Help Me With Article Marketing - I'll Send You A Turkey

[blingblam]

Okay, here's the thing... I've just started getting into article marketing with CPA offers. I am a premium Platinum EZA member and I've just started dropping articles on the 23rd. I now have 16 Live Articles in the account 14 of which have been published.

BUT... I only have 300 TOTAL Views and ONLY 19 CLICKS! Talk about crappy numbers. I've tried some of the tips on this forum and so far it hasn't really done any good. I'll post three of my articles with the stats and maybe you guys can see where I'm going wrong.

The person who gives me advice that improves my CTR to over 20% will get $15 paypal or a mailed Thanksgiving Turkey... I'm sure you'll opt for the paypal though.

Please keep in mind I'm not trying to get my lander ranked in google at all. I'm just trying to drive traffic with these articles. The links to my lander are in blue.

Here are three Articles with the Stats:

ARTICLE 1 - Stats- 30 Views - 6 Clicks - Submitted 11/26/2009
Title = My Teeth Were So Yellow When I Smiled Dorothy Made it to Oz - A Teeth Whitening Experience

I know there's a lot of people out there who have yellow teeth and feel like they're facing some undeserved hardship, but seriously, you can't even imagine how bad I had it. Unless you've sat up at night crying while your husband is asleep next to you, you can't even begin to conjure up an image of what yellow teeth really look like... So I'm going to tell you my story.
I used to have amazingly white teeth, I mean, I remember one of my teachers pointing out to other students how nice my smile was. Mind you, this was when I was in grade six. I'm now in my mid 30's and I have three wonderful kids. It's weird, I can't exactly place the day when my teeth went from white to yellow...But somewhere between high school and 34 years old my teeth turned from sparkling diamonds to "where's Kathy? We need a flashlight in here" (and they were talking about my teeth).
I blame it on all the coffee I drank, and the cigarettes I smoked to get through college. Not to mention smoking tobacco through one of those big water pipes (you know the ones popular in the middle east). Anyway, I didn't really notice my teeth turning yellow. Maybe it's because I'd go for professional dental cleanings once a year and they never mentioned anything... So I figured my teeth were fine.
But then last Christmas, I received an expensive (I hope it was for his sake) white scarf as a gift from my husband. I quickly put it around my neck and looked in the mirror. And since it was Christmas, I was in a smiling mood. So picture this, I have a white scarf on, I'm looking in the mirror smiling, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks... My teeth were shockingly yellow! I don't think anyone's stopped smiling faster than I did that day. Suddenly, the Christmas Carole, "All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth" became profoundly meaningful to me.
The next months were filled with a frantic search to find a cure for my yellow teeth. I scoured the internet for a solution like I was digging for a long lost treasure. At times I garnered gleaming jewels of information like, "brush with baking soda", or, "eat strawberries". But after trying them my teeth only looked one tenth of a shade whiter. Then I scheduled an appointment with my dentist only for him to tell me I'd have to pay $600 for laser whitening and since it's cosmetic there's no insurance coverage...isn't that just dandy.
I went to my local drugstore and bought out all the big name teeth whitening kits. You know the ones that promise to whiten your teeth in thirty days or your money back. Well, I'm still visiting my mailbox waiting for the money...
So what's the cure you ask? I had to find a teeth whitening kit with over 20% peroxide content. Then I did something unheard of, I ordered a free trial of another teeth whitening kit and used the two together... the results were phenomenal. But I didn't stop there.
I started using Oral B mouthwash after each whitening session. Apparently, doing this, really speeds up the whitening process. I also made sure to floss and brush my teeth before using the teeth whitening kits, something a lot of people neglect to do.

Finally, I used free trials of the products in this article that described my situation and how to finally cure this wretched plague known as 'yellow teeth syndrome'. Lo and Behold, I felt like I found the holy grail to teeth whitening. Using this saint of a woman's recommendations, I saw my teeth turn whiter in a measly two days! At last I was saved...


