Your article writing ISN'T working! This is why:

153 replies
I'm not a stranger to writing my own articles, be that for my blogs or for directories (promotional/traffic generation).

I have been a freelance writer for 4 years (or just under), and I can safely say there is a LOT to learn from writing.

I also decided to check out my competition when I was running my writing business. Companies offering a PLR SEO optimized article (500 words) for $5? Bull.

I ordered one, gave them a topic and 4 days later received what I can only describe as crap from my garden. Absolute trash.

They had essentially span an article using software, and then manually recorrected 80% of the errors. Yes, 80%. There were stupid grammatical errors that even somebody learning English would be able to spot, so I stuck with my own business.

When it came to SEO, it was traditionally stuffed. Imagine a Christmas Turkey (or Thanksgiving), now imagine that's rammed full of very bad tasting herbs. That's essentially what I was looking at, metaphorically speaking of course.

They had simply copied a single phrase (for examples sake, I'll use "Alertpay to Paypal conversion), and had placed it every 5 lines down the article. Regardless of whether it made sense of not, it was there.

So I advise that if you know English at an okay level (fluent is better!), stick to writing yourself. You'll save a ton of $$$ in the long run, improve your English ten fold and join the few people who offer a great service.

So Jamie, why isn't my article writing working?

The key to article writing is effeciency and stucture. If you're writing about a topic you know well, the content isn't an issue. You have the idea, and you just want to dive in.

STOP.

Before you begin writing, go a quick search over at the Google Keyword Tool. If you haven't used it before, get used to it. It will help you a great deal, and always will!

Now, the best way to generate real traffic from article directory listings is not through the link juice. It helps, but it's not what you want primarily.
The key is HUMAN traffic. No good ever came from a bot reading your posts. They can't add their opinion, click your ads or go through to your affliate links. Sure they can rank you up, but interaction is a great way to generate income.

After using the Google Keyword Tool, start writing your article.

Let's take this for example:

Using the phrase I gave earlier on (Alertpay to Paypal conversion), I'll do a quick Keyword search to find out which term has low competition and good search volume. Here are the results:



As you can see, I have put a red box around the best keyword phrase to use.

Our original phrase alertpay to paypal conversion had so little searches that nothing came up.

BUT

as you can see from the red box, Paypal to alertpay has 18k monthly searches, and [i]low[/b] competition.

If I had written the article on Alertpay to paypal conversion, it may have been a perfect article and accepted to top directories, but it wouldn't have bought in any human traffic. Bots will pick it up and index your site along with the article, but nothing human based will be gained.

After you've writing your article, re-read it through and make sure you've included the main keyword phrase (paypal to alertpay) 3 to 4 times. Do not keyword stuff.

Remember to research everything you need before hand. If you can't read it, nobody else can. It must be readable, quality and best of all, SEO optimised.

Enjoy your new reign over your niches!

- Jamie.
#article #working #writing
  • Profile picture of the author TiffLee
    So, what does that 18,100 number collaspe down to when you do an [EXACT MATCH] search?

    ... probably see a considerable difference.
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    • Profile picture of the author nohypo
      Originally Posted by TiffLee View Post

      So, what does that 18,100 number collaspe down to when you do an [EXACT MATCH] search?

      ... probably see a considerable difference.
      thanks.it is the point
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  • Profile picture of the author James Gould
    Not likely. Typically they are stable numbers, you will still have to fight against the competition, but the search volume is high enough to be able to do it easily.
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    • Profile picture of the author TiffLee
      Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

      Not likely. Typically they are stable numbers, you will still have to fight against the competition, but the search volume is high enough to be able to do it easily.
      Just checked myself ... it goes from 18,100 to 1,000.

      Hardly a keyword phrase I'd be going after.
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      • Profile picture of the author nicheblogger75
        Originally Posted by TiffLee View Post

        Just checked myself ... it goes from 18,100 to 1,000.

        Hardly a keyword phrase I'd be going after.
        I would have to disagree Tiff. While 1,000 is a low number, sometimes those are the best to go after. If you target say, 50 terms like that related to oyur niche, the traffic from all of them should be quite substantial.

        I used to target terms like that and publish to HubPages because you could almost get on page 1 for those terms with a Hub, but since they have disallowed just about every kind of link that could potentially make you money, I don't anymore. I guess you could still make Adsense revenue, but why take a percentage from HubPages when you could publish to your own blog and keep 100%?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kecia
    It should be noted that you aren't (or shouldn't be) really looking for human traffic when you submit to directories. What you want to do is present a quality article that will be picked up by others that have visited the directory to grab content for their sites. Providing content that is perfect for syndication is key, and can be much more effective than relying on SEO, especially with the recent Google updates.

    This is how you gain the most from using article directories.
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by Kecia View Post

      It should be noted that you aren't (or shouldn't be) really looking for human traffic when you submit to directories. What you want to do is present a quality article that will be picked up by others




      ALIENS ARE USING MY ARTICLES
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    • Profile picture of the author RoniShwartz
      Originally Posted by Kecia View Post

      It should be noted that you aren't (or shouldn't be) really looking for human traffic when you submit to directories. What you want to do is present a quality article that will be picked up by others that have visited the directory to grab content for their sites. Providing content that is perfect for syndication is key, and can be much more effective than relying on SEO, especially with the recent Google updates.

      This is how you gain the most from using article directories.
      But what exactly is "content that is perfect for syndication" ??? Is there any good online-guide, or nice and detailed article that explains what, exactly, is that "perfect article" that every ezine owner would just love to republish ???

      Many thanks, Roni
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  • Profile picture of the author James Gould
    Google's new update focusses on quality of content, so generating SEO effective and quality articles is key.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

      Google's new update focusses on quality of content, so generating SEO effective and quality articles is key.
      It is if your business model is one that depends on Google for traffic, perhaps, yes.

      One of the things I like about article marketing, and the way it's built my business up into secure, gradually increasing residual income from work already done, is that it's a business model that doesn't depend on SEO for its traffic.

      "Curiously(?)" (though not really), none of the people I know to be successfully building article marketing businesses is primarily concerned about their articles being "SEO-effective". That's because we're writing for people, not for search engines.

      If your primary concern about writing articles is they should be "SEO-effective", then your business may (as so many Warriors have been finding to their huge cost, this year) be Google-dependent and turn out to be only one sudden algorithm-change away from a disaster.

      This isn't what article marketing is all about, at all - it really, really isn't.
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      • Profile picture of the author James Gould
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It is if your business model is one that depends on Google for traffic, perhaps, yes.

        One of the things I like about article marketing, and the way it's built my business up into secure, gradually increasing residual income from work already done, is that it's a business model that doesn't depend on SEO for its traffic.

        "Curiously(?)" (though not really), none of the people I know to be successfully building article marketing businesses is primarily concerned about their articles being "SEO-effective". That's because we're writing for people, not for search engines.

        If your primary concern about writing articles is they should be "SEO-effective", then your business may (as so many Warriors have been finding to their huge cost, this year) be Google-dependent and turn out to be only one sudden algorithm-change away from a disaster.

        This isn't what article marketing is all about, at all - it really isn't.

        Pretty much my point. Building human traffic is a vital part of growing a business, a website or others. If you're simply using articles to boost SEO, as you've said, you're 1 algorithm away from being kicked up the arse.

        Remember when backlinks were #1 to get rankings? Not any more!

        - Jamie.
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        • Profile picture of the author ajparker
          Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

          Pretty much my point. Building human traffic is a vital part of growing a business, a website or others. If you're simply using articles to boost SEO, as you've said, you're 1 algorithm away from being kicked up the arse.

          Remember when backlinks were #1 to get rankings? Not any more!

