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Guest Posting and Guest Hosting: Best Practices

Last Updated on: August 9th, 2021

an image of person with open arms, with the title of the post in the background

Guest posting. What is it, and why do it? What are the pros and cons?

What is guest hosting? Why host guest bloggers?

What qualities do great guests and hosts have? What are the rules? Who makes them up?

These are some of the questions you may have about guest posting and hosting and, whatever your experience with it—as guest, host, both, or neither—you will have answers to these questions by the time you finish this post. Guaranteed.

Today I will:

1: Define guest posting and guest hosting.

2: Tell you some pros and cons about guest posting and guest hosting.

3: Provide you with some guest-i-quette and host-i-quette best practices (etiquette that guests and hosts should follow).

A Brief Intro to Guest Posting

Guests don’t always follow proper guest posting etiquette, and hosts don’t always provide clear guidelines for guests to follow. As a result, more time is often spent emailing each other back and forth instead of on the post itself, trying to figure out what’s going on, what’s expected of them, and resolving problems.

How can this situation be rectified?

The solution is actually quite simple: Know what is required of you—whether you’re a guest OR a host.

The fact is that there are often many problems that arise simply because many bloggers have not developed their own set of guidelines for their guests to follow and many guests don’t know the best practices of offering someone a guest post.

Definitions of Guest Posting and Guest Hosting

Guest posting is defined as writing a blog post and having that post published on someone else’s website. It is also called guest blogging.

Guest hosting is when you allow someone to write something for you and publish that post on your website.

just words that say guest blogging

History of Guest Posting

Guest posting is a practice that has been around for several years, yet people are still talking about it, writing about it, blogging about it, and doing it.

Some people are even writing books and creating courses on this topic! One example is Peter Sandeen’s free e-book called 7 Key Steps to Guest Blogging Success.

Then there’s Jon Morrow, an inspiring person who teaches a course on this topic.

This just goes to show you how much can be said about guest blogging!

Given that so many articles have been written about this practice, you may be wondering why I’m bothering to write another. Well, there are a few reasons, actually.

First of all, Wording Well is all about helping YOU achieve entrepreneurial success.

Secondly, some of you may not have heard of this concept, may have only dabbled in it, or may want to know more about all it entails.

Thirdly, there is more to guest posting than you may think, and I want you to be informed so that when you decide to be a guest or a host, you will do so following the best practices possible. I know all of this because I have been both a guest and a host… many times! (Look at the list of my numerous guest posts, which is listed in my Portfolio.)

Finally, I want to bring some awareness to bloggers about these “best practices” so that the whole overall experience of both guests and hosts is one of mutual satisfaction and serves the audience well.

What I’d really like to do, though, is create a set of rules for all bloggers to follow. I’m winking, but I’m actually serious. I’m just wondering if I have to be elected into office or be considered a blogging goddess for this to happen. If any of you know, please tell me ASAP! Instead, I’ve created a set of “best practices” that you use.

a bunch of people = a new audience

Why Guest Post or Host? The Pros

Why guest post? Why guest host?

There are many positive reasons for each.

Guest posting allows you to:

1: Reach a different audience—the host’s. By doing so, the host’s readers may become interested in the guest and the guest may gain readers of his/her own.

2: Create backlinks to your site. Most hosts will inform their readers that the post was written by you, for them, and include a short bio at the end of the post with a link to your site.

3: Pass your message along to others and/or gain sales or get new clients.

4: Write in a different way from what you may be used to, thereby helping you develop more skills.

5: Work with someone else and be part of a team.

6: Establish your credibility online and help you expand your network. First, however, you need to build trust. Ramsay Taplin, more famously known as the Blog Tyrant, made a video that exemplifies this point.

Guest hosting allows you to:

1: Take a vacation or a break from creating new content.

2: Introduce your audience to someone new, who has a different or fresh perspective.

3: Be exposed to the guest’s audience since the guest will likely tell their friends to read the post they wrote for you, thereby increasing your traffic.

4: Give your readers a treat and mix things up a bit. Your guest’s voice and writing style are generally different from your own.