ARTICLE 2 - Stats - 36 Views - 5 Clicks - Submitted 11/23/2009
Title = 5 Teeth Whitening Myths Exposed

Scouring the internet for information on teeth whitening can lead to some people receiving bad advice which may even have the potential to be harmful. There are many myths surrounding getting a whiter smile that you should be aware of. I'll expose the top five in this article...
Myth #1: Laser Whitening is Much Better than At Home Whitening
This is a myth that may even be told to you by your dentist, and it's easy to see why. At home whitening kits cost a fraction of the price in comparison to getting professional laser whitening done. Sure laser whitening gets you the results faster, but in general you'll get pretty much the same improvement in whiteness from using at home whitening kits.
Myth #2: Strawberries and Lemons Can be used to Whiten Teeth
This one is sort of true, but at the same time misleading. It's true that you can use strawberries and lemons to get a whiter smile, but they work by eating away at the enamel in your teeth. In the end, you can do permanent damage to your teeth if you take this route to whitening your teeth.
Myth #3: All at Home Whitening Kits Are The Same
This one is false. Different kits that you can purchase can provide you with completely different results based on how much peroxide they contain. The higher the concentration the more effective the product.
Myth #4: Whitening Kits Damage your Teeth and Gums
False. Using teeth whitening kits doesn't damage your teeth or gums, although it can increase the sensitivity of your teeth for a short period of time. Once you stop using the kit the sensitivity goes away. Teeth Whitening kits simply use the process of oxidation to eliminate the stains from your teeth.
Myth #5: Whitening Will Weaken your teeth
Sorry but this isn't based on factual research. Whitening your teeth doesn't weaken them anymore than some of your favorite foods.

To read about the #1 way to whiten your teeth quickly and effectively click here
Teeth whitening doesn't have to be an expensive process. You can get the brighter smile you deserve without spending all your money. And for more ways to really get a whiter smile, visit Consumer Info Weekly



ARTICLE 3 - Stats - 29 Views - 0 Clicks - Submitted 11/23/2009
Title = Whiter Teeth In 3 Easy Steps

Your smile is an integral part of how you're perceived by others. It's the first thing that a lot of people see when they form a first impression of you, and so it impacts many different areas of your life. Whether it's your love life, your social life, or the jobs you're able to get, having a white smile can make improvements in all facets of your life. Not surprisingly, a new study suggests that people with white teeth get better jobs than people who have yellow teeth. If you follow these three steps you'll have a noticeably whiter smile in very little time.
Step 1: Pick a Suitable Teeth Whitening Product
The first thing you want to do to is find a suitable product that will begin the process of whitening your teeth. I recommend using teeth whitening kits as they are relatively cheap and can provide you with a dentist grade smile.
Step 2: Brush and Floss Everyday
This is a given if you're trying to get whiter teeth. Sure, the products I recommend will get you a whiter smile, but to maximize their effectiveness and to keep your teeth looking white, you're going to want to floss and brush your teeth regularly. If you really want to see great results use a toothpaste that contains baking soda, or simply brush your teeth using a baking soda you buy at your local supermarket.
Step 3:Prevent your Teeth from Becoming Yellow Again
This can be a difficult process for most people, but it will pay off for years to come. Slowly stop yourself from continuing to do things that will damage your teeth. For instance, stop smoking as many cigarettes as you do, drink green tea instead of coffee, and water instead of coke. Cut down on your red wine drinking or switch to white wine. These little changes in your lifestyle can keep your smile looking white, not to mention they lead to better health as well.

To read about the #1 way to whiten your teeth quickly and effectively click here. Teeth whitening doesn't have to be an expensive process. You can get the brighter smile you deserve without spending all your money. And for more ways to really get a whiter smile, visit Consumer Info Weekly.


I've also done some other resource boxes with only one two small lines of type pointing to my links. They didn't work. I don't want to keep dropping 10 articles and have all that effort be wasted. Please help! Thanks

[Alaister]

have you done the necessary keyword research. You need to do keyword research and make sure you have the keyword in your title, description and littered throughout the article.

I have an article marketing package in my signature. You can click on the "Get 1st Page Google Rankings" for more info.

[LilBlackDress]

~ SEO - Use your keywords in your title and body so that you rank for them in the search engines. I am not seeing effective use of keywords. It looks like no keyword research was done at all to find phrases etc. you can rank for.

~ Simplify - You just have to much to slog through. Keep the reading fast and easy. People scan.

~ Title - Be sure to title your articles for clicks and for the search engines. Title 1 is creative but will not help you achieve your goals. 2 and 3 are better but could be more interesting. Again keywords need to be used.

