Write a Guest Post

Guest posting is a great way to showcase your expertise, build your credibility, and reach a new audience. But how do you write a guest post that gets accepted and published by a reputable website or blog? Here are some tips and guidelines to help you craft a guest post that stands out and delivers value.

Understand the Audience and the Niche

Before you start writing, you need to do some research on the website or blog that you want to pitch your guest post to. You should understand who their audience is, what topics they cover, what tone and style they use, and what their goals and values are. This will help you tailor your guest post to fit their needs and expectations.

Some questions you can ask yourself are:

Who is the target audience of the website or blog? What are their demographics, interests, pain points, and challenges?
What is the niche or industry of the website or blog? How competitive is it? What are the current trends and issues in the niche?
What type of content does the website or blog publish? What are the most popular and engaging posts? What are the common formats, lengths, and structures of the posts?
What is the tone and voice of the website or blog? Is it formal or informal, friendly or authoritative, humorous or serious, etc.?
What is the mission and vision of the website or blog? What are their values and principles? What are their goals and objectives?

You can find the answers to these questions by browsing the website or blog, reading their posts, checking their social media accounts, and subscribing to their newsletter. You can also use tools like [BuzzSumo] or [SimilarWeb] to analyze their traffic, engagement, and keywords.

Choose a Relevant and Compelling Topic

Once you have a good understanding of the website or blog that you want to guest post for, you need to choose a topic that is relevant and compelling for their audience. You want to offer something that is valuable, original, and interesting, and that solves a problem, answers a question, or provides a new perspective.

Some tips for choosing a topic are:

Find a gap or a need in the existing content. Look for topics that have not been covered yet, or that can be improved or updated with new information or insights.
Use keyword research to find out what people are searching for in your niche. You can use tools like [Google Keyword Planner] or [Ubersuggest] to find popular and relevant keywords and phrases that you can use in your title and content.
Check out the comments and feedback on the website or blog. See what questions, suggestions, or opinions the readers have, and use them as inspiration for your topic.
Spy on your competitors and see what topics they are writing about. You can use tools like [Ahrefs] or [Moz] to find out what keywords and topics are driving traffic and backlinks to your competitors’ websites or blogs. You can then use these topics as a starting point, but make sure to add your own unique angle and value proposition.

Write a Catchy and Clear Headline

The headline is the first thing that the editor and the reader will see, and it will determine whether they will click on your guest post or not. Therefore, you need to write a headline that is catchy and clear, and that summarizes the main idea and benefit of your guest post.

Some tips for writing a headline are:

Use numbers, statistics, or facts to make your headline more specific and credible. For example, “How to Increase Your Traffic by 300% in 30 Days” or “7 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Conversion Rate”.
Use emotional or power words to make your headline more appealing and persuasive. For example, “How to Write a Guest Post that Gets Accepted Every Time” or “The Ultimate Guide to Guest Posting for Beginners”.
Use a question, a challenge, or a curiosity gap to make your headline more intriguing and engaging. For example, “What is the Secret to Writing a Guest Post that Goes Viral?” or “How to Write a Guest Post that Even Your Competitors Will Love”.
Use the [CoSchedule Headline Analyzer] or the [Sharethrough Headline Analyzer] to test and improve your headline. These tools will give you a score and feedback on your headline based on factors like word balance, length, sentiment, and readability.

Write a Strong and Concise Introduction

The introduction is the second thing that the editor and the reader will see, and it will determine whether they will continue reading your guest post or not. Therefore, you need to write an introduction that is strong and concise, and that hooks the reader’s attention and interest.

Some tips for writing an introduction are:

Start with a hook that grabs the reader’s attention and curiosity. You can use a shocking statistic, a surprising fact, a personal story, a rhetorical question, a controversial statement, or a relevant quote.
Introduce the topic and the main idea of your guest post. You can use the inverted pyramid technique, which means starting with the most important information and then narrowing it down to the specific details.
Explain why the topic and the main idea are important and relevant for the reader. You can use the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) principle, which means highlighting the benefits and value that the reader will get from reading your guest post.
Preview the structure and the content of your guest post. You can use a thesis statement, which is a one-sentence summary of your main argument or point, or a roadmap, which is a list of the main subheadings or points that you will cover in your guest post.

Write a Clear and Coherent Body

The body is the main part of your guest post, and it is where you will deliver your message and provide your value. Therefore, you need to write a body that is clear and coherent, and that supports and develops your main idea and headline.

Some tips for writing a body are:

Use subheadings to organize your content and make it easier to read and scan. You can use the same tips that you used for writing your headline to write your subheadings, but make sure that they are consistent and aligned with your main idea and headline.
Use bullet points, lists, tables, charts, graphs, images, screenshots, or videos to break up your text and make it more visual and engaging. You can use tools like [Canva] or [Piktochart] to create and edit your visuals, but make sure that they are relevant and high-quality.
Use examples, case studies, stories, testimonials, quotes, or statistics to illustrate and support your points and arguments. You can use tools like [Google Scholar] or [Statista] to find and cite your sources, but make sure that they are credible and authoritative.
Use transitions, connectors, and signposts to link your paragraphs and sentences and make your content flow smoothly and logically. You can use words and phrases like “however”, “therefore”, “in addition”, “for example”, “as a result”, “firstly”, “secondly”, “finally”, etc.

Write a Powerful and Actionable Conclusion

The conclusion is the last thing that the editor and the reader will see, and it will determine whether they will remember your guest post or not. Therefore, you need to write a conclusion that is powerful and actionable, and that summarizes and reinforces your main idea and headline.

Some tips for writing a conclusion are:

Restate your main idea and headline in a different way. You can use a paraphrase, a synonym, or a rewording technique to avoid repeating yourself and to emphasize your message.
Summarize your main points and arguments in a concise and clear way. You can use a recap, a wrap-up, or a takeaway technique to remind the reader of the most important and valuable information that you provided in your guest post.
Provide a call to action that motivates and inspires the reader to take the next step. You can use a question, a challenge, a recommendation, a suggestion, or an invitation technique to encourage the reader to act on your message and to engage with you or the website or blog that you are guest posting for.

Proofread and Edit Your Guest Post

The final step of writing a guest post is to proofread and edit your guest post to make sure that it is error-free, polished, and professional. You want to make a good impression on the editor and the reader, and to avoid any mistakes that could ruin your credibility and reputation.

Some tips for proofreading and editing your guest post are:

Use tools like [Grammarly] or [Hemingway] to check and correct your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and readability. These tools will highlight and suggest improvements for your writing based on various criteria and rules.
Use tools like [Copyscape] or [Plagiarism Checker] to check and ensure that your content is original and unique. These tools will compare and scan your content against millions of web pages and sources and alert you of any possible plagiarism or duplication issues.
Use tools like [WordCounter] or [Readability Score] to check and optimize your word count and readability score. These tools will measure and calculate your word count and readability score based on various formulas and standards.
Use tools like [Yoast SEO] or [SEO Writing Assistant] to check and improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimization)