Guest post is a signal or a vote that one party gives to another to recommend its service or content. It is just like when we praise someone in real life to tell others that we liked or appreciate their work.
You can hire a company for Guest Posting as it is not a new concept. It has been with us for centuries. Before the internet, we used the word of mouth (WOD) to spread information about a particular service.
Guest Posting Explained
Consider this scenario. You are passing through the countryside and your car's tire gets punctured. What will you do? How will you know that there is a puncture shop nearby? In the countryside, most shops are not even visible on Google maps. So, finding a puncture shop will be like finding a needle in the haystack.
Now, you see a man working on the nearby farm. You ask him about the nearby puncture shop. He tells you about a service station that is around half a kilometer away and you can walk to it to get help. This is called a simple word of mouth marketing. Do note that this service station is not actively marketing its product. But the farmer knew about it so it mentioned that to you.
Guest posts work in a similar way. These guest posts publishing websites are the farmers. The person reading their content is the guy whose car got punctured. And, that service station is you.
You didn’t do any active marketing, but guest posting is helping you build natural links for almost FREE and at the same time it is bringing you clients that are highly interested in your service.
Using Guest Posts for Natural Link Building
Now the BIGGEST question coming in your mind will be, how to make guest post links naturally? In short, it all comes down to how you can market your guest post. That is: What type of impact you are providing through that guest post. So, we decided to segment guest posts into different types. Let's go through them and see how they can help you build links in a natural way.
One way to create hype through your guest post is to write something surprising. Let's say Avenger's new movie is coming and you know who is going to die. You can predict that 'Iron man is going to die in the next Avenger's movie'. This guest post will be shared by multiple websites just because it is such breaking news that no one knows about it. So, this is one way to create hype. You can come up with your own strategy about how to create a stunning guest post that gets the most shares.
Next, you can create a guest post that is newsworthy. There are many ways you can create newsworthy items. For example, if your company decorated the room where Prince of London is going to stay, you can publish it as a case study on a high DA website as a case study. People will be interested in reading about how you decorated the room, what items you used to decorate the room, and how were you awarded such a huge project. It will not only increase your popularity but will also bring you more orders.
You can also stir a debate through your guest post. This is one natural way to get links. Let's say your company has created a dating app. You want more people to download it and use it to find dates in their area. So, you can publish a study like "Blonds like dark men" - make sure that this study is backed by facts and data. Otherwise, this study will become a nightmare for your business and will also impact your credibility.
One such guest posting agency, which is great at stirring debate, is Globex Outreach. If you are not sure how to create an article that can stir debate, perhaps you can get help from them.
Another way to get natural links is by arousing emotions in people through your guest posts. If there is something that will make people emotional, they are more likely to share it. For example, you can write a post on 'how to get out of depression'. This is something that almost everyone experiences and people are more likely to read and share it. But remember, the post needs to provide practical advice, otherwise this technique won't help you generate more natural links.
One way to get more natural links is to reveal a secret in your post. Let's say your company has created a new method of improving employee efficiency. The best way to break it to the world is by publishing it as a guest post or a post on your own blog. In both ways, your company's site will get tons of links from people who will be looking to tell about your latest discovery. Although this way of getting natural links may not work with everyone, still it is a mention-worthy tactic.
Key Takeaway:
Guest blogging is one of the best ways to get links directly to your blog. But to make others link back to you, you will need to publish quality content that is around any one of the topics mentioned above. Just to give you a heads up, here is a summary of the ways you can get links for your blog.
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Publish content that is debatable so that others target your website. When they do, they will automatically link to your site. Although in some cases, debatable content can turn into bad publicity for your company.
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Create hype about a new product coming to the market. Let’s say cyber truck by Tesla. If you had written anything regarding the truck, it would have ranked on top and brought you lots of backlinks.
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Post something emotional. People love drama. It is like a catharsis process for them. And, most websites will automatically link to your blog. Check out the Gamecrate blog ‘Top 10 scariest sounds in video games.’
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Have something new to tell people? Probably a secret not many people know about? Then your guest post is going to get the most links. Remember Satoshi Nakamoto? A few months ago another news broke about Satoshi Nakamoto. It said that the bitcoin founder lost almost half of the bitcoins he had. This is HUGE news for the investors and bitcoin traders. And it made rounds around the internet. If you have something similar that can make the world go round, then that is how you can easily get more natural links.
Bottom-line
There are many ways to get natural links from guest posts. But since the market is so saturated, you will need to come up with creative ways to make something that actually gets the interest of people. If you are not able to do that, then the chances of getting natural links are low. So, keep trying and keep thinking of new ways you can use it.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).