Guest blogging is often confusing for writers, as you have to deliver your expertise in someone else’s tone and style.
Yes, websites might adore your industry experience.
But they also want you to follow their guidelines.
While some pages aren’t too selective, if you’re targeting the best resources, content quality alone isn’t enough. No matter how counterintuitive it sounds.
So, what does a successful guest post submission take?
If you’re asking that question, or you’re one of those 47% of marketers who use guest blogging, this guide is for you.
What you will learn
- Proven best practices for writing successful guest posts that get accepted
Here are 13 top guest blog writing tips — learned from getting over 340 articles accepted.
1. Choose topics within your expertise
If you want your guest blog writing to be successful, write about what you know.
When pitching, many guest posters simply suggest topic ideas that fit the target site. While this is great, you first need to ask yourself if you have enough insights to share on that subject.
This way, you can both write high-quality content and increase your chances of acceptance.
For example, taking B2B marketing advice from someone who has 20 years of experience in the niche just makes more sense.
But what if this same author decided to guest post for a gardening blog?
All that experience would mean nothing.
2. Ask for guest post guidelines
When it comes to marketing, we often have to assume many things. And then test them.
Yet, guest blogging isn’t one of them.
Simply asking for writing guidelines can save you hours of guessing and editing. And help you avoid unnecessary back-and-forth with the site owner.
First, after you find a guest blogging opportunity, check their pitch requirements.
You don’t want to sound too generic when pitching your articles. Sure, templates are a big part of effective blogger outreach.
But it isn’t about blindly copy-pasting if you want your guest blogging strategy to work.
Once you pass this stage, the site owner or editor will likely share their style guide.
In case they don’t, just ask for it.
But be prepared that most top-ranking blogs for guest posting will have a huge style guide and a very thorough editorial process.
So, dedicate at least an hour to studying it.
Those who are new to guest blogging and just want to know what to expect can find some guides online.
Many websites openly share their guest post submission guidelines (at least parts of them).
3. Match the style of the site you’re guest blogging for
If there is one major difference between an article for your own blog and a guest post, it’s the style.
Guest blogging, by definition, suggests writing for someone else’s website. And we know that guests don’t make the rules, they follow them.
The guidelines you get will already hint at how to write your guest post.
But usually, it’s not enough.
So, here are the best things you can do before writing a guest post:
- Go through the articles by your target website’s in-house team.
- Check out what other guest bloggers write for them.
- Ask about their audience and its proficiency in your topic.
- And discuss other small details the guide might not cover, like the usage of humor, memes, AI-generated images, etc.
Writing for a quirky blog like this is one thing:
But crafting a post for a technical, corporate website like that is a whole different game:
This is exactly why guest blog writing might seem complicated.
If you aren’t used to adjusting your writing styles, it can be overwhelming.
If it’s challenging, just stick to all the structural and “technical” guidelines. However, when it comes to tone, make sure it reflects your own voice.
Otherwise, you might end up feeling robotic.
4. Follow best writing practices
Everyone knows how important it is to make your copy skimmable.
In fact, it’s scary how essential it is. According to an old NN group study, most people will only read around 20% of a typical blog post.
This number might be even lower these days.
Put simply, you either make your copy skimmable, or most people won't even read it.
But how do you do that?
Many editorial guidelines will cover writing basics. These normally include some tips on readability.
But if they don’t, let’s cover some of the fundamentals briefly.
You can use them for any article, really.
- Use shorter sentences with one idea per sentence.
- Limit your paragraphs to 4 lines or less.
- Always structure your blog with subheadings (H2, H3, and H4), bullet points, and numbered lists.
- Check your readability with Hemingway Editor and keep it below grade 9.
- Support your words with visuals, data, social media posts, and anything else that helps you prove your point and improve readability.
And above all, be as clear and concise as possible.
Sometimes, all you need to deliver an idea is one or two sentences.
