Who Says Guest Blogging is Dead? Guest Blogging is not Dead

This is the first time I have updated my blog since May of 2013. Well, it’s time for me to share what I have learned with you guys!Before I jump into the main topic, why “Guest Blogging is not dead” ! I will explain first why this issue has been widespread to many of us SEO’s. It is indeed pretty alarming to us, that’s why I decided to write this article to clear it out that there’s no need to panic!

I think most of us knows that Matt Cutts stated on his twitter account in his latest blog post regarding, "The decay and fall of guest blogging for SEO."

Matt Cutts stated the decay and fall of guest blogging.

It was surprising that Matt Cutts stated this on his blog:

Okay, I'm calling it: if you're using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop. Why? Because over time it's become a more and more spammy practice, and if you're doing a lot of guest blogging then you're hanging out with really bad company.

It was actually a warning to us SEO’s that we need to think beyond guest blogging as an SEO link building method because many online marketers nowadays are opting to guest blog posting as their number 1 link building method. They don't mind that they are producing low quality articles or duplicate content, posted to unrelated and low authority sites, just for the sake of link building, to improve their Google rankings that could lead their website penalized by Google.

Warning! Stop Guest Spamming! :D

He also added: It seems like most people are getting the spirit of what I was trying to say, but I’ll add a bit more context. I’m not trying to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are still many good reasons to do some guest blogging (exposure, branding, increased reach, community, etc.). Those reasons existed way before Google and they’ll continue into the future.  

The Downfall of the Large Guest Blogging Network

In the recent blog post of Barry Schwartz from SearchEngineLand regarding, “Google’sMatt Cutts: We’ve Taken Action On A Large Guest Blog Network”.

As Matt Cutts previous blog post warned the SEO community that, “guest blogging is dead” in the previous statement above. He actually took down the largest guest blogging network (MyBlogGuest.com). But he did not specify which network was hit by the update.

He warned us but you did not follow! LOL!

Here’s the screenshot of  what Matt Cutts says on his Tweeter Account:

Matt Cutts took down a large guest blog network.

Think Beyond SEO Link Building

 

Matt Cutts was clear enough with his statements that we should not abuse Guest Blogging as an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy instead, we need to focus more on creating blogs for guest posts as a means of:

• Branding
• Increase your relevant traffic
• Build credibility in a specific niche
• Exposure to new audience
• Authorship
• Community Building

You can check more about guest blogging with purpose here.

Come to think of it! When you write write yor own article for guest blog posting campaign, just don’t think of it as an SEO link building method, just think beyond SEO as what I have mentioned above, and what Matt Cutts really want us to do when it comes to guest blogging. 

The 6 purposes of guest blogging (above mentioned), are the true meaning of Guest Posting not link building, for your information. 

Therefore, if we simply follow the the rules of guest blogging, then you have no reasons to worry about because I’m sure you will be successful with you marketing campaign as well as, improve your website and brand reputation.

If you enjoyed reading my post please feel free to leave a comment below…

Learn More About Social Media Marketing by Checking Out These Tips!

Do you already understand the power of social media marketing, but you are still unsure how can you implement it into your business plan? Social media is always opening doors for new companies, but if you approach it incorrectly it won't be as advantageous as you would like. You can follow this social media marketing tips and learn the proper way to create a standing company via quality media.

Let all of your existing customers know if you are going to start being active in social media. When your existing customers follow you on most social media websites, all of their followers will know about it. You should not underestimate the power of this free advertising. This is basically a referral which can really help your business. To help a new business get accustomed to social media marketing, you should start out small. Starting out small will give you the opportunity to target the customers that are looking to purchase the products you sell. You don't want to promote your site in too many places at first because you need to know what works and what does not.

Understand that Technology is Driving Social Media and Vice Versa

Every day that social media becomes more popular, technology races to catch up, which prompts social media to become more popular. Know what the technology is offering your customers in their social needs so that you can take part in talking WITH them, as opposed to talking AT them.

Sign up for Twitter. Get as many followers as you can, by signing up for blogging sites like Tweepi.com. Using a site like this makes it easier for people to find you on Twitter. Tweet regularly about other bloggers. You should also automate your tweets so they aren't forgotten about by your followers.

When working with social media marketing, you should always remember that you are speaking to individual people, and not the masses. The tone of your postings should be directed towards personal level for maximum success. It takes some practice to develop the right voice, but over time and with practice you will be able to communicate effectively.

Answer any Comments and Questions on your Social Networking Websites

Log into your sites multiple times per day, and be sure to review all notifications. You can also elect to receive emails each time you have a new notification. Keep in mind that everything you are writing as a comment or a response to one person can be viewed by anyone who goes to your site.

