Today I’m going to show you how to attract guest bloggers so you can:
- take time off and enjoy your life
- Get new perspectives on your niche
- Spend time working on other endeavors
- and more
Without spending any money!
Creating a ranked website and getting traffic directed to it passively is a real accomplishment but especially when you’re in a competitive niche you can’t just stop posting and expect your website to grow.
Here’s a study done by Orbitmedia involving 1096 bloggers and the frequency they post to get what they call “strong results” when it comes to blogging.
Orbitmedia (2018) Blogging Statistics and Trends: The 2018 Survey of 1000+ Bloggers
Combine that with how many words most posts have that rank on the first page of search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo and you'll realize that a lot of time has to be put in creating content.
Backlinko (2019) Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List
This is why at a certain point you'll have to think about delegating a part of the work just like any other business that wants to keep growing.
I've seen multiple websites struggle with attracting bloggers without having to spend money this is why in this guide I'll show you:
- How to put yourself in their shoes so you can find new free ways to attract them
- The basic website pre-requisites you should have for attracting guest bloggers
- A few simple ways to attract guest bloggers
- A few things you shouldn't ignore when working with guest bloggers
As a member of multiple blogging communities such as Wealthy Affiliate, Affilorama, and multiple online groups for bloggers
I've discussed with a variety of guest bloggers and blog owners who use guest bloggers how to attract them in a sustainable way.
In this guide are the results of all those discussions and the experiences they're based on.
How To Attract Guest bloggers: The definitive guide
Understanding guest bloggers
Before we get into how to attract bloggers I think it's important to be able to get their perspective. This is important because it makes it able to always come up with new methods to attract guest bloggers without spending money.
You need to know at least two things to succeed in attracting guest bloggers:
- What do guest bloggers want from guest posting
- What methods do they use to find guest posting opportunities
What do guest bloggers want?
To get guest bloggers to post on your website you need to start off by finding out what they want. Here's a quote from a post on Neil Patel.com that explains it very well.
Typically there are three main goals for guest blogging.
- Positioning yourself as an authority and well-known name in the industry.
- Getting exposure (traffic) back to your website.
- Building backlinks to your website.
— Kristin Hines via Neil Patel.com
You need to be able to provide atleast one of these three.
Methods guest bloggers use to find guest posting opportunities
These are a few ways guest writers find posting opportunities
1. Find list posts for websites that accept guest posts.
This is probably the easiest one to do and the barrier of entry for guest bloggers is pretty low which is why a lot of guest bloggers use this method.
There are so many posts dedicated to lists of websites that allow guest posting it's insane.
I've seen lists vary from having just 5 websites to some having 150. Some keywords people use to find these lists are:
"Best websites for guest posting"
"Top websites that accept guest posts"
"Top guest posting websites"
There are a lot more keywords you just have to be creative enough to find them.
2. Google keywords often used by websites that allow guest posting
Websites that attract a lot of guest bloggers know exactly what they're doing especially when it comes to keyword optimizing their content.
They often have a page dedicated to informing guest bloggers about their guidelines. I've made a small list of these keywords which you can find later in this guide.
3. Online communities and social media groups
Guest bloggers often reach out to online communities to find websites to guest post for.
There are Facebook groups dedicated to blogging and affiliate marketing where tons of people share their experiences when it comes to blogging.
I've even encountered groups that were solely dedicated to guest blogging.
Twitter has also become a very popular resource to find guest blogging opportunities.
You'd be surprised how much websites you can find that accept guest posts by going on the guestblog hashtag.
4. Looking at competitors their backlinks
Another way that guest bloggers use to find guest posting opportunities is to look at the backlinks of their competitors.
It's standard procedure for most websites that accept guest posts to link back to the writer his website.
This means with a backlink checker they can easily find out for which websites their competitors have written and target these websites.
Important
keep these methods in mind when you want to attract guest bloggers.
It's all about being at the places they look for opportunities and guiding them from there to your website.