          - Jamie.
          Writing for human traffic is definitely a win win. Many people unfortunately misunderstand the idea that google can't interpret crap writing from good writing. To a point that's true, good advice on dog grooming versus poor advice can't be determined. They may not be able to rate Hemingway in comparison to a High School english teacher - but I wonder if there might be a day that a certain scoring of grammar checking might not be a ranking factor. (Or maybe they're already using it to determine "quality" content now as one of their many factors?)

          1. "One might wonder others would not be able to strain bad created on paper groups of collections of words like the same?"

          2. Do you really think they couldn't sift out poorly written sentences such as this one?

          I don't have quick access to a grammar checker at the moment but I would think the second sentence would score better than the first... If Microsoft Word can check grammar - why not google?

          Avery
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          • Profile picture of the author PLRExpress
            I understand what you mean about using articles directed at humans for article directory submissions - that's been key to my fairly high levels of syndication.

            But I don't really get what you mean about keyword-optimization of those articles. That way, when my article gets syndicated, the one that picks it up will get more benefit from that than me.

            I like my own site to be the most keyword optimized site with the article submissions as a support.
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      • Profile picture of the author mrjosco
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It is if your business model is one that depends on Google for traffic, perhaps, yes.

        One of the things I like about article marketing, and the way it's built my business up into secure, gradually increasing residual income from work already done, is that it's a business model that doesn't depend on SEO for its traffic.

        "Curiously(?)" (though not really), none of the people I know to be successfully building article marketing businesses is primarily concerned about their articles being "SEO-effective". That's because we're writing for people, not for search engines.

        If your primary concern about writing articles is they should be "SEO-effective", then your business may (as so many Warriors have been finding to their huge cost, this year) be Google-dependent and turn out to be only one sudden algorithm-change away from a disaster.

        This isn't what article marketing is all about, at all - it really, really isn't.
        What I am having trouble understanding is why is this always framed as an either/or and not an "and". Why would you not do keyword research and maximize your articles SEO (without harming quality) and enjoy Google traffic AND traffic from syndication?

        It seems that to only do Google is too risky, but to ignore google is pretty silly as well.

        Since article syndication is reliant on others re posting your info and google on SEO it seems using both in a single article can give you better chance of driving traffic from your efforts.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by mrjosco View Post

          What I am having trouble understanding is why is this always framed as an either/or and not an "and".
          In general, on this issue, that's partly because some of the advice given (on "article directory marketing") is advice which can actually damage your own website's SEO, and your own business.

          This is why people who follow misguided information on this subject can sometimes even end up with a website that can't outrank an article directory. (I know that's hard to imagine, these days, even for a pretty new site, but it can happen).

          The reality is that they're doing it to themselves, by believing all the advice they read on the subject, and not appreciating the long-term dangers of sending their potential customer traffic to article directories where they lose most of it.

          Originally Posted by mrjosco View Post

          Why would you not do keyword research and maximize your articles SEO (without harming quality)
          More experienced and successful article marketers, who are building their businesses to produce gradually increasing residual income from work already done, seem not to be able to maximise their articles' SEO without harming quality.

          None of the professional writers I know can do it.

          (Professional copywriters won't even try to do it.)

          I can't do it, either.

          I also know a lot of people who think they can do it, but the reality is that (to put it very politely) they don't very readily get their articles syndicated to authority sites, and they sometimes end up simply trying to use article directories for their own traffic and their own backlinks; or (to put it less politely but more accurately) their writing typically sucks, big time. That isn't "article marketing". :p

          I'm not suggesting that keyword research should play absolutely no part in writing articles, simply that it's very much less important than many believe, and that in reality "writing for SEO" and "writing for syndication" have many mutually exclusive attributes.

          Originally Posted by mrjosco View Post

          and enjoy Google traffic AND traffic from syndication?
          Ironically, when you write for syndication, successfully, you get FAR more Google traffic, because of the backlinks you get from people syndicating your articles to relevant sites. And because your customer traffic doesn't swan off to article directories where you lose most of it. :rolleyes: :p

          This is the underlying basis of article marketing: your articles are going to be syndicated only by people (publishers/webmasters) who already have pre-targeted traffic for your niche (which means "relevant to your site"). Otherwise they wouldn't want your articles in the first place, would they?

          Once you almost stop writing for SEO, you get far higher rankings, simply because what affects your position in the SERP's is the degree of relevance of the backlinks.

          Even before the Panda updates devalued the article directories so much, SEO textbook writers were saying (rightly) that you'll need something between 50,000 and 100,000 article directory backlinks to give the linkjuice equivalent to one backlink from a relevant authority site. People just don't appreciate the overwhelming difference that "relevance" and "quality" make. It's normally the difference between making a living and not making a living.

          Originally Posted by mrjosco View Post

          Since article syndication is reliant on others re posting your info and google on SEO it seems using both in a single article can give you better chance of driving traffic from your efforts.
          I think we can probably agree that it isn't possible to write a high quality article without using the major keyword in it several times, and incidentally using several LSI keywords, too? You don't need to think about SEO (nor even to know what the LSI keywords are!) to achieve that.

          For most people, most of the time, trying to do more than that will actually be reducing their syndication-prospects.

          Article marketing is not "a form of SEO". It's a traffic-generator in its own right.

          Paradoxically (well, not really!), you can end up with far better SEO when you more or less forget about "consciously" including keywords in your articles.
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          • Profile picture of the author Chetan Patil
            [
            =Alexa Smith

            Once you almost stop writing for SEO, you get far higher rankings, simply because what affects your position in the SERP's .......
            Don't say this for heaven's sake ! Do you mean to say that all those thousands of pages explaining SEO techniques on the internet and all efforts of webmasters, spending lots of hours on this...is it all useless ?
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            • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Chetan Patil View Post

              Do you mean to say that all those thousands of pages explaining SEO techniques on the internet and all efforts of webmasters, spending lots of hours on this...is it all useless ?
              I didn't say that (and wouldn't!). But as it applies to any kind of article marketing, I'm afraid it's typically a combination of ...

              (i) urban myths based on misunderstandings;

              (ii) deceptive misinformation from people with their own agendas involving selling "tools" which allegedly fulfil functions that ("mysteriously") no serious, successful, professional article marketer needs to be fulfilled at all;

              (iii) terribly out-of-date information (of which there's rather a lot about!).

              Article marketing is not a form of SEO.

              Here's some accurate, realistic, unincentivised, up-to-date information and advice, if it helps ...

              Always publish all your articles on your own site first, before ever submitting any of them anywhere else at all. In this thread, a whole succession of professional, experienced, successful article marketers explain all their shared reasons for doing so. This is absolutely fundamental to any kind of article marketing: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...eza-first.html

              There's no benefit at all from "spinning" articles. It's explained in detail in this thread: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...necessary.html

              Don't get confused between "duplicate content" and "syndicated content". This little article clarifies the difference in very simple terms: Article Marketers - Lay the Duplicate Content Myth To Rest Once and For All | Internet Marketing and Publishing

              Using article directories for their own backlinks is a fallacy, as explained here. And here.

              If they interest you, these few recent threads are worth a read-through, to appreciate the current position with article marketing (actually including "how to use article directories").

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

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

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

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

              Good luck!
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              • Profile picture of the author Tom Ryan
                Alexa, when you are syndicating your articles are you linking directly to your home page each time or are you linking your articles to another related page on your site with keyword anchor text to get some seo benefit?

