I bet you are wondering after reading the title on why would anyone want to reclaim their guest posts from other blogs. Well, there are several reasons:
- The blog you submitted a guest post to became stagnant.
- The blog you submitted to changed owners and you don’t like what they are doing.
- The blog may have taken a direction that may hurt your reputation, especially if you are writing for your own website, and not writing for a company.
- The blog is more of a blog community of guest writers and the variety of articles do nothing for your search engine optimization strategies.
Of course, its not so easy to just delete your article from the other site and it will involve communicating with the site owner.
The reason why I am covering this is because I have experienced several of the above reasons to reclaim my own guest posts and wanted to share with you the most civil and ethical way possible.
What Can You Do to Reclaim Your Guest Posts From Other Blogs
You want to definitely be sure you want to reclaim your guest post on another site. Just because the article is published, doesn’t mean that the site owns it… that is… unless you were paid for that post. If you were paid, you can’t do anything. If you did not receive any money, you do have a right to your own writing. With the Internet, blogs aren’t like newspapers where you can go back and remove an article after it has been published.
Once you have confirmed that that you do want to have the article removed, the first thing to do is to contact the site owner. If they don’t answer from their contact form or by email, try the site’s fan page, Twitter handle, or any of their other social network handles that are connected to the blog’s brand. When contacting the site owner, be polite and list why you want them to remove the article.
If the site owner doesn’t respond within 5 days, email once more and wait 3 more days. If there still is no response for the blog owner, then you do have a couple options available.
- Copy the article and paste it to your blog. You can put a line before or after the article on where the article came from and why you brought it back to your blog. In fact, you can probably just write a line on where you republished your post from.
- Copy the article, and then work on the post to make it better. If the blog post needs a little tender care to get it up-to-date, then so be it. Make that article yours twice over and don’t even bother about the old post anymore. Obviously the original blog owner didn’t care.
If the site owners does respond and they refuse, try the #2 suggestion above. However, also leave a line to the original article you wrote, the link to it, and a reason why you republished your article on your own website. There will be some blog owners that may get mad, but they often forget that while it is their website, the article was not written by them and they should be courteous enough to remove the post… especially if the website is dying or stagnant. It does nothing for anyone and it is better that the article be moved somewhere it is needed.
As a note, I do want to say that even though you really don’t need to tell the site owner the reason that you want your guest post removed, but it is important to reach out first before taking action.
Have you ever have to reclaim your guest posts from other blogs? What was the reason? How did you go about reclaiming your guest post? Were you successful?
I like the second option more Nile, especially if it’s an older post. I sold a blog a long time ago and then it was resold and the content was removed. I took so of the better posts and, after a little rewriting and updating, used them on another blog (which I’ve since sold lol). That was when article marketing was big so I took many of the others and published them to an article site after those were updated. It was tough watching my work just disappear like that and reusing them was the best solution.
I have a few guest posts drifting out there in the unpublished winds, I tried to delete them but I do not have the right to do so. So I might need to email the bloggers to snag my creation 😉
Thanks for sharing the tips!
Nile, the LAST thing you want to do is bring that old post back to your blog in any way, shape or form. That’s like begging Google to penalize your blog! Best to forget and let it go – just press ahead with better posts on your blog!
Dave: You are VERY wrong in that. I wouldn’t have blogged about this if I didn’t know anything about this issue and I’ve been in blogging for 12 years (very successful too.) I’ve brought posts back and have added little tweaks to them, and have never had a problem….especially from posts that are mine and still using my Google authorship’s email address. The site’s I have taken back from have not been active for more than 2 years. Other posts, I have re-written and added a lot to.
I thought the Panda algorithm was penalizing websites for content scraping (or what appears to be content scraping)? If you have the authorship tag and you are tweaking the content it probably doesn’t appear as a scrape but I wonder whether a cut and paste job would be treated as favorably.
Scraping is different. You aren’t scraping your own article. Scraping is something done on the search engines to gather information.
You can scrape info towards an article, but in the case of guest writing, especially if it’s yours, you won’t have a problem with Google if you are re-writing. NOW, if you got the blog owner to remove the article, then its free game for you to do whatever you want with your article… it is yours.
I have a few guest posts drifting out there in the unpublished winds, I tried to delete them but I do not have the right to do so. So I might need to email the bloggers to snag my creation
Thanks for sharing the tips!
Nile.. Most impressive i become to see your blogging experience… Appreciated and the article is great too… 🙂
This post was so informative Nile Thanks a lot for sharing I also have some posts published on some site I want to delete these posts I gonna contact the site owners.
thanks for sharing this awesome post 🙂
But wouldn’t copying make me a spammer or something in the eyes of google? As always bloggers are advised to stay away from copying. I have another idea, why not copy it and submit it to some article directory? I know Article Directories are dead for SEO but still a small link is better than nothing. What say?
