Article Directories Help Promote Your Website And Build Traffic
Write about things you are knowledgeable in, and have passion for. Feel passion when you are writing, and your writing will improve. Article writing is one of those exercises that for a few people produce truly phenomenal results online. Some online article authors are total amateurs, but their writing is also quite good. Quality is so essential to article marketing. You don’t want your web site to look like it’s cheap and aimless.
There is no better way to increase traffic than having content and submitting this content to article sites. Many webmasters are using RSS Syndication and it is becoming the way content is delivered to websites on the internet. Creating unique good quality will help with the search engines and visitors. Without good, relevant content the Internet would be nothing. Many webmaster agree that relevant good quality content is king. The pages will be indexed in the search engines because the keywords are relevant and match the content of the article.
One of the benefits of submitting articles to article directories is that once the article is there in the directory it is not archived as time goes on. There are niche directories that only accept articles within their niche. One of the best article directories are very easy to use and provide members with a lot of help in the form of online tutorials and help screens. Article Directories is the one place where webmaster and authors can submit articles and get published. Article directories exemplify the best kind of website that Search Engines love the most. The first benefit of writing articles and submitting them to article directories is that it establishes you as an expert in your particular field.
Many publishers come to article directories looking for articles to publish, they take the article and post it on their site. When writing your articles, you need to focus on providing specific information the publisher will find beneficial.
Using a niche article directory is a great way to publish specific articles and sell products in that niche. This enables them to publish your article faster and with fewer errors. The giant article directories need approve hundreds of articles a day. Submitting your articles to directories is free. Article directories are websites that house free articles. Anyone can write an article and use it to promote their website. The distribution of articles through free article directories is one of the best ways to promote your website.
Want to know if this process has actually done anything for you. You are writing for people. If you are writing to get traffic and you are not receiving it, you might get discouraged but don’t be, the link benefit in the long run will bring the traffic. One can use this method to try and draw in user traffic as well as use other procedures to bring visitors to their particular site. Writing and submitting articles is the most effective way to publicize your website, build one way links and promote your website.
Your link that you include in your article should point back to your site, but should also reflect the theme of the site. It can take several months to get into some directories so it can be frustrating but don’t give up keep submitting articles.
David Marc Fishman helps webmasters by allowing them to submit articles to http://www.myarticlezine.com and creating one way links using article submission to http://www.articleriot.com
Six Common Pitfalls of Article Marketing
If you’re not seeing the results you want with your article marketing campaign, you may be falling prey to any of the common mistakes people make. We’re all pressed for time these days and it’s easy to discount the importance of things like providing unique content, using good spelling and grammar and avoiding black hat SEO tactics. But the fact that your time is so precious should make it all the more important to you to use that time wisely by producing articles that are more likely to be published around the Web. To do that, you’ll want to avoid these six common mistakes.
In your rush to get as many articles as possible out there in the world, you may be tempted to resort to using a PLR (private label rights) article or other regurgitated material, slap an about the author box on it and send it on its way. This is a big mistake.
Publishers want unique, compelling articles, filled with information their readers can’t find in thousands of other places. Reputable article distribution services such as Article Marketer will not even distribute PLR articles and other duplicate content. Do yourself a favor and write something original. If you just don’t have the time, hire someone else to do it for you. The money will seem well spent when you see the results of your efforts.
Good content is virtually worthless if it’s full of spelling and grammatical errors. Running a spell-checker software is a good start, but for real accuracy you need to enlist the help of a human. Having someone else read your articles is a great way to catch mistakes. If no one is available to help you, walk away for a few hours, or even a few days, and come back and look at it with fresh eyes. You will catch little errors you missed the first time.
Avoid being too sales-y. Remember what publishers are looking for: informative, engaging articles that capture readers’ interests and help them in some way. If you want to post an advertisement you’re going to have to pay for the privilege. The only advertising you should ever do in an article marketing campaign is in the about the author box. That’s your opportunity to sell yourself.
Don’t act like spam. Underhanded tactics such as keyword stuffing will have publishers dropping your article like a hot potato. Similar to being too sales-y, keyword stuffing is another way to alienate publishers and readers alike.
Write for the reader. You’re not writing the article for you, you’re writing for the hundreds of people who come upon your article. Avoid referring to your business or website constantly throughout the article. Remember, it’s not an ad.
