This post is part of the Blogging Tips 101 Contest.
How do you choose the place to guest blog?
Do you look at traffic? What about the Alexa rank? Or the Number of subscribers?
What is it that makes you to choose one site over another when you want to guest blog?
Do you choose the place to guest blog just because the site has lot of subscribers? Or do you guest blog based on number of comments? Or based on community participation?
In this blog post, we will talk about choosing a website to guest blog – and how I choose sites for guest blogging.
Guest Blog -Where Do You Do it?
Naturally, when it comes to guest blogging, all of us want more exposure and traffic. So, we tend to pick big blogs that get a lot of traffic. But, that doesn’t mean that you should always write for big blogs. Yes, big blogs do get us a lot of comments (I am not saying you shouldn’t write for big blogs). You should. But, I recommend that you guest blog more for medium sized blogs.
The answer to this question basically depends upon your goal and expectations with the post. For instance: My goal to guest blogging is getting more subscribers and exposure for my blog. So, when I usually pick places to guest blog, I choose places that have more community participation and traffic at the same time. When I say community participation, I just don’t mean the number of comments.
Guest Blog at Blogs with Active Communities
I mean the number of people who are involved in discussion – people who write awesome comments. I do this because, as I understand it, If I can write an awesome article for a site with lots of community participation (an active community), then I can reach my goals and expectations with the post – I do have a better chance of getting traffic and subscribers from those kinds of sites 
.
An active community is a blog where they get a lot of active people involved in the discussion.
I am not really interested in just building back links and creating a spike of traffic – just for the time being. I am more interested in building a long term relationship with the blog and the audience I write for.
And I can only get all of these I guest blog at sites where there is lot of community participation – an active community.
If your goal is to build more exposure and get more traffic, then I recommend you to guest blog on sites that have an active community.
Guest Blog at Medium Sized Blogs
And there is no more thing I want to tell you: You are most likely to find active communities in medium sized blogs (blogs that are popular and growing but not there yet). One site that I always like to guest blog (Due to active participation of the community) is Ileane’s Basic Blog Tips (Although, you may describe her blog as a top blog since the content is too good 
). At BBT, you can find a lot of people who are really involved in the discussion.
And let me tell you one more thing-
Right now, you are more likely to find high quality blog posts at these sites (From my experience, the most tips that I have got so far are from medium sized blogs).
That’s also the reason why I spend more time reading medium sized blogs like this and not spending my time on reading big blogs.
Sure, big blogs do have good content. But, often times, it is just repeated (and the quality of blog posts are decreasing). By the way, these are just my opinion, others might tell you that I am wrong. But, I like to stick with my opinion (And Yes, I did “arrive at” this opinion after reading many big and medium sized blogs; I have read lots more useful information at medium sized blogs than at big blogs).
And guess what else I do?
When I usually want to guest blog at a site, I start with commenting and get involved with the site – at least I try to start it. (from my experience, I can tell you that you will get better results at guest blogging on sites that you are involved in).
The Key
So, what do you do? Alright, now tell me: How do you choose your sites to guest blog? Do you agree with this post? Do you choose sites based on community participation?
Guest blog more at medium sized blogs. Also, do guest blog at top blogs (I have done it too – like at Ana’s Traffic Generation Cafe). But, I always like to stay with medium sized blogs because from my experience, I have got the best of my expectations and goals from those blogs
I have got both good and “bad” results with guest blogging at various sites (Well, I haven’t got that good results because – you can guess it – My content is not that good compared to what others write. But, I will keep on trying. After all, that’s what we are supposed to do, right?).
Tell me how you do it and why you do it that way Let’s all teach ourselves and others at the same time
Support me for this guest blogging contest
PS: Don’t forget to check out Jane’s awesome guest blogging report to help you with effective guest posting.
This post is part of the Blogging Tips 101 Contest. Please help Jeevan win the contest by promoting the post and leaving comments that generate discussion. If you want to become a participant, check out the contest page for more information.
Article by JeevanJacob John
I am a young blogger who blogs about everything that is related to building a better blog. If you like what you are reading here, then you should probably check out my Why You Should Give A Damn Page. You can also find me at my blog - Blog Networking 101.
Jeevan has written 1 awesome posts for Problogging Success.
When my blog was under Jane’s watch, everything was under control.
{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
You have some good tips here on guest blogging. the idea of “medium sites” is interesting. What parameters do you use to determine what “medium” is? PR? Keep learning and sharing.
Stephen Peters recently posted..Promoting Your Blog ……. No comment
Hey Stephen,
Thanks for the comment!