~ Anchor Text - Use your key phrase in your anchor text that you want to get known for. Avoid "click here" and "in this article". You want Google to recognize you for certain key phrases and rank you high in the search engines.

~ Benefits - Share the benefits early. Don't make people read to the bottom - They want to know what is in it for them right away and you want them to keep reading.

Bottom line - You are not having success because you do not know proper article marketing techniques.

You need to learn how to write for the search engines so people will find your articles and so your articles will rank in Google. Learning how to write for the search engines involves good selection of keywords and using them effectively in your title, article and resource box. It involves writing so the reader wants to learn more and will click on the anchor text in your resource box.

You are doing none of this and thus you are not getting results. A quality report on how to do article marketing will benefit you tremendously

[patcon]

Check out Charlie Page's site. He is the true Article Marketing expert who can help you out tremendously. Just click the link under my signature.

[pheonix44]

The best advice I can give you is to look at the base keyword in the title of your article, for instance take this one "How to whiten teeth at home". Look at the core subject of the title, it's "teeth". Try to find related words that go with this to help boost its relevance. This is called LSI to most people, but it really helps to get you viewed for longer. Don't be so obsessed with writing so many articles to utilize article directories direct traffic. Try to get a good article to rank and see it benefits for a long time to come. Create short paragraphs and always finish the article as a part of the resource box.

[Lambert Klein]

Article Marketing takes time. Keep at it and you will see results. You probably need more articles submitted than you think.

Lambert

[J Bold]

Not interested in the $15 for this, but your keywords should be the first words in the title, which it does not appear you have done here.

[GeorgR.]

Originally Posted by Alaister

have you done the necessary keyword research.

this!! Get yourself Market Samurai and run it a few times with your keywords, teeth, teeth whitening, whiter teeth etc... and look for KWs with a good search volueme (hundreds/day) and as FEW as possible SEOC (like <100.000, maybe even < 50.000).

And then optimize titles and articles, and in your resource box make people click, example:

We tested many teeth whitening products, we found XYZ did the best job and we can highly recommend it.

First and foremost make sure your keyword research is done properly and your articles are SEO friendly. You also need to focus on more than one article directory. Some find traffic from EZA crappy while others get good traffic. It can be the same with any article directory but the fact is you need to be more spread out and venture into other article directories.

Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles - ArticlesBase.com
Article Search Engine Directory: GoArticles.com
Free Articles at Amazines.Com - Author Publishing and Free Article Database
IdeaMarketers | free content directory
http://www.articledashboard.com
ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory

+ Many others you should be submitting to.

Next (do not spam these places) build a proper site with these sites, that means add value and not an advertisement to come buy my stuff. Give helpful tips and suggestions based on your articles and give a link to your site and articles.

HubPages
Squidoo : Welcome to Squidoo
http://www.blogger.com

Next make sure you bookmark your articles and the sites you created above

Mister Wong | Social Bookmarking Tool
Faves: Sites you'll love, from people like you
Home | Propeller
Digg - The Latest News Headlines, Videos and Images
Clipmarks - What are you finding on the web?
Simpy - Social Bookmarks Manager

+ hundreds of other bookmarking sites. Do not just blatantly bookmark you own sites. Create an actual profile and join in these communities and make friend request, create groups, join groups, and etc... Bookmark other fun sites that you like or news sites in between your bookmarks.

When you have bookmarks your site, articles, blog, and web 2.0 sites then also randomly bookmark your bookmark profiles.

Next is onto Rss Feeds, everything above has Rss Feed.. Your articles, web 2.0 sites, blog, and bookmark profiles..

FeedPlex - Add URL
feedest: add new feed
2RSS.com :: RSS feeds, directory, software, scripts, articles, syndication, RDF, news, & more
DevASP.com Add New Listings Through RSS File
RSS feed Directory - Feedage.com
http://www.feedbees.com/add.php
http://feedburner.google.com/
RSS and ATOM Feed Boosting Engine - FEEDCAT.NET
http://www.feeds4all.nl/NewFeed.aspx
Submit Your RSS or Atom News Feed
Find RSS feeds and Feed Your Imagination | findrss.net
LeighRSS.com Directory: Add Your RSS Feed Now!

+ there are hundreds of other rss directories to submit your rss feeds to.