Dish up something they haven’t seen before. Everyone has unique experiences, mistakes they’ve learned from, things they find inspiring or advice they can offer. Do that and you’ll get more readers. And more readers translate into more traffic for your site. Don’t do it and you’re limiting your publication possibilities.
Even if you avoid all the common pitfalls, you’ll never realize your internet marketing potential if you don’t track your results. The web is a unique marketing forum in that it readily allows you to see exactly where your back links appear.
Then you can go back to your site and analyze your traffic statistics. Are you seeing more traffic? Are more people subscribing to your newsletter? Is your forum seeing more activity? Use all the measurements you can to determine the impact of your marketing strategy. Then tweak as necessary.
Dana Davalos, graphic designer and online biz whiz, shares her thoughts on internet marketing, design and life in general at www.groovygraphix.blogspot.com. She is a frequent contributor to www.articlemarketer.com, a highly popular article distribution service.
http://www.articlemarketer.com
Harvesting The Gold At Our Feet
About a week ago, I had the opportunity to revisit my old friend Dave over the phone. He was an old train-watcher, just like me. He was also an old senior citizen, just like me. I asked him if he’d photographed any good trains lately. He replied, “A few, now and then.”
A long time back in the Washington DC - Maryland area, there used to be some gold mining in Carderock Springs. About five years ago, Dave took to panning for gold in and around Carderock. I thought this was the dumbest thing he ever did.
When we last spoke, Dave told me he and his family had visited Austria and the Czech Republic. I knew (or so I thought) that Dave was living on crumbs, just like the lifestyle of my invalid wife and me. I was shocked to learn what he was really up to.
Dave had managed to accumulate enough earnings from gold panning at Carderock Springs to enable him to check out other parts of the country for gold panning. This allowed him to invest small amounts in gold futures. In time, Dave had established a nice income.
The lesson learned is this: Just like gold bits in a flowing stream, money on the internet literally grows at our feet. You have to learn where to harvest it. You also have to know how to harvest it. Despite all of the hype ads you see, money does not materialize out of thin air. Somebody has to make it happen. You are that somebody.
Here are a few “dos” and “don’ts.”
1. Always avoid spamming or putting your arms around deals you sense are scams. If there is anything that can torpedo your gold mine harvest, this can do it. As soon you have established correspondence with some reputable folk, you can judge who is playing the spam / scam game.
2. Recognize that there are thousands if not millions of users like you and me that are out there that desperately need financial help. Right now, I live off Social Security. I have a wife that is an invalid. I am still trying to get about without a car. I have two adult offspring that each day repeat the immortal words of Clark Gable in “Gone With The Wind.” (”Frankly ….I don’t give a damn!”)
3. Form networks of users like you and me that are in the same boat as in Item 2. Together, we can help each other. Going it alone or going it aided by spam or scam merchants …we can’t do anything.
4. Join network “friends” groups, but proceed with caution. The spammers and scammers are in control over there. We still might be able to harvest a network of friends there but I haven’t found the key that unlocks the door.
5. Start learning how to write and submit articles. Article submission is one of the hot buttons these days.
6. Be prepared for a lot of hard work which might be unrewarding at the start. Also be prepared to receive tons of junk mail in your in box.
7. Remember the words of Mr. Saburo Sakai, the Japanese naval air ace in World War II. He died in 2000 after surviving WW II and living to a ripe old age. In his twilight years, Mr. Sakai was a noted systems consultant for a software company in developing an aerial combat game. He lived by these words: “Never, ever give up!” I think the famed football coach Vince Lombardi said the very same thing.
May good fortune be with you on your harvest for gold.
Bob Carper is a veteran consultant in information systems He holds a a MBA from Pitt. For additional information go to
http://www.secure-webconference.citymax.com. His blogsite is http://www.html-secrets.net/blog. You may also contact him at robertcarper06@comcast,net
Articles - The Unsung List Builders
Getting customers in your site should always be ranked as high as the importance of the quality and the excellence of the product and the services you provide. They should go hand in hand in providing your customers the satisfaction they get in exchange for the money they have paid for them. Customer service should as well be as fantastic so that the customers are provided with the same satisfaction.