As I mentioned in the article, I usually look at the number of people who are actively engaged in the article (not the number of comments) along with things like readership
What about you? Do you guest blog? If so, How do you choose the sites where you blog?
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Blog Economically?
Awesome Tips Jeevan. We should follow this rules before doing guest post. Thanks for sharing with us.
Amit Shaw recently posted..How to Transform Linux to Windows 7
Hey Amit,
Thank you
No problem.
By the way, where do you guest blog? and why?
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Traffic or Community – What Do You Prefer?
Awesome Tips. Will surely follow all above points in post.
Ammar recently posted..Top 20 Best WordPress Security Plugins
Thanks for stopping by, Ammar!
Thanks, Appreciate your comment
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Blog Economically?
Will definitely increase your chances of getting your guest blogging article published, if you first spend some time getting involved with the blog, i.e. commenting. It just seems a little bit spammy in the eyes of the blog’s author, if you just send your article to him/her without him/her ever heard about you.
William recently posted..This is pretty obvious
Hey William,
Yes, of course. Getting involved with the site also helps you to write a better (And more suitable) article for the blog – based on the audience.
Thanks for stopping by!
By the way, what things do you look at when guest blogging?
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Blog Economically?
Hey Jeevan,
Nice post I wrote some Guest post in past for Seommotips.But after reading your post you give me real boost to write some guest post and interact bloggers again.
Thanks
Rizwan Sultan recently posted..Crohn\’s and IBS Blog
Hey Rizwan,
Did you get good results out of it? Where else have you guest posted? I am glad that my blog post helped
Wish you luck,
Jeevan
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Selecting good blogs to guest post is real tough Job.
Nice round up of tips for better guest posting.
Pradosh recently posted..How Turning Comments To Dofollow Can Strip Down Competition
Hey Pradosh,
Yes, of course. You need to be really careful. Do you have any experience to share with us? How do you choose blogs to guest post on?
Thanks for the comment, Pradosh
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
The idea you have shared Jeevan is very useful , especially for me , cause I am just starting to blog , you have given an idea which I can adopt and can use for my future plans in blogging.
Kate recently posted..אילוף כלבים
Hey Kate,
That’s great. I wish you all the best with blogging (and guest blogging).
Thanks for the comment Kate
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Guest blogging can be an excellent opportunity for many bloggers! It can be much helpful and profitable)
Melissa recently posted..Business Wordpress Themes
Hey Melissa,
Yes, of course.
Guest blogging can help us to achieve great results for our blog. Do you have any specific experience with guest blogging?
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Guest blogging is also known as one of the best methods to get backlinks and increase pr.. Generally I try go guest post on high pr blogs like problogger which can give some pr juice to my blog. Medium size blogs concept looks good but I would like to stick to my plan.
Berjies recently posted..How To Get a Free Facebook Business Card
Hey Berjies,
You should try writing for medium sized blogs; these days it is easier for find a bigger and active community at a medium sized blog than a big blog.
Thanks for the comment
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Hi Jeevan
Well written and informative post. When I began my blogging journey I was overwhelmed when other bloggers asked me to guest post.
Didn’t think I had much to say, but when I finally accepted invitations, really enjoyed the experience. And it did expose me to other bloggers whom I may never have met on my small niche lavender blog
And now some of those people visit my blog, contribute to the community there and have become dear friends. So win-win for me.
Now I am concentrating on my marketing so don’t really guest blog at the moment although still get invites from other bloggers to do so. Also don’t invite guest posts on either of my sites at the moment. This may change down the track.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia recently posted..French Lavender
Hey Patricia,
Thanks once again for stopping by
Same here. Guest blogging is actually a great experience – to learn and to share. Guest blogging has also helped me to get more productive – with writing and getting more traffic and building community within my blog.
Yeah, I can see that
Since you are working on a new site, you should definitely focus more on marketing strategies (but hey, guest blogging is also marketing. Lol).
Anyways, thanks for the comment, Patricia
By the way, when you guest blog, where do you do it? How do you choose the sites to guest blog on (disregard the blogs that send you invitation). Do you look at the traffic or subscriber count?
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Nice post Jeevan, I couldn’t agree more and I’m flattered you feel Hot Blog Tips falls within that criteria. Your second guest post publishes in the morning.
I would just add to find blogs where the owner/admin allows do-follow links and actively promotes the blog posts as well.
Yes, of course
Your blog, Ileane’s blog all fall within that criteria (I think you guys are beyond that criteria).
