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Guest posts involve creating content for a reputable website in exchange for a link back to your own website. This can be an important part of link-building, which can impact your site’s domain authority and overall ranking signals.
However, guest posting is more involved than optimizing your own website or even posting content on your own social media channels. Because it’s more complex and necessitates developing a relationship with other site owners, some businesses might dismiss this SEO tactic as being too confusing or not worthwhile. As a result, misconceptions surrounding guest posting are pretty prevalent.
In today’s post, we’ll be debunking some of those guest posting myths and revealing why this SEO technique still plays an important role in search rankings.
MYTH: Guest Posts Are a Waste of Time
Some people believe that creating guest posts and reaching out to prospective opportunities takes more time than the link is really worth. It’s true that executing a link-building strategy takes a considerable amount of time and effort. But keep in mind that it’s often a job that’s worth doing.
You’ll need to invest some time upfront in this type of strategy, but guest posting comes with an impressive ROI. It’s not just about building backlinks, either. High-quality guest posts can increase your brand visibility, position you as a leader in your industry, and can provide inspiration for subsequent blog posts, social media content, and more.
Guest post SEO can also be beneficial for local businesses, in particular. Partnering up with site owners who are local to your area can provide you with a whole new audience, increase your web traffic, and improve your sales -- all from one backlink or brand mention.
If you don’t have a definitive strategy, it’s true that guest posting might not yield the results you want. But if you approach it correctly, guest posts can help with brand perception in multiple ways.
MYTH: Guest Blogging is a “Dead” Strategy
There are always going to be those who proclaim that some aspect of SEO is “dead.” Some say that keyword research is a thing of the past, while others say that content creation is no longer as important as it once was. You might have heard that guest blogging has now become extinct or is well on its way to becoming totally outdated and ineffective.
But that’s simply not true. Sure, things have changed in recent years. Google has cracked down on buying links and has become stricter about linking recommendations. Publishers have also become more discerning when it comes to accepting guest posts. Some backlinks are no longer as seen as authoritative, which means sites that used to be considered a great site for publishing guest posts may no longer be seen as such.
However, that doesn’t mean that guest posting no longer works. It can still be a highly effective way to build or diversify a site’s backlink profile, generate traffic to a site, and increase brand awareness. You’ll just need to be smarter about strategizing to take full advantage of this opportunity to ensure you’re providing something of value and substance for website owners and readers alike.
MYTH: You Don’t Need to Guest Blog Consistently
In order for an SEO strategy to be successful, it needs to be consistent. Guest posting is no different. It’s not enough to write a guest post every six months or so and hope that you’ll be able to find a home for it. You need to devote time and energy to this cause if you want it to pay off.
In other words, you can’t dabble in guest posting or engage in this tactic whenever you remember to do it. You need a dedicated team to create high-quality content and conduct outreach for potential opportunities. Although you might be able to secure a link here or there, that’s not going to do enough to improve your site’s backlink profile or brand visibility. If you don’t put in the work, you won’t reap the rewards.
If you’re not able to take this on yourself, make sure you work with a managed SEO provider that can offer guest post services. That way, they’ll be able to execute this strategy to benefit your site while you can keep your focus on other aspects of your business.
Contrary to popular belief, guest posts remain an essential part of SEO strategies. By revealing the truth behind these misconceptions, we hope you’ll understand why this aspect of SEO is worth exploring and prioritizing.