The methods I name in this guide to attract guest bloggers all come from knowing guest writers use these four methods to find websites that accept guest posts.
Now let's get into what you need to do beforehand.
Basic website Pre-requisites
Before you even think of putting it out there that you accept guest posts there are some tasks you have to take care of.
Being an active guest blogger myself at the moment there are somethings websites lack that hopelessly irritates me and other people that are looking for a website to guest post on.
These things can drive guest writers away so it's important to have everything in order.
To attract quality guest bloggers consistently you're going to:
- Have to raise your domain authority
- Be active on your website and reply when a submission is sent
- Have to create clear guidelines to follow
- Have to be willing to give value to your guest writers
These are by far the most important points you might have to work on. I'll tell you exactly why and how you can work on these in this guide.
How to meet the pre-requisites of having a website that attracts guest bloggers
Now let's go a bit deeper into the basic website pre-requisites.
Pre-requisite #1 Raising your domain authority
One of the biggest reasons guest bloggers do what they do is to build links. These backlinks are like votes from other websites that your content is valuable and as a result, signals to search engines that they should rank your content higher.
Backlinko (2019) Google Rankbrain: the definitive guide
In the graph above you see the results of a study done by Brian Dean from Backlinko that says there's a correlation between highest ranking content in Google and the number of backlinks they have.
Not all links are created equal though.
Links from websites that have a high domain authority(DA) are valued more by search engines because the domain authority(DA) of a website is a reflection of the trust search engines have in that website.
This means guest bloggers ideally target the websites with the highest domain rating to get the most out of one link.
This means that you might have to raise your domain authority rating to be able to attract a lot of quality guest bloggers.
Most guest bloggers search for websites that have at least a domain authority rating around the 30.
Tip* Don't know what your domain rating is? There are some free domain authority checkers on Google that you use to find out where you stand.
DA is measured on a scale of 1 to 100. The closer you are to 100, the more traffic and better ranking you’ll have.
But––you guessed it––a low DA can result in huge losses of traffic and ranking. That’s why it’s important to have a good DA.
Neil Patel
How to raise the domain authority of your website
There are a lot of things you can do to raise the domain authority of your website but I'd advise you to start with these four suggestions.
Let your website age while consistently posting high-quality content
Search engines want their users to get the best possible content. To achieve that they'll monitor your website over a period of time before they trust it.
Position your website as a big brand
Search engines like big brands which mean next to creating content you're going to have to spend time building your brand.
This means having a clean looking website, being active on social media, getting mentioned by peers in your space.
You shouldn't give off the impression that you're an amateur at what you're doing.
Get linked back to by websites with high authority
Like I said before backlinks are like votes that signal to search engines that other people like your content.
Having these links will do a lot for getting search engines to trust you.
Make sure your website is search engine optimized
It's important the SEO of your website is done well, because your domain authority comes from your ability to rank on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
Side note* There's an interesting article written by Neil Patel about raising your domain rating that might come in handy you can read it by clicking here
Pre-requisite #2 Have an active website and respond
This doesn't seem that important at first sight but trust me it is. I've written for a few websites that accept guest blogs that demand you sent the entire piece the first time while contacting them and there are a few that never answered me back.
Some weren't active others just didn't reply because the post probably didn't provide them with value or they had too many submissions.
I know a lot of people that have experienced the same thing multiple times and refrain from writing articles before having at least some sort of contact with the owner of the website.
This is why you have to send the message to potential guest writers that your website is active and you'll respond when a submission is sent even if the submission is not up to par.
Tip* Put somewhere on the guest post page that you'll respond the moment they submit a guest post even if the guest post isn't what they're looking for.
Pre-requisite #3 Have clear guidelines regarding guest posting
Having a website that attracts guest bloggers can be a blessing and a curse. I know a few people who say their website email receives an avalanche of guest post requests daily that are just not up to par.
