Guest on SEO On-Air: Content Writer’s Guide to Guest Posting

Have you considered guest posting to complement your existing content strategy?

No?!

Or maybe you did but aren’t sure where to start?

It’s your lucky day, then: that’s exactly what I talked about as a guest on this episode of SEO On-Air, a podcast by Stan Ventures.

Listen to my episode, Content Writer’s Guide to Guest Posting, or read the summary below.

Content Writer’s Guide to Guest Posting - Transcript

Haroon: How do you include guest posting in your overall content calendar?

Giada: Guest posting can sound like another task on top of all the other things that you do, but if you think how useful it can be, it only makes sense to include it in your content calendar. You can start by doing it once a month and then see how it fits in your existing content and SEO strategy. I think it would be a good start, to begin with.

Haroon: So, maybe you can contribute 80% of your work timing to your own content strategy and allocate the rest of the 20% to guest posting, to begin with. You can gradually increase when you start seeing positive results.

Well, my next question is, how do you get started with guest posting as a content writer?

Giada: First, you need to look for websites in your niche because that’s where your target audience is going to be. As you sort guest posting sites by niche, it takes away a lot of other guest posting websites from your list. Then you can reach out to the shortlisted website owners with your pitch.

Haroon: How do you suggest a topic to a webmaster for guest posting?

Giada: You have to go through their website to see what they have already published and then come up with topics that you think are unique to the site and will also interest the audience.

Haroon: Do you think it is necessary to focus on topics that are seasonal or in trend for guest posting?

Giada: I think it is a good idea to suggest trending or seasonal topics for guest posting because it sometimes helps to get the topics approved and is also timely. You can also focus on evergreen content that can make it sort of cornerstone content.

Haroon: Once the topic is shortlisted, is there any research that you go through?

Giada: Absolutely, I go through similar articles to see what is already out there and then try to add more information that is missing from those articles. I think that the “People Also Ask” section is also beneficial to create a content structure and understand what type of topics you should cover in your content. 

Haroon: What are your best practices to ensure that the readers found your content compelling?

Giada: You should write content like you’re explaining it to your best friend. You should avoid jargon and keep the content simple. The most important thing is to remember to write content that is easy to read for both humans and search engines. SEO content is not about using keywords in the content over and over again. Google crawlers and human readers want the same thing, a compelling piece of content that is understandable and easy to follow.

Haroon: Is reviewing a content copy necessary?

Giada: It is vital if you want to send a good pitch and an excellent article. I’ve seen articles that have a lot of spelling mistakes, and that can really undermine your whole strategy. So, I think you should ensure that your content is free from grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, and it should be able to deliver the information that the topic promises. You want to make sure that your structure follows the outline that you originally envisioned in order to answer all the answers that your target audience is looking for. 

Haroon: When it comes to publishing and promoting the content, what are the practices you follow for maximum exposure? 

Giada: I think the best way to get maximum exposure for a piece of content is to ensure that it complements your social media strategy. Make sure you are true to the medium and don’t post the same thing on various social media platforms just for the sake of getting clicks. So, make sure that your content is optimized for different social platforms so that people actually take an interest in reading them. 

Benefits of Blogging for Business: 11 Juicy Advantages

“Wait, there are THAT many benefits of blogging for business?!”

Yes, and the crazy thing is that so many brands miss out on them because they still think that blog = company news or that writing these articles for their target audience is pointless.

So, let’s make sure we’re on the same (blog) page.

The benefits of having a blog on your website are only relevant for content marketing strategies

As they say in 500 Days of Summer, “you should know this upfront”:

if you’re planning on posting company news or only writing articles about stuff that you care about, you can NOT expect to unlock any of these advantages of blogging for business.

Nuh-uh. 

Nobody other than your supportive best friend wants to read those.

When I talk about the benefits of blogging for business, I’m talking about well-researched articles created with your target audience in mind and including relevant keywords.

These blog posts should bring actual value to your dream clients by answering their questions, concerns, and interests on topics that are relevant to your industry or type of services.

Now that we’ve clarified that, let’s dive into all the juicy benefits of blogging.

11 game-changing benefits of blogging for business

Overall, I could sum this up by saying that the main benefits of having a blog for your business are growing your audience, smoothening the funnel, and standing out.

It wouldn’t really do this strategy justice, though, so let’s look into each of them.

1. Blogging on your business website helps you rank for more keywords

I’m sure (or, better, I hope) that your website is already optimised for SEO keywords that describe your products or services, like ‘plumber in Manchester’ or ‘plastic-free shop’.

Still, let’s be realistic:

• They can be harder to rank for since that’s what your competitors are also aiming for on their main website pages

• They’re just for prospects who are already towards the bottom of the sales funnel: they’ve pretty much decided that they’re going to buy a specific product or invest in a service and just need to decide who they’ll buy it from

What about everyone else? 

Most of your dream customers are still trying to figure out what causes their current pain point, what solutions are available, and what difference it’ll make when they invest in one.

I’m sure they’d love what you do, but they haven’t heard about you just yet and they’re still making up their minds.

One of the benefits of blogging for marketing is that you get to target prospects from the very top of the sales funnel all the way down to the bottom. That’s because they’ll be using Google to ask questions and better understand those topics, and you can write a blog post for every single one of those by targeting the right keywords.

For example, if someone were to search ‘How to reduce my plastic footprint’ and you had a blog post that covers that very topic, they’d find yourself on your website. And after reading it, they’d realise that you are a company that sells plastic-free products.

“Interesting!” 

And maybe you’ve included a link to your newsletter where they can receive even more tips on how to make more sustainable choices at home.

You see where I’m getting at, right? 

Let’s say that you’re going to blog once a week: that’s 52 new keywords every year. 

