Guest posting is a very powerful linkbuilding technique. Basically in a guest post, you have full control. You can direct the title tag, anchor text of your backlink, number of words, images, author bio, etc. Let me show you where you have to start
Looking Out
First thing’s first. You have to look for blogsites where you can guest post in. Usually this is done through link prospecting. If you have established your list of blogs where you want to be heard, it’s now time to look for a way to get in touch with the webmaster.
Building Bridges
If you want to let your voice be heard, you have to sing to the webmaster first. Like his pages, Share his stuff, Retweet his entries and updates, leave insightful and encouraging comments in his blog. If you want to gain favor from the webmaster, you have to earn it. There is almost no other way on the web – unless you’re Justin Bieber.
Another option is to just shoot the webmaster an email even without investing much social media effort to catch his attention. This is a less effective way, but if you’re buying time – this works. And just for you, I’m going to reveal the guest posting email template that SEO Hacker is currently using.
It is always better to establish and build on your relationship with the webmaster before asking for any favors. Guest posting is a mutual act but most webmasters think of it in a way that they’re giving you a favor instead of the other way around. You won’t want to go against that. Ride it. Make them feel how much you appreciate them and mean it.
Climbing the Mountain
Success is achieved only if your guest post gets published the way you want it to – with your keywords in the title tags, your anchor text in the backlinks, your link placements, etc…It’s not easy to have it all under control – simply because it’s not your blog. There are lots of factors affecting your guest post success rate:
- Length and quality of the guest post - Too short is always bad. Too long is only a bad thing if you’re beating around the bush and you don’t have the best grammar. Be straight, informative, and entertaining.
- Links inside your guest post - Too many links may signal to the webmaster that you’re a person who has no shame. Put in a little humility – only include links that are really relevant.
- Relationship with the webmaster - This is your best bet and leverage. Having a relationship with the webmaster alone puts your success rate up by more than 50%
- Topic of the guest post - Topics that have already been written in the webmaster’s blog will be unacceptable. You need to put in a unique one with a catchy title, attractive pictures, and reader-friendly style.
- Quality of your own blogsite/website - Webmasters will take a look at what they are linking to. Having a crappy website never helps.
These are just some of the most important factors you don’t want to overlook. And to help your success rate increase, we also added another factor – which is your email template’s effectivity. We’re happy to share with you our own email template outlined below.
Guest Post Sample Email Template
Hey there, (name of webmaster)!
My name is (your name)– I’m a (profession) and the editor over at (your website), and I’m very interested in guest posting here at (webmaster’s website).
I discovered you through Twitter, followed your updates, and dig how informative you are. Checking out your blog this morning, I was really impressed and wanted to get involved.
Here are a few ideas I think your readership might enjoy:
1. “Is Your Title Tag Optimized for Search Engines?”
This post will explore the importance of title tags (basic stuff), then invite your readers to submit their site for review in the comments section — I’ll personally visit each website and offer a little feedback. You can see an example of this over at… (sample website)
2. “Why Google Wants You to Get Social”
This post will cover the reason behind Google’s launch of G+, how it affects SEO, and how we can approach SEO with social in mind.
3. “Front Page Title Tag: Are You Going for Optimization or Branding?”
This post explores the decision you need to make regarding your front page title tag … whether to go for optimization or branding. The solution I have in mind is optimization first, in order to help you gain footing in the early stages of your website, then moving to branding once you gain that footing.
Let me know what you think, (webmaster). Hope all is well!
(your name)
(Your blogsite)
This email template is composed of three major parts:
Introduction - Of course there is a need for the webmaster to know who you are, what you do and why you’re contacting him/her
Ego-boost - You need this as leverage. Webmasters are very, very busy people. Getting a hint of their attention demands more than what you think. A good ego-boost will almost always guarantee you a reply.
Alluring Options - If the first topic you send his way is not a good choice, you will waste time trying to send him another one, and perhaps another one. Getting that topic that will clinch the guest post is crucial.
This email template usually fetches us a good reply rate with a good success rate to boot. It goes a long way from the usual ‘Dear webmaster…’ which really sucks and ends up in the spam folder. I’m sure you’ve received an email like that somewhere in your life.
Once you receive a reply and an invite to guest post in their blog, you need to write the article – and write it well. But that’s the easy part.
Upload all the pictures to your own blog, then translate the entire guest post to HTML (you can do this through your WordPress editor). All the while, make sure all pictures are sourced from your own blogsite/website to get more links. Then submit it to the webmaster for publishing.
