A Little Article Marketing Trick for More Traffic to Your Websites

52 replies
I thought I would share this little nugget with all of you article marketers out there who are familiar with Associated Content.

This may be old news, but the other day, I realized that you can submit articles to Associated Content that have been previously published elsewhere. So, I decided to start submitting most of my articles that I have published at EzineArticles (500+) and have noticed a significant increase in traffic from Associated Content coming through to my websites.

Now, they do work a little differently than most article directories. You can't really use a resource box, however, you can insert a text link within your article. My trick is to insert it as close to the top as possible, which I think is what's generating most of this additional traffic. I simply hyperlink one of my keywords with the URL to my website(s). It's really that easy.

Another plus is that you can earn performance payments based on the views that these previously published articles generate. It's not a lot of cash at all, but it's still some extra change for work already done.

Anyway, if you haven't done this, give it a shot. It might be worth it. Like I said, I've noticed quite a bit more traffic and have seen some increased sales and Adsense earnings since I've implemented this.
#content #traffic #trick #websites
  • Profile picture of the author LacyJ
    This is good advice! Associated Content definitely has an active readership, but the one thing I don't like is that they only allow you to have one account. (See also:Only 1 pen name)
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    • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
      Originally Posted by LacyJ View Post

      This is good advice! Associated Content definitely has an active readership, but the one thing I don't like is that they only allow you to have one account. (See also:Only 1 pen name)
      I can see how that's a downfall, but either way, it's still worth the little extra effort in my eyes.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jazzman
    Thanks for the advice. It seems like a great way to get more use out of old articles.
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  • Profile picture of the author DeborahDera
    Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

    I thought I would share this little nugget with all of you article marketers out there who are familiar with Associated Content.

    This may be old news, but the other day, I realized that you can submit articles to Associated Content that have been previously published elsewhere. So, I decided to start submitting most of my articles that I have published at EzineArticles (500+) and have noticed a significant increase in traffic from Associated Content coming through to my websites.

    Now, they do work a little differently than most article directories. You can't really use a resource box, however, you can insert a text link within your article. My trick is to insert it as close to the top as possible, which I think is what's generating most of this additional traffic. I simply hyperlink one of my keywords with the URL to my website(s). It's really that easy.

    Another plus is that you can earn performance payments based on the views that these previously published articles generate. It's not a lot of cash at all, but it's still some extra change for work already done.

    Anyway, if you haven't done this, give it a shot. It might be worth it. Like I said, I've noticed quite a bit more traffic and have seen some increased sales and Adsense earnings since I've implemented this.
    Have you checked Associated Content's TOS to make sure it is OK to include links? Just curious. They were recently purchased by Yahoo! so things may have changed, but I'm not 100% sure they're thrilled about linking.
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    • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
      Originally Posted by DeborahDera View Post

      Have you checked Associated Content's TOS to make sure it is OK to include links? Just curious. They were recently purchased by Yahoo! so things may have changed, but I'm not 100% sure they're thrilled about linking.
      Yes - You can place a relevant link into the article. As long as it's not spammy or non-relevant and you don't blast it chalk full of links, you'll be fine. I just use one link and nothing more, but it's yielding nice results thus far
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  • Profile picture of the author defaultuser
    Good points all around. I am starting to see how close video and article marketing is.
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  • Profile picture of the author DNChamp
    Nice...what a great way to re release some content!
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  • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
    I'm telling you all, if you have a TON of articles written at various article directories (such as EzineArticles), it is well worth the time to submit these to AC as "Display-Only". I've generated over 1,000 views and have witnessed some decent traffic coming through to my websites since 10/15 (submitted about 60 of my total of 520+ articles). Sales and Adsense earnings have increased quite a bit as well.

    It takes roughly less than 2 minutes to submit an article that's already written (especially if you use EzineArticles). I just go down my list and hit "edit" on the article and copy/paste. And, this is perfectly 100% within AC's terms, as they say you can submit any content previously published before. As long as it's YOUR content with YOUR name attached to it, your good. And like I said, go easy on the links. One text link towards the top fold of your article is all it takes to see traffic swarming in.

