Do you think guest blogging is dead? Some researchers seem to think guest blogging for SEO is dead and very “2014”.

However, there are advantages to this blogging practice.

What is guest blogging?

The simplest explanation is that practice writing creative content and publishing it on another business website or blog. Guest blogging remains a big tactic for effective content marketers. It has many advantages not only for the company, but also the blogger creating the content.

Some benefits include building a stronger social media presence, brand name recognition, networking opportunities, and search engine authority. If you want the right exposure for your business’s brand name out into the online world, guest blogging can help with that.

Let’s breakdown the advantages of guest blogging one by one:

Brand Recognition

Businesses of every size, shape and hue want potential consumers to know that their company is out there and ready to satisfy a need they might have. Guest blogging helps you gain conversions with content; enabling an author with the right expertise to write about a topic that relates to your company which introduces their followers to your website.

For small or newer businesses, the act of having someone guest blog for you could create trust with potential consumers. By having authentic content from a credible source, you are able to grow your brand’s awareness.

Search Engine Optimization

When it comes to SEO, guest blogging can help your rankings. When people like, comment, share, or link to your blog, it moves up the rankings in Google search, which means that it most likely will pop up in someone else’s Google search.

Hosting guest bloggers guarantees that the content is being shared through your company’s practices, of course, but there is major potential for the writer to share the content as well. It appears in more places, which creates the SEO buzz we are all looking for. Keep in mind to use the right keywords and phrases to get noticed on Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Social Media

Guest blogging can help grow your organic reach on your social media platforms. Having guest bloggers means that your brand is being shared with your followers as well as theirs. The more eyes you can get on certain pieces of content, or your brand in general, the more spaces for comments, likes, shares and retweets.

In order for someone to recognize your brand name, potential customers must be exposed to your website multiple times before they have positive feelings or subconscious recognition of the brand. By expanding your reach with allowing guest bloggers create content for your brand, you are allowing more chatter to happen around your brand.

Networking

Guest blogging is networking. In order to get the guest blogger to consider partnering with creating content for a brand, you’ve got to get them to want to speak about your product or service. You may meet this person via social media, at a conference or through a mutual contact. Networking got you to the collaboration in the first place, so obviously it is a great space to capitalize on after the article is written. By having an authority figure create a buzz around your brand, it can lead to opportunities to foster those relationships and watch them grow.

Some potential networking opportunities that could come from a successful guest blogging relationship:

• Invites to connect with your followers on LinkedIn and Google+.
• Asked to attend and maybe a guest speaker at the events.
• Grow email marketing with new blog subscriber signs up.

Conclusion

It’s all about building relationships and engaging them through creative content. While guest blogging can exhaust some of your valuable time, it is a great way to extend the reach of your brand. The takeaway is for all bloggers and companies to be everywhere in your niche; providing valuable content on other sites and your own to build an engaged audience.

By: Solita Owens