If you’d like to add value for your readers, increase your website traffic and give an added level of credibility to your blog, accepting guest posts from legitimate industry experts and thought leaders can be a great option.
There are a number of advantages associated with accepting guest posts on your blog, including:
Increased Posting Frequency
Obviously, accepting submissions and guest posts from other bloggers is a great way to maintain and enhance your content stream – keeping your blog updated more frequently. This provides your readers with a reason to come back and visit your site on a more regular basis.
An additional benefit associated with increasing the frequency of new content relates to search engine optimisation. It’s widely accepted that search engines such as Google place higher importance on webpages that are updated with new content frequently – meaning if you accept guest posts to increase your posting frequency, you may have a greater likelihood of ranking well in search engines.
Share the Load
Coming up with new, insightful and original topics to blog about can be tough work at times. Some days it’s like the easiest thing in the world, and some days it’sreally tough to find the motivation and inspiration to write – that’s all part of the blogging beast.
On the days you are struggling to pluck blogging brilliance from thin air, you can either check my recent post on tricks to try when you’re stuck for content ideas, or you can dip into that special file on your computer marked submitted posts and publish one that fits with current themes, topics, or is just really interesting.
Keeping a few relevant and well-written submitted posts up your sleeve for a rainy day can be worth its weight in platinum on days that you muse just doesn’t want to show up.
Lends Legitimacy
Accepting guest posts from industry leaders and genuine experts gives your content greater legitimacy. If new readers notice leading bloggers such as Darren Rowse or Chris Guillebeau have appeared as guest authors on your business blogging site, they’re far more likely to associate your website with genuine value.
People tend to look for ‘social proof’ when they encounter a new website – really, it’s just human nature to want to verify the information we’re encountering is authentic and trustworthy. Should you be lucky enough to have a guest post submitted to your website from a recognised leader or expert in your industry, your readers will view that guest post as a kind of indirect endorsement.
Increased traffic and inbound links
Let’s say I have a readership of around 12000 subscribers, and I ask to submit a guest post for publication on your blog. If you accept my submission and publish my post, it’s likely that I will do a number of things:
- I’ll link to my guest post from my own site
- I’ll link to my guest post from my social media accounts, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. I may mention and link to the guest post on more than one occasion at different times, to reach a wider audience
- I may include a link to my guest from the monthly email I send to my 6000 subscribers
As a result, not only will there be a ton of new inbound links directing to your website, but a number of my 6000 subscribers – and even more connections via all of my social media channels – may visit your website to read my guest post, substantially increasing your traffic.
More Voices
We all have our own ‘voice’ when we blog – a voice, or style of writing, that is authentic to us, and which is often recognisable to our readers. Sometimes, if the only voice we offer on our blog is our own, our content can become a little static or stale or same-y for our audience. One of the key advantages of publishing guest posts from other writers is that it offers new and different voices for our readers.
Not only do these new voices and styles add value in terms of interest, but new perspectives, opinions and areas of expertise can take your content to a whole new level for your readers.
Final Thought
Before giving guest bloggers the green light to submit their posts, make sure they’re legit. Spam-peddlers often pose as ‘experts’ trying to submit guest posts on successful blogs, so always check for relevance and eye their existing content. You’ll have a gut feeling whether someone can add genuine value for your readers or not, so trust your instincts.
There are some significant benefits in accepting guest posts from other bloggers on your website. Similarly, there are some great reasons to consider guest posting yourself from time to time. Check back soon for a follow-up post on the benefits of guest blogging, and be sure to comment below about your own experiences with guest post submissions.
