Are you worried about Google declaring guest blogging as dead? Is it the reality? The speculation started when Matt Cutts, the former head of Google’s web spam, announced that guest blogging is full of spam. The reality is that guest blogging is very much alive and still a good SEO strategy. Let us read about this in detail!

The majority of webpage users agree that guest blogging is one of the most effective SEO strategies. What is important is that relevance and quality must be prioritized over quantity. Digital popularity is synonymous with the number of people who follow you and know about your page. The guest post links or the “backlinks” have become a vital aspect of improving page rankings. The search engines have been changing their algorithm and integrating many technologies to provide relevant content for readers. So, the question that needs attention is whether the guest posting is still worth all the hype.

What exactly is Guest blogging for SEO?

Let us understand the basic concept of guest posting and its link with SEO. The keyword is ‘backlinks.’ Even with changing algorithms and increased machine learning, these backlinks still play a fundamental role in assessing the relevance and authoritativeness of a webpage. Having authoritative backlinks provides a competitive edge and will outrank you on search engines for targeting the most useful keywords.

So, what exactly is guest blogging? A guest blog is the content you write and is published on a third party website by your name. These include a few sentences about the author and a backlink to your website. Of course, this is not the only backlinking method, but it is one of the most convenient and easy ways to create solid backlinks to enhance SEO.

Where is the problem?

The SEO industry is fast-paced, and Google is well aware of this fact. Guest posting is no exception and suffers a lot of manipulation. Low-quality guest posting can be incredibly spammy, and Google can penalize you for the same. Some false practices may include:

1. Use of low-authority sites to publish guest posts: The low-quality sites are desperate for content. These have bad editorial standards and accept low-quality guest posts in exchange for money.
2. Spinning your content: Spinning is using the content that is already in use. You simply rewrite and publish it on some other website to get more backlinks.
3. Writing low-quality content: Writing just to get backlinks will never work. The content needs to be relevant, high-quality, and insightful.
4. Overuse of anchor texts: Search engines may also consider excessive anchor text keywords spammy.
5. Publishing on the same sites: Guest blogging with a view to creating strong relationships can be a daunting job. You must not over-rely on a few sites to post the guest blogs again and again, as this can be treated as spammy.

These are the main reasons why guest blogging for SEO has been seen as a spammy practice to gain popularity. But does it still work for SEO benefits? Of course, yes!

The Advantages of guest blogging for SEO

The key to success with guest blogging is to create relevant and high-quality blogs for authoritative sites. As long as you publish original and quality content, you’ll surely benefit from the SEO strategy. The benefits of high-quality guest blogging will not only get better backlinks but also divert more traffic to the website and improve the brand credibility.

It is a great SEO as well as PR activity. The main purpose must always be to put forth your knowledge through relevant blogs. The guest post must always be original and a unique piece of writing. It is a must that you include only relevant backlinks in the article. Thus the main benefits of guest blogging include the following:

1. Better Network

   Guest blogging will enhance your network and will make your brand reach a bigger audience. Guest posting helps to establish better relationships. You seek better opportunities, partnerships, and collaboration with influencers in the future.

2. Better social media presence

   The art of guest blogging increases the reach of the content on social media. A high-quality content will increase the reputation of your brand and also make your social media handles more trustworthy.

3. Get better backlinks

   Guest blogging also enhances the backlinks. It is a great way to build relevant backlinks and target websites that can help you create a niche.

4. Build an authoritative online presence

   Posting blogs on relevant sites also helps to demonstrate your credibility. The audience feels a sense of trust in you and may even be willing to pay to read your articles.

5. Referral Traffic

   Blog posts create a unique set of audiences who want to explore your articles. The backlinks can divert this traffic to your website if they find your posts to be informative and helpful.

Always look out for Guest Blogging Opportunities

Guest blogging opportunities can come your way in a variety of ways. The most common is through a standard Google search. You can keep using relevant keywords and publish the content. The second can be through the backlinks of your competitors. You can read about their work and use successful methods to improve your link-building and SEO strategies. You may use several techniques and platforms that offer you guest blogging opportunities.

You can register with such platforms and then choose a field of your interest. Such platforms keep sending relevant topics and information based on the input you have provided. But, the key to standing out is to be creative with your writing. Look at different perspectives and write content that is intriguing and knowledgeable.

What you need to understand and take care of

You need to post high-quality and relevant guest blogs that enhance the worth of your website. You must ensure that the guest posting allows you to add value. The most common mistake made by guest bloggers is that, at times, they write and post an article just to get more backlinks. People develop a sense of trust only if they find the content to be informative.

You must always include more resources. The guest blog must be enriched with informative links leading to other relevant sources besides your own blog. Your guest blog needs to portray an expert piece of writing. Only then will another website partner with you and create a niche.

What will not work for a good SEO strategy?

We understand the importance of brand awareness by now, and guest blogging is a great tool to get the SEO right if done in the right way. What needs to be avoided to get the SEO right are:

1. Mentioning a lot of specifications in the blog post:

   Mentioning the name of your company, products, or services can come across as a promotional article. The reader, as well as the search engine algorithm, can consider it to be of no use as it may be considered as unnecessary bragging. In fact, you can mention all such details in your bio, and the diverted traffic will be happy to read about it there.

2. Adding non-relevant links to your website:

   No webpage would like to post links that are just self-promotional or selling links. The links posted on the website need to look natural; otherwise, it may lead to a penalty. Google has made it clear that it will only promote nofollow links. Only high-quality resources will benefit the reader and send more traffic your way.

3. Boasting about your brand:

   Unnecessary boasting or bragging will not help you or the reader. These blog posts are not about your products. They are to create an interest amongst the readers and build a sense of trust. You must not keep mentioning yourself in the posted content. Just mention all the necessary details in your bio, and remember, no one has ever succeeded by self-appreciation.

Conclusion

Yes, Guest blogging can prove to be an effective SEO strategy. All the relevant backlinks guiding traffic to your website will improve your domain rating and get you a higher rank on any search engine. We have seen enormous benefits of guest posting, but it is not that easy.

High-authority websites are overwhelmed with guest blogging requests and do not respond to your queries that easily. These websites always need a well-written, relevant article that will add value to their existing content.