Most authors are wasting their time producing dozens to hundreds of high quality articles that never reach a fraction of their traffic potential. It's a darn shame.
When I review the behind-the-scenes traffic statistics on over 20,000 articles that have produced over 1 million monthly page views in my article marketing lab...ONE thing is clear: All articles are not created equal even when everything about them is identical except for the TITLE.
The reason is probably not what you think.
If you've been schooled on traditional copywriting, you know that in the offline world, the headline determines as much as 95% of the success of the book or article. This statistic takes into consideration what makes the book title successful: Whether a human buys it or not.
Article Marketing on the Internet is a whole different story because of the way your articles reach humans who have an interest in them.
MYTH: Most people will read your articles because they came to a website and started browsing just like they do if they were to have gone to a local book store to find a book of personal interest.
FACT: Wrong! Most people will search the Internet using one of the major search engines and they will be putting in between 1 to 5 keywords that are related to the topic of the article or information they are looking to locate. The search engines will then deliver results that best match the human's interest.
YOUR GOAL: To have your articles show up in the search engine results for the keywords and topics that are most related to the content of your article.
HOW?
You must embrace this TITLE creation & traffic-building truth:
The first 3-5 words of your TITLE determine the success of your article in terms of how much traffic your article will generate back to your website. Success can only be had when you create keyword rich titles for your articles that match the most commonly searched keywords for your topic.
How to determine which keywords are rich and the right ones to use for your article?
You'll need a keyword research tool. Some are free and some are fee-based. Overture.com has a popular keyword research tool that shows you the most common search results from the Yahoo search engines directory. If you want to see what's on "Google's Mind" you can try one of their current beta tools called "Google Suggest": http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1
Whether you use a web-based keyword research tool or invest in one of the more advanced application level software keyword research tools, it's critical that you learn know how to do keyword research.
A "Good" vs. "Bad" TITLE Example:
Here is an example of the difference between a non-keyword rich TITLE vs. a very keyword rich TITLE that is proven to perform better in terms of traffic creation:
Bad TITLE Example:
"Top 9 Ways You Can Acquire Fractional Jet Ownership"
Excellent Keyword Rich Title Example:
Fractional Jet Ownership - 9 Strategies to Help You Acquire Your Private Jet
Why is it more effective?
Because it does not waste the first 3 words of the title with meaningless garbage words like "top" or the number "9" or "ways"...and gets right to the important words that might be found when someone is using a search engine to research a topic related to your article.
You'll also notice in my example that I included the word "Private" Jet. Why? Because my keyword research said that people who search for fractional jet also search for the word "private jet" and therefore I wanted to boost the chances that my title would be found by a larger number of potential visitors to the article.
Two recommendations on what NOT to do:
1) Don't include garbage characters in your TITLE such as quotes, tildes, asterisks or anything else that a search engines has to work hard to discard in order to understand the TITLE of your article.
2) Do not engage in any search engine spam technique by having keyword rich TITLES that have nothing to do with the topic of your article. You'll only be hurting yourself as the search engines already aggressively filter out bad behavior like this.
YOUR INTELLIGENT KEYWORD RICH TITLE COPYWRITING CONCLUSION:
If you want to maximize your results from any article marketing strategy, you must master keyword research so that you can create keyword rich and intelligent article TITLES. Your pay off will be massive amounts of traffic to your articles and website thanks to the search engines who love smart keyword rich TITLES!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Importance of Resource Box
If you want to really make your article "SELL" then you've got to craft the perfect RESOURCE BOX. This is the "author bio" that is below your article body and it's also known as your "SIG" (short for SIGnature).
Here are the essential items that should be in your RESOURCE BOX:
* Your Name: You'd be amazed at how many folks forget to include their name in the RESOURCE BOX. Your name and optional title should be the first thing in your resource box.
* Your Website Address: in valid URL form. Example: http://Your-Company-Name.com/
* Your Elevator Pitch: This is 1 to 3 sentences that encapsulates the essence of what makes you and your offering unique. Also known as your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
* Your Call To Action: You've got them warmed up and now it's time to lead them to BUY from you or visit your website. This is where you "Ask For The Sale." Best to only give (1) specific call to action.
