Guest blogging has been proved to work when many bloggers from being unknown to become popular in the blogosphere and their blogs attract at most 5, 6-figure views each month. That makes guest blogging extremely attractive for beginners to jump right in and start a guest blog without much knowledge, experience and strategy about it and they are easily too make errors that are unacceptable to most blog they are writing for.
There are tons and countless do and don’t of guest blogging that I have seen online and I feel that if I collect all of these rules at one place, not only beginners but also people who have been experienced in guest blogging can be benefited by some ways or the others.
Download The Checklist – No Opt-ins required
I have also created a nice check list for you so that you can download, print it out and use it as your own references when you guest blog. I hope the check list will be useful for any one and help you succeed in guest blogging.
Do In Guest Blogging
Before You Write Blog Post
- Prepare About page and Contact page ready and full of content before guest blogging. Your readers will want to check out more information about you, so if you have a killer about page, you will be likely to capture their hearts at the first sight.
- Have lots of content published and 2, 3 pillar articles ready to be published during traffic rush after you guest blog, often 2, 3 days later. While this is not necessary for some bloggers, it’s better to prepare yourself than having few content on your blog.
- Research for blogs you want to guest post. Often through friends, famous blogs in the niche. See whether your article will fit with the audience and content theme of the blog owners.
- Read the sign up and submission policy of the blog owners. This step is often ignored with most experienced bloggers but I do recommend you to read them before guest blogging, simply because each blog owner has his own set of rules that you need to follow. For instance, some blogs allow you to have unlimited relevant links while some only allow 2. This will ensure you stay out of troubles and your articles be accepted in the future.
When You Are Writing Guest Blog Post
- Pay attention to the required format of the blog owners. For instance, at most blogs you will have to use lots of headers, use bullet points, underline important key note, etc. Doing this correctly and you will earn appreciate from the blog owners for saving their time in editing your content.
- Write your best content. You may ask why you have to write such a great content for someone else for free but remember, the blog owners also have left you a great chance to promote yourself in front of his large audiences and give you credit by backlinks. It’s a mutual agreement where both parties win, not the blog owners win, not you lose. It’s a win-win solution.
- Give valuable information to readers like when you write post at your own blog. And treat them like your audiences where you should care about their success first because their success always lead to your success.
- Include at least 2 links into the content which point to your blog. I say “at least” because you can insert more. This will increase more traffic to you and pass your blog some Google juice from your guest post.
After You Finish Writing
- Check grammar and spelling errors. Just like when you’re done finish writing your own blog post.
- Choose the blog category that matches with the content. Sometimes the blog owners will not know what categories will fit with your articles so you can help them by doing this step.
- Type in blog tags. Do I have to explain about this?
After Your Guest Post Is Published
- Promote guest post through social new sites and social media. Again, don’t be selfish when you guest blog because the more traffic coming in your guest post, the more exposure you’ll get. Don’t be blurred by “Why do I need to promote the blog for him?”. Give much love and you will get what you deserve in return.
- Reply to reader comments, questions, or even just say thank you for commenting. It increases the number of comments which attract more people to read your guest post. In addition, by replying to comments, you’re making friends online and attracting more readers to your blog.
Don’t
When you are writing guest post
- Promote yourself or your products inside the article content. This makes you looks like a ugly sales person who is trying to get anything you want without giving first, which is a very bad impression in the blogosphere.
- Link to affiliate site of you. How do you feel when someone put an affiliate link in his comment to your blog? If you feel it’s unacceptable, do not put affiliate links into your guest blog content because blog owners will surely feel worse.
- Write post with sales pitch. Remember that you’re giving valuable information to reader, not another crap product.
After you have submit it for review/published
- Email the owner and tell him to hurry to publish your post. This is a no-no in guest blogging. Blog owners have tons of things to do. They’re not like kick back to the chair and enjoy incoming free traffic from guest posts. No, they are even work harder than us because they have to handle lots of content; edit them, find images, promote them, etc.
- Republish the post on your blog. This is totally against the point about guest blogging; where you submit your unique content to other blogs. If you republish a post again, you have destroyed the relationship with the blog owners, not mentioning you may get trouble from duplicate content issue.
- Post it else where to see which one is published first. Hmm, what’s your point in doing this? Are you afraid they will not post your content or are you in such a hurry? No, if they decide to not publish your post, they will let you know by email and then, you can start submit to other blogs. In the wait time for approval, why don’t you go and create another guest post? It brings much more value than waiting to see whether which blog will publish your article first, right?
- Remove content without prior notifying the blog owner. Sometimes, you may change your mind and decide to publish guest post on your content. Now, the correct way to do this is letting the blog owner know by email him. Then, once he says it’s ok, you can go ahead and publish to your blog. The reason you have to wait for him to reply is sometimes, he may schedule that post to be automatically published. So if you mail him, he may stop that and return the article for you.
Do I miss anything?
I really want to create a most complete list of things do and don’t in guest blogging that people can look at and follow or avoid. Do I miss anything?
By Ryan Midnight
I’ve just opened up guest blogging on my website, and this is a great checklist that I may have to give to potential and current writers to keep them in line.
By Mike
lol, yes, Ryan. You can take it to your website and use it as the guideline for future guest bloggers on your blog so that you can save time editing their articles. Glad you like it
By Hunter
Very useful information. I really like the check list and how you made it available to download. Thanks.
