Bop Design Provides Advice on Concerns Around Guest Blogging
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 15, 2014 -- In January, Matt Cutts of Google Webspam announced the decay and fall of guest blogging as a link building strategy.
“The marketing world was in a flurry, desperately trying to figure out a substitute tactic,” says Jeremy Durant, business principal of B2B marketing firm Bop Design.
Durant shares that while poor guest blogging can have a negative impact on SEO, the primary purpose of the tactic is to share valuable, transparent content for branding efforts.
Durant shares the following tips for effective guest blogging:
Establish the writer's expertise
“With editorial staffs getting smaller, there is a tremendous opportunity for B2B brands to complement editorial content output with guest blogging,” says Durant. B2B brands can help journalists by churning out more educational (less “selling”) content that will be useful to a publication’s readership. Before writing, determine the business’s true areas of specialty. For example, an accounting firm that works solely with manufacturing firms shouldn’t try to force it for a larger audience. “Editorial staffs can typically tell if you really know what you’re talking about, so don’t try to stretch your areas of expertise. Remember: Instead of faking it, write what you’re well versed in,” says Durant.
Targeting smaller niche publishers can maximize web traffic
“It’s very easy to be enchanted by the idea of your byline on high-ranking websites like Forbes, Huffington Post or Wall Street Journal. But is it truly realistic for your business?” asks Durant. Think of niche content hubs like smaller publications, local media, industry specific blogs and forums for placement of guest content. Starting small and targeted can often yield greater results in terms of future web traffic and exposure to new audiences. For example, a smaller publication that only posts one contribution daily has a smaller archive, so visitors see your content frequently compared to a digital magazine posting 10+ pieces per day.
It’s not about the link, it’s about the brand
Google Webspam’s biggest concern around guest blogging for SEO is that spammy marketers would ask for back linking at the expense of low quality content. “It’s a valid concern—as marketers who write simply for a link aren’t writing for the right reasons,” says Durant. Guest blogging should be considered a branding tactic, not an SEO tactic. Of course, some SEO kudos will be gained from well-done guest blogging, but writing should be for many other gains.
Bop Design is a San Diego marketing and web design agency with offices also in Orange County, CA and the New York metro area. Specializing in B2B, Bop Design creates holistic marketing plans geared toward lead generation and business development. Bop Design offers services in branding, logo design, website design and development, responsive web design, SEO, PPC, social media and content marketing. http://www.bopdesign.com
Jeremy Durant, Bop Design, http://www.bopdesign.com, +1 619-330-0730 Ext: 801, [email protected]
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