Guest posting can be an incredibly effective strategy for SaaS businesses looking to build authority, increase website traffic, and boost conversions. By publishing high-quality content on reputable sites in your industry, you can establish your business as a thought leader, earn valuable backlinks, and drive qualified visits to your website.
However, guest posting the wrong way can also do more harm than good. Low-quality contributions to irrelevant or spammy sites will not move the needle. In fact, it can damage your site’s reputation.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of guest posting the right way. From selecting the best sites to pitch, crafting compelling content, optimizing for SEO, making connections with editors, promoting your posts, and tracking results. Follow these best practices and you’ll be well on your way to leveraging the power of guest posting to take your SaaS business to the next level.
Choosing the Right Sites for SaaS Guest Posting
The very first step is identifying which blogs and websites are worth pitching guest posts to. Not all sites will benefit your SaaS business, so you need to be selective. Here’s how to create a targeted list of high-value guest posting opportunities:
Use Competitor Analysis to Identify Potential Sites
Start by looking at where your top competitors have guest posted in the past. Use a backlink analysis tool like Ahrefs to see all the domains currently linking back to your competitors’ websites. This will surface blogs and sites your competitors have likely published guest posts on.
However, just because a competitor has guest posted somewhere doesn’t automatically make it a good fit for you too. You still need to vet these sites.
Evaluate Site Metrics Like Traffic, Domain Authority, and Trust Flow
For each potential guest posting target uncovered, evaluate:
– Monthly organic search traffic – Aim for 5,000+ visitors per month
– Domain Authority – Should be 50+
– Trust Flow – Look for a score of at least 20+
You want sites that are established authorities in your space and attract decent search traffic. These metrics will help you filter out low-value options.
Create a Shortlist of High-Quality Sites Relevant to Your Niche
Based on the above criteria, you should now have a shortlist of high-authority websites that align with your SaaS niche. Resist the urge to guest post on every site that will accept you. Quality over quantity is key here.
You now have your targets for outreach. Let’s move on to crafting content that will grab these sites’ attention.
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Developing Valuable Content Ideas
When pitching guest posts, you need to come to the table with compelling ideas tailored to each blog or website. Here’s how to develop content ideas editors won’t be able to resist:
Research the Target Site’s Existing Content
Thoroughly analyze the type of content your target sites are already publishing. Look for common themes, formats, and subject matter. This will give you an idea of what their audience responds well to.
You can also look for gaps where a topic is underserved. Just make sure your idea still aligns with their core content.
Use Tools Like Buzzsumo to Find Their Most Popular Posts
BuzzSumo is an invaluable tool for guest posting research. Input any URL and it will show you the most socially shared content for that site. Look at recent popular posts and see if any could be expanded into a new piece from a unique angle.
Identify Gaps and Opportunities for New Content
By now you should have a solid grasp of the target site’s content style and themes. Identify opportunities for new topics and formats that would provide value for their audience.
Brainstorm guest post ideas around these content gaps. Look for ways you can provide a new perspective while aligning with the site’s core focus.
Choose Keywords to Optimize Around
Using Keyword Planner and other keyword research tools, find relevant long-tail keywords with decent search volume that relate to your guest post topic ideas. Choose one primary keyword to optimize each post around.
These keywords will also help shape your final pitch titles to show editorial value. Let’s look at optimizing your actual posts now.
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Optimizing Your SaaS Guest Posting for SEO
In addition to providing value for the site’s audience, your guest posts should be strategically optimized to benefit your own SaaS business. Here are some tips:
Carefully Incorporate Target Keywords Into Content
Naturally work your target keyword and related phrases into your post content. Get them into headlines, opening sentences, body copy, captions, etc. But avoid over-optimization. Readers come first.
Use Strategic Internal Links and Anchor Text
Most blogs will allow 1-2 outbound links. Point these to your most relevant and high-value content, using anchor text with your target SEO keywords.
Include Optimized Author Bio and Links
Your author bio is prime real estate for links. Include a brief bio highlighting your expertise, and link back to your site and/or specific content using strong keyword anchor text.