This is just for starters but should keep you busy...

And Finally Read - Article on site or EZA first ?

James

P.S. I do not need any Turkey, if you want to give away a turnkey then please go to your local food bank and donate to help feed a family this holiday season.

[Alaister]

Originally Posted by GeorgR.

this!! Get yourself Market Samurai

yup market samurai FOR SURE!!!!

[FriendlyRob]

Try beginning your resource box with the phrase "confused about...." I seem to have doubled my clickthrough rates since I started doing that.

[blingblam]

I want to thank everyone for all the tips, I realize now that I have a long way to go in article marketing. And it seems like I can't just pump out 5 articles per day and expect sales.

As for the reward, I'll let everyone know Tuesday who will get the $15 (and if you don't want it, you're still getting it) as I first want to implement some of these tips.

Now I noticed most of you said I should really look into keyword research for my articles. I'm not great at keyword research, but my first articles were based on keywords I found to have high search traffic. These search terms I used also had other people's ezine articles on the first page of google, meaning my articles should do the same. I put my keywords as the first three words like ezine recommends, sadly, these articles still have the lowest views (which is why I didn't post them here). I'm definitely going to look into purchasing Market Samurai and writing 10 more articles based purely on generating traffic from search engines.

My biggest issue right now is getting my CTR past 20%. This is because I have 300 views to all of my articles in the first week and I expect more traffic to trickle in later. I think if my CTR was above 20% I'd have had at least one sale by now, considering my lander averages a 4% conversion rate in PPC.

I've tried to make my resource box flow like it's the conclusion of the article, but that hasn't brought up my CTR by much. I'm going to try out FriendlyRob's and GeorgeR's tips and see if that works.

As for RichJerksNet point on testing different traffic sources, I'm in the process of doing that right now. I've started resubmitting my articles to Hubpages and other article directories. I've also started all the bookmarking like stumbleupon and reddit. I'm sure its increased the views, but my overall CTR sucks badly. For instance, with HubPages I'm getting a good Hub Score but no one is clicking the link. By the way, thanks for that list RichJerksNet it'll come in handy.

Anymore specific tips on how to push up my CTR would be great.
Thanks again everyone, Happy Thanksgiving

[RebeccaL]

I dont want a dead turkey. Vegetarian here

But.... if you want me to take a look at some of your articles and resource boxes, PM me. I'm sure I can give you some tips.

[SeanSupplee]

Those are pretty normal numbers. The entire internet marketing game is a big numbers game. Add more articles you cant expect to make $100 off of 16 articles or everyone would be making a mint right about now.

[LilBlackDress]

With article marketing I feel you need to learn how to walk before you run So first learn how to write articles that can potentially go to the top of the search engines for your key words. ***** This means selecting the right keywords- see below.

I have written many articles that are at the top over millions of results without any promotion because I carefully selected keywords, used the keyword in my title, in my article and resource box and put the article on a high ranking content site. With more competitive keywords the articles likely needed some promotion if I wanted that article to rank.

The click thru rate is increased by providing value to the consumer in the article but leaving them wanting more information. I may for example provide half of the puzzle and invite them to my site to get the rest of the information.

After you have learned how to craft the articles then you can promote them as desired using techniques as James outlines; RSS feeds, bookmarking, article directories, and other sources that will generate traffic.

With keywords you need to take some time to understand how to select them and effectively use them.
You state; "These search terms I used also had other people's ezine articles on the first page of google, meaning my articles should do the same."
but this is not the case.Just because you are using the same keywords someone else is does not mean your article will also summit the Google mountain.Though you may use them in the title you also have to know how to use them correctly throughout the article and resource box which you have not done in your articles. In addition if they are competitive keywords you will likely have to promote your article in order to get it to rank in Google and drive traffic to your website.

Like Ezine Articles states, it does help to have your keywords in the title at the beginning. And Yes. your keyword phrase "teeth whitening" gets a lot of searches. But you are having a tough time because that key phrase "teeth whitening" is very competitive.

You are up against big guns. The American Dental Association and wikipedia are coming up at the top of the Google pile for this keyphrase. You are competing against sites with tons of links with your articles. That is not to say you can't eventually try to compete with them (one of the keyphrases for one of my sites is ranked over the Mayo Clinic) but it is going to be much harder.

