Author: Christopher Jan Benitez

  • How to Use SEMrush to Boost Your Blog Content’s SEO

    How to Use SEMrush to Boost Your Blog Content’s SEO

    SEO is not for the weak of heart.

    The process of optimizing for organic search involves research, critical thinking, and a bit of elbow grease all rolled into one. Only people who have the patience to analyze hard data and put them into concrete actions will succeed in getting their sites ranked at the top of Google search results.

    However, it’s one thing that you know the process. It’s another to actually do it.

    Ideally, an effective SEO strategy runs for years in order to keep your site on the first page of search results at the very least. That includes mining organic search for relevant information to help you develop the tactics that will comprise your strategy.

    Manually combing through search results is not recommended because it will take too much of your time just to collect the data. Even then, some of the information you will have collected may change over time due to the changes in the Google algorithm.

    Therefore, you need all the help you can get regarding developing and implementing an SEO campaign. The help usually comes in the form of an SEO tool that will:

    • help you determine the best target keywords to optimize for each of your pages
    • crafting content based on the keyword you’ve chosen
    • acquiring backlinks for your content through competitor research

    All these things can be done effectively using SEMrush*.

    semrush logo - How to Use SEMrush to Boost Your Blog Content's SEO
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    In this post, I will discuss how to use SEMrush to help you choose target keywords for your content, develop the best content possible for your post, and build relevant and contextual links to your post based on your competition.

    For the sake of example, I will be using the post “MASSIVE LIST: 1,343 Blogs that Accept Guest Posts” and share with you how I developed the post from the ground up using SEMrush and some examples on how to run a link building strategy for it.

    Let’s jump right to it, shall we?

    Keyword Difficulty Tool

    For keyword ideas before writing your post, go to the Keyword Difficulty Tool page under the Keywords Analytics category.

    On this page, you should already have a keyword phrase in mind that you want to optimize for. The purpose of the Keyword Overview is to validate whether the keyword has lots of search volume and is not difficult to rank for relative to other related search phrases.

    At the same time, you want to look for better-related keywords to optimize for.

    Initially, I was torn between “sites that accept guest posts” and “blogs that accept guest posts” as my keyword. Using this tool, let’s see which between the two is better.

    From the screenshot above, “blogs that accept guest posts” returns with data and the other keyword doesn’t. This means that the former keyword phrase is search more often than the other one, so It’s best to optimize for the keyword with better performance based on the data.

    Keyword Overview

    I clicked on the “blogs that accept guest posts,” which brought me to the Keyword Overview page of that keyword.

    What you want to look for in this section are the related keywords. You may see better-performing keywords based on volume.

    Looking at the screenshot above, it seems like there is.

    To make sure that “blogs that accept guest blogging” is the best option among related keywords, click on it and look for related keywords again. If you can’t find a keyword phrase with higher search volume, then I may have unearthed the keyword to use for my blog post.

    However, search volume is just one of the many factors to consider when choosing keywords. You also need to factor in the difficulty of ranking on top of search results for that keyword.

    Initially, you should look for the SERP that is displayed at the bottom of the Keyword Overview page.

    SEMrush will show you the top 100 site pages ranking for the keyword that is clustered into 20s.

    From here, you need to analyze each page and manually identify the strengths and weaknesses of each. Once you’ve gathered data from at least the top 10 results for your keyword, you can take actions on your findings and develop the necessary content that is better than the ones appearing on the first page.

    While this process remains the best way to analyze each page, it takes a lot of times to open all the pages and see them for yourself. If you want to hasten the process of finding the difficulty of your chosen keyword, SEMrush has features that suit your needs.

    SEMrush

    Keyword Analytics

    Semrush has a pretty solid keyword research tool for finding the best search terms to optimize your site pages with. It is arguably much better than the data provided by the free keyword tools.

    It is best practice to gather as many viable keywords that you can find. While search volume is important, you also need to look at other factors like keyword relevance and difficult (more on this later). Therefore, I took the opportunity to look into other related keywords by viewing the full report.

    You will be redirected to a page with the complete list of related keywords.

    Among the data featured on the table, you need to look into keyword difficulty. This metric factors into the pages from the SERP and aggregates the data into a figure with 100 as the highest score, which means that it is next to impossible to rank for the keyword. Therefore, the lower the KD, the better your chances of ranking for that page on the first page of search results.

    You can arrange the list according to KD.

    However, doing this showed me keywords will little relevance to the initial keyword I entered.You need to factor in the Related % column of the list so you can choose from highly similar and related keywords.

    Upon further inspection, I have narrowed down the keywords to two:

    • blogs that accept guest posts
    • blogs looking for guest posts

    In the end, I decided to go with “blogs that accept guest posts” for the following reasons:

    • Higher relevance – Both keywords have 75%, which is the highest relevance score from the list
    • (Relatively) competitive search volume – My chosen keyword has 70 search volume compared to 10 with the other one.
    • Low KD – It has a relatively low keyword difficulty with 56.6, which ranks the 59th out of the 310 related keywords.

    Verifying the keywords one more time

    Since the related keywords are derived from the original chosen keyword “blogs that accept guest blogging,” I would like to pit it with the chosen phrase from the Related Keyword page to settle on which KW to use for the content.

    After running both using the Keyword Difficulty page, it appears that there is a clear winner.

    Sine “blogs that accept guest blogging” does not have available data, it makes “blogs that accept guest posts” as the de facto winner!

    SEO Content Template

    Now that I have chosen the keyword for my content, it’s time for me to use tool’s SEO Content Template feature. This feature allows you to create content that people want to link out to and site owners would want to publish as a guest post (yep, this tactic still works).

    As mentioned earlier, manually analyzing each page from search results for my keyword is a time-consuming process. Therefore, I can just bank this feature from SEMrush so I can simply focus on the data and use the suggestions in crafting my post.

    Enter the keyword on the search bar to create the SEO template.

    The screenshot above shows actionable information I can use with the content I will develop for my chosen keyword. Personally, I find the readability score and word count recommendation to be the most helpful.

    Their purpose is to help you create better content than the ones appearing on search results. However, these are just suggestions so you can decide on whether to do them or not for your content. For example,3,978 words for a post may be too much for my liking. After all, more words don’t necessarily mean better content in most cases.

    Aside from the key recommendations (based on your Google top 10 rivals), the template also shows the general SEO recommendations regarding the H1, meta description, page title, and text.

    As part of SEO’s best practices, you need to build links for your site pages to increase your site’s SEO performance. Once the post has been published, marketers look for link building opportunities in the hopes of getting that all-valuable backlink from high-authority sites.

    However, in my experience, it is best that you find the opportunities before writing the post. I have detailed the process in depth in this post I wrote for SEMrush which still holds up.

    In a nutshell, by identifying opportunities, you can design your content that caters to the page or domain you want to acquire a link from.

    This process will require me to do the following:

    • Uncover the backlinks of the 10 top-ranking pages for my keyword
    • Identify how I can link back to those pages
    • Use the findings to create content that will increase the chances of getting a link from that page

    The method of link building requires you to consider all pages ranking on SERP to be your competitors. Your purpose is to try and hijack their position by analyzing the backlink profile of the ranking page so you can find a way to link to those pages as well.

    Go to the Keyword Analysis and check the SERP of the first page. Click on the first result to show the Domain Analytics overview of the page.

     

    The top-ranking page (EffectiveBusinessIdeas.com) has only four backlinks.

    To analyze the kind of links the top-ranking page has, I need to click on all the pages with its backlink in it. In this case, I need to check the ProCoach.com page myself.

    Before we check out the page, you need to understand the three types of backlinks that you can acquire from a page:

    • Within content – Author features the link in the article.
    • Comment – A blogger leaves a link to the page in his/her comment or enters the URL of the page which then is linked to his/her name.
    • List of links – The resource page is littered with links from relevant articles and content about its topic.