Tools such as Tweepi and Twellow are integral for social media marketing. Using these tools, you can more easily identify users in your target audience as well as those users with the most influence. You should be able to establish a list of people you should follow, hoping that they will subscribe to your updates too.

Remember that this will take time. It takes time to create a truly winning social media campaign. Prior to announcing major social media efforts, take the time to get as many people as possible signed up to your Facebook and Twitter account. Always mention the social media websites in any marketing that you do for your business.

Attract More Followers by Offering Coupons and Special Offers

Your consumers can feel like they're in a special club where they get discounts from their profiles, and that can boost your profits with extra sales. Do some research with regard to social networking. You may have a profile on Facebook already, but keep in mind that professional use of social media differs from personal use of these sites. There are many resources available on the Internet to help you.

It is important to be involved in the newer large social media sites for effective marketing, but do not forget about the older sites. Social websites like MySpace and Craigslist have huge followings, and you will be missing out on a large market if you ignore them. Social media is extremely competitive and the older established sites still have market share

When writing a social media blog for your business, remember to add Twitter. You can easily place a re-tweet button at the top of your blog. This will allow Twitter users to easily share your blog on their site. Think of all the potential that one button can have on your marketing efforts.

Comment on other social media bloggers' posts frequently. The term social media implies interaction and communication. A great way to promote yourself is to engage others in dialogue that blog within your niche. This can quickly turn into a great networking opportunity.

Social media is an extremely vast and powerful tool. It should be something that all business owners squeeze into their marketing plans, despite their other advertising routes. It will work perfectly with any options you have already started developing and won't require an entire rework of your core scheme. However, it is important that you follow the advice given and always focus on reaching a better future.

P.S. Feel free to leave a comment below if you enjoyed reading my blog. Thanks!

Evaluating Your Guest Blogging Opportunity

Indeed, that guest blogging is a very effective method to acquire high traffic and leads to your website because it will give your links more exposure if the blog has an enormous amount of traffic. But most of the guest bloggers are abusing this kind of technique, by submitting to hundreds of low authority blog sites. You might end up of wasting your time and efforts that could lead to your site get penalize by Google, if you get caught doing this kind of practice.

So, the best thing you should do when submitting a guest post, is to check the over all value of that specific blog. The traffic, social media activity, the number of subscribers, etc. Also, make sure you will create a unique and engaging content before submitting it so that, your article will never get disapprove by the owner of that specific blog as well as it could give more interest to your readers to comment on your guest post. One of the benefits of guest blogging is to help increase your domain authority.

So, you must act right now and start submitting your articles that are related to your niche, and see the info-graphic below as your guide on how to evaluate your guest blogging opportunity.

This info-graphic originally appeared at BuddingGeek - Where to submit your guest posts?

P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you enjoyed reading my blog. Thanks!

More Internet Marketing Advice That Will Maximize Your Profits

Internet marketing can be very useful and there are so many ways one can choose to promote their business. So whether you need more techniques to add to your own online marketing plan or if you're looking for a whole new plan, take a look at the tips listed below.

Importance of Typographical Hierarchy

TIP! Join online business boards and have them view things related to your website for free. They can freely evaluate your site, your sales letters, and much more.

Use some typographic hierarchy in your product descriptions by using the word "important" to call the reader's attention to a certain section of writing. This has to be bold enough to grab the attention of the reader, so that nothing will be missed when you have anything important to communicate about the product or about what is or is not offered.

Show some enthusiasm in what you're selling, by adding some of your personal excitement to your product descriptions. If people feel that you are interested and excited in what you offer, then many of them will feel that way too. It is like a personal connection to you, of sorts. Make sure that you have an "opt in" option available for customers' email. This will make them feel more comfortable - in giving their email address to you - knowing you are using it to keep them updated on your products and services. Make certain that you also include an "opt in" for things like contests as well as other future offers.

Creating Catchy Web Design for Your Visitors

TIP! Add more of a personal touch to your ad by writing the copy by hand. After you do that scan it and place it into your online ad.

Attention grabbing headlines and sub headlines on your site are the only way to get visitors to read the fine print! Your web design must strategically entice people into reading further. If you fill it with endless text or drab headlining you are bound to loose the attention of the reader and any potential sale.

Try developing a "PR" section on your site. This can really make you look credible and will attract more interest by what you have to offer. Make sure that it has a professional appearance like something that should appear in an e-zine, magazine or newspaper. This can be of anything that you do that is fascinating, like holding a big event, launching an unusual product or service, donating to charity, etc.

If anyone famous or well-known is a customer of yours or have used a product of yours, make certain to publish a list of their names for all of your customers to see. This gives you some serious credibility and makes customers want to trust you more when purchasing from your site.

Adding Privacy Policies

TIP! Start your own e-zine for your website. This can help your customers find out valuable information on your site, products, and offers, along with being able to visit your site from a link included somewhere in the content.