Having a page with clear guidelines will easily fix this. Guideline pages make it able to communicate to guest writers exactly what you expect from them. Writing style, language, amount of words you can put in it whatever you see fit.
Pages like these also make it easy to filter out low-quality guest posts.
What are the essentials to a good guideline page?
As I said you can set whatever requirements are necessary but I'd strongly advise you to include at least these:
- Amount of words
- Language ( be specific there are multiple types of English for example)
- Does the content need to be search engine optimized or not
- If the content is allowed to be posted somewhere else
- Post format ( list posts, complete guides, infographics, cheatsheets, etc.)
- What kind of links are allowed in the post
Also, include:
- The benefits of guest posting (be precise about what this entails)
- Who your audience is and what kind of content they like to read
- What kind of guest bloggers you're looking for
Tip* look at the guideline pages of online tools and copy what you like
Examples: LongtailPro, Getresponse
Tip* 2 Show examples of what you expect from guest bloggers
How to attract guest bloggers
Reach out to blogs that have lists with websites that accept guest posts
I've said this earlier but the most common method people use to find websites to guest post for is to just simply Google it. This is why you should target these websites and try to get on these lists.
Make a list of all the websites on the first page with lists and email them. Most of these websites have a lot of outdated links on their list.
I've gone through a lot of them and of every one of them at least 30% of the links either didn't work anymore or the website it was linking to doesn't accept guest posts anymore.
tip* try to spot an outdated link that's high up the list since these are the ones that are getting seen the most.
Try to rank for guest post keywords
Especially when your website has a high domain rating ranking for the keywords guest bloggers use to find opportunities can be very effective.
You can target these keywords on your guest posting guideline page or create useful content regarding those keywords and guide people from there.
Here are a few keywords you can use:
"become a guest blogger"
"become a guest writer"
"submit guest post"
"submit content"
"Write for us"
"Want to write for"
"Contribute to our blog"
"Contribute to our website"
"This post is written by"
tip* even if you don't rank on the first page I'd advise you to do this. This is one of the rare occasions where I find myself looking for guest post opportunities at the second and third pages because of outdated content on the first page.
Actively promote content written by your guest writers
High-quality content that's marketed well will be shared a lot on social media and will get linked back to.
The moment that happens a lot of new eyes will fall not only on the content and the writer but also you as a platform for making this possible.
As a result you'll attract other people looking for the same opportunity.
It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Tip* mention either in the author box or at the beginning that the content is written by a guest writer. This way everybody that's reading it immediately knows your website accepts guest posts.
Create monthly round-ups and funnel writers to your guest post page
A lot of people that guest post will also use other ways to built links. A popular way is to reach out to websites that do round-ups of interesting content they've seen online.
Not everybody might have the chance to be in your round-up but letting them know they can also guest post will make them think about guest posting which in the end has the same benefits.
Round-ups will also increase the chance you'll come in contact with experienced guest bloggers since you're reading articles about your niche to add to your round-up.
side note* If you do round-ups efficiently it'll save you a lot of time and are live savers in times you just can't come up with content you want to write about.
Encourage guest writers to promote your website and their guest posts in Facebook groups and other online communities
Social media is one of the most powerful tools you can use when it comes to online marketing so why not use it to get the message out that your website accepts guest posts.
Blatantly joining online communities and Facebook groups dedicated to blogging and promoting your website might be seen as spam and could get you thrown of so instead why not encourage your guest writers to post success stories about working with your website on Facebook groups.
This way you're providing value without being pushy but you'll still get the word out. Active guest writers are always looking for new guest post opportunities.
Tip* There are exceptions to this rule. Ever heard of the website myblogguest it's a website for people looking for guest blogging opportunities. You can promote your website there without problems.
Tip 2* Encourage guest writers to promote their guest posts on Twitter under specific hashtags that guest writters use to find guest blog opportunities. Try using "niche" guestpost as a hashtag.