By Mike
Thanks Hunter. I’m glad that you like it mate
By Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog
Excellent recap Mike! I know that guest blogging are powerful but if they are well done. I’m trying to improve in this field on other blogs, other pending task. Useful tips to remember, bookmarked at delicious
The tips after publishing are so true and not all bloggers do them…
Cheers,
Gera
By Mike
Thanks Gera. It’s collection from the scattered do and don’t in guest blogging that I observe online. I surely will use my own guide when I guest blog as well
Have a great day!
By The Bad Blogger - Down & Dirty Secrets Not For Losers
Great list you have, but you have miss out one most important of all, and that is write a hard-hitting title for your guest post. Look, it doesn’t matter if you have done and follow all the check-list listed above, what really does matter is the title because if the reader feels your title sucks… the rest of your content is almost doom.
You see, the reason of doing guest post is to get as much reader as humanly possible to read your stuff , and if your title sucks, well… you still can get readers but what’s the point of doing guest post when only a few reads it…
By Mike
I can tell how your point is so correct by looking at your title. It impresses me at the first time. I think I should include that one into my check list as well. Thanks mate
By Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach
Since someone already commented on the Title aspect, I think your article is extremely comprehensive and all inclusive! Lots of bloggers could really use this information – sharing it with me network today. Thanks!
By Mike
Thank you Barbara. I really appreciate it
Have a great day!
By Gabriele Maidecchi
I have to stop reading guides and suggestions about guest blogging or I might even be tempted to start sometimes :p Loved this post, gonna save it to delicious at once, thanks.
By Mike
haha, you should start one, Gabriele. Glad you like it
Have a great day!
By Ashlie
Thanks for the list. I agree with Ryan that this is a great list and I will have to send guest posters to read your post!!
By Mike
Thank you very much, Ashlie
Have a great day!
By Richard
Hey Mike,
Great list of do’s and don’ts. I’ve downloaded the checklist to use as a reference as I may incorporate that into my guidelines for guest bloggers. I had a couple people contact me by my form on my blog and it took me a little by surprise, but I find that I need to come up with some well defined guidelines now for potential guest bloggers.
By Mike
Hi Richard,
Yeah. I found out in my management book that, one method to boost other people productivity and your productivity is clarifying all of the requirements and guidelines the first time they do the job, so you can expect them to do the right thing and you don’t need to spend time fixing up their mistakes. So, just take my guide and use as your own, Richard
Have a great weekend
By Family health
Hi, Very useful article, I need. Thanks admin
By Mike
You’re welcome
Have a great weekend!
By Steve@Lifestyle Design
Mike very nice checklist, and very true.
Guest posting is a privilege. Miss one thing and it is like burping in someone house. A little rude but easily forgivable. Miss a couple and it is like taking a dump on their floor.
For the most part I have had a great experience with the majority of people who guest post. Even If I do not always agree with every word, they always make well reasoned arguments and follow the your rules.
I did have one that tried to really run roughshod over me though. He gave me a post with a ton of typos. I spent about 45 minutes editing and “punching it up”. Right before I went to publish it I ran it through copyscape and sure enough he had even grabbed it off another site.
To say I was pissed is the understatement of the century
Thanks for the great list!
By Mike
Eww..I can’t even imagine someone would do that nowadays. I mean, he must be a newbie or some sort of people who doesn’t understand a bit about guest blogging, but lazy to do researching before he post a guest blog. If I were you, the next I would ban him right away. It’s unethical and unacceptable in blogging.
If people make 1 or 2 mistakes, it’s easy to forgive them because every one makes several mistakes in their life. I also have made few mistakes in blogging, but the good thing is I have learned from my mistake. Glad that you share with me your experience as a blog owner, Steve. Have a great weekend!
Btw, how’s your Halloween going? I went to a corn maze yesterday and it freaked me out, lol
By Nurul Azis
It’s good to read a handy post of do’s and dont’s on guest blogging. I love being a guest blogger. Coz blogging for me is all about learning and sharing. It’s well written Mike! Thanks!
By Mike
lol, I hope you find my guide useful and apply some theories into writing great blog post, Nurul.
Have a great day!
By Jessy Troy
Awesome checklist – I am definitely printing it out!
Great job!
You missed one “Do”: Join MyBlogGuest.com
To me, it’s obviously must-do for anyone involved in guest blogging.
By Mike
Haha, that’s right! I should update it soon. Do you publish any blog to MyBlogGuest?
By Jessy Troy
I have a few blogs there actually. And try to provide guest content as well
By Mike
The nice thing about MyBlogGuest is you can post content that may not be covered by your blog niche as well. For example, if I am blogging about making money online and blogging tips, I can always post some articles about technology to MyBlogGuest so that if any bloggers are interested, they can contact me. So I really love it and I definitely will write a post on MyBlogGuest soon, when I see some effects of it
Thanks for your comment, Jessy. Have a great day! 
By Brad Harmon @ Big Feet Marketing
I love the checklist, Mike. I think this is the first time that I have seen a post on guest blogging that actually included a checklist. What a great idea!
I’m glad you included the republishing your guest post on your own site. I’ll usually include an opening paragraph or two with the link to my guest post, but I had someone republish their guest post for me on their blog one week later. I wasn’t very happy, but I chalked it up to them not knowing any better.
Thanks for the great post, and for being unique with your checklist idea.
By Mike
Hi Brad,
My experience is you should create a page, says My Guest Post where you publish links to your guest posts. Doing so will show blog owners you are actually caring about long-term relationship with them and it definitely will help you a lot later. For instance, they may link to your articles, etc
In addition, putting a dedicated page to show your posts also represent you as an expert as well 