5: Guest bloggers can contribute more than you know. In fact, here are 8 Benefits of Having Guest Bloggers (and how to find them).

a silhouette of two people who are both using laptops

Why Guest Post or Host? The Cons

When guest posting, you may:

When guest hosting, you may:

  • Discover that it’s tough to find guests who can write a quality post.
  • Spend more time emailing back and forth with the guest than you had wanted to.
  • Find that your traffic may drop because you’ve featured a guest post and your audience wants only you (which is a compliment, when you think about it!).
  • Have to edit the post and then deal with the negative feelings of your guest when you tell them about it (giving constructive criticism is difficult and receiving it is just as hard for some people).
  • Have to deal with spammers who pose as someone wanting a guest post position.
  • Find that the links the guest included are not relevant or helpful to the growth of your website.
  • Find that the content of the guest post does not meet your expectations.

Guest-i-quette and Host-i-quette: Best Practices

When you are a guest on someone’s website or blog, you should mind your manners and remember that you are a guest.  Act like a guest. Be gracious, nice, friendly, respectable, courteous, and helpful. You may be invited back if you and your post perform well!

Best guest-i-quette practices dictate that the guest will:

  • Write the post
  • Edit the post
  • Provide their own images or include images with proper attribution to the original source
  • Submit the post in the format of the host’s choosing (HTML code is often preferred)
  • Include quality external links relevant to the post’s topic that will help the host’s page rank
  • Include at least one internal link to the host’s previously published posts
  • Include a short bio for the host to include at the end of the post
  • Avoid linking to his/her own website or blog since a backlink is generally allowed in the guest’s bio
  • Promote the post using social media (and on his/her own blog where applicable)
  • Be available on publication day (and a few days afterward) to respond to comments
  • Subscribe to comment notifications and reply to comments left for the host in the future

Best guest-i-quette practices dictate that the host will:

  • Provide the guest with a set of clear guidelines to follow
  • Double-check all links included by the guest and include the best ones
  • Double-check that the post is edited and free of typos
  • Ensure that images are relevant and enhance the post. Most people will use a good photo editor, such as Colorcinch (aff link), to customize their images and make their image look AMAZING!
  • Ensure that the post is formatted properly
  • Will include a short bio of the guest at the end of the post, with a link to the guest’s website or blog
  • Will keep an eye on the comments, moderate where necessary, and delete spam comments
  • Will send notifications emails to the guest of new comments
  • Promote the post using social media (and on his/her own blog where applicable)

Summary

Guest posting and guest hosting can both be wonderful experiences, if these practices are followed.

 

 

96 thoughts on “Guest Posting and Guest Hosting: Best Practices”

    • says

      Wally, there is a lot of advice about what to charge for sponsored posts. Factors include things like audience size, the number of unique visitors (traffic to your site), your site’s DA and PA scores, etc.

      Another factor to consider is the amount of time it takes to edit, format, and publish the post.

      How much is your time worth per hour?

      IF you look at these different factors, you will find your answers!

      Reply
  2. says

    Hey Lorraine, thanks for this awesome post. I’m into learning everything about this process as it’s very different from simply writing for your own audience. Right now, I’m in-between this process where i interview other people and use their responses in the article. Once I get through this hurdle, I’ll definitely use the tips here for both guest posting and hosting.
    mohamed ahmed recently posted…افضل وجبات منيو بيت الفطيرة الدمشقية بالاسعار

    Reply
  3. says

    Hey Lorraine,

    Thanks for such a wonderful info. you have well explained the difference between guest posting and guest hosting. I am new in this field and are not so aware about this topic. I am glad to say that you have explained everything in very simple and easy way so that it can be easy to understand and follow these set of guidelines.

    Guest posting is nothing but publishing your blog post on someone else’s website whereas guest hosting is to allow someone to write something for you and publish that post on your website. I am really thankful to you for explaining these topics and their benefits in detail. I will surely follow these tips in my blogging.

    Great job!!!

    Thanks,
    Ruhee
    Ruhee recently posted…11 Simple Design Tweaks That Send Conversions Through the Roof

    Reply
  8. says

    Most guest post offers I get, usually wants link backs. But their article doesn’t carry any value to my blog or visitors. So, I have to say no most of the times.