                I guess I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do a resource box for syndication.
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                • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
                  Banned
                  Originally Posted by Tom Ryan View Post

                  Alexa, when you are syndicating your articles are you linking directly to your home page each time or are you linking your articles to another related page on your site with keyword anchor text to get some seo benefit?
                  Yes, one of each. In the "standard resource box situation" in which two backlinks are allowed (e.g. at EZA). Typically I'll have the first, more prominently worded one as a link to my landing page, and the second link to some inner page of my site for which I'd also quite like to achieve some off-page SEO (and that inner page will also contain my opt-in, of course, and is "ready for traffic", just in case). So at least 50% of my total links are to my main landing page (home page), and the rest split up between various inner pages which each get smaller numbers of backlinks. If I have only one backlink (as on some sites to which I syndicate articles) it will always be to my home page.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It is if your business model is one that depends on Google for traffic, perhaps, yes.

        One of the things I like about article marketing, and the way it's built my business up into secure, gradually increasing residual income from work already done, is that it's a business model that doesn't depend on SEO for its traffic.

        "Curiously(?)" (though not really), none of the people I know to be successfully building article marketing businesses is primarily concerned about their articles being "SEO-effective". That's because we're writing for people, not for search engines.

        If your primary concern about writing articles is they should be "SEO-effective", then your business may (as so many Warriors have been finding to their huge cost, this year) be Google-dependent and turn out to be only one sudden algorithm-change away from a disaster.

        This isn't what article marketing is all about, at all - it really, really isn't.
        I have a couple of problems with this post.

        First, it assumes that "SEO effective" is to rank highly for a single keyword phrase, or as I call it a "trophy ranking". The goal is to get TRAFFIC, not a single good "ranking" and this is done through strategic use of keword combinations, not typical SE optimization.

        Second, it assumes that a person can't write for BOTH the SEs and for real people.

        Third is the bogus claim that article syndicators are writing for people first. This is BS. They are writing for the ARTICLE DIRECTORIES FIRST and people second...And I'll prove it with these questions:

        Article Syndicator Test: People First?

        1. When writing an article for syndication, have you ever embedded a YouTube video that may enhance your text? If not, why not?

        2. When writing/submitting an article for syndication, have you ever included a picture? This could be a diagram or chart, etc, anything that may enhance the readers' experience? If not, why not?

        3. When writing/submitting an article for syndication, have you ever included a number of links pointing to other websites/pages that offer more information than your article does? If not, why not?

        I think if people answer these questions honestly they'll see they really aren't writing for people, but rather for the article directories and for the publishers they hope will use their articles first. I believe many use the cliche "I write for people" as a means to disparage those that have motive other than themselves. But in reality, it isn't reality.

        When I write content for my own sites, I write for people AND for search engines. First, I write for people and add images, videos, and links where they are helpful. I then go back over the article and add some SEO friendly elements. Often, good SEO can be people friendly too, such as proper header tags, etc. Good keyword theme research also give a good idea of what to write about, etc.

        And because I can include images, videos and links on my content on my own sites, I make this content THE BEST content I produce. Article directory rules don't allow my to submit THE BEST possible content, so I use different content for that purpose.
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        • Profile picture of the author RDInfo
          That's perhaps because you look at "traffic" very differently from others? I don't understand in what way you think you'd come across as a "thief" by doing this? Why would people mind that?
          Because even if the the webmaster/blogger is only a passioned person with no IM awareness, he has taken time to attract visitors to his website by writting articles, by creating images, by creating videos, by talking with his visitors.

          So i feel that the landing page has to be a presell page rather than directly a salespage. But of course i understand that it depends on the kind of topic and products we are dealing with.
          If you write an article about a new pair of rollers, and you offer a discount code to the communities of the webmasters/bloggers, they will appreciate to go directly to the salespage

          On the contrary, if the website/blog you try to share your article with, has a wemaster/blogger with IM awareness or IT awareness, i think he will perceive this as stealing his traffic. That's why i suggested to maybe approach these kind of guys with a PPC offer or a PPA offer.

          The problem remains : how to distinguish between the two ? I guess you have some unanswered emails or "no thanks, i am not interested" responses ?



          You seem - to simplify - to be saying "but this would be a problem" and "but that would be a problem", and to me (and fortunately to everyone else I deal with) they're undeniably factual realities but they're simply not "problems" at all.
          That is good to know. But it may only be true for some topics where the webmasters/bloggers have no IM awareness and no IT awareness.
          Or maybe you have a really unique approach to write your articles and your preselling page.



          Sorry if i have not been clear with my previous explanations, so here is a clearer question :

          In your article, do you put a link which redirects to a page where you presell your infoproduct or your product, or do you put a link which redirects directly to a salespage ?



          Apologies ... I really can't; sorry.
          I understand, that's ok



          Thanks,
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          First, it assumes that "SEO effective" is to rank highly for a single keyword phrase
          This is just wrong. It makes absolutely no such assumption at all.

          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          Third is the bogus claim that article syndicators are writing for people first. This is BS. They are writing for the ARTICLE DIRECTORIES FIRST and people second
          This isn't just "wrong" - it's actually ludicrous nonsense: some article syndicators don't even use article directories at all, let alone "FIRST".

          As can be seen from this post, it's possible to build up a highly successful business by article syndication without search engines or SEO or article directories necessarily being involved in the story.

          Interpreting everything to do with article marketing solely in terms of "ranking considerations" is just fundamentally missing the point of article marketing.
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          • Profile picture of the author JB Jiles
            Banned
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            This is just wrong. It makes absolutely no such assumption at all.



            This isn't just "wrong" - it's actually ludicrous nonsense: some article syndicators don't even use article directories at all, let alone "FIRST".

            As can be seen from this post, it's possible to build up a highly successful business by article syndication without search engines or SEO or article directories necessarily being involved in the story.

            Interpreting everything to do with article marketing solely in terms of "ranking considerations" is just fundamentally missing the point of article marketing.
            I could not be any clearer on the the proper way to do article marketing! What more is there to know? Just get going on it if that is where your inclinations lie.

            It takes a while sometimes to figure out who actually is on the ball and whose views actually appeal the most to reason and common sense, not to mention the dark alleys that are always present! You even took a bit of a beating today here, but the soundness of your positions is what stood out to me. Thanks.
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          • Profile picture of the author Kurt
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            This is just wrong. It makes absolutely no such assumption at all.



            This isn't just "wrong" - it's actually ludicrous nonsense: some article syndicators don't even use article directories at all, let alone "FIRST".

            As can be seen from this post, it's possible to build up a highly successful business by article syndication without search engines or SEO or article directories necessarily being involved in the story.

            Interpreting everything to do with article marketing solely in terms of "ranking considerations" is just fundamentally missing the point of article marketing.
            I will admit that my use of the phrase "article directories" may not have been perfectly clear. I'm surprised you couldn't figure out the intent. I didn't say all free lance writers submit ONLY to article directories, I said those that do, write for the directories FIRST and readers SECOND.

            And this was the main point of my post, which you totally avoided.

            Despite your graphic use of adjectives, my point is 100% valid. YOU WRITE TO BE SYNDICATED FIRST! READERS COME SECOND!

            Again, the proof is, have you EVER added video, links to more resources, graphs, pictures or images to ANY of your articles you intend to syndicate?

            There's nothing wrong with writing for syndication and leaving out multi-media and links to other pages in order for other sites to publish your work, even though those things are often beneficial to the readers.

            My point is, you write to be PUBLISHED FIRST, the readers come SECOND. To think otherwise is a clear sign of denial.

            This doesn't mean you can't provide quality content, just as it doesn't mean someone that writes with search engines in mind can't produce quality content.

            I gave you a fair test to see if you truly do write for people first...After all, when I write with SEs in mind, I often include links, videos and pictures. You didn't respond to a single direct question. I wonder why? Are the answers inconvenient to your point?
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            • Profile picture of the author MattCatania
              Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

              My point is, you write to be PUBLISHED FIRST, the readers come SECOND. To think otherwise is a clear sign of denial.
              Whilst this sounds completely logical - the only way you'll get published is to write about topics that will engage your readers (or your syndicated outlets' readers). Nobody in their right mind would be willing to displease their readers with articles that won't hold their interest for more than a second.

