How to Get More Traffic by Guest Blogging

If you’re trying to establish yourself as an authority in your field, there’s no better way to start than by guest blogging.

What’s guest blogging, you ask?

Guest blogs are articles that you write for, and are credited with, a blog on someone else’s website.

Guest blogging not only helps you gain credibility in your niche, but it’s also a great way to drive more traffic to your own website and social media profiles.

To help you get started, we’re breaking down exactly how guest blogging works.

Where Can I Find Guest Blogging Opportunities?

The best place to start looking for guest blog opportunities may be on websites that you’re already familiar with.

Chances are, you already read a number of blogs related to your particular industry. Pitching an online publication that you already know well has its benefits.

First, you know they report on a subject that you’re knowledgeable in. Second, you already know what types of articles that particular website tends to publish.

Writing for Industry Websites

Maybe you’re wondering why a well-known blog with an existing readership would want you to write for their website.

Well, in many ways, guest blogging is beneficial for both you and the website you’re writing for.

You benefit from being exposed to a new group of readers. Chances are, the blog you’ll be pitching to has a much larger following than yours. Here’s your chance to show off your expertise to a large pool of potential followers!

Meanwhile, the host publication is going to benefit by getting a great piece of new content to put on their website for free.

Win-win, right?

Reaching Out to a Credible Blog in Your Niche

Once you decide you’re ready to try your hand at guest blogging, you’ll want to make a list of all the industry blogs you’re interested in pitching.

Ideally, you’re looking for websites that likely have a similar audience to your own.

After all, the point of guest blogging is to try to turn their readers into YOUR readers as well.

Once you’ve created a targeted list of websites, it’s time to work on your pitches.

Even if the website you’re pitching hasn’t published guest bloggers in the past, that doesn’t mean they won’t be open to the idea.

So, go ahead and send the pitch, you never know!

Your pitch letters should include the following:

Your Bio: You want to let the publication know a little bit more about yourself and your accomplishments in your field. If you have a decent following on social media or a substantial email list, that’s good information to share in your pitch as well.

Your Story Idea: Let them know what you plan to blog about, why you think it will resonate with their readers, and why you’re the best person to write the article. If you’ve already begun writing the article, you can share the first couple of paragraphs with them so they have an idea of what your writing style is like.

Tips for a Successful Guest Blog

You’ve been assigned your first guest blog. Congratulations!

Now, here are some tips for making sure that your guest blog is a success.

Promote Your Unique Voice

Don’t try to completely change your writing style because you feel like you need to appear in a certain light.

Remember, the whole point of guest blogging is to expose your work to an expanded audience, so be yourself!

Make a Strong First Impression

There is so much competition for readers’ attention out there, so how can you make sure your guest blog will stand out?

First, make sure that you have an eye-catching title that will really draw readers in.

Second, make sure that your opening paragraphs are really strong. You have a very limited amount of time to capture a reader’s full attention before they decide to finish your blog or move on to a different page.

Include Backlinks to Your site

If possible, add a backlink to your own website in your guest blog. If you have an article on your own blog that is relevant to your guest blog, link back to that blog post.

Another option is to link back to your website or social media profiles in your author’s bio below your guest blog.

Tell YOUR Story

No one has the same personal experiences as you do in your niche, which means that you have something unique to offer readers. Figure out what that is and make sure that you tell your story in your guest blog.

Try to avoid making a guest blog too generic. The idea is to really show readers of your guest post what sets you apart from the rest.

Track Your Results

Finally, you want to track your success.

How?

To really track your success, you need to start before you even write your guest blog post.

You should always have a goal in mind when it comes to guest blogging.

Are you looking for general traffic to your own website? More social media followers? Or maybe you want your new readers to sign up for your email list.

Whatever your particular goals are for your guest blog, it’s important you figure out how you will measure the ROI of the time and effort you spent writing it.

Once you’ve published your first guest blog, don’t forget to share it with your current audience. Showing your followers that other publications want to publish your work is a great way to build more clout with your existing readers.

If your guest blog earns a substantial amount of views, your host blog will more likely than not ask you to continue to write guest posts for them in the future.

In a short amount of time, you may find that it becomes easier to pitch your guest blogging services to other websites. Once you’ve built a reputation for yourself as a qualified writer in your niche, it could lead to other opportunities such as paid writing assignments or even speaking opportunities.

Now that you have a plan, you’re ready to go out and pitch your first guest blog.