Hi Myles! No, you wouldn’t be a spammer. That is totally different. Spam is an off-topic, unwanted message.
I don’t use article directories nor would I recommend submitting to any of them. It would be best to get the article from the other site, request for removal, and once it has been removed from the other site, re-publish it on your own site.
Good tips for guest bloggers! I never thought about it, but I suppose it could get tricky when a site you guest blogged for is no longer holding the same standards it originally did when you posted. You have a right to your work, within reason!
I wonder why anyone would like to get his/hers posts back? .As you know it better than the most of the bloggers (considering the vast blogging experience you have) ..the tips are relevant and can be executed safely .
-Pramod
yaa fully agree with u why anyone would like to get his/hers posts back?
hi nile
nice article very informative post I am sure I increased my knowledge and theoretical skills by reading this post. thanks for sharing.
How is the legal part here, who actually owns the guest blog post? Could it differ for different countries or how the site where you posted the blog post have written the terms?
The blog owner can’t claim your post if they didn’t write it, nor paid for it. The only thing the blog owner owns is the website. It doesn’t matter what country it is in. You could definitely bring it to a lawyer’s attention, but frankly, in most cases of guest posting, it is better for the blog owner to remove the article when it is requested of them by the original writer regardless of the writer’s reasons.
Of course, as Adam pointed out in another comment the scenario of the site having a policy on what happens to the article, but if the article was free… I don’t think even in court the blog owner would be able to hold onto the article.
If I can ruin a good idea with some lawyerly reservations, I would add that you should check whether you gave the other blog owner exclusive rights to the content of your guest post or agreed not to republish the content on your blog or somewhere else on the internet. I don’t know how common that is but it’s something to look out for. I imagine most guest posting is done under a very open license of content to the hosting blog but I wouldn’t assume that is always the case.
The loss of exclusive rights to your content is something I don’t think a lot of people think about but will probably find out the hard way that they should have retained their rights or been more careful about who they freely gave great content. That applies not only to guest posts but also information dumped on forums, social media, picture sharing sites, etc. For example, there are some companies that run all these forums (often directed towards hobbies) where members post lengthy and very good content. Well, somewhere in the mess that you clicked through to sign up you also agree to give them an unlimited license, if not exclusive ownership, to that content. It will only be a matter of time before those companies start repackaging that content and selling it. Most people may not see it as a problem today but when relationships sour it may be a very different story.
A lot of these blogs don’t say they have exclusive rights to your blog posts. Most of it is volunteer and the only thing the blog owner/ admin owns is the site that the article is on. Now, exclusive rights usually ends up meaning that the blog owner/ admin paid the writer. I’ve seen and written for sites that are popular and will pay $150 for a really well written article that drives in a not just traffic but social engagement.
You are definitely correct that any guest writer needs to know the policy of a website. Frankly, if you are submitting to a site that is taking away your rights to your article, you shouldn’t be submitting there in the first place unless you’re going to get paid.
As I said, out of courtesy, it is best to request removal of the articles and then decide what you want to do with the articles.
I love the idea but as other readers suggested, would it not pose a legal problem to us, as most of the sites allowing guest posts mention clearly in their TOS, that content submitted and published cannot be shared or republished elsewhere without permission.
hi thanks for this article Most people may not see it as a problem today but when relationships sour it may be a very different story.
This sounds like a great option for resurfacing guest posts that you now find necessary for your own blog. Thanks for the post!
Hi NIle, I have never thought about getting my posts back but this is great information if I ever wanted to.. I do like the idea of just taking it back and making it better. Thanks for the tips.. Chery 🙂
Hey Nile, thanks for the helpful info – always really appreciate the stuff you put on your blog, thanks a lot for the tips 🙂 <3 blondish.net
Hello Nile
I know you’re a Professional Webmaster.. but i’m little scared about Google. I never heard anything before like this… are you completely sure that Google not spams us? but of course i always appreciate your great knowledge !! Thanks A Lot for a Great Post.
Why would Google spam you? If the article was removed on the other website, you can do what you want with the article. You can even re-write an entire article with the same title.
OK…Thanks a Lot Nile..
Hi Nile,
Its great idea you have shared. Many bloggers never think that far about where they have put their guest post. Thanks for the post
I never reclaimed a blog post. But of course I understand all your points. Considering our articles are a brand of ourselves, it’s obvious it’s important to protect our reputation. Great tips, anyway, I hope to never reclaim a post (means something wrong happened) 🙂
I wish all website owners were friendly and responsible. If they’re going to accept guest posts, then they really should respond to those who post them. I’ve tried to get some to take down my article, but didn’t get a response. Your ideas are good, for what to do with the article Niles!
