Guest blogging has somewhat of a “checkered” past. By that, we mean that, while most people know the value of guest blogging, many are scared to use this form of posting because of Google’s previous stance on the issue. To elaborate, Google had stated in one of its algorithm updates that guest blogging should be used with caution due to the idea that some were using “black hat” techniques to trick the search engines into associating content with other types of material through the use of keywords.
To learn more about how this process works, refer to our Guest Blogging 101 reference guide.
While this is true, guest blogging is not a bad thing when done correctly. A simple attribution of the guest blogger along with a short biography may be enough to satisfy Google’s requirements. Google states that guest blogging is excellent, so long as the content is related to the content on the page where the content is posted, as well as the proper use of keywords. In some cases, they do require “nofollow” links so that people cannot take traffic off of the site on which the content is posted and redirect it to the guest blogger’s site.
Sites that Accept Guest Bloggers
To help you locate some sites that allow guest blogging, we scoured the web to find the following sites.
Forbes Magazine
Forbes Magazine is a popular magazine with both financial and business readers. They pay around $100 in most cases for a blog post, and they allow you to guest blog on their site. If you can get a credit or two on Forbes, it will do wonders for your career. This writer (myself) has written for them three times, so this gives me a major credit on a major publication that I can share with publishers. Just remember, you cannot acknowledge which article you wrote if you are not credited, and it is a ghostwriting arrangement. You are allowed to say you wrote for the magazine to publishers, though.
Tech Gadgets
Tech Gadgets is another online magazine that takes guest posts. They do not pay in money, however, so don’t choose this if you don’t want to write for free. Like many sites, instead, they offer promotions through their blog that helps you gain traffic and build your credibility and online reputation.
They specialize in tech gadgets (as you may have guessed), so if you have a lot of knowledge about the latest technologies, this might be for you.
The Guardian
The Guardian is another online publication that is glad to consider your guest post. Just go to the above link and query with a sample of your writing and a summary of the article you are proposing to find out what they want.
Mashable
Mashable is a tech-related site that features articles in the technology space, as well as articles on social media, business, and entertainment topics. Follow the link above to find out more and enter your contact information. Someone will get back with you regarding the next steps, and you can submit your piece to them.
Mashable is happy to take guest blog posts, providing it fits within their niche area and you follow the guidelines of their publication, as well as the instructions of Google.
Business Insider
Business Insider is a business-related publication that focuses on the latest business trends, as well as financial advice for individuals and business owners. You can submit your idea for a blog post above and see if you get a response. They state on their query submission page that they are looking for experts in specific fields including news, business, and sports.
Most websites that take guest posts do require a certain level of expertise because their readers tend to be highly specialized in their interest areas. So they need experts in these fields that know their niche area well enough to communicate value to their readers.
Entrepreneur.com
Entrepreneur Magazine is perhaps the most popular blog and online publication available that is specifically geared toward speaking to the needs of entrepreneurs from all walks of life.
They focus on content that drills deep into the concerns and daily lives of entrepreneurs, as well as the problems that they deal with on many different levels. The blog tends to offer practical solutions for big and small business owners alike and delves into the legal, financial, and daily issues that entrepreneurs face.
Summary: Why Guest Blog on Other Sites?
Writing for other sites as a guest blogger can go a long way toward building your credibility for your own business. Also, it can build up the credibility of the site on which you are writing, as well. In other words, it is a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship for both parties.
It’s important to follow the rules that Google has set forth about guest posting. These can be found on the Google site as well as on other blogs like Higher Visibility.
Once you know the rules, check out the requirements on the above blogs to see if you are what they are looking for as a guest blogger. The key to guest blogging is relevance, value, and engagement.
If you can create relevance to the blog’s regular content, while providing a high degree of value for their readers and increase their level of engagement, you will go a long way toward offering a valuable contribution to their content.
Some pay money for these posts, while others help by cross-promotion your material so that you can allow some to follow your links to gain traffic to your site.
One final thought: It’s a good idea to work up a professional portfolio of your work that you can show to potential blog owners. That way, they will have a record of your style and type of expertise you can offer.
Try it out and see if it helps you gain credibility, followers, and social proof. It will also help the blog you write for. So it’s a win-win situation.