Thoughts On Article Marketing For Traffic Instead Of SEO?

13 years ago

Getting ranked right now has changed dramatically since Googles
new "Panda" update. Getting articles ranked in the search engines
as well have proven to be difficult too.

If you're just wanting "instant" traffic from the article directories such
as EZA or GoArticles then that's fine to a certain degree. Not every article
is going to net 400 views or 1,000 views. You may get 10 views or maybe
even 0.

Preparing your site for the search engines gives you the advantage of getting
traffic in the long run. Though it may not get you "instant" traffic, it will get
you ranked sooner or later.

Best Regards,
Anthony La Tour

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Khai Lay

13 years ago

Originally Posted by gerekall

I've been reading a lot of threads lately about article marketing and I'm wondering why so many of the threads focus on SEO, duplicate content (or it's myth for that matter), page indexing, etc.

I must say there's some very good discussions going on, but aren't we missing the big picture of what article marketing is ultimately being done for... which is to drive traffic to our websites?

I mean, if I can submit 20 articles to EZA today and get instant traffic to my site versus submitting it to my site, waiting for it to get indexed, then submitting it to EZA, wouldn't I be better off submitting it to EZA now, and then repeating the process everyday?

Wouldn't the volume of content be worth more in the long run than SEO strategies that could change tomorrow?

What are your thoughts on this? I'm open to all points of view...

I don't think you need to consider it as and "either or" situation. Why not do this -- write an article for your website, and a modified one for EZA. When the EZA article is indexed, you will get link juice from EZA too, together with any traffic that you may get.

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redfieryheart

12 years ago

Originally Posted by upupandaway

I don't think you need to consider it as and "either or" situation. Why not do this -- write an article for your website, and a modified one for EZA. When the EZA article is indexed, you will get link juice from EZA too, together with any traffic that you may get.

For me this is the most sensible thing to do right now and I will repeat what upupandaway says, modify the article you will be able to submit to EZA. This way, you double time the chance of ranking well in the future.

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StarHead

Banned 13 years ago

According to me Article marketing and SEO are 2 different things with their importance at their places. Both methods are best and no matter what google updates and all that hype.

If you are going with article marketing then

* Write unique and fresh new article(dont use any spinned article)
* For every article site write a different article
* Most Important- Write what people want to read

Regards
StarHead

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PatriciaJ 13 years ago

It's not a good idea to submit articles to directories before your own site. I'm saying that despite owning 2 directories. Nor do you need to spin articles or write different articles for each directory.

If you keep on adding content to your site the traffic should build steadily. Backlink the articles on your site they will get indexed quicker and the traffic generated by them will go to your site first and not be diluted by article directories.

Traffic from directories can be pretty sparce and some of the traffic that you get from directories will be editors checking for plagiarism and checking the links.

The main purpose of directories is not to send traffic to your site, it's to syndicate articles - hopefully to authority sites that will pass on good link juice to you.
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Alexa Smith

Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by gerekall

I've been reading a lot of threads lately about article marketing and I'm wondering why so many of the threads focus on SEO

I think it's just because so many people mistakenly imagine that "article directory marketing" is "article marketing".

Originally Posted by gerekall

I must say there's some very good discussions going on, but aren't we missing the big picture of what article marketing is ultimately being done for... which is to drive traffic to our websites?

Yes; we certainly are.

But there are also some threads which explain that the purpose of article marketing is to get our work in front of highly targeted traffic and drive that traffic to our websites, and that using article directories is just one very minor (and increasingly so) aspect of that, and that there's no purpose or value in using article directories for their own traffic and/or their own backlinks.

These few recent threads are worth a good read-through, to appreciate the current position with article marketing (including "how to use article directories").

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...explained.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...necessary.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-question.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ifference.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...mith-myob.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...e-wonders.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-articles.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-articles.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-articles.html

Some of the basic concepts are also discussed in all the incidental conversation in this older, longer thread.

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bellringer09

13 years ago

It all depends on how you plan to get traffic. Trying to get quality traffic, directly from articles is, in my opinion, harder than ranking higher in search engine queries and getting traffic from direct searches.