One of the ways you can combine marketing and customer service is through opt-in marketing. With an opt-in list you get the opportunity to introduce your site and products on a good time basis. Opt-in marketing strategy is a marketing strategy that is virtually low cost and not time consuming. Here, you get the consent of your website visitors to subscribe to your newsletters and other promotional materials such as catalogs and free promotions.
Opt-in marketing uses your list of subscribers to send e-mail to. These e-mails will contain the materials you will send to your subscribers. It is essential that you present your promotional items in a manner that will catch the interest and the eye of your subscribers to keep them wanting for more. The best way to do this is to provide fun, entertaining and informational articles.
Well written articles full of content and useful information will help in building your list as more subscribers will be enticed your list. When they have read the samples of your contents in your sites, they will be intrigued as to what will come next. Subscribing to your newsletter will offer them a glimpse of what you have to offer next.
Many sites and companies have captured the importance of articles and this also aids in search engine optimization. As more people are heading towards the internet for their information needs, serving the right information to them via articles in your site will increase the flow of your website traffic. With more traffic, the percentage of your sales will grow. More sales turn into more profit.
There have been the rise for the importance of well written, information enriched and keyword packed articles for the content of their site as well as for newsletters. These articles provide the information many are seeking in the internet. If your site has them, more people will be going to your site for information and research.
Well written articles would also boost your sites reputation. If they are filled with many information you will be regarded as well informed and an expert on the subjects that you tackle. Your articles must be well researched so that the people will trust you. When you have gained their trust, they will always come for you for their needs on that subject.
In connection, you must write articles or commission them to tackle subjects that are closely connected with your type of business. If you have a site for a medicine tackling a certain disease, your articles must be about the diseases. Or if you sell materials for home improvements provide articles with those themes. Most articles searched for are tips, guidelines, methods, manuals and such. If you provide these articles to your customers and you have their trust, they will always go to your site for help and advice as well as for your products.
With the loyalty of these customers, they may subscribe to your opt-in list to receive all the information you have. If you provide them with the answers for that need, they will be happy to be receiving your newsletters as well as other promotional materials to keep them well informed. Others may even forward your newsletters to other people when they find a certain article interesting.
You should provide links in your newsletter so that when other people are reading it and wants to read more, they may click on the link and go to your site. With the articles you have in your site that are good, they may decide to sign up as well for your opt-in list. This will build your list and make it bigger.
Make sure to keep your subscribers happy and interested in your newsletters and promotional materials. Keep on posting and writing good articles for your site and newsletter. If you are not interested in writing them or if you just don’t have the time, there are many available well experienced and knowledgeable writers available to help you out. This is an investment that will pay for itself in time.
Don Resh is CEO of WebForce, Inc. He is a respected authority on Internet Marketing, especially in the area of home based business. A more detailed bio is available on his web sites at:
http://www.WebForceSolutions.com
http://www.BizBuildSoftware.com
http://www.TurboMaxSoftware.com
How To Write An Article
Whether you are writing an article to promote your business, or you’re writing an article to sell, there are certain article writing strategies you can follow to help you easily create your article.
First, what is the purpose of your article? Is it to attract more business? Do you want to make money from the article? Are you using it to brand yourself as an expert? Are you submitting for publication in a print or trade publication?
Understanding the purpose of your article will help you determine what steps you need to take to develop your article. It will also help you decide what research you need to do to add detail to your article.
For example, if you are writing an article for promotion, you won’t need to do quite so much research, if any. After all, you should already know your topic well enough to write it.
The length of your article will be different because articles written for promotion are generally shorter. Around 500 to 700 words is usually optimal.
Your next step is to develop your idea. If you are writing for promotion, the article ideas you develop will be different from articles for print publications. Promotional articles require that you understand your audience and its needs. Articles for print publications require you to understand the needs of the publication and what it’s looking for.
Types of articles you can write are tips, how to, lists, and recipes, which are just step by step instruction on how to do something. There are other types of articles you can write, but these types listed are the easiest to write.
Another factor is the detail of your outline. An outline for a long article will need to be longer than an outline for a short article. Outlining is the simplest and easiest way to organize your material. It can also help you in doing your research, as well as see where you need to flesh out your article and provide more detail.
Develop your outline with as much detail as possible. Then you can add bullet points, or whatever you need to add to your article.
You can either organize your article using a simple text file and adding details as you go, or you can write your information on index cards and shuffle them later.
