Online marketers use both blog posts and guest posts to convert casual visitors to paying customers. To the naked eye, the two types of posts may seem interchangeable. They are not. Blogging and guest posting are two separate and distinct disciplines with quite different purposes.
Do you know the difference between the two types of posts? If not, keep reading. Understanding their differences is key to taking full advantage of guest post outreach.
1. Publishing Sites
The most obvious distinction between blog posts and guest posts are the sites on which they are published. A company’s blog posts are published on its own website. Guest posts are published on third-party sites. This makes an enormous difference in terms of both intent and results.
Blog posts drive traffic to your site only inasmuch as they show up in organic search results. Guest posts can drive traffic the same way, but they also drive traffic through backlinks that point to your site. Even if a website visitor wasn’t specifically looking for your site, he/she might be driven there by way of a guest post with a backlink.
2. Writing Tone
The two types of posts differ in their tone as well. For example, it is not unusual for companies to utilize their blogs as promotional tools. They might introduce a new product or service in one post, then turn around and gush over great company news in the next. Blogging is synonymous with promotion, and that’s okay.
Guest posts rarely take a promotional tone. Third-party website owners do not appreciate promotion because it gives the impression that they endorse those organizations supplying the guest posts. Thus, they generally don’t allow promotional posts. Guest posts are more informational in nature. They are more formal and professional.
3. Establishing Authority
Guest posts are great tools for establishing authority on a particular topic. People who read guest posts are not necessarily looking to your company as an authority. They might not even know your company exists. But a well-crafted guest post can change that.
Blog posts can also establish authority, but they are less likely to do so. Blog posts are more about engaging with customers rather than improving company authority.
4. Linking Opportunities
By their nature, blog posts generally don’t tend to include links to the same site. They can – and in some cases it’s even a good idea – but there is rarely an emphasis on this sort of thing. That is not true with guest posts. In fact, one of the primary reasons for guest posting is to get backlinks out there. Backlinks from quality websites can improve search engine rankings and site authority.
5. Post Authors
Finally, there is a significant difference between the authors of both kinds of posts. Blog posts might be written by either professionals or company employees with limited writing experience. Guest posts are written almost entirely by professionals. Why? Because the pros are able to craft well-written pieces that get attention.
Content creation providers offering guest posting services tend to have extensive contacts as well. They know where to place guest posts for maximum effect. On the other hand, company staff members do not have that sort of reach. They may not even know where to publish guest posts.
If guest post outreach is not a strategy you use to boost your online performance, maybe it’s time for a rethink. Guest posting has come a long way over the last seven or eight years. It is now among one of the most important tools SEO experts utilize on behalf of their clients. It could be just what you need to take your online presence to the next level.
