Guest Post Outreach: How to Craft a Pitch That Converts, Best Practices, and Examples

“Guest blogging is done.” 

Matt Cutts declared that in 2014, suggesting a dead end to guest blogging. But no, 10 years later, guest blogging remains thriving and the favorite content marketing tactic for building backlinks. 

Ahrefs’ data show that 50% of guest bloggers perform guest post outreach to 10 contacts a month, while 60% write 1-5 guest posts monthly. 

With that said, Google’s strict algorithm for guest blogging has made the guest post outreach landscape more competitive. To become a successful guest blogger, this requires one to be much more strategic, genuine, skillful, and patient. 

This article sheds light on everything you need to know to succeed in guest post outreach, including:

• Crafting a converting guest post pitch
• Nailing high-quality guest content
• Presenting up-to-date best practices with examples.

Let’s dive in! 

What is Guest Post Outreach? 

In a nutshell, guest post outreach involves writing to other websites or blog sites, and convincing them to publish your guest blog post on their sites. 

The entire process entails several steps, such as finding sites that accept guest posts, crafting compelling pitches, and negotiating terms to ensure your guest content gets published on relevant websites.

This strategy offers several benefits. Not only does it help you build relationships with other website owners and share your expertise with a wider audience, but it also aids in establishing valuable backlinks to your site. 

In fact, guest blogging remains one of the most popular link-building tactics in 2024, with 64.9% of link builders using it as their primary strategy.

Outsourcing link-building efforts to providers like GrowthOG could empower you to stay ahead in the link-building game. Such providers effectively acquire high-quality backlinks from diverse sources, including high-quality guest posts published on authoritative and relevant websites.

Guest Posting: Pros and Cons 

Guest posting, when done right, brings immense value to site owners. However, there are still some drawbacks that you should consider. Let’s break them down below.  

Pros of guest posting

Key expert findings show that guest posts play a significant role in giving multiple websites a healthy SEO boost and brand recognition, including: 

• Increased backlinks: According to Outreach Monks, guest posts can help acquire up to 65% of backlinks. By writing guest posts for reputable sites, you can strategically insert links to your own content. Once the article gets published, you earn valuable backlinks.
• Higher search engine rankings and referral traffic: Backlinks from niche-related, high-quality sites continue to function as digital marketing thumb-ups that can improve your rankings on search engines. Additionally, guest posting on a high-traffic website exposes your content to a larger audience.
• Brand awareness: Guest posting allows you to leverage other websites’ audience and credibility. This exposes your brand to a targeted and engaged readership that you might not be able to reach independently. According to a study by Convince & Convert, 80% of blog visitors are new, implying that guest posting is a great way to increase brand awareness.
• Networking opportunities: Guest blogging involves working closely with site owners and editors on content topics, editorial guidelines, and content promotion. Building and maintaining these relationships over time can lead to future guest posts and marketing collaborations, such as social media mentions or co-hosting webinars.  

Cons of guest posting

While guest posting offers significant benefits, it is essential to acknowledge its potential downsides.

• Time investment: Done correctly, guest posting requires tremendous time to be invested. It starts from the initial outreach phase of researching and pitching to crafting and editing a results-driven content piece. This process involves the effort and energy of the entire content and link-building team. 
• The risk of rejection: The most disheartening part is that your hard work doesn’t guarantee your guest content will be accepted, published, or generate traffic. It’s like going on a blind date with your ROI
• Potential for low-quality backlinks: Not all guest posting opportunities are ethical. Some untrustworthy sites bait searchers with rubbish content or engage in shady practices. This can result in low-value backlinks that can harm your site’s rankings on search engines.

With numerous low-quality guest content flooding the web, Google now strictly cracks down on ranking these posts’ links. Only articles on authentic and topically relevant sites can surpass link equity, making it far more competitive to secure placements.

Designed to save you time and money on outreach strategies, GrowthOG stands out as a reliable link-building service. With their well-established network and expertise, GrowthOG helps improve ROI on SEO investments and generates sustainable backlinks without worrying about delayed responses or long wait times.

Guest Post Outreach Best Practices

Guest post outreach is not a game that you can master right away. Learning some best practices will help you become more proficient at it.

Setting your goals 

Before embarking on your guest post outreach journey, you must clearly outline what you hope to achieve. 