    Moreover formatting a post needs time and most of the time I do not want to spend that time just to entertain others, unless you can provide me with a good article. If you go for a sponsored post then all is OK :).
    Delwar Jahan recently posted…The Best Credit & Debit Cards You Should Consider

    Reply
  10. says

    Hi Lorraine

    I have been blogging for about 10 years. I think I have written just one guest post over the years. It was actually a good experience, so I am not sure why I don’t have done it again. As you say, it can be very time consuming, but maybe I should try it out again. I don’t allow other bloggers to post on my blog. I like the fact that every word on my blog is something I have written myself.

    Do you have a tip on how i find blogs where I can guest post? I write about technology.
    Thomas recently posted…How to Remove “Proudly Powered by WordPress” on your blog

    Reply
  11. says

    Guest posting is not for link building. It is a piece of more valuable information. sharing they ideas through blogs and asking query for that blog is improving the knowledge and increase the influence in social media. It will also introduce a new audience and generate quality leads for any business.

    Reply
  13. Sweety Kumari says

    Hey Lorraine ,

    Well explain the difference between guest posting and guest hosting. I am fresher in blogging and did not aware about all this concept but when i need this concept surely follow your tips.

    Writing a blog post and having that post published on someone else website that is guest posting. On the other side guest hosting is when we allow someone to write something for us and post on our website. Now i understand that guest posting and guest hosting have pros and cons.

    When we follow their guideline both can be wonderful and my thinking is that guest posting is good in which we can interact with people and also get quality backlinks from blogs.

    Thank you for sharing this amazing post.
    -sweety
    Sweety Kumari recently posted…Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

    Reply
  14. says

    Hello Lorraine,
    Amazing Writing, Well explain the difference of Guest posting and Guest hosting, I just started blogging and didnt aware about all this concept, i will surely follow your tips, Thanks!

    Reply
  15. says

    I loved your thoughts on guest posting etiquette and expectations. I think we often don’t understand what we’re getting ourselves into when it comes to guest posting – but you’ve outlined some great ways to make sure it’s a positive experience.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  16. says

    Hi Lorraine.

    I haven’t yet done any guess post for my blog. Your article here suggest that it would be difficult for me to grow.

    Is there an alternative to guess posting because it just will take away a huge part of the time I’m suppose to use to write a good article for my blog?
    Godman Andrew recently posted…Thisiswhyimbroke.com

    Reply
    • says

      Godman, adjust your attitude. Writing for others and giving them your best work is an investment into yourself and your blog because of the backlink and traffic you will get from writing a compelling guest post!

      Reply
  17. says

    Hi Lorraine,

    Great post indeed!

    I agree with you, No doubt, Guest posting and Guest hosting have pros and cons. Both can be wonderful if we follow the guidelines. I really love guest posting because we can engage with people through guest posting and also get quality backlinks from related blogs.

    Anyway, thanks Lorraine for sharing such great post with us.

    Regards:
    Areesha Noor.
    Areesha Noor recently posted…Happy Anniversary to Sister and Brother in law

    Reply
  18. says

    Hello Lorraine! I am so glad I found your blog. You have a lot of answers to some burning questions I had about guest posting. I recently reached out to a big website for a guest posting opportunity. I was rejected because he said I didn’t have any previous experience with guest posting.

    My question for you is, do you think the age of your blog matters when doing pitches for guest posts? For example, how long should I blog, before I seem credible enough to other bloggers to be considered as a guest writer for their website?
    Jacqueline recently posted…How to Visit Komodo Island

    Reply
    • says

      Jacqueline, I don’t think there are any set rules for how long you should blog before offering to guest post for someone but it helps if you have an established audience because the host will want you to share the post with YOUR audience, too, via your email list and social media.

      Bigger websites are more likely to accept you if you can show them that you have been a guest on some medium-sized ones. It takes time to build credibility online, too, so keep putting in the efforts!

      Reply
  20. Deepak says

    Hi Lorraine,

    Thanks for sharing this great post. Guest is a great way to make blogging relations with other bloggers. Most of the people do it for a link exchange, some do it for passion while the rest of them do for money.
    Thanks for do’s and don’ts of it.

    Regards,
    Deepak

    Reply
  21. says

    Hello Lorraine,

    Thanks for choosing a great topic. Guest posting is essential for new blogs or businesses. it’s a great way to spread the words about our business. When we launch a website or business. We’re not going to get targeted traffic from the search engines. Guest posting, pinterest, facebook, messengers can be a great way to drive traffic to our site.