    Now that we have that covered, let’s check one of the pages with the backlink of your competitor:

     

    As you can see, the link is found within the content. A possible reason for this is that the author found the content on search results or s/he is connected with the owner of EffectiveBusinessIdeas.com. I’m leaning towards the former since it ranks at the very top of the keyword I’m also trying to rank for.

    There are two ways that you can get a link from this page with the content you’re developing:

    • Comment with a link to your relevant post – Really simple and straightforward, but only if commenting is enabled on the page. However, it depends on whether the site owner is stingy when it comes to comments. If you’re not sure on how to proceed with crafting your blog comments, you need to read this excellent post at Smart Blogger.
    • Blogger outreach – Build a relationship with the site owner by sending him/her an email and mentioning your latest post that you want him/her to link to. Of course, you need to approach this strategy with a lighter hand to not turn off the site owner. Read this post I wrote about blogger outreach before you consider implementing this tactic.

    Once you have identified the process on how you plan on acquiring the link, you need to find an angle on how you can pitch your post to the site in order to get a backlink.

    Looking at the EffectiveBusinessIndeas.com page, while there are a lot of things going for it, there are holes in the post that you can take advantage of, namely:

    • The limited number of sites to write for – At the beginning of the article, the author mentions that there are over 20 sites listed per category, which isn’t a lot. When developing my content, I can list down more than 20 – or even 3x – a number of sites that accept guest posts.
    • Find more niches – The post features 24 categories as of writing, which is exhaustive in itself. However, maybe there are other niches I can uncover that I could include in my post.
    • Content formatting – The post doesn’t have any images and doesn’t have social sharing buttons to make it easier for readers to like or tweet the post.

    These are some initial factors that I can capitalize on when developing link building opportunities for my content. Now, the challenge is replicating the process on all backlinks of your competitors. I’m not gonna lie – this is a very time-consuming process, albeit a necessary one if you want to jumpstart the acquisition of link for your content. You could probably outsource someone or delegate this task to someone else so you can focus on developing the content.

    You can even potential unearth more backlinks, you can try using Buzzsumo. Read this post I wrote about how to use Buzzsumo to create killer content. The process I shared in the post goes together well with creating content using SEO’s content template.

    SEMrush

    Wrapping it up

    SEMrush is an excellent SEO and content tool to help you supercharge your blog’s SEO performance. Applying the process religiously on all your posts will help you reach your audience by ranking high up on Google organic search and increase your traffic in the process.

    SEMrush costs $99/month but you can sign up for a free account and get limited access to some of the data. Doing so gives you an idea on how to use SEMrush and whether or not it’s the SEO tool for you. Click here to sign up for an account.

    How to Use SEMrush to Boost Your Blog Contents SEO
  • Airstory Review: A Game Changing Content Creation Tool?

    Airstory Review: A Game Changing Content Creation Tool?

    Writing is a very personal practice.

    There are millions of possibilities to write a particular thought or idea, and a writer only has to settle on just one. As more ideas pile up, an author sticks to a specific style that defines him or her. It is the beauty that is inherent in writing, which paves the way for distinct storytellers, novelists, and nonfiction writers.

    Part of what makes writing unique is the process. Each writer has their quirks and methods that compose how they come up with their content.

    The problem starts when the writing process becomes too convoluted and is, therefore, counterproductive to the goal it is set to achieve. The method may work wonders for some, but what if there’s a way for them to make a much more streamlined writing process?

    However, is it possible to believe that you can streamline your writing process to concoct much better content in less time?

    At least, that’s what this Airstory review is set to achieve.

    In this objective and unbiased review, I attempt to take a closer look at Airstory and how it could benefit writers from all walks of life using a set of criteria that I believe are relevant to determine its effectiveness. Also, I will provide my take on why I feel the way I feel towards Airstory.

    tl;dr

    • Airstory’s drag-and-drop card system is full of potential uses.
    • As a tool to help you create better content in less time, Airstory is not that valuable.
    • Aside from the card system, the Web Clipper is a great way to annotate content quickly and easily. The one-click import to WordPress saves you time from copying, pasting, and uploading content to your site.
    • For $25/month,  it’s not necessarily a bad deal, considering how easy it’ll make content collaboration for users. At the same time, it’s not the most affordable deal, either.
    • Airstory provides enough tutorials and support on their site to help you get on board with the tool for your content needs.
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    What’s the story, Airstory?

    Airstory
    airstory
    TRY AIRSTORY NOW

    Pros

    • Drag and drop cards to add content, a game-changer
    • Templates provide you with keys to success

    Cons

    • Not very user-friendly
    • Ultimately unnecessary

    My main gripe with Airstory is that it tries to homogenize the writing process, which is why some people will find the tool useless. I believe that some writing processes can be developed into much simpler tasks. However, if the process works, why fix it? Airstory seems to impose a specific workflow that can be considered radical by others already set with a writing process. Also, aside from the fact that you can create content using free and less constricting tools, why settle with Airstory?

    Airstory is an app made for content creators who want to produce content on the go. Whether you’re a blogger, copywriter, or social media specialist, there is something to like about Airstory.

    The team behind Airstory are the same people who run Copyhackers.

    The ultimate plan developed by Joanna Wiebe is to make writing easy. While there are tools on the market that work perfectly fine and even help aid your writing process to create awesome content, Airstory aims to streamline all the tasks involved in writing to help you create killer content in less time.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEu4PrK_rks

    “While Copy Hackers teaches you to write copy that converts, Airstory helps you write it. It’s a drag-and-drop document builder. It is to document what LeadPages and Unbounce are to landing pages.1″

    In simpler terms, I would describe it as “project management for writers.”

    Similar to tools like Trello and Wrike, you can consolidate all your content projects in a single place, so you don’t have to sift through different folders in your local or cloud drive. Airstory is also perfect for multiple writers collaborating on a piece. The tool is agile enough to help writers get on track with their respective projects so they can meet their deadlines.

    How to judge Airstory?

    It is almost impossible to judge a tool that’s based on something purely subjective. There is no single correct answer when it comes to the writing process. It can be as convoluted and unproductive as it could be as long as it delivers results.

    However, for the sake of reviewing Airstory,  we need to establish variables to help see the tool from a more qualitative perspective.

    • Uniqueness – What sets Airstory apart from other writing tools and even SEO content software?
    • Usefulness – How valuable is Airstory as a tool to help you create better content in less time?
    • Features – Do the features present in Airstory fulfill the promise of making you write faster?
    • Price – Is the cost of using Airstory over a long period justified?
    • Support – Are the people behind Airstory providing you enough support to use the tool?

    How to use Airstory to simplify your blogging process

    Airstory feels like a mystery. It means what it says, and yet it is difficult, at least for me, to visualize how the tool works. The site offers enough support to help you get your feet off the ground using this tool. However, sometimes, it’s better to just push through with the tool head-on and see what you can create with it.

    Therefore, instead of laying down the details for you, I published a YouTube video explaining how I use Airstory to write this review and other features you need to know about the tool.

    In the video, you will learn:

    • what makes Airstory different from usual word processing tools
    • why the drag and drop cards innovates the way you approach content creation
    • how the Airstory Researcher Web Clipper can help you annotate content from other sites on the fly
    • how the different templates available in its library can help remove the guesswork from the writing process

    Note from the Editor

    This is the first time I’m using video in my reviews. I used Screencast-o-matic to record the video and publish it on Youtube for sharing. If you have thoughts about the review, please let me know so I can work on the kinks and provide you with better video content moving forward 🙂

    Pros

    Drag and drop cards to add content a game changer

    Most of the writing tools offered in today’s market are limited to grammar editors, headline checkers, distraction-free editors, and the like. It doesn’t have the sophisticated UX seen in most project management tools, nor does it have functions that could really that your writing process to the next level.

