The SEO Consultant

So, we've talked about a lot in the last few posts. We talked about the SEO benefits of article marketing. We talked about choosing a topic. And we looked at the mechanics of writing the article and creating the all-important resource box.

There's only one thing left to talk about. Where to publish your articles. And for that, I leave you with some of my favorite articles about articles ... including one or two of my own:

• Building Link Popularity with Topical Articles
• Articles for SEO: The Lesson of 93,000 Page Views
• Increasing Link Popularity with Articles

There you go. You're armed and dangerous, and ready to being your very own article marketing campaign to increase your website traffic. Good luck!

Until next time...

-Austin SEO Guy


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Tags: article marketing SEO
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Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 7:11 PM | Permalink | | links to this post

Continuing our lesson about article marketing for SEO, let's talk about how to create your resource box.

In article marketing terminology, the resource box is a brief paragraph at the end of the article that provides an author's note and (ideally) a link to the author's website. From an SEO standpoint, the hyperlink(s) within the resource box are critical.

If you write an interesting article and submit it to an article directory, it could be published many times over on websites and blogs. If you have a link to your website in the resource box of every article you write, those websites and blogs who run your article will be linking back to your site. This is the link-building power of article marketing.

It's important to have a link in your resource box, but it's equally important how you include those links. First, read the guidelines of whatever article directory you're using, because most have requirements about the number of links you can include.

Next, write your resource box in a way that lets you include one or two key phrases, plus a direct URL hyperlink. Here's an excerpt from a resource box I used recently:

The Austin SEO Guy educates Austin, Texas companies on all aspects of SEO. He is a trusted source for Austin SEO services and advice. Learn more by visiting http://www.austinseoguy.com/

All the important elements are there -- the key phrase hyperlink, the URL, etc. It's important to use the URL hyperlink in addition to the key phrase in case the hyperlinks get de-activated. People can still find you that way.

This wraps up our lesson on article marketing for SEO, and I hope you found it helpful.

-Austin SEO Guy

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Tags: article marketing SEO
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Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 4:42 AM | Permalink | | links to this post

Continuing our lesson about article marketing for SEO, let's talk about how to create your article's title.

Titles for People ... and Search Engines
The title you create for your article is important for two reasons. First, the title plays a big role with search engines. And secondly, the title determines how much your article gets read and published.

Here's the secret: Be sure to include your key search phrases at the beginning of your title. If you put them at the end of the title, it will greatly reduce your search engine visibility. Here's why:

When you publish your article through an article distribution site, the title of your article will become the title of the actual web page. In other words, your article will become an individual web page within the article directory's website. And from a web coding standpoint, your article title is also the page's title.

How to Write an Enticing Title
I'm going to share an article writing secret with you. If you want to learn how to create titles that draw people into the article, pick up a copy of Reader's Digest. I don't subscribe to Reader's Digest, but I read the cover every time I'm in line at the grocery store.

Why? Because the Digest knows a thing or two about irresistible titles. In fact, the cover of each issue is nothing more than a list of article titles. And it's worth mentioning at this point that Reader's Digest is one of the best-selling publications on the planet! Pay particular attention to their "how to" titles and articles.

Tying it All Together
Combining all these factors is not as difficult as you might think. For example, let's say you want to focus on the phrase "business blogging" and your target audience is the corporate executive type. You could incorporate that key phrase into an enticing title in any number of ways:

• The Basics of Business Blogging for Busy Executives
• How to Get Started with Business Blogging
• A Business Blogging Guide for the Computer Illiterate
• Business Blogging 101 - Tips for First-Time Bloggers

Next lesson: The all-important resource box.

Until then...

-Austin SEO Guy

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Tags: article marketing SEO
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Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 5:03 AM | Permalink | | links to this post

Continuing our lesson about article marketing for SEO, let's talk about how to write your article.

In truth I can't tell you how to write your article, because your writing style is different from mine (just like your personality is different from mine).

