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Why writing articles for your website will set you apart

Special thanks to Newspapergrl for the requested post. I did more research on writing articles too and actually made two posts tonight at www.ezinearticles.com, which is my favorite article directory so far. I also recommend the following:

  • www.goarticles.com
  • www.articledashboard.com
  • www.isnare.com
  • www.articlecity.com

I think the toughest thing for new clients about articles is their fear of failure. They don’t want to write something that doesn’t get accepted or they don’t want to write period. The thing is, writing articles is one of those “little things” that can really separate you from the competition. It’s a cost effective way to build quality links and it really doesn’t take too much time. My good friend Lisa Herbik has done great with article writing and it will prove to help her set herself apart in the wall mural industry.

One of the things I do to save time is write an article about a specific keyword phrase I want to get noticed for by search engines. After posting it to one of the article directories, I’ll then revise the article, edit the title and content a bit, and post it at another article directory. I recently wrote an article about a cheerleading photography website and have seen the traffic increase to that site substantially. Not only traffic, but back links can be built this way too.

If article directories allow a bio section, I make sure I don’t always use the Default Source (as found in ezinearticles); instead I try to customize the bio based on the article I’ve written and the keywords I want to be found for. After all, I’m not in the business of writing necessarily (although SEO and eCommerce requires quite a bit of this). I am in the business of eCommerce consulting, creative business marketing, and creating win/win solutions – both on and offline. By writing articles consistently, you will differentiate yourself from others who don’t understand these basic link building strategies.

78 replies on “Why writing articles for your website will set you apart”

Hey Nate!
This post is a great reminder to me to keep writing and submitting articles! It really is a simple and effective link buliding strategy Thanks for the plug, too!
Lisa:)

As you say, it is the little things that make a difference. Being an internet newbie, it’s often overwhelming and what I love about your posts are that they are so practical and do-able. I’m off to put your suggestions into practice!

Hello Nate,
I do believe in writing Articles I have written quite a few already for my site and they have been picked up by other websites and asked to link to me. I to have articles on EzineArticle and really do like them and they are very helpful if I mess up. I have “What is Systematic BioEnergetics”, “The River of Life” and they put me as Expert Author with the first one and it is being featured. So I guess it works. Thanks for the info.

Articles do make a lot of sense. My favorite web sites all have articles to
read. It always seems like a fast way to keep updated on new things and
get new insight on the old. Just seems like I am getting something for free.
Thanks for putting it into perspective.

Hello Nate,

Great Posting… Article article will definitely set you apart from the crowd. Writing business related articles with good keywords will actually drive more search engine traffic and also a kind of link building tactic. What if you business is of new concept? it is very difficult to find a keyword for such concept and we can’t say that ppl are actually looking for your product/services coz it is a new concept driven altogether. plz advise me how to write articles for these concepts… 🙂 hope you got my question

In my previous incarnation as an owner of an ad agency, we would kill (well not literally) to get an article for a client published in a few publications relating to the client’s business — either consumer magazines which are much more difficult, or in news outlets which are a bit easier. Now with the internet, we can write to our heart’s content and submit to publishers who offer great proliferation of each article. That’s fantastic.

The primary thing one must accomplish to properly position yourself and your business in the minds of those potential customers in your marketplace is to become an expert in your field. And to become well-known as an expert in your area by repeated instances of your expertise. Article writing can do that in an online business to a far greater extent than can be done offline.

It takes some time to write a good article that will be well received by publishers and other venues of exposure. But it is worth it. It is disappointing to see some writers who have obviously just knocked out an article — poor grammar and sentence structure can do more damage than the article can do good. The quality of the article is a direct reflection of you and your business. And the ability to make yourself appear to be an expert in your field.

As you can see, I’m so verbose I have almost written an article here just to comment on article writing. Thanks for your help and good judgment Nate. It keeps me objective and my articles in perspective. I really should edit this somewhat.

I am new to e-commerce and am just getting started with my business. I have always enjoyed writing but for some reason the idea of writing and publishing an article out on the web was a little intimidating but Nate has made me realize this would be a great benefit for my business and drive more traffic to my website. I know that it will make my web site more credible when others see me as knowledgeable in the field I have chosen. Reading this article and comments by others just reinforces this and I am excitedly working on my first article.

I’m not a strong writer so that I idea of writing articles for my site and submitting them to websites is a little overwhelming. However, I want to separate myself from the competition as Nate suggests so I’m definitely going to tackle them and submit them to websites so I have a leg up on the competition. Hopefully I will improve my writing skills in the process!
Thanks Nate!

As I am new and learning the world of internet marketing, I am beginning to see the necessity for articles more and more. With my first website nearly ready, I certainly need all the exposure and links I can get to get people to my site. With the millions of web sites out there, articles are one
of the most important ways to build a website. Thanks Nate

This is something new for me, I don’t relish the thought of having to do it, and find it a difficult thing to do. However, I will persist until I hope it is much easier to do.

Writing articles with keywords from your site sounds like a good way to get people TO the site — I am not really sure where to start or what to write about however — How do I get started/what would be my topic — I’m not an expert by any means???