    Airstory is the bridge where writers can cross towards a more automated way of writing. The drag and drop card feature is a brazen way to make content creation possible with just a few clicks of a button.

    This feature is perfect for some reasons. If you’re a writer, you can use cards to build your ideas and save citations using the Airstory Researcher Web Clipper Chrome extension that you can use later. Once you save your ideas using the browser extension, you can just drag the cards into the text editor and expand your thoughts from there.

    Airstory researcher web clipper

    If you like to curate content on your blog or site or build a writing portfolio to show prospects, you can use the Airstory Research to create citations from some of the best posts in your niche and publish a weekly post about them.

    If you’re a manager of a writing team or an editor, you can assign them cards to fill out regarding the sections in the content that you are building. After that, you can simply form the content by dragging the cards and repositioning them as you see fit in the content. You can then comment on the sections if you want the writers to edit and elaborate on their ideas.

    If you’re not on a desktop and need to create content, you can access Airstory from your tablet and use the pre-filled cards to build your content from scratch.

    There are simply endless ways that you can do to create content using Airstory. It’s a very exciting feature that could challenge the way content is written and produced!

    Templates provide you keys to success

    I am not a fan of templates. The fact that you have the option to use them only makes them prone for other people to abuse them to no one. Therefore, what was once an effective template that aims to increase conversion and engagement or whatnot is now ineffective and run down the ground.

    However, I don’t feel the same way about the templates found in Airstory. After all, the best copywriters in the industry developed the templates. So if there’s anything to abuse in this world, it has to be Airstory templates.

    To access the templates, you need to download them by opening a new window to all the available files. Honestly, I’m not sure why I had to download them from a subdomain and not just have them readily available from the dashboard. My best guess is that they’re measuring the performance of each template and see which one gets the most downloads so they can develop more templates related to them. If that’s the case, it still bogs down the experience of using the tool.

    Airstory Templates

    Going back to the templates, there are currently 26 available ranging from headline hacks to blog post formulas and even an email sequence script. The template will help you build your version of the content without having to start from a clean slate.These allow you to supercharge your content writing so you can finish faster and quicker.

    Cons

    Not very user-friendly

    Upon signing up for an account, Airstory greets users with a somewhat complex dashboard. There are lots of buttons and sections to choose from that it prevents me from a decision which one to click on.

    Airstory dashboard

    Eventually, you’ll get the hang of the tool after playing around with it for a while. However. I think the tool would benefit from a more useful layout that engages and gets them on board with the tool even without having prior knowledge about it.

    Ultimately unnecessary

    While it seems like Airstory is reinventing the wheels with its features, it feels like it doesn’t. If you’re fine using Google Docs to collaborate with writers or Trello to manage all your writing tasks, then I don’t see why people have to line up for Airstory. It’s probably cool to drag and drop cards to create your content, or you can collaborate on Google Docs to build the article, which is pretty much the same thing.

    It does complement your use of Google Docs and Evernote since both sync up nicely with the tool. However, I feel that something is lacking in Airstory in that you don’t need it in the grand scheme of things, at least for now. It’s a great tool if you want to simplify some of the more tedious and repetitive tasks in writing, which is a great selling point. But I feel that Airstory could be more than what it is.

    Qualifying Airstory as a content tool

    I sincerely feel that Airstory is something special. The drag-and-drop content cards are something to build on in the future and can probably revolutionize how online writing is done. There are also features like WordPress integration that allow you to collaborate on a post and save it as a draft on WordPress along with the images. This is an excellent way to upload your content on the CMS instead of copying and pasting the text while uploading the photos individually.

    Still, I can’t shake off the fact that Airstory is something that I can’t wholeheartedly recommend to anyone, especially those whose writing habits are set.

    Airstory has reiterated that it aims to complement the existing process and make it easier, and it also makes it seamless for non-writers to create content using the tool. Regardless, I feel that it’ll take more than drag-and-drop cards to get more people to buy into the idea of Airstory.

    Final words

    Video summary above created using InVideo.

    Airstory

    • UNIQUENESS
    • USEFULNESS
    • FEATURES
    • PRICE
    • SUPPORT

    Conclusion

    The concept behind the tool is visionary, but the execution needs a lot of work, in my opinion. However, Airstory breaks new ground in the content creation field. Despite its inherent faults, it treads new territory regarding how we view content creation from a business and productivity standpoint. I honestly cannot wait for the team behind Airstory to continue to develop the tool and fulfill its true potential.
    3.7/5
    TRY AIRSTORY NOW
    1. Airstory writing software by Copy Hackers, Today, We Are Fools. Happily. (Or why we built and are finally launching Airstory.), https://copyhackers.com/2017/02/airstory/
  • The Best Blog Hosting for Bloggers in 2026 (7 Options Compared)

    The Best Blog Hosting for Bloggers in 2026 (7 Options Compared)

    Your blog host is one of the few decisions that is a pain to undo later.

    Pick well and you get fast pages, near-zero downtime, and support that answers when something breaks. Pick badly and you spend a weekend migrating away from it.

    I have run blogs and client sites on a lot of hosts over the years. This is my honest take on the best blog hosting for bloggers in 2026.

    Quick disclosure: three of the hosts below (SiteGround, Cloudways, and Namecheap) are ones I earn a commission from. I only kept them here because I actually use and recommend them. The rest have no affiliate link at all, and I still think you should consider them.

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    The Best Blog Hosting at a Glance

    Here is the short version if you just want a pick and a price.

    Host Best for Starts around The catch
    Namecheap Brand-new blogs on a budget $2/mo You will outgrow it
    SiteGround Ease of use plus solid speed $4/mo Renewal jumps 50%+ after year one
    Cloudways Performance and pay-for-what-you-use $11/mo Not beginner-friendly
    Hostinger Cheap all-rounder for beginners $3/mo Renewal rises sharply
    Bluehost WordPress beginners who want hand-holding $3/mo Constant upsells
    DreamHost Month-to-month, no long lock-in $3/mo Fewer flashy features
    WP Engine High-traffic blogs that can pay for it $20/mo Expensive for a new blog

    Prices are intro rates and change often, so check the current number before you buy. The renewal price matters more than the intro price, and I will come back to that.

    How I Evaluate a Blog Host

    I am not going to pretend I ran a lab with uptime graphs for every host on this page.

    What I can give you is the view from actually building and running blogs on these platforms, plus what I have seen go wrong on client sites.

    Here is what I weigh:

    • Speed: how fast pages load once real content and images are on them, not just on an empty demo.
    • Renewal pricing: the price after the first term ends, which is the one you actually live with.
    • Ease of use: whether a non-technical blogger can manage it without a developer.
    • WordPress fit: most bloggers run WordPress, so smooth WordPress support matters.
    • Support: whether a human answers when your site goes down at a bad time.
    blog hosting 5 checks

    Where I have hands-on experience, I say so. Where I am giving you the general read, I say that too.

    Blog Host vs. Blogging Platform: What You Actually Need

    Before you pick a host, decide what kind of blog you want.

    A self-hosted blog means you run WordPress on hosting you control. You own everything, you can install any plugin, and you can move whenever you want. Every host in this guide is for this route.

    A hosted platform like WordPress.com, Medium, or Squarespace runs everything for you. It is simpler, but you rent your home instead of owning it. Your monetization, design, and SEO options are limited by their rules.

    If you are serious about a blog that ranks and makes money, go self-hosted. That is the whole reason this list exists.

    blog hosting selfhosted vs platform

    The 7 Best Blog Hosting Providers, Reviewed

    I put the three I use first, because those are the ones I can speak to from real experience.

    Namecheap: Best for Brand-New Blogs on a Budget

    Namecheap does what the name promises. It is cheap.

