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If You Want To Guest Post, Think
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Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content , with 750K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.
Posted 4.28.26
Subject: Guest Post Collaboration
Hi,
I’m interested in writing a guest post for your website. I can provide an article on a topic related to your niche and include a link back to my site. Please let me know if you accept guest posts. I look forward to hearing from you.
Every week, I receive emails (like this one) from writers who want to submit posts on one of my websites.
If you want to build momentum as a writer, guest posting is a powerful tactic. Instead of waiting months or years to grow your own site, you can get instant access to an existing audience … build your portfolio … earn credibility by association in your niche.
But before you shoot off your next guest post pitch, increase your chances of success when you understand what site owners need.
What is a guest post?
A guest post is a piece of content that you write for a site other than your own, whether it’s for a large brand, a small biz, or a solo blogger.
The host may edit your work before publishing your post. You get a byline and links back to your own site or products.
It’s a strategy that expands your reach. Your post gives you exposure to another blogger’s audience, builds your authority, and creates backlinks to your own site. You may or may not get paid for a guest post, but you get exposure (which is priceless).
- Guest posting is different than writing a piece of content for your own site. The guest post now lives on someone else’s site.
- Guest posting is also different than content writing for hire, where you serve as a ghost and get paid for writing pages and posts for someone else.
What site owners want from a guest post
Between my 3 sites and the dozen or so that I’ve managed for clients, I’ve seen plenty of guest post submissions. Site owners have solid reasons for accepting guest posts … and for not.
It’s the wise writer who understands what a site owner needs and doesn’t need from a potential post contributor.
Why do site owners accept guest posts?
Guest posts offer free content
If you’re a site owner, you understand that writing and posting quality content eats up oodles of time. So when a talented writer approaches you with a well-optimized, fact-checked, ready-to-go post — well, it’s a relief.
And if the submission targets new keywords and brings in new readers because the writer promotes it on their own network — well, who wouldn’t want that? You get a time saver plus a way to build your site and your audience.
Guest posts offer expertise
magine Ramona is a blogger who runs a well-loved site about growing roses. She’s covered pruning, fertilizing, and choosing varieties — but when readers start asking detailed questions about persistent leaf problems, Ramona’s advice only scratches the surface.
You’re a Master Gardener who has grown award-winning roses for a decade. And you’re able to write a post that explains the early signs of black spot … why humidity helps it to spread rapidly … which treatments work best … how to prevent a black spot outbreak.
Your expertise elevates the Growing Roses with Ramona site’s authority right away. Plus, it helps Ramona meet a reader's need and, at the same time, expands the site’s content depth.
Guest posts offer collaboration
Guest posts can be a networking tool as well as a content strategy and can lead to lucrative partnerships for site owners.
Take Ramona. She receives a guest post pitch from a small business owner, Peter, who sells specialized pruning shears and loppers. Not only does Peter use his content to explain best pruning practices, but Peter’s Pruning Shears also buys ads on Ramona’s site. Now, Ramona has a new stream of income from her site while Peter’s product sales increase. It’s win-win.
Use this FREE checklist to write a quality blog post every time.
Why don’t site owners accept guest posts?
Guest posts are too much hassle
Years ago, an inexperienced writer pitched a guest post to a client’s site. I cautioned against accepting the full article, but nevertheless, the client moved forward.
What did we receive? A rehash of the same content on my client’s site — no ingenious take. No fresh angle. Zero enticing facts or even a clever personal story.
The submission led to a series of four or five back-and-forth editorial suggestions until I could help the writer get the content up to snuff for my client. It was simply too much hand-holding. (And to be fair, I love coaching new writers, but in the appropriate setting.)
Site owners want content that stands out — not more noise or the same old, same old. A guest post isn’t free content if I’ve got to heavily edit, fact-check, format, and optimize every submission. It’s faster to write it myself.
Guest posts are in the wrong voice
Your site is written in a conversational tone. But a guest blogger uses 4- and 5-syllable words and paragraphs that fill the screen with 10 lines or more.
Your readers don’t want that. Inconsistency makes them squeamish. They’ll stop trusting you. Site owners are hesitant to engage guest bloggers who can’t write in the host site’s tone.
Guest posts attract piggybackers
Do contributors embrace your message and submit guest posts that advance it? Some are only interested in inserting backlinks to their site.
I often chuckle to myself when I receive guest post requests to my writing tips site from lawn pro services or pet product companies. Where’s the overlap in topic? The guest post wannabe didn’t take the time to study my site content, but only looked at my domain authority. If I accepted a guest post and links from those writers, I’d damage the trust that developing writers have placed in me.
Define your target audience for any piece of content with this reusable worksheet.
How to land a guest post
Put yourself in a site owner’s shoes. Remember … there are reasons they do and don’t accept guest posts.
Meet those needs.
- Do write high-quality, free content. Pitch a quality post that’s aligned with your target site’s niche.
- Do provide expertise. Reach out to sites that need your special insight on a specific topic.
- Do offer collaboration. Pitch ads, affiliate sales, or even a freebie that benefits the site owner.
- Do eliminate hassle. Self-edit your submission ruthlessly to save them time.
- Do write in the site’s voice. Study the site thoroughly before reaching out so you can match its tone and write to its audience.
- Do put the site owner’s needs above your own. How can you help advance the site’s message? Be the writer who adds value to the owner’s site.
Site owners are like any other target reader. They have a specific problem they’re trying to solve.
Be the solution. And you’ll get plenty of guest post opportunities.
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