Thanks, Brian
Yeah, that’s a good point to add.
Thanks for your insights, Brian!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Guest blogging is one of the most effective way to gain traffic, improve rankings and establish authority! One important factor is that we need to have metrics on choosing where to guest post! A blog has to have good number of visitors and is regularly being updated by the blogger!
Hey Rick,
Yes, of course. You need to guest blog on a site that is regularly updated and had certain number of visitors (along with an active community).
Thanks for the comment!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Hey Jeevan,
Excellent stuff, as always. Guest Blogging is something that can drive hundreds of thousands of visitors, if done effectively.
Medium sized blogs are great way to start, and can definitely help you in building connections/relationship with those blog owners.
Keep up the good work, Jacob.
-Dev
Dev recently posted..How to Create Event Registration Forms for WordPress Using 123ContactForm
Hey Dev,
Thank you Dev
Yes, I remember guest posting at your old blog – it was great – good to know you and your audience
Thanks for the comment!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Keeping Monthly Goals And Blog Contests
Impressive summation Jeevan. Im still working my way to do guest posting and I think you provided a very detailed tips. Thanks
Herbert recently posted..Pin Something Interesting with Pinterest
Hey Herbert,
I am glad that my post helped
Thanks for the comment!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Keep The Conversation Going?
Hi Jeevan,
Thanks for the shout out and you’re always welcome to guest post on Basic Blog Tips!
This is great advice to share with the community. I’m not trying to be harsh, but some of those big blogs (from so called A-listers) don’t even give guest author’s a decent bio box.
Thanks again Jeevan!
Ileane recently posted..Is Your Blog Post An Essay or A Novel?
Hey Ileane,
Thanks for stopping by!
No problem
Yes, I agree. There are many A-listers who only care about the content that they get from guest blogging – they don’t give anything back to their guest posters.
Anyways, thanks for the comment!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Tweet Your Upcoming Posts?
I use to choose the blog based on the traffic though it makes sense of bringing the attention of the readers to my blog
Mohideen recently posted..What Makes a Great Online Business Supplier
Hey Mohideen,
Thanks for the comment!
Yeah, you should not just look at the traffic, focus on the community (if you are trying to get exposure).
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Tweet Your Upcoming Posts?
Jeevan – These are some nice tips you have about guest posting. I am completely supportive of guest articles and I welcome all bloggers to take a look at the “Write for DMC” section of my website for more details on how to submit guest posts to my site.
Praveen Rajarao recently posted..15 Tips to Write Effective Tweets
Hey Praveen,
Thank you!
I am glad that you are. Yes, as blog owners, we are support to welcome our guest posters and treat them like our friends
Thanks for the comment!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Tweet Your Upcoming Posts?
Didn’t think I had much to say about the topic, but when I finally accepted invitations, really enjoyed the experience. And it did expose me to other bloggers whom I may never have met on my small niche
Google SEO recently posted..The Importance of Internal Linking
That’s great!
I am glad that you enjoyed the guest blogging experience!
Anyways, thanks for the comment!
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Do You Tweet Your Upcoming Posts?
I have no time to do guest blogging….actually I have no real talent for it. Cannot begin to tell you how humbling it is to find “medium sized” blogs with quality guest bloggers, such as this one.
“Not as good” …PLEASE! Jeevan your content is very inspiring and I admire that you will not “Quit”. Quitting is to easy and I cannot see that in your future. Keep up the great content.
Bryan Ring recently posted..Build A Business WordPress Site
Hey Bryan,
Aaah..Don’t worry about that
There is no such thing as blogging talent…you just have to keep on doing it 
You should give it a try!
Thanks for the compliments, Bryan! Appreciate you stopping by.
Jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..How To Promote Your Product Like Google Did – Google Plus?
I think it is better to be a guest post in a popular blog so you can be sure that you will gain more exposure. As we all know, popular blogs have their own established followers so once you have that privilege of being a part of this kind of blog, you have higher chance to get more people into your website.
Beth recently posted..Free Grants For College
Hey Beth,
Yes, I can understand your thinking. But, let me make it clear:
Are you blogging for newbies or for upcoming bloggers?
Most of us are blogging for other upcoming bloggers (because these are the guys who really comment/share and engage with you on a regular basis).
And, believe it or not, most of these upcoming bloggers don’t read popular blogs (as they used too). Because, it is how human nature works. We bloggers spend a lot of time on networking and reading on other blogs, but as time passes (and when our blog starts to build up), we tend to focus more on our blog and spend less time on these popular blogs. Yes, we do read other blogs, but most of those posts are from bloggers like you.
