3 Spam-Free Reasons to Continue Guest Blogging

A blog article surfaced last week that left people with a bad taste in their mouth in terms of guest blogging.

The post came from Matt Cutts, Google's head of Webspam, who urged readers to "stick a fork" in their guest blogging efforts. Why? Simply put, it's not as authentic as it used to be.

While a slew of low-quality websites have picked up this technique as a way to bolster their link-building strategies, the credible guest blogging efforts out there are becoming guilty by association.

That's normally all it takes, right? One bad apple to spoil the bunch.

While we agree that guest blogging is no place for this type of tomfoolery, we're not willing to let it slip through the cracks entirely.

Before you go writing guest blogging off for good, consider looking at it in a different light. It doesn't have to be all about SEO, here's 3 reasons to continue your guest blogging efforts.

It Helps You Grow

I'm still fairly new to this whole "blogging thing", which is why I'm interested in seizing any opportunity to get my writing in front of a fresh pair of eyes. 

Like any new endeavor, the only way to grow your skillset is to practice on a regular basis, and blogging is no exception. The more I write, the more confident I am in my abilities, which is ultimately reflected in the quality and performance of my content.

While I write 7 days a week for IMPACT, pushing myself to produce an additional post for a new audience every so often is not only rewarding, but it's also really helpful.

Whenever I have an opportunity to write for HubSpot, I am exposed new feedback that perhaps IMPACT's audience would not have presented me with.

Above anything, having an opportunity to listen to others tell you what's working for them, and what's not is the equivalent to gold, so keep on keeping on.

It's a Way to Build Relationships

The trouble with all of these guest blogging abusers out there is that they are making it increasingly more difficult for content creators like you and I to open new doors for ourselves.

Guest blogging can be a highly effective way to utilize your network, and build upon your existing relationships with others. 

From a content marketing standpoint, one can never have enough fresh expertise. According to the Content Marketing Institute, B2B marketers cite lack of time (69%), producing enough content (55%), and producing the kind of content that engages (47%) as their top three content marketing challenges.

It's no secret that we could all use a little helping hand in terms of content creation, but how can we prove to other's that we're in it for the right reasons? 

When reaching out to potential opportunities for guest blogging, avoid sounding spammy at all costs. Matt Cutts sites a great example how NOT to reach out to someone in his blog article here.

Focus on developing relationships first, and then building them through your ability to help one another. Work towards identifying their needs and your wants before you move forward with any content creation. This is how valuable connections originate.

It Boosts Credibility

I'm fairly certain HubSpot's audience wouldn't trust me as far as they could throw me before I was featured on their blog. Not because I am a shady character, (I'm not, I swear) but more so because they just didn't know who I was.

Guest blogging serves as a way for writers to gain credibility in the eyes of a new audience through their association with the business they already trust.

If we have a guest blogger appear on our blog at IMPACT, it's because we trust and value their expertise, and we want our subscribers to do the same.

With guest blogging on the chopping block, it's likely that businesses will become more selective over who they offer a spot to on their blog to avoid endorsing the wrong crowd. 

If anything, this selectivity will increase your credibility that much more. If someone decides that your content is upright enough to serve as a representation of their business, you've earned their seal of approval and hopefully their audience's as well. 

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