Guest Blogger Qualifications for Our Site

Hosting guest posters on your blog can be a great way to keep fresh content on your site, without having to slog away at the keyboard yourself.

But if you choose the wrong writers, those posts can actually hurt your reputation by dragging the quality of your content down.

So how do you sort through guest blogging pitches to find the right ones?

Start with Active Participants on Your Blog

Pitches from people who frequently comment on your blog posts, starting and participating in conversations with you and other commenters, should move to the top of your list. These people are regular readers of your blog; as such, they are familiar with your topic and know your audience well.

Choosing these guest posters gives you a greater chance of receiving quality writing that fits perfectly with your blog's overall theme, and that will resonate with your readers.

Take a Close Look at Writing Style

When someone sends you a pitch for a guest post, make sure you look at their other clips or samples. If they didn't provide these samples, ask for them, or ask the applicant to submit the whole post for your review.

You can learn a little bit about a writer's style from his or her pitch, but you'll get a much better sense of it by reading at least three or four previous clips. You want to choose a guest poster who can match your site's style and tone.

Also, read over that pitch carefully.

Spelling or grammar errors, a general misunderstanding of your site, or not following guest post guidelines are all red flags you should watch for.

Look for Experience with Writing or Your Industry

Every writer has to start somewhere, and you may not always have a pool of veteran bloggers to choose from for your guest slots. A new writer may still be a great fit, as long as he or she can demonstrate experience or knowledge in your industry.

Of course, experience is an important consideration, and you should look at writers with some freelance writing or guest blogging under their belts first. But don't discount those new writers out of hand.

Look for Well-Established Social Network

This factor isn't quite as important as the others, but may be the deciding factor between two writers who are tied for first place on your list.

A writer who already has a healthy following on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or other social networks will likely encourage those followers to read his or her post on your site. That can translate to a decent traffic boost for you, and may even earn you a few new subscribers.

The most important thing to keep in mind when sorting through guest blog pitches is how well the author will fit with your site.

It's great to add a fresh, new voice to your blog -- but if that voice comes along with sub-par content or a style that's completely out of character for your site, you may end up losing readers.