Just think about it. Popular blogs nowadays are full of guest posts. And almost all of them are just rehashed stuff. Who reads those guest posts? Mostly newbie bloggers.
It also depends upon your goal:
If you goal is to make a difference – You could write a super awesome for an active medium sized blog (rather than a popular one) – because the audience of those blogs are more likely to be upcoming bloggers.
If you write for a popular blog, it is a bit more harder to get your posts up there. Sure, you will get plenty of shares. But, is shares just enough? (if you go read each posts in popular blogs, the engagement and activity is decreasing – just take a look at the activity over a period of time – 3 to 6 months). And remember: The people who leave a comment are mostly the ones who take time and check your blog link from the bio.
Hope you realize my point, Beth.
Thanks for listening
Jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..How To Promote Your Product Like Google Did – Google Plus?
Makes sense. It is a good thing that you actually elaborate further this discussion because some may think that its really the best to choose the most popular blog for guest posting than any other blogs. Got your point here.
Beth recently posted..Pre-K School Grants Overview
I don’t have a lot of time to write guest articles so I unintentionally started saving my guest posts for high traffic sites. Right now, I only write for one site with a large, active community. I can write about any topic and I get a kick out of the connections I’m making with other bloggers.
Kimberly Gauthier recently posted..Do Bloggers Need a Brand? | Story Branding by Jim Signorelli
I usually guest blog only those sites I’ve already known. Preferably, I come across them through Blog Engage. It’s where I’ve get to know some blogs which are indeed great and truly inspiring.
Argie Monroy recently posted..Factors to Consider for an Exceptional Business Website Design
Jeevan Jacob John,
I agree the interaction with other bloggers on a medium traffic site beats no interaction on a highly traffic site. I find the medium traffic sites to be more value based and helps build a bigger following.
Keep up the great work!
Dave Steffensmeier
I have yet to write a guest post, Triple J, but appreciate the tip to consider medium-sized blogs. Most of the people I actively follow are on the way up and are still “middle class.”
Astro Gremlin recently posted..Watershed Day for Blogs News Reviews
These are great tips – I have read a few articles on guest blogging but this one is different and I like that.
Thanks for sharing!
Sadie recently posted..How to do Keyword Research Quickly and Effectively
Hey Jeevan,
I totally, totally agree with you. For different reasons, I am much more interested in reading medium blogs than I am in reading biggies out there.
The main reason for this, as far as I am concerned, is that smaller blogs tend to me much friendlier. When was the last time you posted a comment a big blog and really got friendly feedbacks or OMG even a visit to your own blog? No very often, right? The only exception I can think of is Denny Iny, who kindly came visit and left a comment on my blog just because I’d mentioned him on one of my posts. Any other PR3 or PR4+ blogs I’ve done that with have completely ignored me.
Yes, we want to guest post on big blogs, at least some of the times, but guest posting on smaller blogs is great as well. I’ve learned something with guest posting is that it not so much where you post, but more about how often you do it.
Thanks for the great topic!
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..What Is Quora And Why Bloggers And Marketers Should Use It?
Nice Post Jeevan,
You are surely have made important step in your blogging career. I do agree with your insight. and I agree with Sylvianne Nuchio : Medium blogs are friendlier.
Maybe I can add one more tips. Don’t get rush in submitting your guest post. Take a live interaction first on your targeted blogs. This simple tips is useful especially if you have no one to help in the internet.
This simple tips works for a totally stranger blogger to get the first change.
Well, I am that stranger. I got my first chance in onlineincometeacher.com and going to publish in 16 March.
For me, that is something. Since my blog started in January this year, I am a blogger from Jakarta (maybe not many know where it is, haha) English is not my first language, and I have no one out there to help me grow. I just passionate about what I write and I like to learn.
I am stating that because that is a living proof of how my simple tips works. If I can then anyone can too.
Great post Jeevan it’s so inspire
Okto recently posted..How to Really Earn from Clickbank : Experiences of Kristi Hines
I have seen the awesome site lists from this http://guestpostblog.weebly.com/ which allows guest author. There are lot of benefits like quick response, fast approval and so on. You really enjoy it.
The article is really great, in my point of view, the best way to do guest posting is that post your best article in the similar type of blog and make understand the blog owner that by doing guest posting the benefit is for both and also the viewers.
At the moment when it comes to choosing guest blogs I just go for anything that receives enough attention and how often they update their blog.
Sabrina Sabino recently posted..There Is No Such Thing As White Hat SEO Services!