Guest blogging is dead

I don’t want to sound negative—really, I don’t.

While I was writing my previous article, “Is Blogging Dying?” I came to the opposite conclusion: Blogging isn’t dying. But while I was wrapping that piece up, something hit me.

There is something that’s actually, undeniably, on its last legs.

And that something is guest blogging.

Not because Google said so. Not because SEO changed. Not because “long-form content is out.”
It’s dead because we killed it—with mediocrity, shortcuts, and hollow intentions.

What is Guest Blogging, Anyway?

By definition, guest blogging is when someone writes content for another website in exchange for exposure, authority, and often, a juicy backlink. The idea is simple: I write something of value for your audience, and in return, I get some brand visibility and a link back to my site.

Sounds fair, right?
Well… that’s how it used to work.

What Guest Blogging Has Become

Let’s talk real-world guest blogging in 2025. It usually looks like this:

• Medium-quality content
• Verbose, fluffy intros that say nothing
• No clear CTA, no real point
• Unrelated (or just barely related) links dropped in
• Zero understanding of your audience

So, Why Did This Happen?

Because guest blogging became a game of “what’s the cheapest way to get a backlink?”
And here’s the brutal truth:

• Guest bloggers don’t respect your audience. They’re not here to add value—they’re here to grab a link for themselves or their clients.
• Most guest bloggers are not real copywriters. Clients can’t afford seasoned writers, so they let AI play ghostwriter.
• Speaking of AI—that’s all they’re using. Fluffy, generic, inoffensive content that anyone with ChatGPT and a vague prompt could write in 6 minutes flat.
• The budgets are laughable. “$100 for a full article, edit, and pitch process”—and that’s on the generous side. We’ve literally heard: “My budget is $17.”
  → No, dear guest blogger. If I’m going to lose rankings, I’ll die standing. With dignity. And a bit of cash in my pocket.

And let’s be honest:

• The ones sending these pitches are not top voices.
  They have nothing unique to say. Nothing interesting. Nothing you can’t already ask an AI to write.

Guest Blogging: The Rankings’ and website’s Killer

Do you know what happens to blogs that become guest post graveyards?
They tank.
Traffic dives. Rankings fall off a cliff.

Just take a look around. Browse the once-great blogs of Forbes, HubSpot, Inc.com and others.
They got diluted with irrelevant, low-quality, guest-contributed mush.
Content without value = SEO suicide.

Disclaimer: Don’t take the above graphs at face value. The drop in organic traffic isn’t just about irrelevant or low-quality content—the landscape is shifting. More and more traffic is now routed through ChatGPT and other AI assistants. And guess what? Most of these tools still don’t show up in our traditional analytics.

But’s what’s clear from those diagrams is that: If you’re still accepting low-effort guest posts, you’re actively harming your blog.

So, What’s the Solution?

If we want to revive the concept (or evolve past it), we need a new playbook. Here’s what that looks like:

1. Back to the Roots: Real Voices, Real Collaborations

We need top voices—people with perspective, experience, and actual things to say.
Why would they guest post? Because reaching a relevant audience from another community or industry matters.
I’ve seen incredible content lost in obscure profiles and low-traffic blogs.
Collaborating with high-authority (DA 65+) sites with real traffic (10k+) can amplify that value like crazy.

2. Flip the Pitch

Stop begging to publish content.
Instead, approach top-voices, or let them discover you, do it with purpose.
“I have this site, with this kind of audience. I’d like you to write something valuable for them (my audience). Here’s how it will be promoted, and yes, it will be paid.”
That’s a win-win. Not “Hey, I want your website. Do you accept CBD or crypto-related guest posts?” which became the norm in the last years.

3. Curate, Rework, Elevate

If you’re going to accept guest content, rework it until it fits your voice, your standards, your audience.
Yes, it’s more effort. Yes, it’s often not worth the money you’re paid.
But what’s the alternative? Let weak content sit on your blog and poison your domain?

4. Size doesn’t matter

Stop chasing 1,500-word monsters. Long doesn’t mean valuable—it often just means fluff. A sharp, focused article between 700–1,000 words can deliver real value, stir emotion, and drive action. Quality > word count. Always.
That wasn’t always the case—Google used to favor longer content. But that’s changed. Now, both users and algorithms are digging for the gem inside the article, not the padding around it.

5. Sponsor Links in Real Content

Here’s a better idea:
Create high-value content yourself, then include a sponsored link if someone needs it or is able / open to sponsor it.
Your readers get great content. The third-party gets a link.
Everyone wins—and your blog doesn’t suffer.

That opens the door to a whole new (and often shady) territory: link builders and link-building services.
But we’ll get to that circus in the next post.

What’s the cost of this approach?

Yes, It’s Expensive. But the Other Way Is More Costly.

This type of valuable collaboration? It’s 10x the cost of a typical guest blog post.
But guess what?

• It’s the only kind of partnership I’d accept.
• It’s the only kind that actually works.

The other option is cheap, noisy, and destructive.
It clutters the web.
It kills your rankings.
And it makes your blog indistinguishable from the AI content landfill that’s growing by the hour.

Don’t Let AI Become the Top Voice in Marketing

Guest blogging may be dead—but meaningful collaboration, real thought leadership, and smart distribution?
That’s the future.

Don’t let AI become the top voice in your niche.
We (humans) can do better.

Think of it.