Whenever the search engines adjust their algorithms, website owners across the globe reevaluate their SEO plans to determine if they still make sense.
As a result, many of us have continued to track, and sometimes alter, our article marketing efforts. In my case, article marketing has helped me place and keep several websites on the first and second page of Google and Yahoo, so I track the results very carefully. Here is what I have learned…what is necessary to being a successful article marketer.
1. Good writing counts. Sure, you can throw an article together in 10 minutes and find a few low quality sites willing to publish it, but if it’s not written well you’ll lose credibility, and the kind of sites which can offer you major link juice will not publish it.
2. Write useful articles. Think about the problems and challenges people face. Think of their hobbies. Consider the subjects on which you can offer people good advice.
3. Remember your audiences. First and foremost are the article directory sites. If they don’t like your article, it’s all over. Next come the website owners looking for content. A few will use any article, but links from their sites are nearly worthless. Your articles have to be good enough for the owners of decent websites to want to add them to their websites. So, before you submit an article, spend some time thinking about it.
4. Consider hiring professionals to write articles for you. That will allow you to maximize the number of articles you can submit and help you reach more people. But, be careful about who you hire, and proofread their articles until you are satisfied that they are competent. Unfortunately, many of the folks who claim to be professional writers are more concerned with whipping up quick articles than on producing quality.
5. Don’t cram your articles with keywords. If you are promoting a website about online degrees, use the term only when appropriate. Website owners, who will decide whether or not to run your article, and readers, will appreciate it.
Remember that Google does not exist to promote your website. Neither do the article directories or the sites on which you hope your articles (and links) will appear. That’s why, to be a successful article marketer, you must produce articles of real value. And, that’s the bottom line.
Dan Rosenfield is a veteran educator who now develops and manages websites covering topics which include online degrees, online colleges, college admission, scholarships, financial aid, and related topics.
Tags: article, articles, Internet Marketing, online, website