How to Use Write For Us Sections for Guest Posting & Backlinks

Backlinks are like votes: the more of them you have, the higher your chances of convincing the search engine that your site is worth the top spots.

Anyway, whether you’re into politics or not, this process isn’t easy (unfortunately)

So, what many marketers and SEO specialists do is search for guest post guidelines sections on other websites.

But lately, many are claiming it to be a waste of time and resources. Is that true?

Not really. You just have to know what you’re doing.

Of course, it’s easy to get lost while finding the right site, navigating the demands of webmasters, and maximizing ROI.

That’s why in this blog, we will look at how you can have an easy go of it and ensure that your efforts pay off big.

How Can You Use Blogs Write for Us Sections to Get Backlinks?

Source: @willcoombe on X

Using websites that have pages with their blog writing guidelines to find guest posting opportunities is kind of a really old tactic.

Authors naturally saw it as a way to enhance their portfolio, share cool stuff about their industry, and help someone out along the way – all noble goals.

But there was another nice bonus.

SEO specialists started adding links to articles to get backlinks from the site where the article was published. What was the result?

The sites that got the links started seeing an increase in referral traffic, better brand awareness, a positive shift in lead generation, better returns from content marketing, and higher search rankings.

Soon, everyone else was doing the same thing. Today, 60% of blogs write between 1 to 5 articles every month as a way to get backlinks.

And up until now, such a technique is based on the same principles – you craft a really good post, publish it on a relevant site, and then add a link to your site.

Sounds simple, right?

Yet, according to Backlinko, only 2.2% of content gets backlinks from more than one website

Guest Posting: Common Challenges

Although some guest posting methods are a valuable part of link building, they do pose some challenges.

Probably, you already know how to find and check high-value backlinks: look for websites with high domain authority (mostly), good traffic metrics, and the right audience.

But that’s not all.

You also have to grapple with the following things:

• Spending time on finding quality AND relevant sites. What about Google? Sure, you can Google “blog + write for us” and find tons of results.
  
  But, in the last 10 years, this topic has become very worn out, making it harder to find good options.
• Getting the webmaster to agree. It’s one thing to find a promising website and another to get the webmaster to agree to publish your article.
  
  Nowadays, people keep spamming webmasters, and most of the latter want money before they say “yes.” But this makes a post “sponsored” rather than a “guest” one.
  
  Plus, there are chances the site will be low-quality/spammy, which is more common than you would think.
• Facing unexpected edits. Let’s say you find a quality guest post site that is free (congratulations, you have won the lottery!), but now you may have to face a different kind of challenge.
  
  Chances are that the webmaster will make many (maybe even too many) edits to your content, URL, and anchor before they agree to publish the article.
  
  In some cases, this may not be bad, but can impact the overall message you are trying to pass. And you might not get the links you want with the anchor you want.

How to Increase Your Chances

Okay, so how do you ensure that your articles are among the success stories?

Here are a few things to try:

#1 Find All Possible Contacts of the Owner and Employees of the Site

When you discover a good link prospect, you’ve got to reach the webmaster and convince them that you are worthy.

Most people only send their pitches to the contact email on the website, but it isn’t always responsive. Often, it’s more of a monologue from your side.

It might not be on purpose, though. Imagine, they probably have hundreds of similar emails like yours waiting for their attention.

So, you will want to dig up all the possible contacts, including the website owner and employees.

You can find their SM profiles or use special plugins to get their emails. Be creative (and add a pinch of Sherlock to the mix).

#2 Write Everywhere (LinkedIn, FB, IG)

So, now that you have contact details (and hopefully that’s all you dug up), the next step is to write to those people using all these avenues: emails, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, FB, and other channels.

But not all at once! You don’t want to be spammy. Please don’t be.

Instead, keep your pitches engaging, interesting, and friendly. Challenge yourself to make them special.

But hey, it would be far better to try forming friendships with them before asking for publications opportunities. If you can, of course.

Yet, sometimes, the cold approach does work, especially when your content is really stellar.

#3 Be Polite

You know the saying “A little politeness goes a long way”?

Well, there is truth in it. You have more chances of getting further than others if you choose a respectful approach.

So, pay attention to the tone of your pitch and make amendments where needed.

For example, you want to acknowledge the webmaster by name (if you know their name) and explain how the content adds value to their audience, all while making sure your tone is not overly or inappropriately friendly.

#4 Remind Them of Yourself After a Week

Source: @SamuelOSEO on X

This is a good thing to do as you don’t want them to forget you, especially since you are likely not the only person asking for a guest post opportunity.

Also, this approach keeps the communication going and gives you a chance to create better ties with the webmaster.

#5 Craft an Attractive Email Subject

Your email subject is the first thing that will be noticed, so you want it to be, well, perfect.

