Guest Posting Guide: Steps To Follow To Improve Outreach And SEO Performance

Guest Posting helps your brand and gives you digital exposure. By following an effective Guest Posting strategy, you can help grow your online credibility. Further, guest blogging is also a key way to increase your revenue.

Guest posting is not a shortcut. It is a long-term authority-building strategy that compounds over time when done correctly. Brands that approach guest posting with patience and discipline see sustainable growth rather than short-lived ranking spikes.

Who Should Use This Guest Posting Guide?

This guide is designed for startup founders, SEO professionals, content marketers, and digital agencies who want to build authority, referral traffic, and long-term search visibility, not just backlinks.

If Your Objective Is To:

• Build trust within your niche
• Earn relevant mentions on authoritative platforms
• Drive qualified referral traffic
• Strengthen brand presence in organic and AI-driven search

Then this guest posting guide will help you approach outreach strategically rather than tactically.

What Is Guest Posting?

In 2019, social media marketing has become a key tool for brands and individuals to get exposure. However, guest posting or guest blogging is also a way to maximize online exposure.

In the last few years, guest posting has become the most effective content marketing strategy worldwide. Guest posting is not dead, by any measure or imagination. Quality guest posting is still very much relevant and thriving.

Guest Posting (Concise SEO Definition)

Guest posting is the practice of publishing original, value-driven content on authoritative third-party websites to build topical authority, audience trust, and referral traffic, with backlinks acting as a secondary benefit—not the primary goal.

Search engines today evaluate relevance, credibility, and context more than sheer link volume.

It Is A Digital Marketing Strategy In Which:

• Written content is published on someone else’s site.
• As a brand owner or agency, you provide a link in your article/content that leads readers to your site.
• There is an attempt to mention yourself in the author bio section and create a digital reputation.
• You try to create informative, useful, and original long-format content.
• The host site gets the content you create; you get the redirected traffic to your site.

For most brands and individuals, guest posting has not become as mainstream as social media marketing. However, smart people and brands use guest posting to reach a wider audience. It also helps with climbing the SERPs and becoming an authoritative voice in the industry.

Guest Posting is not an easy strategy. It requires planning, dedication, and discipline. Unlike social media, where results are almost immediate (pumping in advertising money), guest posting takes at least six months. According to Neil Patel, you will need to create consistent content for six months to see results.

If you have the expertise and the resources, you can do guest posting yourself. However, if you do not know your way around, agencies that offer guest posting services can be explored. There are many premium digital agencies that offer white hat guest posting services.

What Is Guest Posting In SEO?

Guest posting is publishing original content on a site you don’t own. You do it for reach and credibility. Sometimes, you need a backlink and mostly authority. Think content partnership, not a link vending machine.

Now, search engines have shifted, and editors have become choosy. Despite that, backlinks still matter. However, the real win today is topical authority and audience trust. You show up where your readers already spend time. This helps you earn not just a mention, but mindshare.

Benefits Of Guest Posting

People and brands new to guest posting ask one direct question upfront:
Why should I create content that helps someone else’s site?

This question is natural, considering the many advantages guest blogging brings. One of the major benefits of Guest Posting is that it is a White Hat Strategy.

A white hat strategy is one that search engines consider natural, organic, and free of direct manipulation.

For SEO, this matters because guest posting does not attract penalties. Instead, it strengthens credibility and trust signals.

Major Benefits Of Guest Blogging

• Guest posting helps drive referral traffic to your website.
• Improves website health and engagement metrics.
• Expands reach to new, relevant audiences.
• Establishes digital credibility for individuals and brands.
• Helps Google recognize topical relevance.
• Completely white-hat with no penalty risk.
• Contributes to direct and indirect revenue growth.
• Builds long-term digital relationships.
• Supports sustainable link building and SEO performance.

Is Guest Posting Worth It?

Yes—if done strategically.

High-quality placements on relevant websites generate referral traffic, branded searches, and long-term authority. Guest posting compounds slowly at first, then accelerates as recognition builds.

However, if you focus on quantity, ignore relevance, or over-optimize anchor text, guest posting quickly loses value. Many websites pay for unvetted placements and hide costs, leading to ranking volatility and trust erosion.

