7 Must-Do Steps Before Accepting Guest Posts On Your Blog
Did you know?
Some blog owners earn up to $3,000 a month by hosting quality content from different writers.
Accepting guest posts on your blog can create a lucrative revenue stream.
Again, it’s an attractive way to diversify your blog’s content and bring in fresh perspectives and expertise.
But beware! Without proper vetting and guidelines, they can do more harm than good.
Please note that it’s important to remember that not all guest posts are created equal.
The key to unlocking this earning potential lies in curating content that is both valuable to your readers and in harmony with your blog’s niche and standards.
Here’s a definitive checklist to ensure that accepting guest posts benefits your blog’s branding, audience, and SEO efforts.
Table Of Contents
- Introduction to Guest Posting.
- Determine Your Blog’s Content Needs.
- Establish Guest Posting Guidelines.
- How to Find Quality Guest Writers.
- Vetting Submissions for Quality.
- The Importance of Originality in Guest Posts.
- Integrating Guest Posts Seamlessly into Your Blog.
- Monitoring and Measuring the Impact of Guest Posts.
- Conclusion and Future Steps.
1. Clarify Your Goals
Before extending an invitation for guest posts, be reflective about what you aim to achieve. Are you looking to monetize your platform, increase traffic, or generate leads? Maybe your goal is to build authority by showcasing insights from various thought leaders.
To make sure you’re on the right track with guest authors, it’s important to understand their goals. You can effectively engage and collaborate with them if you can do so.
To make informed decisions when selecting and aligning their expertise and content with your desired outcomes, it is crucial to know their objectives. This ensures a successful and purposeful partnership.
2. Set Clear Guest Posting Guidelines
Create a page on your blog dedicated to explaining your guest post submission process. It should list.
This transparency will help ensure alignment between your expectations and the submissions you receive.
- Acceptable Niches Or Topics: This refers to the specific subject areas or themes that are suitable for the content. It could be anything from technology and fashion to health and travel. Clearly define the range of acceptable niches or topics for the content.
- Expected Word Count Range: Specify the desired length of the content in terms of word count. This helps ensure that the content provides enough information without being too lengthy or brief. For example, you might request content with a word count range of 500-800 words.
- Desired Tone-formal, conversational, or otherwise: Indicate the preferred tone or style for the content. Do you want it to sound professional and formal, or more casual and conversational? Alternatively, you might have a specific tone in mind that aligns with your brand or target audience.
- Image Use: whether you require original images or stock photos, or if images are optional: Clarify the use of images in the content. Specify whether you need original images to be included, or if stock photos can be used. Additionally, let the writer know if images are optional, meaning they can be included if appropriate but are not mandatory.
- Formatting Preferences And Any Other Significant Aspect Of The Submission: Provide any specific formatting requirements or preferences for the content. This could include things like bullet points, subheadings, or specific font styles. Additionally, if there are any other important details or considerations that need to be taken into account for the content, make sure to communicate them clearly.
3. Evaluate The Guest Post Proposal
Review incoming proposals with a critical eye:
- Understand The Author’s Intent: This involves evaluating whether the author’s purpose is to provide value genuinely or if they are primarily focused on self-promotion. It is important to assess whether their intention aligns with your needs and objectives. Authors who aim to provide value are more likely to offer insightful and helpful content.
- Verify The Author’s Credentials: This step involves checking the author’s background and qualifications to determine if they have reputable experience or expertise in your niche. Ensuring that the author has the necessary knowledge and credibility to provide reliable and accurate information is crucial.
- Review Past Work: Assessing the author’s previous content helps gauge the quality and value of their work. Look for indicators such as positive reception from readers, engagement metrics, and whether their content has been informative and valuable in the past. This can give you an idea of their consistency and ability to deliver high-quality content.
- Assess Proposal Quality: When evaluating a content proposal, consider whether the suggested topic is compelling and well-researched. A high-quality proposal should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject matter, present unique insights, and provide evidence of extensive research. This ensures that the content will be valuable and informative to your audience.
