There are a number of reasons why individuals want to find and use guest bloggers. The most notable reason in past years was the exchange of links for content; if you allow someone to plug themselves in a piece of quality content, then the resulting credibility with search engines that you would gain made it all worth it. These days, however, search engines are becoming increasingly critical of guest blogging spots and can tell when some sites are exploiting the practice. Because of this, there are now times and scenarios in which using or being a guest blogger pays off, and other times in which it can harm you. If you are curious about when to let guest bloggers on your site and when not to, then continue reading to find out the differences in these situations.

Search Engine Guidelines

It is against search engine guidelines to demand or require the inclusion of a link in any form of content. It is acceptable, however, for someone to ask for a link in the content in exchange for it being published. This is a fairly broad loophole, but be sure that your content is organic. Those who write content from a mechanical perspective may create issues for themselves and the sites to which they publish in the form of their writing style; if their keywords are oversaturated or the content is too optimized for their benefit, then it can negatively impact search engine rankings. It should also be noted that content with links to sites that use black hat or questionable SEO tactics can impact a site’s ability to rank in results when repeatedly utilized. Because of this, some webmasters will be hesitant to enlist your services and allow you to begin pinging URLs.

Reaching New Readers

You can use guest blogging primarily as a way to expand your blog’s horizon and gain exposure in new markets. If somebody reads your article on another blog or site and enjoys the content, then they will be more inclined to click on your link and see what else you have to offer. It should serve as an inspiration, then, to produce quality content over quantity content. Those who try to squeeze out milled articles will no doubt find themselves not being invited back to write for a given website or blog.

Earning Brand Recognition

Each time you are pinging URLs through a form of guest blogging, you are making an impression on readers and search engines alike. This process can ultimately add up to equal serious benefits in the world of search engine optimization, social media and content marketing methods. In many cases, these benefits are very subtle and any one article might not produce any measurable effect. When this process is replicated many times over, however, you will begin to see an increase in traffic, mentions on social media and boost in sales (if applicable) as a result. As more and more entities begin to trust you, exposure increases and the process continues to snowball.