Guest Blog Outreach Strategies for High-Quality Natural Links

Casey Bjorkdahl is one of the pioneering thought leaders in the SEO community. In 2010, Casey co-founded Vazoola after working for a Digital Marketing Agency for five years in New York City. Vazoola is now one of the fastest growing and most widely recognized SEO marketing firms in the country.

While optimizing your site for web searches is important, some SEO ranking factors reside outside your domain. Beyond optimizing your business website, there are other ways you can increase traffic, build links to your sites, and rank higher in Google searches.

We’ve found one of the best ways to improve your search engine rankings is by earning high-quality links from trusted web sites. 

If you’re interested in gaining more exposure, then guest blogging should be something you consider. 

Do you know how to guest post? Our guide will walk you through the whole process with vivid instruction and practical advice.

Key Takeaways:

• Guest blogging can significantly improve your search engine rankings by earning high-quality natural links from reputable websites.

• Establishing clear guest blogging goals, such as increasing brand awareness or driving traffic to your site, is essential before beginning outreach guest blogging efforts.

• Finding guest post opportunities involves searching for relevant blogs in your niche that accept guest contributions, using search engines, social media, and platforms like Vazoola.

• Building relationships with bloggers and influencers can increase the likelihood of your guest post being accepted, making personalized and thoughtful pitches more effective.

• Guest blog outreach requires careful planning and preparation, but when done correctly, it can position you as a credible and experienced contributor in your field.

Table of Contents:

• What is Guest Blogging?

• Establish Your Guest Blogging Goals

• Search for Free Guest Post Opportunities

• Evaluate the Blog’s Quality

• How to Pitch Guest Blogs

• Guest Post Outreach Template/Examples

• Master Guest Blog Outreach for Sustainable Success

•  

What is Guest Blogging?

What is guest blogging? Does guest blogging work?

The strategy is defined as authoring content that’s published on another person’s or company’s website.

Guest blogging platforms are the perfect place to find guest blogging opportunities in your niche so you can connect with them. A guest blog outreach strategy done correctly can yield high-quality natural links to add to your backlink profile.

When you get your site linked from a popular and reputable source, it leads to significant improvements for your SEO performance.

Although in an ideal world you would be well-stocked with outside links to your site, when you find that your inbound links are lacking, there are solutions.

In addition to working to develop well-researched and engaging content worth linking to, you should consider reaching out to sites about guest blogging opportunities.

Our experience has found that getting a guest blog posted on another website is a valuable way to create links to your site. If you’re new to guest blogging or just new to outreach, it’s okay; it doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, this is how you can go about it the easy way.

But do you know how to do guest post outreach?

Ensure that your author bio isn’t just a brief introduction but a strategic tool. Include a clear call-to-action, a link to a relevant landing page on your site, and social proof, such as mentions of your work in reputable publications.

Establish Your Guest Blogging Goals

Why do guest blogging? You have to answer this question before you start working on your pitch.

Here are some common reasons people decide to be a guest writer. They want to:

• Put themselves in a position of authority in the industry

• Drive traffic to their site

• Grow their brand awareness and social media following

• Increase quality links, backlinks, and social media shares

• Attract potential buyers

• Earn increased credibility in your field

What is your motivation? Nail it down, so your blog outreach is focused on meeting your goals. If you have multiple goals, try to rank-order them from most important to least.

Search for Free Guest Post Opportunities

Are you ready to learn what guest post outreach is? Do you know how to implement the strategy?

Here at Vazoola, we understand you can't get a guest post published unless you find a site willing to work with outside authors. The most successful website in the industry isn't a viable option for your guest blogging plan if it doesn't accept guest posts.

How do you identify websites that accept guest posts?

You know that you’re ready to find a guest blogging opportunity, so all that’s left is the search. When you’re looking for a place to post, make sure you choose a site or blog that is relevant to your industry.

You want to make sure that you are writing blog posts where the audience is going to be interested in what you have to say.

Also, it’s important to find a site that has a lot of traffic. Make sure that the blog has discussion posts and numerous "shares" on social media.

When it comes to searching for opportunities, your first source should be Google. Put in a search for guest blogging opportunities and dig around in the results.

An easy way to find a website to guest blog on is by searching for your keyword phrase and "guest post" or "ghost blog."

It is a common practice to note that a post is a guest post, which means the phrase is likely to show up on sites open to collaboration.

By using Vazoola, you’ll be able to easily find relevant sites and connect with guest writers and influencers.

