Why Op-Eds & Bylines Matter for Brand Building and SEO
Contributed content isn’t just for sharing opinions—it can also be a powerful tool for boosting your online visibility and driving organic traffic to your website. Whether you’re trying to build credibility or improve your SEO, op-eds and bylines can play a key role. Here’s how they work, and why they’re more important than you might think.
Building credibility & trust
One of the most immediate benefits of publishing a byline is the credibility it brings.
Regularly writing op-eds can help people establish themselves as thought leaders and experts in their field. For companies, publishing contributed content from spokespeople offers an authentic way to engage in key conversations and showcase your products. Take these two pieces I worked on with Beatrice de Jong, an LA-based realtor and former spokesperson for the residential real estate platform Opendoor. These bylines not only tell a compelling personal story and offer actionable advice, but they also tie back to Opendoor’s offerings—demonstrating how the company supports first-time homebuyers.
The publication where your piece appears also adds to your authority. Writing for a respected media outlet not only gets your ideas out there, but it also aligns your byline with that publication’s established reputation. People trust articles from sources they know, and when you’re published in a reputable place, that credibility extends to you.
Boosting SEO with backlinks
Contributed content isn’t just a way to get your voice heard—it can also improve your website’s SEO through backlinks. When a byline or author bio is published, it often includes a link to your website or social profiles. These backlinks are important for search engine rankings and can help boost your visibility online.
Backlinks are like a vote of confidence from other websites. When a high-authority site links to your content, it signals to search engines that your website is reputable and valuable. This boosts your site’s domain authority, which helps improve your rankings and gives your SEO a nice little boost.
If readers find your op-ed interesting, they might click on the link in your byline to learn more about you or your business. That’s potential new traffic—and in some cases, potential customers.
Keywords and your SEO strategy
Bylines can play an important role in your broader SEO strategy, too. When written thoughtfully, they can help you rank for relevant keywords and attract the right audience.
While contributed content is usually about sharing an opinion, experience, or perspective, you should still weave in some SEO best practices. For example, a stylist talking about the impact of sustainable fashion trends could include terms like "eco-friendly fashion" or "sustainable brands”. These keywords not only make an op-ed more discoverable, but they position the writer as a thought leader in an industry increasingly focused on sustainability. Or, a tech entrepreneur writing about AI's impact on the job market might use phrases like "future of artificial intelligence" or "workforce transformation”. These terms help attract people searching for insight about how technology is shaping industries and the future of work.
The beauty of bylines is that they can generate incredible SEO benefits long after they’re published. Many op-eds focus on evergreen topics—subjects that stay relevant no matter when they’re read. This provides long-term SEO benefits and keeps content working for you even after a buzzy news cycle or trending conversation is over.
Expanding your audience and reach
Contributed content gives you an opportunity to expand your reach and connect with new audiences. If your writing is published by a major media outlet, it reaches readers who might not be following you on social media or know about your website. This can help you grow your brand and attract new followers, clients, and customers.
Pitching op-eds and bylines also helps build relationships with journalists, editors, and other thought leaders. As you get more pieces published, you’ll find that these connections open up new opportunities for collaborations, interviews, or even guest spots in other media. Networking through op-eds can help you get more mentions and backlinks down the line—creating a snowball effect for your visibility.
To top it off, articles that resonate with readers often get shared across platforms like LinkedIn, X, and Facebook. Each share is an opportunity for more people to see your ideas—and, in many cases, follow the link back to your website. Even if those social shares don’t directly affect your SEO, they can lead to more visitors and potential backlinks in the future.
When used strategically, op-eds and bylines can help you build authority, improve your search rankings, and increase your visibility online. Next time you have an experience, advice, or perspective to share, think about how a media outlet can serve not just as a platform for sharing your thoughts—but also as a smart move for brand building and your SEO strategy. With a little planning and consistency, contributed content can help you stand out and meet your goals.
