Google’s Matt Cutts: Guest Blogging Best Done In Moderation

In his latest video, Google’s head of search spam Matt Cutts answers the question, “How can I guest blog without it appearing as if I paid for links?”

According to Cutts, when his team reviews spam reports, there is usually a clear distinction between organic guest blog content and someone who is paying for links.

Cutts identified specific differences between spam and organic guest blogging content, confirming the spam content doesn’t match the subject of the blog itself and will contain keyword rich anchor text.

A true guest blogger, said Cutts, is usually someone who is an expert on the subject matter and doesn’t drop a heavy amount of keywords in their anchor text.

“Guest blogging seems like it’s the fad of the month,” said Cutts, but he says it is best done in moderation. “It shouldn’t be your full-time job.”

He emphasizes that if guest blogging is all you are doing to drive traffic to your site, you’re probably not doing any favors for your site’s reputation.

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About The Author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.