Guest posting means writing an article that is published on someone else's website. The article usually links back to your own site, either in the text or in an author biography.
Why businesses do it
- Reach. Your article is seen by readers who may never have visited your site.
- Credibility. Being published on a respected site in your field shows you know the subject.
- Referral visitors. A useful article can send interested readers to your site.
- Links. Links from relevant sites can support your search visibility over time. This is a side effect, not a promise. Nobody can guarantee rankings.
Two kinds of guest posts
Editorial guest posts are accepted because the site owner likes the article. There is usually no payment.
Sponsored posts are paid placements. They are common, but the link should be marked as sponsored, and readers should be able to tell the content is paid. See our article on sponsored links and search guidelines.
What a good guest post looks like
- It is original and useful to the readers of that site.
- It matches the site's topic and tone.
- It links to your pages only where the link helps the reader.
- It is well edited, with no copied text.
What to avoid
- Sites that publish anything for anyone, on every topic.
- Promises of guaranteed rankings or exact authority scores.
- Thin, generic articles written only to carry a link.
How to start
- Decide what you want: visibility, referral visitors, or credibility in a niche.
- List the topics you can write about with real knowledge.
- Shortlist relevant sites and check them carefully.
- Write the article, or have a team write it, and approve it before it is published.
- Keep a record of every placement and its live URL.