Guest Blogging: What is that? And how does it work?

Guest Blogging: What is that? And how does it work?

In this brief article, we discuss what guest blogging is all about and how it can benefit YOU as a guest or host, and your shared audiences.

In January 2024, I was contacted by Maya, the creator and host of Writing With a Twist blog, about doing a guest post- Writing Community: Why is it so Important and Where Can You Find it? She had read my entry on NEWSLETTER VS. BLOGS: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? AND HOW DOES ONE BENEFIT THE OTHER? 

From scouring through other helpful posts like UNDERSTANDING AND IDENTIFYING STORY STRUCTURES IN PICTURE BOOKS and HOW TO WRITE PICTURE BOOKS- AND STAY SANE found on Chelsea’s World of Books literary blog, and WRITING ROUTINES AND RITUALS and WRITER’S (UN)BLOCK(ED), found on Writing With a Twist, it didn’t take long to realize we both shared a passion for helping other writers on their career path. Once this discovery was made, I knew my answer: YES!

But I had never done one before. So, it was time to do some research. Today, I’ll be sharing what I uncovered.

Who Does Guest Blogging Benefit? And WHAT are the Benefits?

So, let’s start with the benefits of guest blogging. Who exactly does it benefit?

WHO it benefits:

1. The guest blogger
2. The blog host
3. The guest blogger’s audience
4. The blog host’s audience

Now we know who’s benefiting. Let’s talk about HOW they benefit them.

The Guest Blogger

If you’re invited to join someone on their blog as a guest blogger, congratulations! This means somebody has found value in your blog posts and is interested in sharing your content with their readers. Networking with fellow bloggers is a fantastic way to grow your audience. But it helps in other ways too.

Not only can it help you grow your audience, but it can also help you gain website authority, establish credibility, increase organic rankings, and improve your Google algorithms.

Alright! This is awesome. But how does it work? We’ll get into that too.

Important things to remember when writing a guest post is that you’re writing for whoever’s blog’s audience. So, if you share compatible topics but not everything is the same, remember to tailor your discussion to something that will directly benefit or interest your blog host’s readers. (Your blog host may have a specific set of guidelines or suggested topics for you to write about- we’ll touch on that later.)

So, do your homework. Know your audience. And your blog host’s audience. And… don’t forget to use backlinks.

Adding backlinks (aka link building) to your post is very important. Why? Backlinks are part of what helps you gain website authority, establish credibility, and increase your rankings organically.

They tell Google, “Hey, this is a trusted, credible source.” The more links you can add into your guest post that trace back to your website, the better. But- not just ANY links will work. Technically, they’ll “work”… but you don’t want them to simply be accessible, you want them to be successful. Which goes back to audience. WHO are you writing for? WHAT will this audience care about? What are their interests?

Example: Let’s say you have a blog on animal care, and you’re invited to do a guest post for a blog all about CATS called THE CAT LADY, or NOTHING BUT CATS- THAT’S IT. If you link back to an article on your blog about hermit crabs or birds, this probably isn’t going to be what your readers were hoping to read because it’s not directly related to your audience preference. They’re interested in this blog because they want to read about CATS. So, why not take this opportunity to look over your blog articles and figure out which ones would be MOST compatible with your blog host? Then, use those articles as your backlinks. 

That way, your audience will benefit. This is the goal.

The Blog Host

Now, let’s talk about how the blog host is benefited by having exterior posts written by other writers. If you’re like me (by that, I mean juggling 1,500 hundred things), AKA a very busy woman, you might not have the time to write hundreds of blog posts on your own. 

Let’s be real. Good content takes time. And readers can tell the difference. So, if you’re sloppily throwing together blog entries that don’t have anything truly meaningful, your readers aren’t going to stick around. This means you need to put thought into each article you write. And thoughtful articles take time to produce. But what if you simply don’t have the time to write as much content as you’d like to be sharing?

That’s where guest bloggers can help!

Guest bloggers can offer your readers the extra content that you don’t have the time to create. And, through the use of link building, you can gain more readers. Additionally, by collaborating with other bloggers with higher website authority, it also boosts your website’s authority. And vice versa.

The Guest Blogger’s and Host’s Audience

In summation, both audiences will benefit from guest blog posts. If it’s the guest blogger’s audience, they’ve just discovered a new website that might be of interest to them. If it’s the blog host’s audience- same thing- but also, they’ve been provided with helpful content from a different perspective. This can be a nice change of pace and, again, lends to your credibility as a website. 

As you continue to grow as a blogger, it’s imperative that you connect with other bloggers in the network. Like any successful business, partnerships are mutually beneficial. By doing this, it will help both you and them to continue rising up in ranking and audience.

Where Can I find Bloggers Interested in Creating Content for my blog (aka guest blogging) OR Where Can I go to Write Content for Someone Else’s Blog?

Places to find content writers to help with guest posts OR to pitch yourself as a guest post content writer for others:

1. Directly on the blog. Comment on blogs you’re interested in having write for you, or who you’d be interested in writing for. Be courteous and respectful of their time, and don’t push if it doesn’t feel like a good fit. You never know, you might just find someone who’s grateful that you reached out.
2. LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a reputable place with qualified professionals who, for the most part, take their career and business seriously, so it only makes sense that this would be a good place to find like-minded future network comrades. Again, be respectful of people’s time, and DON’T be overly pushy. If you find a fit, be professional, and if the timing feels right, ask. It never hurts. The worst someone can say is “no.”