Guest posting has been synonymous with search engine optimization since Google launched and began refining the now archaic ranking parameters used by Ask.com and Yahoo back in the 90s. Webpreneurs are very lucky to have so many ways to get their website ranking, including guest posting. However, when you’re building a brand, there’s much more to posting on other sites than just SEO benefits.
1. Expanding your brand’s reach
There are only so many people you can reach through your own blog and social presence. A guest post, particularly a well-shared guest post, offers the opportunity to reach a wider, more diverse audience. Best, how long does it really take to write a single post? A little outreach to influential bloggers and you have here one of the cheapest and non time-consuming ways to grow your brand.
2. Sharing and growing your expertise
So many people focus on guest posting for SEO, they often miss one of the biggest opportunities it offers. The ability to share your expertise and get more people interested in what you and/or your business offers will always equal increased growth. Guest posting will often reward you with even more knowledge than you started with, as people respond to your post and offer constructive criticism or other tidbits that will allow you to grow into a true influencer.
3. Business opportunities abound with guest posting
What if you wanted to start an SEO service, but aren’t having much luck landing good clients? Getting clients in that game is equal parts selling a dream as it is the results you can deliver. Obviously, you must deliver results to keep them coming back, but you have to sell the fantasy of top 3 rankings first. That’s where guest posting can help you land clients by, for example, writing a guest post on MOZ that will be read by tens of thousands of people you would not have otherwise reached. Opportunities arise quick when you get people adding you to social, emailing you, and asking you about the services you sell.
4. More targeted traffic to your website and social profiles
Not via the search engines, mind you. When people read your guest post on a related blog, they’re bound to click the outbound link provided by the administrator of the site. Best, search engines can’t qualify this traffic near as well as people following a link from a guest post that tickled a particular interest of theirs can!
5. Guest posting shortens the sales cycle for products and services you sell
Almost everyone is selling something, whether it be a product or their reputation (i.e., influencers.) When you guest post, people reading those posts will naturally become interested in you — some may even flock to buy whatever it is you’re selling. This shortens the sales cycle by bringing targeted buyers right to your front door (website), rather than the need for you to mess around with SEO, buying sponsored posts, or sourcing influencers — all of which cost you something with no guaranteed return.
6. Increased social media following
Most bloggers and influential sites will also allow you to post your preferred social media accounts within an author profile, all of which means more targeted followers to your social accounts. Everyone who’s reading this has added a guest post writer to their social at some point along their Internet-browsing history. For instance, it’s inevitable you’ll gain followers interested in all things business if you’re a featured marketing expert on a high-traffic business/marketing blog like Forbes or HuffPost.
7. Guest posting ups your content game
Aside from the trolls we’ve all so often encountered in the comment section of our websites and social feeds; bloggers and other influencers will rarely get constructive criticism on the content we create, or the holes in our writing game. Since you’re likely the one who built your web properties, it’s a given that there isn’t anyone watching over you and demanding edits and complete re-dos. As a “guest” on another person’s blog, they’ll expect you to meet their standards, making you to see the holes in your game and forcing you to improve upon them.
8. Create potentially life long, mutually beneficial friendships
Guest blogging naturally connects you with influential bloggers in your niche and areas of interest. The added benefit is that after a guest post or two, you also gain access to the blogger’s network. This creates reciprocal benefits for all involved as a post from you on another person’s blog leads to a post by them on yours. This practice leads to highly unique content for everyone and increased value for your respective visitors.
Guest posting is great for all involved!
Don’t get hung up in treating guest posting as nothing more than an SEO tool. Sure, we all need search engine rankings. However, when you post on other influential blogs and get the attribution, direct outbound links, social exposure and more, you can start seeing results instantly. While those who SEO are playing the long game and there are no guaranteed winners — especially when Google can yank those ratings anytime, without warning!