Article Marketing Basics

Writing content rich articles is an extremely powerful method of marketing and creating links to your website, specifically one way links, which gives your site more credibility as a reference point for valuable products, services, or information.  Search engines will pick up on this and you will see a marked improvement in your
search engine ranking.  Writing articles takes time but you will improve with practise and be able to produce more in less time.

Generating a lot of traffic to your site with articles starts with you writing the article.

When writing make sure you address the following issues:

1) Catchy Title- With the overflow of articles available online you only have a few seconds to grab your potential reader's attention so make sure your title is as strong as possible. 

2) Quality content– a primary goal of your the article is to establish you as someone who is quite knowledgeable in your field, so make sure the article is of high quality and demonstrates this.

3) Keywords- Research as many keywords as possible that pertain to the subject matter of your article and structure short and easy to read sentences full of them.  Search engines will be able to pick up on these keywords and be able to tag your article for its search listings.

4) Interest level– tying into the first point, your title, make sure the way you deliver your useful content is as engaging and dynamic as possible.  You have to keep your audience' attention and reading your entire article rather than just skimming over a few words and leaving.  Picture your articles as short stories with an interesting plot that will leave your readers wanting more.

5) Attraction – use your words to create an overwhelming urge in your readers to click through to your web site after reading your entire article and either purchase what you are offering or join your business opportunity.  Even if they don't bite right away your goal is to have left a very strong positive impression on readers and keep them returning to your web site.

The next step is to submit the article to multiple article directories. You can do this manually if you like, although it is a slow and tedious process. Using some form of article submission software is strongly recommended.  If you have the budget, another option is to hire someone to do it for you. Whichever method you choose, the submission of the articles will create valuable one way links to your website over time.
 
Posting your articles on your web site can provide you with fresh content that will aid in your search engine ranking.  Many people use articles as blog entries, and vice versa where blog entries that are written in article format rather than as a journal entry or ''thought of the day'' can be submitted to multiple directories.  The more of a presence you have online the more people can find you.  Other website and newsletter owners may contact you for use of your articles that will give you exposure to a whole new audience. 

Finally, you can submit your articles to offline publications for consideration. Having an article printed in a newspaper or magazine will really help to establish your credibility and drive traffic to your website. You may even get paid for the article, but if you don’t then the free exposure is well worth it.