Key Takeaways
- Guest posting is one of the most effective methods to create backlinks, increase your website’s authority and attract new traffic.
- Guest posting opportunities can be found by utilising the Google search operators, also known as “footprints,” within just a few of your searches.
- Often it is possible to identify sites that will write you as well if you look at the sites that are already linking to your competitors.
- Guest posting communities, Facebook groups and niche directories put you in touch directly with site owners who are in need of writers.
- The “Write for Us” pages and guest author by-lines are right under your nose…after you’ve looked for them.
- If the manual process is longer than your schedule allows, agencies like SirLinksAlot can do everything for you.
Backlinks are still one of the highest-ranking indicators Google will use to establish rank and earn rank, and guest posting is one of the most reliable methods for acquiring them. When you write for another person’s site, you usually get three things: a link back to your site, the introduction of a new audience to your site, and a little bit of trust from an existing site.
Typically it’s not the writing itself that’s difficult. It’s locating websites in your niche which are willing to accept outside writers. A lot of people have stopped right here just because they don’t know where to look. This guide covers four practical, repeatable methods for finding guest posting opportunities, plus tips for telling a good site from one that will waste your time.
1. Use Google Search Operators (“Footprints”)
Site owners who accept guest content tend to reuse the same handful of phrases across their pages — things like “write for us,” “guest post guidelines,” or “submit an article.” These recurring phrases are called footprints, and combining them with your niche keyword in Google is one of the fastest ways to build a list of leads.
A few examples to try:
- [Your Keyword] + “write for us”
- [Your Keyword] + “guest post guidelines”
- [Your Keyword] + “contribute an article”
- [Your Keyword] + “submit a guest post”
- [Your Keyword] + “become an author”
Example: If you run a website about fitness, you would search for: fitness + “write for us”.
Google will return a list of fitness blogs that have a specific page dedicated to guest posting guidelines.
Tip: Don’t just stick to broad keywords. If your niche is “fitness,” try searching for sub-niches like weightlifting + “guest post” or marathon training + “write for us”. The more specific you get, the less competition you will face when pitching the editor.
2. Study Your Competitors’ Backlinks
Guest posts are likely one of the reasons that a competitor would outrank you. Using a backlink tool like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest, you’ll find out all the websites that link to your competitor’s website and this list is a shortcut to already existing websites that accept outside content.
Open a competitor’s report on referring domains and see if they are linking from posts with a byline, an author bio at the end of a post or topics that are scattered throughout an article. These are typically indications of guest content. If there is a competitor published on the site, it’s reasonable to think that they will consider you as well, particularly if you have a better pitch.
For faster results, compare two or three competitors at once. Sites appearing in more than one competitor’s backlink profile are your highest-probability targets, since they clearly publish outside contributors on a regular basis.
3. Tap Into Guest Posting Communities and Directories
Beyond search engines, there are entire communities built around content collaboration. Site owners regularly post that they are looking for content contributors in Facebook groups (search “guest posting” or “content collaboration”), in LinkedIn groups, and in X/Twitter hashtags such as #guestpost and #writeforus.
The site owners have raised their hands, and these communities can save valuable prospecting time. With that being said, if you come across any other lead, use the same scrutiny applied to this one! Look for outlets that have a good amount of visitors with reader interest rather than the ones that offer a quick low-effort place. For long-term reputation it is more about quality than quantity of your site.
4. Look for “Write for Us” Pages and Guest Author Bylines
The simplest approach is often the best. On a blog, search for a link in the navigation bar or footer that says “Write for Us,” “Contribute,” “Guest Post,” or “Submit an Article. The exact submission guidelines are listed on many sites—how many words, what topics to submit, and how to pitch.
Alternatively, you can identify the articles and then be led back to the articles. See an author bio with a link back to an author’s website or agency with the words Guest Author? That writer likely pitches guest posts regularly. If they have a bio link, look at other places they’ve been cited and you’ll find several other good places that will be relevant to your niche.
Conclusion
Finding guest posting opportunities really comes down to knowing where to look and staying consistent about it. Don’t mistake this for a single job – search operators, competitor backlinks, communities, and “Write for Us” pages will all keep you filled with leads if you return to them regularly.
However, picking out locations, researching them, and sending them pitches sequentially can be time-consuming, and not everyone has the time to devote to sites each week. If you’d rather skip the manual legwork, SirLinksAlot offers a done-for-you guest posting service that places your content on real, relevant, high-quality websites in your niche and handles outreach from start to finish. You may implement the tips above to create your own pipeline, or you can hire a company such as SirLinksAlot to do the job for you, but the key is to start!
FAQs
What is guest posting?
Guest posting is the practice of writing and publishing an article on someone else’s website, usually in exchange for an author bio and a backlink to your own site.
Is guest posting still effective for SEO?
Yes. Done on relevant, reputable sites, guest posting remains one of the more reliable ways to build backlinks, increase referral traffic, and grow topical authority in your niche.
How many guest posts do I need?
There’s no fixed number. It depends on your competition, your current backlink profile, and your goals. A steady stream of a few high-quality guest posts each month tends to outperform a large batch of low-quality ones.
Is guest posting free?
It can be. Manual outreach only costs your time. Some sites charge a publishing fee, and agencies that manage placements for you typically charge a service fee, so costs vary depending on the route you take.
What should I look for in a guest post site?
Relevance to your niche, genuine organic traffic, and an engaged readership all matter more than a site simply agreeing to publish you. Reasonable authority metrics, like Domain Rating or Domain Authority, are worth checking too.
How long does it take to see results?
Most sites see initial movement within a few weeks to a couple of months after a guest post goes live, though full ranking benefits can take longer depending on how competitive your niche is.