When writing my articles, I usually start with my title though. This allows me to tightly focus on what the article is about. Any information that doesn’t fit with the title of the article is discarded or used in a different article.
Once you have a working title and outline, then you’ll need to do your research. Avoid searching using general keywords because you’ll have so many search results you’ll have difficulty finding the information you’re looking for. At least three to four word keywords are best because the content you’ll find is more tightly focused.
Try to think like your reader. When you think like your reader, you’ll zero in on the types of keywords the reader is looking for.
When writing for print publications, study the publication itself. Then you’ll understand the needs of the publication.
When you’ve finished your research, it’s time to write your article. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll have enough information now to simply flesh out each of the points you’ve written.
Writing articles is an easy way to promote your business, but with enough practice, you can also use it as a way to make extra money for your business, whether you’re a writer or not.
Jinger Jarrett will show you how to find content to write your articles and build your website: http://www.marketingforwriters.com. Learn how to write an article: http://www.askjinger.com/cashwriting/. Find the best keywords for your articles: http://www.101articles.com/.
Article Writing as an Advertising Source
You’ve started an internet business, have completed your website and now you need to decide how you are going to advertise your new site.
Among the many ways to advertise is by writing articles. I feel that this is one of the best methods because you can include so much information and resources that you can adapt your articles to any situation. First of all let’s take a look at some important reasons for writing articles to promote your site.
1. Generate traffic to your site by including links in your resource box.
2. Use them as an advertising tool, not only with the links but your content. Don’t be blatant about it. Writing intelligently about your topic will lead visitors to visit your site to further explore what you have to offer. A visitor who realizes that you are competent in your subject is more likely to become a future customer, if not right away.
3. Correlate your keywords with your topic and your site. Internet browsers are looking for a specific subject. The closer your keywords or phrases match their search requirements, the more likely they are to go to your site. Not only that, the closer the match the higher your site will appear on the search engines results.
4. The importance of your resource box cannot be underestimated. First of all it should have your name, a brief description of your site, a short history of you the author, and any links to which you want them to go.
Many marketers, especially beginners, do not like to write articles as they feel that it takes too much time, they don’t feel creative enough and it actually scares them. But consider this: I bet 95% of successful article writers started out feeling that way but with experience they became better and eventually came to like doing it.
Tips to making your article interesting and effective.
1. Use short paragraphs.
2. Employ numbers or bullets which makes it easier to read.
3. Create an attention-getting title by describing your content with short, concise words. Relate them to your keywords if possible. Pique their interest so they will want to read further.
4. Be informative, using facts and figures when they apply and even use real-life situations if it would help clarify your theme.
(a little hint here is to start out by composing an outline which will make it easier to organize what you are writing)
If you still don’t want to write your own, especially at the beginning, there are sources online which can help you at a nominal cost such as freelancers. You can find them by entering the term in your browser.
Using public domain articles is another good source as these articles are given to the public and you can claim them as your own. The only difficulty here is that anyone can use them so your competitors may use the same one. Here is a good time to edit them in your own words to make them your own.
I have written mostly about linking your article to your website, but it’s also easy to link to your affiliate site if you are promoting someone else’s product.
Notice that I haven’t mentioned advertising that much but that is really what you are doing with your article and your resource box. The more informative your article and how you present it is actually a means of promoting yourself and your subject.
Nancy Stetson. She uses the programs on her website to show the beginner on the internet how one can begin with no experience and little money. Visit her
at http://www.homebased-opportunities.com/optin.html
Getting Started with Article Marketing
Most of you must have heard about the great wonders of article marketing in traffic-building on your website, but might plain not know how to go about it. So here I explain what you have to generally do in a few easy steps:-
(i) Decide what kind of articles you need to write for your marketing strategy. Of course, these articles should pertain to your website; but they must be articles of interest. They must be articles which will ensure the visitor will click on the link of your website provided below it.
(ii) If you are planning to write the article yourself, you will need to do some research on the topic. Agreed you have a whole website about it, but it doesn’t harm to know about the topic from someone else’s point of view. When you write the article, be sure to include some insightful points, which could be your own original inspiration.
(iii) Deciding on the keyword is the most important aspect of article marketing. You can use tools like Overture to find out which keyword is getting searched most often on the Internet. Build your article around this set of words. Use the keyword several times in the article and even in the title of the article itself.
