Guest Blogging Isn't Dead. It's Not Even Ill.

So stick a fork in it: guest blogging is done; it’s just gotten too spammy. In general I wouldn’t recommend accepting a guest blog post unless you are willing to vouch for someone personally or know them well.

Likewise, I wouldn’t recommend relying on guest posting, guest blogging sites, or guest blogging as a link-building strategy.

Matt Cutts – Google Webspam Team, 2014

It seems cut and dried. When Google’s Matt Cutts speaks publicly about a marketing tactic being old hat, people are quick to leap aboard the “X is dead” bandwagon.

But is guest blogging really dead? Or is it hale and hearty even a year after Matt’s proclamations?

Guest Blogging Isn’t Dead.

It doesn’t even have a sniffle.

Thankfully though, the perception that guest blogging is a terminal case has made life easier for blog owners. We’re no longer bombarded with low quality pitches from dodgy SEO companies looking to fire their 500 words of keyword-stuffed guff at every wall in sight to see where it’ll stick.

Because this low quality linkbuilding strategy no longer works. You can’t just cram an article full of anchor text and watch your site soar up the search engine results pages. You can get away with an author link, and the tradeoff of 500 words for one solitary link doesn’t appeal to the bottom-feeding search companies any more.

But that doesn’t mean guest posting is dead. If anything, it’s helped guest blogging to separate the wheat from the chaff. Because when has a great quality guest post ever just been about links?

Guest Blogging Isn’t Good for Linkbuilding. So What?

One of the main issues with the dominance of Google is that rankings are now seen as an end, instead of the means to attract new customers. There’s a niche of low end, low cost digital marketing companies (usually based overseas) that don’t care about user experience, conversion rates or sales. They just care about getting a client’s website one position higher on a Google search.

So what?

Google’s search spider has never bought anything. It’ll never buy anything. Clients will.

And while guest posts might not appeal to the spiders anymore, they will appeal to readers. And it’s these readers that’ll buy your services.

Guest Blogging Is Still Great for Visibility and Authority

In March 2015, I committed a cardinal sin. I rebranded. My former site, Unmemorable Title was a good identity for a hobby blogger putting out posts on his lunch hour, but not for a freelance copywriter.  So I became 603 Copywriting.

Instantly, nobody had a clue who I was. Even people who’d read Unmemorable Title for five years.

WTH is @603Copywriting? Is that you Andrew@Mr603?

— Sarah Turner (@TurnerInk) March 31, 2015

Obviously this wouldn’t do. Six months and a series of Professional Copywriter’s Network guest posts later, people know who I am again. Blog traffic and subscribers are back to pre-rebrand levels, and 603 Copywriting is just as visible as Unmemorable Title ever was.

Which is great, because the more visible and recognisable your brand is, the more successful your business will be. When people are aware of you, they’re going to be more likely to buy from you.

When it comes to spreading awareness, getting your name on Copyblogger, Econsultancy, The PCN or any of the authority sites in your niche is going to do the trick. Even if your search engine rankings won’t benefit.

And having the words “as seen on [Well-regarded Website]” is going to do wonders for your authority and reputation too, because nothing provides social proof like a stamp of approval from those at the top of your chosen field.

Guest Blogging Should be Part of your Marketing Plan

If you gave up on guest blogging when Matt Cutts started to run his mouth, you made a huge error. Because there’s more to marketing than Google.

If you want to see an increase in brand recognition, in website traffic, and in your reputation in your industry – all of which will translate to more sales – then you need to bring guest blogging back into the fold.

Make it part of your marketing strategy today. You won’t regret it.

Just don’t drop in too many links, OK?

 

If you want ideas for great guest blog posts that won’t bore your readers, grab a copy of my free ebook. If you want professional help, ask about my blog copywriting rates.