So your first step will be to find some keywords you can compete for. You will want to consider low hanging fruit that you can pluck easier. Pick terms that have a decent amount of searches and less competition. It is very important you learn how to select the right keywords for your success. Take some time to understand and learn how to select the right keywords or you are probably wasting your time.

After doing your research you will likely find you can use the keyword phrase "teeth whitening" and find a word or a few more words to add to it that are searched but with competition you can conquer. Make that your new keyword phrase instead of just "teeth whitening"

Rewrite your articles. Use the phrase in your title, article body and in your resource box as your hyperlink. Don't hyperlink to "click here". Remember Google is giving you brownie points and associating your site with your keyphrase, so hyperlink with it.
Then promote the article.

I think you will find much greater success!

[blingblam]

Wow, this information you guys have been providing is GOLDEN. I just got Market Samurai, and I'm looking into writing articles based on keyword research. I have a feeling this will pay off in the long run. It seems like I was way off some keywords that I thought had low competition.

I'm going out now, but I'll definitely re-read everyone's suggestions tomorrow when I start writing articles. Thanks Again! BlackDress that post you wrote is phenomenal, thank you.

Have a good one

[blingblam]

Well I promised I'd give someone a Turkey or $15, I'm guessing no one needs the turkey though since thanksgiving is over.

Thanks to the recommendations in this thread I bought Market Samurai, and I'm using it before writing any new articles. I Found some good keywords that get a lot of searches with very little competition... Unfortunately, the articles I've written for them haven't been ranked on the first page of Google yet. I'm wondering how long it takes to get ranked.

I'd really like to send each of you the $15 because you've really helped me out. But I only have enough for one person. The Winner is LilBlackDress because of the initial advice to do keyword research. I was just turning out articles that had a minimal amount of keyword research done, so they're probably useless.

A big thanks to everyone else, especially RichJerksNet and George!

Not a problem at all .. gald to be of help ..

Congrats LilBlackDress ....

James

[Mr. Enthusiastic]

Is the turkey at least 3% stuffed with tasty, popular, unique keywords?

Just askin'.

Chris

[GeorgR.]

My Teeth Were So Yellow When I Smiled Dorothy Made it to Oz - A Teeth Whitening Experience

Typical example of bad title - now in terms of SEO and keyword research - what keyword do you want to rank for with this title?

You really, really need to get into keyword research and optimize title and article for the keyword(s) and not use a "wishy washy" title like that.

[aboutalhah]

Use keywords in your title and body. AND make sure to repurpose your articles and submit to othe sites and web 20 properties.

btw, I don't need anything. Thanks.

Franck

[blingblam]

Originally Posted by Mr. Enthusiastic

Is the turkey at least 3% stuffed with tasty, popular, unique keywords?

Just askin'.

Chris

LOL nah, apparently Ezine has a max stuff rate of 2% so I can't stuff it more than that

[blingblam]

Originally Posted by GeorgR.

Typical example of bad title - now in terms of SEO and keyword research - what keyword do you want to rank for with this title?

You really, really need to get into keyword research and optimize title and article for the keyword(s) and not use a "wishy washy" title like that.

Yeaa with that one I wasn't even attempting to do any keyword research, I was going to use (cough, cough) other methods of getting that article to the most viewed list and so I figured an interesting title would generate traffic off that. But my better judgment kicked in and told me not to try any funny business with Ezines.

Market Samurai is great though, I think doing this keyword research will really pay off later on. For some of the keywords I've chosen market samurai shows the competition as being web 2.0 properties and ezines on the first page with little to no backlinks.

I'm just wondering why some of my new articles haven't already shown up on the first page too (considering I'm starting to build backlinks to them).

[LilBlackDress]

Thanks I am happy to win and decided to take the Turkey ...haha Just Kidding. I will use the money to do something helpful for others this holiday - so thank you.

Ok back to why you are not getting the attention you want on your articles.

I googled a portion of one of the articles above and found you on Ezines. I took a few minutes to view a few of your articles there. Here are some thoughts on the article you published Nov. 30. as it was the most current date I saw there.

