Article marketing is a great way to showcase your knowledge as an expert in your field and it is also one of the most effective link building methods available. Not only can it present you as an expert in your field and bring visitors to your site, but it’s also a valuable tool for good search engine rankings.
The way article marketing works is pretty simple. The key is to provide top quality content and then submit your article to well known article directories so that your content can be found, read, and hopefully shared. Let’s look at how all of this comes together for boosting both your expert status, website traffic, and SEO rankings.
- Article Title
The title is one of the most important parts of an article. The title is the first thing a reader sees. An article may be well written, full of information, and hold a reader but if the title doesn’t jump out and grab attention, more often than not the reader will move on. So make sure your title is a catchy one.
Be specific with words when it comes to the title and make sure you use one of your main keywords you would like to target in the title. Remember when it comes to marketing online it needs to be to the point. One example is a weight loss article. A title may say “how to lose weight” but a more specific title and one that will grab attention might say “3 ways to lose 10 pounds in 5 days.”
- Article Content
A long drawn out article can quickly lose a reader’s attention. Keep paragraphs small and add bullet points to break up the article. Use numbered lists to keep readers focused. The simpler the article the better it is as a marketing tool.
Keeping your article simple not only grabs attention but it’s a great read for the skimmer. The bullet points and lists allow them to get the gist of the article. Just like with sales letters, these marketing strategies are great marketing tools to keep the reader engulfed in the content. Simple is good for the layout of the article but also make sure the content is top quality and helpful information …the better the information the more exposure you will get with the article and the more you will be thought of as the “go to” person for your topic.
- Article Directories
If you search the Internet you will find there are numerous article directories that allow article submissions. In reality there are only a few that make a difference when it comes to targeting traffic and SEO rankings.
Focusing on the main directories will increase your exposure. A few that should be included in your marketing plans are:
- Articlebase.com
- SearchWarp.com
- EnzineArticles.com (this one is my # 1 recommendation)
- Buzzle.com
These are just a few but always remember to do your research before submitting an article to any other directories you may find… you want to make sure the directories are active and offer good quality. It is also good to find niche specific article directories to submit your article to.
- Resource Box
Believe it or not this little box is the key to making a big difference when it comes to how to your article will bring you traffic and business exposure. Make the benefits your focal point. Readers aren’t necessarily interested in you… they are interested in how you can benefit or help them. They are looking for specific information that will help them.
Many resource boxes are filled with things like so and so is a great article writer and you can visit them at www…… More often than not this resource box information will lose the reader. A more appropriate resource box might say “learn how to market for free adverting by visiting www……” It’s much more effective when it comes to drawing a reader in.
Another key thing to remember to include in your resource box is a keyword based hyperlink. This is a link pointing back to your site linked by one of your main keywords. And also to include a call to action!
Here is an example of a good quality resource box…
- Having a great Facebook Fan Page Design is a great way to make your brand standout online. Visit http://www.boldbrandingtactics.com to see some great examples of Custom designed Fan pages.
This resource box includes one hyperlink pointing back to my site with a keyword I am targeting for search engine rankings, it includes a call to action, a benefit, and it includes a link to my website.
Most importantly, getting people to pick up your article from the directories and share it is a key factor when it comes to making article marketing beneficial so make sure your article is filled with great content that your readers will love and want to share!
Learning how to market your articles is an important marketing tool that will help your business to grow and prosper. Make sure to stop back on Friday to learn some more article marketing strategies. If you have any specific article marketing questions be sure to post them in the comments area and I will try to answer them in Friday’s post!
Also for more tips on Article Marketing and how the recent google changes can affect your article marketing efforts make sure to check out Article Marketing Revisited.
To Your Success!
Kate Wilber
The Marketing Momma