Keep your fingers crossed that the editing will be few and minor. And that’s it!
Tips for keeps: Only your relationship building method with the webmaster can increase your success rate to 100% – invest on it. You can also download Ann Smarty’s Guest Blogging eBook for more guest posting strategies.
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About Sean
Very timely. Good job Sean. Will definitely share it.
Good job Sean
Really appreciate your entry, I believe its usefull not only for begginers but also for other folks not so newbies who require some order & method when guest posting. Cool tips, thanks
Charly.
Twitter: OurPhilippines
says:
Hello Sir Sean. Thank you for giving this very nice tip on link building which is about Guest Posting. I haven’t done it yet for my website but will definitely try this. I just have here a question. Is the webmaster obligated to make the links from the guest’s post to be “do-follow”? What if the webmaster edited the guest post and didn’t include the links. Or, make substitute those links with his own links?
Thanks.
It is a respectable thing to make the links from the guest post to be a dofollow link. If the webmaster edited the guest post and evicted the links, or made it his own, I suggest that you immediately post the entry to your site, ping Google, and create backlinks to your own article so that you will not have lost out – and the search engines may consider you the canonical version.
Twitter: OurPhilippines
says:
Thank you for that additional tip! I have also thought of posting the article to my own blog too if ever I would be making a guest post.
Love this stuff you write nice,and for sure thanks for the tips.
Sean, at the risk of sounding like I blatantly following your advice and turning it on you (LOL), I really have been following you posts for a year now. I DO enjoy them and use them to keep up to date on my SEO thinking. I have Google +1′d you on this article. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to working together some day soon.
Hey Paul,
Thanks! So glad you find my posts helpful to your interests. Let’s keep in touch :)
Twitter: bbrian017
says:
Hello Sean. I think guest posting is one of THE most important blog promotion tools. It’s the only way, IMHO (besides SEO, of course) where you’ll get noticed. I don’t see any other way for it to happen.
I really liked that you included an example of a letter to approach people. Nice touch!
bbrian017 recently posted..Blog Engage Official Theme Launch
Hey Brian!
You, my friend, are one of the most active advocates of guest posting. I used to be part of blog engage – but didn’t make time to study it up and grow my activity inside your platform. Thanks for dropping by Brian. You’ve a sharp eye for guest blogging webpages to get links from :)
Hello Sean. I believe you need a strategy. I’m embarking on one now. I write one monster post on a topic, the size and quality that warrants an ebook. Then I guest post on 10-20 high profile, high traffic blogs around the topic, entering just one anchor text I want to rank for in the search engines.
Well see how that goes.
Ivin recently posted..My New Facebook Page Design – Get Your Own!
Cool! Update me on that monster post of yours Ivin. I’ll be more than happy to check it out.
Hi Sean, This is my first visit here and I really like your post and website. I’m also doing guest posting and think that it’s really one of the most effective marketing strategies that creates a win-win situation for the webmaster and the blogger. Will retweet this article!
Cool! Yep it’s really easily one of the most effective marketing strategies available. Want to guest post on SEO Hacker? :)
I would love to! I’ll work on it and then get back to you!
Janus recently posted..What Is The Best Link Building Method
I think you have pretty much covered all the most important points to making a great post. I like some factors which affecting guest post..that are- Links inside your guest post, quality of your blog site..Thanks..
Very nice and informative article!
Thanks
Twitter: wpbloggers
says:
Very nice post, Sean. I really like it, especially your Guest Post sample email.
Thank you
Jenni
Glad you do Jenni. Try it out :) it might fetch you some juicy links.
Twitter: TheGamesHT
says:
Very nice tips related to guest posting, thanks…
The email template is great Sean. I am implementing less guest posting in increasing web site traffic. However, I have been reading a lot of great benefits this implementation does. I know it’s a win-win situation. But I don’t know which site is most appropriate to ask for a guest post opportunity. Glad to found link prospecting/link search blog. Thanks for the helpful tips Sean. Don’t wonder if one of these days you’d be receiving an email made from the format above asking for a guest post from me. Just kidding!
God Bless!
Hey Spatch,
Hahaha! I would love to receive a guest post from anyone. As long as it meets my guidelines and I find it quality work, there is no reason for me not to accept it :)
Thanks man!
Thank You
The given information is very effective….!!!
i will keep updated with the same..
Twitter: larryphoto
says:
Great advice. I definitely need to do more guest posting!
Larry recently posted..Think You Know Ana Hoffman?
Hahaha! So do I :))