Effective Article Marketing; Five Mistakes You Must Avoid

by Daniel Z. Kane on Jul.02, 2009, under Search Engine Optimization

by Daniel Z. Kane

Of the seven or eight most common ways people promote their websites, article marketing is almost certainly the most effective. Unfortunately, there are five mistakes that can ruin an article marketing campaign. Avoid them at all costs.

1. Authors often fail to realize the importance of titles. Without an interesting title, a story is far more likely to be rejected by an online article directory. And even if a story makes it past the article directory editors, few website owners will use it on their sites if it does not have an engaging title.

2. Article writers frequently submit articles which contain little or no worthwhile information. Be certain that your article will be of benefit to those who read it. Do additional research if necessary.

3. Many website owners believe that only articles written about the same topics covered on their website will help improve their search engine rankings. In fact, the opposite is true: by writing about a wide variety of subjects, more webmasters will consider using your stories.

4. Article writers often tend to be formulaic. In some instances they try to cram a prepared list of keywords into an article. In other instances they try to ensure that 3-4% of the content consists of keywords. While such formulas may make sense from an SEO point of view, they often make articles unreadable.

5. Never submit an article that has not been read, critiqued and edited by a second party. Remember, a single error can prevent an article from being published. It happens frequently.

There are numerous ways to promote websites, but none give you the upside of article marketing. If you can stay away from some simple, easily avoidable mistakes, a few articles a month can give your search engine rankings and your traffic a significant boost.

About the Author:

Daniel Z. Kane is a former university dean who publishes websites on scholarships, online degree programs, distance education, online colleges and financial aid.