Here are some optional items you could include in your RESOURCE BOX:
* Your Ezine Subscription Address: While getting your interested visitor to surf your website is nice, capturing their email address can help you begin the confidence/trust process. If you're going to do this strategy, include a URL for your ezine subscription address and do not use an email address for the "join" address.
* Your Contact Information: Such as your business phone number or how to reach you for interviews or your press/media kit. Keep in mind that article marketing is a timeless strategy and you may not have an easy ability to retract what you put in your article once it hits major distribution.
* A Free Report: This could also be part of your call to action or your free bonus report that further enhances your credibility as the expert on the topic of your article.
* Your email autoresponder: I'm not a big fan of this strategy due to the fact that spammers will text-extract your autoresponder address and add it to their spam list. Perhaps this strategy was best for the 1990's and has now run its course.
* An anchor URL that is related to one keyword or keyword phrase that you want to build SEO strength for. Example: if I wanted to build search engine relevance/strength for the term "Article Marketing," I'd link up that term in my resource box to my website. This is an intermediate to advanced level strategy and should not be abused by over-doing it. Keep it simple.
What NOT to include in your RESOURCE BOX:
* A listing of every website you own. There is no faster way to dilute your credibility than by posting a half dozen irrelevant URLs that have nothing to do with each other. Best to only post ONE URL that is related to the topic of your article.
* A listing of every accomplishment you've achieved to date. No one cares. Keep your resource box brief and to the point. Yes, your resource box should be benefit oriented so that the reader finds value in reading it rather than your ego being justified.
* Advertisements or pitches for products that are not relevant to the topic of your article.
* Keep the size of your resource box so that it's no larger than 20% of your total article size. Too often I see resource boxes that are 50% of the size of the total article and this is abusive.
Your Perfect Resource Box Conclusion:
The BODY of your article is where you "GIVE" and the RESOURCE BOX is where you get to "TAKE" for your article marketing gift of information. The resource box is the "currency of payment" you receive for giving away your article. Be sure to include your name, website address, your unique selling proposition as briefly as possible and a simple call to action.
Here are the essential items that should be in your RESOURCE BOX:
* Your Name: You'd be amazed at how many folks forget to include their name in the RESOURCE BOX. Your name and optional title should be the first thing in your resource box.
* Your Website Address: in valid URL form. Example: http://Your-Company-Name.com/
* Your Elevator Pitch: This is 1 to 3 sentences that encapsulates the essence of what makes you and your offering unique. Also known as your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
* Your Call To Action: You've got them warmed up and now it's time to lead them to BUY from you or visit your website. This is where you "Ask For The Sale." Best to only give (1) specific call to action.
Here are some optional items you could include in your RESOURCE BOX:
* Your Ezine Subscription Address: While getting your interested visitor to surf your website is nice, capturing their email address can help you begin the confidence/trust process. If you're going to do this strategy, include a URL for your ezine subscription address and do not use an email address for the "join" address.
* Your Contact Information: Such as your business phone number or how to reach you for interviews or your press/media kit. Keep in mind that article marketing is a timeless strategy and you may not have an easy ability to retract what you put in your article once it hits major distribution.
* A Free Report: This could also be part of your call to action or your free bonus report that further enhances your credibility as the expert on the topic of your article.
* Your email autoresponder: I'm not a big fan of this strategy due to the fact that spammers will text-extract your autoresponder address and add it to their spam list. Perhaps this strategy was best for the 1990's and has now run its course.
* An anchor URL that is related to one keyword or keyword phrase that you want to build SEO strength for. Example: if I wanted to build search engine relevance/strength for the term "Article Marketing," I'd link up that term in my resource box to my website. This is an intermediate to advanced level strategy and should not be abused by over-doing it. Keep it simple.
