Is guest posting going the way of paid blog links?

[inhouseseo]

As the Penguin update continues to change the way sites do SEO, many have moved towards guest posting as a "white hat" means of getting links from legitimate related sites. Now, admittedly, the content that is being posted via guest blogging seems to be much higher than the crap that was being posted on article directories and such. You also don't get the duplicate content like you did with the spun articles and mass submissions. But, guest blogging is becoming as ubiquitous as the paid blog links (i.e payperpost, etc.). I for one, have used guest posting, although I am not 100% sold on the results.

It seems that with the increase of guest blog networks, these links are becoming as easy to get as the article directory links. Doesn't that lessen the SEO value of the links?

And here the question that is always pestering: If you have quality content, why would you ever place it on someone else's site?

This is the meat of the discussion:

Shouldn't guest blogging be limited to unique opportunities (i.e a VERY established guest blogger in your niche)? Or is it okay to post content on as many related legitimate blogs as you can?

Thoughts...ideas....

[inhouseseo]

I was expecting you!

Thanks for the input

[EGOL]

And here the question that is always pestering: If you have quality content, why would you ever place it on someone else's site?

People have different goals.  Some people are trying to build links and some people are "trying to get a message out".  The people trying to get a message out usually produce fantastic content because the content is their "mission" instead of their "cheap currency".

Shouldn't guest blogging be limited to unique opportunities (i.e a VERY established guest blogger in your niche)?

I think that this should be reversed.  I think that even a noob author could have kickass success if he can place his content on the highest quality site - that means one with the highest quality content and a level of trust that it earns links from sites like loc.gov  or kids.usa.gov or NationalGeographic or New York Times.  To get your content on such a site you must have super high quality.

Think... "What kind of article would it take to compete with National Geographic or the New York Times?"

If you are making that type of content perhaps you can get it placed on that type of site?

I always say that I never give my content away.... but the Pope hasn't invited me to write an article for his website - yet.