Guest blogging is one of the most effective ways to not only reach new audiences and to potentially add new backlinks to you site, it’s also a great way to improve your existing writing skills. Best of all, it’s a working method for freelance writers, bloggers, and brands of all sizes.
When you look at the average internet user today, it’s hard to know what you are going to get. They will likely come to your site for it’s content, but they will likely only read a little bit of it.
Forty-three percent of people say that they skim blog posts. If you’re going to go to the time and effort of writing guest posts, you want people to read them!
Read on to learn how to write a guest post blog that people will actually read (and that will be accepted by the site’s editors).
Follow the Guidelines
The most important rule for writing a guest blog post is to carefully read and follow the guidelines the editor sent you.
Especially if you are writing for one of the many websites that pay writers, it’s important to keep the guidelines straight.
The world’s best-written blog post can be rejected for failing to stick to the link limit or including an image from an unacceptable source.
The guidelines usually cover everything you need to know about tone, style, and word count. It may also tell you how many words you can use for your author bio and rules about your headshot.
If the guidelines are unclear, go ahead and reach out for clarification.
Use A Search Engine Friendly Structure
What good is a blog post if no one can find it? Use Google’s best practices to ensure that your blog post comes up in the first few results of an internet search.
A good structure for your blog post means that you use short paragraphs. Aim for three sentences or less per paragraph.
Use the right header tags for your headlines. Except for the title, do not use H1 header tags. Your main headings should be H2 and any headings within that section will use H3 and so on.
This will make it easier for people to read your blog post and it is also the way Google likes it. So it’s a win-win.
When you have a list, use bullet points to make the list succinct and clear. And make sure to number your recipe steps or instructions so it’s easy to follow.
Using this format will save your editor time and help you organize your ideas in the best way possible.
And when it comes to the methods you are using to create content and rank your site higher in the search results, we recommend you read through the many different blogging tips that have been compiled by more than 82 different entrepreneurs, marketing experts and site owners.
Write an Engaging Title and Descriptive Headlines
People click on a search engine result only if they like the headline.
Take time to brainstorm the perfect title. Write out three to five and choose the best one. Don’t just go with the first one you come up with.
If your headline is catchy, engaging, and clearly articulates what a reader can expect to learn on that post, you’re headed in the right direction. Quotes, statistics, and questions often make for the best blog post titles.
What about when they click and open up your post?
The first thing readers are drawn to is the headers. Give those skimmers a reason to read the section under the heading by crafting a descriptive and interesting title.
Include a Call to Action
Hooray. Someone read your guest blog post to the end, now what?
Include a call to action at the end of your post. What do you want them to do next? Subscribe to a newsletter? Comment with their thoughts?
Give the readers specific instructions and they are more likely to do it.
Looking to reach a wider audience? Read more details about the specifics of guest post outreach.
Final Thoughts on Guest Posts
Thanks for reading! We hope this quick tutorial on guest posts has given you the confidence to get your words out there.
The unfortunate thing is that most people will simply read through this post and think about how everything mentioned was a great idea, but few will actually move forward. With so many people complaining about competition online, how they have no money to invest in their business, or that they aren’t seeing any SEO or traffic to their sites… it all comes down the time, work, and effort you put in.
Guest blogging is free. It works, and it’s going to be working for a while now.
Think you’re ready to write for a site like FreelanceWritingGigs? Check out their guidelines and fill out this form to get started.
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