Sure, blogging can’t be as brief as ad copy, but there are several things we can learn from it.
5. Optimize your article
Even though a guest article won’t bring you organic traffic, you still have to optimize your content.
There is an obvious reason for that.
The better your guest blog ranks, the higher your chances of getting noticed and receiving some referral traffic.
Besides, delivering an SEO-friendly article is the least thing you can do for a website that agrees to get your guest post published.
If the editor sees that your written guest post is already optimized, they'd be more willing to accept it.
If you’re using Surfer's free keyword extension, you’ll see the keywords right in the SERPs.
But if you want to go all manual, do the following:
- Simply check blogs that rank for that query. What keywords are they using?
- Use Autocomplete when typing in Google's search box.
- Check the People Also Ask section.
- Go through the related searches.
Just write down all your potential keywords, and then add them to your guest post.
- Use your main keyword in your H1, meta title, and meta description.
- Include some of them in your H2 and H3.
- Insert keywords naturally throughout your copy without being spammy. Google doesn’t like that.
- Don’t obsess over keyword density, but don’t stuff your text with keywords either.
That’s it! You’re done with basic search engine optimization.
But this process can be ambiguous and take time.
Surfer is perfect for writers who don’t want to think too much about optimization and want to focus on the writing.
In less than a minute, you’ll have an editor ready with all the information you need to optimize your guest blog:
- Outline suggestions and links to the competing articles.
- Suggested word count and number of headings, paragraphs, and images.
- And, of course, keywords and their suggested usage frequency in both body and headings.
I usually use Surfer right in Google Docs with the Chrome extension.
6. Support your experience with data
Why do blog owners choose to accept guest posts?
For some, it’s an additional income stream — sure.
But more than that, it’s a way to get fresh perspectives that can attract more traffic, increase shares, and expand their audience.
That’s why your real-life experience and personal stories are invaluable. Still, every great guest post needs data and solid research to support your claims.
For example, what sounds more credible to you?
A bunch of random growth marketing tips — no research to support them, no author bio, no proof of expertise.
Or a guide like this?
So, don’t hold back your personal insights. But also add credibility with some relevant stats where they fit.
7. Write simply, but adapt to the audience
Writing in an accessible language is one of the hardest skills, especially for the topics you’re good at. But clear and concise language is very important for readers to understand you.
Most guest bloggers assume that something is clear.
But it might not be like that for the audience, especially when you’re dealing with someone else’s blog readers.
That’s why, before you start writing, ask the website editor about their people.
What is their expertise? And their needs?
Sometimes, they might be highly knowledgeable in your subject. That’s when you can skip basic explanations.
While this shouldn’t influence the ease of delivery, it will definitely result in different content.
Outbrain’s audience is mostly media companies of all sizes.
Not all of them will be proficient in marketing. So, they use simple language and cover the basic concepts instead of assuming their readers will understand.
With guest post writing, you don’t really know what type of audience you’re dealing with.
So, make sure to ask.
Sometimes, though, website owners will specifically state not to use “What is …?” or “Why is … important?” in your headings.
Just keep that in mind and write for their readers.
8. Add examples and visuals
When BuzzSumo analyzed 1 million articles, they discovered just how important images are.
A blog post with one visual per 75-100 words got twice as many shares as a post with fewer pictures.
It works simply because images, social media posts, and videos break up those unreadable text walls.
This helps your readers get to the end of your guest post more easily.
And get there at all, whether they’re reading or skimming.
The rule of thumb you can use is to add an image at every scroll depth.
But the idea isn’t to use some random stock pictures. Your visuals have to add more value to your guest post readers.
The same goes for examples.
When you explain what you mean by showing a real-life situation, your readers can relate and actually understand your point.
Often, a good example is what leads to that “aha” moment.
For instance, in this article, the author could just tell you what to do. But instead, they showed you how to do that with both an example and a visual.
9. Don’t get spammy or overly promotional
Some of the biggest reasons why we are looking for guest post opportunities are link building, PR, and brand awareness.