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myob

12 years ago

I think if you really understood the leveraging power of article syndication, you will never go back to article writing purposed only for SEO juice.

By getting your articles directly in front of targeted readers, you are in effect bypassing all of the heavy competition for top ranking in the SERPs.

For example, rather than using article directories exclusively, you can submit them to niche ezine publishers, context-relevant websites/blogs, and even offline publications such as magazines and newspapers.

There are virtually unlimited sources for article submission, which can directly drive highly convertable traffic far beyond the volume of what even the most searched keywords can deliver.

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nadavs

12 years ago

Originally Posted by myob

There are virtually unlimited sources for article submission, which can directly drive highly convertable traffic far beyond the volume of what even the most searched keywords can deliver.

Do you have any examples of such sources and how you find them? The traffic numbers you talk about are exactly my goal (well, everyone's goal), but I looked around for hours trying to find where to submit, and so far got nothing.

I'd really like to start focusing more on syndication, and I'd really like to get some good advice.

Thanks,
nadavs

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myob

12 years ago

Originally Posted by nadavs

Do you have any examples of such sources and how you find them? The traffic numbers you talk about are exactly my goal (well, everyone's goal), but I looked around for hours trying to find where to submit, and so far got nothing.

I'd really like to start focusing more on syndication, and I'd really like to get some good advice.

Thanks,
nadavs

Submitting articles to EZA and perhaps other article directories is one small step towards syndication. To make giant leaps, however, you should aggressively self-syndicate your articles to outlets and publications read by your target niches. Some venues to consider may be niche ezines, context-relevant websites/blogs, and offline publications such as magazines, trade journals, targeted newsletters, newspapers, etc. Some resources I still use on nearly a daily basis for researching outlets are the Directory of Ezines, Writers' Market, trade directories, directories of associations, and sometimes - even Google.

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jahangir87

12 years ago

So rather than article marketing I think If you can write those article unique and post them in your own site then its also gonna help you to get traffic.As quality articles always attract traffic.

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aduttonater

12 years ago

Quality subject matter is ideal as well as continual advertisement. Posting the link on your Twitter or Facebook can go a long way. Also reading other articles to expand your knowledge, and commenting on the content will also get your name out there.

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Kay King

12 years ago

For example, rather than using article directories exclusively, you can submit them to niche ezine publishers, context-relevant websites/blogs, and even offline publications such as magazines and newspapers.

Yup - and it's one of the problems with marketing in general.

Too many people read "advice" and follow it without thinking "where else can I use this info - how far can I take this idea". So you have hundreds of "marketers" writing up rather crappy "articles" to get "link juice" and submitting to the same few directories.

Two years ago you would find dozens of threads on this forum by "experts" (yep, quotes) telling others to write 250-300 word articles - and that's what many people did. Today the advice is to write longer articles - but some of us have been that all along. You have to think what is best for your niche rather than just follow along with the advice-flavor of the day.

I've always focused on article marketing for traffic and it has worked well for me. SEO is a side benefit but the goal for my articles is to get them published as many places as possible.

kay

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Alexa Smith

Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by myob

I think if you really understood the leveraging power of article syndication, you will never go back to article writing purposed only for SEO juice.

This ^^^ exactly.

Originally Posted by Kay King

I've always focused on article marketing for traffic and it has worked well for me. SEO is a side benefit but the goal for my articles is to get them published as many places as possible.

And this ^^^ exactly.

In their outcomes, they're not actually "either"/"or" approaches, at all: getting your articles widely syndicated can attract SEO benefits which put more conventional/older-fashioned SEO techniques (especially those involving automation) to shame, one of the key points being that the backlinks produced by syndication (a mere side-benefit to the traffic-gathering process though they are) tend, by definition, to be context-relevant backlinks. In other words, compared with "mass backlinking" and "backlinking services", Google admires, respects and loves them.

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pennington33

12 years ago

If you do the right research on seo you still can get good traffic to your site. When google changes the rules you just have to know how adapt with google's rules changes.

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Alexa Smith Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by pennington33

When google changes the rules you just have to know how adapt with google's rules changes.

