I have been in the digital marketing industry for the past 7 years. The question that everyone asked me was what’s the best backlink strategy? While there are many link-building strategies out there that work really well.

But I discovered nothing beats guest posting when it comes to getting great backlinks. While it’s not an easy task and you need to put in some effort, it is worth it. Now I’m sure you hope to learn awesome guest posting techniques. That’s why I’m writing this ultimate guide to guest posting.

In this detailed guide, I will cover everything you need to know about a guest post, from finding the right sites to write for, crafting compelling content, building relationships with editors, and increasing your chances of getting featured spots.

I’ll also discuss strategies for optimizing your post for SEO so that search engines can find it more easily. So read on to learn everything you need to know about a guest post.

What Is Guest Posting?

Guest posting is also known as guest blogging and is the practice of writing a piece of content for a website or blog to acquire backlinks. It is a powerful digital marketing strategy that can help you build your reputation and increase your visibility.

It’s also an effective way to draw more attention to your website and gain quality backlinks from authoritative websites. When done correctly, guest posting can greatly assist your online presence and help you reach new audiences.

Now the idea behind this strategy is you provide free educational content that is relevant to the website’s audience. And in return, you get a backlink or brand mention which is beneficial for improving your search engine rankings and driving more traffic to your website.

How to Find Guest Posting Opportunities?

When it comes to getting started with guest posting, the first step is finding relevant websites that accept guest posts. And there are a few ways that you can do this. Following are a few of the most common ways to find guest posting opportunities:

• Google Search Strings
• Ahrefs Content Explorer
• Google Reverse Image Search
• Twitter Search
• Facebook Groups
• Find Sites That Accept Guest Posts

These are the top sources for finding guest posting opportunities. Let’s see how each of them works.

Google Search Strings

This method is the most effective and easiest way to find guest post opportunities. All you need to do is use Google search strings to find relevant websites that accept guest posts. Following is the list of search strings that I personally use to find guest post opportunities:

• Your Keyword “guest post”
• Your Keyword “write for us”
• Your Keyword “guest article”
• Your Keyword “guest post opportunities”
• Your Keyword “this is a guest post by”
• Your Keyword “contributing writer”
• Your Keyword “want to write for”
• Your Keyword “submit blog post”
• Your Keyword “contribute to our site”
• Your Keyword “guest column”
• Your Keyword “submit content”
• Your Keyword “submit your content”
• Your Keyword “submit post”
• Your Keyword “This post was written by”
• Your Keyword “guest post courtesy of ”
• Your Keyword “guest posting guidelines”
• Your Keyword “suggest a post”
• Your Keyword “submit an article”
• Your Keyword “contributor guidelines”
• Your Keyword “contributing writer”
• Your Keyword “submit news”
• Your Keyword “become a guest blogger
• “Your Keyword “guest blogger”
• Your Keyword “guest posts wanted”
• Your Keyword “looking for guest posts”
• Your Keyword “guest posts wanted”
• Your Keyword “guest poster wanted”
• Your Keyword “accepting guest posts”
• Your Keyword “writers wanted”
• Your Keyword “articles wanted”
• Your Keyword “become an author”
• Your Keyword “become guest writer”
• Your Keyword “become a contributor”
• Your Keyword “submit guest post”
• Your Keyword “submit an article”
• Your Keyword “submit article”
• Your Keyword “guest author”
• Your Keyword “send a tip”
• Your Keyword inurl: “guest blogger”
• Your Keyword inurl: “guest post”
• allintitle: Your Keyword + guest post

Ahrefs Content Explorer

Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools available in the market today. The Content Explorer feature allows you to find content related to any topic or keyword. You can use this tool to find websites that accept guest posts and filter them by Domain Rating, Backlinks, Total Traffic, etc.

Google Reverse Image Search

Another effective way to find guest posting opportunities is Google Reverse Image Search. All you need to do is find someone in your niche who writes many guest posts. Take their picture URL and paste it into Google Reverse Image Search to find all the websites that have published the content written by them.

Twitter Search

Using Twitter search is a good way to find guest post opportunities. Just head to Twitter and type your keyword with “guest post”. This will give you the list of tweets containing your keyword and you can click on them to find out more about the websites accepting guest posts.

Facebook Groups

There are many Facebook groups running related to different niches that allow members to post content from their websites. You can join these groups and search for your keywords for guest posting opportunities.

This way you can even get in touch with the website owners and ask them if they are interested in allowing you to write a guest post for their websites.

Find Sites That Accept Guest Posts

There are many sites that allow you to submit guest posts. These sites have editorial guidelines and requirements that you need to follow to get your post published. You can find plenty of sites that provide guest blogging opportunities.