~ You selected a better keyword phrase that you can compete for but it is not a low hanging fruit one. In other words the strength of the competition is still there but it is doable with a little more work. There are quite a few other Web2.0 properties ranking high in the search for it and you can probably knock them out. But it is still high enough competition that you will have to work for it (not as bad as competing with the American Dental Association though

~ Though Google says to vary your keyword pattern I personally find that using the exact key phrase throughout the article works best for me. I see your phrase (not including title) 3 times but I see some of the words used also. I would try to repeat the exact phrase more if Ezine allows it and knock out some of the repeating free floating words. This works beautifully for me. Try to get the phrase throughout the article not all at the end. I aim for title, first few sentences and once per paragraph if it fits with the density allowed.

~The article uses words to hyperlink that are not helping you with Google. You have linked to "the two kits" and "in this article". You need to link to your keyphrase.

~ You are taking visitors directly to a sales page instead of a landing page. Though this can be done, most feel a landing page is more effective.

BTW I would also recommend rewriting your bio a little especially sentence two, though that really is no biggie. It could just read a little smoother.

You can write one article after another but if they are not properly written you will likely not get the results you desire.

You have written some really good articles. I would take the time if I were you to go back and tweak each one. Tweak the keywords and bio box. Change the titles on the ones that are overly creative.
Keep it simple yet interesting.

Hope this helps!

[Maximillion_Z]

a) Send some hits to the article - try and get it into the "most viewed" category. If you've got a few twitter followers, tweet em the article link.

b) Build some anchortext backlinks to the article to secure it in the search engines - you may find SE traffic to be higher converting than traffic from the article site.

[blingblam]

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

Thanks I am happy to win and decided to take the Turkey ...haha Just Kidding. I will use the money to do something helpful for others this holiday - so thank you.

Ok back to why you are not getting the attention you want on your articles.

I googled a portion of one of the articles above and found you on Ezines. I took a few minutes to view a few of your articles there. Here are some thoughts on the article you published Nov. 30. as it was the most current date I saw there.

~ You selected a better keyword phrase that you can compete for but it is not a low hanging fruit one. In other words the strength of the competition is still there but it is doable with a little more work. There are quite a few other Web2.0 properties ranking high in the search for it and you can probably knock them out. But it is still high enough competition that you will have to work for it (not as bad as competing with the American Dental Association though

~ Though Google says to vary your keyword pattern I personally find that using the exact key phrase throughout the article works best for me. I see your phrase (not including title) 3 times but I see some of the words used also. I would try to repeat the exact phrase more if Ezine allows it and knock out some of the repeating free floating words. This works beautifully for me. Try to get the phrase throughout the article not all at the end. I aim for title, first few sentences and once per paragraph if it fits with the density allowed.

~The article uses words to hyperlink that are not helping you with Google. You have linked to "the two kits" and "in this article". You need to link to your keyphrase.

~ You are taking visitors directly to a sales page instead of a landing page. Though this can be done, most feel a landing page is more effective.

BTW I would also recommend rewriting your bio a little especially sentence two, though that really is no biggie. It could just read a little smoother.

You can write one article after another but if they are not properly written you will likely not get the results you desire.

You have written some really good articles. I would take the time if I were you to go back and tweak each one. Tweak the keywords and bio box. Change the titles on the ones that are overly creative.
Keep it simple yet interesting.

Hope this helps!

Wow, once again amazing information! I was under the impression that having your keyword as the anchor text is only good if you're trying to get your own site ranked in google. Didn't know it helped get the article higher up in the ranks too =/.

I'll start writing more articles and try to pick the ones with even less competition. I think I picked that specific one because it had over 200 daily searches, and I saw an ezinearticle on the first page with only 1 backlink. Market Samurai gave it a low competition score too.

Going to try and write 5 articles today using your advice. Also, for the bio do you find adding a picture helps? I'll look into changing it up.

In terms of directing them to a lander, I'm thinking about switching it to a review of different products lander instead of the sales page I have. Only reason I'm using that sales page is because it's been working pretty good with small time media buys.

Much Gracias

[Mark Hess]

LilBlackDress You Should Get A Turducken: Turducken - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[opportunites]

Wow!!! thanks to all of you!

I just want to let you know that Blingblam is not the only one who has learned from this thread, I have learned a lot from you guys. For many a long period this thread will the a Powerful course for any one who wants to master the articles marketing!

[Andrew Maule]

Originally Posted by lklein

Article Marketing takes time. Keep at it and you will see results. You probably need more articles submitted than you think.

