It’s Magic: Content Creation and Link Building While You’re Away
During the holidays I was offline. Nonetheless my blog gained many new links and several postings have been published while I was on vacation.
Do blogs stay empty on holidays?
Now as I am not a company but a single guy you might wonder how I did it. In a way it was magic as I did it without touching a computer or any other device which enables you to work on a blog.
Can you do content creation and link building while you are away or offline?
I’m sure you can by writing before leaving or running some shady scripts but this blog is not about SEO it’s about SEO 2.0 so I will tell you how it works:
- Forget link building, focus on getting links
- Do not focus solely on content creation (writing yourself), expand your scope to content generation
Although I do not like the term user generated content (UGC) at all, it implies exploitation and a technocratic view of the user as a machine-like generator I have to speak of content generation.
Guest blogging to the rescue
I had several accomplished bloggers write guest posts for me. It’s of course guest blogging not conventional UGC.
I did not want to narrow the posts topic to guest blogging as this topic has been covered with due diligence by many others already.
Guest blogging is the #1 method for bloggers of harnessing the power of user generated content/UGC.
Unlike with many of the huge corporations that live off your unpaid work it’s a win to win situation for both bloggers, the contributing and the publishing one.
I want to thank you my fabulous guest bloggers at first though. People, you have done an excellent job!
I am really glad I allowed you all to write for SEO 2.0. The results were even better than expected, and I expected a lot.
Holidays are slow days for blogs
Understandably during the holidays traffic is naturally not as good as usual so articles published then might not get the attention they deserve.
Thus you need to spread the word after holidays as well.
- I live in the Blogosphere by the uncanny and mighty Mark.
- Bonsai Blogging: How to Fail with Social Media by Patrick.
- All I really need to know about SEO 2.0, I learned in kindergarten by Lid.
- Let’s Read It Again (And Again And Again) by Karen.
As this two weeks of guest blogging were truly a success I want to tell you how I made it work. It’s simple.
How to make guests blog for you
Here are some ways to encourage high quality guest blogger to write for you
- Ask people to guest blog who are good bloggers themselves.
- Ask them where they hang out, on a social network for instance, do not just post only a “who wants to guest blog for me?” question in your blog.
- Choose bloggers who you know read your blog beforehand, those who voted for you or commented already on your blog.
- Ask people to come up with an idea first, before they actually guest blog.
- When you like the idea give it a go and do not interfere.
- Rely on trust. Do not impose too many changes beforehand or afterwards. Most people try to fit in best with your blog anyways.
- If you had a great and trustworthy guest blogger before as her or him to be a blog sitter.
- Make the blog sitter responsible for the guest posts. Do not let people who blog for the first time at your blog without any assistance.
- Promise your guest bloggers something of value to them: An opportunity to promote themselves with your blog.
- Sit back and enjoy.
When we continue to work together in the publishing on each other’s blogs we will be successful bloggers for many years to come!
In case you want to submit guest blog posts to SEO 2.0 feel free to contact me via email at onreact at onreact.com.
Tad,
I believe your guest bloggers did a great job. I enjoyed their posts. In fact I did not realise it was a guest post until I read the name at the end, so you have attracted like minded bloggers.
Why not have your next post along the lines of “Tads 2007 SEO 2.0 Blog highlights” or “looking back on 2007”. It would give a summary of those who are new to your blog a good catch up!
Tad, I must thank you — and Lid, of course — very very much. This was a great experience and I’m thrilled at the feedback I’ve been getting.
I really enjoyed Mark’s, Patrick’s and Lid’s posts. It was fun to wait until each guest article was published and then spread social media love around. :)
I have an idea for another guest post, but I have to develop it further before I pitch it to you. ;)
Well they definitely built up some more sphinn love for you with some great posts. Hope the links are up as well, welcome back!
David – For a guest blogger, that is one of the best compliments; to know that you didn’t realize it was a guest post until you were at the end – thank you.
Karen – You are welcome. I think you should e-mail Tad and give him an overview of your second post; he is kind with his blog – in fact, he practices SEO 2.0 ;)
Glen – Good to hear about sphinn love – thanks for letting us know
Tad Chef
As always – thank you! It was great fun.
a gree to “Glen Allsopp”