Whether it’s to increase traffic, build backlinks or boost domain authority, putting it out in mind from the beginning helps your outreach campaign sail in the right direction. Not only it helps to better research websites that align with your niche and audience but it also clears all the clutter in measuring your outreach effort at the end. 

Be as specific as possible, i.e. boost referral traffic by 20% and increase domain authority (DA) from 30 to 45 by the year’s end.

Clearly define your goals, and consider working with a link-building service like GrowthOG. They can guide you in analyzing your strategies and investments in your outreach campaign, including defining goals, choosing valuable sites for guest posting, setting a budget, and establishing metrics.

Identifying guest post opportunities 

This involves researching blogs and websites within your niche that accept guest posts.

If you’re offering an AI video editor, don’t pitch a website about finances. Look for platforms that have a strong readership and align with your brand values and target audience. How to do it? 

Utilizing free tools like Google Search Operators can help. 

For example, put “your niche + write for us” or “your niche + guest contribution” in Google’s search bar, and hundreds of sites will show up. 

To identify your competitors’ target audience, conduct a competitive analysis. Use the “related:” operator to find your competitors, then search for their editor, content writer, or head of content. 

Once you get their names, search “[topic] inurl:author/[firstname-lastname]”. Look for sites that they’ve written for to gain insights into the topics they cover.

You can also use Ahrefs linking author reports to identify sites that guest authors are contributing content to.

Another way is to follow industry thought leaders and monitor their social media accounts for a guest posting opportunity. You can also leverage your existing relationships to identify which websites they’re writing for, or exchange guest post contacts. 

After you get a handful of potential websites, it’s time to narrow the list down to see if they’re worth writing for with this assessment checklist.

• How are their DA, DR, traffic, spam scores, and content quality? 
• What is their audience engagement level? (comments per post, social media likes and shares, etc.)
• Will they feature your author byline? 
• What types of backlinks do they allow? Are they do-follow or no-follow?
• Will your post exist on their website permanently?

Think, if you’re writing a 5K post in return for a nofollow link without the author’s byline being featured, it’s not worth it. Instead, consider working with link-building services at GrowthOG to secure valuable guest post links that improve your SEO efforts and enhance your overall backlink profile.

Prospecting, prospecting, prospecting 

After separating the wheat from the chaff, now you have a qualified website ‌list. It’s time to personalize your pitches to each blog owner. But who exactly should you send your pitch to? This is where prospecting comes in.

Prospecting involves finding the correct point of contact for guest post outreach on a target website. This step is crucial because initially reaching out to the wrong person can hinder your outreach efforts. 

Additionally, the person responsible for guest posting may not always be the content manager or SEO specialist; it could also be the link-building specialist or inbound marketing manager. 

Doing this step well adds a personal touch to your outreach approach, which increases the chance of a positive response. Plus, it makes the follow-up phase less challenging. 

Researching content on guest posting sites 

As per ImpactPlus, 56% of editors can’t publish content submitted by guest contributors as it’s not a good fit for their publication. 

Understanding the target website’s content style, tone, and audience is crucial for proposing relevant guest post ideas that resonate with their audience. 

Think about it – a website covering data-backed, conversion-driven content that SEO gurus wouldn’t want to miss. Obviously, their audience won’t tolerate anything less. 

Research the guest blog you want to write for. Read their content to understand the topics and audience they’re aiming for. Use BuzzSumo or Ahrefs to find popular posts and trending topics. Maybe you’ll find ‌a content gap or interesting angle that isn’t yet covered. Who knows?

Learning guest post guidelines 

Each website has its own set of guest blogging guidelines, and adhering to these is crucial for a successful pitch. As the site owner takes the time to create these guidelines, it can feel like a letdown if you fail to follow them. 

Make sure you read the submission requirements thoroughly, paying close attention to the word count, formatting, and preferred topics. Plus, observe the tone and style of existing posts. Do they have a formal or semi-formal style? Do they use American or British English? Every detail matters. 

If you come across any unfamiliar terms or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the editor or site owner.

Choosing a guest post idea

Editors want to see how your post benefits their target audience. A well-chosen topic can set your post apart and make it more appealing to editors, so it’s unwise to pitch something they’ve already covered. Some directions you should try are: 

• Bring a new perspective on a popular topic, maybe skyscraper content? 
• Respond to their content (if you do have a point). 
• Cover a new topic, i.e. new trends, tools, and practices in the field. 