Lambert

Yes I agree, I say shoot for 300 articles per niche, minimum.

[Matt Jutras]

Go for quality, not quantity. I have one article on Associated Content thats pulled in almost 7000 views since late August, all because I took an extra ten minutes and did the necessary keyword research and placement.

Shoot for 500-600 words, use subheads with your keyword in them to break it up a bit.

Here's a product review "formula" that I use with some success:

(keyword) Review - Is (related keyword)Right For You?

Notice that in the headline, your keyword is FIRST. No matter what style of headline, always try to do this. Then follow up with a secondary sentence using a related keyword, perhaps one with a lower search volume that's easier to rank for than your main keyword.

Now follow up with a punchy, 50 word introduction, use your keyword in here too...just a few sentences discussing why someone would want the product...then follow up with a few paragraphs broken up with subheads containing your keyword, as follows:

What Is (keyword)?

one paragraph describing features

What Do I Like About (keyword)?

one or two paragraphs describing benefits, with keyword

What Do I Dislike About (keyword)?

one paragraph, go easy on the criticism if you're trying to push an affiliate product



Is (keyword) Worth Buying?

Summary paragraph, try to use your secondary keyword from the headline in here.


And that's it. Always double check spelling, and to an extent your grammar as well. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece but making it readable and entertaining will go a long way in gaining hits and click throughs.

Also, make sure your keyword density is around 2%....you can check that online for free, here:

Live Keyword Analysis

Finally, try to write at a 7th or 8th grade (max) reading level. You can check that here:

The Readability Test Tool

[LilBlackDress]

Thanks Mark! And I love your brilliant report/videos on using the document site Scribd (I use the ideas with DocStoc).

Blingblam, I peeked at your Dec. 2 article on the trays and you are getting a good feel for it. Just a couple tips on that one.

~ Keep articles easy to read and understand. Don't get to creative and confuse the reader. It is crucial to keep in mind that many people tend to scan and not really read. So we want to make this really easy. You have a problem. Here is what you can do. Click "hyperlinked keyword phrase" and you will get the solution.

The idea is to get readers to our resource box so they will click to our offerings. We don't want to lose them along the way. We need to offer value but at the same time not the total solution. They have to click resource box to get that.

~ Try to get your keyword in the first sentence or two of the body of the article. Sometimes working it in as a question helps make it smoother. For example, "Do you want whiter teeth? "Keyword Phrase" may be the answer.

~ Don't think you always have to use the phrase in a row in a sentence. You can also use it in two sentences next to each other. For example lets say your phrase is "hair loss for men". Instead of writing a sentence such as "Hair loss for men can be hard to deal with'. You could write something like....xyz can also trigger hair loss. For men medical treatments such as ..... A little trickier to write but gets the key phrase in order and is nice and natural for the reader without looking so keyword stuffed.

~ Don't fall down on your resource box. You have a really rich article and then your resource box was written like an afterthought. Encourage and give the reader a reason to click. Ready for a dazzling smile? Learn about "keyword phrase 1" at "keyword phrase 2" site. (Just a note here your hyperlinked keyword phrase 2 in your Dec. 2 article does nothing for you at all - unless you own that site. Why are you hyperlinking with that?)

~ Consider using a full URL in your resource box as sometimes the link gets stripped and then the reader does not know where to go.

~ Bio. Most people don't give a fig about who you are or what you can do. But there are some who will click to see what you are about. So there are a few approaches You can take.....
~ have a bio that establishes you as an expert or a real user of xyz (a good choice at Ezines as there is a totally separate section for the bio)
~ have a bio that just gives more info on what you are offering and what it can do for them
Just depends on the site.

~ Bookmark. After you write the article bookmark it. Not all social bookmark sites will accept articles from Ezines, but some will.

~ Ping. So simple and easy. Put Pingomatic in your bookmarks. After an article has been approved Ping it. If it is in your bookmarks and you click it, Pingomatic will auto ping 20+ sites.

[blingblam]

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

Thanks Mark! And I love your brilliant report/videos on using the document site Scribd (I use the ideas with DocStoc).

Blingblam, I peeked at your Dec. 2 article on the trays and you are getting a good feel for it. Just a couple tips on that one.

