How To Write Articles For Article Directories

If you have been interested in making some extra money on the internet, then no doubt you've heard of the goldmine known as article marketing. Even if you haven't actually made money with articles yet, certainly you realize the potential. I truly hope you do, you're missing out otherwise.

The job of actually submitting your articles to article directories is already easy. This is because of the article submission software already available online. (There's good free software available as well as retail versions.) And while it's convenient to be able to submit to more than one article directory at a time, it's only the beginning. Because the big picture is that you need to give the readers what they want, first and foremost. Anything less and you're just wasting your time and effort. (You'll hardly waste your readers' time, because they'll just scan your article for about 5-10 seconds before they realize the article is boring and/or not filled with valuable content before they click away.)

The following mistakes are commonly made by many people when it comes to writing articles, and how to correct them or avoid them altogether:

1. Publishing content that is uninteresting and not informative.

Either way, the article won't get read (at least beyond a few sentences or so). And remember that if your article doesn't get read all the way through, then your author's resource box will not get read, either. And if your author's resource box doesn't get read, the backlink (link back to your website) will not get clicked. Since this is the big reason you'll submit articles to the directories, it pays to take the time to make your articles as informative and as interesting as possible.

But most peoplemarketers (including me) that submit articles to article directories are not talented authors. Maybe you are, maybe you're not. No problem. In any case, don't fret over each article; don't worry that it's not a powerhouse of entertainment and wit. Instead, make sure it does a good job explaining the subject of the article. If you can make your article interesting and witty at the same time, great. But concentrate on good content; make the reader feel he or she is getting valuable "secrets" or perhaps old information presented from your interesting point of view.

2. Not knowing and applying the difference between writing an article and submitting an article.

There are 3 key benefits associated with the reasons why you want to submit articles to the article directories. These benefits are: Lead generation, branding, and promotion. There is, however, only one reason why an article is written...and that is to inform your readers. If your article fails to do that (or do that well), then it won't achieve these 3 benefits, because nobody will be interested in reading the article. So never, ever forget that the primary purpose of writing an article is to inform your readers. The reason you submit an article to the directories are for your own "selfish" reasons; but think only of your audience when you write the article.

3. Not maximizing the promotional opportunity of submitting an article.

You are no doubt aware that submitting articles helps you to get more backlinks back to your website. This is great, but you can get many more visitors and better search engine placement from the same article by taking these simple steps:

Make sure you mention keywords at various places throughout your article. And not just any keywords, but 3-5 word keyword phrases. (These are called "long-tail" keywords.) These long-tail, 3-5 word phrases may not get as much search traffic as shorter, 'main-stream' keywords, but you will convert many more visitors into buyers with them! Think "quality" not "quantity."

But don't overdo the keyword phrases, such as in this example: "SCUBA diving in Bermuda is a wholesome activity because SCUBA diving in Bermuda is clean and doesn't disturb the environment. SCUBA diving in Bermuda is fun because SCUBA diving in Bermuda"...etc. (You get the picture. Obviously, "SCUBA diving in Bermuda" is the long-tail keyword phrase that is overused.)

Actually, if you just write naturally you will likely end up using your keywords the optimum number of times at various places. But this means that you must write effectively; that is, you must write an informative article to begin with. This makes sure your keywords will show up naturally because it "forces" you to use them.

Anchor text can also help you get links and clicks. Use anchor text where you can--especially in your author's resource box. (Article directories will not allow you to use anchor text in the main body of the article.)

By: Chuck Brown

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Did you know that you can start getting targeted, ready-to-buy traffic to your website in less than 72 hours with article marketing? But you must get the anchor text in the sig. file right! Learn online article submission techniques that will pay off for you and other tips on how to submit articles at honestysellsbest.com.