    Take advantage of this - I don't think a lot of people are aware of the extra traffic they could be getting
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  • Profile picture of the author DivaOnline
    This is great news. I previously published on Associated Content for extra money so I already have an account ready to go.....
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  • Profile picture of the author thebitbotdotcom
    Thanks for the tip. I think I am going to make them a regular part of my submission routine.
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    • Profile picture of the author Crew Chief
      Originally Posted by DeborahDera View Post

      Have you checked Associated Content's TOS to make sure it is OK to include links? Just curious. They were recently purchased by Yahoo! so things may have changed, but I'm not 100% sure they're thrilled about linking.
      As the OP stated, this is well within the AC TOS. The only caveat is don't go SPAM bot crazy with your links. Anything more than one link per page and you're asking for MAJOR trouble!

      Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

      Take advantage of this - I don't think a lot of people are aware of the extra traffic they could be getting
      I absolutely agree and you just helped a lot of people increase their traffic, grab a potential side source of income and get some BLs. Yes, I know AC BLs are "NO follow" but why not count them as part of your natural BL building campaign?

      Giles, the Crew Chief
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      • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
        Originally Posted by Crew Chief View Post

        As the OP stated, this is well within the AC TOS. The only caveat is don't go SPAM bot crazy with your links. Anything more than one link per page and you're asking for MAJOR trouble!
        So true here - One link is truly all it takes. I still can't believe how much traffic I've managed to generate in just a few days from articles that were basically sitting around on various article directories.

        Originally Posted by Crew Chief View Post

        I absolutely agree and you just helped a lot of people increase their traffic, grab a potential side source of income and get some BLs. Yes, I know AC BLs are "NO follow" but why not count them as part of your natural BL building campaign?

        Giles, the Crew Chief
        Yep - I figured it was a good gem for those that don't know about it. Most people tend to avoid it because they see AC as accepting unique content only, when that is not the case at all. The sad part is, many people will read this, submit a couple articles and forget about it and move on to another idea or quick traffic generator, because it does require some "manual" work. From the results I've got already, it's definitely worth the extra couple hours of manual submission work.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fun to Write
    Great tip!

    I'm going to start doing this right now. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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  • Profile picture of the author 13131jonny
    Thanks for the tip. This is going to increase my traffic massively.
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    • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
      Originally Posted by 13131jonny View Post

      Thanks for the tip. This is going to increase my traffic massively.
      It definitely will without a doubt. I've received nearly 2,000 views on the articles I've submitted thus far (around 150) and still have TON more to submit. I'm steady submitting 50 or so daily until I submit all of my articles from EZA there. And, like I said before, I've noticed a spike in affiliate sales, tons of traffic to my websites and some a nice consistent boost in Adsense earnings on my Adsense sites

      The key here though is to make sure you're not just adding URL's of any old site - Try using your best websites that look good AND give information that is relevant to the article at hand. The results may surprise you.
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      • Profile picture of the author tycoon828
        Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

        It definitely will without a doubt. I've received nearly 2,000 views on the articles I've submitted thus far (around 150) and still have TON more to submit. I'm steady submitting 50 or so daily until I submit all of my articles from EZA there. And, like I said before, I've noticed a spike in affiliate sales, tons of traffic to my websites and some a nice consistent boost in Adsense earnings on my Adsense sites

        The key here though is to make sure you're not just adding URL's of any old site - Try using your best websites that look good AND give information that is relevant to the article at hand. The results may surprise you.

        Can I use top level domain redirect method to promote affiliate product like I do in Ezinearticles.com?
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  • Profile picture of the author Anup Mahajan
    Thanks for the amazing tip..

    Time to post my articles to AC
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  • Profile picture of the author JonAlfredsson
    This is a good point to consider as Associated Content is also high traffic as the other social bookmarking sites. Having a chance to be on this page can definitely increase your traffic in the process. Great job in testing this out.
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  • Profile picture of the author King Shiloh
    Banned
    I have a question: Can I do this in Nigeria or is it for only US residents?
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  • Profile picture of the author rhairston
    If you have articles dated back before EA update, you will have to fix the article you copy from there before you resubmit it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Crew Chief
      Originally Posted by King Shiloh View Post

      I have a question: Can I do this in Nigeria or is it for only US residents?
      You need to read the Associated Content TOS to see if they pay non US residents. I've been a contributor for so long I couldn't tell you off the top of my head.

      Giles, the Crew Chief
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  • I will have to give that a try!
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
      I will let you in on a little thought of " secret".

      By placing that link in the First sentence or so of the article, not only are you getting a link on AC, RSS feeds are picking it up. This is why finding an article directory that allows in body links is important.