How To Measure Guest Posting Performance

• Add UTM parameters to links
• Track assisted conversions
• Monitor branded search growth
• Analyze which referring domains send real readers—not just DR

What Actually Works in Guest Posting (From Experience)

Guest posts that drive rankings are rarely created for links alone.

What works:

• Publishing on sites ranking for related topics
• Content that could rank even without your backlink
• Branded and contextual anchor usage

What fails:

• Generic mass outreach
• High DR sites with no traffic
• Repetitive anchor patterns

10 Steps For Successful Guest Posting- The List 

While many people know the benefits of guest posting, almost all are unaware of how to do it. Without further ado, let us get straight to the list.

1. Set Your Guest Blogging Agenda 

You can approach this from two vantage points. Either as a means of link building or of building communities and audiences. If you are a novice, pick one or the other. People who have been in the industry for years might do both effectively simultaneously. 

However, if you’re starting out, doing both simultaneously might derail your efforts. It is a good idea to identify what your target is and proceed accordingly. I suggest going for option 2 and establishing your credibility. 

This is a longer approach, but one that will be most meaningful for you. Option 2 helps establish the foundation of a proper content marketing strategy. 

2. Create A List Of 20 Authority Blogs That Accept Guest Posting 

Every industry has a list of fifty-odd definitive content sites. These sites are authoritative voices with thousands of visitors every month. They have high metric scores (DA, DR, SERPs) and have established themselves over time. 

The first step is to follow the articles on such sites. How do they write, what is the pattern, the style, word count, etc? As most of these sites are community sites, check for the writers. They are people who have been there and done that. 

Once you have been following them for three-odd months, you will get an idea of their style and substance. 

3. Start Approaching Authority Sites 

After 3 months, you should start reaching out to authority sites for guest posting opportunities. This involves commenting meaningfully on their articles and conversing on social media (Twitter takes the lead). 

For example, if you want to publish an article on digital marketing, SEMRUSH’s blog will be on your list. However, SEMRUSH has strict guidelines for guest posting. Almost all the good sites have strict content moderation teams. 

You need to follow the guidelines and start pitching your ideas. If you have been going through the content for some time, you might come across a content loophole. Creating an article around that loophole is a great start. 

4. Compliance + Anchor Text Rules  

When it comes to compliance, the goal is to keep it clean and safe. 

1. For anchors, prefer branded or natural phrases. Also, avoid exact matches. Insert one or two contextual links in the body. Also, the bio link is fine. So, keep it human and relevant. 

2. Place the anchor link where it helps the reader. Also, add internal links to the host site. Editors and algorithms like reciprocity of value. 

3. If you want to scale, do not perform any mass campaigns. Also, don’t choose patterns that look machine‑made. Choose relevance over volume and E‑E‑A‑T over tricks. 

5. E‑E‑A‑T Checklist 

To ensure EEAT, you have to first focus on credentials. Therefore, add a real bio with real experience. Also, cite sources and use original charts or examples. If you show your work, editors notice, and so do users. 

Moreover, try to maintain originality and avoid republishing. Maintain a unique angle and use unique data if you can. 

6. Create Original, Informative, Quality, And Long Format Content 

If you think a 500-word article can help you get a guest post on MOZ, I am sorry to break your daydream. Websites that accept guest posts have strict guidelines.

To Fulfill Them, You Will Need To Create Riveting Content That Is- 

1. 100% original and non-plagiarised. 

2. Highly informative and useful for the website’s readers. 

3. Properly researched and referenced. 

4. Content is enriched with research screenshots, images, and even videos. 

5. Has external links that add value to the article. 

6. Does not expressly promote your website’s service. 

7. The content is so high-quality that it can rank on Google. 

You do not need to create one article every day. You need to create a 2500+ word article that is proper every week. This is neither easy nor difficult. It is highly doable. 

7. Hire An Agency Which Offers Quality Guest Posting Services 

Given the many engagements you can have, appointing a guest posting service agency might be a good choice. Many of the top agencies that offer guest blogging already have relationships with the industry authority sites. 

Since they are in the business and are familiar with it, it will be easier for you to accelerate the process. Some of the best guest blogging agencies also offer content writing services by experts. These experts are familiar with the language, the guidelines, and the requirements. 

A guest posting service agency that follows white-hat strategies can be a great digital marketing partner. 