By following SEO best practices, your guest posts will effectively boost your own site and content while adding value for the host site. Now let’s look at making connections with editors.
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Making Connections and Pitching to Editors
With ideas for high-value content in hand, it’s time to connect with site editors and pitch your guest post. Here are tips for effectively doing so:
Find the Right Editors and Writers on LinkedIn
Search for your target sites on LinkedIn and look under their People tab to identify editors, content writers, community managers, and other contacts. Connect with them through personalized invites.
Send a Warm, Professional Pitch Email
Once connected, briefly introduce yourself and your appreciation for their site. Mention relevant posts you’ve engaged with. Then outline 2-3 guest post topic ideas you have in a short paragraph each. Close by linking to examples of your existing published work.
Provide Possible Titles and Content Ideas Upfront
Coming to the table with polished topic ideas and titles shows you’ve done your homework. Having sample outlines ready if requested is also powerful. Make their job easy by handing over near-complete posts.
Following these tips will help your pitch stand out and eliminate much of the back-and-forth with busy editors. Now let’s discuss amplifying your posts.
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Promoting Your SaaS Guest Posting
Don’t make the mistake of publishing a piece then walking away. You should actively promote every guest post to maximize exposure. Here are some proven promotional tactics:
Share Posts on Social Media and Email Lists
At a minimum, share your guest posts through all your social media accounts and email lists. Encourage others to share as well. Leverage your own audiences first.
Link to Posts from Your Site and Other Content
Place links pointing back to each guest post from relevant pages and content on your own site. This builds more contextual backlinks.
Monitor Backlinks, Referral Traffic, and Rankings
Use Google Analytics, Search Console, Ahrefs, and Moz to track referral traffic, backlinks gained, and keyword/content rankings resulting from each post.
Driving traffic and building links should not end after publication. Continue promoting guest posts over time through your digital channels.
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Measuring Results and Identifying New Opportunities
A successful guest posting strategy requires diligent tracking of results and continually finding new opportunities. Here are some metrics and methods to incorporate:
Track Traffic, Leads, Sales From Each Guest Post
Leverage UTM parameters to monitor site traffic, form fills, and revenue generated directly from each guest post. This shows you the real business value received.
Find New Potential Sites and Build Relationships
Add new blogs and websites to your outreach list on an ongoing basis. Prioritize sites where you can develop connections with editors for repeat posts.
Continue Promoting Old Posts for Long-Term Gains
Look for ways to breathe new life into old posts. Mention them in new content, re-share them on social media, and link to them from other sites. Their value can continue compounding over time.
By continually posting, promoting, and tracking performance, you can perpetually grow your guest posting returns. But this needs to be done ethically.
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SaaS Guest Posting Best Practices and Common Pitfalls to Avoid
While guest posting offers many benefits, some common mistakes can damage your site’s reputation. Here are best practices to keep in mind:
Provide Genuine Value for the Audience
Posts should be written to benefit the site’s readers first and foremost, not just to get a link. Stick closely to the site’s editorial guidelines and avoid overly self-promotional content.
Follow All Guidelines and Instructions
Before pitching any website, read their guest posting guidelines thoroughly. Adhere to all requests around editorial process, content promotion, etc. Respect each site’s specific constraints.
Don’t Over-Optimize or Over-Promote
Avoid keyword stuffing or forcing too many backlinks into a post. While SEO matters, obsessive optimization will lead to rejection. Remember that readability is still key.
By avoiding these missteps and sticking to ethical practices, you will build positive relationships that can lead to repeat guest posting opportunities.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Implementing an effective guest posting strategy requires research, relationship building, SEO optimization, and persistence. But for SaaS businesses who do it right, it can pay huge dividends in the form of increased authority, website traffic, leads, and sales.
To recap, focus on identifying and vetting the top blogs and sites related to your niche. Invest time crafting compelling content ideas tailored to each site. Optimize posts for SEO without compromising quality. Build connections with editors and properly promote your posts once published.
By sticking to these best practices for guest posting, you will see your SaaS business and content gain more visibility and conversion potential. Just remember that true success requires playing the long game. Consistently build your guest posting efforts over time, track results closely, and continue reaching out to new opportunities.
