One the most common SEO strategies employed in building up a website’s ranking is through the use of article marketing. This is mainly done by submitting articles to hundreds of websites with embedded links pointing back to the author’s website. Links are like tiny votes that search engines credit to your website. This was generally considered as a simple way of improving a website’s reputation by making it appear as an authority in its niche.
This has long been practiced by many as an easy method of link building. In fact, a great number of softwares have been developed specifically to perform this task. It has made it possible to turn a single article into hundreds of unique articles and even goes the extra mile by automatically sending them to article submission sites.
Having done some article marketing in the past, I too had my share of “spinners.” I could say that they were highly effective in producing “unique” content but I couldn’t say the same as far as the quality of content they produce. And I believe that no decent blogger or website owner would place this on their website.
It seems that some of the search engines have wised up to this method and have changed some of the rules regarding its effects on how websites are ranked. Even some of the major article submissions have been affected by this new algorithm that they have disabled outside links on articles posted in their sites.
Guest Posting
For those who have tried their hands at guest posting, this is certainly a difficult nut to crack. There really is no secret formula in being a successful guest author. Blog sites by nature have a very personal touch and almost all of them are moderated by a single person. Quality will always be an issue here. Unlike article submission sites which post tens of articles a day, blog owners are keen on maintaining quality over quantity.
Simple tips on how to be a successful guest author
Some of us tend to see guest posting as a means to an end and often find ourselves guilty of submitting articles which are of little value to us or readers. The only way to get your guest article posted is by simply putting your best feet forward. If there is any consolation just having the thought that you did your best can be satisfying enough.
It is important to remember that you are trying to improve your visibility and credibility by showcasing your work. If the blog post ever gets approved there is also that little chance that any readers would be visiting your website. Your guest post should be an accurate gauge of your skills and second rate posts are a reflection of a second rate writer.
Use Images
Photos and images are a powerful tool of conveying a message and is a good way of injecting little life giving it that little edge over other submissions. I know that a lot of us use images on our own websites and incorporating this on our submissions shows that we care about the overall quality of our submissions.
Some of the guest author blogs that I have had the experience of submitting for gave me limited access to their WordPress site where I could submit my article for approval. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to showcase your post and let the owner have an easy way of evaluating your blog post.
SEO Work
We all know how SEO helps in keeping our websites on top of the food chain. Some of us may think that this is a task that should lie solely on the shoulders of the blog owner. Getting your blog post on top of search engines does not only help the website but also plays dividends for you too. If you’re planning to use guest posting as a way of driving juice into your website then treat it as a long term investment.
Working within the Format
Take a little time to study the blog site and try to submit your articles following the same format. If the blogs uses bullets points or any similar structures, design your articles using these as well. One of the best ways that could get your blog posts approved is by making it as easy as possible for the owner to use your post. If you’re asked to submit an article, mark it with HTML tags in order for the blog owner to simply post them.
Internal Links
One strategy that good guest authors use is linking to other posts within the website. This shows that you’ve been visiting the website and also helps the owner with internal linking. It also reduces the bounce rate for the blog site by giving readers the chance to visit other blog posts.
Do you guest post on blogs what has been your experience ?
This is a guest post by Michael Scottsdale, you can check out the guidelines to guest post here.
Image Credit: Livewell For Less
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