But I can offer the following guidelines for crafting high-performance articles:

1. Make sure your article follows some sort of logical flow. Choose a path (step-by-step, top ten, a series of related items, chronological order) and stick to it throughout your article.

2. Optimize your article for online reading. Use short paragraphs, meaningful sub-headers, list, bullets, etc. Keep your language simple (Hemingway, not Faulkner).

3. Keep the article reasonably short so it can be comfortably read or perused online. Aim for 500 - 700 words, but don’t obsess over those numbers.

4. Write your first draft, then put it aside for a day or so. Come back and revise it for tightness and logical flow. Ask yourself the questions below:

Questions to ask about your article:

• Does my article suggest a benefit in the the title and first paragraph?
• Does it move the reader forward smoothly and logically?
• Is it Web-friendly (easy-to-read paragraphs, lists, sub-headers)?
• Does it stick to one topic, sharply focused?
• Does it deliver on the promise made in the title?
• Is the information genuinely helpful to my key prospects?
• Does the article position me as an expert?
• Is it free of typos and grammatical mistakes?
• Is it lively and interesting? Does it have personality?
• Does it speak directly to readers (using "you" and "your")?

Next lesson: How to create your title.

Until then...

-Austin SEO Guy

Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 4:39 AM | Permalink | | links to this post

Continuing our lesson about article marketing for SEO, we need to talk about your topic.

What do you write about?
So far, we've talked about how article marketing can increase the number of inbound links to your website -- and thereby increase your search engine visibility. But what do you write about to achieve maximum results?

To answer this question, just look at the kinds of blogs and websites you want to get links from. The best inbound links (for SEO purposes) come from websites relevant to your own. So if you want links from those sites, you'll need to write the kind of content those sites publish.

For example:
If you wanted links from software-related websites, you would need to write software reviews, software "how to" articles, or software shopping guides. You wouldn't necessarily have to write about your exact product or service offering ... you just have to write the kind of content that relevant websites would want to publish.

Quality articles + persistence = lots of inbound links!

Next lesson: How to write your article.

-Austin SEO Guy

Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 7:17 PM | Permalink | | links to this post

What is Article Marketing?
From an SEO standpoint, article marketing is the process of writing and publishing articles online to improve your website's search engine visibility. The SEO benefits of article marketing come from two principles:

1. Viral Marketing -- A good article can travel a long way on the Internet.

2. Link Building -- As they get republished, articles increase the number of sites linking to yours (a big factor in search engine ranking).

Other Benefits of Article Marketing
SEO is not the only reason to begin an article marketing program. This practice can also drive direct traffic to your website, position you as an expert in your field, and help you develop an critical skill in today's information economy ... writing!

Next lesson: What to write about.

Until next time...

-Austin SEO Guy

Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 8:24 AM | Permalink | | links to this post

This search engine optimization tip is brought to you by the Austin SEO Guy — SEO advice for Austin, Texas companies.

Some people probably get tired of hearing me talk about articles.

I don't. I love writing and publishing articles. And I love talking about writing and publishing articles.

Why? Because I truly believe good articles can help you grow your web presence more than any other element of online activity.

By "web presence," I'm suggesting that articles go beyond basic SEO. Hell, I'm not suggesting ... I'm saying it! A well-planned, well-executed article publishing program can help you build your reputation, increase awareness, drive direct traffic to your site, and yes ... improve your website's search engine visibility.

You might call article marketing an "SEO plus" kind of tool. Sure, it's good for search engine optimization, but it's also great for so much more.

Lots more info to come!
In the next few posts to this blog, I'll teach you some of the things I've learned over the years about publishing articles online. What do I know about it? Well, I've published hundreds of articles through hundreds of channels and built entire websites around the concept ... not to mention writing a book on the subject along the way.

So stay tuned for the SEO benefits of article marketing!

Until next time...

-Austin SEO Guy

Labels: Article Marketing

Posted by Brandon at 3:54 AM | Permalink | | links to this post