    That is exactly what you want when the blog is brand new and you have no traffic and no revenue yet. You want to get the thing online without a big bill.

    Its control panel is clean and easy, which matters a lot when you are still learning. You are not going to feel lost.

    The honest limit: you will outgrow it. Once your traffic climbs, you will want a more powerful platform. Think of Namecheap as the host that gets you off the ground, not the one you scale on.

    Check Namecheap pricing

    SiteGround: Best Balance of Ease and Performance

    SiteGround sits in the middle of the ground for me, in the best way.

    It has the ease of use that Namecheap gives you, thanks to a genuinely good control panel. A non-technical blogger can run a site here without help.

    It also performs well and its WordPress support is strong. For most bloggers, it is a safe, capable choice.

    My one real gripe is the renewal price. When I used it, the cost jumped by more than 50% after the first year. The intro price is great. The year-two price is a different conversation, so budget for it going in.

    Check SiteGround pricing

    Cloudways: Best Performance and Pay-for-What-You-Use

    Cloudways is one of the best-performing hosting platforms I have used.

    The pricing model is what sets it apart. You pay for the hosting your site actually uses, not a fixed plan. If your site is not pulling huge traffic and you are not on one of their premium servers, you do not pay premium.

    That is a rare thing in hosting. Most hosts lock you into a tier whether you use it or not.

    The trade-off is that Cloudways is not beginner-friendly. There is no traditional cPanel hand-holding, and it assumes you are comfortable managing a server-style setup. If you are past the beginner stage and you care about speed, it is excellent.

    Check Cloudways pricing

    Hostinger: Cheap All-Rounder for Beginners

    Hostinger competes with Namecheap on price and wins a lot of “cheapest host” roundups.

    It is a reasonable beginner pick with a friendly dashboard and low intro pricing.

    The same caution applies as with any budget host. The renewal price rises sharply, and the cheapest plans are shared, so performance is fine for a small blog and not much more.

    Bluehost: Best for WordPress Beginners Who Want Hand-Holding

    Bluehost is the host WordPress.org officially recommends, so beginners land on it constantly.

    It is built for people who have never touched hosting. The WordPress install is guided and the dashboard is simple.

    The downside is the steady stream of upsells during setup, plus the usual renewal jump. It is a fine place to start, not a place to stay forever.

    DreamHost: Best for Month-to-Month, No Long Lock-In

    DreamHost is also officially recommended by WordPress.org, and it has a feature the others hide from.

    You can pay month to month instead of committing to three years to get the headline price. If you hate long contracts, that alone makes it worth a look.

    It is less flashy than the others and the interface is its own thing rather than cPanel. For a no-drama, no-lock-in blog host, it holds up.

    WP Engine: Best for High-Traffic Blogs That Can Pay for It

    WP Engine is managed WordPress hosting built for scale.

    It is fast, it handles traffic spikes, and it takes care of the technical maintenance for you. This is the host you graduate to when a blog becomes a real business.

    It is also expensive, and overkill for a new blog. Do not pay WP Engine prices until your traffic and revenue actually justify it.

    How to Choose the Best Blog Hosting (A Buyer’s Guide for Bloggers)

    If you strip away the marketing, a good blog host comes down to a handful of things.

    Speed and Core Web Vitals

    Slow pages lose readers and rankings. Look for hosting with SSD or NVMe storage, built-in caching, and a CDN. Cloudways and SiteGround both do this well.

    Renewal Pricing, Not Just the Intro Price

    This is the trap almost every host sets. The $3 intro price becomes $12 or more at renewal.

    Always find the renewal rate before you buy, and budget for the year-two price. It is the number you actually pay long term.

    Ease of Use

    If you are not technical, a clean control panel is worth a lot. Namecheap and SiteGround are strong here. Cloudways is not, so match the host to your comfort level.

    WordPress and SEO Plugin Support

    Most bloggers run WordPress. Make sure the host supports it cleanly and does not block common SEO and caching plugins.

    Free Migration and Room to Grow

    You will likely switch hosts at least once as you grow. Check whether the new host offers free migration, because paying to move or doing it by hand is a headache.

    Is Free Blog Hosting Worth It?

    For a real blog, no.

    Free hosting usually means a clunky subdomain, forced ads you do not control, and no room to monetize or move. You do not own anything.

    The moment you want to make money or rank in Google, you will migrate off it. Start on cheap paid hosting like Namecheap instead and skip the wasted step.

    How to Migrate Your Blog to a Better Host

    Outgrowing your first host is normal, not a failure. Here is the short version of moving without breaking your site.

    1. Check if your new host offers free migration. Most of the better ones do.
    2. Back up your entire site first, files and database.
    3. Move the site to the new host and test it on a temporary URL before going live.
    4. Point your domain to the new host only after you have confirmed the site works.
    5. Keep the old hosting active for a week in case you need to roll back.

    Done in that order, your readers never notice the switch.

    My Verdict: The Best Blog Hosting by Type of Blogger

    There is no single best host. There is a best host for where you are right now.

    • Brand-new blogger on a budget: start with Namecheap. Cheap, easy, gets you online.
    • Blogger who wants ease plus solid performance: go with SiteGround, just budget for the renewal price.
    • Performance-focused blogger past the beginner stage: use Cloudways and only pay for what you use.
    • High-traffic blog that is now a business: move to WP Engine.
    blog hosting by type

    Most bloggers I know start on Namecheap, move to SiteGround or Cloudways as they grow, and only reach WP Engine once the blog pays for itself.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much does blog hosting cost?

    Budget hosting starts around $2 to $4 a month on an intro rate. Expect that to roughly double at renewal. Managed hosting like WP Engine starts around $20 a month.

    What is the best hosting for a WordPress blog?

    For most bloggers, SiteGround gives the best balance of WordPress support and ease of use. If you want raw speed and can handle a less beginner-friendly setup, Cloudways is faster.

    Can I move my blog to another host later?

    Yes. Most good hosts offer free migration, so switching is straightforward. Back up first and test on a temporary URL before pointing your domain over.

    Is Namecheap good for blogging?

    It is great for starting out. It is cheap and easy, which is exactly what a new blog needs. You will likely want a more powerful host once your traffic grows.

    Should I use free blog hosting?

    Not for a serious blog. Free hosting limits monetization, forces ads, and keeps you from owning your site. Cheap paid hosting is a better starting point.

    The Bottom Line

    Match the host to your stage, not to a headline price.

    Start cheap with Namecheap, step up to SiteGround or Cloudways as you grow, and save WP Engine for when the blog is earning.

    Whichever you pick, check the renewal price before you buy. That one habit will save you more than any coupon.

  • 130+ Blogs That Accept Guest Posts in 2026 (Verified List)

    130+ Blogs That Accept Guest Posts in 2026 (Verified List)

    Looking for blogs that accept guest posts? You’re in the right place.

    I’ve compiled and manually verified 132 websites across 19 industries that actively accept guest post submissions. Every site on this list has a working “Write for Us” page with clear submission guidelines. Unlike other lists filled with dead links, this one is regularly maintained.

    New to guest posting? Start with my guest posting tutorial to learn the fundamentals before diving into this list.

    Last Updated: December 2025

    If you want to find even more opportunities beyond this list, check out my guide on how to find guest post websites the right way.

    Table of Contents
    [Open][Close]

    Marketing and Digital Marketing

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    ContentWork.netWrite for UseCommerce and content strategy focus. No AI content. 1 backlink in author bio.
    StoryChiefWrite for UsContent marketing, SEO topics. 20K+ monthly readers. Submit via application form.
    Growth FolksWrite for UsMarketing, SEO, growth strategies. Email info@growthfolks.io with 2-3 topic ideas.
    Chatter Buzz MediaWrite for UsDigital marketing thought leadership pieces.
    Jose Angelo StudiosWrite for UsNo AI content. Propose 3 topic ideas before writing.
    That CompanyWrite for UsSEO, PPC, digital marketing. Detailed author bio required.
    Waseem BashirWrite for UsSaaS, B2B marketing topics. Minimum 1500 words.
    Digital Success DallasGuest Blogging1000+ words. Must pass Copyscape.