So, sometimes, guest writers can get way too salesy or go overboard with their links.
Every website has different linking policies. Some will only allow your link in bio. Others won’t let you link to a home page.
Typically, the better the website, the stricter they are.
That said, one thing is consistent: any link you add should lead to complementary content. In fact, there is nothing wrong with external linking — it’s much needed for SEO.
It just has to add value, not sell.
For example, here is the link policy for Search Engine Journal. It summarizes most of the things website editors watch out for.
So, ask editors about their link policies from the start.
Checking other guest posts can also give you a better understanding of how to use links properly.
10. Include internal links
Most websites will also mention the usage of internal links in their guest post guidelines.
But even if they don’t, it’s your responsibility as a guest blogger to find some complementary articles and include them in your piece.
Why should you care about internal linking?
- It improves the crawlability of the host site (including your guest blog).
- Your readers can find more relevant information.
- You look better in the eyes of the website owner because you care.
The only important thing here is to keep your internal links and their anchors relevant.
For example, in the screenshot below, the author talks about SEO reporting and links to related blog content that expands this topic.
11. Avoid relying on AI
Are you already rolling your eyes at this?
It’s no secret that most websites without strict quality control are full of generated content. We all get it — it’s easy and fast.
Google only values content that’s unique and genuinely useful.
The problem with only using AI content is that a seasoned editor will flag it immediately. Use AI in your research and drafting process, but be sure to humanize AI writing before submissions.
So, how can you use AI to create high-quality guest posts that align with Google policies?
- Organize your thoughts.
- Brainstorm.
- Summarize big research papers.
- Search for specific data.
These are just some of the use cases. But whatever you do, don’t copy-paste robotic AI-generated text.
Blog editors may use AI detectors when you submit a guest post even if they're not 100% reliable.
So, save yourself some trouble by humanizing any AI-generated text.
12. Do your best, but don’t be too hard on yourself
Often, when writing a guest post, especially for a resource you deeply respect, you get the feeling that it isn’t good enough.
Frankly, that’s why this article took me longer than it would normally do.
I always try to give as much insight as I can. And make my guest posts as valuable for the reader as possible.
But here is the thing — no matter how much you try, you can’t squeeze everything into one single post.
So, do your best, but set your self-doubt aside. After all, if you're having these thoughts, chances are you're writing something at least halfway decent.
I often come back to what Ernest Hemingway wrote in a letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald.
“One page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shi@.” You know…
Sure, a guest article isn’t a literary masterpiece.
But even one of the greatest writers of the 20th century admitted how hard it is to craft something that truly hits the mark.
So really, you're doing just fine.
13. Treat each guest blog post as your own
This final tip is more about your mindset than any hard skill.
Sure, nothing can compare to writing for your own website and your own audience.
But when someone gives you an opportunity to submit a guest post to their page, you have to respect that.
Every guest blogger has to value this chance to connect with a different audience and share some insights with them.
So, write your guest content like it’s for your own site. Just with their readers in mind.
And if you’re ever stuck, follow this good old advice by Scott Adams (the best 271-word reminder).
Takeaways
Most bloggers worry about how to find guest posting opportunities. But in reality, it’s just the beginning.
The hardest part starts when you open your new, blank doc.
- Choose guest post topics within your expertise to provide valuable and credible content.
- Always ask for and carefully follow the blog's guest post guidelines to increase your chances of acceptance.
- Match the style and tone of the host blog while maintaining your authentic voice.
- Optimize your guest posts for SEO by including relevant keywords, internal links, and supporting data.
- Avoid overly promotional content and respect the host site's linking policies.
- Treat each guest post as if it were for your own blog, focusing on delivering real value to the blog audience.
Now, you have several best practices to help you through this process and create the best guest posts.
Still, all those tips aside, the main idea of this article is that guest posting works well only when a contributing writer actually cares.
