Guest Blogging
On the other hand, if you have both good writing skills and plenty of opportunities to craft articles, then guest blogging is a great option for your small business. Jayson DeMers, contributor at Fortune, provides a great definition of guest blogging:
At its simplest level, the practice refers to finding other blogs in your niche and offering them content to post. The webmaster gets high quality, original content to grow their blog and readership. In return, you get exposure to their audience to build your brand, links back to your site, and the chance to build a relationship with a leader and publisher in your space. In an ideal world, its a win-win that benefits readers, authors, and the niche community.
While I will not go into all of the details of the latest updates on Google search algorithm, I recommend that your anchor link (the text used to include the backlink to your site) is the same as your sites URL and that you include a backlink to at least one of your most active social media presences (ideally Google+, you can read why at The Importance of Content Authorship on the Internet).
DeMers provides two great guidelines when developing guest blogs. First, youre using somebody elses brand to promote yours so make it count and provide useful content. Second, think of this as your single chance to catch new readers (and potential clients!) so blow them away with quality, unique content. If you follow these two rules, then your article will continue to rank high on search engines and generate traffic back to your site.
Five backlinking strategy takeaways
- Inbound links (also known as backlinks) to your site will help increase your sites equity in search engines.
- Concentrate more on quality rather than quantity.
- Hiring a SEO consultant is fine but beware of SEO vendors that overpromise. Ideally hire a local SEO consultant so you can follow-up on his or her client testimonials with phone calls or face-to-face meetings.
- Target reputable and well-established Internet forums, which discuss relevant topics to your site. Avoid spamming and double posting.
- Some online directories are general, while others are very specific. Submit your site to relevant directories.
If you have both good writing skills to craft articles, then guest blogging is a great option for your small business. Find relevant blogs that accept guest authors to increase the number of backlinks to your site.
Please be aware that SEO tactics will continue to evolve because search engines need to ensure web sites are legitimate and are not gaming the system. There is no substitute for original editorial in the hierarchy web sites.
Other articles by Damian:
Save Time With 3 Digital Tools For Business
Meet the Needs of All of Your Website Visitors
The Importance of Content Authorship on the Internet
Grow Your Business: A Market Research Primer
How to Build a Strong Online Presence
A Social Media Guide for Finance
Harnessing the Power of Infographics
4 Twitter Tips for Small Businesses