    Business and Entrepreneurship

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Business Setup WorldwideGuest Blog SubmissionOriginal content only. Maximum 5 outbound links.
    SEO SandwitchWrite for UsSME, marketing focus. Minimum 1200 words.
    WP SwingsWrite for UsWordPress, WooCommerce, eCommerce topics.
    3vetaWrite for UsRemote work, SaaS topics. 1000+ words. 1 backlink allowed.
    Make a Living WritingGuest Post GuidelinesPAID: $150-$230 per post. Members-only submissions.
    RightPatientContent Submission GuidelinesBusiness, healthcare, IT topics accepted.

    Technology and Software

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    KatalonGuest Post GuidelinesSoftware testing, QA focus. Submit proposal first.
    FlexipleGuest Post GuidelinesSoftware dev, design, remote work. 2-7 day review time.
    RikkeisoftWrite for UsSoftware, mobile, cloud topics. 2 backlinks allowed.
    InstatusWrite for UsSaaS, DevOps, status pages. Email write@instatus.com.
    TechDogsWrite for UsTechnology news, IT industry coverage.
    Technocrats HorizonsWrite for UsWeb/app development, AI topics. 1200-2500 words.
    GeekCodeLabWrite for UsWordPress, plugins, themes. Email sales@geekcodelab.com.
    OutRight StoreWrite for UsCRM, AI, machine learning. 800+ words minimum.

    Travel

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    EvBeingTravel Write for Us1200+ words. Original images preferred.
    Nomads WorldWrite for Us200K+ monthly views. Australia/New Zealand focus.
    Trip TraditionWrite for Us1200+ words. 1 dofollow link in author bio.
    The Culinary Travel GuideGuest PostsFood travel focus. 1500+ words.
    Travel is LifeGuest Blog Guidelines5+ original images required. No republishing allowed.
    TrotterItWrite for Us800+ words. No AI-generated content.
    Know About DestinationsWrite for Us1000+ words. 2 dofollow links included.
    Travels GyaanTravel Write for UsSocial media promotion included with publication.

    Health and Wellness

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Clinic SpotsWrite for UsHealthcare, wellness topics. 1 dofollow in author bio.
    Your Health MagazineWrite for Us1000+ words. Email content@yourhealthmedia.net.
    Healthy Jeena SikhoWrite for Us700-1500 words. 1 dofollow link.
    Healthy WritesWrite for Us1000+ words. 24-hour review time.
    TreatwiserWrite for UsHolistic health focus. 800-1500 words.
    The Wellness CornerWrite for Us1000+ words. Submit 3-5 topic ideas first.
    DocIndiaWrite for UsHealthcare, nutrition topics. Email cs@docindia.org.

    Finance and Personal Finance

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Elite Personal FinanceWrite for UsPAID: $300 per post. 1000-3000 words.
    FangWalletWrite for UsEducational content. Max 2 links. Topic approval required.
    Finance Care GuideSubmit Guest PostMax 3 backlinks. Email peter@financecareguide.com.
    Money MentorWrite for UsPersonal finance topics. Google Docs format preferred.
    Money Journey TodayWrite for Us700-800+ words. Non-commercial content only.
    Finance Care OnlineGuest PostFinance, law topics. 1 dofollow link.

    Home Improvement and Interior Design

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    KS Realty AgentHome Improvement Write for UsHome improvement, DIY topics. Dofollow link included.
    Kyuhyung ChoWrite for Us500-1500 words. 2-5 photos required.
    Use Home TipsWrite for Us1000-10000 words. Original content only.
    Estimate Florida ConsultingWrite for Us1200+ words. 1 dofollow link.
    Hudson FarmhouseHome Improvement Write for Us600-1000 words. Email Hi@hudsonfarmhouse.com.
    SnoozyeHome Improvement Write for Us1000+ words. Must be plagiarism-free.
    Home InsideWrite for Us700+ words. Dofollow links provided.
    Shine Your Light BlogGuest PostDIY, home decor. 800-3000 words. 2-3 links allowed.

    Education and eLearning

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    ProProfs (Education)Submit Education ArticleOnline education, L&D topics. 7-day review period.
    ProProfs (eLearning)Submit eLearning ArticleeLearning, LMS, course creation.
    ProProfs (Training)Submit Training ArticleOnline training, corporate learning.
    SpheroGuest Post GuidelinesK-12 STEM education. No grammar errors tolerated.
    CYPHER LearningWrite for UseLearning industry. Email blog@cypherlearning.com.
    EmpowerlyGuest Post Program1500+ words. Google Doc format required.
    Digital Engine LandWrite for Us Education800+ words. Email info@digitalengineland.com.
    CCube AcademyWrite for UsLanguage learning focus. Submit 2-3 writing samples first.

    Career and HR

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    HR CloudBlog Guidelines1200-1500 words. No AI-generated content.
    Career ReloadWrite for Us1 link allowed in body. Must cite sources.
    HR HUBWrite for UsHR management topics. Maximum 3 links.
    iSmartRecruitWrite for UsHR, recruiting focus. 1500+ words. UK English.
    CareerBandsSubmit Guest PostEmail info@careerbands.com with pitch.
    FangWallet (HR)Write for Us HR1500+ words. 3 writing samples required.
    Jobs in SportsWrite for UsSports industry careers. SME only.

    Fitness

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    O Coach AppWrite for Us2 dofollow links. Submit via publishhub.ocoach.app.
    YR FitnessWrite for UsGym equipment focus. 100% original content.
    FitnessBWrite for Us800-1500 words. Conversational writing style.
    Anax FitnessWrite for UsWeight loss, gym wear topics. No AI content.
    Protein PackageBlog Guest PostingEmail media@proteinpackage.co.uk.
    Trainer EssentialsFitness Guest Post700-1200 words. Evidence-based content preferred.
    Fitness With NidhiWrite for UsWorkouts, nutrition, wellness topics.

    Design (Web, Graphic, UI/UX)

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    DesignModoWrite for UsWeb design tutorials. 2000+ words. High-quality visuals.
    CodevertiserWrite for UsDesign, development topics.
    Digital JeevaWrite for UsDesign, digital marketing.
    Starter StoryWrite for UsBusiness, design, entrepreneurship.
    Graphix JeevaWrite for UsGraphic design focus. 1000+ words.
    Starter JeevaWrite for UsStartup design, branding.
    Design JeevaWrite for UsInterior, graphic design.
    Super Dev ResourcesWrite for UsWeb development, design resources.
    D Tech DailyWrite for UsDesign trends, tutorials.

    Food and Recipes

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    All Group Names (Food)Write for Us800+ words. Email allgroupnames08@gmail.com.
    Sassy Townhouse LivingWrite for UsRecipes, food lifestyle. Include high-quality photos.
    Baking Like a ChefWrite for UsBaking focus. Original recipes only.
    Simple Holiday RecipesWrite for UsSeasonal, holiday recipes.
    Budget DeliciousWrite for UsBudget-friendly recipes.
    Simple JoyWrite for UsFamily recipes, simple cooking.
    Whole Food MomWrite for UsWhole foods, healthy recipes.
    Olive and ArtisanWrite for UsMediterranean, artisan food.

