website and inquire about any reciprocal guest blogging prospects.
4. Search on Twitter: Twitter has an incredibly helpful search tool, which will show you what people are talking about in real-time. You can simply plug in “guest blogs” into the keyword search bar on Twitter. This will show you a number of tweets promoting guest blog posts, where you can then visit the blog website to find out about guest blogging or guest blog exchange opportunities.
5. Frequent Forums: A fantastic way to find guest blogging opportunities is to get connected in online communities. If you join groups on LinkedIn or become a part of other forums within your niche market, you will most likely meet other bloggers within your industry that you can exchange posts with. Otherwise, you can become a part of the forum myblogguest for specific guest blogging updates. Get involved!
What many webmasters do not realize is that guest blogging and guest blog exchanges truly take SEO and Internet marketing to the next level.
This is one of the quickest ways to get your foot in the door when promoting your company online, especially if you don’t have the money to pay for costly advertising on a number of top websites. If you guest blog on a popular website with a link going back to your website, that link will only become more powerful and authoritative with age, offering even greater SEO benefits to your website!
Author Profile: Nitin is an internet marketer and founder of Offshore Ally - a Virtual assistant company. He likes to share his expertise on blogging and internet marketing. If you are looking for a virtual assistant for your internet marketing venture, you can visit his website.
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Searching in google for “guest post by” is such a creative idea – I gotta try that one. As is frequenting forums and finding those that love to express their opinion.
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Guest posting is one of the ways many newbies get traffic to their site, but start with people who are not so famous to build your clients.
“TrafficColeman “Signing Off”
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…not just newbies!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Expert Series- Making Your Killer Product
I agree with Andrew. Not just newbies guest blog in order to get a huge amount of traffic. Even I do!
And it works great. Can’t see why some still choose not to.
Hi Nitin
Very informative post. I just did my first guest posting. The blog owner saw me commenting on his guest post and emailed me asking if I would guest post on his blog! I checked out his site and later found out he had been over to my blog several times (hadn’t commented) but had seen what it was about and the interaction with my blogging community too.
I really enjoyed the experience and now through that GP I have been asked by 2 other blog owners to guest post for them. This has blown me away and I can see how this can only be a positive for all concerned.
As I am in a small niche blog; really great opportunity for others to hear about my blog and for me to meet them. Win-win situation.
Patricia Perth Australia
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@Patricia
I am glad to hear about your success, the best part with guest blogging is the social recognition and the relationships you get with blog owners.
Cheers!
This is going to come in very handy. I will be spending some time this week looking for guest blooggers to post about business tips and social media marketing tips and up until this point, even with my blog having a solid PR and Alexa rank I still haven’t really grabbed any guest bloggers.
I’ve even considered paying some of the better guest bloggers for the higher quality posts. Thanks for the tips, going to test out Twitter’s search function blogger link up.
If anyone is interested in guest posting hit me up on Twitter.
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Hi John,
Be careful with the paying part, its seen with in a negative light.
I msgd you on twitter.
Cheers,
Nitin
Oh is it really? Eeek thank you, some other blogger told me that plenty of bloggers do it.
Guess Ill just need to work hard at finding them. Checking your Twitter DM now. Thank you for the heads up, that plan is out the window.
Dear Andrew -
I think the best way you suggested is to read your comments. You will get a feel if the person fits with your topic.
I get a couple of requests here and there. Some of them are not good writers.
My question is – how do you diplomatically say no? Hate to hurt someone’s feelings.
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Hi Corinne,
Guest blogging is all about building a solid relationship. Its like picking up your friends, not everyone is going like you or your ideas.
I have been rejected a lot of times and some of them have been really rude and arrogant denials.
I think if you are going to say someone a No, then keep it polite and let them know the real reason – may be its the quality of writing, may be its their topic. Let them know the real reason for denial and definitely give them a chance to improve.
Cheers,
Nitin
Guest post for guest blogger is one of the most attractive to them. most of all for the eye catching post or blogs on that page or interesting that relate to their lives.
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i found it informative ,i guess these tips are very needed , and reading about this does help people , i think Social Networking Connections is a very good point to talk about as well as the rest of course
Some good ideas about how to find guest bloggers. I haven’t really been aggressive in looking for guest bloggers, but I should be using some of your resources. Basically, I just have a post on my site to explain how someone can submit a guest post and my policies. I’ve gotten a couple of guest posts just by doing that.
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Richard
That’s what I do plus in the guest post – I ask if anyone is interested in guest posting…with a link to my guidelines.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Expert Series- Making Your Killer Product
There are some different guest blogging networks popping up including myblogguest which is free and thekeywordacademy which costs $30 a month or so.
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Nice list. Many bloggers keep wondering how to find guest blogging partners,this post is surely going to help. Blogging community and network connections always give good results.
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A site that should never be left off a list like this is, http://myblogguest.com/
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Thanks for shout out to MyBlogGuest, Dennis!
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No worries Ann, it’s a testament to things you just outwardly trust.
I haven’t even used it myself yet, but promote it constantly.
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Please start using it
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I may soon actually.
I’m launching 2 new blogs and may have to rely on some guest spots while I do some work behind the curtain.
First I put the call out to readers, then I’ll jump into something like your site.
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Hello nitin,
I liked this post and I agree with your points.However i want to know 2 things.(I know it may be little off-topic,but i need help)
1. What is a good average for guest post?And on how many blog should a person guest post?
2. I want to know if i am allowing a person to guest post on my blog, can i have control over his post? can i edit the post or moderate its comments?
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Vikas,
Andrew here.
re: What is a good average for guest post?
What do you mean? Number of words?
I would say the post needs to be more than 400 words.
re: I want to know if i am allowing a person to guest post on my blog, can i have control over his post? can i edit the post or moderate its comments?
I would come to an agreement with the guest poster regarding the actual content of the post. When it comes to comments…it is your blog so I believe you can moderate them.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Expert Series- Making Your Killer Product
Guest Posting is probably the most important thing you could do for your blog. It is important to keep in mind that guest posting is mutually beneficial to you and the blog owner. They are getting more content, and you are getting traffic. You will probably not get better exposure in any other way than guest posting.
Twitter: andrewrondeau
You are totally right but for many reasons many bloggers don’t do it.
I think the main reason is fear…fear of being rejected.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Expert Series- Making Your Killer Product
I’d still go for Google search, since you can be really sure that you are requesting for a guest blog post on a highly relevant site in this way. Also, it’s also a good idea to look for guest posting opportunities to blogs you’re already following, by checking active commenters’ sites, then engage with them
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Jason
You are right…many of the commenters here accept guest posts.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Expert Series- Making Your Killer Product
I post on Digital Point forums when I want a guest poster for my blog. Works well pretty much every time.
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Thanks, Dean for sharing that tip.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Expert Series- Making Your Killer Product
I found this one of the best ways to get unique content for free too. I have received a boost in traffic for a few days at times from guest bloggers.
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Forums are the best places from where we can easily get our partners by establishing different questions and answers sessions.
Nice tip, however i want to add, probably by commenting to other blogs, you will also see if the blog accepted Guest blog.
I have not tried to write for another blog, so never really have searched for it, when i am ready for one, will definitely apply the tips, thanks.
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Kimi,
What’s stopping you writing a guest post?
Andrew
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Andrew,
To be honest these two following points:
1. I feel that it is more benefits to me, if i use the time to write guest post, to post the article in my blog lol.
2. I feel that instead writing a blog post in another blog, i rather to post them in article directories.
Is this bad?
Thanks!
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Kimi,
It’s not BAD!
But I do think you would get more traffic from a guest post on a high profile blog that one on an article directory.
Andrew
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Andrew,
Thanks for clearing it up.
I have never done guest posting, this is why i am not sure.
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You mentioned bloggerlinkup which I subscribe to. There are also websites out there that allow guest post requests or offers. MyBlogGuest.com is one of them.
You did forget to mention the #1 way though. That is to have a guest posting page on your blog with a link from the navigation somewhere. People actually look for those.
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Brandon,
Good idea. I do have one but it is a sub-menu item.
Perhaps I have to many menu tabs!!!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..A True Guide to Making Money with Your Blog
You can also check out blogrolls of popular blogs in your niche, its an overlooked place when it comes to finding blogs to guest post on.
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Biodun
Thanks for sharing the tip.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..A True Guide to Making Money with Your Blog
Wow this article was very helpful to me. I have a lot of google alerts set already for blog stuff. Hadn’t even thought of it for getting guest bloggers.
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barb g,
I’m pleased the post helped – let us know how you get on.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..A True Guide to Making Money with Your Blog
Guest posting is not only for newbies to get traffic to their site, but also even for those who are more experienced but still wanted to expand their site’s traffic. There are others though, who fear their guest post might be rejected, so not all are ready to do it, I think.
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Felicia
I agree – some fear the rejection.
And no doubt you will be rejected…but it doesn’t matter.
Learn from the rejection – ask why and move on.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..A True Guide to Making Money with Your Blog
Guest posting is win win condition for both blog owner as well as blogger. Guest post is best way to increase traffic for blog and guest blogger also get good exposure. I prefer to use social networking connections to find guest blogging partners for my blog. Nice read.
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I agree with you. Guest blogging is a great way to a win-win-situation. I’ve had hard founding places to guest blog and getting approved, hoping to go better with your tips
Great! I’ve been looking for ways to increase my website’s exposure and I’m grateful that i found this post. I have difficulty looking for blogs to request for guest blog post but with this keywords you just mentioned, i’m pretty sure that it would help me a lot. Thanks!