What NOT to include in your RESOURCE BOX:
* A listing of every website you own. There is no faster way to dilute your credibility than by posting a half dozen irrelevant URLs that have nothing to do with each other. Best to only post ONE URL that is related to the topic of your article.
* A listing of every accomplishment you've achieved to date. No one cares. Keep your resource box brief and to the point. Yes, your resource box should be benefit oriented so that the reader finds value in reading it rather than your ego being justified.
* Advertisements or pitches for products that are not relevant to the topic of your article.
* Keep the size of your resource box so that it's no larger than 20% of your total article size. Too often I see resource boxes that are 50% of the size of the total article and this is abusive.
Your Perfect Resource Box Conclusion:
The BODY of your article is where you "GIVE" and the RESOURCE BOX is where you get to "TAKE" for your article marketing gift of information. The resource box is the "currency of payment" you receive for giving away your article. Be sure to include your name, website address, your unique selling proposition as briefly as possible and a simple call to action.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Methods For The Best Article Marketing Process
Article marketing, as millions of webmasters would agree, is currently the best website promotional tool that aims to drive huge, quality traffic to your website without the need to spend a single dime. As this marketing tool is easy to use and proven to deliver great results, it is currently the most used traffic-generating and advertising tool in the internet today.
Here are the 4 effective methods to accelerate your article marketing:
1. Quality. This is the most important element in your article marketing campaign. You have to make sure that all your articles are of high quality and well-written to increase your clickthrough rate and convince more people to widely distribute your articles online. As you know, the more people publishing your articles, the more inbound links you will be able to obtain for your website.
2. Title. Most new marketers ignore this element as they think that the quality of their articles is enough to stir attention online. This is but plain wrong and could be deadly for your marketing strategy. You need to understand that even before online users can check on your content, they would consider your titles first. If they are not intriguing and attention-grabbing, there is no way that your articles will be opened and read.
3. Optimize. Make your articles search engine-friendly so they will become highly searchable online. Download a reliable keyword suggestion tool to figure out which keywords are usually searched within you target niche and sprinkle them all throughout your content. Don't forget to include your main keyword on your titles too.
4. Publishing sites. Consider the page ranking and quality of traffic of article submission sites before you post your articles. Do not waste your time on sites that are not even indexed by Google as these cannot help you realize your article marketing goals.
Here are the 4 effective methods to accelerate your article marketing:
1. Quality. This is the most important element in your article marketing campaign. You have to make sure that all your articles are of high quality and well-written to increase your clickthrough rate and convince more people to widely distribute your articles online. As you know, the more people publishing your articles, the more inbound links you will be able to obtain for your website.
2. Title. Most new marketers ignore this element as they think that the quality of their articles is enough to stir attention online. This is but plain wrong and could be deadly for your marketing strategy. You need to understand that even before online users can check on your content, they would consider your titles first. If they are not intriguing and attention-grabbing, there is no way that your articles will be opened and read.
3. Optimize. Make your articles search engine-friendly so they will become highly searchable online. Download a reliable keyword suggestion tool to figure out which keywords are usually searched within you target niche and sprinkle them all throughout your content. Don't forget to include your main keyword on your titles too.
4. Publishing sites. Consider the page ranking and quality of traffic of article submission sites before you post your articles. Do not waste your time on sites that are not even indexed by Google as these cannot help you realize your article marketing goals.
Points For Global Marketing With Article Marketing
Thanks to the vast reaches of the internet, global marketing is now possible for the average business owner, either the large corporation or the small privately run entity, to narrow the geographic divide.
The main point of search engine optimization (SEO) and reaching a global audience is not only to drive traffic to your site, but also to then convert those visitors from all over the world into paying customers. Web traffic and the ensuing exposure are nice, of course, but if those hits don't improve business and increase sales, what purpose do they really serve?
The Prime Components of Global Marketing With Article Marketing
Creating a Website
For article marketing to have even a chance at being effective, it's imperative for all businesses to have their own websites to link back to when submitting articles to search engines and article directories. Also, having your own domain name is always preferable over using a free site, as it lends an authentic feel that tells people they're dealing with a real company that's serious about their online business ventures.