(iv) Keep the article length short so as not to bore the reader. Format the article into points, bullets, headings, etc. to make it simple for the reader to understand. Use a catchy title.
(v) If you are thinking of giving the article to a ghost writer, then you will have to select someone from the freelance work sites. Guru, Scriptlance, Freelance Work Exchange and eLance are just a few of the many freelance sites around. You can post your project here, and desirous content writers will bid on your project. Make a wise decision by looking into the reviews of the writers, their experience and the sample articles they are willing to write for you.
(vi) If you are getting your marketing articles ghost-written, you will have to clearly specify to your writer what you want. The better you communicate, the better you can get an article from them.
(vii) Once your marketing article is ready, either self-written or ghost-written, you must upload it to some open directory. The most popular open directory currently is ezinearticles.com. Below the article, write a short bio about yourself (which should also be very interesting) and a link to your own website.
Really, this is all you have to do. The process of article marketing is very simple; but the success of this in promoting your website will depend on how well the article is written. Hence, you must exercise extreme care at every step of the article marketing process.
Ryan Smith is the author of the hot, new, ebook “Article Marketing Success.” Download your free copy at http://www.e-profitsubmissions.com
Writing Article Outlines Eases the Pain
We were taught to do it in junior high school, then on into high school and university. Writing in an organized and efficient manner often requires writing an outline first. Writing a good article is no different.
While there are a great number of people who do not have the same attitude in article writing as others, there are still those who would rather walk in piping hot coals than do some article writing. What is the difference between these two groups? The former have established methods for writing articles that they adhere to religiously.
One of the methods you can use to prepare yourself when tasked to write some articles is to create an outline first. Creating an outline for all your articles makes you prepared. You have an idea of the order of steps to be accomplished. Being prepared makes the job faster and less laborious. Being organized will result in less frustration when writing.
An outline can act as the design or blueprint for your article. This will guide you in creating the introduction, body and conclusion of each article. Here you can write down some of the ideas and sentences that you feel will look good in your articles. You can include some of the focal points that will most appeal to the reader. Creating an outline for all your articles will help you breeze through the actual writing of the articles.
First do some brainstorming and jot down your ideas. Think of some ways to attract the interest of your reader. Designate a time frame for completing all of your articles. By this time you should have done all your research. Review and reread your ideas and notes, gain mastery and sufficient familiarity with your topic so that writing the articles will go smoothly and quickly.
Next, you need to decide on the subtopics for each article. You need to come up with compelling and concise titles for your articles. Try to be specific without being too wordy. Stay away from titles that are too generic and don’t clearly state what the article is about. You will then want to divide each article up into skeletons with an introduction, body and conclusion.
Now it’s time to add the flesh and meat of your articles. Your introduction introduces the topic softly usually in the last or second last sentence of the first paragraph. The body is made up of points for and against any opinions or advice you are giving. The conclusion provides a summary and ties up any loose ends. It should reaffirm what was stated in the introduction.
After the outline is created, it is typical to write a rough draft. This may take more than one attempt, but remember that it is called a draft for a reason. Each time you rewrite and edit this draft, it approaches a finished work. Grammar mistakes can be corrected and you can check for consistency and readability.
While editing your draft, always refer to your outline so that you don’t drift away from your initial arguments. An outline serves as your guide when writing articles. Getting into the habit of writing outlines for your articles will result in a better finished product and a fulfilling writing experience.
The author is the developer and operator of numerous sites on the web. Authors can gain free quality backlinks to their sites. Publishers can reprint and redistribute content in more then 150 categories by visiting http://www.articopia.com
Get More Readers for Your Articles! 4 Tips & Tricks You Can Use Today
If you’re anything like most people, when you take the time to write articles, you want them to be read … and the more readers the better! However, you might be surprised to learn that formatting has a huge effect on readership. Good formatting draws attention, increases comprehension, and aids memory retention. Here are some fast and easy ways to turn formatting to your advantage and draw more readers to your articles.
* Start with a snappy, compelling title
Does your title grab the reader’s attention? Does it promise good information to come? Your title should be a tantalizing tidbit that hints at the meaty info just up ahead. Many article writers aim for titles with numbers, like “10 Ways to Write Better Titles” or “5 Reasons to Rewrite Your Titles Today”. A promise of immediacy is also appealing to readers, who like to know that the information at hand will be immediately relevant and helpful.