    Parenting and Family

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Amy and RoseWrite for UsParenting, pregnancy topics. 800+ words. Original content.
    Proactive BabyWrite for UsBaby and parenting. Email support@proactivebaby.com.
    A Fine ParentWrite for UsPersonal anecdotes required. 5.9M pageviews. Paid opportunity.
    Liahona AcademyWrite for UsParenting teens focus. 750+ words. Pitch idea first.
    TWL Working MomsWrite for UsWorking moms, military spouses. 1000+ words. 30-40 day queue.
    Paper PineconeWrite for UsChildcare, parenting. 1000-1500 words.
    Mom News DailySubmit Guest PostParenting tips. Pitch idea first. Email editor@momnewsdaily.com.

    Lifestyle

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Lifestyle Web BlogsWrite for UsHealth, wellness, fashion. 7-10 day review.
    The ProthotsWrite for Us800+ words. Email theprothots@gmail.com.
    The Daily MeditationWrite for UsMindfulness, wellness. 1000+ words. No AI.
    Jay GaulardWrite for UsLifestyle, writing topics. 1000+ words. 1 link in bio.
    Life OutsightWrite for UsLifestyle, travel, fashion. 1500+ words. Max 2 backlinks.
    ThotslifeWrite for UsWellness, self-care. 500-2000 words.
    Hacks LifestyleWrite for UsLife hacks, productivity. 800+ words. Paid opportunity.
    HotscopeWrite for UsBeauty, skincare, self-care. 800+ words.

    Fashion and Beauty

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    A Class BlogsWrite for UsMen/women fashion. 500+ words. Email aclassblogs@gmail.com.
    Creators MagazineWrite for UsFashion, beauty, lifestyle. 350-700 words. 450K+ social reach.
    I Love AussieWrite for Us Fashion1000-1500 words. 20K contact database reach.
    TashiaraSubmit Guest Post950+ words. No AI. 2 internal links required.
    Pinktown USAGuest PostWholesale fashion. 1000+ words. DR 36+ sites preferred.
    Hula GlobalWrite for UsFashion B2B. Company email required (no Gmail/Yahoo).
    All Group Names (Fashion)Write for Us800+ words.
    Insider Healthy TacticsMediumFashion, beauty. 1000+ words. Paid compensation.

    Pets and Animals

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    SnoutersWrite for Us800-1000 words. Pitch first to support@snouters.com.
    Little Dog TipsGuest PostsDog-related content. Email lindsay@littledogtips.com.
    CKC USAWrite for CKCDog topics. 500-2000 words. No AI. 12-month exclusivity.
    The Global Hues (Pets)Write for Us PetsPets, animals. Nominal publishing fee applies.
    PetPlaceWrite for Us650-2000 words. 1M monthly visitors. Dofollow link included.
    PetMeDailyWrite for UsDogs, cats. Pet care tutorials.
    PawrulzWrite for UsPets. Original content. Contact email on site.

    Real Estate and Property

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    DALTX Real EstateGuest Post700-3000 words. No AI. Dofollow backlinks. 2-day turnaround.
    Ron ParparaGuest Post GuidelinesVancouver real estate focus. Contextual links preferred.
    SEAINTWrite for Us Real Estate750-1500 words. Email editor@seaint.org. 5-day review.
    Estate MateWrite for UsEmail hassan@haashes.com. 5-7 day review.
    KS Realty Agent (Real Estate)Write for UsReal estate professionals. Form submission.
    All Around MovingWrite for UsMoving, real estate. 1.5M monthly visitors.
    PropauraWrite for UsReal estate, home decor, finance. 24-hour approval.
    Estate SkylineWrite for UsReal estate tips. Email hello@estateskyline.co.

    Automotive and Cars

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Bell EngineeringSubmit Guest Post800+ words. 20K+ monthly visitors. Dofollow link.
    AutoMotorblogWrite for Us100% original. Cars, trucks, bikes, motorcycles.
    Motor CrazWrite for Us1000+ words. Email contact@motorcraz.com. 48-hour response.
    CarzTuningWrite for Us600-1200 words. Email admin@carztuning.com.
    XMudder WheelWrite for Us800-1500 words. Author bio required.
    BMW CoopWrite for Us1000+ words. Email admin@bmwcoop.com.
    MotorGloWrite for UsHuman-written only. 1 dofollow link.
    Motor AxleWrite for UsCars, bikes, trucks. Plagiarism-free screenshots required.

    Sports

    Site NameGuidelines URLRequirements
    Jobs in Sports BlogWrite for UsSports careers. Subject matter expertise required.
    Mega Sports NetWrite for Us800+ words. Human-written only.
    Sports Star UKWrite for UsSports news, analysis. Email info@sports-star.co.uk.
    The Global Hues (Sports)Write for Us SportsSports content. Nominal publishing fee applies.
    Business Firms (Sports)Write for Us Sports1000-1500 words. 1 dofollow backlink.
    All Sports PortalWrite for Us600+ words. Unique content only.

    How to Get Your Guest Post Accepted

    1. Read their existing content first. Understand the site’s tone, formatting, and what topics they’ve already covered. Don’t pitch something they published last month.

    2. Follow guidelines exactly. If they say 1500 words minimum, don’t submit 1200. Editors reject submissions that ignore basic instructions.

    3. Pitch before writing. Most sites prefer 2-3 topic ideas before you write the full article.

    4. Write original content. Every site requires 100% original content. Don’t repurpose existing posts or submit AI-generated content.

    5. Include quality images if the guidelines require them. Use original photos or properly licensed stock images.

    6. Focus on value, not promotion. Guest posts are not advertisements. Keep promotional mentions to your author bio.

    7. Respond quickly. If an editor responds with revision requests, reply within 24-48 hours.

    Building relationships with blog editors is key to long-term guest posting success. Learn more in my blogger outreach basics guide.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I know if a site is worth guest posting on?

    Look for active publication schedules (posts within the last 1-2 months), engaged comments, and clear submission guidelines. Avoid sites that haven’t published in 6+ months. For a deeper dive, read my guide on how to evaluate website quality for guest blogging.

    Should I pay to guest post?

    Legitimate sites typically don’t charge for guest posts since you’re providing free content. Some high-authority sites charge processing fees. Evaluate the site’s reputation before paying.

    How many backlinks can I include?

    Most sites allow 1-2 links: one in your author bio and sometimes one contextual link in the body. Check individual guidelines.

    How long does it take to hear back?

    Response times vary from 24 hours to several weeks. Send a polite follow-up if you haven’t heard back in 2-3 weeks.

    Can I republish my guest post on my own blog?

    Usually no. Most sites require exclusive content. You can link to your published guest post, but not republish it in full.

    What if my guest post gets rejected?

    Ask for feedback if possible, revise your approach, and try a different site. Rejection is normal.

    Does guest posting still work for SEO?

    Yes, when done correctly. Quality matters more than quantity. Read my full analysis on whether guest posting still works.

    Sites Removed This Update

    SiteReason RemovedDate
    None yetFirst version of updated listDecember 2025

    Want to suggest a site for this list? Contact me with the details.

    Last Updated: December 2025 | Total Sites: 132 | Next Review: March 2026

  • 14 Ways To Get More Comments on Your Blog Posts

    14 Ways To Get More Comments on Your Blog Posts

    If you ever felt jealous of blogs receiving huge numbers of comments, then this post is for you.

    It hurts to get hundreds, maybe even thousands of visitors to your blog without them leaving comments. Besides that, comments are also beneficially for your blog’s SEO, especially when comments contain keywords you want to rank for. It is time for you to get more blog post comments.

    Here are fourteen tips to help you get more comments on your blog posts.
    Post On X

    1. Respond to blog comments

    Although you may currently not get as many comments as you would like, don’t make the mistake of not responding to the genuine, useful comments you do already get. If you reward value-adding commenters with a respond, next time they will probably leave a comment again, which will trigger current non-commenters to leave a comment too.

