Why Guest Posting May Hurt
Google is really trying to clean up the Inter-net's act. That means that unnatural links aren't considered very important in Google's eyes. What's an unnatural link? Let's say that you visit hundreds of blogs throughout the next week, and you decide to write a basic (and boring) post for all of those blogs. You then add your link to the posts you write. That's all good, right?
Not so fast. You see, guest posting is only a good idea if the sites you're thinking about posting on are quality sites. What the heck is a quality site? For starters, that site has to have a Google ranking of more than 3. If you're looking at sites that rank in the 1-2 area, you probably want to find a different place to post.
Tools to Use
Thankfully, there are some simple ways to determine whether or not a site ranks highly – without actually looking up every single site you come across. Simply download one of two (or both) options:
- Google ranking plugin for Firefox or Chrome
- SEO MOZ free ranking tool for Chrome or Firefox
Both of these tools are free and easy to use. Simply access one of both of these plugins when you visit a site, and you will see the exact breakdown of that site. Google ranks sites on a scale of 1-10, so keep that in mind when you're looking at rankings (most quality sites are around the 5+ mark).
SEO Moz has different ranking scales, so make sure to read through the Moz ranking criteria when you sign up for this free plugin option. When you use both tools, you can make pretty sure that the site you're posting on is a quality site. Why does it matter?
Why Spam Sites Make a Difference
You don't want your website associated with a site that functions as mere spam. You just don't. Why? Because Google will then associate your site with that spam site, so your site will be marked as spam too. I know, it's not particularly fair, but that's the way it is.
Still, some people argue that the only kinds of links that you really want are the natural kind. What are natural links? Links that are generated simply because your content is awesome. If you write a piece for a blog that really goes viral, people will share your stuff just because it's awesome. Those are the kinds of links you really want to get.
Can you post on mediocre sites as a guest blogger? Sure; but be careful about where you post. Make sure that the site you are posting to is relevant to your topic. If you write about aerospace, for example, don't post on blogs about pets. See what I mean? Google isn't foolish, so make sure to be careful about where you post!