You can also look at social media and do a quick search for guest posts. Often bloggers who are looking for guest posts will mention it on social media.

Search engines are another way to find guest blogging opportunities. Search for relevant phrases such as “write for us” or “guest blogging guidelines” and your niche.

Include a description of the type of site in your search such as “golf blog” or “food blog” or “marketing blog”.

Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify blogs with high domain authority that have a history of linking to external content. This ensures your guest post will be on a site that not only accepts guest posts but also passes significant link equity.

Evaluate the Blog’s Quality 

What are the best guest blogging websites? Start by making a target guest post list. Look for where to submit blog posts to assess the opportunity. 

After identifying potential guest blog partners, evaluating their quality is crucial for maximizing your guest post’s impact. Here's some metrics we would assess:

1. Domain Authority (DA)

Use Moz’s Link Explorer or Ahrefs to check a site’s Domain Authority. A DA score of 50 or above indicates a strong site that can significantly benefit your SEO.

2. Site Age and Traffic

Older sites typically have more established authority. Check the site’s age with Whois Lookup. For traffic insights, use SimilarWeb or Ahrefs to estimate monthly visitors, bounce rates, and page views. High traffic with low bounce rates suggests an engaged audience.

3. Backlink Quality

Analyze the site’s backlinks using Ahrefs or SEMrush. You also can employ Vazoola’s free backlink checker. Focus on blogs with high-quality links from reputable sources, as this indicates a well-regarded site.

4. Niche Relevance

Ensure the blog’s content aligns with your industry. Use BuzzSumo to assess if the blog’s top-performing content matches your audience’s interests.

5. Content and Social Media Engagement

Evaluate the blog's content quality and guest blog posting consistency. Tools like Social Blade or Hootsuite can help you assess the site’s social media engagement, which can amplify your guest post's reach.

In your outreach, suggest a content exchange where you offer the blog owner a guest post on your site in return. This not only helps you secure a spot but also strengthens the relationship by making the collaboration mutually beneficial.

How to Pitch Guest Blogs 

Do you follow the blogger? Do you comment on their content or link to it from your site? 

High-profile influencers are hit up non-stop for guest blogging, so you need to take the time to build a relationship first. Don't just make a cold pitch and expect a response.

A publisher is more likely to accept your guest posts if you have an existing relationship. It can be useful to begin building relationships before you are ready to start guest blogging.

In our experience, you boost the chances that one of the guest blog posting sites you are interested in will be willing to work with you as a guest blogger.

The good news is if you've been in your field for a while, you likely already have some friends and associates.

And some of them may be at larger sites willing to offer you a guest blogging opportunity.

If you don't have a relationship, it's not a deal-breaker. A professional but cordial outreach email is a simple way to open a dialog and inquire about collaboration.

If you are using blog outreach strategies correctly, then you know that the pitch comes after you've laid some groundwork. Here are a few "to-dos" for you before you send the pitch.

1. Look the part: Make sure your site looks reputable and provides real value to visitors. The influencer you're pitching to will undoubtedly research you a bit before responding. They will want to see that you have many links to your website, referral traffic, and a decent search engine ranking. Make sure they like what they see.

2. Follow the guest blogging rules: You need to follow the blogger’s guest post guidelines. Make sure you read his or her guest blog guidelines and follow everything closely. Some bloggers will ask you to submit a guest post in its entirety, while others may only want the idea. Read up on their preferred format before you contact the owner.

3. Provide value for readers: As search engines frequently change and improve their algorithms, the golden rule of web copy has never been more accurate than it is today — great content is king. Make sure that your website has articles relevant and valuable enough so that others will want to link to your content. Not only does this improve the chance of being found in organic search, but it also makes linking to your site with your guest post even easier.

4. Personalize your pitch: Experienced bloggers can see a generic pitch from a mile away. Don't insult them by sending a one-size-fits-all pitch that doesn't include a personalized touch.

5. Keep it simple: Keep the email short and sweet. Chances are if the email resembles a novel it will get deleted before the intro paragraph is even read. When you’re ready to make your pitch, keep one rule in mind: your post is not merely about your business.

6. Don’t sell stuff: You do not want a guest post that is strictly an advertisement. Make sure that your post has valuable information that readers can use, and make sure you are offering something back to the influencer. This should be a win-win proposition.

Throughout the years we’ve learned that guest blog outreach is not difficult, but it does take planning. By following these steps, you can successfully pitch yourself as a guest blogger who provides valuable content that will benefit the reader and the influencer. 