              So, I'd say that you're writing to BOTH be published and please the readers - these are potentially inclusive, in my opinion.
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              Logic outweighs all.

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      • Profile picture of the author Steven Fullman
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        That's because we're writing for people, not for search engines.

        If your primary concern about writing articles is they should be "SEO-effective", then your business may (as so many Warriors have been finding to their huge cost, this year) be Google-dependent and turn out to be only one sudden algorithm-change away from a disaster.

        This isn't what article marketing is all about, at all - it really, really isn't.
        Hi Alexa,

        I've heard this arguments for years.

        Write for people, not search engines.

        And of course, it makes sense -- especially in the MMOsphere -- since it's pretty rare for search bots to actually buy stuff.

        But it's utter tosh.

        Every news agency in the world follows strict SEO style guides, patterns and rules for their writers. Social media is being targeted this way too.

        You are a talented writer, so you almost certainly write *first* for people, but either consciously or unconsciously I guarantee you *also* write with SEO in mind.

        To tell new folks that writing for people is *good enough*, is absolutely wrong, I'm afraid.

        Cheers,
        Steve
        Signature

        Not promoting right now

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  • Profile picture of the author James Gould
    I wasn't suggesting that people write for that niche, I used it as an example.
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    • Profile picture of the author TiffLee
      Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

      I wasn't suggesting that people write for that niche, I used it as an example.
      I understand that and I'm not attempting to make some sort of noble stand.

      ... just want any 'newbies' who happen to read this thread to know that it is vital to seach using the [EXACT MATCH] option. Otherwise, your keyword research will be rather fruitless in terms of the amount of actual traffic you will receive (that is, even if you do SEO correctly).
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  • Profile picture of the author jahangir87
    Hi Jamie thats an excellent post from you.The method is not new to me.This is the real method of writing articles that can drive real human traffic and rank your articles in the search engines.
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    • Profile picture of the author James Gould
      Originally Posted by jahangir87 View Post

      Hi Jamie thats an excellent post from you.The method is not new to me.This is the real method of writing articles that can drive real human traffic and rank your articles in the search engines.
      Thanks for your feedback.

      I agree, people underestimate the use of human traffic from article directories. They see it as the small bonus they MAY get, when in fact it's a great tool to utilise.

      Originally Posted by TiffLee View Post

      I understand that and I'm not attempting to make some sort of noble stand.

      ... just want any 'newbies' who happen to read this thread to know that it is vital to seach using the [EXACT MATCH] option. Otherwise, your keyword research will be rather fruitless in terms of the amount of actual traffic you will receive (that is, even if you do SEO correctly).
      I agree, I've seen a lot of people not even use the Keyword Tool before and suffered because of it. Clearly veteran writers are aware of the use, but people who are looking to drive more traffic from article directories and aren't experienced will benefit from the thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kom
    Hi Jamie Gould.
    What you said absolutly Right,Top tips

    To fight with high competition is hard, so we better fight with low compatition ,
    Even though just 300 search a month that is not bad,
    I did the same thing,
    but what I did just multiply all small competition in one,
    what I mean here is;
    say it 300 search , looking closed for 5 keywords like that with the same method,
    will change the value = 300 X 5 = 1500 search a month
    if you can multiplly to 50 = well...then will be 15000 a month
    it make any sense ?

    That is my opinion !
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    • Profile picture of the author James Gould
      Originally Posted by Kom View Post

      Hi Jamie Gould.
      What you said absolutly Right,Top tips

      To fight with high competition is hard, so we better fight with low compatition ,
      Even though just 300 search a month that is not bad,
      I did the same thing,
      but what I did just multiply all small competition in one,
      what I mean here is;
      say it 300 search , looking closed for 5 keywords like that with the same method,
      will change the value = 300 X 5 = 1500 search a month
      if you can multiplly to 50 = well...then will be 15000 a month
      it make any sense ?

      That is my opinion !
      Yes it made sense

      thanks for your addition!
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  • Profile picture of the author Elizabeth Fee
    Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

    as you can see from the red box, Paypal to alertpay has 18k monthly searches, and [i]low[/b] competition.
    I think your overall message is very valuable and important. I just wanted to quickly point out that the competition column in the Keywords Tool is not a direct reflection of how competitive that keyword is (i.e. the number of sites also competing for that keyword). This is a measurement of how many advertisers are actually bidding for that keyword (in Adwords).

    Further research needs to be done to really determine if a specific keyword is too competitive to go after. Just thought this important to mention.

    Your advice about not "over-stuffing" your articles with keywords is an important one. Good demonstration and message overall.

    Elizabeth
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  • Profile picture of the author danr62
    This is a great example of how not to use the Google Keyword Tool.

    When researching keywords, you should always change to EXACT match.

    Also, the competition listed in the keywords tool is irrelevant to SEO. The tool only shows how competitive the keyword is fo paid search. If it's low, that means there are relatively few bidders for that keyword in Adwords. This has no bearing and often no correlation to the competitiveness of the keyword in organic search.

    Also, as Alexa said, why would you want to drive your SEO traffic to an article directory? If your article gets 500 views a month and 25% clickthrough, you are only getting 125 visitors to your site from that article, when you could be getting all 500 if you posted the article to your own site.
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    • Profile picture of the author James Gould
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      Also, as Alexa said, why would you want to drive your SEO traffic to an article directory? If your article gets 500 views a month and 25% clickthrough, you are only getting 125 visitors to your site from that article, when you could be getting all 500 if you posted the article to your own site.
      Because if your site ranks lower than the article directory, your keyword competition (no matter how low) may rank above you.

      The same article from a PR0 site and a PR5 site will rank differently, and you'll gain more exposure.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      Also, as Alexa said, why would you want to drive your SEO traffic to an article directory?
      Yes indeed ... no possible reason that I can imagine.

      When a potential customer finds one of your articles by putting one of its keywords into a search engine and clicks on a SERP's link to read it, the last thing you want them finding is an article directory copy, because we all lose most of that traffic. That's not whom the article directory copies are there for, of course.

      Remember that the words "I have a 25% click-through rate from XYZ Article Directory" are another way of saying "I lose 75% of my traffic at XYZ Article Directory". If you arrange for all that traffic to come directly to your own site instead (which is so easy to do, these days, now the Panda updates have helped us all out so much by removing the directories from the front page of the SERP's and making it so much easier for us to rank our own sites), there'll be four times as much of it. That's not a bad deal, is it, quadrupling your traffic from learning what article directories are really there for and how to use them appropriately?

      Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

      Because if your site ranks lower than the article directory, your keyword competition (no matter how low) may rank above you.

      The same article from a PR0 site and a PR5 site will rank differently, and you'll gain more exposure.
      This is completely wrong, Jamie. Sorry - I mean it with no hostility at all.

      Article directories are websites, and websites don't "have page rank". PAGES have page rank. You're referring only to the page-rank of a directory's own home page (not very relevant because that isn't where your articles are published!)

      Article directory articles are non-context-relevant, PR-0 backlinks.

      If your own site can't outrank an article directory, after the Panda updates have so kindly all-but-destroyed the SEO of article directories (as even their owners have so openly been commenting), you have far bigger problems than can be rectified by any information in this thread!

      And, of course, "you did it to yourself". By sending traffic and/or building backlinks to an article directory rather than to your own site. The exact opposite of what one should do. :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author Teacherman
    If you want a decent writer it's going to cost more than $5. It really is that simple for the long-term.
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  • Profile picture of the author Christophe Young
    One thing that confuses me when I see these Article Marketing threads is that most say it's not about SEO and when using Article Marketing, you're not dependent on Google or other search engines.

