Thank you for your interest in writing for The Side Blogger.

To save us both time and effort, I recommend you read this entire page. Blog posts and pitches that do not adhere to these guidelines will end up in a proverbial dumpster. 

Who should read these guidelines?

These guidelines are for guest bloggers; NOT freelancers. You will NOT be compensated financially for guest posts.

These guidelines are also NOT for people who want to sponsor a blog post. You can read specific guidelines for sponsored blog posts here.

Why should you write for The Side Blogger?

Ideally, guest bloggers want one or more of the following: a link back to their site, visibility, and/or a byline for their writing portfolio. So, let’s break them down:

• You get a byline: All guest blog posts are published under the author’s name with a short bio and a link back to their website or social media.
• You get to add The Side Blogger to your writing portfolio: The Side Blogger isn’t HubSpot or GoDaddy Garage, but it is still a pretty good website with decent monthly traffic and a domain authority (DA) of 40. It’s worth adding to your writing portfolio.
• One do-follow link: I’ll clarify link guidelines in a minute, but in short, you’re allowed one (1) dofollow backlink from within the blog post.
• You get a pro blogger (me!) to edit your blog post: This is a bonus! You’ll get me to edit your blog post. If you’re a new blogger, this should help you hone your SEO blog writing skills.

Now, let’s look at some policies:

The Side Blogger Guest Blogging Policies

1. All blog posts must be unique and they’ll reside on The Side Blogger in perpetuity unless removed by me at my discretion.
2. All blog posts must meet The Side Blogger’s quality standards. I recommend you read a few blog posts on this site to get familiar with the tone, writing style, and formatting.
3. Published blog posts must be exclusive to The Side Blogger. You may not republish them anywhere else.
4. The final blog post, after the editing process, may look different than the original submission.
5. All links are subject to my approval. I allow one (1) dofollow backlink as long as it’s not competing with my own content. 
6. I may approve a pitch, but if the final blog post does not live up to the expected standards, then I reserve the right to decline publication.
7. I’m proud to publish blog posts written by real humans. While I acknowledge the usefulness of AI, if your blog post does not sound like it was written by an actual person, it will be rejected.

Link Guidelines

As I’ve mentioned, you get one (1) dofollow backlink. This is to prevent link-spamming which is what motivates a lot of guest bloggers who pitch me. So, nope. Make note of the following:

• Since you’re allowed one (1) dofollow link, it is best if the link goes to either your own website or another reputable site with high-quality content. Do NOT link to the main URL; link to an article or a page instead. It can be a newsletter opt-in page, a blog post, or a freebie.
• More links are welcome as long as they are relevant, but note that they’ll be nofollow links.
• You must not accept payment from any third party to insert a link.
• You must not agree to some type of link-exchange scheme with a third party.
• Links must go to relevant content.
• I reserve the right to remove a link if it is competing with my own content or product. I may also choose to insert more links if necessary.
• No affiliate link from the guest blogger is allowed. I may include my own affiliate links when relevant.

Basically, if your goal is to get a ton of dofollow backlinks from your guest blog post, then The Side Blogger is NOT the right platform for you.

Content Guidelines

The best guidelines are already in this blog. Read a few posts to see what I expect.

To improve your chances of publishing on The Side Blogger, check out this SEO blog post template and workbook that I use to write most of the articles on this website.

Here are a few things to remember:

• I prefer longer posts (at least 2,000 words), so choose your topics wisely.
• Write a clear introduction and conclusion.
• Use headers (h1 through h4) to organize your blog post.
• Use lists (numbered or bulleted) often.
• Pay attention to your seed keyword density.
• Use easy-to-read, short sentences and short paragraphs.
• Make sure to write with search engines, as well as human readers in mind.
• GIVE VALUE!

And of course, check your writing with Grammarly or other, similar tools to make sure your writing doesn’t have basic errors. I do edit all blog posts before publishing them, but if a post requires too much editing, I’ll likely pass.

Topics I’m interested in

I may update this section from time to time depending on topics I’m looking to publish. As of writing this, I’m interested in these topics:

• Freelancing (writing, graphic design, virtual assistance, web design/development): How to get started, best practices, tips, tricks, actionable steps, etc.
• Social media marketing: Instagram, TikTok, X, Quora, YouTube, etc.
• Making money with social media: Instagram, TikTok, X, Quora, YouTube, etc.
• SEO: Topics not covered on this blog already (do a search before pitching a title).
• Unconventional online marketing: Tips, methods, case studies, etc.
• Case studies: Success (and failure) stories of business and marketing attempts, why and how they succeeded (or failed), action steps, and what readers can learn from them.
• Productivity: From the point of view of an online creator/business owner (especially as a part-time creator).

Feel free to pitch other topics too as long as they fit this blog’s niche (small online business) and audience interests.

What NOT to pitch: Product reviews, generic how-to guides without a specific and niche angle, and topics that have nothing to do with this blog and its audience. (I mean, why would you come to this blog and think it’s the best place to publish a casino-related article?)

How to send a pitch

Do not send me pitches over email; instead, fill out the form linked below. But first, understand that:

1. I do not accept all pitches. If a topic has been covered already, I will pass. If a topic is irrelevant to The Side Blogger niches (online business, income, SEO, content marketing, audience building, social media marketing, online creator life) then I’ll also pass.
2. If I like a pitch, I will ask you to write the blog post. But even then, publication is NOT guaranteed. If the end result doesn’t meet my expected standards, then I’ll pass. Once again, do your research. Read the blog to know how I write. If you want it bad, check out this SEO blog post template for a headstart.
3. This blog post about pitching a guest blog post is useful too.

→ Pitch me: If you’re ready, fill out this form with your pitch.

DO NOT EMAIL YOUR PITCH. Pitches via email go straight to the trash, FYI.