    An example of someone who always to responds to all his blog post comments is Neil Patel. Just go to any post on his Quick Sprout blog, and you will see that Neil genuinely responds to every comment he gets.

    neil patel - how to get more comments on your blog

    2. Ask your blog readers questions

    Asking a question (or multiple questions) at the end of your blog posts results in much more blog comments than if you would not have asked a question. People are far more likely to respond to blog posts with questions than blog posts without questions. A good question is similar to a call-to-action.

    image2

    3. Let your blog readers contribute

    Trust me; your blog readers will love opportunities to contribute to your blog, such as asking them for their opinions about a particular dilemma or asking them to fill out a (feedback) survey. You can create surveys for free on SurveyMonkey.com, and there are also a lot of survey WordPress plugins out there. Depending on the size and topic of your blog, you may even want to think about accepting guest authors to write on your blog.

    4. Write blog posts on request

    If you have a relatively large blog, chances are you get blog post requests on a daily basis. If not, you should think about putting a unique contact form on your blog so that people can request blog posts.

    Like the example below, you can also add a question to your main contact form. If you pick out and fulfill the best blog post requests, you can be assured to get at least one comment from the person who asked for that particular blog post. Besides that, this tip is also worth implementing because you might receive some amazing blog ideas you would not have thought of yourself.

    image3

    5. Would you leave a comment on this blog post?

    Ask yourself this question every time you are about to publish a new blog post.

    If your answer is “yes,” great, publish your post!

    If you answered “no” to the above question, you would probably have to change or add something. If you would not even comment on your post, then why would anyone else? You can use the other tips and tactics covered in this post to make it more attractive for people to leave a comment.

    6. Touch feelings with your blog posts

    Whether this tactic will work depends on the type of blog you have. I would not highly recommend trying this method if you maintain a business blog, but if you have a personal blog, however, this tactic can work amazing. Most personal bloggers already write about personal and emotional topics such as death, life, your fears, your dreams, failures, inspirations, and desires. If you have not ever tried writing about that kind of comment-catching topics, this post is a great example of model.

    image4

    7. Publish new blog posts less often

    This may seem like weird advice to give, and of course, it is true that your blog posts make your blog unique and worth following for your blog readers. However, if you publish very often, your new posts will be pushed off your blog’s homepage in no time. Bloggers who have a high publication frequency (for example, once a day) may want to try publishing less often (for example, once a week). This will likely result in more comments, on average of course.

    8. Make it easy for people to comment

    If you permit comments on your blog (and why wouldn’t you?), make sure the commenting process is as easy and straightforward as possible. Some people may not like a particular login system or don’t have a WordPress-account, so it is best to have a login system that almost anyone can and will use. In my opinion, Facebook-comments is an example of a great commenting system. Another option is to have multiple login systems so that blog commenters can choose which one to use.

    image5

    9. Write short articles

    Not only will writing short articles save you much time, but it will also very probably result in more comments because people will read your complete blog posts. People prefer reading a blog post that is around 300 words instead of the usual 1,200 words you may use. The only disadvantage of this method is that some people may find it hard at first to describe their thoughts in just a few sentences, but believe me, practice makes perfect. Numerous small, personal and informative blogs successfully apply the tactic of writing shorter articles. A good example of such a blog is Joe Bunting’s The Write Practice who has a 275-word blog post that received 320 comments. Another person who is known for his short blog posts is Seth Godin whose shortest post only measures 57 words.

    10. Comment on other blogs

    To help people find your blog posts, without spending much time on SEO, it can be a great option to comment on other blogs and connect with other bloggers and their audiences.

    If your comments add value and are genuine and helpful, people generally won’t mind if you include a link to a related post on your blog. They may even really like your blog posts and decide to comment on your posts, share your blog on social media, or even better; link to you from their blogs.

    Please don’t ever leave comments like this one.
    Please don’t ever leave comments like this one.

    11. Join or start a comment exchange network

    This one certainly isn’t my favorite tactic because it is nonpassive; it requires you to keep putting in time and efforts. A comment exchange group can be as simple as a Facebook group of other bloggers who also want more comments on their blog posts. The idea behind a comment exchange group (also known as a “comment cluster”) is to, as the name suggests, trade comments. Once one blogger published a new post on their blog, other members of the comment cluster are expected to leave a comment on that particular post. Therefore, comment exchange groups only work if all team members have the same blog post publication frequency.

    12. Use CommentLuv

    I recently stumbled upon CommentLuv, a plugin that can help to get more blog post comments. Having CommentLuv installed on your blog stimulates people to leave a genuine, value-adding comment because commenters get the option to have a link to their latest blog post shown below their comment on your blog post.

    CommentLuv seems to be nothing else than a win-win solution.

    The commenter gets a link to one of their blog posts, and you get more comments. Although it can certainly work fantastic, please be aware of the fact that CommentLuv can attract meaningless and non-value-adding comments such as “great post” or “very helpful advice.” However, please don’t worry about this because you can quickly delete links or even complete comments.

    image7

    13. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

    Mobile-friendly websites are becoming more and more important. Without a responsive theme or template installed on your blog, chances are it is keeping people from commenting on your blog posts. If you do not already have a mobile-friendly blog, it is more than time to find a responsive theme, for example at ThemeForest.

    14. “Buy” comments like it’s your last hope

    If you are getting hopeless because no method seems to work, you always have the option to resort to the tactic of “buying” comments.

    Come up with great competitions and incentives, or tell your blog readers that they can win stuff if they comment on a post. Give away the newest gadgets or say that you are going to pick out the most terrific commenters who will earn a free eBook, consultation, course, or whatever you want. It may cost you some money, but it is a fail-safe way to get more comments on your blog posts finally.

    Do you now know how to get more comments on your blog?

    I would love to hear what you think about the tactics and methods covered in this post. Would you be more likely to leave a comment if a blogger follows these tips, or did I forget to mention a great technique for getting more blog post comments? I hope this post has been helpful to you. Thanks for reading!

    P.S.: If you have a blog post that you believe deserves to have more comments, just leave the URL in the comments below, and I (and others hopefully too) will gladly comment on that particular post.

  • 5 Things Your Freelance Portfolio Website Should Include

    5 Things Your Freelance Portfolio Website Should Include

    Freelance writing portfolios can be incredibly instrumental in developing your freelance career and landing more clients. Besides being fascinatingly simple to setup in just a few steps, portfolio websites are the ideal platform for you to showcase your skills with an added bout of personality and flare.

    If you haven’t already taken action to start your portfolio website, definitely explore the option. Not only do portfolio websites position you as a well-rounded freelancer who takes work seriously, but they also help step up your freelance marketing game. Also, once you get your website going, it just might land you some new gigs, and some steady income. Plus (best part), any revenue you generate from your website is all yours… no need to share any fees with a freelance job site. Awesome, right?

    So, let’s quit the banter and dive right into the juicy stuff. You have your website platform (hosting, domain name, Content Management System, and the like). Besides the obvious sample work for your portfolio…

    1. Testimonials

    Testimonials are a no-brainer absolute “must have” for your portfolio site. Scatter a few across your site, sure, but don’t forget to create a page dedicated purely to testimonials!

    Displaying testimonials is a non-salesy, completely classy way to eliminate potential skepticism your prospective clients may have, and they could plant the seeds for a trusting working relationship.

    Testimonials help to paint a positive picture of who you are and the service you provide. The better testimonials, the greater the chance you’ll land some new clients. If you don’t have testimonials yet, make an effort to start gathering some. Asking for testimonials should be a component of your freelance workflow.

    What to include in your testimonials?

