Guest Blogging, Don't Quit, Just Do It Correctly
The war against guest posting is on, and Google seems to be winning. So far this year, Matt Cutts seems to be delivering on his promise to squash guest posting out of the SEO toolbox. His warning is guest blogging with the primary objective of obtaining links for SEO reasons. I'm here to tell you to don't quit guest blogging!
Early in 2014, Google's web spam expert delivered a powerful statement against guest posts: "If you're using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop." While it wasn't quite a statement of complete annihilation, it was about as direct as Google ever gets with its SEO guidelines.
What's Wrong with Guest Posts?
In the past, many SEOs have used guest blogging to earn links for their websites. While it seems harmless enough, Cutts and his team have determined the practice has become rather spammy. With thousands of blog networks and tens of thousands of barely read blog posts popping up every day, there's no doubt that guest posting has become a tool of manipulation.
Guest posting isn't what it used to be. Many bloggers use other websites to share opinions or relevant articles about important topics. While there are still many legitimate guest blogging opportunities, the vast majority of guest posts seem to be for the sole purpose of getting a link. This is where Google feels the need to step in.
Can I Continue Guest Blogging?
Absolutely, don't quit guest blogging, just do it correctly. When I say do it correctly, I'm saying to not do it for the primary reason of gathering links to your website. There are quite a few good reasons to keep guest blogging even if it means using a "no-follow" tag.
Guest posting isn't dead, and it's not likely to die anytime soon. Sure, many content farms and blogging networks have been hit by Google, but that doesn't mean you can't write guest posts at all anymore. In fact, guest posting can have a lot of value if done correctly. In particular, guest posts should be relevant and written for high authority websites.
1. Distinguish yourself as an expert
If the readership of the blog is decent and you're putting out in-depth quality posts, you'll build trust and distinguish yourself as an expert on that particular topic.
2. Expands you reach
Often times you'll get exposed to customers that may not have ever known about you, your product or service. Guest blogs allow you to expand your reach and again, you'll distinguish yourself as an expert.
3. Creates more links
This one may seem counterproductive but the links that I'm talking about aren't related to SEO, they're about links that drive customers directly to your website. Again, it expands your reach to customers that may have never found your website in the first place.
4. Offers to guest blog on your blog
Guest blogging on someone else's blog often opens opportunities for them to return the favor and getting great content on your website as well. Many people fear that allowing guest blogging will cause you to lose customers. While I'm sure that there's some truth to this, I always welcome guest bloggers that write in-depth quality content because in the end I'll end up getting links that the Google spam team deems worthy and in the grand scope of things, they benefit my site and my customers.
Note: Recently, even guest posts on respected blogs like Moz have caused trouble recently. In order to stay safe, you should ask for a no-follow or not even include a link to your site. Ultimately, if you are blogging for the right reason—meaning you are writing about a topic as opposed to just promoting your own website—then you should be okay. So don't stop writing just yet.
If you'd like some additional confirmation that guest blogging is still ok, here's another video post by Matt Cutts from a customer that asked, "How can I guest blog without it looking like I pay for links?".
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