By utilizing these guest blog post guidelines, you will have the confidence you need to conduct outreach professionally.

You will come across as an experienced guest blogger who knows what they're doing. Resist the impulse to pitch before you've laid a solid foundation. The time you put into pitch preparation will be worth it.

Engage with potential guest blogging sites long before you pitch. Comment thoughtfully on their posts, share their content on social media, and even write posts on your own site that reference their work. This makes your eventual pitch more of a natural progression than a cold request.

Guest Post Outreach Template / Examples

Do you know how to write a guest post pitch?

When reaching out to guest blogging site owners for a guest blogging opportunity, the way you craft your email can make a significant difference in your chances of getting accepted. 

We’ve put together a few examples of outreach emails that you can use as templates to help guide your efforts:

Example 1: General Outreach Email

Subject: Guest Blog Posts Contribution for [Blog Name]

Dear [Blogger's Name],

I hope you're doing well! My name is [Your Name], and I'm a [Your Position] at [Your Company/Website]. I've been following [Blog Name] for some time now, and I really admire the valuable content you provide, especially your recent post on [Mention Specific Post]. It resonated with me because [Briefly explain why you liked the post or how it relates to your expertise].

I would love to contribute a guest post to your blog that would be valuable to your readers. I have a few topic ideas in mind, such as:

1. [Proposed Title 1]

2. [Proposed Title 2]

3. [Proposed Title 3]

I believe these topics align well with your audience's interests and would provide them with actionable insights. Of course, I'm open to your suggestions if you have any specific topics you'd prefer.

Thank you for considering my proposal. I would be thrilled to collaborate with you and contribute to [Blog Name]. Please let me know if this sounds like a good fit, and I'd be happy to get started right away.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Example 2: Personalized Outreach Email

Subject: Guest Post Idea for [Blog Name]: [Proposed Title]

Hi [Blogger's Name],

My name is [Your Name], and I'm a long-time reader of [Blog Name]. I particularly enjoyed your article on [Mention Specific Post], and it inspired me to reach out with a guest post idea that I think would resonate with your audience.

I would love to write a piece on [Proposed Title], which would cover [Brief Overview of the Topic]. I noticed that this topic hasn't been covered in detail on your blog, and I believe it would offer great value to your readers.

If this sounds interesting to you, I’d be happy to draft an outline or send over a complete guest post submission for your review. I’m committed to delivering high-quality content that aligns with the standards of [Blog Name].

Thanks so much for your time and consideration. I look forward to the possibility of working together!

Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Example 3: Outreach Email with a Focus on Mutual Benefit

Subject: Collaboration Opportunity: Guest Post for [Blog Name]

Hello [Blogger's Name],

I’m [Your Name], and I run [Your Website], where we focus on [Briefly Describe Your Niche]. I’ve been a follower of [Blog Name] for a while now, and I really appreciate the depth of knowledge you bring to the table.

I’m reaching out because I believe we have a shared audience, and I’d love to explore a guest post opportunity that could benefit both of our sites. I have an idea for a post titled “[Proposed Title],” which would delve into [Brief Description of the Post]. I think it would provide valuable insights to your readers and drive more traffic and engagement to both our platforms.

I would be thrilled to collaborate with you on this. If you’re open to it, I can draft the post or discuss further ideas to ensure it fits seamlessly with your content strategy.

Thanks for considering this opportunity. I look forward to your thoughts!

Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Rather than repurposing existing content, craft a piece that is 100% tailored to the audience of the site you're targeting. This can include references to the blog’s past posts, industry-specific insights, or a unique angle not covered on their site.

Master Guest Posting Blog Outreach for Sustainable Success

Successful guest blogger outreach requires more than just sending out a few emails and hoping for the best. 

By setting clear goals, identifying quality sites, and crafting personalized pitches, you lay the foundation for a fruitful guest blogging strategy. The real power, however, lies in going beyond the basics—building genuine relationships, offering unique and valuable content, and continuously refining your approach. 

As you apply these advanced tips and consistently deliver high-quality posts, you'll not only secure valuable backlinks but also position yourself as a trusted voice in your industry. 

Remember, the time and effort you invest in perfecting your guest blog outreach will pay off in lasting SEO benefits and expanded reach.

Vazoola offers a professional and effective guest posting service. Contact us for a free demo.

After sending your pitch, schedule a polite follow-up email within a week if you haven’t received a response. Keep the follow-up concise, reiterate the value you offer, and express continued interest without being pushy.