To make your picture clearer, identify keyword and content gaps and conduct a competitive analysis. SEMrush’s Keyword Gap or Ahrefs’ Content Gap are dedicated tools to reveal competitor keywords, topics, top pages, and backlinks.  

Additionally, you can use BuzzSumo to search for the most shared content on a specific site, within your industry, or on a general topic. This will help you identify widely shared topics that are relevant to your target websites but haven’t been published there. These topics are a great starting point for your guest blogging strategy. 

Lastly, don’t forget to consider if potential topics are good for link insertion. You don’t want to write a 3K post without being able to include your links naturally, do you?

Having your guest post bio ready 

Guest post bios shouldn’t be overlooked since they showcase your expertise and include a link back to your webpage.

What to include in your guest post bio to optimize your guest post results? 

• Identify yourself and what you do: Are you a content marketer, blogger, or copywriter? Give a brief introduction using simple, direct language.
• Showcase your expertise: Share some renowned brands you’ve collaborated with, press mentions, or reputable sites publishing your work. 

• Include a valuable link: This could be a link to your own blog or social media profile. If the guest posting site only allows one backlink, consider linking to a blog post that contains a targeted keyword for the best conversion.
• Include a professional headshot: You only have 40 milliseconds to impress readers, so choose a nice one. 

In addition, keep the following tips in mind to write a concise and engaging bio:

• Keep your bio straightforward, ideally within 50 words.
• Write your bio in the third person. 
• Avoid name-dropping the competitors of the site you’re guest posting on. 
• End with a call to action (CTA) embedded with your social media links. This is helpful for networking.

Delivering quality content 

If your pitch is accepted, the next step is to write your guest post. High-quality content is the flesh and bone of a successful guest blogging strategy. Delivering well-articulated content will increase the likelihood of you being a future regular contributor.

Ensure you: 

• Make your blog post informative, engaging, and well-structured.
• Incorporate relevant, up-to-date data, examples, and visuals to back up your points.
• Address pain points, offer unique insights, or provide actionable tips that readers can implement.
• Adhere to the editorial guidelines – including formatting, post length, and specific terms’ spellings., etc.
• Link appropriately to relevant internal and external links. 
• Say no to plagiarism. Use Grammarly to check plagiarism scores. 
• Optimize your post for SEO. Strategically spread keywords throughout the text without keyword stuffing.
• Craft a stellar headline that includes actionable words and highlights enticing benefits. Use CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer to optimize your headline.
• To improve readability, break up your text with relevant and high-quality images, ideally after every 500 words. Be sure to include the image source. 

Need help with content? A-Z content services offered by GrowthOG ‌empower businesses to deliver quality content that aligns with ‌the editorial guidelines, with natural and contextual links integrated. 

Being patient 

You’ve checked all the to-do lists, now what’s next? Just chill! This is the time to wait for a response from blog owners. 

Guest post outreach is a game where rushing can lead to failure. Many factors could impact responses, including busy inboxes, holiday seasons, large content backlogs, editors’ out-of-office status, and more. So if you don’t receive a reply, don’t forget to follow up. 

Typically, it takes several business days to a couple of weeks to receive a response, depending on the editor’s workload and review process. 

Elements of a Converting Guest Post Pitch

A converting guest post pitch should not miss out on these key components.  

• A clear and concise introduction: Get straight to the point by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re presenting your pitch.
• Personal touch: Whenever possible, address the editor or guest blog owner by name to show that your pitch isn’t just a generic mass email. Express your genuine familiarity and interest in their blog by demonstrating that you have researched their content, style, and audience beforehand.
• Relevant topic ideas: Take the initiative to propose a few topic ideas. This will reduce the number of back-and-forth emails.
• A unique angle or perspective: Why should they accept your pitch? Highlighting new insights, or fresh, high-demand best practices they haven’t written about.
• A brief outline: To give the editor an idea of your content structure, include a short yet comprehensive outline of your proposed article, with subheadings and key points. 
• Past writings for reference to writing quality: Include links or attach your writing samples to reinforce your credibility and exhibit your writing style. 
• A CTA: Never leave out the ask – “Which of these topics interest you?” Conclude your pitch with your willingness to provide further information if needed. Show gratitude by appreciating the recipient’s time and consideration.