Paid vs Sponsored vs Guest Post Services 

High‑authority sites sometimes charge for access, while others ban external links. Although some call it sponsored, your move is clear. If money changes hands, disclose. Also, understand rel attributes and don’t camouflage ads as editorial. This is because editors hate it and algorithms catch it. 

Evaluating guest post services. Ask for publisher lists, traffic proof, topical relevance, and editing standards. Reject networks that feel like link farms. Remember that you are protecting future rankings as well as your brand. 

Also, when choosing guest post services, use them selectively and maintain editorial integrity. You are building a guest posting business, not buying shortcuts. 

8. Try To Be Part Of A Community 

Once you start engaging with like-minded people, you will slowly become a part of a digital community. This community will grow organically. Invites to great forums and closed mailing groups will follow. 

The key is to engage with the community as much as possible. By commenting on articles, posting on social media, and pitching ideas, you will see people gradually respond. 

However, once you have been accepted, stick with the same organic approach to growth. This will help grow your reputation and increase your credibility online. 

9. Show Gratitude And Be A Better Human Being 

Once your article has been published on the host site, send a follow-up thank-you email. You should graciously thank the content editor and other people who have been helpful. 

Sharing the article on your own social media pages is a great idea. Do not forget to tag the person and the content site in your post. This will demonstrate your fortitude and manners to the entire digital community. 

Next time, the same people will refer you to other authority sites. People go out of their way to help someone in this industry. This part is also related to the last community-building point. 

10. Track Your Guest Posting Calendar 

Doing guest posting in a smart, strategic way is the best way to get maximum results. You should be prepared for rejections. Not every article you submit might find its way to a page. In such instances, you need to prepare well for eventualities. 

Create a guest posting content calendar in MS Excel. It should contain- 

• The host website name and URL 

• The contact person’s name and email id 

• Your topic title and other details of the article 

• Date of submission 

• Live URL of your article (if you are successful) 

• Status (Submitted, Under-Review, Rejected, Published) 

This Excel file will help you track your guest blogging activities over time. One crucial thing you should always filter for is backup sites. 

If your content is rejected by one site, you can always pitch the same to another site. This means creating a new section in MS Excel and titling it ‘back-up’. 

11. Use Social Media Aggressively 

If you are creating wonderful guest posts but not publicizing them on social, you are missing out. It is essential that you use social media as an amplification tool. You cannot just have a good reputation on blogs and forums. 

You need to back it up with meaningful posts on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook at a minimum. This is not only about sharing content on social, but it is also about- 

1. Speaking on the latest news in the world of digital marketing 

2. Taking note of topical and trending topics 

3. Tagging people and brands and engaging with them on social 

4. Sharing research and making videos 

Social media is a powerful tool, and guest bloggers should use it strategically. A digital ecosystem is an interlinked ecosystem. You cannot ignore social media presence and reputation building in 2019. 

12. Regional Targeting 

Depending on your regional markets, earn mentions there. In fact, ccTLD links, local readership, and stronger topical signals add up slowly. 

In this case, you first need to find regional publishers in your niche. Then, adapt examples and statistics to the local context. Translate if needed and respect locale nuances.  

13. Have Patience 

Right at the very outset, I had stated that guest posting takes time and patience. This is not only true of guest posting but also of almost all white hat SEO strategies. Changes should not be expected overnight. It never happens. 

However, if you stick to the steps above for 6 months, you will start to see positive changes. Think of guest posting as setting the foundation of a new house. For people who are remotely familiar with basic construction, laying the foundation takes the longest. 

A guest posting strategy with a strong foundation will set the foundation for your content marketing strategy. The rewards you and your brand will reap after one year of guest posting will be incomparable. Give it time, patience, discipline, and some investment. I promise you that your guest posting strategy will thrive in six months 

Start Guest Posting Now!

Some of the top digital marketers swear by effective guest posting for some reasons. Google prefers quality guest posting over any other digital marketing strategy. 

In the last few years, brands have woken up to the power of social media and are harnessing its full potential. Guest posting has still not reached that level, barring some industry experts. 

I feel that now is the right time for brands, big and small, to establish their credentials online. By staying true to the ethics of guest posting, brands and individuals can accrue significant rewards. 

If you want to know more about guest posting or guest posting services, please feel free to reach out. You can submit your query in the comments section or contact us.