* Break up your article into short paragraphs
Short paragraphs make it easier for your readers to enjoy your articles, particularly if they’re reading on the web. Because people tend to read more quickly when scanning on a screen, short paragraphs and self-contained bursts of information are easier to follow. Your readers have limited time — help them get to the point quickly!
* Use bullet points or numbered lists
Give speed readers something to work with! A series of short, easily-scanned headlines will also make your articles easier to read, understand, and remember. Readers will come into your article knowing what to expect. And they’ll have a convenient memory aid to help them take away the major points.
* Include appealing photos
Since about 40% of people are visual learners, your articles will be much more successful if you include pictures! Visual learners understand and retain information most easily when it’s presented with a visual aid, like a diagram, an illustration, or a photo. Just like a teacher prepares lessons to help the information appeal to all students, a publisher should seek to incorporate various types of media so the information will appeal to all readers.
Additionally, polished images help a page look more professional, enhancing credibility. And the additional spark and color they provide will draw attention in the first few crucial seconds when a visitor clicks on to your page. Today, photos can be had for very little or no money at all. Imagine that — free photos for your articles.
Make your articles shine!
Salim Jordan is an entrepreneur and web content developer. His most recent project is Plinkme.com, a new type of stock photography site offering free, unlimited photo usage. Visit http://www.plinkme.com to browse hundreds of photos, and bring colorful images to all your pages with just a few clicks.
Article Marketing Resources: 5 Tools/Resources To Improve Efficiency
Article Marketing is an effective tactic for website promotion but let’s face it… It does require some effort. In this article, I’ll share some tools/resources to help make your Article Marketing efforts more productive.
Here are 5 tools/resources to bring you more success with Article Marketing and make it as easy as humanly possible:
1. Marketleap.com
One of the big benefits to writing and submitting articles is the huge influx of “one-way backlinks” you’ll enjoy as a result. In order to track your effectiveness you need an easy way to check your progress and Marketleap.com offers this.
Once on their site, click the “Link Popularity” link and enter your site’s URL. Marketleap will tell you how many links it found in the major search engines.
2. NoteTab.com
NoteTab Light is a free text-editor that is easy to use and extremely handy for article marketers.
After creating your article in a word processor, paste it into NoteTab Light and let it remove the unnecessary formatting and force your articles to be 60 characters in length.
This is fast and easy to do and will score you big points with Article Directory Editors.
Another cool feature is called “Text Statistics.” If you highlight your article and choose “Text Statistics,” NoteTab Light will tell you how many words are in your article.
3. InstantArticleWizard.com
If you have difficulty writing articles, check out Instant Article Wizard software. It crawls the web and returns you short pieces of copy from a variety of websites that are relevant to your article topic.
Armed with this information, you can rearrange the text, add valuable information, re-word sections in your own “voice” and voila, you’ve got yourself an article.
Just make sure to check your new article in Copyscape.com to make sure the search engines view the content as unique before submitting it to article directories.
4. ArticleMarketer.com
This is a web-based submission service that will submit your articles to hundreds of directories as well as to blog and ezine publishers.
With their “One-Touch” service, you’ll be able to distribute articles faster (and easier) than you ever though possible.
While article submission software can improve your effectiveness, you’ll find Article Marketer’s service faster (and more effective) than any other service I’ve found.
5. Live-Keyword-Analysis.com
This is a free service that allows you to enter your article body text (or any website copy for that matter) and get an instant report of the “keyword density” for the text you’ve entered.
If you keep the “keyword density” around 2-3%, you’ll find that your articles will receive good search engine placement for the keyword phrases you’ve optimized for.
Marketing with articles does require some effort, but the benefits in targeted website traffic, increased one-way backlinks and search engine placement more than justifies the effort.
If you “streamline” your process you’ll submit more articles and receive more benefit. This success will be the fuel you need to continue your Article Marketing efforts well into the future.
I hope you find these 5 tools/resources useful in improving your Article Marketing efficiency and wish you much success in the future.
Kevin Koop is the creator of the “Article Domination Method” and the “Article Writer’s Cheat Sheet.” If you’d like to find huge success through Article Marketing, be sure to visit: http://www.ArticleDomination.com