One final thing, conciseness is key. As Drip points out, keep your email between 75 – 100 words for the maximum impact on both response rates and click-through-rate. 

Guest Post Pitch: Good Example vs. Bad Example 

Let’s explore how avoiding bad pitches can significantly impact your outreach success. The examples given will help you refine your guest post outreach strategy and steer clear of common pitfalls.

Bad example:

Why is reading this pitch a waste of time?

• It lacks the recipient’s name. 
• It fails to clearly explain how the article benefits the site’s audience. 
• It doesn’t propose relevant topics or outlines.
• It contains a spelling mistake. 
• It concludes with a weak CTA. 

Who would guarantee the one sending this poor pitch will deliver high-quality content?

Good example: 

Here’s what makes this pitch more effective:

• It starts off with the site owner’s name
• It genuinely points out the interaction with the website (the blog name and the comment).
• It includes a few topic ideas that demonstrate their expertise
• It links to published work on a reputable site 
• It concludes with a strong CTA
• Finally, it’s short and to the point. 

Tools for Guest Post Outreach 

Leveraging the right tools can streamline your guest post outreach process and improve your chances of success. Below are some tools that can assist you in identifying potential guest blogging opportunities, managing outreach campaigns, and tracking responses. 

Ahref’s Content Explorer 

This tool is invaluable for keyword research and content ideation. Simply input a keyword, and it will display the top-performing posts related to that keyword. 

Additionally, it provides helpful metrics such as DA, DR, organic traffic, and backlinks to help you determine the value of a guest post site as a link-building target.

Buzzstream 

This all-in-one guest post outreach tool excels at prospecting, emailing, and reporting. It integrates with Moz, Ahrefs, and Hunter.io to help you find prospects and analyze blogs for guest post opportunities. 

The tool also lets you freely customise your guest post outreach template, set up follow-up sequences, and track emails sent.

Pitchbox 

Pitchbox distinguishes itself with its relationship management and link monitoring features. The platform extracts crucial details for each relationship, such as contact history and social media activity. 

Besides, it diligently tracks your backlinks over time and promptly notifies you of any critical changes. This ensures you understand and accurately measure your guest blogging efforts.

Measuring Your Outreach Efforts 

To refine your guest post outreach strategy, it’s essential to measure your efforts. There are some key metrics you need to bear in mind:

• Open and response rates: An open rate is considered good when it reaches or surpasses 20%, while a solid response rate typically falls between 5-10%. While a healthy open rate indicates that your subject lines are enticing, the response rate reveals whether your content resonates with your audience.
• Acceptance rates: This shows whether or not your hard work pays off. Calculate it by dividing the number of email submissions by the number of topics that get accepted and published. 
• Backlinks: How many backlinks do you actually get? What is the proportion of dofollow versus nofollow links? Bear in mind that it’s not the number of links but their quality and relevance that matters. 
• Referral traffic: Have you noticed an increase in website referral traffic driven by guest posts? Identifying the difference will indicate whether the guest post received sufficient promotion from those referring domains. 
• Conversion: Are you getting better rankings for your target keywords? Do you receive comments, likes, or shares on your posts? Besides all of this, track if guest posts bring you business, and drive revenue, which is the ultimate goal of boosting your online presence. 

You can leverage the outreach tools recommended above to do the analytics job. By analyzing these metrics, you can identify what works, make the necessary adjustments, and ultimately enhance your outreach strategy for better results.

Guest posting, hence, requires investments in resources – including manpower, training, and the necessary tools. You may want to partner with GrowthOG, letting them take over these tasks and help businesses stay on track since they have established processes, keeping the machine running and generating converting results.

Over to You 

Guest post outreach can be an effective way to broaden your reach and drive traffic to your website.

By following the steps outlined above, you can improve your chances of success and establish fruitful relationships with website owners in your niche.

To ensure effective guest posting efforts, share your guest post links for promotion, track your results and adjust your guest blogging strategy as needed. 

Are you struggling to yield positive results with guest post outreach? Let GrowthOG lift that burden off your shoulders! Outsource link building and guest posting services at GrowthOG for high authority links from guest posts – your go-to solution!