Writing quality articles is time consuming for the very best writers. First, finding the time to write is probably the first real challenge. Then securing a topic or something to write about is the next obstacle. Finally, wondering if all this effort as a small business owner is going to secure the desired marketing end result of increased web traffic to your web site is always present. After writing articles for the last four and a half months, I have developed some strategies to improve article quality and to increase traffic to my website.
Strategy #1 ? Set aside time every week to write and establish a goal for the number of articles that you will write during the week. I schedule time with myself to write. This is usually a several hours during the weekend and possibly a couple of hours each week depending upon my schedule. Currently, my weekly goal is 2 articles. With other writing commitments including my website, this sometimes is quite a stretch for me.
Strategy #2 ? Create an easy format that you can easily copy and paste your efforts into those sites where you regularly contribute. For me, I used Microsoft Word. Also, I included within my M.S. Word document beyond the actual article are the following: (1) A title that meets the site's policies such as www.ezinearticls.com of 100 characters (2) Word Count (3) Copyright Statement (4) Bio or Signature statement that meets the character guidelines (1101 for Ezine Articles) (5) key words (100 characters for Ezine Articles) (6) A table for key words to be used within the article and as search words.
The table is probably the most beneficial element within this format. As I write the article, I plug in phrases that I believe have high key word value. The table can be easily copied and pasted into a new article with similar key words. These key words then can be prioritized from highest to lowest and used as the keywords within the article submission site. By using the highlight tool, I can quickly determine what words are used within the article's content.
Strategy #3 ? Write from your own personal experience and avoid the royal "We." People look to the Internet to find answers to their questions from people who have actual experiences. Share your failures and successes while you are demonstrating your expertise. Use the personal touch to begin to build a relationship and not to "sell" your product or service. Be real and respectful to each and every reader. Also include some humor if possible. Again, remember you want them to want more and click through to your website.
Strategy #4 ? When selecting the topic, determine the focus through researching the key word popularity. A site such as http://inventory.overture.com helps. Short articles also contribute to greater focus. If you have an exceptionally long article, break it into 2 or more shorter articles. I try to keep my articles between 400 and 800 words depending upon the topic or subject.
Strategy #5 ? After writing your article, review the content and begin to actively search for words or phrases that will increase the "hits" to your articles. Many times I believe I have an incredibly great title. By using a key word search, I can truly learn if the title is extraordinary or just plain ordinary. For example, in a recent article I had planned to use the phrase "bulls eye" in the title. As I am a very visual individual, this word conjured up an arrow hitting a target. Inventory overture revealed 3,190 searches for "bulls eye" while the word "target" had 1,814,599. My next action was to quickly change the title to maximize this key word.
In MS Word, under the Edit Button, you can scroll down to Find and enter each key word to determine if that word or phrase is included within your article. With Search Engine Optimization (SEO), using the right amount of key words is also important. An overload of key words is just as harmful as not enough key words. My strategy is to identify 20 top key words for every article and incorporate them at least one time and not more than three times into the article.
Strategy #5 Plus ? Upon completion of your article, find a colleague or friend and ask them for their opinion. I currently review many of efforts with two close friends. Suggestions are freely given and changes are made. The end result is always a much high quality of article.
Hopefully, these 5 plus one strategies will not only improve your Internet marketing through increased traffic to your web site, but will also improve the quality of your articles and potentially start to build those relationships with future customers or clients.
Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, www.processspecialist.com
This article may be freely published. Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).
Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. CEO of ADVANCED SYSTEMS located outside of Chicago, IL, is the Learning & Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business & education experience, she helps her clients to double their performance. By uniting systems, strategies and people to create loyal internal customers, Leanne delivers ROI solutions in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation within a variety of industries including education, healthcare, manufacturing and professional services. As co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capacities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for 2005 release, Leanne speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit http://www.processspecialist.com if you are seeking to connect your passion to your purpose to double your performance for unheard of results.
Airbnb cleaning service Glenview ..You know that writing articles is the best free way... Read More
Currently many online writers and would-be online writers, feel very... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
By now you probably understand how important writing for trade... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best ways to get... Read More
There is probably no easier way of earning extra money... Read More
Article Marketing Connects you Directly to Readers Even brilliantly-written articles... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
Article marketing is becoming more and more popular, especially as... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
SEO writing is very different from content writing, article writing,... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
If you're writer, I am sure sometimes you may have... Read More
You've written this wonderful (no question about it) piece of... Read More
Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More
One of the most tried and true methods of self-promotion... Read More
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More
This free way to promote or publicize your book or... Read More
Well maybe it's not that "little known" but some people... Read More
What is Anchor Text Optimization?Anchor text optimization consists of the... Read More
Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More
It's no secret that writing and publishing helpful articles is... Read More
1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
Many people which in online business world find difficulties in... Read More
efficient cleaning crew Highland Park ..Evaluation of a Home-Run ArticleI've been writing articles and posting... Read More
Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More
Every webmaster knows that to gain ranking positions in search... Read More
Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you... Read More
Have you been writing and submitting your free reprint articles... Read More
There are many ancient writings, which dive into the importance... Read More
Publishing articles on the Internet is a tremendous way to... Read More
Have you ever wondered why Ezine Articles have become one... Read More
The more you write, the larger your impact. If that's... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
You've written this wonderful (no question about it) piece of... Read More
As a follow up to my previous article on the... Read More
I once wrote an article in which I offered the... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
A simple technique to increase web site traffic is using... Read More
A revolutionary marketing device that I call article marketing I... Read More
Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt... Read More
We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More
This is a perennial question among writers and wannabe's. Many... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
This may come as a surprise... to you, but writing... Read More
We've all been there. We hear about how articles will... Read More
It's all the rage. It's what everyone is talking about.... Read More
When I was first advised to start writing articles, this... Read More
Article Writing |