How to Start Guest Blogging

Perhaps you’ve heard that guest blogging is a good way to generate targeted traffic. If so, you’re right. Not only can you get direct click-through traffic as soon as your guest blog article is published, but you might also get viral traffic (if your post is shareworthy) and traffic from the search engines (if you naturally include some keywords and you guest blog on an authority site).

So, with all these benefits in mind, let’s take a look at how you too can start guest blogging…

Step 1: Identify Potential Guest Blogging Opportunities

The first thing you need to do is find guest blogging opportunities in your niche. You can start by checking the well-known blogs. Then you can uncover other opportunities by searching Google for your niche keywords (e.g., “gardening”) alongside search terms related to guest blogging. These terms include:

· List of guest blogging opportunities

· Guest blogging

· Guest blogging guidelines

· Guest article

· Guest article submission

· Guest article submission guidelines

· Submit articles

· Guest author guidelines

· Guest author submissions

Next…

Step 2: Investigate These Blogs

Once you have a big list of potential guest blogging opportunities, then do your due diligence on each one. You want to make sure you ONLY submit to high-quality, popular blogs with good reputations. That’s because your name is going to be forever associated with that blog once you get something published.

Step 3: Initiate the Process

Now you should have a short list of high-quality guest blogging opportunities. Your next step is to read their submissions guidelines carefully and then initiate the process for becoming a guest author. Some of these blogs will ask you to send an inquiry, while the majority will likely ask you to submit an article.

Keep these keys in mind when submitting articles:

· Review the blog’s archives to see what sort of content the editors like. For example, if they like tutorials, then submit a tutorial.

· Offer something fresh. Your article should have a unique viewpoint and fresh information. The more novel your content, the more likely people will click on your links and/or share your article with others.

· Create a well-written, polished article. Exceeding the editorial’s standards will help your article get accepted. If needed, hire someone else to proof and polish your article.

Next…

Step 4: Insert a CTA

At the end of your article, you have a chance to insert a byline (AKA author’s bio). Instead of using this space to talk about yourself, use it to send your readers to your own website. Ideally, you should send readers to your lead page so that you can get them on your mailing list.

E.G., “You just read an excerpt from [Name of Lead Magnet Report]. Get the full report for FREE by clicking here now…”

Conclusion

Guest blogging is indeed a great way to get targeted traffic. Just make sure you pick high-quality blogs on which you’ll be proud to have your name appear, you give the editors fresh content, and you use your byline to direct readers back to your own website.