    But aren't your customers in fact using Google to find your site via your targeted keywords by entering them in a search engine to get to your articles posted on your site.

    So, it would seem Article Marketing is really dependent on the Search Engines unless they are finding your articles some other way I'm not aware of. Even if they find one of your articles syndicated on another site, didn't they use Google to find it?
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

      aren't your customers in fact using Google to find your site via your targeted keywords by entering them in a search engine to get to your articles posted on your site.
      No - of course not.

      Well, most of mine aren't at all, anyway.

      Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

      So, it would seem Article Marketing is really dependent on the Search Engines
      Absolutely not.

      It's a business model which is not dependent on search engines for its primary traffic.

      Article marketing is not a form of SEO: it's a traffic-generating system in its own right, independently of search engines.

      Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

      unless they are finding your articles some other way I'm not aware of.
      Yes, they are.

      They're finding it through the syndication of our articles, but they're not finding those articles with a search engine.

      If Google didn't exist at all, or if my sites were all de-indexed tomorrow, they'd still find them in exactly the same ways they do now.

      (Ok - I'm exaggerating, because I do get maybe 15% of my traffic from Google, as it happens, but regarding the other 85%, what I'm saying is true. It's also true that the 15% of traffic I do get from Google is, just on its own, far more traffic than I ever got from Google when I was doing "article directory marketing", trying to use article directories for their own traffic and their own backlinks, and using spinning and mass-submission software, and - with hindsight - had absolutely no idea at all what I was doing).

      Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

      Even if they find one of your articles syndicated on another site, didn't they use Google to find it?
      No.

      Please excuse my not typing it all out yet again, Christophe, but there are many, many links to other posts and threads in post #25 above which explain all of this in great detail.
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  • Profile picture of the author Christophe Young
    Thanks Alexa. Believe me, I've read through most of the threads but what I'm looking for is one example of how a targeted lead would find your syndicated articles, if not from the search engines.

    Yes, they are.

    They're finding it through the syndication of our articles, but they're not finding those articles with a search engine.

    If Google didn't exist at all, or if my sites were all de-indexed tomorrow, they'd still find them in exactly the same ways they do now.
    Which is?

    An example; I want as many leads as possible to find out about my new gardening ebook. I have articles all over the place with the purpose of getting these leads to my opt in page. How are they finding my articles without using the Search Engines?

    Advertising on similar niche related blogs and things like ad swaps I'm familiar with, but I don't think you'd use articles in advertising.

    Maybe I'm missing something.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

      what I'm looking for is one example of how a targeted lead would find your syndicated articles, if not from the search engines.
      I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).

      The article has a witty opening, heaps of controversy and entertainment all the way through, laughs in all the right places, and a real sting in the tail.

      I published it on my site straight away and had it indexed there. Then I sent it out to my network of "syndicators of cauliflower soup recipe articles".

      I've been building this list up over the last year.

      Some of them are ezine publishers with subscription-lists in the tens of thousands - you know how popular recipes are?

      Some are people with "soup blogs".

      Some are people with blogs about "how to feed your kids quickly/cheaply".

      Some are people with blogs about "WTF am I supposed to do with all these damn cauliflowers?"

      Some are university/college departments with "domestic science courses" who publish special recipes from special contributors known to steal recipes from the restaurants of 5* hotels (that'll be me).

      Some are just people who have previously re-published one or two or three or four of my articles from Ezine Articles by going to EZA looking for articles to publish (not by using a search engine - they already know that "inside EZA" is the place to look, and they're right) where I'll eventually dump a copy of this article, too. I "meet" a lot of people that way.

      And so on.

      I'm missing some bits out, but you get the idea?

      Those people, between the whole lot of them, have access to tens of thousands of subscribers to their ezines/blogs/newsletters/websites/whatever. (It's only tens of thousands because we're talking about cauliflower soup - in real niches it can be hundreds of thousands). And they all need content to publish all the time, of course (these are the people for whom article directories exist, so they can go there and find it).

      18 (or 28, or 38) of them want to use my content (the article we're talking about), and they all send it out to their subscribers or put it on their websites for all their regularly returning visitors, and so on and so forth. They got free content and I got a free link.

      I get a flood of highly targeted traffic from that article to my own niche site, and a few hundred of them opt in (maybe a lot more than just a few hundred, if I got lucky!), because they see that in exchange for their email address I'll (a) send them the little ebook giving the world's three best cauliflower soup recipes, and (b) send them an email once a week giving them more, and telling them about <add a range of other related articles here>. Which is exactly what they want.

      Some of them even see a "soup information product" reviewed on my website and immediately buy it (that's my ClickBank affiliate link). The rest will just have to buy it later, when I send them autoresponder email - just like any other marketer's "list customers".

      I got a flood of targeted traffic. I didn't do the targeting myself. All I did was write one article and send it out to the people on my syndication-list.

      I do one of these every day. Hey ... I'm lazy and busy and everything, but even I can write one article per day. (Well, nearly - I write about 5 per week, to be honest ).

      Later, I dump that article in EZA. Nobody ever finds that copy through a search engine (thankfully for me - I'd hate my potential search engine traffic to go to EZA rather than to my own site!), but some more publishers I never found and don't know about go to EZA looking for content, next month, and they use EZA's search-function and they put the word "soup" (or "cauliflower", if you like) into it, and up pops my article under the name of Veroushka Vegetable-Queen, and they read it and say "Oh wow, yes, I want to share this one with my readers. AND it's 1,200 words which means I don't have to find anything else, either - what a result!" And I'll track them down (easily) and contact them and offer them another 5 articles and add them to my syndication-list, which continues to grow.

      Did you notice something, here?

      At no stage did anyone involved in the entire story use a search engine at all.

      Clearer, now?

      (Apologies, Christophe, for using such a ridiculous "niche" as an example: it's late at night here and I'm tired and couldn't be bothered to think of a realistic one. But you can see what I mean about getting masses of highly targeted traffic every day without any search engine being involved, I think?)

      PS It's true that I will also get some search engine traffic, probably, later, because let's face it: "cauliflower soup" is pretty easy to rank for, and I now have 20 relevant websites out there with my article on it and a link to my site (including Harvard University soup kitchens department, and let me tell you, in this niche that's a real authority-site), so my SEO is also looking pretty good, compared with that of all the people who wrote a 500-word article and then mass-submitted it to 1,000 article directories using an auto-submitter (and nobody much ever reads it anyway), because their backlinks are worthless compared with mine: mine are relevant ones, I tell you - just the ones those nice little people inside Google's magic algorithms bow down and worship.

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      • Profile picture of the author Leslie B
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).

        The article has a witty opening, heaps of controversy and entertainment all the way through, laughs in all the right places, and a real sting in the tail.

        - CUT -
        Alexa,

        I'm just wondering, do you do that for each article on your site (meaning that you don't have any article on your site that isn't published somewhere else too) or do you only do that for certain articles on your site?

        Just curious since I'm trying this model for my latest site and would appreciate some insider knowledge from you, if you don't mind

        Leslie
        Signature
        Taking it one day at a time!
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

          Why a webmaster would be interested to post an article with a link to another website where there is an optin form or an infoproduct to buy or an affiliate link which redirects to a page with a physical product to buy ?
          To be able to share your content with his readers. (The same reason for which all syndicators/publishers of articles want them. That's the need for which article directories were set up, you know?).

          Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

          I don't understand really. It is as you are giving away all you list and your traffic to a stranger for free... And let him monetize your list and traffic.
          I suspect perhaps you don't understand because (a) you're looking at it from the perspective of a competing marketer (I wouldn't expect them to be syndicating my articles), and (b) you haven't appreciated what article directories are and why they exist (there would be no need for them at all if what you're saying were a very widespread concern, would there?).

          http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ries-work.html

          Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

          If there would be an affiliate link (with a pay per click remuneration, or with a pay per action remuneration) in the article that the webmaster post on his website or on his blog or in his ezine or in his newsletter, then i understand why he would do this.
          Again, I think you're assuming that all websites belong to marketers, or something?

          Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

          i also remember that in one of your post Alexa, you have explained that you always make sure that a clickbank landing page does not contain an optin or a "leak". So why webmasters allow this ?
          Again, I think you're assuming that all websites belong to marketers, or something?

          Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

          2)Can you explain to me how you contact these webmasters ? A simple message like this is ok ?
          No; not at all ok.

          You have to approach them individually as people with whom you want to build a relationship. Talk about them. Talk about their site/blog. How you found it. Why you're interested in it. What you've got out of it. Discuss subjects of mutual interest. Explain why you'd like to offer some material which you feel with be of interest to the site's readers. Explain why/how you think it will interest them. Introduce yourself in some detail and explain your own interest in the niche and why you write about it. And so on.

          Be as friendly and chatty as you can.

          You're one enthusiast writing to another, starting the process of explaining how much value you potentially have to offer to that person's site/blog.

          It's worth taking some time and trouble over this. The benefits are absolutely enormous.

          Originally Posted by Leslie B View Post

          I'm just wondering, do you do that for each article on your site (meaning that you don't have any article on your site that isn't published somewhere else too) or do you only do that for certain articles on your site?
          It depends what you mean by "articles", really.

          I have plenty of content on my site that doesn't get syndicated anywhere, including most of the landing page. And the product reviews, and so on (nobody's going to want to syndicate those?!).

          I really think of "articles" as "things I'm going to have syndicated", though ... apologies for a slightly semantic answer. But in short, I do have "site content" (maybe not "articles" per se) that isn't syndicated, too.
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          • Profile picture of the author JB Jiles
            Banned
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            To be able to share your content with his readers. (The same reason for which all syndicators/publishers of articles want them. That's the need for which article directories were set up, you know?).

            I suspect perhaps you don't understand because (a) you're looking at it from the perspective of a competing marketer (I wouldn't expect them to be syndicating my articles), and (b) you haven't appreciated what article directories and why they exist (there would be no need for them at all if what you're saying were a very widespread concern, would there?).

            Again, I think you're assuming that all websites belong to marketers, or something?

            Again, I think you're assuming that all websites belong to marketers, or something?

            No; not at all ok.

            You have to approach them individually as people with whom you want to build a relationship. Talk about them. Talk about their site/blog. How you found it. Why you're interested in it. What you've got out of it. Discuss subjects of mutual interest. Explain why you'd like to offer some material which you feel with be of interest to the site's readers. Explain why/how you think it will interest them. Introduce yourself in some detail and explain your own interest in the niche and why you write about it. And so on.

            Be as friendly and chatty as you can.

            You're one enthusiast writing to another, starting the process of explaining how much value you potentially have to offer to that person's site/blog.

            It's worth taking some time and trouble over this. The benefits are absolutely enormous.

            It depends what you mean by "articles", really.

            I have plenty of content on my site that doesn't get syndicated anywhere, including most of the landing page. And the product reviews, and so on (nobody's going to want to syndicate those?!).

            I really think of "articles" as "things I'm going to have syndicated", though ... apologies for a slightly semantic answer. But in short, I do have "site content" (maybe not "articles" per se) that isn't syndicated, too.
            Hey, more than the detailed information in this post that I'll refer to again if need be, I like the spirit with which you reply in these lengthy replies. I don't take it for granted in anyone, appreciate what goes into gaining and nurturing it, and love witnessing a kind and giving spirit in action. It inspires.

            Kind regards!
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      • Profile picture of the author mnov5534
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).
        This is a great thread! I'm just about to launch my first site and have been looking for ways to optimise article marketing.

        Alexa, I love that title!. I can see how you can make it work in so many sub-niches to help syndicate the one article, this is great.

        Anything that can breathe extra life into a piece of content is definitely worthwhile. Every extra visitor I can drive to my site will be an asset!
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      • Profile picture of the author tsx
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Later, I dump that article in EZA. Nobody ever finds that copy through a search engine (thankfully for me - I'd hate my potential search engine traffic to go to EZA rather than to my own site!),
        This is not a bad business model. We are always looking for talented TSX stock market writers for our site and always happy to link back to their own blogs/sites.
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      • Profile picture of the author happyhound
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).

        The article has a witty opening, heaps of controversy and entertainment all the way through, laughs in all the right places, and a real sting in the tail.

        I published it on my site straight away and had it indexed there. Then I sent it out to my network of "syndicators of cauliflower soup recipe articles".

        I've been building this list up over the last year.

        Some of them are ezine publishers with subscription-lists in the tens of thousands - you know how popular recipes are?

        Some are people with "soup blogs".

        Some are people with blogs about "how to feed your kids quickly/cheaply".

        Some are people with blogs about "WTF am I supposed to do with all these damn cauliflowers?"

        Some are university/college departments with "domestic science courses" who publish special recipes from special contributors known to steal recipes from the restaurants of 5* hotels (that'll be me).

        Some are just people who have previously re-published one or two or three or four of my articles from Ezine Articles by going to EZA looking for articles to publish (not by using a search engine - they already know that "inside EZA" is the place to look, and they're right) where I'll eventually dump a copy of this article, too. I "meet" a lot of people that way.

        And so on.

        I'm missing some bits out, but you get the idea?

        Those people, between the whole lot of them, have access to tens of thousands of subscribers to their ezines/blogs/newsletters/websites/whatever. (It's only tens of thousands because we're talking about cauliflower soup - in real niches it can be hundreds of thousands). And they all need content to publish all the time, of course (these are the people for whom article directories exist, so they can go there and find it).

        18 (or 28, or 38) of them want to use my content (the article we're talking about), and they all send it out to their subscribers or put it on their websites for all their regularly returning visitors, and so on and so forth. They got free content and I got a free link.

        I get a flood of highly targeted traffic from that article to my own niche site, and a few hundred of them opt in (maybe a lot more than just a few hundred, if I got lucky!), because they see that in exchange for their email address I'll (a) send them the little ebook giving the world's three best cauliflower soup recipes, and (b) send them an email once a week giving them more, and telling them about <add a range of other related articles here>. Which is exactly what they want.

        Some of them even see a "soup information product" reviewed on my website and immediately buy it (that's my ClickBank affiliate link). The rest will just have to buy it later, when I send them autoresponder email - just like any other marketer's "list customers".

        I got a flood of targeted traffic. I didn't do the targeting myself. All I did was write one article and send it out to the people on my syndication-list.

        I do one of these every day. Hey ... I'm lazy and busy and everything, but even I can write one article per day. (Well, nearly - I write about 5 per week, to be honest ).

        Later, I dump that article in EZA. Nobody ever finds that copy through a search engine (thankfully for me - I'd hate my potential search engine traffic to go to EZA rather than to my own site!), but some more publishers I never found and don't know about go to EZA looking for content, next month, and they use EZA's search-function and they put the word "soup" (or "cauliflower", if you like) into it, and up pops my article under the name of Veroushka Vegetable-Queen, and they read it and say "Oh wow, yes, I want to share this one with my readers. AND it's 1,200 words which means I don't have to find anything else, either - what a result!" And I'll track them down (easily) and contact them and offer them another 5 articles and add them to my syndication-list, which continues to grow.

        Did you notice something, here?

        At no stage did anyone involved in the entire story use a search engine at all.

        Clearer, now?

        (Apologies, Christophe, for using such a ridiculous "niche" as an example: it's late at night here and I'm tired and couldn't be bothered to think of a realistic one. But you can see what I mean about getting masses of highly targeted traffic every day without any search engine being involved, I think?)