Be sure to include your website address on all of your marketing materials, both online and off. Your business cards, banner ads, forum and blog posts, as well as every article you submit for publication should all have your site's URL, which should be something easy to spell and remember.
Global Promotion Using Articles
Successful global promotion must include a set plan that features a number of effective methods for spreading the word about your business or products. The distribution of press releases announcing important details and providing a newsworthy story about your business, as well as submitting your articles to article databases and posting them on blogs, will also help to get your name recognized quickly.
A well-written, full-length article on a particular niche or topic is a perfect addition to the innumerable snippets of information the many popular blogs feature. But wherever you decide post your articles, don't forget the all-important resource box for providing the pertinent details people will need to do business with you. This, of course, will include your website and email addresses, but may also include a brief biography about you or your company, along with other bits of contact data such as location and telephone or fax numbers.
Providing Accurate, Useful Information
By providing accurate information in your articles along with an irresistible or enticing offer when people arrive at your website, the chances of converting the casual visitor into a paying customer dramatically increase. It definitely pays off in the long run to take the time to explore and thoroughly research all avenues when it comes to expanding your business globally using article marketing and the various related techniques for increasing customer base and revenue.
Email Marketing
Email marketing can be an excellent way to globally promote your business, either through legitimate lists of email addresses that you can purchase, or through lists that you've collected yourself from visitors who've been to your site, or through some other means of internet marketing. Email marketing is similar to the direct mail type, but without the need to spend money on postage and mailing expenses, and is also the perfect extension to article marketing.
Global marketing utilizing the benefits of article marketing truly is the easiest and most cost-effective way of expanding business and your contacts, as well as reaching new and impressive sales records that may not have been possible before.
The main point of search engine optimization (SEO) and reaching a global audience is not only to drive traffic to your site, but also to then convert those visitors from all over the world into paying customers. Web traffic and the ensuing exposure are nice, of course, but if those hits don't improve business and increase sales, what purpose do they really serve?
The Prime Components of Global Marketing With Article Marketing
Creating a Website
For article marketing to have even a chance at being effective, it's imperative for all businesses to have their own websites to link back to when submitting articles to search engines and article directories. Also, having your own domain name is always preferable over using a free site, as it lends an authentic feel that tells people they're dealing with a real company that's serious about their online business ventures.
Be sure to include your website address on all of your marketing materials, both online and off. Your business cards, banner ads, forum and blog posts, as well as every article you submit for publication should all have your site's URL, which should be something easy to spell and remember.
Global Promotion Using Articles
Successful global promotion must include a set plan that features a number of effective methods for spreading the word about your business or products. The distribution of press releases announcing important details and providing a newsworthy story about your business, as well as submitting your articles to article databases and posting them on blogs, will also help to get your name recognized quickly.
A well-written, full-length article on a particular niche or topic is a perfect addition to the innumerable snippets of information the many popular blogs feature. But wherever you decide post your articles, don't forget the all-important resource box for providing the pertinent details people will need to do business with you. This, of course, will include your website and email addresses, but may also include a brief biography about you or your company, along with other bits of contact data such as location and telephone or fax numbers.
Providing Accurate, Useful Information
By providing accurate information in your articles along with an irresistible or enticing offer when people arrive at your website, the chances of converting the casual visitor into a paying customer dramatically increase. It definitely pays off in the long run to take the time to explore and thoroughly research all avenues when it comes to expanding your business globally using article marketing and the various related techniques for increasing customer base and revenue.
Email Marketing
Email marketing can be an excellent way to globally promote your business, either through legitimate lists of email addresses that you can purchase, or through lists that you've collected yourself from visitors who've been to your site, or through some other means of internet marketing. Email marketing is similar to the direct mail type, but without the need to spend money on postage and mailing expenses, and is also the perfect extension to article marketing.
Global marketing utilizing the benefits of article marketing truly is the easiest and most cost-effective way of expanding business and your contacts, as well as reaching new and impressive sales records that may not have been possible before.
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