Bloggers often write hit guest posts without knowing what
made it oh-so-popular. For them, writing guest posts that were good,
not-so-good, great, or mediocre is quite routine. Very often, they’re not even
worried about the quality of the guest posts and they just keep cranking out
new ones everyday to meet the “quantity” standards of the blog.
However, doing so often results in a blog with a lot of
potential, but limited content to meet that potential. By “potential” we mean
more visitors, page views, leads, subscribers, and benefits for the audience.
By now, you’re probably wondering what it takes to meet that
potential and the quality standards
of any blog. So we pretty much summed it up for you:
1) It
fits the niche: I’ve seen so many guest posts that seem like the writer
had no idea whatsoever who they were targeting. I’m not just talking about the
topic of the guest post. I’m also pointing towards the needs, interest, habits,
and language of the audience. The more niche-oriented your guest posts, the
more likely they are to succeed. If you’re hiring a writer, write specific
guidelines. Whatever you do, keep the audience in mind!
2) It is
engaging: The best blogs (or bloggers) pay attention to each and every
comment, and try to solve any issues or suggestions the reader presents or
offers. The more you respond the more you “engage”. The more you engage, the
higher the chance of getting feedback and increasing your blog ratings.
3) It is fresh and unique: Yes, every single hit guest post needs to be fresh
and unique! This is the number one rule to writing a guest post that is more
focused on quality and returns rather than quantity and merely fulfilling
requirements.
4) It gives you credibility in the niche:
The most wildly successful guest posts are also those that position you as an
“expert” in your niche. How you do that is entirely up to. Perhaps, you can
highlight what makes you qualified enough to discuss the subject matter in your
guest posts. For example, “I have been doing this for five years now…”. Or can
provide recent in-depth research and knowledge in the field. For instance, “I
spent an entire week figuring this out…”
5) It DOES
consider SEO: There has been quite a buzz lately about SEO being “dead”.
This is not entirely true. While it is true Google has made it almost impossible
to create “quality content” through keywords stuffing and other linking
schemes, there is still
some substance in search engine optimization. There are still rules for
topping search engine results and you need to be familiar with them. For
example, social relationships, authority, and keyword research is still the
best way to give your guest posts more value. The best posts keep the latest
search engine rules in mind.
6) It has
been considerably promoted: The best guest blogs are also those that
are regularly promoted. Despite where the ownership lies, you should share it,
tweet it, email it, or create a buzz about your new blog that offers great
advice. Make sure you also provide a catchy caption everywhere you promote it.
Finally, we’d like to add that although
your efforts should be rewarded instantly, sometimes it’s just a matter of
accepting that it was the best you could do and moving on. Don’t get too hung
up on what you could have done to make it better. Writing is a skill that
improves with time. Keep exploring new topics, new audiences, and new
techniques, and you’ll come across something that works best for you—and when
it does, stick to it. Whatever you do, don’t give up!
Happy posting!
Jillian Petrova is a
student of Arts, and a professional career consultant currently offering coursework help UK at an online
startup. When not consulting, she loves to write online blogs on anything that
catches her interest.
