Monday, 12 October 2015 14:55

The dangers of guest post blogging

The recent change to the way in which Google ranks websites and pages has led to a surge in offsite blogging. It is a phenomenon which appears to be intent on staying around for some time, and as such will bring new issues to the ‘table of quality’ which Google presides over.

There will be a surge in guest posting over the next twelve to eighteen months, and with it a lowering of standards and quality in the writing. The danger is that quality and standards will fall as more people take it up.


Quality is paramount

Make sure your guest writers are posting quality material on your behalf; otherwise you could see your site fall down the Google rankings faster than the mercury in a Siberian thermometer. The strategy of guest blogging is not something new; however, the increasing volume of guest bloggingis a new phenomenon and it is bringing lower standards with it.

Guest posting is all about the creation of interesting, readable pieces of work which are factual, informative, entertaining and engaging. Although the written pieces are intended to create links which point to a particular website, the items have to be well written, structured and grammatically correct. The danger now is that unscrupulous agencies and/or individuals are going to cash in on this big time.

Your responsibility

Ultimately the buck stops with you. If you are authorising and/or paying someone to post written items on your behalf, they will forever be associated with your company, products and brand. Remember that your written piece which has been posted offsite will reflect on your business, and it may be read by thousands of potential visitors/customers.

Poor grammar and poorly written pieces will turn many people away; chances are they will consider the piece they are reading will simply lead them to a site which is just as poorly laid out, and lacks cohesion and stability. Many readers will wonder (quite rightly) if the customer service they might receive will be as poor as the standard of writing.

Where are your offsite posts being posted?

As well as having offsite posts placed on highly visible and relevant blog sites, you’ll also want the items to be read as well. A well crafted thoroughly researched written piece of work will reflect well on the business the links are pointing to. In addition, the better the quality and relevance of the post the better it will be for raising your website business in Google and other search engine rankings.

If you engage a digital marketing agency to work on your behalf, make sure the company employs its own writers, proofreaders and editors. These individuals or teams will write, proofread and edit items prior to publishing ensuring quality and relevancy is maintained at all times.

Ask the agency where they post and what their minimum standards are. Ask to see any previous work which they have created on behalf of their clients. It is little to ask, but if the response is a positive one you can be certain the company has what it takes.

Remember, a poor workman blames his tools. The tools in this case are the writers and editors. It is your responsibility to ensure that the work created on your behalf is top quality and will reflect well on your business.

Business

  • 1

Sponsored

  • 1