~ Keep articles easy to read and understand. Don't get to creative and confuse the reader. It is crucial to keep in mind that many people tend to scan and not really read. So we want to make this really easy. You have a problem. Here is what you can do. Click "hyperlinked keyword phrase" and you will get the solution.

The idea is to get readers to our resource box so they will click to our offerings. We don't want to lose them along the way. We need to offer value but at the same time not the total solution. They have to click resource box to get that.

~ Try to get your keyword in the first sentence or two of the body of the article. Sometimes working it in as a question helps make it smoother. For example, "Do you want whiter teeth? "Keyword Phrase" may be the answer.

~ Don't think you always have to use the phrase in a row in a sentence. You can also use it in two sentences next to each other. For example lets say your phrase is "hair loss for men". Instead of writing a sentence such as "Hair loss for men can be hard to deal with'. You could write something like....xyz can also trigger hair loss. For men medical treatments such as ..... A little trickier to write but gets the key phrase in order and is nice and natural for the reader without looking so keyword stuffed.

~ Don't fall down on your resource box. You have a really rich article and then your resource box was written like an afterthought. Encourage and give the reader a reason to click. Ready for a dazzling smile? Learn about "keyword phrase 1" at "keyword phrase 2" site. (Just a note here your hyperlinked keyword phrase 2 in your Dec. 2 article does nothing for you at all - unless you own that site. Why are you hyperlinking with that?)

~ Consider using a full URL in your resource box as sometimes the link gets stripped and then the reader does not know where to go.

~ Bio. Most people don't give a fig about who you are or what you can do. But there are some who will click to see what you are about. So there are a few approaches You can take.....
~ have a bio that establishes you as an expert or a real user of xyz (a good choice at Ezines as there is a totally separate section for the bio)
~ have a bio that just gives more info on what you are offering and what it can do for them
Just depends on the site.

~ Bookmark. After you write the article bookmark it. Not all social bookmark sites will accept articles from Ezines, but some will.

~ Ping. So simple and easy. Put Pingomatic in your bookmarks. After an article has been approved Ping it. If it is in your bookmarks and you click it, Pingomatic will auto ping 20+ sites.

I'm starting to think you deserve more than one turkey. I really appreciate all the info you're giving me. Especially since I'm writing articles right now and can immediately try out what you're saying.

I think I'm going to pickup a book on copywriting or something that will help me get people to the resource box. The two non keyword specific articles I wrote (banana and wizard of oz) have about a 23% CTR right now (lol, I know you clicked the resource link so it's probably really a 17% CTR), which is my best so far. Now I just have to learn how to combine that with keyword research...

Shoot, I thought it all had to be in one row. I'll give that a try.

Yea, you're right I just threw something together for that resource box. I think I'll start split testing different resource boxes and see what gets the best results. So far the resource boxes that were paragraphs got the highest CTR.

That site I linked to in URL 2 is my site. The customer has to go there and then click the product links to hit the affiliate sales page. Of course, its still pretty useless for me to link there, considering I have a no-robots text file so google doesn't rank my page. I was just getting lazy and didn't bother figuring out how to stick another keyword link in.

I'll start using pingomatic right away. What exactly does pinging my article do though?

Can't thank you enough!

[blingblam]

I believe I just got my first sale through a google search that led to my landing page. I would never have people visit my lander through google before, so I'm guessing it's because of all the article marketing I've been doing.

Funny thing is, I thought I had the no-robots text file in my page, so I didn't even think google was ranking it. But it looks like I was wrong, and all the articles are starting to make my page rank in google.

It feels amazing to get a sale through article marketing. Previously, I was making sales through ppc campaigns and small media buys, but making a sale through unpaid for traffic feels a lot better.

I couldn't have done it without all the advice in this thread. Thanks y'izaallll!

[blingblam]

Okay, so it's been about two months so far, and I haven't written any more than 20 articles altogether on teeth whitening.

In that time, I've had 4 conversions, which means I doubled the $100 I paid for EzinesArticles Premium membership.

All my sales have come from google searches... 0 from direct Ezinearticles clickthroughs. I only have about 60 clicks from ezinearticles.

What sort of landing pages convert for you guys through ezinearticles? Right now I'm using the fake news report landing page (yes, I know, please don't flame)... I'm wondering if you guys have found that review sites convert well from ezinearticles clickthroughs.

Thanks