What’s the deal with guest blogging anyway? What is there to be said about guest blogging strategies that will improve your website’s domain authority, and offer your people fresh insight that helps improve their lives in some profound way?
Truth: we’ve transitioned into an information-centric economy.
It’s not a good thing. Not a bad thing, either. It’s simply a thing. No, this article won’t drone on and on about how manufacturing has gone by the wayside. No one is here to bemoan the golden days of yore when a high school education meant economic stability and a college degree created comfortable wealth.
We’re talking about the evolution of how businesses serve their constituents. As information is the world’s top-selling product, it’s up to us Internet frontiersmen to turn this digital realm into an entity that helps people.
And that means sharing.
Guest Blogging Strategies Rule #1: Sharing is Caring
Yep. We all learned that sharing your toys is an act of goodwill in Kindergarten. Though I’m still mad at Sally Pratchet for breaking my Ninja Turtle action figure, I know that she got some value out of playing with it.
Now that we’re all grown-ups (most of the time), the sharing rule still applies. This is especially true in digital marketing. These days, we’re not sharing our animal crackers and dolls anymore. We’re sharing valuable nuggets of wisdom, insights, and actionable advice.
And that’s the kicker: the information you share must is sacred. At least it should be. Your own blog articles and your guest posts should always end with your audience walking away with something.
Give the Audience Actionable Ideas
Nothing wrong with philosophy. Nothing wrong with jokes and satire. The tone and personality of the piece show your people that you’re nurturing your relationship with them. Entertainment is valuable. But action is what makes them remember the piece.
This is especially true when it comes to guest blogging strategies. As you seek writers and thinkers to populate your website with content, ensure that they have something valuable to offer. Two criteria include:
–Answering questions. In a world of laptop-click information, people are always looking for answers. You came to this article, chances are, because you’re thinking of putting a guest blog on your website. You’re questioning whether it’s a good idea. You’re looking for how to do it in a way that benefits your SEO scorecard. And we’ll give you that answer. Promise.
–Surprising the reader. The trouble with the information economy and guest blogging is, the audience is looking for something new. Formulas and templates won’t surprise and delight. In this way, guest blogging is not so much about sharing as it revealing. And there’s a big difference between those two ideas.
So here is some REVEALED information.
Backlinks Be Damned. Your #1 Concern is Quality of Information
When it comes to guest blogging, backlinks are nearly always part of the equation. The thing is, there are important rules when it comes to whether or not those backlinks will help or harm your cause.
Yes, backlinks build your search optimization. The Google robots see where your links reside within the vast network of cyberspace, and it measures the quality of those links. While there is nothing inherently wrong with backlinks, the practice can end up becoming completely irrelevant.
And if there is on thing that upsets Google’s search algorithms, it’s irrelevance. With guest blogging, this becomes especially tricky. If you put a link to an article on fly-fishing within a piece of content about SEO, then Google will see that the link makes no sense. That’s when the hammer comes down.
The takeaway: guest blogging often equates to backscratching, which, in many cases, leads to irrelevant backlinks.
Once more: give your audience something they can use. Something valuable. Something free. This counts for guest blogging—and it counts for all content. The question is: is your website content valuable? Will Google notice how your website serves the public?
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