    I’d love to read a blog about how we can use social media to drive more traffic to a new website from you. Anyway keep up the great work. Cheers!
    Micheal Skilling recently posted…How Does A Facebook Messenger Chatbot Improve Customer Service?

    Reply
    • says

      Michael, rather than writing a blog post on how to drive traffic to your site via social media, I will just say this: SHARE ALL OF YOUR POSTS ON ALL OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS! That will definitely help you get more website visitors!

      Reply
  22. says

    A guest post is the best way to create backlinks. But I don’t have any of them. maybe we have the best websites for do-follow backlinks but they are not providing a guest post for everyone. so that is the case where comment blogging comes. is comment blogging is working now in 2020?
    can we make backlinks form comment blogging?

    Reply
  23. says

    Hey Lorraine,
    Wonderful post as usual. It was worth reading. All the points you have shared are aggreable for me. Keep on uploading more informative content and thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  25. says

    Hey Lorraine, thanks for this awesome article
    most important thing is to rise our site authority
    in guest posting I always face one problem which is to find native language site for guest posting

    Reply
  30. Jennifer says

    I have mixed feelings about hosting guest posts on my blog. Often, they are not up to my standards and it is hard to tell the author that their post sucks… Then I end up spending a lot of time editing the post which takes almost as long as writing a new one…
    Jennifer recently posted…The 10 Best Referral Programs to Make Money

    Reply
    • says

      Kevin, guest posting is definitely beneficial! I appeared on many websites, too, and that led to money-making opportunities!
      Congratulations on your success!

      Reply
  32. says

    Great Post! I think most people think the concept of guesting posting is self-explanatory, but I think it is rarely executed properly from what I can tell. I have not really incorporated guest posting in my traffic/backlinking strategy yet, but I always wondered about post formatting when you do it. Your information on HTML was very insightful. I use a content builder when writing on my own blog so it made the guest hosting thing a little more difficult for me to conceptualize. Thanks for the information!

    Reply
  33. says

    I see bloggers that offer guest posts or hosting guest posts and it makes me really disheartened for many reasons. From allowing any old content and not checking the links to peope being used for their monetary gain.
    I’m one that frequently gets emailed from ‘bloggers’ asking for me to host a guest post and back in the day, I used to agree and to find out they were paid to put a link on my site. I was horrified people do this!
    So now I flat out say no, unless I know they are a blogger and the links are not for monetary gain for them.
    Sam recently posted…Top 6 Economical Online Dating Ideas for 2020

    Reply
  35. says

    Hey there, Lorraine!

    I am new to your blog but have been a fan of writing for a while.

    As a devoted pessimist (lol), I also agree with your thoughts regarding the cons for guest posting and guest hosting! It seems like either option seems like a lot of work.

    I have even turned down guest host opportunities because I stress out about the logistics. For example – I often wonder if I should create a new WordPress account for each guest poster? What if they only want to write ONE blog post? What about quality? Too many questions!

    Sorry for the rant. However, your post makes one reflect.

    Thanks again for the good read.

    Please have a fabulous day!

    Cordially…

    MD
    Mike DeVincent recently posted…5 Smart Sales Funnel Ideas For Real Estate Agents

    Reply
  36. Zara Harper says

    Greetings Lorraine,

    I absolutely concur that visitor posting can be advantageous for both: host and visitor. I have been on the two sides of the table. I did a great deal of visitor posting when I began my first online business and it did some incredible things! I additionally used to be a visitor have – at this moment we do no longer waste time with visitor posts on our blog for a few reasons.

    I like your rundown of best practices for the two sides – however I couldn’t imagine anything better than to include some more

    The visitor blogger will start the discussion with an email where he utilizes the correct name for the host.

    The visitor won’t attempt to lie his way into getting distributed. On the off chance that you add connects to recently distributed visitor posts these ought to be created by you. I have on a few events been sent connects to content that was not composed by the hopeful visitor blogger yet by individuals I knew and could get some information about it.

    The visitor will make some point recommendations – approaching the host for subject thoughts when he doesn’t know which themes you might cover won’t get you far.

    The host will check the substance for unoriginality – I have been sent articles that were awful duplicates of posts that I could discover with a fast check by means of Google.

