Building Relationships for Guest Posts Without Being Creepy

Guest Blogging Is a Strategy, Not a Crime

Guest blogging is still alive, kicking, and wildly misunderstood. It’s the Swiss Army knife of content marketing: SEO boost? Check. Referral traffic? Check. Inflated sense of professional importance? Absolutely.

But here’s the thing: guest posting isn’t just about dumping some keywords into an article and emailing it to a stranger like a digital pigeon. The real wins come from relationships. Actual human relationships. Shocking, I know.

The problem? Most people approach blog owners like desperate door-to-door salesmen in a trench coat made of self-promotion. No one likes that guy.

This article is your survival guide to building real, not-creepy relationships in the guest blogging world. Because if you can’t be charming, at least don’t be horrifying.

Know What You Want Before You Start Stalking People

Before you slide into anyone’s inbox, take five seconds to define what you’re doing with your life. Or at least your guest blogging strategy.

• Do you want backlinks?
• More traffic?
• Brand awareness?
• The thrill of pretending you’re important on the internet?

Knowing your goals helps you target the right blogs — ones your audience actually reads and that won’t tank your reputation by association. Want leads? Find blogs your future customers read. Want SEO juice? Go for high domain authority. Want attention? Here’s a guide on how to get your first backlinks.

Finding Blogs Without Crawling Through Content Hell

There are plenty of places to find guest post opportunities that don’t involve spamming the entire blogosphere. Here’s how to do it like a semi-functional adult:

• Use search strings like "your topic" + "write for us"
• Stalk your competitors using Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz
• Follow hashtags like #guestpost and #writeforus on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Browse guest blogging directories (use gloves)

And here’s a revolutionary idea: read the blogs before you pitch them. If their latest post is from 2016 or the site is drowning in AdSense, move on. You deserve better. Maybe.

Not sure where to begin your pitch research? This piece on how I got featured on big sites offers some proven tactics.

Outreach Without the Ick

Cold outreach — the fine line between “professional opportunity” and “restraining order.” Most people screw this up by treating blog editors like vending machines: insert pitch, expect yes.

Let’s not do that.

What Works:

• Use their actual name. Spell it right.
• Reference a specific article they wrote (you did read it, right?)
• Offer a few tailored topic ideas
• Include writing samples that don’t scream “intern at content mill”
• Keep it short. No one has time for your SEO autobiography

If you’re not sure how to craft the right message, take a look at these guest post pitching tips.

What Doesn’t:

• “Dear Webmaster”
• Mass emails sent to 38 editors in the same chain
• Bragging about your DA score like it’s a personality trait
• Asking for a link before saying hello
• Following up five times in 48 hours like a caffeine-fueled bot

And for the record, if you’re unsure when to follow up, read this guide on how many times you can email before it’s a crime.

Don’t Be Creepy: The Basics

You wouldn’t walk into a networking event and immediately shove your resume into someone’s face. So stop doing that in emails.

Here’s your anti-creep checklist:

• Respect boundaries. “No” means no.
• Don’t follow up 3 times in a week. One polite reminder is fine.
• Don’t pitch in the first DM unless you’re already connected.
• Don’t act overly familiar if you’ve never spoken.
• Definitely don’t open with “Hey boss, love your vibe.” Just no.

Still unsure if you’re being creepy? Psychology Today has a guide. Yes, it’s real. And yes, you might need it.

For more on how to approach outreach like a decent human, read how to ask for links.

Want to build trust before making the ask? Start with giving.

• Share their content and tag them (without making it weird)
• Leave actual thoughtful comments
• Respond to newsletters like a normal person
• Offer helpful feedback or insights
• Recommend their blog to others

This is called “networking.” It’s also called “not acting like a transactional robot.” Most people skip this part — which is why they never get a reply.

This article on cold email psychology will give you a mindset shift.

Sources That Actually Know Things

Still unconvinced? Think this is all just one long rant disguised as advice? Fair. But here’s what the grownups have to say:

• Backlinko says competitor backlink analysis is one of the smartest ways to find guest post opportunities. They also rank for everything, so maybe trust them.
• Bluehost agrees guest blogging still delivers huge value — traffic, visibility, and that sweet, sweet SEO juice — if you don’t treat it like a link scheme.
• The Muse offers a step-by-step on how to express admiration without sounding like a stalker. Useful for both networking and dating, honestly.
• Pitchbox breaks down how personalized outreach isn’t just nice — it performs better. Like, way better.

You’re welcome.

When You Get the Post, Don’t Blow It

Someone finally said yes. They trust you. Don’t betray that trust with a mediocre article and three affiliate links to your dog’s dropshipping store.

• Deliver real value
• Stick to their guidelines like your life depends on it
• Link to their stuff, not just yours
• Don’t keyword stuff like it’s 2009
• Share the article like it’s your own (because it kind of is)

Write something so good, they forget it was free.