52 more chances to attract your audience organically via Google without spending money on ads!

2. It results in more indexed pages, helping your entire website rank higher

Basically, blogging = SEO juice.

Not just because it helps you rank for more keywords, but because it makes your entire website meatier. And Google likes meaty websites.

Whenever you write a new article, that’s also a new indexed page. That’s why websites with blogs get an average of 434% more indexed pages! (1)

Plus, it shows Google that you know all there is to know about your industry.

When your website is a chonky boi full of high-quality content, search engines trust it more.

3. Blogs generate more inbound links

When an external website links back to yours, that’s another SEO boost: it shows Google that your content is getting noticed and is therefore worth showing to more people.

However, let’s be realistic: who’s gonna link back to your About page? Or Services?

If you were to share insightful blog posts, on the other hand…

Yep, other websites and publications will want to use them as references or link back to them whenever they can be helpful to their readers.

No wonder websites with blogs receive 97% more inbound links than those without one (2).

Not bad at all, right?

4. They give you the opportunity to add more internal links, too

Internal links (from one page to another on your own website) help search engines crawl your site more easily and efficiently, so they’re yet another SEO benefit of blogging.

Also, when used wisely, internal links can direct your readers to other pages.

Perhaps you’d like them to read another blog post that explores the solution to the problem you’ve just covered. Maybe they’re ready to be sent straight to your sales page.

And you should definitely include links to the products and services that you mention.

5. Google rewards websites with fresh content

Another important SEO factor is freshness.

Of course, your website hasn’t got an expiry date (unlike the yoghurt that I forgot about for two weeks), but if it was created two years ago and NEVER updated… well, Google isn’t going to favour it (just like me with that yoghurt). How can it trust it to have up-to-date information?

Adding fresh content regularly and consistently in the form of blog posts lets search engines know that your website is still being looked after and is therefore relevant.

Definitely the kind of thing that search engines want to share with their users.

6. Blogging on your business website smoothens the funnel and improves conversions

Because you’ll be creating content for every stage of the funnel, one of the benefits of blogging for business is that you can slowly move your audience from its top to the bottom.

First of all, they’re much more likely to purchase from you because you’ve been giving them so much helpful and high-quality content. They trust you and like you a lot more than your competitor who only has a FAQ page for them.

Plus, interlinking your articles wisely and including the right internal links to other website pages are the equivalent of greasing up your funnel with oil: your prospects will start sliding towards the bottom.

7. It creates shareable content for social media

You probably already have a badass social media presence, but not all the users who could be interested in your products are already following you.

If you create shareable and insightful content (aka compelling, useful, or entertaining blog posts), some of your readers will want to share it on their social media. And their followers might do the same. And so on. And so on. You are basically reaching more people on social media without the added cost of paid ads! Nice one.

Needless to say, you can (and should) still share your blog posts with your existing audience by posting them on your own social media, too.

As well as your usual pictures and videos, they’ll get some awesome articles on topics that they’re already interested in or curious about.

8. It generates an average of 67% more leads

Think about it: you’ll be

• Attracting more relevant traffic via search engines

• Reaching more followers by sharing your blog posts on social media

• Including the right CTAs or newsletter signup forms within these articles

… of course, one of the benefits of blogging for business is that it results in higher lead generation, too!

67% more than websites without a blog, on average. (3)

9. A blog on your company website will position you as an expert in your field

Let’s say that a coffee shop is looking for a new coffee supplier and finds two roasters offering very similar products. 

However, one has been posting knowledge-dripping blogs about blends, caffeine, and coffee-related topics. They seem to know a loooooot about it. The other? Nothing.

Which one do you think would inspire more authority? 

And don’t forget that 70% of consumers learn about a brand through articles rather than ads (4), so they definitely help when it comes to brand recognition, too!

10. It supports your newsletter

Just like blogs, your newsletter shouldn’t be about company news, but rather an email marketing strategy that brings value to your audience and keeps them informed and/or entertained.

Have you just written a new blog post that answers one of the questions that are bugging your dream customers? Then create an entire email around it! Or, if you have a monthly newsletter, you could include a roundup of your best articles.

Either way, just like it can add to your social media strategy, one of the advantages of blogs is that they can complement your newsletter, too. 

11. Blogging on your business website helps you stand out from the competitor crowd

Finally (although I’m sure I’ll come up with another couple of benefits of blogging when I’m having a shower or going for a walk later), it’s your chance to differentiate your brand from your competitors.

By positioning yourself as an expert in your field and building trust, you’ll attract and wow your dream customers organically instead of always having to get their attention through ads or discounts.

It’ll be a no-brainer to buy from you.

Need a hand unlocking the benefits of blogging for business for your female-founded business?

I’m sure you’ll agree that it’d be INSANE to keep on missing out on all the advantages of blogs. But what should your next step be?

• If you’ve got plenty of time to invest in creating the right strategy for your blog, learning how to write SEO-friendly articles, and writing the actual articles, here are my tips on how to create a company blog
  

• Wanna save time and set yourself up for success? I can take care of your blog, just like I’ve done (and still do) for other ambitious female entrepreneurs

  By letting me craft the right SEO-friendly articles for your specific audience, you’ll get to put your blog on autopilot and start enjoying the benefits of blogging for business over the next few months

More #crafty blog posts on this topic

References 

1. Hood, E. (2013, August 7). The #1 Small Business Marketing Idea [Infographic]

2. Jekishan, K. (2014, June 4). 10 Unbelievable Statistics To Sell Your Boss on Business Blogging

3. Patel, N. (n.d.). How to Convert Blog Readers to Leads

4. (n.d.). (2019, January 19). A Guide To Making Your Corporate Blog Relevant