    The host will do a fast certainty check – despite the fact that piece of the advantage of visitor facilitating is to get themes secured that the host would not cover himself, you have to ensure that no off-base data is distributed.
    Zara Harper recently posted…Davinci Resolve Latest Crack + License Key

    Reply
  37. says

    Hey Lorraine!

    Firstly, great post! I have been guest posting around but have never considered guest hosting until I came across your post. I definitely see the potential of being a guest host myself with all the guidelines that you’ve listed so well. Thanks for your hard work and love your blog!
    Rose Punja recently posted…What Are The Early Symptoms Of COVID-19?

    Reply
  40. says

    I am a new blogger. I am gaining a lot of experience from such posts. I had no idea about the guest post. I knew that there are many benefits to being a guest, but I did not know what the benefits are. In fact, I did not pay much attention to the guest post. Looking at your article, I have a lot of experience with guest posts. Thank you very much. Truly this article of yours is very informative and useful to me. Again thank you.
    Biplob Hlader recently posted…How To Fix Open Graph Meta Problem In Rank Math SEO#1

    Reply
  43. prakash says

    Lorraine,

    Your post is very much influencing tome I loved it. And, good to see you helping others to boost their blog. Your guide is also very much to the point and needful for every new blogger.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  44. says

    Ok, I understand that guest posting is good and gives to your website high quality backlinks.
    But there are more than 1000 websites offering guest posts, and this take too much time.

    I used to search on google guest posts websites, try to search for: california inurl:write-for-us intext:dofollow

    where california is a keyword, what you can replace with “marketing” or “classified ads” or something else about you want to write.

    Do you have a list with good websites where is worth tu publish? You can put there or you can make a new article with that.

    Thanks for the article and have a nice day!

    Reply
    • says

      Otto, it’s best to find a blog that has high traffic and then make a connection with the blog owner. Yes, this takes time. But it will be worth it in the end!

      Reply
  45. says

    Wow! Wonderful post. Highly inspiring. It is great to see the best practices to follow for guest posting and guest hosting. Very well written. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  46. Ankur Rai says

    Hi Lorraine, Thanks for giving me this great idea about Guest Posting. I like 6 points which are given in this article.

    Reply
  49. says

    Hey Lorraine, thanks for this awesome post. I’m into learning everything about this process as it’s very different from simply writing for your own audience. Right now, I’m in-between this process where i interview other people and use their responses in the article. Once I get through this hurdle, I’ll definitely use the tips here for both guest posting and hosting.
    The Marketing Introvert recently posted…How to Increase Website Traffic? Marketers with Over 50k Monthly Visits Share Their Secrets

    Reply
  50. says

    Lorraine,

    Your post title is inspiring! I loved it. And, good to see you helping others to leverage the best value of guest blogging and guest posting executing it appropriately. Great sharing!

    Reply
  51. says

    Hi Lorraine,
    I totally agree that guest posting can be beneficial for both: host and guest. I have been on both sides of the table. I did a lot of guest posting when I started my first online business and it worked wonders! I also used to be a guest host – right now we do no longer bother with guest posts on our blog for several reasons.
    I like your list of best practices for both sides – but I would love to add some more 😉
    The guest blogger will open the conversation with an email where he uses the right name for the host.
    The guest will not try to lie his way into getting published. If you add links to previously published guest posts these should be authored by you. I have on several occasions been sent links to content that was not written by the aspiring guest blogger but by people I knew and could ask about it.
    The guest will make some topic suggestions – asking the host for topic ideas when he does not know which topics you could possibly cover will not get you far.

    The host will check the content for plagiarism – I have been sent articles that were bad copies of posts that I could find with a quick check via Google.
    The host will do a quick fact check – even though part of the benefit of guest hosting is to get topics covered that the host would not cover himself, you need to make sure that no wrong information is published.

    And I’d like to disagree with one of your above points what benefits there are in guest posting for the host: Hosting guest posts is a ton of work. I could not take an extra holiday if I accepted more guest posts on our blog…

    Happy guest blogging!
    Susanna
    Susanna Gebauer recently posted…What is Internal Linking and How Can You Use it for SEO?

    Reply
    • says

      Susanna,

      I actually agree with you. Being a host IS a ton of work and that is why I now charge for “guest posts” (they are now called “sponsored posts”).
      Between formatting the posts, providing a custom opening image, and editing them, there is a lot of work that goes into publishing a guest post!

      Reply

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