21 Reasons You Should Write Guest Posts

21 Reasons You Should Write Guest Posts

If you’re stuck in the old rut of SEO – distribution articles, heavy keyword saturation and buying links – your practices are out-of-date and you probably have already seen sad results in the most recent Google updates. Getting traffic to your site is a fine art of pleasing readers and adjusting to the ever-changing algorithms of the search engines. As Penguin and Panda (the latest Google updates) have shown us – times are changing in SEO. Fortunately, there is an easy way to bridge the gap between great people-pleasing content and the necessary elements of SEO: Guest posts.

21 Reasons You Should Write Guest Posts
Image credit: Bigstock

21 Reasons You Should Write Guest Posts

Are you already writing or arranging guest posts? You should be.

1. Guest posts increase branding

If you’re running a business online, you must inspire trust and confidence with your potential clients. Writing guest posts that offer true, useful information is a great way to get your name out there and increase positive exposure for you and your business.

2. Guest posts promote your products

It’s a fine line to walk between advertising and making others aware. Some blog owners are interested in having guest posts that explain the benefits of your products or make a case for why they may need something. While these can be a bit commercial, they are definitely valuable as well.

3. Guest posts help create an online identity

There are millions of websites and webmasters online. If you’ve been in the shadows up to this point, guest posts are a nice way to get your name out there as you start to identify a true internet presence. No longer will you be a nameless online entity. You can now be wise, witty and informative – all nice things to be.

4. Guest posts drive traffic

Perhaps one of the best reasons to write a guest post, posting on someone else’s blog helps you piggy back on their traffic. Regular readers of the blog that accepts your post will not only read what you’ve written, but they may wander over to your site or blog as well to see what all the fuss is about.

Web Traffic
Image credit: Bigstock

5. Guest posts can be carefully placed to appeal to your target market

While advertisements are carefully matched based on search results, your guest blog can be designed as an even better fit for your target market. If you’re trying to reach young professionals, simply write on the blogs they frequent. If you’re selling to hunters, simply write on hunting and fishing blogs. Simple.

6. Guest posts create a positive spin for your company

Consumers are already talking about your company, and sadly it may not always be positive. If you’re trying to stay on top of your public image, a guest post or series of guest posts, present a great opportunity to establish the right tone and convey critical messages and statements in a seemingly neutral way.

7. Guest posts can be critical for social media

You want to use social media to promote your business, but what exactly are you planning to Tweet, Dig or Pin? You have to have something that appeals to others and guest posts are exactly the sort of thing you need.

Social Media
Image credit: Bigstock

8. Guest posts can build creditability in an industry

Some industries require a bit of wiggling before you’re a good fit. There are a lot of scams out there, and a lot of readers come into websites already skeptical. But you can easily become one of the most well known and respected voices in your field. Write posts for others and get your name out there. Soon you’ll be recognized by others in the field as well as those looking for credible advice in the niche.

9. Guest posts can be ghost-written

If you’re thinking that all of these reasons are sound and you’d love to have some guest posts out there…but you can’t actually write them well yourself, never fear. Guest posts need to bear your name, but not necessarily your own words. Have a blogger ghost write the posts for you – you get the credit and the rewards without the stress of writing long-winded posts yourself.

10. Guest posts can and often will be reciprocated

If you’re running a blog, you probably will enjoy getting posts in response to the ones you’re writing. It’s a tit-for-tat. I write for you. You write for me. We both get new, fresh material.

11. Guest posting on a frequent basis is highly effective networking

To get “in” with some bloggers, you have to be active on the blog comments and the site in general. The more active you are on related sites, the more connections you’ll have. This sort of networking tends to spiral as well – you write on your first blog and then you have credibility with all of that blogger’s network as well.

Network Community
Image credit: Bigstock

12. Guest posting creates ideal SEO links

Search engine optimization is always something to keep in mind, even if you’re not heavily into SEO yourself. Guest posts are great for many reasons, but they are a goldmine for SEO purposes. The links back to your site through the other, legitimate blogs weigh very heavily indeed with search engine algorithms.

13. Guest posting is a natural form of self promotion

It’s hard to find a clever way of selling yourself without looking like you’re coming on too strong. But guest posts are a great way to promote your business without looking like you’re doing any serious promotion efforts – no hardcore sales here! Just old fashioned information and entertainment that just happens to be linked back to you.

14. Guest posting provides a value to readers

Readers are always looking for something of value. They respect people who provide them with tips and information that they can use. Guest posts give you a great opportunity to share what you know and inform others without asking for anything return. Readers love that.

15. Guest posts are popular with larger, more established blogs

If you’re trying to get some high-quality links and traffic, guest blogs may be your only way into some of the more established sites on the web. Powerful blogs often accept guest posts if you approach them carefully and can demonstrate that you offer value to their readers. This reflects nicely on you as well, of course.

16. Guest posts can increase profits

When you write a guest post you can link within your site from the post itself, generally speaking. There’s nothing to stop you from linking to a sales page or even a simple landing page. Targeted traffic arrives on your site via your link, and they buy. You profit.

Increase Profits
Image credit: Bigstock

17. Guest posts can find new traffic sources

Traffic doesn’t always come from the obvious places. Writing guest posts may give you new opportunities to try traffic from different niches or demographics. Selling items to kids may mean writing to inform moms, for example. Guest posts bridge those gaps beautifully.

18. Guest posts allow you to explore areas of interest

If you write code for a living, but you are passionate about your horses or solar panels, guest posts give you a chance to indulge your hobby without having to develop a full-fledged business or website dedicated to your passion. Or perhaps you have a small site that is truly a hobby site. Guest posts might help bring it traffic to deliver you some profits on your hobby.

Areas of interest
Image credit: Bigstock

19. Guest posts increase clarity in your business

Writing in a journal clarifies your thoughts on life matters, and writing guest posts can do a great deal to clarify your thoughts on business issues. If you’ve been struggling with a marketing plan, a brand or a message, simply writing down thoughts as part of a guest post can do a lot to clarify your thoughts and potentially your mission as well.

20. Guest posts can be fun

Writing guest posts doesn’t have to be a drag. They can be a nice change of pace from the regular routine of your day. In fact, if you enjoy sharing ideas and thoughts with others, guest posts can be a great way to entertain both yourself and others – especially if you have a regular feature and gather some followers.

21. Guest posts improve your writing skills

Finally, guest posts are a great excuse to improve your writing skills. While you may not set out to practice forming sentences and using clever phrasing, you certainly will do so when you’ve promised a friend a guest post or two. The more you run, the faster you get. The more you write, the better your words.

Conclusion

Guest posting is popular for a reason, but to be a successful guest blogger, you have to invest some time and energy into creating the right posts for the right blogs. While certainly a complicated process at times, guest blogging is one you shouldn’t shy away from – it’s just too valuable an opportunity.

Deals

Iconfinder Coupon Code and Review

Iconfinder offers over 1.5 million beautiful icons for creative professionals to use in websites, apps, and printed publications. Whatever your project, you’re sure to find an icon or icon…

WP Engine Coupon

Considered by many to be the best managed hosting for WordPress out there, WP Engine offers superior technology and customer support in order to keep your WordPress sites secure…

InMotion Hosting Coupon Code

InMotion Hosting has been a top rated CNET hosting company for over 14 years so you know you’ll be getting good service and won’t be risking your hosting company…

SiteGround Coupon: 60% OFF

SiteGround offers a number of hosting solutions and services for including shared hosting, cloud hosting, dedicated servers, reseller hosting, enterprise hosting, and WordPress and Joomla specific hosting.