How to handle emails? Are you getting requests, or offers, I guess, for guest posts and guest articles? Chances are if you have a blog of any popularity or notoriety in a popular niche market then you’re going to get these requests on occasion. Especially since guest blogging has been counted as pretty good way to get links or spread your name around the interwebs. Whether or not that’s true anymore is debatable. Especially since Google’s map cuts has been sharing some information about being careful with some of those methods. And it’s continually changing. Those crazy guys. It’s like they want to be in business or something.
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But it basically boils down to, do you think that a guest post from someone else would contribute anything valuable to your readers and your website overall? If so then consider it. But have some rules. For instance, you must approve the content and have some leeway on modifying it as is, I mean, as you see fit. And they need to be okay with that before even spending time writing it for you.
Plus I would suggest only allowing them one link in an author bio box type thing. And no links throughout the article. And that link has to be approved by you before it’s all said and done. And pretty much, if you’re taking care and keeping the tight reigns on it, hey you got a free piece of content. And maybe you’re building a relationship. That’s good.
I do have one caveat though. I had some time ago I was accepting guest posts and what not. I’ve since closed it off. I don’t need any more content. I can generate tons and tons like crazy. And most of the time it was way too promotional. But it ended up being an article from a representative from Ring Central. And you know, no big deal. Okay they have what has been called a good service. I wouldn’t know. I don’t use them. And the article was good.
It was, that’s another thing – you need to check for plagiarism and unique content. It was unique content. Didn’t look spun or anything. Made sense. Was useful. Well, I unfortunately allowed them to put an extra couple of links in the article. I checked them and everything and they were fine. One of them led back to apparently a redirected subdomain that they had but was to a legitimate article that was related useful information. So I thought nothing of it. Right? Well I just so happened, about 2 weeks later, decided to check that post.
I don’t know whether it was for statistics or what not. But I went in there and double checked all the links again. I have a plug-in that automatically checks for broken links. But for some reason I just felt like I needed to go check this post. And it turned out that link they had back to their website, they had changed the page to be a redirect to one of their sales pages.
I mean, you talk about underhanded goofiness. I swear. It was about that I decided to shut off guest posts as a matter of fact. Because one, I’m just not going to have time to go back and check things over again. It’s ridiculous.
So watch out for that. There’s some shenanigans sometimes. But otherwise it boils down to do you think it will add value to your website? Is it good for your website? Your business? And your overall goals? If it’s not? Ignore the email. Move on. Piece of cake. That’s it. That email is handled and you’re better off. Right? Okay. Interweb on and peace out.