I totally understand that writing articles helps with websites. I agree with Kathy R as far as being intimidated by posting. I have posted finally on Squidoo an article on needlepoint. I have tried a few other sites only I can figure out how to get pictures (necessary for article), or links into the sites.
Do you have any advise or pages for learning the codes as to how to enter the pictures and links into articles. Like do’s and do not when writing articles?

That is good information Nate. I have a better understanding of how, why, and where to write articles. I realize that this is important to be consistent in this strategy.

I love the idea of writing articles and press releases and I understand how they can really work. I just don’t have that sense of timing of when the first article should be posted. I am assuming that most of the folks responding to this article have their websites up and running.

I found the information regarding Southwest Airlines very interesting – amazing would be more like it. I am going to make a conscious effort to start writing press releases at least every two weeks. The press release article by Ponn had so much good information in it and I am going to go to the PRWeb.com site to cash in on the free press release, as well as get the information on how to write it, etc. Thanks for your continued help on writing press releases and Articles.

Hello Nate,
This is really good information and really makes you want to get busy and start writing.

I like the idea that articles can separate us from the competition and is cost effective to building quality links.

I think it is a great idea of writing articles about specific keyword phrases to be noticed by the search engines.

I plan to write more and more articles and apply information you gave us.

Thanks to you and Newspapergrl for the great information about articles and article directories.

I never thought about writing a article about my web site. But what better way to advertise what you are or trying to do. I think all of us want and need all the traffic at our sites we can get. This is a great idea and a inexpensive way to advertise your business.

Nathan

I will take your advise because I have some great ideas that will differentiate my website from the competition

Hello Nate,
Both your Article and the Course Curriculum #28 had great ideas and information on setting our website apart from our competition. Writing informative and interesting articles will be a more cost effective way to build quality links and a more effective marketing campaign to get customers to my site. I know for someone new like myself all the information I am receiving and learning about this business can be intimidating and sometimes overwhelming. I am so grateful for your patience and help, and because of this qualities you have, that I will succeed. You tell me that perssistance and practice will get me to where I want to be, “SUCCESSFUL”!!

I enjoyed Doug Kelly’s comment about writing articles that are grammatically correct and have good sentence structure. I have found, when writing restaurant reviews for our local paper, that if I write like I am having a conversation with someone, it comes off sounding more sincere, and it’s easier to think of what to say. Maybe that comment will help others who have not had much writing experience. I’m not a professional writer, by any means. I just try to make it sound real, without too many errors. Thank goodness for Microsoft Word’s grammar check, spell check, and thesaurus features. I couldn’t write without them.

I am reviewing articles on “Why writing articles for my website will set me apart” and the importance of “how a well written article will promote ones website for search engine recognition”. There is so much to learn about this business, and it is amazing how much I have learned in the last three months, but there is still much more to come in order to achieve my final Goal! I will continue to keep a positive attitude and enjoy the ride to the top.

Thanks Nate. This is definitely something I’m going to do when the overall shape and identity of my website is a bit clearer.

It does seem very important to write about you site and it’s reason for being. Keywords will be the catch all for the search engines. It looks as though the more you write the more chance (or hard work) will pay off. Writing about how great my site is and it’s content seems easy. I just wish I was a better typist. I will put article writting in my planner and make it a goal to update it often. I’m new to e-commerce and will try all the tricks of the trade to see what works best for me. Thanks Nate. I’ll take all the advice Ii can get

Nate

I really enjoy this concept. The more exposure to get people to know a little about yourself and to get them to your website has great potential. Thanks for your great ability to teach it helps this to be fun.

It’s not hard to grasp what a great tool this will be for pulling traffic to my web site. I’m currently involved in writing my first article and looking forward to the time when, through regular practice, the process and practice becomes easier.

I am anxious to get products on my site so I too can start the article writing. I know it will benefit me and my company! Thanks for the post!

I too am just starting and have been working on a business plan for E-business. Writing articles was not listed as a means of marketing. Thank goodness for Nate and his tutoring. Being able to promote my website using this method is a difficult mental hurdle, but I will strive to do my best. Hopefully, the process will get easier with practice.

We too are new, but understand that there has to be a way to get “publicity” for your site, other than trying to pyramid your “friends” list. The press release is a viable avenue both online and off. We will start trying this .

Writing articles to promote my website is something that I haven’t given much thought to. I now see the importance of it and thank you for the great advice. I haven’t had much experience in writing and like the tip that writing as if you were having a conversation will make it easier. It is something that I will work on as I build my site.

We are also new at this and are learning so much some days my head rattles. We didn’t understand before how important article writing was for promoting your website but we are beginning to realise we have a world wide audience and a well written informative article is a great way to reach them and generate interest and sales in your business.

Nate, you offer some terrific and valuable information on the importance of article writing. The hurdle is in the writing as this is not a strong area for me and somewhat intimidating. However, I believe all things are possible and doable with continued practice.

A valuable strategy that is probably harder to do in thought than in actual deed. I’m making my list today of article ideas and my goal is to have one submitted before our next call.

