Guest Blogging Checklist 

Writers Wanted on the Following Guest Blogs

Hey guys, Elvis here… 

This section of Listiller contains 6,000 blogs that accept guest posts. Given the gigantic list of guest posting websites, it’s only natural to include this guide as a means of helping you get started. 

This is an essential, to-the-point checklist that details the do’s and don’ts about guest blogging. Use this as the main contributor guidelines for virtually any blog out there.

Let’s dig right in!

Benefits of Guest Blogging 

While the most obvious guest posting benefit is traffic, there are several other goodies you will enjoy in the process: 

Higher Authority 

Imagine if you land a guest post on a highly reputable source such as Entrepreneur.com or other comparable website. Wouldn’t this increase your perceived authority over time? 

Yes… yes, it would. But it’s not just about perception, but rather about reality. 

These websites wouldn’t let you publish a piece unless you had some truly valuable skills under your belt. So, while many sites advertise “guest bloggers wanted” opportunities, they also look for someone with substance.

Having your name on such places can say a lot about you. That’s the reality. 

This authority labels you as an established expert, and that’s where things truly shine… 

Compare a fitness expert that has absolutely no presence versus one whose name has appeared on Men’s Health, Shape.com, and other sources… 

The no-presence expert still knows what he’s talking about, but the general population will typically flock to the one with more status. 

That’s the importance of building authority through guest blogging. 

A Word on Backlinks… 

Backlinks require no introduction. Although the internet has evolved quite a bit, backlinks are still important overall. 

However, never submit an article merely for a backlink. It’s all about networking and genuinely providing helpful information.

Targeted Audience 

Traffic is one thing, but a laser-targeted audience is quite another. This is what proper guest blogging can accomplish.

You could publish a guest post about gardening on a pop culture blog, and chances are you will get some traffic. Sadly, that traffic will not come back for more because they’re simply not your target demographic. 

It sounds obvious, but you’d be shocked to know how many bloggers are happily posting just about anywhere for the sake of a quick link and nothing more. 

So instead of wasting your time on irrelevant websites, use Listiller’s list of guest blogging websites to target relevant bloggers!

Networking / Relationships 

Building online friendships is incredibly important if you wish to truly advance your blog and online business. Thus, to become a guest contributor, it all starts with a virtual handshake.

For​ ​example:​ The guys at PinchOfYum.com would be much more likely to recommend your blog if they already knew you well. This wouldn’t be the case otherwise.….at all. 

This also leads to more social shares by fellow bloggers, and the importance of this goes without saying. 

And that, my friends, is why guest blogging is so important. Use the following details carefully when pitching to any so-called “Write for us” page.

Quick note: 

Do guest bloggers get paid? Typically not. Guest posting is mainly for branding purposes and to establish new connections with others.

Before You Get Started… 

So, before you even visit these guest blogs, here’s a list of things to keep in mind… A word on quality… 

Avoid blogs that routinely publish mega awful content. Quality may be subjective, but only to a certain extent. 

Inspect the guest blog thoroughly and ask yourself, “Did I learn something new here? How much detail was left out?” Consider the guest blog’s content to become a contributor.

A word on domain authority… 

There’s a metric that measures website authority based on the number of backlinks pointing to it. This metric goes from 1 to 100. 

This metric is called Domain Authority (DA). 

Generally speaking, many guest bloggers only like to post on sites with a domain authority of 25 and up. 

However, this number does NOT truly define a website’s overall quality. 

Put it this way: If a high-quality website is newer, its DA will naturally be pretty low for a while (due to a lack of backlinks). 

Again: Domain authority is primarily defined by the amount of backlinks a website has pointing to it. And since backlinks can be obtained using shady methods, you can already imagine this number alone is NOT 100% reliable. 

HOWEVER….. 

If you want to increase the chances of your article being on an authority blog, then your best bet is to follow those numbers…

Domain Authority isn’t 100% reliable, but it is the quickest way to get a rather general idea about a website’s status.

At the end of the day, the most reliable way is to inspect a website manually (read the content, analyze their engagement, and so on).

For that reason, use Listiller’s guest blog directory *only* as a starting point. This is only a neutral list of websites, nothing more and nothing less.

Moving on…

Before the Guest Blogging Pitch 

It’s common for guest bloggers to simply email site owners with a guest post request (as complete strangers, with no prior introduction). This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it also increases the chances of them ignoring you. 

For that reason, I suggest you spend at least 2-3 weeks getting acquainted with the blog owner in question beforehand. Then, and only then, ask to contribute. 

How to get acquainted 

Post insightful comments on their blog. I truly mean insightful, not just a quick line thanking them for their “great post.” Ask questions, raise some concerns, stir the pot, and create worthwhile discussions. 

Optional, but recommended: Send them an email introducing yourself. Simply thank them for their continued work, for a specific post you found useful, or (ideally) to provide constructive feedback. This could relate to a broken link on their site or some other noticeable issue. 

