Guest Blogging - Spread about or stick to a few?

[Zoolander]

I’ve decided to do guest blogs. I have written 10 tutorial articles, most are 500 - 600 words and none less than 300 words, there’s no fluff or padding, and I have ideas for 7 more. Is it best to spread your work across various sites and blogs? (assuming they are all good / high PR etc.) or could this make me come across as bit of a content whore?

If one place likes my work and asks for more, are there any more benefits to me other than just ones internal to their site (that being increased exposure on their site)

I’m also thinking about including my guest post tutorials on my own website as downloadable PDF’s with short descriptions so that the content remains original where my guest posts are. I also want to make video versions of the tutorials to put on youtube and embed within the guest posts too, but also my own website. Is all that a sound idea SEO wise?

On other question if that’s OK.  I have seen the following in google’s guidelines…

“The following are examples of link schemes which can negatively impact a site's ranking in search results: sending someone a “free” product in exchange for them writing about it and including a link.” http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66356

That’s a bit of grey area for me knowing that normally a professional book reviewer receives a free review copy, in this case perhaps a blogger receives a free review copy. This has never been seen as suspicious so long as interests are declared. Do you think those google guidelines include this kind of activity?

Regards,

[BrentAllison]

I think the best course of action is to pursue relationships rather than one-time guest postings.  Think like a consumer when evaluating sites to approach about guest postings.  If you as the consumer wouldn't find the site relative, reliable, or credible, then you probably shouldn't include it in your guest posting outreach.

[Zoolander]

Hi Brent thanks for your reply, I agree.  I have to apologize I made the mistake in my first post of not mentioning that the blogs and sites where I put my articles would all be relevant.  If possible I'd like to reiterate the question again, but like that, to anyone.

[BrentAllison]

Its seems like you have a pretty sound plan.  To me what you are proposing doesn't invoke what Google is trying to prevent.  They are not advertorials and are indeed relevant to the sites on which they would be featured.

[Zoolander]

Thanks Brent, that is good to know.  I think I'll probably limit it to 2 - 3 guest posts per external site.

I wonder if my idea of using PDF and / or embeding youtube version would at all be relevant to Alan's query here...http://moz.com/community/q/in-2013-is-guest-blogging-a-worthwhile-activity

I think that Google doesn't crawl PDF's and that you can have a certain % of the same text before it is considered duplicate content, ala all of my guest blogs on a webpage of my site as PDF downloads with only contextual keyword subject titles and short descriptions onsite.  I have found free useful stuff on ones own site helps with link building.