Having accepted that guest posting is worthwhile, how do you do it well? Here’s a structured process you can follow:
Set clear goals
Decide what you want to achieve by guest posting:
- More brand exposure?
- Earn backlinks (and increase domain authority)?
- Drive targeted traffic to a product/service page or lead magnet?
- Build relationships with key publishers or influencers?
Clear goals help you pick targets and measure success.
Identify and vet the right host sites
Not every site is equal. Key criteria:
- Relevance: the host site’s audience should match your niche (in your case: digital marketing, SaaS, tech, analytics)
- Authority: a decent domain rating / good traffic so your contribution has impact. linkee.ai+1
- Clear guest posting guidelines: ensures the process is transparent. linkee.ai
- Low spam score / healthy backlink profile: avoids being associated with low-quality networks. linkee.ai
Craft a high-quality guest post
When your pitch is approved, focus on creating a post that:
- Addresses the host site’s audience and pain-points
- Offers unique insights, data, or a fresh angle (not just rehashing generic content)
- Aligns with the style/tone of the host site
- Includes a carefully placed link(s) back to your site (value-adding, not spammy)
- Has a strong headline, clear structure, images/visuals if needed
- Has an author bio that positions you well (with your website, social links)
Outreach & pitching
Your outreach matters. Steps:
- Research the host site: what they publish, tone, contributor guidelines
- Personalise your email: refer to a post they published, state how your idea adds value to their audience
- Suggest 1-3 topic ideas tailored to them
- Provide writing samples or links to your work
- Be clear about mutual benefits (you write, they get free quality content; you get exposure/backlink)
- Follow up politely if you don’t hear back
Promotion & amplification
Once published:
- Share the guest post on your own channels (social, email, website)
- Engage with comments on the host site (if allowed)
- Track referral traffic from that guest post to your site (via Google Analytics etc)
- Use the guest post to build further relationships (thank the editor, suggest future collaboration)
Measure results & iterate
Track metrics like:
- Referral traffic from the guest post
- New backlinks acquired
- Domain authority changes over time
- Leads or conversions that came via that referral