I have a few guest posts drifting out there in the unpublished winds, I tried to delete them but I do not have the right to do so. So I might need to email the bloggers to snag my creation
Thanks for sharing the tips!
“I have a few guest posts drifting out there in the unpublished winds, I tried to delete them but I do not have the right to do so. So I might need to email the bloggers to snag my creation.”
nice tips. good job.
Hey Nile,
This is a very informative article with great tips. I thank you for that. Honestly, I haven’t done any blog post before but it is good to know all the tips you shared here.
Cheers
Pearly Quah
Hi Nile,
great suggestions and steps.
So far I have not done any guest posts but I found your article interesting.
In regards to guest posts can you post the same post on your site as well as the guest blog with that link you suggested? Which blog gets the ‘link juice’ for it?
I suppose your other suggestion to rewrite it would be a better option?
Thank you for sharing your expertise!
Yorinda
I’m just starting to do some guest posting – after reading this article I’ll be much more selective about where I’m posting or asking to post. Feels like it would be a giant pain to reclaim your post – especially if the blog has changed direction or is stagnant – things I honestly never thought about. Thanks for the knock on the side of the head!
“What Can You Do to Reclaim Your Guest Posts From Other Blogs” is a nice, very nice post. thanks.
Thank you… just a word of advice… use your real name, not a keyword for now on.
Hi Nile,
As far as I know, there are no posts in the clouds that I have done as a guest post. The only time I will do that is if I know who the person is.
I did have a few that I guest posted that were not really “friends” but friends of friends. They all seemed to work out fine.
This is really a great help just in case…….
Thanks,
Donna
That is an awesome post. You have really layed out your points in great detail. thanks for the tips,those are really helpful for newbie like me.
These are great tips! Sometimes I get into a reading slump and it’s because I need a bit of a break. I also like to read different books to add variety. When I read fiction, I also like to have several non-fiction going and audiobooks too. Reading your post reminded me of why I love to read. Thanks.
thanks nile. nice information..
Hi Nile,
It is a very good tip, by this method one can get it’s post back . But if the post is published previously on that blog , then SEO of that post on that blog is better than SEO of that post in our blog
helloNile..
Most impressive i become to see your blogging experience… Appreciated and the article is great too… 🙂 thnx for sharing this post
Interesting! Now wondering if the fact that I have a lot of guest bloggers and regular contributors if I am hurting my blogs optimization. I love the community we have but wondering if it should be more me in the future!
Hi Kathy! If you are intending your site to be something that suppose to be branded to be synonymous with you, then you really can’t be using guest blogging as a crutch. In fact, bot even 5% of the posts here are guest posts. I haven’t approved a guest writer in the last 300 posts I’ve written…and I’ve denied more than 1200 requests in the past 2 years.
Your site should scream you. Its okay to have a team or guest writers, but too much from them is not a good thing as your readers expect to hear from you.
I have a few guest posts drifting out there in the unpublished winds, I tried to delete them but I do not have the right to do so. So I might need to email the bloggers to snag my creation 😉
Thanks for sharing the tips!
I have never thought of doing this until now, most of the very best of all my writing has ended up on others websites where they have often become forgotten and neglected, maybe a couple of these can come home to where they should have been in the first place.
Thanks for the info..
Personally, I am not agree with the point of taking down a guest post.
Because there are some points to focus on before thinking in such matter.
It was us who forced the owner to publish our guest post, he / she didn’t approached the author to write the guest post.
It was our duty to analyze the website before throwing our words on it, and betting our identity and work.
When we published a guest post on some website, we obviously not looked at the money but for the backlinks sure. So, when we have received something that has its own value in the market for writing a guest blog then how can one press the blog owner to remove the content?
Instead of copying pasting the whole content on my blog, I will surely prefer to start a new blog post as an update to the current topic, and write in my very own nature once again, and make sure to discuss the whole point in the post and link to the old post.
Taking down guest posts from a website is like, leaving one in the darkest zone of his / her profession.
Hi Nile,
I do not guest post, yet. However, I do my best to prepare for that moment. So it is good to know what to do when you want your guest post back. I noted down the basic idea in my swype file.
Now, because the article is mine, it shouldn’t be any problems. However, your post implies that it is not quite so. It seems that not all the blog owners were nice to you when you asked them to remove a guest posts of yours. Good to know that.
Thanks for the post.
Have a wonderful day
Yes, i agree with this article.
Sir, can you help me about “how to start guest posting on blogger blog”. Please give me details about this.
I am really very thankful for you for this.
These are really great tips! Sometimes I get into a reading slump and it’s because I need a bit of a break. I also like to read different books to add variety. When I read fiction, I also like to have several non-fiction going and audiobooks too. Reading your post reminded me of why I love to read. Thanks.
Never thought that it was possible until I read this post. Thanks Nile.