    Ideally, your testimonials will include the following:

    1. A picture of the person who wrote the review. Photos bring your testimonials to life. When there’s a face behind the words, your testimonial will carry more weight and your potential client will likely resonate with you more.
    2. A link to the client website or a method to reach out to the person who wrote the review. Think back to high school or college when you had to provide letters of recommendation. Those recommendations never came without a phone number or an email address to reach out to the recommender. Without a method of contact, how will anyone trust your testimonials are legitimate? The client website or email will suffice and add a layer of legitimacy to your testimonials.
    3. Two to three sentences of positive words regarding your success. This is a bit of a no-brainer, but I’ll emphasize here that there’s no need for your testimonials to be so long. A few sentences raving about you and your services will be more than enough. Plus, people skim rather than read. Skimming a few sentences is much easier than skimming an essay. Sometimes less is more.

    Here is an excellent example of the ideal testimonial page from Innovative Ink, the freelance website for Elna Cain. See how she includes a picture, a link, and very brief testimonials? She’s covered all her bases.

    elna-cain-freelance-testimonials-example

    How to display your testimonials

    There are simple ways to show your testimonials.

    1. For example, you could take pictures of LinkedIn testimonials

    maddenseo-linkedin-testimonial-example

    This is a legitimate way to display testimonials. In fact, it’s surprisingly more widespread than you’d think.

    2. You could also use the functionality built into your WordPress theme. Some themes have testimonials modules available. Divi theme is a great example. If your theme doesn’t have testimonial feature available, you can combine text modules and image modules to create your vision.

    3. Not all WordPress themes have built-in testimonial feature, however. So, if you’re looking for something a bit more “snazzy” and natively built for testimonials, take a look at some plugins.

    Here are just a few options for you:

    Easy Testimonials (FREE):

    This plugin allows you to publish testimonials on a page or a sidebar using shortcodes. It’s incredibly intuitive to use, and you’ll even enjoy some customization capabilities.

    Testimonial (FREE)

    You’ll be able to enjoy drag and drop testimonial building with this plugin, in addition to a decent amount of design customizations. This plugin offers a fully responsive way to manage and display your client reviews.

    testimonial-plugin

    Testimonials WordPress Plugin – $18 (NOT FREE)

    This plugin lets you display testimonials with star ratings. There’s even a slideshow feature available, along with the option to choose between a list or grid layout.

    2. Client Showcase (if possible)

    Displaying your clients on your site further helps to solidify the idea of you as a legitimate freelancer with experience in your niche, whatever that might be. Extra brownie points if you showcase well-known clients on your site, too!

    Though, let me be clear, you should never showcase your clients without explicit permission to use their name and/or their logo. To cover all your bases, it’s recommended that you have written consent from your clients indicating their permission. Sometimes freelancers include this consent as a clause within their contracts. Others simply have copies of email exchanges that indicate a client’s written consent. Whichever way you do it, just make sure you’re covered and have the permission to be showcasing your client to your website traffic. Oh, and by the way, always, always, always consult with your lawyer!

    Once you’ve secured the necessary permission from your clients, you’ll want to decide how best to display your client base on your website. Since website visitors notoriously skim through web pages rather than reading them, it’s often best to show your clients through logos on your site.

    Logos can be featured on your site using whatever functionality is already provided within your theme framework. As always, though, plugins expand the capabilities of your site and allow you to do some cool things. I’m a fan of these logo WordPress plugins that will allow you to showcase your clients in a clean and super professional manner.

    Here is a great example:

    Plugin Name: Logo Slider

    This plugin will work across all devices, and it’s fully responsive. You’ll be able to display this slider using a simple shortcode anywhere on your site.

    Here are some examples of what the free version of this plugin looks like.

    logo-slider-example

    How to get around showcasing your clients when you don’t have permission

    Just because you don’t have an established clientele or authorization to showcase your clientele doesn’t mean you can’t creatively boost your reputation to your website readership. It just means it’s time to get creative!

    Whatever your freelance niche may be, try and figure out a way to “woo” the people that land on your site. Think about things that might impress them. If you’re a freelance blogger, perhaps try and get published on some major “name brand” blogging websites. Then, display the logo for those blogs on your portfolio website. If your prospective clients are checking out their site to see if you’d be a good fit for their team, chances are they’ll be impressed that you’re a “published” blogger on some reputable platforms.

    Check out some great examples of awesome bloggers who’ve featured their work:

    Emily from My Adaptable Career:

    screen-shot-2016-10-16-at-9-13-51-pm

    Jorden Roper from cutthroatcopy.com

    jorden-roper

    If you’re interested in taking this approach, you can still use a logo slider plugin! Two birds with one stone.

    3. An Active Blog

    You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t actively blog on your freelance niche within your site.

    Why? Let’s start with these reasons…

    1. Blogging about your niche shows that you’re actively engaged with your freelance niche.
    2. Blogging on topics related to your freelance niche suggests that you have knowledge and authority to speak on those topics
    3. Blogging shows that you have a vested interest in your work. You care about it enough to blog about it on your own time.
    4. Producing blog content on topics related to your niche will help increase your rankings on Google. Thus the more you blog, the greater the likelihood that your potential clients will find you when searching on the search engines.
    5. Blogging is an excellent social media marketing strategy that could help grow your following and increase your market share.

    If you’re aiming to target a specific niche audience, try to write blogs that you believe your potential clients will want to read and will resonate with.

    Yes, blogging takes times and energy, but the rewards are limitless.

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    4. An About Page with True Personality

    Your about page shouldn’t just be your average run of the mill page that describes your credentials. Your prospective clients visit your about page because they want to get a sense for who you are as a person, not just the bullets on your resume. Don’t make standard about page mistakes and forget to use your voice and share a bit of who you are.

    amber-about-page-example

    Try to remember that about pages don’t need to be stiff. Include a picture of yourself if you’re not feeling too camera shy, and don’t be afraid to talk about who you are when you’re not at work. Amber Weinberg, a freelancer web developer, has a very simple about page where she includes information about her professional life, a picture of herself, and some information on who she is when the computer is closed, and she’s not hard at work.

    5. Calls To Action

    Last, but certainly not least, you’ll need some clear calls to action (CTAs) on your site. Your goal for your website is to get your prospective clients to perform the “action” you’re “calling” on them to perform. For example, your CTA might be a simple contact form on your contact page, or perhaps a subscription to your newsletter. Whatever your CTA is, be sure it’s clear, loud, easy to use, but not too “spammy.”

    The Contact Page – A “Must Have” CTA on every site

    You should aim to have your contact information visible on every page on your site, if possible. At the very least, ensure that your contact page is a top-level menu item so that no one needs to go hunting for a way to reach you.

    Your contact page should include multiple means of reaching you.

    Include the following:

    • Contact form (Contact Form 7 is a great plugin for WordPress websites)
    • Social network follow buttons
    • Phone number (optional)
    • Address (optional)
    • Email address (Some people hate contact forms and much prefer to see an email address where they can send you a message directly)

    If you’re not interested in sharing your email address as is (ex: you@yourdomain.com) because you don’t want to be spammed by robots, spell out your email address (ex: my email is: you [at] yourdomain [dot] com.

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    Concluding Thoughts

    The success of your freelance portfolio website will mainly be attributed to the amount of energy and effort you put into it. What you give is what you get, as they say.

    Though, wherever you are in your freelance career, make sure you’ve at least dotted your I’s and crossed your t’s. Creating a freelance portfolio website and including these 5 “must have” elements will get you headed in the right direction. From there, who knows where you’ll go? Your portfolio website could very well be the start of something entirely new! And… most important word of advice… don’t forget to have a little bit of fun with it, too.

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    About the Author

    eden-headshot1Eden Fried is a freelance web designer and blogger. When she’s not at work developing her website or helping other people launch theirs, you can find her at the gym tossing around some weights or snuggled up with a good book. Follow Eden on Twitter, connect on LinkedIn, or reach Eden directly on EdenFried.com, where she blogs about life,

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