Add privacy policies and contact information someone on every page of your website to ensure that your customers can always find it if they need to. This can help them feel that they can trust you more easily. If you only had contact on one page and they were on another and wanted to contact you about that page, it could cause them to feel frustrated and leave without purchasing anything.

web marketing is an essential component to businesses everywhere. Businesses can utilize the internet to market their products and services. They do this by tailoring their marketing campaigns to the designated target markets based on overall geographic location, age, gender, occupation and other factors. This assist businesses in boosting their brand, sales and beyond.

Focus!

One key factor when finalizing your internet marketing approach is to keep in mind that no two companies

are exactly the same. It is important to focus on your specific market niche and what makes your company or service unique. Once you have decided what elements need to be highlighted, the rest of the strategy will be easy to finalize.

TIP! Life is not a movie about baseball (ever watch Field of Dreams?), therefore if you build it, they won't necessarily come. Make sure that your idea for your market is not a solution for a non-existing problem.

Hold special sales, generally around $1, to arouse interest with potential customers. Many people are really interested in dirt-cheap sales and will buy a lot of something that they like for that price. This also makes them more likely to purchase other items from your site, earning you an overall increase in sales.

Make sure that you participate on other online forums and message boards. You can provide answers to people's questions, ask your own questions, and post your own accurate information. Also include your site link in your signature if it's allowed in that community. This will attract more traffic to your site and most likely more sales for you.

Avoid Pop-up Ads

As an internet marketer with a website, you need to make sure that you're not annoying people with your ads. If you're using an ad server that has a pop-up, you can really drive people away. Having to wait 10 seconds to click the X when visiting a page is just pointless, so go with text or banner ads only and avoid those pop-ups.

TIP! Your company logo is very important to your internet marketing efforts. Take your time to develop a great logo.

For your online business try the "bill me later" option. Many customers like to pay right away. But there's other's who want to pay over a period of time. See if this option works for generating more sales and traffic to your website. You can do a trial period to determine if this works for you.

Try holding contests on your sites that involve buying the most of a product or overall products. You could offer them a total refund on their purchase price if this is something that you would be willing to implement. You could hold something like this monthly too. Many customers will purchase more just to try to get their order for free. Highlight your best attributes. If you have received any special recognition for great customer service or best new idea, put them on your website. Your customers will not think of this as bragging, rather, they will likely interpret it as a trustworthy way to choose your business over the many others available.

TIP! Aggressiveness in internet marketing is something that can backfire in a hurry. Your inclination may be to stuff any type of post with links and keywords, but discretion here is essential.

Designing a website to market your business online is an exciting yet challenging process, especially with all of the video and audio aids that you can use to enhance it. However, don't fall victim to the common mistake made by beginners of thinking that more is better. Even a brief Flash presentation, takes a long time to load and many consumers would rather move on to the next company's website than waste their time waiting. 

Pop-ups are nothing more than an annoyance to most buyers. Limit your use of photos and images, and make sure they are all relevant. If you choose to add audio to your website, give the consumer the choice of clicking on a button to hear it. A customer who is visiting your store while at work or one who is at home with a sleeping baby within earshot, isn't going to appreciate music or sales pitches that play automatically.

Developing new hobbies in online marketing is a great way to turn your downtime into money-making time. For instance, instead of watching an hour's worth of YouTube videos for a little entertainment, get in the habit of tinkering with Photoshop. You can create business materials as a hobby and help your business expand.

Ask for testimonials. Testimonials are a great way to increase your customer trust and satisfaction, as they show that other customers also enjoy and respect your business and services. They give potential customers an insider's view of what to expect from you, which may boost your credibility and keep customers coming back.

TIP! Most online forums and communities will give you reputation points for active participation and for being a good all-around member. This can be important for your internet marketing efforts.

Wise internet marketers always know to step away from the computer. If you're having one of those proverbial days where things just aren't going well, step away from the screen before things really start to snowball. Go clear your head for a while and then come back to work later.

Use a professional email address. If you are willing to set up a website for your business, you should have a professional email to go with it. Try using something affiliated with your site, and keep it simple enough to remember and store. Using a personal email will overflow your inbox and keep you from reaching your customers effectively.

Your website pages need to contain different keywords for SEO purposes, but they also need a complete physical address and not a generic or abbreviated address. This is not only for proper function but also so people can easily navigate your website once they're visiting. You can also use a different keyword in each address if you're savvy enough. Internet marketing can be a very effective tool to have in your arsenal for whatever business needs you may have. You may already have a good site and want to know how to promote it further, or you may want to learn something new for your marketing plan. No matter your reasons, hopefully the tips above helped.

P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you enjoyed reading my blog. Thanks!