How to Find Blogs and Publications for Guest Outreach

So, you’re hunting for blogs and publications that accept guest posts, so you can establish more backlinks and beef up your site’s SEO. But posting content on just any old blog isn’t going to get you very far unless the website has a wide reach and appeals to real readers. Guest outreach strategy requires more exploration and research.

The internet is like a towering mountain of trash, and you have to sort through the fluff until you find some diamonds in the rough. Of course, you can always go fishing for major publications like Forbes or the Wall Street Journal, but it’s usually best to start landing some minnows before trying to catch Moby Dick.

If you’re confused, join the club. 55% of B2B marketers say they are unclear on what content marketing success or effectiveness looks like.

Building up a robust portfolio of backlinks doesn’t happen overnight. You need to ease yourself into the process by going after some low-hanging fruit like other small businesses, niche or geotargeted blogs, or emerging micro-influencers.

These blogs and websites are much more likely to accept your pitch, and you’ll be one step closer to wooing over those massive publications with millions of readers you’ve had your eye on.

Finding Niche Blogs and Publications Related to Your Industry

To start your search, try Googling key search terms related to your business with the word “blog” next to them. You’re bound to find a bunch of small to mid-sized businesses and publications that cater to your industry.

Try to create a list with as many websites as possible. We’re casting a wide net here, so don’t get too attached to any one publication or blog, even if they seem like the holy grail of guest posting opportunities.

You can also try structuring your list with the most appealing blogs at the top and some so-so websites at the bottom. Many of your outreach pitches will crash and burn, so don’t be too picky when compiling your list.

Remember, there are over 75 million blogs on WordPress alone. So, you have your work cut out for you when doing guest outreach.

Searching for Guest Posts

You can also try Googling search terms related to your industry with the words “Guest Post”. This saves you a lot of extra time and hassle because your list will be filled with publications that actually accept guest posts. Pretty simple right?

Let’s use gardening as an example. A simple Google search with the words “guest post gardening” leads to dozens of potential guest outreach opportunities.

You’re bound to run into a bunch of promotional pieces that don’t really move the needle when it comes to SEO. Feel free to jot them down on your list but keep going until you have some more established websites on your list with a proven track record of delivering quality content.

Research Potential Blogs and Publications

Now that you have some options to work with, it’s time to thoroughly vet some of these blogs and publications so you know they’re legit.

After all, pitching and writing guest posts is time consuming, so you don’t want to waste your time establishing a guest post relationship if it’s not going to add value to your website.

As Ron Dawson, Blog Editor of Frame.io writes, “The first thing you need to decide when you build your blog is what you want to accomplish with it, and what it can do if successful.” There’s no point in investing all this time in a guest post unless you have an idea of what you want to accomplish.

Here’s a checklist for vetting any kind of blog or publication:

• What kind of content do they have? Is it something that will interest your target audience?
• Check out their social media pages. Do they have an audience or is it just a bunch of Twitter robots from Russia?
• If they have guest posts from other businesses or websites, are these the kinds of companies you want to be associated with?

Once You’re Accepted

Remember that, if these websites accept your pitch, they will be an extension of your company’s brand. You don’t want to get looped in with a bunch of mediocre websites that can’t take you and your website where you want to go.

Think of backlinks as a stepping stone, slowing building up your website’s authority one guest post at a time.

Ideally, any website that you’re thinking of pitching to should have the following:

• A strong or respectable social media presence
• Guest posts to other, reputable websites
• Reliable readers that might actually care about what you have to sell

Conclusion

Compiling a list of blogs and publications for guest posts isn’t exactly a walk in the park. You’re encounter a lot of dead-ends, false leads, and some truly disappointing websites.

If it all seems like more than you can handle, you can get in touch with the PR professionals at AWC. We’re here to take your guest posts to the next level!