458 Article Views, 13 Url Clicks Good Or Bad?

[jan roos]

I submitted 6 articles to ezine articles last week, Today I have 458 views and only 13 clicks on my Url. What is the average click through rate to expect with a good resource box and a decent article?

Thanks

[Zeus66]

That's a bit under 3%, Jan, which is not very good, to be totally blunt about it. I can say that because I used to get the same kind of results. You're on the right track to look hard at your CTR, though, which is the good news.

It's impossible to say you should expect a specific % of CTR, though, because it will naturally vary (sometimes by a lot) from niche to niche. But I have some general suggestions.

1. Write articles in a way that helps convince readers they should buy whatever it is you're selling. This should be done skillfully, not by hitting people over the head with a blatant sales pitch. Instead of "Buy from me!" your article should subtly point readers to a solution you provide on the web page you direct them to from your resource box link at the end. This takes practice, so keep plugging away.

2. Somebody famous once quipped that you should always "leave 'em begging for more." Apply this to your articles by avoiding the common mistake of giving everything away in the article itself. If you think about it, you take away a huge incentive to visit your site if you answer all their problems in the article. When this one salient point finally got through my thick skull, I instantly starting seeing a higher CTR from my articles. Think of your web page as the last chapter in a good book - the one that gives your readers closure (by buying from you!).

3. Once you get the CTR up there (I went from 3% to about 25% on average), work on the 2 other big parts of article success: better titles (to get more views) and better on-site conversions (to make more sales from the same traffic numbers).

You can do it if I can do it, I guarantee you!

John

[jjpmarketing]

Great tips Zeus. Tease the reader and leave them drooling...

[Terry Hatfield]

Either your resource box sucks big time.

or

The content of your article is way off the the subject of the resource box.

Terry

[Max Whitson]

I usually have anywhere from 9%-17%.

[Mike Bogowski]

Hi jan roos,

The good news is that your articles are being viewed which can be a hurdle in itself. Also, you have some articles out there already so youve made that first positive step. Nice work!

On the flipside, that is a fairly low ctr. As an indication Im not usually satisfied with anything under 20% and have some that are as high as 60%.

Zeus66 has given you some great tips and id like to offer you one that works well for me. Write an article with a title along the lines of

'Grow Perfect Grapes in 7 easy steps' (change the niche of course )

Make your article include only 6 steps, and make your resource box step number 7. Step 7 will not actually be a tip, but advice to LEARN MORE and of course the reader can do that by visiting your website.

Hope this helps

[Deric Yin]

Mine averages around 30% (with some articles as high as 50%), but again this varies from niche to niche.

A more 'meaningful' way to track your results is to look at your sales conversion instead. If out of the 13 clicks you get 2 sales (that's very good conversion rate by the way), and the sales are worth $50 to you - it would mean that by writing six articles you have gained $50.

[threeg5]

You as stated before are on your way and you have taken the first step
You Have Actually Taken a Step. This is the hardest step, now all you have to do it tweak it here and there to improve your CTR. Of course you already know that. The next step is to pay attention to what you are doing so that you can have your own Article Template. Similar to the 7 steps to whatever, and only giving them 6 steps in the body. That is a Template you can go by, but I would use several different ones because event though one may work great there could always be one that is better especially niche to niche. It is ok to test and you should test all the time. When you are happy with your results then see if you can duplicate it. Now you are on your way to really moving some money even at 5$-6$ an article per day, how many articles does it take to be relatively happy how about 418 articles that average that everyday? Have fun don't stress ask questions whenever you feel the need and never quit testing.

[Mikev]

Jan, Hi. I recommend making sure that your article and your offer are closely related. It is possible that your offer may not appear to be the solution to the problem and information presented in your article.

Your titles are good - that is why they are being read, it is the offer that is failing.

[jan roos]

Thank you so much for the great advice you are giving me here, And thanks for being blunt thats exactly what will make me learn and get better..

I think it would be much easier for you guys to critique my earticle if you can see it. So here is my main article that got 360 views and only 8 clicks.

Learn How to Create an Online Business in No Time Without Any Experience Or a Ton of Money

Another article only had 36 views with 4 clicks so I am going wrong somewhere, Any and all advice will be appreciated.

[Ben Roy]

Speaking as someone who has very little article writing experience, you should be able to get a much higher click percentage. Many of my articles are running 30-50% or even higher. You want to check on the overall quality of the article, verify that your titles match the content of the article, and also do a little work on your resource box. Maybe if you could post one or more of your resource boxes here, people could give you some specific tips.

[Terry Hatfield]

Hi Jan,

Here are a couple tips for you.