You posted. You celebrated. Great. Now do the thing no one does: stay in touch.

• Thank them
• Respond to comments
• Keep engaging with their content
• Offer to update the post later
• Recommend them to others

Because actual relationships don’t end after one blog post. They get you future invites, referrals, and a reputation that isn’t “that SEO person who disappeared after posting once.”

Don’t Be Creepy, Be Consistent

If you’re wondering how to build relationships for guest posts without being creepy, here’s your cheat sheet:

• Be respectful
• Personalize everything
• Give more than you take
• Don’t be weird
• Write excellent content
• Say thank you like your mother taught you

It’s not complicated. Just slightly exhausting. But hey, that’s the cost of doing content marketing without becoming a digital door-to-door salesman.

And if all else fails, just act like someone whose email you’d actually open.

Resources That Make You Look Smart With Zero Effort

Fake it ‘til you’re on a podcast about it.

1. The Anti-Creep Outreach Template Pack

Email scripts for people who want backlinks but not restraining orders.

What’s inside:

• 3 customizable outreach email templates (for different tones/audiences)
• 1 polite follow-up that doesn’t scream “Why won’t you love me?”
• A few subject line formulas that sound like a human, not clickbait

Perfect for lazy marketers pretending to be emotionally intelligent.

2. The Guest Post Pitch Readiness Checklist

Are you ready to pitch, or just sending garbage into the void?

What’s inside:

• A simple checklist to run through before you hit send
• Quick do’s and don’ts: tone, formatting, samples, timing
• Bonus: red flag phrases that scream “desperate link-builder”

Perfect for people who can’t take a hint from ignored emails.

10 Places to Find Guest Posting Opportunities

Because you deserve better than blogs built in 2008 by someone’s cousin.

We’re talking real blogs, real humans, and real chances to land guest spots without selling your soul or your dignity.

1. Google, But With Strategy

Search like a human who knows how the internet works.

Use search operators like:

• "your topic" + "write for us"
• "your niche" + "guest contributor"
• "your industry" + "submit an article"

Bonus: use site:.edu or site:.org for more authority, and avoid any results that look like they were last updated during the MySpace era.

2. Check Where Your Competitors Are Posting

Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz Link Explorer to creep on your competitors’ backlinks.

If they got a guest post there, so can you — unless their pitch was actually good. In that case, try harder.

3. Browse Guest Post Directories (With Caution)

Yes, some are clunky. Some are spammy. But you’re not here for luxury — you’re here for backlinks. Wear digital gloves and dig smart.

4. Follow Hashtags on Twitter or LinkedIn

Look for:

• #guestpost
• #writeforus
• #bloggerrequest
• #guestblogging

People literally tweet requests for content contributors. You could be that contributor — if you can stop doomscrolling long enough to send a pitch.

5. Use BuzzSumo to See Where Your Topic Is Trending

Search your keyword and filter by top-performing content. See where the articles were published. That’s your hit list. You’re welcome.

6. Reddit (Yes, Really)

Head to subreddits like:

• r/Blogging
• r/SEO
• r/Entrepreneur
• r/AskMarketing

Use the search bar. Filter by “guest post” or “write for us.” Be polite. Be helpful. Don’t act like you’re only there to drop links like a bot with boundary issues.

7. Facebook Groups for Bloggers and Creators

Try groups like:

• “Guest Blogging Opportunities”
• “Content Marketing & SEO”
• “Bloggers Supporting Bloggers”

These people are hungry for content. And yes, you’ll have to engage like an actual human being, not just drop your link and vanish.

8. Your Own Network (You Know, People You Actually Know)

Know someone who runs a blog? Ask. Know someone who knows someone? Ask them.

This is called “networking.” I know, gross. But it works. Use it. You don’t have to be famous — just not annoying.

9. Look at Guest Authors on Blogs You Read

If you regularly read blogs in your niche, look at the bylines. See who’s writing. Click their bios. See where else they’ve been published. Now go after those same sites. Easy. Creepy. Effective.

10. Blogrolls, Resources Pages & Contributor Lists

Old-school blogs often have “contributors,” “favorite blogs,” or “recommended reading” sections. Those are goldmines. Dig through them and pitch the ones that make sense.

It’s like professional stalking, but for marketing.

Bonus: Look for Sites With Real Metrics

Before you pitch, run the site through:

• SimilarWeb (traffic estimates)
• MozBar (DA check)
• BuiltWith (to see if it’s even alive)

If the blog looks sketchy, has no traffic, or is just a link farm in disguise, walk away. Don’t waste your energy on someone else’s expired domain experiment.

Final Thoughts

Guest posting is about quality over quantity. You don’t need 100 sites — you need 10 that don’t suck.

Now go, noble marketer. Hunt smarter. Pitch better. And remember: if a blog charges $500 for a post, that’s not guest posting — that’s renting.