Guest posting or guest blogging is the practice of writing posts or blogs for someone else’s website. This is a common practice in the blogging and website world and is a good way to build engagement among different kinds of audiences.

Especially if the author has some clout or following, they will be able to attract traffic on the website for which they are writing. While this has been a practice since blogging took off in the earlier parts of the millennium, it has certainly evolved in 2021.

Don’t Do It for the Sake of It

Earlier, people would find any opportunity to buy guest posts in the hope that it will boost traffic both ways. However, in 2021, when life practically takes place online, audiences can see through inauthenticity.

So, only invite a guest post or write a guest post for someone else if the content and the opportunity truly ask for it. Do not try to force guest posts. 

Do Not Be a Link Chaser

Often, people offer to guest post or invite guest posts only in exchange for link backs. Guest posting is a popular way to build for building SEO and visibility. However, if you do guest posting solely for linkbacks, there is a danger of being blacklisted by Google.

Too many links can also seem like spam activity for Google and it can end up doing more harm than good for your SEO. The idea of a guest post is to create quality content with a few links, but not too many.

You want the content to keep the audience engaged instead of turning the reader away from your site because they found the obsessive linking off-putting.

So, do guest posts but link organically and only when required. If you write guest posts frequently, it may even be sensible to write regularly for this website as a recurring guest author.

Tie-Up with Respected Publications/Authors

Do not invite just anyone to do a guest post and similarly, refrain from doing a guest post for a website that does not have credentials to show. It does not have to be a big publication, but there should be a reason for this partnership to exist in the first place.

For example, if your niche is in sneakers, but you get someone who has a major following for their opinions on makeup trends, then that partnership does not make too much sense and audiences will be able to tell.

Final Thoughts

If you speak to 10 website or blogging experts, you may hear different things about guest posting. While the practice has been misused a lot in the past, there are still merits to consider. Just how people do collaborations on social media platforms like Instagram, guest posting and cross-linking is a great way to expand your readership.

However, it is important to do it with restraint and without losing sight of the content at hand. Google SEO and the audience are both clever enough to differentiate between good content and spam.