      Different feeds pick up different character counts but usually getting the link in the first couple of sentences will assure it gets picked up.
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    • Profile picture of the author PaulV
      Hey Bryan,

      It's been a while, hope all is going well for you and your pursuits.
      Thanks for the excellent post.

      Are you seeing a boosting in the serps from the AC backlinks?

      Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author EvolBaby
    That's quite a neat tip!
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  • Profile picture of the author gskesavan
    Originally Posted by Troy_Phillips View Post

    I will let you in on a little thought of secret".

    By placing that link in the First sentence or so of the article, not only are you getting a link on AC, RSS feeds are picking it up. This is why finding an article directory that allows in body links is important.

    Different feeds pick up different character counts but usually getting the link in the first couple of sentences will assure it gets picked up.
    Hmmmm interesting. I havE to try this out now.

    Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

    I thought I would share this little nugget with all of you article marketers out there who are familiar with Associated Content.

    This may be old news, but the other day, I realized that you can submit articles to Associated Content that have been previously published elsewhere. So, I decided to start submitting most of my articles that I have published at EzineArticles (500+) and have noticed a significant increase in traffic from Associated Content coming through to my websites.

    Now, they do work a little differently than most article directories. You can't really use a resource box, however, you can insert a text link within your article. My trick is to insert it as close to the top as possible, which I think is what's generating most of this additional traffic. I simply hyperlink one of my keywords with the URL to my website(s). It's really that easy.

    Another plus is that you can earn performance payments based on the views that these previously published articles generate. It's not a lot of cash at all, but it's still some extra change for work already done.

    Anyway, if you haven't done this, give it a shot. It might be worth it. Like I said, I've noticed quite a bit more traffic and have seen some increased sales and Adsense earnings since I've implemented this.
    Thank you so much mate. Much appreciated re-use of published content. Thank you for the idea. Btw, since they allow only one account, is it advisable to put all niche articles in the same account?!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kristy Taylor
    For those of us not in the USA, AC says:

    You must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or legal resident to receive payment.
    Performance Pay - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

    What a shame.

    Ta
    Kristy
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  • Profile picture of the author MartyP
    Nice idea, although I don't know what I'm doing incorrectly because it asways takes me 2 or 3 attempts to get my articles published on Ezinearticles!! Will add some on Associated Content and see what happens... for backlinks if nothing else. Thanks, Martin
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    • Profile picture of the author cballi
      Can you use a pen name there? For some reason I thought you could not, but maybe I'm thinking of Suite101?
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      • Profile picture of the author Jillycakes
        Originally Posted by cballi View Post

        Can you use a pen name there? For some reason I thought you could not, but maybe I'm thinking of Suite101?
        You might be thinking of Suite101. AC DOES allow you to use a real-sounding pen name. However, if you're republishing existing content: the name you use on Associated Content MUST match the name you use on the other website. So if you use your real name at Ezine or wherever you're republishing from, you have to use your real name at Associated Content to avoid getting flagged/banned for plagiarism.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kimmeh
    Thanks for sharing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rachel Zaouche
      Great tip - thank you for showing us all how to make more of our articles. Personally I wouldnt let the fact that they dont pay non us people bother me - if it leads to traffic and sales that is more than enough payment
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  • Profile picture of the author James Hussey
    Thanks - I've never used them for Jack OR Bo Diddly. You're fantastic for the idea! My question would be - do you link your articles to your niche sites, or are you running that sort of business model?

    I can see the advantage of traffic, but wonder at the benefit or not of anonymity.
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  • Profile picture of the author digitalguy
    Hello everyone ,

    According to me yes the article can make the trick for the website by proving the backlinks and improvement in the page rank for the site to get traffic .
    Articles marketing consists good articles and the good content for the article to improve the website .

    thanks.....
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  • Profile picture of the author kishorem
    Great idea... maximize existing resources...

    Minimum work but extra result...

    This is leverage that we could always use.
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  • Profile picture of the author bestitrix
    Are the articles that you've submitted at EzineArticles are verbatim to the articles you've submitted at AC or did you spun them before submitting it? Great Idea by the way. Thanks You for sharing them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ben_R
    thisis gonna be very useful ive loads of articles at ezines bu never saw much traffic from them
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  • Profile picture of the author Randy Daugherty
    Great advice!!! thanks you so much!
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  • Profile picture of the author bezzerbrown
    good advice man thanks ill be trying this, its a cheap way off getting traffic
    keep up the nice tips bezzer brown
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  • Profile picture of the author nick1123
    Good idea. The first paragraph of any article is by far the most read and the ideal place for a link to your website.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lauryn
    I'll try this and see what happens
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    • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
      Originally Posted by tycoon828 View Post

      Can I use top level domain redirect method to promote affiliate product like I do in Ezinearticles.com?
      I would suggest not to do this. Stick with a solid website rather than a redirect.

