A Step-by-Step Guide to Syndicate Content for Your Blog
Looking for a basic guide to syndicate content for your blog? Look no further. This post explains the process in a step-by-step manner, with pro tips and tools.
Business vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com
Do you have tons of great content lying around on your blog?
Why let it sit idle when you can re-publish it (without much effort) and drive traffic and engagement from it again and again?
That’s precisely what content syndication does for your blog.
By syndicating your content to high-authority websites, you can take advantage of their broad reach, reputation, and readership. Gradually, you can redirect all that traffic to your own blog and improve your Google rankings (and conversions) over time.
Sounds good, right?
It is.
Sadly, many marketers harbor certain misconceptions about content syndication, all of which can be busted if you read this easy guide. Here, you will learn how to syndicate your blog content in four simple steps and avoid common mistakes in the process.
So, let’s get started.
How to Syndicate Content for Your Blog in 4 Steps
Content syndication is not rocket science. Still, you need to follow a set process to avoid hassles later on. The process can be broken down into four broad steps, which are:
1. Test the Waters by Guest Posting First
Let’s clarify right at the outset that established websites will not be amenable to syndicate your content unless:
- You are an authority in your domain.
- You have a solid relationship with the editorial team.
- You have a demonstrable history of publishing content on reputable websites.
Since it’s impossible to build a reputation in your niche overnight, you don’t have a clear shot at the first requirement. But, you can build a portfolio of published content. Even better, you can publish guest posts on the content syndication sites on your radar.
Guest posting will not only help you nurture relationships with the editorial teams but also help you build valuable backlinks to your blog. Being an effective link-building tactic, guest posting will help enrich your link profile, which in turn bolsters your ranking and reputation.
What’s more?
If you guest post on websites in your niche, you can attract tons of relevant traffic to your blog indirectly. To find websites that offer guest posting opportunities in your niche, you can conduct a Google search using these keywords + your niche:
- Contribute to our site
- Write for us
- Contributor guidelines
- Guest post
For example, if you’ve to syndicate content pertaining to SEO, here’s what your search terms and results should look like:
Once you identify the best sites for guest posting, it’s time to get your content ready. If you have a stock of guest posts ready to be pitched (which is rare), good for you. Else, you can create unique versions of your best-performing content.
But don’t skimp on quality since you’re laying the foundation for a long association with the target websites. Go the extra mile and hire professional writers who can craft impressive guest posts for you.
After guest posting for some time, you will have a portfolio of published content. Now, you have a competitive edge that can be exploited while pitching to syndication sites.
2. Pick the Right Content Syndication Sites
There are plenty of content syndication websites, but most have a narrow niche. In an ideal world, their niche would match yours, but that’s not always the case.
Let’s say, you’re into video marketing, but the websites you’re targeting specialize in hospitality. Why would they publish your content?
They wouldn’t unless you’re able to tailor your content to their audience’s needs and interests.
Sound complicated?
Actually, it isn’t.
You can tweak your existing video marketing-related content to include information relevant to the hospitality industry. Include bespoke videos, quotes, stats, examples, and strategies that give value to hospitality professionals.
So, research your target syndication websites rigorously to learn their preferred content topics, audience demographics, and quality standards.
If that sounds like a lot of work, you can simply consult a content marketing expert to find syndication websites in your niche. They will not only streamline your search but also verify website credentials for you. You don’t want to put in all that effort for a website that just looks good on paper, do you?
After you shortlist a couple of platforms, check to see if they’re accepting syndicating requests.
How?
Peak into some of their recent posts and watch out for attribution credits like below:
Image via Lifehacker
Or, simply type “originally/first appeared on” + “site” + site URL (like lifehacker.com) in Google. If Lifehacker doesn’t offer content syndication, you won’t get to see any recent posts in the search results.
3. Pitch Your Offer
Next, you need to reach out to syndicating sites with a request for them to publish your content. This is best done via email. That way, you can keep track of the conversation and reply promptly. Don’t forget there are many people competing for syndicating spots on authoritative websites.
Invest some time and thought into crafting your emails. Since editors of popular websites are busy people, inundated with offers, keep your pitch brief and to the point.
But that doesn’t mean you can do away with pleasantries altogether. Start your email by appreciating the site’s content. You don’t exactly have to gush, but just indicate that you’re aware of their quality standards. You can cite an example or two from their recent posts that you enjoyed reading.
Then, move on to highlight your credentials. Gain instant credibility by quoting your traffic numbers, social media following, and topical authority. Capitalize on the guest posts you wrote in step 1. Try to support your claims with social proof if possible.
And don’t forget to end with an opt-out statement like “Let me know if you’re not interested in a collaboration. I won’t spam you!”
Want a pro tip?
Create an email template to scale your outreach efforts. Just personalize the email introduction and you’re good to go!
4. Avoid SEO Issues While Syndicating Content
If you’re fortunate enough to be accepted by content syndication sites, you can start republishing content.
But you may notice a temporary rank drop for your original posts if you don’t SEO-proof your strategy.
Why so?
Because Google frowns upon duplicate content. Since you are essentially republishing existing content, you run a risk of being penalized by Google.
Worse still, syndicating platforms enjoy a privileged status with Google, which means your syndicated content may be ranked higher than the originals.
In short, your humble blog will be competing with powerful syndicating sites for a place on the SERPs. That can’t be good news!
Fret not; I have two easy solutions for this SEO conflict.
- Request that the publishers include the “rel=canonical” tag in your content’s schema. When Google crawlers come across the tag, they index the original content first.
- Add the “NoIndex” tag to your republished posts so that search engines don’t index them. Less competition means more chance to rank.
While you can eliminate one or two competitors by implementing the above hacks, you still have to battle it out with other similar posts. To get a fighting edge, you can invest in SEO-driven writing services. This can earn you major brownie points from syndicating sites since better SEO means more traffic for them as well.
Wrapping Up
Content syndication is an evergreen content marketing trend. To get the best returns from it, you need to be strategic in your approach. Follow the strategy I’ve outlined above like a roadmap and soon you’ll find improved traffic, engagement, and conversions for your blog.
Do you have any questions about how to syndicate content for your blog? Please write them in the comments. I’ll be back with the answers soon.
