Introduction
Making a good plan for guest posting can greatly improve your online visibility and credibility. Guest posting is still one of the best ways to market your business online, whether you want to get more visitors, build backlinks, or raise knowledge of your brand. To get the most out of this process, you need to have the right tools on hand. Here are 10 must-have tools for guest post research, along with a template for an Excel sheet to help you keep your results organized.
1. Google Search Operators
Overview
The search operators offered by Google are significant tools that can assist you in locating chances for guest posting by making the process more efficient. You are able to refine search results by using precise queries, which will allow you to identify suitable blogs and websites that welcome guest posts or contributions.
How to Use
Some useful search operators include:
- “write for us” + [your niche]
- “guest post guidelines” + [your niche]
- “contribute” + [your niche]
- “submit a guest post” + [your niche]
Excel Tip
To keep track of the search operators you employ, you need to make a column in your Excel sheet. You will be able to keep track of which queries get the greatest results with the help of this.
2. Ahrefs
Overview
In-depth information regarding the performance of a website is provided by Ahrefs, which is a powerful SEO tool. You will be able to assess the backlink profiles of potential guest post targets, which will ensure that you concentrate on sites with a high level of authority.
How to Use
You can use Ahrefs to:
- Check the domain authority of potential sites.
- Analyze the site’s traffic and keywords.
- Identify the top-performing content in your niche.
Excel Tip
In order to analyze the effectiveness of your guest post targets, you should incorporate columns for Domain Rating (DR), backlinks, and organic traffic into your respective Excel sheets.
3. SEMrush
Overview
A tool that is similar to Ahrefs, SEMrush is an all-in-one tool that may assist you in locating chances for guest posting and analyzing the backlink techniques utilized by your competitors.
How to Use
With SEMrush, you can:
- Identify sites linking to your competitors.
- Discover relevant blogs in your niche.
- Use the “Backlink Gap” tool to find potential guest post targets.
Excel Tip
Create columns for competitor URLs and their referring domains to identify sites that may be interested in your content.
4. BuzzSumo
Overview
BuzzSumo gives you the ability to assess which content performs the best depending on the topic or the rival. This will assist you in locating prominent blogs that could be willing to take guest posts.
How to Use
Search for your niche keywords to:
- Identify influential bloggers and websites.
- Find trending topics and formats that resonate with audiences.
Excel Tip
Include a column that keeps track of the number of social shares and backlinks in order to assist in prioritizing which blogs could potentially be the most advantageous for guest writing.
5. Moz Link Explorer
Overview
You are able to study the link profiles of websites with the assistance of Moz’s Link Explorer, which provides insight into the websites’ authority and relevancy.
How to Use
With Moz, you can:
- Check the domain authority of potential guest post sites.
- Discover their backlink profile.
- Identify spammy links that might indicate a low-quality site.
Excel Tip
Include columns for Page Authority (PA) and Spam Score in your Excel sheet to ensure you are targeting quality websites.
6. Social Media Platforms
Overview
Social media platforms can be an excellent resource for discovering guest posting opportunities. Engaging with communities on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook can help you connect with blog owners.
How to Use
Search for relevant hashtags and join groups in your niche. Look for posts requesting guest bloggers or bloggers promoting their sites.
Excel Tip
In order to facilitate the development of connections and engagement with possible hosts of guest posts, you should establish a column for social media links.
7. HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
Overview
Journalists are able to engage with specialists in a variety of subjects in HARO. You may be able to find possibilities to lend your expertise by signing up for HARO, which can lead to guest posting opportunities.
How to Use
Get back to those who have questions that are pertinent to your niche. One way to increase the likelihood of receiving a backlink to your website is to provide insightful information or insights.
Excel Tip
Including a column for HARO opportunities to which you have answered and keeping track of which ones resulted in guest posts is a great idea.
8. Blog Directories
Overview
Blog directories organize blogs according to their specific niches, which makes it simpler to locate prospective chances for guest posts.
How to Use
Search directories like BlogCatalog, Alltop, or Technorati to find blogs that align with your niche.
Excel Tip
In order to simplify the process of conducting research, you should make a column for the directory name and link.
Email Finder Tools
Overview
When you have found sites that could be suitable for guest posts, the next step is to contact the owners of those sites. You can track down the appropriate contact information with the use of email finder tools.
How to Use
You are able to locate email addresses that are associated with particular domains with the use of tools such as Hunter.io and VoilaNorbert.
Excel Tip
Add columns for contact names and email addresses to keep your outreach organized.
Google Alerts
Overview
The utilization of Google Alerts could be of assistance to you in maintaining a current awareness of fresh opportunities for guest posting that are pertinent to your expertise.