Or, of course, just have a business model which doesn't depend on Google as its primary source of traffic in the first place. That's even easier.

As Bill so eloquently put it in another thread yesterday, if you're entirely dependent for traffic on Google, then your whole business is just one algorithm change away from disaster.
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Nicola Lane

12 years ago

Originally Posted by gerekall

I've been reading a lot of threads lately about article marketing and I'm wondering why so many of the threads focus on SEO, duplicate content (or it's myth for that matter), page indexing, etc.

I must say there's some very good discussions going on, but aren't we missing the big picture of what article marketing is ultimately being done for... which is to drive traffic to our websites?

You have started well! That is what it boils down to. Getting traffic - or more specifically traffic that is willing to spend money.

Unfortunately people get so caught up in a small piece of the puzzle that they can lose sight of the overall aim.

Originally Posted by gerekall

I mean, if I can submit 20 articles to EZA today and get instant traffic to my site versus submitting it to my site, waiting for it to get indexed, then submitting it to EZA, wouldn't I be better off submitting it to EZA now, and then repeating the process everyday?

Wouldn't the volume of content be worth more in the long run than SEO strategies that could change tomorrow?

I challenge you to think a little further here though.

Are you trying to build a job - or a business?

Let me clarify what I mean. A job has two main disadvantages - If you lose your job then the money dries up, and as soon as you stop working then the money dries up. In this case if anything happens to EZA, or your relationship with it, then the money dries up, and as soon as you stop "repeating the process every day?" then the money dries up.

With a business you should have more than one customer, so that loss of one may hurt but it won't kill you. You can also build up a business and take a vacation or even retire - and the money will still come in.

Of course building a business will require time and effort.

Please don't fall prey to wanting the instant and/or easy option.

(Please note this post has been condensed from the original 21 Volume encyclopedic answer!)

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gerekall

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Nicola Lane

I challenge you to think a little further here though.

Are you trying to build a job - or a business?

Let me clarify what I mean. A job has two main disadvantages - If you lose your job then the money dries up, and as soon as you stop working then the money dries up. In this case if anything happens to EZA, or your relationship with it, then the money dries up, and as soon as you stop "repeating the process every day?" then the money dries up.

With a business you should have more than one customer, so that loss of one may hurt but it won't kill you. You can also build up a business and take a vacation or even retire - and the money will still come in.

Of course building a business will require time and effort.

Please don't fall prey to wanting the instant and/or easy option.

(Please note this post has been condensed from the original 21 Volume encyclopedic answer!)

Let me clarify my original comments (as I didn't want to write a novel to start the post). I would never have just one source of traffic, as that's just not smart. I do believe in the 80/20 rule, and if article marketing was part of the 20 that brought in my 80, I'd spend even more time doing it. I was specifically just starting a thread about article marketing.

I understand your point about if something happens to EZA, but I highly doubt my content will disappear from the Internet if it's original, quality content. As for the 'if I stop repeating the daily process', then that's on me and it has nothing to do with article marketing. Besides, a natural progression is to outsource and/or have my team do the grunt work for me.

My favorite quote from Darren Hardy (publisher of Success magazine)... Success is not doing 4000 things well a few times, success is doing a few things well 4000 times.

Bottom line, article marketing is about volume. The real start of this thread was to get ideas of what a newbie should do... someone who has no traffic, no subscribers, barely a website and maybe a few affiliate offers until they create their own products.

What should their plan be to get traffic today? It does take time for your own site to get indexed, especially if its a new site. I completely understand all the arguments about content syndication and stuff like that... and I agree with that.

What should a newbie do today to get traffic tonight with article marketing?

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Khai Lay

12 years ago

Originally Posted by gerekall

Bottom line, article marketing is about volume. The real start of this thread was to get ideas of what a newbie should do... someone who has no traffic, no subscribers, barely a website and maybe a few affiliate offers until they create their own products.

What should their plan be to get traffic today? It does take time for your own site to get indexed, especially if its a new site. I completely understand all the arguments about content syndication and stuff like that... and I agree with that.

What should a newbie do today to get traffic tonight with article marketing?

