Bloggers, digital marketers, online businesses, social influencers, and agencies are obsessed with search engine optimization, and rightfully so. Marketing and PR agencies want to keep their clients happy and build a strong reputation. They rely on SEO strategies to bring organic traffic to their websites and show the newbies that it can be done with the right expertise.
Most of my readers are fellow bloggers or millennials that want to build their personal brand online. I’m sure many of you have heard of SEO, but you’re probably wondering what it has to do with guest blogging.
The answer is quite simple. Guest blogging gives you the chance to improve your personal brand and SEO in the following ways:
- Inbound links, which are links located on other websites that link back to yours
- Sharing your knowledge and expertise to another blogger’s audience
- Growing your own audience
- Building your credibility and influence
Even though the benefits are more apparent, many bloggers, marketers, and influencers hesitate to make guest blogging a priority. They wonder if the time and effort will pay off. Let’s debunk some of those myths right now, so you can start writing content to get published online today.
Guest blogging does nothing relevant for your brand.
There are actually plenty of ways that publishing guest posts on other websites can build your brand. First, it gives you an opportunity to network with other people. They may end up liking you and your ideas, and ask you to be a regular contributor. The more people in your network that have something positive to say about is a fantastic thing.
You’ll lose your audience if you accept guest blogs on your website.
You can also reverse the roles of guest blogging, and allow others to write a guest post to publish on your own website. There are plenty of websites and publications out there that decline to do this because they feel like their voice and the message won’t remain consistent. But for others, it can work to your advantage.
Your guest posts will become outdated quickly.
Here is one thing that’s nifty about SEO. It can take months or even a year for your post to show up on the first page of Google. As long as it’s a high-quality post with plenty of information, there is a good possibility that it will rank well in search engines. If you’re also willing to pitch to the bigger publications like Forbes, Slate, or Mashable, your content could show up first a lot sooner!
Quantity is better than quality.
Again, you should always aim to write high-quality content. I can’t stress that enough! If you take the time to research and write thoughtful content, you will prove your credibility. When someone reads your content and find it educational and useful, they will remember you. If they see that you’re consistently writing and sharing amazing content, they will likely become a fan.
Is that cheesy? Probably. But when your audience converts into fans, they are going to stick around. They are going to come to you first when they are uncertain and need advice.
