Guest Posting is Dead! Long Live Guest Posting!
Guest posting on external blogs has long been a favored SEO tactic. For a spell, it was the preferred way to drive traffic to websites. Then in 2014, Matt Cutts, Google’s head of web spam, shattered everyone’s illusion by declaring guest posting all but dead. Cutts compared the practice to walking around at night in a bad neighborhood filled with dangerous people. From Cutts’ vantage point, guest posting had fallen prey to a most devious assailant: spam.
Over the years, Google had progressively warned against using guest blog posting as a method for building links. Now Cutts, took a definitive stance:
Okay, I’m calling it: if you’re using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop. Why? Because over time it’s become a more and more spammy practice, and if you’re doing a lot of guest blogging then you’re hanging out with really bad company…So stick a fork in it: guest blogging is done; it’s just gotten too spammy. In general I wouldn’t recommend accepting a guest blog post unless you are willing to vouch for someone personally or know them well. Likewise, I wouldn’t recommend relying on guest posting, guest blogging sites, or guest blogging SEO as a link-building strategy.
This statement caused considerable controversy among SEO practitioners. Many were horrified at Cutts’ stance, unwilling to walk away from an apparently effective method for generating site traffic. Some cheered Cutts’ stance and predicted that guest posting on blogs would go the way of the dinosaurs.
What actually happened was not quite cataclysmic, but was indeed evolutionary. Google’s Penguin algorithm improved at spotting guest blog posts built on spammy backlinks. SEO practitioners debated the relevance and value of guest posting. Many recognized that loading guest posts with dubious links is bad for business. Others began to distinguish hollow guest posting from legitimate posting that stimulates inbound activity and raises a brand’s profile.
Out with the Old, In with the New
So, 2014’s guest posting crisis has become 2015’s content marketing opportunity. Authenticity and credibility will drive guest blog posting in 2015. It will be about quality of content not quantity of backlinks.
There are several ways to benefit from this shift:
Can the Spam
Stay away from “link stuffing” or “link bombing” your guest posts. These tactics may be “cheap” as in inexpensive, but they are also “cheap” as in bad quality. Guest posting to generate links only degrades your company’s reputation. There are better ways to earn legitimate links to your website and build traffic organically. When composing a guest post, link back to your own website only when it is relevant to the topic and beneficial to the reader.
Deliver the Goods
When guest posting on someone else’s blog make sure you are posting quality material. Exceptional content adds true value to a website. It is an opportunity to share your expertise and inform a greater audience. Authentic content is useful to the reader and moves them to comment and share it with others.
Choose the Right Platform
Focus your guest posting on blogs that have authority in their fields. Become a regular contributor to legitimate online publications, content aggregators and technology platforms that are recognized as leaders.
Guest post on sites that are a good match for your topic. Only post to sites with relevant audiences with content that is meaningful to them. This is a great way to establish your credibility as a subject matter expert and increase awareness of your brand.
Go Beyond the Brand
While guest posting remains a great way to raise brand awareness, it is also essential to build relationships with audiences. Your unique voice has value. Share your personal perspective and professional expertise with readers. Reach out and interact personally with the people behind the blogs with the audiences you want to reach.
There’s No Place Like Home
Remember that sometimes the best platform is your own website. Internal content is just as valuable as posting content on external sites when the content is informative and genuine. Your company blog is a great place to share your journey as an entrepreneur or growth as a professional. It is also a platform for educating audiences and guiding them to resources that meets their needs.
Use All the Weapons in Your Arsenal
Guest posting is only one tactic and it is more effective when it is part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy. Evaluate whether your website has a fresh design and is mobile friendly. Take advantage of social media and video platforms that engage end users.
Guest posting in 2015 is all about being in the right places with the right content. Quality, relevance and authenticity are the keys to unlocking the power that remains in guest posting. Of these, the quality of the content is the most important factor. Publishing high quality content naturally results in captivated audiences and increased site traffic.