How to Use
Make sure to set up alerts for specific keywords such as “write for us” or “guest post” in addition to your specialty information. If you do this, you will receive notifications whenever new content that matches your keywords is released.
Excel Tip
Utilize a column to keep track of your alerts, which should include keywords and the number of times you receive notifications.
Creating An Excel Sheet For Website Tracking
If you want to manage your research for guest posts in an efficient manner, it is absolutely vital to have an Excel file that is well structured. Please find below an example of a layout for an Excel sheet that you are free to adapt to meet your specific needs.
Tips on How to Use the Excel File
First, type the website’s name into the Website Name column to make the Excel sheet useful for guest post research. Copy and paste the website’s link into the URL column so it’s easy to find. Next, use tools like Moz or Ahrefs to check the domain authority.
Then, enter the number in the Domain Authority column. It’s important to say what business or niche the website is in so that it fits with your target audience. Find and write down the correct email address for guest posts in the “Contact Email” part. You can either put a link to the site’s guest post rules or a short summary of them in the Guest Post rules column.
Keep things in order by keeping track of the Last Contacted Date. This will help you remember when you last contacted the website owner to follow up. In the Status section, write down the status of your outreach, such as whether it was sent, accepted, or turned down.
Finally, use the “Notes” part to write down any extra information you may have, such as specific topics you might want to pitch or any feedback you’ve gotten from the website owner. This organized method will improve your guest posting strategy and make it easier to oversee and improve your advertising efforts.
Following Up On The Submissions Of Guest Posts
When considering that not every suggestion will be met with an immediate answer, it is impossible to exaggerate the significance of sending follow-up emails. The following strategy should be utilized when approaching follow-ups:
Timing
A follow-up email should be sent at least one week after the initial one. Because of this, the owner of the website will have sufficient time to evaluate your initial pitch.
Be kind and professional at all times
Be sure to keep a kind and professional demeanor during your follow-up. Make it clear that you are still interested in contributing to their website, and inquire as to whether or not they have had the opportunity to analyze your proposition.
Make an Offer to Discuss
It is important to encourage an open discussion by offering to further explore the pitch or to address any questions that the owner of the website might have.
How To Determine Whether Or Not Your Guest Posting Strategy Is Successful
Once you have started publishing guest posts, it is essential that you examine the good effects of such posts before continuing with the process. A consideration ought to be given to the following metrics:
Traffic Referrals
When you want to maintain track of the traffic that is referred to your website from guest articles, you should make use of tools such as Google Analytics. If you follow this course of action, it will be much simpler for you to identify the websites that are being visited the most frequently.
The Quality of Backlinks
Conduct an analysis of the quality of the backlinks that are produced by guest posts. You may monitor the importance of websites that link back to you with the use of tools such as Ahrefs.
Metrics Regarding Engagement
Conduct a thorough analysis of the engagement data pertaining to the guest articles themselves, including comments, shares, and interactions on social media.
The Generation of Leads
Keep track of the number of leads that are generated as a result of your guest posts, if applicable. Make use of one-of-a-kind landing pages or links that may be tracked in order to assess conversions from particular postings.
Things To Think About For SEO When Guest Posting
To get the most out of guest writing for SEO, think about the following SEO tips:
Anchor Text for Strategy
Anchor text for your backlinks should be keyword-rich and related to the content of the page being linked to. Do not over-optimize; instead, focus on natural links that make sense in the context.
A Range of Link Profiles
Aim for a variety of backlinks from different trustworthy sources. Diversification makes your site more trustworthy and lowers the chance of getting penalised.
Improve your meta tags
Work with the host site to make sure that the meta names and descriptions of your guest post are as good as they can be. This can make it easier for people to click through from search engine results pages.
Chances for internal linking
Consider adding internal links to other relevant information on the host site if it makes sense. This gives the post more worth and makes the site’s internal link structure stronger.
Check the health of backlinks
It is important to perform regular checks on the health and state of the backlinks that you receive from guest posts. Using tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, you may monitor the success of your links and identify any issues that may arise.
Conclusion
In order to conduct successful research on guest posts, it is vital to have both the relevant resources and a logical technique for organizing the results. Utilizing the 10 tools that were presented earlier will allow you to streamline your approach to guest posting and locate possibilities of a high quality that will increase your online visibility. By maintaining an orderly Excel sheet that monitors your progress, you will be able to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts and make contact with potential business partners.
While you put these tactics into action, keep in mind that quality, not quantity, is what matters most when it comes to guest writing. To get the most out of guest posting in the long run, concentrate on giving your readers good content and building connections with blog owners.