Writing articles is a great way to build traffic. It doesn't cost any money, just your time and know-how. Right now I submit to EzineArticles. I think it is a great source of traffic. Do any of you submit articles to other sources? What about submitting to more than one article bank at once? Kathy [Sig removed - Admin]
Kathy, I consider EzineArticles to be the Google of article submission sites. They are a first-class operation, favored by thousands of writers, ezine publishers and Webmasters, and they deliver. It's a smart idea to submit to several article sites at once. I routinely submit to about ten. The Internet is a BIG place and having several sources of traffic is not only prudent business, but is necessary in today's mad scramble for attention. Here are a few other article sites I use: - GoArticles.com - IdeaMarketers.com - SearchWarp.com Like EzineArticles, the above sites also have the useful feature of display statistics on page views or downloads, to help you track the demand for your article. Until further notice, writing articles for republication is one of the most powerful, economical and perpetual ways to advance yourself and your business. Hermas
Quoting: kathyfWhat about submitting to more than one article bank at once? I would usually advice against submitting to many directories at once, because Google's patent specification indicates that it is better if link growth remains constant and slow. Sudden spurt in link growth may be a strong indicator of search engine spam for Google. Also, you should vary your anchor texts as much as possible to make sure that your links look natural. Getting a top ranking is getting difficult day by day. More effort and uniqueness is required than ever to make it to the top. You can't get a good ranking by just submitting to article directories. Just look at the amount of articles that are being submitted to ezinearticles.com everyday! How can you afford to stand out? Earlier, yes, it was a surefire technique to get a good ranking by submitting articles regularly. But I'm not sure if it works as fast now. Another important point to note is not to use the same articles you submit to directories on your site. Try to have a slightly different version, so search engines don't consider it a duplicate content. Same is the case when you use other people's article on your site. Ask the author if you have the permission to modify the article a bit (especially the title) to make it unique. I think most would have no problems if the theme remains the same. Moral: There is no easy way to the top Any difference of opinions here?
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Those article submission sites are great and allow one to submit articles to dozens and dozens of article banks. And signing up with many of the article groups, especially on Yahoo, can get your article read by hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people per day. But I find a problem in them that they (at least the ones I've used) do not allow you to specify the topic of article you receive if you sign up for either a Daily Digest or the receive all mail options. Therefore, though my interest is receiving mainly in writing and website marketing information articles, I also receive articles about how to groom my dog and how to get in shape for the New Year. So, how many of the articles that you submit to these sites actually get read by people? Sure, they go out to hundreds to thousands of recipients, but whether or not they're being read is another matter.
Quoting: Vishal P. RaoAny difference of opinions here? As usual Vishal, your points are well taken and clearly articulated. There are a few that I'd like to examine more closely and present alternative points of view, purely in the interest of discussion and constructive exchange, of course. Quoting: Vishal P. RaoI would usually advice against submitting to many directories at once, because Google's patent specification indicates that it is better if link growth remains constant and slow. Sudden spurt in link growth may be a strong indicator of search engine spam for Google. While I don't entirely disagree, one could agrue that in an environment where there may be hundreds, perhaps thousands of article directories, submitting to 10 or 20 at once may not qualify as "many" by Google's standards. If you chose to use submission software to blast articles out to several hundred directories at the same time, even with the software spam detection safeguards, in my opinion you significantly increase the chances of setting off the radar and getting red-flagged anyway. And is there a default measurement to determine how fast link growth may be in order for it to be considered "slow"? A "sudden spurt in link growth" could occur from any number of legitimate marketing strategies (besides article submission) without raising the suspicion of the spam detectives. Quoting: Vishal P. RaoJust look at the amount of articles that are being submitted to ezinearticles.com everyday! How can you afford to stand out? Good question! Even though several hundred articles may be submitted daily to ezinearticles.com they are also sorted by subject to more than 200 categories and sub categories. So, for example, if Business Advertising is your niche, of 100 articles submitted to the directory today, only 12 might be destined for that section, which may not be as crowded as some others. Every article, regardless of subject and category, gets displayed on the Recently Approved Articles page (in addition to its specialized page) so the writer benefits from general as well as specific listing and exposure. As far as being able to stand out, I believe the writer assumes the greater responsibility for that, by crafting hypnotic headlines, and delivering interesting, useful and engaging information to the reader. Your article will get read, and sooner or later the quality of your work will create interest and have a viral impact among your targeted group, based on its own merit. The article directory only provides the opportunity to attract that attention. Quoting: Vishal P. RaoEarlier, yes, it was a surefire technique to get a good ranking by submitting articles regularly. But I'm not sure if it works as fast now. If a good ranking is the primary motivation for using article directories, then one is missing the point, because a good ranking by itself does not necessarily guarantee traffic, sales and profits. Credibility, value, trust and exposure are also important factors and those elements can be developed through article writing. Submitting to article directories should only be one strategy in your bag of marketing tricks to get a good ranking. As a matter of fact, if you are shrewd you might be able to use article directories and their many advantages to eventually decrease your reliance on the search engines for traffic. This would insulate you from some of the negative fallout that inevitably occurs when they periodically change their algorhithms. Quoting: Vishal P. RaoMoral: There is no easy way to the top Agreed! There is no singular easy way to the top, but a plurality of ways which can contribute to crown you King of the Hill... eventually. Well, that was a mouthful, but fun! Hermas