        PS It's true that I will also get some search engine traffic, probably, later, because let's face it: "cauliflower soup" is pretty easy to rank for, and I now have 20 relevant websites out there with my article on it and a link to my site (including Harvard University soup kitchens department, and let me tell you, in this niche that's a real authority-site), so my SEO is also looking pretty good, compared with that of all the people who wrote a 500-word article and then mass-submitted it to 1,000 article directories using an auto-submitter (and nobody much ever reads it anyway), because their backlinks are worthless compared with mine: mine are relevant ones, I tell you - just the ones those nice little people inside Google's magic algorithms bow down and worship.
        Hi there. I'm new to this forum and yours is the first post I've read! Really helpful, thank you. Can I just ask how you track people down who've used your article (mini quote: "And I'll track them down (easily) and contact them and offer them another 5 articles and add them to my syndication-list, which continues to grow")? And how did you start your syndication list?

        In terms of forum etiquette and ease of reading, would it have been better if I'd just quoted the small section of the post that I was asking about?
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by happyhound View Post

          Can I just ask how you track people down who've used your article (mini quote: "And I'll track them down (easily) and contact them and offer them another 5 articles and add them to my syndication-list, which continues to grow")?
          Hi HH, I just paste a ten-word chunk of my article into Google (between inverted commas), and wherever it's been published and indexed, it'll show up in the results. I'll know whether it's been taken from Ezine Articles (if I don't already know the person who's re-published it, it almost always has) because in that copy of it, I've replaced a comma somewhere in the article with a semi-colon, just to make it easy to identify later; nobody but me will ever notice this, but it's a useful trick.

          That covers me for websites. Not for every ezine which has used it, admittedly, but some ezines do have a copy archived online, and I'll find those.

          Originally Posted by happyhound View Post

          And how did you start your syndication list?
          Not in a way you'd want to copy - you can do better.

          I had no idea what I was doing, at the time, and I relied only on passive syndication (tracking down people who taken my articles from article directories). Still, it did get me started. And I was specifically writing for syndication.

          And some specific suggestions/tips on starting a syndication-list ...

          Ezine publishers:
          Directory of Ezines (excellent, includes a good advisory service too, but not free)

          Ezine Directories Top 20: The pick of the best ezine directories on the Net (not as good/helpful)

          Webmasters:
          Use search engines to find sites in your niche ... and this article by expert article marketer Anne Pottinger will help, too: Article Syndication To Benefit and Grow Your Business | Internet Marketing and Publishing

          Also widely recommended: an e-book by Paul Myers, on this subject: Content Cash System, A New Approach To An Old System by Paul Myers.

          Also, the methods described in this timeless classic: Turn Words Into Traffic (by Jim and Dallas Edwards) have been working successfully for over a decade and still are, now.

          I send potential re-publishers an article (just one, the best one you have that's most appropriate for their site), not a link to one. And not one that's published at EZA (yet).

          I send it in an email, not as an attachment (which often won't reach their inbox and/or won't be opened), and I write a "covering letter" from their perspective, telling them why I like their site so much, what I got from it, what particularly interested me about it, why I think my article will be of particular relevance and interest to their readers, and so on. The initial email you send is the start of the relationship you plan to build with them, and as the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. It needs to be very carefully written. Put yourself in their position and ask yourself what would interest you most, and what you'd say "yes" to.

          Originally Posted by happyhound View Post

          In terms of forum etiquette and ease of reading, would it have been better if I'd just quoted the small section of the post that I was asking about?
          I think so, yes.
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      • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).
        Okay, so you made up a niche that you hypothetically wrote a successful article in.

        Do you have any LIVE articles that fulfill this method or any traffic stats to show for it?
        Signature

        No signature here today!

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        • Profile picture of the author danr62
          Originally Posted by Cataclysm1987 View Post

          Okay, so you made up a niche that you hypothetically wrote a successful article in.

          Do you have any LIVE articles that fulfill this method or any traffic stats to show for it?
          Stop being a dolt. No one is going to show you or anyone else live articles or stats unless they want to get robbed.

          I've seen you ask this a few times. Stop. Please.

          However, if you check out all of the posts that Alexa Smith has made to this forum about article marketing you will get an idea of the level of her expertise.
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          • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
            Banned
            Originally Posted by Cataclysm1987 View Post

            Okay, so you made up a niche that you hypothetically wrote a successful article in.

            Do you have any LIVE articles that fulfill this method or any traffic stats to show for it?
            Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

            Stop being a dolt. No one is going to show you or anyone else live articles or stats unless they want to get robbed.

            I've seen you ask this a few times. Stop. Please.

            However, if you check out all of the posts that Alexa Smith has made to this forum about article marketing you will get an idea of the level of her expertise.
            NO. We are not starting that argument today.
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            • Profile picture of the author janux
              Hi,

              Thanks Alexa and all of you for your detailed answers. I'm afraid I have some questions:

              I'm in the fitness niche. In this niche I can't seem to find websites that accept anything buy original content. They insist on it.

              When I write an article on EZA it will only get picked up by trashy sites with little of their own traffic. I can't find a decent site which will be caught dead with an article that has been published on EZA.

              How do I begin building my syndication list in such a niche?

              About the DOE, is it useful for niches other than IM, such as fitness? As it's $200, I want to know that it will be useful.

              Thank you
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              • Profile picture of the author Lucian Lada
                Originally Posted by janux View Post

                I'm in the fitness niche. In this niche I can't seem to find websites that accept anything buy original content. They insist on it.
                Here's a post that might help: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post5899585

                Gud lãc!
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              • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
                Banned
                Originally Posted by janux View Post

                I'm in the fitness niche. In this niche I can't seem to find websites that accept anything buy original content. They insist on it.
                Those may be competitors' sites?

                (I think you mean "unique content"? You're suggesting that the webmasters you're approaching will accept only content that hasn't previously been published, perhaps? You don't need those, of course!).

                Originally Posted by janux View Post

                When I write an article on EZA it will only get picked up by trashy sites with little of their own traffic.
                Some/most/all of those will be autoblogs, perhaps?

                Originally Posted by janux View Post

                I can't find a decent site which will be caught dead with an article that has been published on EZA.
                I normally offer people only articles which haven't been published on EZA. (I submit them to Ezine Articles later: in fact, that's the last place I send them, myself). However, they do still get syndicated further - including by "decent sites" - after being published there.

                Originally Posted by janux View Post

                How do I begin building my syndication list in such a niche?
                By contacting ezines and and webmasters. This post might help (for "finding webmasters"): Article Syndication To Benefit and Grow Your Business - Internet Marketing and Publishing

                Are your articles really beautifully written, provocative, outspoken, highly entertaining, stimulating and designed specifically to make people in the niche say to themselves something like "Oh wow, yes: I want to share this one with my readers/viewers/subscribers ... and it's 1,200-words+ long, too, which is handy because it means I don't need to find much more today"? I'm afraid this question is inescapable, because it's how syndication works, as explained above. The articles have to something "special" about them.

                http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post3188316

                Originally Posted by janux View Post

                About the DOE, is it useful for niches other than IM
                Yes, "IM" is about its least useful area.

                There are fitness ezines listed there.

                Gud lãc!
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                • Profile picture of the author janux
                  Hi Alexa,

                  Thank you for your answer.

                  I do mean unique content. Some of the sites are competitors, but others are not. They still seem to want unique content.

                  Let's say I have an amazing article, what do I do now?

                  How do I get publishers with a lot of traffic to publish it? How do I find these people?

                  By the way, does it matter whether I'm using a pen name, or if I hire a ghost writer?
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                  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
                    Banned
                    Originally Posted by janux View Post

                    How do I get publishers with a lot of traffic to publish it? How do I find these people?
                    I can't add a lot to my answer above, I'm afraid. Other sources that might help are ...