Brian Dean
Backlinko
This is a win-win-win: The site you guest posted on gets some traffic. And you share an awesome blog post with your community.
on guest writers promoting their guest posts
A few other things you need to think about
Monitor the performance of your guest blogs
Having a consistent stream of people that are willing to post blog is nice but not every post idea someone suggests will resonate with your audience or help grow your audience that's why I believe it's important to monitor the performance of your guest posts.
The feedback you'll get back will make it possible to adjust your guest post guideline page in such a way that guest bloggers will only provide you with high performing content.
A few months ago I came across a website that knew exactly what kind of content they wanted and they did a great job of letting their guest bloggers know in multiple ways such as:
- Very specific guidelines
- Showcasing guest post examples
- Having a list with topics ready for you to choose from
side note* The more specific you are about what you demand from your guest posts the more you will filter out low-quality guest post submissions.
Building relationships with your guest writers
Guest posting in most cases is a one-time transaction. You'll get a post and they'll get a do-follow link or exposure but it can be so much more beneficial if you start building relationships with these guest writers.
The fact that they're actively busy with building links and increasing their domain authority means in time they can become very valuable assets with which you can have a fruitful relationship.
A few benefits could be:
- They could end up becoming customers
- having a network of people with websites with continuously rising domain authority
- They can introduce you to other quality guest writers
- Building a lot of social proof by being backed up by your guest writers
Building a relationship with your bloggers don't require much. It could be as simple as liking, sharing or commenting on their content every now and then.
Final Words
In the end to attract guest bloggers you just need to be able to put yourself in their shoes and figure out what they would do to find guest posting opportunities.
Notice how I started this guide talking about how guest bloggers find websites to guest post and then used that information to find ways to attract them.
I hope this guide was of value to you. If you have any questions or you just want to show some love leave a comment underneath.
Also feel free to share or use this guide as a resource on your own website. Apparently that helps with my rankings.
Who knew 😛
that's all for today.
See you at my next post!
Great post with tons of great information and well detailed and informative. It just amazes me on the many ways to drive traffic to your website guest blogging being one of them. Thanks again for the great information.
Yeah, I think it’s important for every blogger at a certain point to think
about either putting together a team or get guest bloggers to create content.
We only have 24 hours in a day while there’s so much to do.
Working smart is where it’s at
Rogier | Real Digital Success
Excellent article on how to attract guest bloggers to your site, Rogier, very informative!
I’ve never really liked the idea of having guest bloggers on my site ( I think I’m a bit of a control freak) although I have had a few people approach me about it and two have submitted articles for me, but you make some really good points why it would be an advantage.
I think I will consider this more in the future.
Cheers 🙂
Hey John,
Thanks for the kind words.
I’m exactly the same way but at a certain point, you might want to focus on gathering other passive income streams.
That was my mindset when it came to experimenting with guest bloggers.
greetings,
Rogier
Great information about guest blogging.
It sounds very hard when you want to attract guest bloggers, but understanding the concept and its importance, will surely help in gaining traffic to your website and then to your rankings.
Thank you for this article. You`ve given the details on how to attract guest bloggers which is helpful to know.
All the best!
Hey Hanna,
Thanks for the comment. You’re right the moment you know what’s in it for them and you know where
to look for them it becomes easier to attract guest bloggers.
greetings,
Rogier
Attracting guest bloggers would be something I’d love to do in all my niche sites, but likely in the future as at the present moment, they’re all young, < a year old, while two of them are even younger than six months, so I’m still in authority-building mode. However, as time passes, I’ve noticed I’m gaining authority on my oldest site, which displays a rather popular niche in the US, so hopefully when I get to the level of bringing on guest bloggers, it’ll be an easier task once the dirty work is finished. It was also interesting to read Google’s 200 Ranking Factors.
Nice to hear your websites are doing well. Building authority definitely takes some time and energy but it makes attracting guest bloggers that much easier. I’d advise every blogger to look at that at one point.