Guest posting is a topic that sparks a lot of debate in the SEO world. Some consider it an effective strategy while others claim it is just a spam practice. After three years of intensive research and testing, I’ve come to some conclusions that may surprise you.
What is a guest post?
Guest posting is the act of publishing content on another website to gain exposure or backlinks. For example, a plumber might write a post for an electrician’s website because the topics are somehow related. In SEO, guest posts are mainly used as a link building strategy and according to a Survey by Authority Hackerit remains the most popular tactic among link builders.
Aren’t guest posts spam?
When I first started experimenting with guest posting, I was convinced that it was a spam strategy. I hired a company that claimed to write “white hat” guest posts, but the results made me wonder how “white hat” it really was.
The websites they used were clearly designed for SEO purposes, with “submit post” buttons at the top and content filled with ads. Websites where the “Submit Post” button is clearly visible are often a red flag. Reputable websites usually vet their content contributors carefully. If someone is able to submit a post, it is probably a website created solely for SEO purposes.
Do guest posts work for SEO?
Despite my doubts, I decided to test guest posts to see if they could add value. I hired a company to create six guest post links for a test site. To my surprise, it worked – at least initially. Organic rankings increased after two months of only publishing a few guest posts per month.
However, the success did not last long. The next month we lost all profits.
The main problem with guest posting, especially on low-quality sites, is that the ranking advantage it gives you is often not long-lasting. As Google continues to deindex spam sites, the usefulness of these links is decreasing. Over time, these links lose value and the rankings they boosted begin to decline.
Case Study: Rejection of a Home Services Customer
One of my clients in the home services industry experienced a significant drop in traffic after an algorithm update last year. They had hired another company to do link building and within two years had built 425 links – mostly through guest posts.
Here’s what I discovered:
Every time we optimized a page, traffic increased. When the link building company added guest posts, traffic increased even more.
However, after an update to the core algorithm, their traffic began to steadily decline.
Many of the links came from pages that were no longer in Google’s index, which explained the drop in traffic.
How to avoid guest posting pitfalls
- Check website indexing: One of the most important factors to check is whether the page your link is on is still indexed by Google. If this is not the case, this link will not transfer any value to your website.
- Check traffic patterns: If a website that links to you experiences a decline in traffic, your link is likely losing value as well. Use tools like Ahrefs to analyze traffic patterns and avoid websites that are overloaded.
- Quality over quantity: Instead of focusing on how many guest posts you can get, prioritize the quality of the site and content. A few well-placed, high-quality links can be more effective than dozens of links from low-quality sites.
Guest Posting vs. Other SEO Strategies
One of the biggest problems with guest posting at scale is that it can undo itself over time. Google continues to improve its algorithms to detect and de-index low-quality content. So guest posting might provide a temporary boost, but the long-term benefit is questionable.
For a more sustainable SEO approach, I recommend focusing on building high-quality links on legitimate, high-traffic websites. Sure, this method takes longer, but the results last much longer than you can expect from a quick guest posting strategy.
Conclusion: Is posting guest posts worth it?
Guest posting can work, but you need to be careful where you publish. Spam websites or oversized guest posts can cause pages to be de-indexed and rankings lost. In contrast, high-quality guest posts on reputable sites can provide a significant boost.
If you have tried guest posting or have any questions about link building strategies, leave a comment below! I would love to hear your experiences.
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