When I'm searching for online articles for my own marketing and clients, here are some of the things that I look for:
Resource Box
First and foremost that is what I look at. Does the link work? Did they write the tag properly? Does the link go to a product they are peddling or does it link to a legitimate business or blog?
If I get a negative on all counts it doesn't matter how well the article was written it gets passed up. If you are using your written articles for article marketing then you have got to get your resource box in order and accessible for others to use.
If you are an affiliate marketer, the best way to capitalize on your resource box is to have two links: one to your product and another to your site. Your affiliate link is most likely on your website as well.
Grammar & Spelling
“I do want to waist your time....” Yes this was the intro of an article that I found written by someone who was marketing an affiliate item in an article directory.
If you want to write articles for money or only to boost and promote your products or business and you are unsure of your writing skills, outsource a ghost writer or proofreader until you improve your writing skills.
It looks unprofessional to mean one thing and then type another out of error. Don't make this costly mistake!
Article Length
You can say quite a bit in 500 words or less. If you are really laying one the information thick it can be done in under 1200 words.
Shoot for 500-750 words unless you are giving instructions and have bullets, numbers and lists.
Article Content
Article content is a general statement and a perfect example of what being too general can look like.
Good copy and articles for marketing don't just rehash information, they provide information that someone would have paid to read. You have to give a little to get a little. It's okay to let go of a secret or two.
Keywords
Most people who pay for articles are looking for “keyword density” or “keyword rich content” which means you have to build your article around the keywords that are provided or from a list you yourself have compiled.
Sometimes keywords are not as important if the message or topic of the article is extremely informative. If you want your articles to stand out, go over them, make a list of keywords and rewrite the article around the keywords. A good gauge is 4-7% keyword density, which means, if you have a 500 word article, you need 25 keyword relevancy in throughout your article.
What did you learn from this article?
Summary:
o Resource Box = Gold Mine
o Grammar & Spelling = Your Business Card
o Article Length = Time is money
o Article Content = A Toyota v. A Mercedes (Both will get you where you want to go but one is going to turn more heads!)
o Keywords = Your bread and butter to being seen on the web!