Hi Nate, Even though I am quite intimidated by the idea of writing an article, I do see the benefits and strategy behind it. Thanks again for another great idea.

I am excited about the idea of writing articles. It is new to me, but I do like to write. Once I get the hang of all this, I look forward to doing articles. Thanks!!!

I think the idea of writing articles to get some more traffic is great. It is a little bit intimidating, but I think with a little bit of experiance and success, it shouldn’t be too hard write one a week.

Great Idea and one I never thought of. I have writtena lot of articels in thepast but always technical ones for the journal in my industry . Now that I am in a different sector I’ll have to start by hunting out the few articles I wrote for this sector and tweak the to make sure I have the keywords in etc, Can’t wait to get started.

I wonder shoudl I post the same article to all of those sites you mentioned ?

Nate, the info on articles was a great reminder of why we write articles. It might not be our favorite thing to do, but a little consistent work leads to big results. I plan to do more articles and make them focus on one key word or phrase instead of a general article.

This is a good little trick to add more to your site. I have found the best way to write an article is to just start writing the first thing that comes to mind, you can always revise, add, delete, whatever, but getting your ideas out and down on paper when they are fresh is best for me.

There is so much involved to develop an ebusiness that it may be overwhelming. Writing does not initimidate me, actually, for the last 10 years I’ve had the idea of writing a book, at least for my children and the grandchildren to come. So, it seems to me that writing articles that may be used for my website, or link to it, is just a good step to start practicing my writing skills.

Once again Nate thanks for sending me in the rite direction in getting things done correctly. I am going to copy this info. down and use it towards writing my article. Thanks for the info. Nate

Hi Nate, I am new to internet marketing business, as are so many of you.
I”m not writer, but with Nate’s help I will become a good one. I tell myself,
Nate says, I must write articles to separate myself from the competition
and get my name out there. This is really” BIG” for me, but I
will do whatever it takes, following Nate’s expertise. Nate, you are great.
Laverne

Hello Nate,
Yeah, thanks for the good and helpful information on article writing. To me article writing is analogous to to “Mowing the yard”. Hard, hot, and necessary but needs to be done. Thanks for the good help.

Jerry

Yes, my first reaction was that I am not a writer. Doing this only makes sense because any networking, whether horizontal or vertical is beneficial.
Thanks Nate.

A point well maid, its the little things that can cause a person to loose confidence, when in reality its not the bad at all. I think that the article has a great pointer for those who plan to wright a article, it puts my thinking on the possitive side.

Hi Nate

I understand the benefits of writing articles and I also agree that they should be well written and knowledgeable, however my dilemma is that my site, Organic products, is an area that I am interested in and have some knowledge, but not any real expertise, so am not sure how I’m going to write articles that carry any authority.

Thanks for the info. This is a surprising little tidbit to me. It’s a good marketing strategy and I appreciate the challenge.

I too have several articles posted on ezine. Great exposure. As always, time and writing consistently are the two biggest factors for me at this time.

I never considered myself a writer but I understand the reason for submitting articles and the need to continue to
do what is necessary to compete with the leaders in my field.

I have used almost all of the article directories that you have suggested with the exception of http://www.isnare.com. I really like ezinearticles.com too!

Have you heard of Google Knol? Has anyone submitted to this site? Is it actually considered an article directory?

Any feedback on this would be appreciated.

I just recently found your site and I am curious as to your aim. It seems that most people who promote IM are only in it to make a quick buck of us sucker newbies who fall into the trap of their copyrighting skills/lies. When will someone reveal the truth behind internet success?
Nonetheless, my question is whether it’s OK to use the same article on my site as the one I submit to the ezines. Also, how many ezines is it permissible to submit the same article to?

Good question Peter.

My quick answer is this:

Always submit your article to YOUR site first; then submit it to article directories.

Vary up the content, including the title, to avoid duplicate content issues.

As far as how many, I haven’t ever really set a number. I guess it depends on the rules and regulations of the ezine directory you’re submitting to. To me, some aren’t really worth the time, either due to ILQ rankings (In-bound link quality) or regulations they have on content links or bio links using HTML.

Again, my best recommendation is to change up the content and not submit the same exact article to thousands of directories. This is SPAM at it’s finest and, in the long run, will not get you the SEO love you’re looking for.

Hope this helps!

This is still good advice now as it was when you wrote it (nearly 4 years ago): get exposure and get backlinks, and writing articles is a great way to do it.

Unfortunately though, there are a lot of no-hope article directories which have a zero PageRank (which won’t help your SEO), so you need to write informatively (or your article may be rejected), you need to read the submissions policy (many will reject you if you add links in the body of the article, or if it’s too long or too short) and you need to submit to a handful of choice directories (rather than submitting the same article to hundreds of useless directories).

Our Australian wine community (did you see the plug coming?!) started life two years ago and within a few months we had built sizeable traffic and a decent PageRank, largely due to article posts. We’re now serving 13,000+ page views per day and our wine reviews receive more traffic than any other wine site in the southern hemisphere.

Article writing is well worth the effort.

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