Get Ready For Guest Post Pitch

When reaching out to websites for guest post opportunities, you need to ensure that your pitch is well-crafted and compelling. This means that you need to include the relevant details about your topic, the benefits of featuring your content on their website and why it will be a win-win situation for both of you. Following is a sample pitch:

Subject Line: Guest Post Opportunity – Topic Name 

Hi [First name],

My name is [Your first name], and I [tell them what you do for a living]. I’m a [new/frequent] reader of your blog, and I’m reaching out because I’d love to contribute a guest post on [Their website name].

Since you publish content about [topic A] and [topic B], I thought your readers might enjoy one of these articles:

• [Idea 1]
• [Idea 2]
• [Idea 3]

Here are three samples of guests posts that I’ve written before:

• [Link to guest post 1]
• [Link to guest post 2]
• [Link to guest post 3]

Please let me know what you think!

Thanks!

[Your first name]

If you are a newbie and don’t have any samples to show, you can still reach out to them by sharing a link to guest posts that other people on your team have written.

It’s possible that the website owner may not be interested in linking back to your website. Still, building relationships with editors can help you generate more opportunities in the future.

Wait For Response

I cannot guarantee that all your guest post pitches will get accepted. Still, if you have a good pitch and respect the website’s requirements, then there is no reason for them to reject it.

Once you have sent out the pitch, wait for their response. If they took time to read your message and didn’t respond within a few days, you may want to follow up and remind them. But if it gets approved then it’s time to start writing.

Related: Copywriting vs Content Writing

Write An SEO Optimized Guest Post

Writing SEO optimized content is the hard part. Because the content must be optimized for search engines, writing can take longer. It needs appropriate keywords, relevant internal and external links, proper formatting and an attractive headline. Plus images and videos will help to make the content look more attractive.

Quick Tips for Creating Quality Content

Following are a few simple tips that can help you in creating quality content:

• Cultivate your own writing style
• Always keep the tone of your post conversational and friendly
• Write from personal experience
• Keep it short, sweet and to the point
• Start with an eye-catching headline
• Use appropriate images, videos or infographics to make your post visually appealing
• Make sure your post is properly formatted

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your guest post will draw more readers and help to boost the website’s SEO.

Benefits of Guest Posting

Every link building initiative has its own benefits, and guest posting is no different. Guest posting offers various SEO benefits.

Building Relationships With Bloggers

In every industry, relationships are important. When you write guest posts, you should consider how they can benefit both parties involved. Not only will you be able to reach a wider audience, but you may also find new opportunities with the same or different websites.

Plus by establishing yourself as an authority in your space, other bloggers and website owners may even contact you directly for future collaborations.

Increased Traffic

The main purpose of guest blogging is to increase website traffic. By submitting guest posts to popular websites, you can draw more readers to your content and create backlinks that will lead them to your website. This increased visibility may also result in more leads and conversions for your business.

Broadening Your Reach

Guest posting can help you reach a larger audience outside your existing influence. This can be especially helpful if you’re just starting out and need to build your credibility in the industry.

By getting featured on popular websites, you can establish yourself as an authority figure in your niche and reach a wider range of potential customers.

Get More Subscriber

Want to get more subscribers for your email list? Guest posting can help you with that. Every time you write a guest post, include a call-to-action inviting readers to sign up for your list in exchange for exclusive content or product discounts. This can be an effective way to increase your subscriber count and build relationships with potential customers.

What Should You Know Before Writing A Guest Post?

Before writing any kind of article as a guest post there are several tips that every writer should keep in mind:

1. Research the publication thoroughly before submitting any proposal. This will ensure that whatever article or blog post you submit fits within their style guidelines and won’t be rejected outright due to an editorial oversight on your part.
2. Make sure that whatever content you submit adheres strictly to the agreed upon guidelines. Many publications have strict rules regarding length and formatting, so ensure that all these requirements are met before submitting any type of proposal or article draft.
3. Remember that quality trumps quantity. Even if it takes longer than usual make sure that whatever content you submit is well written and engaging to not maximize its chances of being accepted by editors or published by readers.
4. Always include a backlink to your website or blog in the post as this will help you increase visibility for your own content and also help with SEO.

Ending Thoughts

Guest blogging is incredibly powerful for increasing online visibility. When approaching potential hosting sites with your ideas that they are relevant and interesting enough to draw people’s attention.

Additionally ensure that whatever content you create it should be helpful for the readers. With these tips in mind, start writing great content today and watch as more visitors flock towards your website tomorrow.