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News first:
- Don’t forget that our contest launched last week – the prize is HUGE!
- Our annual #myblogguest stats infographic is LIVE: We got bigger and smarter π
- Our sister site ViralContentBuzz has launched Twitter chat on Tuesday 12pm EDT / 5 pm GMT covering content marketing tips. Each week at #VCBuzz we invite one expert to discuss viral marketing. See what we were talking about this week and join us next week!
This week we are talking about the anatomy of the perfect guest post. We have tried various ways in an effort to make our point clearer. I hope we managed to this time.
First the infographic:
***You can download it in pdf here.
Let’s discuss each point:
The Title (Red)
A well-thought title/headline that draws readers in, piques interest, and selects the desired audience
Please read further on brainstorming trendy and catchy topics for your guest posts! Remember we target bloggers here who are always more interested in trendy entertaining content!
The title has to make the reader stop. The best content goes unread with a dull, boring title. #myblogguest
β Don Sturgill (@Don_Sturgill) January 16, 2014
Questions are good titles, it peeks my curiosity when the title of an article is a question. Makes it nearly irresistible! #myblogguest
β Marisa (@MoppetMissy) January 16, 2014
Writing (Blue)
(1) Screenshots, photographs, and illustrations (with appropriate permissions) are used to enhance the article and make it more appealing to the reader.
We talked about how important images are and we can’t stress enough the awesomeness of screenshots!
(2) Subheadings (h2 or h3) and bold/italics in the body copy are used to guide the reader and provide highlights of the article. One should be able to grasp the main points by reading only the title, subheads, and bold/italic text.
Subheads are also important for SEO. Never say nothing (or barely anything descriptive) in your subhead. Use them wisely. #myblogguest
β Don Sturgill (@Don_Sturgill) January 16, 2014
Please read more about how important subheadings are.
(3) The author always wraps up the article with a conclusion. The reader is never left hanging and unfulfilled. The introduction makes a promise to the reader. The conclusion verifies that the promise was kept.
RT @Don_Sturgill: No conclusion. No story was told. To make your point (well) without a conclusion takes exceptional talent. #myblogguest
β David B. Faltz (@dfaltz) January 16, 2014
(4) All of this is displayed in writing that is on-topic, concise, and written by someone who can adhere to English conventions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Links (Green)
(1) All of the in-body links go to the varied official sources (news and stats sources, further reading links, etc).
The author’s desired link (“self-serving” link) is included in the body copy. It provides value to the reader – as do other reference links in the article. Each link is relative to the topic and enhances the reader’s understanding of the article. One would be hard-pressed to determine which of the links is for the author’s own purposes.
Oh we’ve talked about links a lot (In fact, I wish we could stop talking and forget about them because they are by far not as important as connections! But we have to keep talking because the community wants to know.
I think a lot of people are living in old times with in-body links, they’re definitely the way to go for many reasons #myblogguest
β Peter Alex Leigh (@PeterAlexLeigh) January 16, 2014
Please do read about the benefits of co-citation and what is a natural in-body link (with some examples!)
We also simply say LINKS ARE GOOD… no one is buying it π RT @socialwebcafe: co-citation .. over-complicating? #myblogguest
β Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) January 16, 2014
(2) The publisher adds links to related content on the Blog. That allows readers interested in the topic to find more material without having to exit to another website.
Internal links are useful for SEO and good for usability. After all we want our publishers to succeed!
co-citation is important, so is having a balance of similar links to your own. Don't always link to the same trusted sources #myblogguest
— Peter Alex Leigh (@PeterAlexLeigh) January 16, 2014
Author Byline / About the Author Part (Purple)
The bio/byline links to the author’s own website and/or G+ profile (using rel=author markup). The copy there provides additional information about the author. It is not a blatant advertisement, nor is it the proper place for the author’s desired link.
Please read about our rules for bylines as well as how important Google Authorship is and Authorship of your guest posts can be verified through MyBlogGuest.
Wow, have we seen a ton of controversy over bylines. The byline is not the place for an ad. To do that is akin to spam. #myblogguest
β Don Sturgill (@Don_Sturgill) January 16, 2014
Promotion (Orange)
Both author and publisher benefit from the article – and they both help promote it. The work doesn’t stop after the article is published. The next phase (promotion) begins.
We talked about it previously here (for authors), here (for publishers) and here (for article both)
MT @PeterAlexLeigh: That’s it. Blogging can open many doorways of promotion straight away – new audience #myblogguest
β Deborah (@socialwebcafe) January 16, 2014
In case you are bored, here’s the video version of the cheatsheet:
Joseph
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Ryan Biddulph
Neat tips! Go heavy on headline time. Spend 5 or 10 minutes building the impact-making headlines to see your greatest guest post success.
Be patient; many rush to publish before creating magnetic headlines, spoiling their posts.
Thanks for sharing!
Ivan Widjaya
Finally – a REAL guide to guest blogging.
I’m fed up reading “guest blogging is dead” “Matt Cutts puts a fork on it (lol)” “don’t guest blog!” etc.
What we should do is to ensure that the guest posts are following this guide. Period.
Ann Smarty
Exactly π
Jonnyp
Ivan, I appreciate your point.. And this post is really superb and informative for people like us..
Thanks for sharing.
Ntando
Awesome!!