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Articles: A Powerful Website Marketing StrategyPublishing articles for reprint is a very effective website marketing strategy. No other form of promotion provides the quality and quantity of traffic to your website as writing articles for publication does. In fact, it has been called "The Web's Best-Kept Traffic Secret". Even if you hate to write, you might reconsider your stance once you realize the potential of using article distribution as a way to promote your website. Information drives the internet Most people use the internet to search for specific information. The websites that provide the most relevant information on the subjects that people are searching for will show up highest in the search rankings. The catch-22 is that most webmasters can't possibly write all the content they need to adequately cover a specific topic. Therefore, many webmasters will look to outside sources for relevant material. Reprint articles are a great website marketing strategy By supplying relevant articles to webmasters who need them, you can reach more potential customers than you could through your website alone. Posting your articles for reprint on other websites, article directories and announcement lists allows your message to be read by possibly thousands of people. The great thing about having your articles published on other websites is that it can provide long-lasting traffic. Webmasters like using reprint articles because it adds value to their website, and will usually keep the articles on their websites indefinitely. When I print an article from an outside source, I build a page specifically optimized for that article. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that I will ever remove the article, which means that the link to the author's website will stay active. Build your reputation as an expert People are more willing to trust information from a name they recognize over that of an unknown author. When people read your unique articles on several different websites, they begin to recognize your name and assume that you are an authority on your subject. A good reputation brings you more business Building your reputation as an expert is an effective way to increase the targeted traffic to your website. If someone likes what they read in your article, they assume that it is a sampling of what you have to offer, and will be more likely to buy when they come to your website. Dynamic websites love reprint articles Another benefit of using articles as a website marketing strategy is that you can ride the wave of dynamic content websites. These websites gain search engine ranking by supplying a steady stream of new content using reprint articles. Many of these dynamic websites publish a short summary of the article and then provide a link to the original article. When people click on the link to read the rest of the article, it will help increase traffic to your website. I have had articles picked up directly from my website just by including a resource box at the end of my articles. This resource box states that the article may be freely reprinted as long as my byline (with a live link to my website) is included with the article. The benefits of writing free articles for newsletters Submitting your articles to newsletter editors is a great way to get double exposure for your efforts. When your article is published in a newsletter, it gets sent to the subscription list, potentially being read by hundreds of people. After the newsletter has been published, you then get added exposure when the newsletter is archived on the editor's website. By allowing your articles to be reprinted in newsletters, they have the potential of being seen by thousands of people. Articles are a clever linking strategy A common website marketing strategy is to start a linking campaign with other websites, but this can be time consuming. Sure, it's a way to get links pointing to your site, but your link power is diluted when it appears along with20 to 50 (or more) other links. A much better way to build incoming links is by having your articles reprinted on other websites. If you provide solid information in your article, readers will be more likely to click over to your website than if they just saw your link on a related resources page. Because a single article can potentially get picked up by hundreds of other websites, it will also help build the link popularity of your website. As your articles become published on high-ranking niche websites, your search engine rankings will begin to rise. This in turn will bring in even more traffic to your website through natural searches. Maximize your website promotion with articles Reprint articles are an excellent website marketing strategy, especially if you have a limited advertising budget. It doesn't cost anything to write your articles, and submission to article banks is usually free. This allows you to find new customers without spending a dime on advertising. By regularly supplying well-written articles, you can build a never-ending supply of links and traffic to your website. Results from your article distribution efforts can begin to show almost immediately, and will continue to grow over time. As a website marketing strategy, it is unsurpassed. In our next lesson, we will discuss how to actually go about writing articles for distribution. Next page: How to Write Keyword Articles |