      Originally Posted by bestitrix View Post

      Are the articles that you've submitted at EzineArticles are verbatim to the articles you've submitted at AC or did you spun them before submitting it? Great Idea by the way. Thanks You for sharing them.
      No spinning - I absolutely despise article spinners! No rewriting, either. No title changes, nothing. Same exact article from my author account at EZA that matches my name on AC (just in case any issues ever arose - there will never be any questions about copying or plagerizing articles).

      Stuff works though - It's crazy how much traffic I've got and the increase in sales overall. Like I said above, the more articles you have to submit, obviously the more traffic you can achieve.
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      • Profile picture of the author tycoon828
        Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

        I would suggest not to do this. Stick with a solid website rather than a redirect.

        But I can do that without violating the TOS, right?
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        • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
          Originally Posted by tycoon828 View Post

          But I can do that without violating the TOS, right?
          I never use redirects as I usually have a much higher success rate at pre-selling via my blogs/websites. I would probably check the TOS to see what you're able to do with that. My guess is you can, but I wouldn't suggest it honestly. Not sure if that could result in a ban or not. Checking the TOS would be your best bet.
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  • Profile picture of the author dfinancialmkt
    Thanks for the tip. Its a great idea!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jillycakes
    For those of you interested in doing this, here's a few more small tips to make it worth your while:

    You can publish your articles at Associated Content with a "Resources" box on the side, which can contain up to 3 (non-clickable) links. There's also a spot for "Takeaways," where you can write up to 3 short statements summarizing the article for extra keyword juice. So if your article's about recycled Coke bottles, the takeaways might read as something like:

    "Over 30 US States pay 5 cents or more for recycled Coke bottles."

    "Recycled Coke bottles were the subject of an art installation in 2003."

    "Check out (your domain) for more information on recycled Coke bottles."

    Obviously you might want to switch it up if you're also using sub-keywords, but you get the point.

    AC's layout is such that your average Ezine article may not make it to the 2nd page. They pay by the page view, so if you can pad your articles to have them get to the 2nd or 3rd page you can increase your page view earnings.

    One way to get some extra length is to add sources. It's common for Associated Content articles to contain sources at the bottom, though not in any sort of special box like at Ezine. If you used source material from your website, you can link to it as a source at the end without being spammy.

    So, if you have a 2-page article, the 1st page will contain your keyworded link in the first few paragraphs. The 2nd page will link back to your site as a source. You can also link back to your original Ezine article, and/or source it from within your AC article.

    Another way to add some page view earnings is to end your articles with a question or call to action to invite comments. When a comment is posted to your article, it reloads the page the reader was looking at - adding 1 page view for you. 1 view's not worth much, but they'll add up if you have half-decent copywriting skills.

    You can't have a byline at AC, but you do get a profile page. From here you can write up a bio and add clickable links to your site. I've used the profile page to get a new website indexed very quickly and also to get some affiliate sign-ups. Don't forget to fill this part out, especially if you're going to be posting hundreds of articles.

    AC's also got a decent PR (I want to say it's a PR6?), so it may be worthwhile to write up some new unique articles to backlink to existing marketing articles and/or back to your website. Even if you're just using the site as a way to republish old articles, you can still maximize your results with a few extra minutes of effort.
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  • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
    Anyone else here been giving this a shot? I've finished up most of my submissions. Still getting a good amount of traffic trickling in from last weeks submissions. There's that initial burst, then it sort of calms down, but I can attribute one of my sites getting around 500+ uniques in the last week. I was barely even hitting that per month a few months back.

    Take advantage of this - It's worth your time
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    • Profile picture of the author darenet
      Originally Posted by bhuff85 View Post

      Anyone else here been giving this a shot? I've finished up most of my submissions. Still getting a good amount of traffic trickling in from last weeks submissions. There's that initial burst, then it sort of calms down, but I can attribute one of my sites getting around 500+ uniques in the last week. I was barely even hitting that per month a few months back.

      Take advantage of this - It's worth your time
      Is this still working? I'm going to try this tomorrow.
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