What is cornerstone content and how does it relate to guest posting?

Cornerstone content refers to the most important articles or pages on your website that cover the core topics of your business or niche. These pieces of content are comprehensive, authoritative, and typically provide an in-depth overview of a specific topic. Here's how cornerstone content relates to guest posting:

### 1. **Creating Authority and Expertise:**
- **On Your Own Site:** On your website, cornerstone content establishes your authority on key topics within your industry. These articles are often optimized for important keywords and serve as a hub for related content.
- **Through Guest Posting:** Guest posting allows you to showcase your expertise on external sites by contributing well-researched, insightful articles. When you consistently provide valuable guest posts, you enhance your reputation and authority in your field across multiple platforms.

### 2. **Building Backlinks and Traffic:**
- **Internal Links:** On your website, cornerstone content serves as a foundation for linking to other related articles and pages. This internal linking strategy helps to spread authority throughout your site.
- **External Links (Guest Posting):** Guest posting enables you to include links back to your cornerstone content on your own site. These backlinks from reputable external sites can improve your site's SEO, domain authority, and drive relevant traffic.

### 3. **Enhancing SEO Strategy:**
- **SEO Benefits:** Properly optimized cornerstone content on your site can help improve your rankings for target keywords and attract organic traffic.
- **Guest Posting for SEO:** When guest posting, strategically choose topics related to your cornerstone content. By linking back to your site's cornerstone articles from guest posts, you reinforce their importance and authority in the eyes of search engines.

### 4. **Broadening Audience Reach:**
- **Diversifying Reach:** Guest posting allows you to reach new audiences who may not be familiar with your website or brand. By providing valuable insights and information, you attract new visitors who may become regular readers or customers.

### 5. **Long-term Strategy and Sustainability:**
- **Content Longevity:** Cornerstone content tends to remain relevant and valuable over time, providing a sustainable foundation for your content marketing efforts.
- **Guest Posting Longevity:** Well-written guest posts can also have a lasting impact, driving continuous traffic and backlinks to your site's cornerstone content, thereby maintaining its relevance and authority.

### How They Work Together:
- **Strategic Alignment:** When planning guest posts, consider topics that complement or expand upon your cornerstone content. This alignment strengthens your overall content strategy and reinforces your expertise across different platforms.
- **Mutual Benefit:** Guest posting benefits the host site by providing valuable content, while you benefit by gaining exposure, backlinks, and traffic. Linking back to your cornerstone content enhances its visibility and SEO effectiveness.

In summary, cornerstone content on your own site and guest posting are integral components of a comprehensive content marketing strategy. They work synergistically to establish authority, drive traffic, improve SEO, and broaden your audience reach within your niche or industry.