Blogging on a third-party platform requires certain basic qualifications. The following are a list of things that one must not do while blogging on another website.
Don’t Forget To Do Your Research
The first and foremost aspect that you must look at is the website which you are blogging for. Many writers make the mistake of publishing an article which was written before. If the article does not match the requirements of the blog, it will not be published. Always do your homework and understand what they require from a guest blogger. Generally, websites are categorized into different areas and if your article does not fit into any of those, it will be rejected. Moreover, you are not likely to get a second bite the cherry.
Ultimately, publishers are looking for unique write-ups and something dissimilar to that which is already published. Moreover, blogging sites try to reduce the amount of duplicated content and you must ensure that your copy is original. In essence, beating a dead horse is not going to produce any viable results for you.
Don’t Ignore The Readers Requirement
Whether a blog becomes a success or not depends on the followers and readers. Publishers want to provide maximum value for those who come to their site and they are not going to publish your article if it fails to provide that. Their primary concern is not giving you an inbound link but satisfying their readers. Go through the blogs which have been published previously and understand the requirements before you submit your entry. Moreover, search engines are targeting user experience and satisfaction and articles which no one reads are not of any use to anyone.
The value of guest blogs is also on the downturn as most readers are interested in only what the primary blogger has to say. Ensure that you use the same format as that used by the primary blogger and your article should blend with the rest of the list.
Readers and bloggers are almost always located in different places and the language used in the article also matters. Surprisingly many bloggers ignore this fact.
For example: If the blogger is located in Australia and the blog readers are from Britain, some readers might not be able to grasp local Australian idioms, phrases, and metaphors which are being used.
Always keep language constraints in mind while writing a guest blog.
Recommended For You:
- Blogging for the Future, Not Robots
- Do You Accept for Guest Posts on Your Blog?
- 9 Best off Page SEO Techniques and Trends
Don’t Ignore Publishers Guidelines
Every third-party blogging platform will have its own guidelines and publishing strategies. These will be clearly mentioned and you have to follow them verbatim. A specific format for publishing might also be required. These days Pinterest has become popular and publishers may require relevant photos to go with your write ups too. Also, find out about the number of links that you can place in your article. Publishers are finicky about their outbound links and do not include links to random websites. If the guidelines allow just one link, then ensure that you stick to the rule.
Don’t Be A Salesman
Remember that you are writing on someone else’s blog, so don’t promote any of your products, services or even your company shamelessly. Your article will never be published if it contains any promotional material. Blogs are meant to be a value-adding platform and readers are not going to like sales pitches. Keep your content informative and unique.
Don’t Stuff The Article With Keywords
A great way to get your article rejected is to overstuff it with keywords. Yes, keywords are important but this doesn’t mean you should use inappropriate or excessive keywords. Conduct a proper keyword research and use ones that match with you’re the theme of your article. Moreover, readers will not like reading something stuffed with unnecessary phrases.
Don’t Ask For More Inbound Links
Many guest bloggers make the mistake of prodding site owners for additional links. If a publisher says he can give you one link, he has a good reason for it, so don’t bug him constantly. Site owner fatigue is a major in guest blogging these days.
At the end of the day, guest blogging is a great supplementary strategy and it works for a lot of people, however, this does not mean it will work for you. Understand whether you actually need guest blogging before you start submitting requests. Don’t do it just because everyone else is doing it and most importantly don’t do it if you are not good at it. Your reputation as a blogger will also go for a toss if one of your posts were rejected.
The art of blogging comes naturally to some and professional firms are providing quality blogging services for those who do not have time or verve to do it by themselves. Taking advantage of these services is a good way to ensure that you get links and adequate exposure.