If you into getting traffic volume via article marketing, you should have a look at this report on how the Google Farmer/Panda updates of this year have dramatically dropped article directories' traffic volume. For example Ezinearticles apparently had their traffic dropped by 90%.

Check out the report here: www.sistrix.com/blog/985-google-farmer-update-quest-for-quality.html

Khai

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Alexa Smith Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by gerekall

What should a newbie do today to get traffic tonight with article marketing?

Call me pedantic, but it's a bit of an unrealistic question: people wanting traffic tonight should do a Google AdWords advertising campaign, which - if they have the relevant skill-set for that activity - can bring in targeted traffic within 15 minutes. Article marketing (properly done) can't, really: it's more about building a real, asset-based business based on increasing residual income from work already done (in other words it's creating a real business, not just a "job for yourself"), but to be realistic about it, the traffic won't arrive "tonight".
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Nicola Lane

12 years ago

Originally Posted by gerekall

What should a newbie do today to get traffic tonight with article marketing?

Why tonight?

If quick cash is the aim, then provide a service - you can often get paid even before you start work!

Do you know of any sustainable successful businesses that were an overnight success?

There are no short cuts or push button secrets - work needs to happen first!

Originally Posted by gerekall

I do believe in the 80/20 rule, and if article marketing was part of the 20 that brought in my 80, I'd spend even more time doing it. I was specifically just starting a thread about article marketing.

It can be - if you do it properly and give it time to work. How long does it take to build skills and a reputation anywhere else? Why should article marketing success happen overnight?

Originally Posted by gerekall

Bottom line, article marketing is about volume.

No, it really isn't. It is about getting good articles in front of the right audience. Of course there has to be some volume, but that is not the bottom line. It is possible to get more high quality traffic from one good article presented to the best audience, than 100,000 articles that no one actually reads!

But you won't get that audience overnight. You will need to spend your time working your way up. Not just by posting article to EZA, but by contacting other people to syndicate your articles - look again at the threads discussing content syndication!

Originally Posted by gerekall

The real start of this thread was to get ideas of what a newbie should do... someone who has no traffic, no subscribers, barely a website and maybe a few affiliate offers until they create their own products.

My suggestions for the newbie are these:

Decide what you really want - quick cash or a sustainable business.

If it is the sustainable business option - then work on accepting what Alexa has already said -

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Article marketing (properly done) . . . it's more about building a real, asset-based business based on increasing residual income from work already done (in other words it's creating a real business, not just a "job for yourself"), but to be realistic about it, the traffic won't arrive "tonight".

Read the threads about article syndication, discover what makes a good quality website, find out what you will want to put in your autoresponder.

Make a plan! It doesn't need to be a management school formal business plan. But as this will take some time and effort it does help to focus your efforts.

Follow your plan!

OK - so I need to explain the plan a bit more!

Make sure that "barely a website" is a good one. It doesn't have to be huge, it just has to make a visitor happy that they visited! It will also help to start out by making the site Google friendly. (Webmaster Tools Help ). EZA will turn down an article because the resource box links to a low quality website - so will anyone thinking of syndicating your articles. You should be growing your site with time.

Set up your autoresponder. Once again it doesn't have to start huge, all you need is enough content to get going. Put in enough content for a few weeks - how much will depend on how often you will be mailing the list. Your plan should set out how often you will need to add content to your autoresponder, and will include regular checks for badly performing and outdated content.

Now you can start building your reputation - and generating traffic. This is where the plan comes in handy, and keeping track of what you are doing.

For a newbie I would recommend starting with "passive" article syndication. That is submitting articles to directories and making comments on blogs and forums then waiting to see who picks them up. Do this part well and people will actually ask you for guest posts and content!

Whilst you are doing this you are also finding relevant blogs, sites and ezines that you can offer content to. You are also researching your market so that you can write articles that people want to publish and other people want to read.

Things should be starting to snowball, so you can start "aggressive" article syndication - where you seek out people to take your content.

I could add a lot more! But I hope that I've said enough!

Hope that helps!

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Thoughts On Article Marketing For Traffic Instead Of SEO?

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