How to Determine If a Guest Post Opportunity is a Good One

Did someone ask you to guest post for free in exchange for exposure?

If you’re new to the world of freelance writing or blogging, you might immediately think you should do it.

Guest posting does help build your reputation and authority. AND exposure on the RIGHT platforms is a great way to do it. All offers are NOT created equal!

So is the current proposal really a good deal for you?

Many aren’t!

Some sites prey on up-and-coming content writers.

Why?

Because many believe the hype that giving away their valuable work is the only way to make it as a freelance writer.

Just because you’re a newbie or less established writer or blogger doesn’t mean you have to give your writing away. You can get paid for your work. You just gotta know how to pitch it!

And while paid is the way to go, high profile sites like Thrive Global, Inc., Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Hubspot can be worth it.

You’re looking for beneficial sites with excellent reputations, substantial active audiences, and can give you valuable exposure while helping you build your rep and portfolio.

So how do you KNOW a site is worth it?

Let’s find out!

Today, we’re gonna dig deep into how you can determine if a guest post opportunity is a good one for you, so the next time you’re offered the chance, you’ll know whether or not to take it.

What’s In It For You?

Yep, it’s all about you because it’s your hard work, creativity, and time you’re giving away. ALL of these things are VALUABLE!

And since the majority of guest posting opportunities come without pay, you gotta find out what’s in it for you.

Remember this is a barter — a trade. Each party should receive a benefit to make it a fair deal.

You’ll want to ask:

• Does the site have plenty of exposure, audience, followers, and engagement?
• Is there any form of payment, not just cash, but possible products or services you can use?
• Are they offering a byline, social links, and links back to your site?

NEVER give away your work without your name on it and some links back to you whether it’s social or your site or both. Preferably you also receive a byline.

What’s the Site’s Domain Authority and Spam Numbers?

Relatively new of the scene, Moz.com’s domain authority checker is an excellent way to check a site’s reputation.

A quick domain authority (DA) check will show you if the backlinks to the site are reputable sites, not spammy ones. The higher the number of high-quality backlinks, the higher the reputation and established authority of the website, which means more benefit to you.

You can also check the site’s spam score. Sites with high spam scores can hurt your reputation and search engine results when you link to them. The saying “if you lie down with the dogs, you pick up the fleas” is so true in this case.

You get the most benefit when guest posting on a blog/website with a domain authority higher than yours, but any reputable blog/website, including lower DA ones, will help you achieve your goals as well.

Does the Site Have a Large and Active Following?

If you’re guest posting for free, exposure is IMPORTANT, so make it count.

Ask the site owner for stats such as individual monthly site views, social media following numbers, and engagement rates such as likes, comments, and shares. Ask if they promote the post across all their platforms. Look to see if they are buying followers, likes, and comments.

While numbers do matter when you’re guest posting, action counts even more. You’re better off sharing on a site with 1,000 engaged followers who are commenting, liking and sharing than on one with 1 million followers who aren’t doing a thing. After all, it’s engagement that gives your post the potential for going viral AND ranks you higher with the search engines.

What are Your Goals?

A freelance writers reasons for guest posting will vary slightly from a blog or website owner. Both are still seeking to build authority and reputation but the blog/website owner is also looking to also raise his or her search engine rankings while the freelancer is wanting to get noticed.

Putting yourself in front of people is a great way to achieve these goals, but you NEED to get on a highly reputable site with engaged followers. When you build backlinks and boost your exposure, you gain authority and put yourself out there so people will notice you.

Just make sure the site is inline with your morals, goals and ethics. And matches your message!

What Does the Site Look Like?

Before guest posting on any site, whether for money or exchange, check it out before agreeing to write.

You’re looking for a professional, modern site that’s easy to read, showcasing reputable ads and links in reasonable amounts. It NEEDS to be mobile friendly because that’s where the majority of people access the web these days. Look to see if there are a ton of popups, popunders or pop whatevers. Finally, does the site match your goals and values?

It’s always surprising how many people agree to provide a free guest post without ever even seeing the site first. It’s your valuable writing. Give it a chance to succeed, look professional and amazing just like you are.

And there you have it. The easy, but effective ways of determining if that guest post opportunity is a good one or one you should say “bye-bye” to.

Don’t trade your incredible writing for crap guest post offers.

Wanna talk more about guest posting? Start a conversation in the comments, PM me here or email me (heidi.medina74@gmail.com).

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on July 11, 2018.