Choose a subject that sums up your pitch in one sentence that packs a real punch. “Guest posting opportunities” isn’t a punch. Just FYI.

But it isn’t only about the email subject.

The body should also be well-formatted and free of grammatical errors. Not that you need the reminder, but it’s best to avoid canned emails.

#6 Provide Verifiable Information About Yourself

You should have a good bio that can be used as a good lead magnet. Look for a “wow” reaction or at least “hmmm, it’s interesting.”

Your bio should contain verifiable information that shows you are a real person and not a spammer. It is especially great if you can provide your quality portfolio of other guest articles and social media accounts.

Use this opportunity to mention not just what you do but who your target audience is and what value you can offer.

9 Best Practices

Source: @Charles_SEO on X

Getting the opportunity is one thing, but using it to get the desired results is another ballgame altogether.

Here are the best practices you can apply to boost the effectiveness of your outreach campaigns:

1. Learn webmaster’s requirements. This will help you improve the chances of your pitch being accepted. For example, most will have requirements on the number of words, the kind of links to add, submission deadlines, etc. They’re also likely to ignore pitches and content that neglect the guidelines.
2. Agree on a topic. It’s no use writing only to have it turned down. So, discuss the topic in advance. Your message must fit with the host’s theme, tone, and style.
3. Prepare a pitch/outline. The more prepared you are, the better the impact you are able to make. Don’t know where to start? There are free templates online to guide you.
4. Confirm the URL and anchor. You don’t want it edited to something else that becomes useless. A pro tip: opt for non-salesy anchors and URLs.
5. Conduct research and write a truly expert article. This way, your article will meet Google’s EEAT requirements, which will improve the chances of your content ranking higher.
6. Prepare graphics for the article. Suitable images and graphics can boost visibility and shareability, so don’t skip this. Plus, Google loves visuals, too.
7. Confirm the type of backlink. Find out if it will be a do-follow or no-follow link or if there will be a sponsored tag. These details matter as not all links have the same type of value.
8. Agree on a 50% prepayment. You want the payment policy to be as clear as possible to avoid any issues. When in doubt, ask questions and lay out your expectations.
9. Ask to feature the article announcement on the homepage. This is usually where most of the traffic on a website goes, so you’ll get more referral traffic, too. Don’t forget to take the time to learn how to convert all that organic and referral traffic for more profits and conversions.

6 Tips to Write a Better

Source: @SearchForRyan on X

Here’s how to make sure that your copy for the Write For Us sections is as high-quality and as effective as possible:

1. Don’t try to fool the system. Never publish the same article on more than one blog. Instead, write many unique guest posts at the same time. This will help you scale and manage your time
2. AI or not AI. It can be tempting to rely on AI, but your audience also deserves content they can resonate with, so it’s better to use human-written content. Plus, search engines are smart enough to tell whether it’s a person or a robot behind your words. Nothing against machines. But, c’mon, you can do better than that!
3. Monitor the page. Sometimes, host bloggers can delete links or add the “noindex” tag, so keeping an eye on the page can help you catch this on time.
4. Copyright is still a thing. Use purchased or personally created graphics in the article to avoid copyright issues.
5. Spam is no good. Avoid spammy anchors if you don’t want your website to be penalized by Google. The same goes for URLs.
6. Add meaty sources. Include 1-3 links to other sites in your article instead of using links to your page multiple times. Plus, make sure that you choose credible pages to link to.

How to Scale Your Link Building Projects

There will come a time when you will want to scale up your strategy and get even bigger results.

Narrow Down Your Search

You can use a simple yet effective technique.

Instead of googling just “write for us,” add industry-related keywords, for example, “+ fashion” (or “+ marketing,” “education,” etc.).

This way, you can find sites in your niche (fashion, marketing, education) that have suitable sections. It is a great time saver.

Use Additional Tools

When you decide to scale, the first thing you might need is the right tools to make your life a bit easier.

Use something like scrapebox.com to find more necessary pages.

You can also automate your email campaigns for the outreach. In this scenario, Buzzsumo or Ninja Outreach will be extra helpful.

Source: ninjaoutreach.com

Use an All-in-One Tool for Your Link Building

If you are especially selective with what to spend your time on. You might fall in love with this option.

Try using LinksManagement that have thousands of pages where you can publish your guest posts.

What’s more?

• Tons of filters to find EXACTLY what you’re looking for.
• Hundreds of outreachers who can help you.
• A rating-based system to find someone who will deliver.
• A wide variety of niches and industries.
• Backlink packs to scale easily.
• Only white-hat techniques.
• And the option to get both permanent and temporary links.

Conclusion

There is a lot of work that goes into using guest blogging to gain backlinks. At the same time, it’s a proven tactic that works as long as you understand how the game works.

Like in every campaign, the focus is never on you but on the value you will be bringing to the table.

Only this way you can make your content attractive to webmasters, search engines, and the audience.