At least, that’s the general consensus ever since Google’s web ninja Matt Cutts (and others) said that links in guest posts shouldn’t be counted towards SEO.
Since then, several of the most popular bloggers have debated whether or not guest writing is useful for search engine optimization. As far as these threads go, this one by Glen at ViperChill is the finest.
Yet, what many don’t realise (even Glen) is that search engine optimization (SEO) for guest posting is about more than just your rankings.
What you heard is correct. I’ll try to explain.
Details on the operation and history of “guest posting” for search engine optimization
In case you missed it, here’s a link to an old piece I wrote about search engine optimization basics for blogs, in case you’re interested in brushing up on the subject. That should aid you in understanding some of the jargon. Please continue reading if you are not a member of the above mentioned group.
Hence, it is common knowledge that acquiring high-quality backlinks will improve your search engine rankings.
While some stress the importance of having many links, others emphasise having just high-quality links from trustworthy sources. Both may be desired by some.
The focus was, and remains, on connections
As far back as we can trace the evolution of SEO, bloggers and SEOs have been attempting to get anchor text links that feature their target keywords. The anchor text you employ can have a significant impact on your search engine rankings; consider using the phrase “beginning SEO for blogs” if that’s what you’re going for (as I did above).
That was effective up until a few years ago, when Google decided that too many people were “gaming” the system by generating links in an artificial fashion. Adding insult to injury, Google now recommends that you make all outbound links in guest posts no-follow.
Something which most individuals lack
Remember that Glen published a great post explaining how we got here and whether or not you should take Matt’s advise and remove all the links you’ve ever put in a guest post from now on.
That post, and anything else Glen writes, is required reading.
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), guest posting isn’t only about pushing your blog entries to the top of the rankings, which is something I feel is overlooked in a lot of the online conversation surrounding this topic.
Specific approach
Instead, you should use guest posts as part of a larger strategy to boost traffic to your own blog. The goal is to direct users to a certain action on your site after they have arrived.
You can start to perceive SEO guest posting as an exercise in getting strategic content ranked, even if it isn’t on your site, if you frame it in this way.
It’s no secret that Google currently (maybe unfairly?) gives more credit to websites with a high level of perceived authority, even if their articles aren’t the greatest ones on the themes you’re searching for.
Hence, it makes sense to capitalise on the situation.
The post I wrote on how to increase your email list subscribers should appear near the top of the results. The only difference is that this is one of my pieces for Copyblogger, not Blog Tyrant.
When I published that, I was hoping to attract readers who were interested in learning more about list building and increasing their email subscriber count. Nevertheless, with so much competition, I realised there was no easy way to boost the visibility of a brand-new website’s content.
Thus, I choose to employ a highly credible online resource.
As Copyblogger will be around indefinitely, your post won’t disappear. Several of my other posts have recently begun to outrank it in search engine results pages, but the initial one I made there is still sending me traffic and, with any luck, will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Should the links I include be follow or nofollow?
Maybe not, but probably not. Rather of aiming to rank our own articles, we are promoting for targeted traffic.
(Please note that the links in that instance are meant to be followed. The times still had a certain amount of coolness to them. I’m trying to be more careful and conservative with my linking strategy these days.
No, it’s not SEO
I anticipate hearing from many that what I’m describing isn’t actually search engine optimization. Perhaps that is the case. Having an article on an authority site rank for keywords that you want to rank for is not the “conventional” approach to search engine optimization, and I know a lot of experts who will despise the notion.
And yet, that is the environment in which we currently operate.
You’re probably being a little bit more conservative with your link building if you’re a blogger in a highly competitive niche seeking to establish yourself as an authority site.
Glen pointed out in his article that not all guest post links will be nofollowed. Guest posting and strategic anchor text will continue to help people boost the search engine rankings of their content.
Still, I felt it was important to mention that there are other ways to optimise your guest posts for search engines if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of include potentially risky inbound links in your content. You may stop being frustrated by the fact that Google now prioritises results from established authorities and learn to work with this change.
Finally, make sure that the quality of your guest posts is always as high as, if not higher than, that of your own blog posts. Two to three days of work go into each post I write, and that’s just to make sure it’s decent from an SEO perspective (which is, in reality, quite little).