Guest posting is a valuable strategy for content marketing and SEO, allowing authors to share their expertise with a broader audience while helping websites enrich their content. Here are some typical rules and guidelines for guest posting that you might encounter:
General Guidelines:
- Original Content: Ensure that the content is unique and has not been published elsewhere, including on your own blog or website.
- High Quality: Posts should be well-written, free of grammatical errors, and provide valuable information to the audience.
- Relevance: Content must be relevant to the blog’s audience. Understand the blog’s niche and tailor your post accordingly.
- Word Count: Typically, guest posts should be between 800 and 1500 words, but this can vary depending on the blog.
- Formatting: Use proper headings, subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make the content easy to read.
- Images and Media: Include high-quality images, infographics, or videos if applicable. Ensure you have the rights to use any media included in the post.
- Linking: Follow the blog’s rules on the number of links allowed. Generally, you can include a few internal links to the host blog’s content and a couple of external links, including one to your own website.
- Author Bio: Provide a brief bio, usually 2-3 sentences, and a link to your website or social media profiles.
- Promotion: Be prepared to promote your guest post on your own social media channels and email list.
Submission Process:
- Pitch First: Send a pitch or outline of your proposed post before writing the full article. This helps ensure the topic aligns with the blog’s needs.
- Follow Guidelines: Adhere strictly to the submission guidelines provided by the host blog, which may include specific formatting, document types, or other requirements.
- Contact Information: Provide your contact information and be responsive to any feedback or requests for revisions.
Content Restrictions:
- No Plagiarism: The content must be original and not infringe on any copyrights.
- No Promotional Content: Avoid overly promotional content or sales pitches. The focus should be on providing value to the readers.
- No Offensive Material: Do not submit content that is offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate.
SEO Considerations:
- Keywords: Use relevant keywords naturally within the content but avoid keyword stuffing.
- Meta Descriptions: Include a meta description for the post if the host blog requires it.
- Anchor Text: Use descriptive and relevant anchor text for any links included in the post.
Editorial Rights:
- Editing: Understand that the host blog may edit your post for clarity, grammar, or SEO purposes.
- Rejection: The host blog reserves the right to reject any post that does not meet their standards or align with their content strategy.
Supporting facts and figures
- Images
- Videos
- Infographics
- Quotes
Examples of Guest Posting Guidelines from Popular Blogs:
- HubSpot: Focuses on marketing, sales, and service topics. Requires high-quality, original content that provides actionable advice.
- Moz: Emphasizes SEO and digital marketing insights. Content must be well-researched and backed by data.
- Copyblogger: Accepts posts about content marketing, copywriting, and related fields. Looks for unique perspectives and deep insights.
By adhering to these general rules and guidelines, you can increase the likelihood of your guest post being accepted and make a positive impression on the host blog’s audience.