- Confirm topical relevance: It is important to determine whether the content aligns with your audience’s interests and needs. Consider whether the proposed topic is relevant to your niche and whether it addresses the topics or challenges that your audience is most interested in. This ensures that the content will resonate with your target audience and provide value to them.
4. Research The Writer
Take a deep dive into the potential contributor’s background:
- Examine Their Writing Style To Ensure Compatibility With Your Blog’s Voice:
When considering a writer, it’s important to evaluate their writing style to ensure that it aligns with the tone and voice of your blog. Pay attention to their use of language, tone, and overall approach to writing. This will help you determine if their style will resonate with your target audience and maintain consistency throughout your blog.
- Look Into Their Portfolio And Verify Which Other Sites Have Published Their Work—A Wide Reach And Presence Can Indicate Authority:
Reviewing a writer’s portfolio is crucial to assess their credibility and expertise. Take the time to explore the websites or publications where their work has been featured. A writer with a diverse portfolio and a presence on multiple reputable platforms demonstrates their expertise and field experience. This can provide assurance that they have the necessary skills to contribute effectively to your blog.
5. Conduct A Content Quality Check
Evaluate the proposed content thoroughly:
- Perform an intent analysis: This involves evaluating whether the content effectively addresses the informational needs of your readers. Consider whether the content provides relevant and valuable information your audience seeks.
- Match the tone to that of your site, checking for a natural flow: Ensure that the tone and writing style of the content align with the overall tone of your website. It should feel cohesive and consistent, creating a seamless reading experience for your audience.
- Decipher whether the content provides unique value to your audience: Assess whether the content offers something distinctive and valuable to your target audience. It should provide insights, perspectives, or information that differentiates it from similar content elsewhere.
- Use plagiarism checkers to ensure originality: Utilize plagiarism checkers to verify that the content is original and does not infringe upon any existing copyrights. This step helps maintain the integrity of your content and ensures that it is authentic and unique to your website.
6. Natural Anchor Text Placements
Anchor text—the clickable words that form hyperlinks—should be relevant and naturally integrated into the content:
Point 1: Decide whether to permit a guest author to include one external link within the article body or restrict it to the author bio.
This point refers to the decision-making process regarding guest authors and their ability to include external links in the articles they contribute.
The choice made here will determine the extent to which guest authors can link to external sources in their content.
Point 2: Outward links should contribute to the user experience rather than detract from it.
This point emphasizes the importance of ensuring that any outward links included in the article enhance the user experience rather than diminish it.
When including external links, it is crucial to consider their relevance, quality, and value to the readers.
The goal is to provide extra information or resources that add value to users without detracting from their experience.
7. Formulate A Link Monitoring Plan
After publication, regularly monitor outbound links for:
Performance: Evaluate whether the links generate valuable traffic and support your SEO objectives. Consider factors such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall impact on website visibility and rankings.
Integrity: Regularly monitor and assess the linked pages to ensure they maintain high quality and relevance over time. This includes checking for broken links, and outdated content, and maintaining consistent alignment with your website’s overall theme and purpose.
Bottom Line
So when you set practical measures and create a robust system for accepting guest posts…
….you’ll be able to enhance your blog’s quality and offer your readers value while also achieving your strategic goals.
Remember, the aim is to curate posts that not only resonate with your audience but also solidify your blog’s reputation. Keep your readers’ experience at the forefront, and you’ll likely find success in the world of collaborative content creation.
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It is a comprehensive platform designed to assist Publishers, Bloggers, and Website Owners in monetizing their blogs.
By featuring top-notch Guest Posts on your websites, you have the potential to generate a substantial income.
Publishers receive regular orders, prompt payment upon submission of the Live URL, and access to top-notch content.
In the last two years, Blog Management has paid out an astounding $10 Million to over 50,000 Publishers, establishing itself as the largest and most profitable platform for selling guest posts.
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