In your resource box don't talk about yourself. Write your resource box like an ad.

Expample resource box:

Make $3000 a month with secret online marketing method. Click here now. How to boost your income 200% in the next 30 days visit mysitedotcom.

Your resource box had a soft sell to it like you didn't really want to bother them. Get in their face. and be more specific in your resource box and make a strong benefit as a promise like above. Also try to put curiosity in it like I said there was a secret above.

Also the body of your article was talking about the how. Try leaving out the how and just talk about the benefits of online marketing.

Like:
title of article-How online marketing can replace your job in 90 days
in the body talk about the benefits:
More time with family
No traffic commute
Take vacations
Pay off debts
Etc.
Don't talk about the how save that for your site.
or

just spend the whole body of the article agitating the problem of not enough money and how an online business can relieve the problem.

Hope this helps,

Terry

[jennstall]

Your resoure box definitely needs work. What I usually try and do is make the resource box my closing paragraph so the conclusion can lead straight into my offer. You can have 300 hundred words in your resource box so there is no need to be stingy.

I do not always hard sell it, but sometimes merely suggest a product that would obviously be helpful if they want to achieve something, but I do frequently use enticements such as the "dream lifestyle" line. I think it would be much more effective in the resource box rather than as part of your last article paragraph *g*

This is just off the cuff, but maybe it can give you an idea. I would have dropped the last line and used it in the resource box like so:

"If you want to get this right and have the dream lifestyle you deserve, take a look at my strategies for how to create an online business and get on the fast track to success. For an inside look at how its done, visit my website now: url"

So you'd have your anchored url still with "How to create an online business" and then just the plain url at the very end.

I probably average a 25% ctr on my resource boxes and sometimes it is as much as 50%. Anything under 20% really is just a waste of time. You need to keep tweaking your message until it delivers. This may require work on every part of the article though and not just the resource box. But it's a good place to start. If you want to use my text verbatim and try it out, feel free.

[crystalq]

Originally Posted by Mike Benkovich

Hi jan roos,

The good news is that your articles are being viewed which can be a hurdle in itself. Also, you have some articles out there already so youve made that first positive step. Nice work!

On the flipside, that is a fairly low ctr. As an indication Im not usually satisfied with anything under 20% and have some that are as high as 60%.

Zeus66 has given you some great tips and id like to offer you one that works well for me. Write an article with a title along the lines of

'Grow Perfect Grapes in 7 easy steps' (change the niche of course )

Make your article include only 6 steps, and make your resource box step number 7. Step 7 will not actually be a tip, but advice to LEARN MORE and of course the reader can do that by visiting your website.

Hope this helps

Excellent tip!!!

[Zeus66]

Pay attention to Terry's advice for sure. Spot on stuff there. Think of the body of your articles as the "why" or "what" section. The resource box should address the answer to the questions the body raises, or the "how."

Quick example...

Article Body: Shoveling snow is hard work. Nobody enjoys it because it takes a long time, makes your arms and back sore, and only has to be done again if it keeps snowing. Statistics show that every year, several people in the USA die from heart attacks and other problems spawned by the exertions associated with shoveling snow. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Resource Box: There's a better way. To discover this time-saving and healthier way to remove snow quickly and easily, check out (link) today.

That's the idea. Use the article body to reinforce the readers positive or negative notions about the issue at hand. Give them other reasons they may not have thought of. You're getting them ready (desperate in some cases) for a solution, which you'll conveniently suggest is ready and waiting for them at your site. Just click this little 'ol link here.

John

[jan roos]

You guys are great I will start by changing my resource box and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks for all the great advice

[Ricter]

I have to admit I'm surprised that EZA will accept "what" articles that merely point to a "how" site. Won't that harm their rep, long term at least?

[jbsmith]

Also - don't forget that you are not only aiming for clicks, but you want CONVERSIONS - so test your consersion pages to see which articles lead to the best conversion stats not just clicks.

You may be very surprised - I've had articles get load of clicks but near zero conversions while other articles get lower clicks but get >10% conversion on the clicks (conversions being either opt-in signups or sales).

Jeff

[Allen Graves]

Hi Jan,

3% is just plain awful.

I agree with what has been said above. But you've got to get the right combination of everything. Too much of one thing and not enough of another = the same old 3%.

There are so many variables in Article Marketing that it isn't even funny. These variables could even be different from niche to niche and article to article.

Here's another point to ponder: Try to put yourself in your potential prospect's mind and read your articles as if you were that person. What would you need to see in order to be interested enough to click through with a buying mindset?

Anyhow, keep working at it and don't forget to check your PMs.

AL