Quoting: WhitePhoenixBut I find a problem in them that they (at least the ones I've used) do not allow you to specify the topic of article you receive if you sign up for either a Daily Digest or the receive all mail options. Yes Denise, that's the problem with email groups. A better alternative is to subscribe to rss feeds of niche subjects you are looking at. Most article directories now have latest articles delivered through rss feeds. And they have separate feeds for different categories. Quoting: A8chAnd is there a default measurement to determine how fast link growth may be in order for it to be considered "slow"? Firstly, I appreciate your spirit Hermas It's always fun to have such discussion going on. That's why forums are in the first place Now back to topic, of course there is no such absolute measurement to determine the link growth of a site. It's purely relative. What may be considered fast for one site, may be slow for a very popular site. But the important thing to keep in mind is to maintain a steady growth, so everything looks natural and not automated. Quoting: A8chSubmitting to article directories should only be one strategy in your bag of marketing tricks to get a good ranking. As a matter of fact, if you are shrewd you might be able to use article directories and their many advantages to eventually decrease your reliance on the search engines for traffic. Absolutely Hermas! I totally agree with you. I think I was focussing rather heavily on seo. Yes, it's absolutely foolish to rely heavily on search engine traffic alone and your strategy should comprise a slew of various tactics, in which article submissions pay a very vital role. The reason I always tend to get attracted towards seo is because I have seen the power of search engines. You might be aware that my site home-based-business-opportunities.com used to enjoy a top ranking in almost all major search engines for over 2 years. I used to get around 3000-4000 unique visitors per day for that site, and 80% used to be from Google alone! Now that the site is nowhere on the search engines, I get around only 200 visitors per day; Inspite of having submitted close to 75 articles and being published on over hundreds of sites! Do I regret having focussed heavily on seo? No! Simply because those 2 years earned me more than what I could have in 10 years without the help of search engines. It's like bungee jumping. Once a height thrills you, anything lesser than that wouldn't excite you enough. And once you know how search engines work and have experienced it's power, you simply can't resist getting attracted to it again and again. Now don't get me wrong. Though my intention is to get a top search engine ranking, my #1 priority and is always to provide quality and help people. That's what I had tried to achieve with my previous site and that's what I'm trying to do with this site. If I climb the search engine charts in the process, it's always welcome
I have a list of web sites I submit articles to at the following link. [Link removed. No self promotional links please - Admin]
Hey Vishal, I just visited your site home-based-business-opportunities.com I think it's a Very Informative site, it's a shame you don't still have the page ranking you enjoyed before. A lot of people could benefit, it they find it. It could be that the search engines change their algorithisms (is that spelled right?). Anyway, I just added it to my favorites list, so don't stop writing... Joe
Okay, throwing this question out for Vishal... for those of us who may still be a tad 'internet illiterate'... what exactly is an RSS feed... and how do they work? I have had that asked of me as well, and my usual response is a blank stare and a big shrug... thanks!
Denise: RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. They are lightweight file formats used by websites to publish their headlines and latest content. If a site is using a RSS feed to publish it's latest content, it is usually denoted by those orange XML or RSS buttons. To read these feeds you need a software called RSS Reader. As a user, the benefits of a RSS feed is you don't have to visit the site regularly to see if it's been updated. You can check it from your RSS Reader itself. To subscribe to a RSS feed, simply right-click (or control-click for Mac) on a feed button/link below, and select "Copy shortcut" or "Copy link," then paste the link into your RSS Reader. There are two types of RSS readers, web-based and desktop. Web-based readers need not require to to download any software to your PC. You can subscribe to and read feeds online just like you read your email on any web-based client (Yahoo!/Hotmail). Desktop readers require you to download a software to your PC and all the data will be stored in your PC. Quoting: mcbsconsultingIt could be that the search engines change their algorithisms (is that spelled right?). algorithm
I realize that write articles is a very effective tool to promote my site, but what to do if my English is not good enough and my budget doesn't allow me to hire anybody. Is there any free stuff? Thanks Tetyana
Try bartering your skills with a writer. Freelance writers too spend money on certain services. You must be good at something and if they might need your service, you can barter your skills for their skills! Say logo designing or web designing or programming or anything else for that matter. Just try and negotiate. I just came across this article by a freelance writer where she quotes... "Every professional I know does favors for friends or relatives, in essence 'works for free,' or works out a barter," says Peggy Tibbetts. "I've written newsletters and ad copy for professionals in exchange for services, such as chiropractors, printers, etc. So everybody actually 'works for free'or trade at some time or another in their lives."
Tatyana, Vishal, once again, makes perfect sense. And you'd be surprised what many freelance writers, or other types of writers will do for you. I have found the community of writer's to be one of the nicest, most helpful bunch of people I've ever worked with. Like Vishal says, trade skills for skills. I have often done so myself. I have often provided free services for others in exchange for a link on their website or a mention in their newsletter, or even in exchange for allowing me to post an article on their website or some such.
Quoting: tatyanalnI realize that write articles is a very effective tool to promote my site, but what to do if my English is not good enough and my budget doesn't allow me to hire anybody. Is there any free stuff? Actually, in Elance you can get a "keyword focused article" (500 words +/-) done for about $5-$10. Surely that's in your budget?
Hey guys, I just came across an interesting site for Writers that want to blog for income. http://www.bloggerjobs.biz They have offerings of Blogging jobs for various services/subjects/companies. They are free to apply, and you may find something you would like to write/blog about. Joe
Quoting: tatyanalnI realize that write articles is a very effective tool to promote my site, but what to do if my English is not good enough and my budget doesn't allow me to hire anybody. Is there any free stuff? If you don't know any freelance writers, maybe you could initially ask one of your friends to help you. At least you'd be more comfortable asking them for such help. Trading services with other people is quite good actually That way you expand your network too.
Which is more effective for attracting traffic by writting articles or posting a message? Julio Saltos
