The Rise and Fall of Guest Blogging

Guest blogging was once a great way for writers and bloggers to share quality content and build their online presence. It was a mutually beneficial exchange—you’d write a stellar post for someone else’s blog, and they’d return the favour—a win-win situation that provided fresh perspectives for readers.

Unfortunately, unscrupulous bloggers didn’t take long to ruin a good thing. Guest blogging quickly devolved into a link-building scheme, with bloggers publishing low-quality, keyword-stuffed posts to get backlinks. Writing standards plummeted as fast as the content’s value to readers.

Before you could blink, the internet was inundated with vapid self-promotion masquerading as “guest posts.” There is no substance, no insights – search engine spam is designed to game the algorithms.

 Google Cracks Down

Thankfully, Google took a stand against these exploitative practices. The company’s former head of web spam, Matt Cutts, was outspoken in his criticism of guest blogging for SEO purposes only. While he agreed it could serve legitimate marketing aims, Cutts argued most guest posting had become a “spammy” link scheme.

You can’t fault Google for the crackdown. You have to take action when every second blogger is pumping out drivel and littering it with backlinks. The issue was that their anti-spam measures also caught high-quality guest content.

In this 2012 video, Cutts warned about excessive guest posting solely for links, saying it could be considered “unnatural” link building. His 2014 blog post, “The decay and fall of guest blogging,” took an even harder line, stating, “If you’re using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop.”

Reclaiming Guest Blogging

Guest blogging got a bad rap for a while, but it doesn’t have to stay in the doghouse. With some common-sense practices, it can regain its former status as a valuable marketing tool.

Instead of churning out clickbait just for SEO, focus on creating genuinely insightful, original content that people want to read. Don’t stuff it with keywords – add genuine value that builds your authority and audience.

For blog owners, be selective about who you let post. Do your due diligence—check their credentials and previous work. Ensure they’re a legitimate writer interested in engaging your audience, not just a backlink spammer.

We can rehabilitate its reputation if we’re more conscientious about guest blogging – prioritizing quality over empty metrics. Then, maybe Google will stop treating every guest post as spam, and we can all enjoy the benefits again.