Connect with them on social media, and DO NOT forget they exist. Share their content, interact with them via said social networks, and just be a good sport in general. 

Do you have a blog? If you’re a guest blogger, chances are you do. Why not link to one of your target’s blog posts? This will certainly earn you some brownie points. 

Be genuine. Don’t just do all of the above because you have an agenda. You should be genuinely interested in the blog you’re targeting and the topics covered. 

Develop a real, long-lasting connection and don’t stop communicating as soon as your post is eventually published. Again, remain genuine.

Preparing for the Pitch 

Don’t Do These Things 

First off, ensure you followed every instruction on the blog’s “Writers Wanted” page.

Also, it’s not uncommon for blogs to get requests from guest bloggers on a daily basis. Sadly, many of those requests are extremely poor and generic in nature: 

• The email pitch is far too short and vague 
• The email pitch is far too long and drawn out 
• The topics have already been covered to death on the target blog ● The topics offered have nothing to do with the target blog 
• The topic is ideal, but it’s a bit half-assed 
• The guest blogger won’t suggest any topics whatsoever 
• The guest blogger makes it clear he’s not familiar with the target blog (asking the blog owner for guidelines, even when said guidelines are clearly visible) 

Did you notice how all of the above require a certain balance? 

Now let’s break things down a bit further. 

Instead, Do This…

Give the guest blog owner an exact idea / reason to contribute a guest post. Don’t be afraid to be specific here. 

Keep your email short and sweet, preferably under 150 words. 

Focus on the topic and explain why it’s beneficial for the blog owner’s audience, especially if you can point out another topic in his/her blog that’s closely related to your idea. 

Don’t focus so much on you and your past accomplishments. Mention your highlights in passing, but move on quickly. You’re not applying for a job!. 

Make sure your idea kicks ass. If the blog needs a minimum of 1,200 words and ten sections, try to deliver 1,500 words and 12+ sections.

Always – and I mean always – suggest at least three topics in your email. Many guest writers send an email asking the owner what type of topics they want written. DO NOT put this burden on the blog owner. Chances are they’ll ignore you and thus, you won’t get to submit a guest post. 

Finally, please follow the target blog’s guidelines. Many pitches make it abundantly clear that someone isn’t familiar with the blog in question. Even worse, the final product is missing a ton of things in the event the blog owner gave the green light. 

But wait, there’s more…

Other Notes 

Speak the Language 

Feel free to speak the blog’s lingo and be more relatable. You can get an idea by reading the blog and the guest contributor guidelines.

Think​ ​about​ ​it:​ The blog owner is already (fairly) familiar with you due to your ongoing efforts to get acquainted (as previously stated). On top of this, nobody likes a person that sounds stiff and overly formal – UNLESS the blog in question is stiff and overly formal… 

So, get conversational if that’s how the blog generally publishes content. Insert a smiley face, introduce a harmless funny line, use an exclamation point, keep things on a first-name basis. You get the point… 

If All Else Fails, Try Again 

Blog owners are generally busy, especially if their website is popular. They tend to answer emails everyday, reply to comments, share on social media, compose new content, and more. 

So if you don’t hear back from a blog owner after the first email, try again about 4-7 days later. 

If you don’t hear back after the second time, try again in a month or two. Why? Because you probably caught the blog owner in a particularly bad time. It happens (especially when multiple guest blog contributors pitch at the same time).

I personally receive guest post requests almost everyday, and sadly, I don’t always respond in a timely fashion if i’m too busy. But you know what? I still respond eventually, partly because guest bloggers tried several times. 

Finally, assuming that your post does get published……

Don’t Just Publish and Run 

Some guest bloggers manage to publish an article and then the blog owner never hears from them again. 

This means the guest blogger isn’t around to answer any comments from readers, including important questions someone may have. 

The burden then falls on the blog owner to do the guest blogger’s job. And while blog owners are always happy to interact with readers, the guest writer should be available after publishing the article nevertheless. 

You may be asking, “how does this hurt the guest blogger if he/she already managed to publish the article?” 

Well, there are several things that can hurt the guest blogger in this case. For example: 

• Other blog owners will notice this. Remember, fellow bloggers love to visit and check in on one another. Some bloggers will see that you, the guest blogger, simply published a post and ran for the hills as quickly as possible. 
• Some blog owners will remove your backlinks if you don’t ever respond to a single comment. You know, those backlinks you worked so hard to get….. 
• Even worse, some will even remove your entire post. While this is rare, I have seen some bloggers remove published content over the lack of interaction from the guest writer.

Conclusion 

Enjoyed this guide? This is essential to successfully publish a guest post on virtually any website. 

Now it’s time to get out there and pitch to the 6,000 blogs that accept guest posts — courtesy of Listiller.

You may also submit a guest post to Listiller in the form of a short summary.

As always, shoot me an email if you have any questions or concerns. 

Later! 

Elvis