                    The Content Cash System
                    Turn Words Into Traffic

                    Originally Posted by janux View Post

                    By the way, does it matter whether I'm using a pen name, or if I hire a ghost writer?
                    No, it shouldn't: I use a different pen-name in each niche.
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                  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
                    Originally Posted by janux View Post

                    I do mean unique content. Some of the sites are competitors, but others are not. They still seem to want unique content.
                    You might be surprised. Some are still under the "duplicate content penalty" delusion. Some have decided they do not want previously published content, for whatever reason. Most that I've encountered simply don't want their sites added to the assorted article submission robots, meaning they will be buried in keyword-stuffed, spun horse manure.

                    If you offer them premium content that their audience will like and benefit from, many will take it.

                    Originally Posted by janux View Post

                    How do I get publishers with a lot of traffic to publish it? How do I find these people?
                    When you are first starting out, it can be a mistake focusing only on sites that get a lot of traffic now. Those owners/publishers get hammered by people looking for easy backlinks, in the guise of articles or other content.

                    You may want to start out looking for outlets with an audience that fits well with your own, or with what you want to promote. Go for quality traffic, not quantity. Why?

                    > You want very tightly targeted, highly motivated visitors. "Traffic" may spin the meter, but people who actually want what you offer sign up for lists and buy things. The rest is just bandwidth, which you pay for.

                    > Simple math. 10 sites that send you 100 visitors is 1,000 visitors. 1 site that sends you 1,000 visitors is also 1,000 visitors. The 10 may be easier to achieve.

                    > Small outlets don't always stay small. Build your relationship with your publishers like you would with a list. You can grow together.

                    > Here's the least important reason: a relevant link is still a relevant link. 10 links from relevant sites is ten times a single relevant link from one site. Simple math, once again, but the ten may be easier to achieve than the one.
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                    • Profile picture of the author janux
                      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

                      You might be surprised. Some are still under the "duplicate content penalty" delusion. Some have decided they do not want previously published content, for whatever reason. Most that I've encountered simply don't want their sites added to the assorted article submission robots, meaning they will be buried in keyword-stuffed, spun horse manure.

                      If you offer them premium content that their audience will like and benefit from, many will take it.



                      When you are first starting out, it can be a mistake focusing only on sites that get a lot of traffic now. Those owners/publishers get hammered by people looking for easy backlinks, in the guise of articles or other content.

                      You may want to start out looking for outlets with an audience that fits well with your own, or with what you want to promote. Go for quality traffic, not quantity. Why?

                      > You want very tightly targeted, highly motivated visitors. "Traffic" may spin the meter, but people who actually want what you offer sign up for lists and buy things. The rest is just bandwidth, which you pay for.

                      > Simple math. 10 sites that send you 100 visitors is 1,000 visitors. 1 site that sends you 1,000 visitors is also 1,000 visitors. The 10 may be easier to achieve.

                      > Small outlets don't always stay small. Build your relationship with your publishers like you would with a list. You can grow together.

                      > Here's the least important reason: a relevant link is still a relevant link. 10 links from relevant sites is ten times a single relevant link from one site. Simple math, once again, but the ten may be easier to achieve than the one.
                      Thanks for you reply.

                      Can you share tips on how to approach these outlets? How to make them want your stuff and trust in you?
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                      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
                        Originally Posted by janux View Post

                        Thanks for you reply.

                        Can you share tips on how to approach these outlets? How to make them want your stuff and trust in you?
                        Step 1, become familiar with their site or publication. Figure out how you can add value to their audience.

                        Step 2 (optional), become familiar to the publisher/webmaster. If it's a blog with comments, make relevant and useful contributions. Don't try to plug links or anchor text. If links are allowed, link to your blog if you have one.

                        Step 3, email the publisher/webmaster. Introduce yourself, comment on something specific, like an article on the site. Be conversational, not salesy. Tell them that you write on a similar subject, and that you have an article that might be valuable to their audience. Keyword "might", not "will". Leave the final judgment up to them. Include the plain text version of the article with your resource box, and tell them that if they would like to use the article, they may do so. If not, no hard feelings.

                        Step 4A, if they use the article, email them again and thank them. Ask how the article was received by the audience. Let them know you have more to offer, and ask if they would like to know when you have something new. If they say yes, add them to your publisher network. If they say no, don't keep badgering them with 'sample articles'. In other words, don't burn bridges.

                        Step 4B, if they do not use the article, move on to the next one. Again, do not burn bridges.

                        The biggest key to approaching publishers successfully is to treat it like a business arrangement. They are not doing you some huge favor by publishing your article, so don't beg. You are not doing them some huge favor by allowing them to publish your article, so don't talk down to them. It's a fair trade of value for value (or should be), so treat them with the respect you would give any other business partner, or that you would like given to you.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alan Ashwood
        Yeah, Alexa, that's all well 'n' good, but . . .

        Did you spin it? :p

        "My days of not taking you seriously are coming to a middle" - Mal, Firefly
        Signature
        Now where did I put that pencil?

        Time for a cuppa.
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        • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
          Originally Posted by Alan Ashwood View Post

          "My days of not taking you seriously are coming to a middle" - Mal, Firefly
          Ahhh.

          You, sir, deserve a gold star (or in this case a "thanks") just for being conscious of the awesomeness that is Firefly.
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      • Profile picture of the author schttrj
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).

        The article has a witty opening, heaps of controversy and entertainment all the way through, laughs in all the right places, and a real sting in the tail.

        I published it on my site straight away and had it indexed there. Then I sent it out to my network of "syndicators of cauliflower soup recipe articles".

        I've been building this list up over the last year.

        Some of them are ezine publishers with subscription-lists in the tens of thousands - you know how popular recipes are?

        Some are people with "soup blogs".

        Some are people with blogs about "how to feed your kids quickly/cheaply".

        Some are people with blogs about "WTF am I supposed to do with all these damn cauliflowers?"

        Some are university/college departments with "domestic science courses" who publish special recipes from special contributors known to steal recipes from the restaurants of 5* hotels (that'll be me).

        Some are just people who have previously re-published one or two or three or four of my articles from Ezine Articles by going to EZA looking for articles to publish (not by using a search engine - they already know that "inside EZA" is the place to look, and they're right) where I'll eventually dump a copy of this article, too. I "meet" a lot of people that way.

        And so on.

        I'm missing some bits out, but you get the idea?

        Those people, between the whole lot of them, have access to tens of thousands of subscribers to their ezines/blogs/newsletters/websites/whatever. (It's only tens of thousands because we're talking about cauliflower soup - in real niches it can be hundreds of thousands). And they all need content to publish all the time, of course (these are the people for whom article directories exist, so they can go there and find it).

        18 (or 28, or 38) of them want to use my content (the article we're talking about), and they all send it out to their subscribers or put it on their websites for all their regularly returning visitors, and so on and so forth. They got free content and I got a free link.

        I get a flood of highly targeted traffic from that article to my own niche site, and a few hundred of them opt in (maybe a lot more than just a few hundred, if I got lucky!), because they see that in exchange for their email address I'll (a) send them the little ebook giving the world's three best cauliflower soup recipes, and (b) send them an email once a week giving them more, and telling them about <add a range of other related articles here>. Which is exactly what they want.

        Some of them even see a "soup information product" reviewed on my website and immediately buy it (that's my ClickBank affiliate link). The rest will just have to buy it later, when I send them autoresponder email - just like any other marketer's "list customers".

        I got a flood of targeted traffic. I didn't do the targeting myself. All I did was write one article and send it out to the people on my syndication-list.

        I do one of these every day. Hey ... I'm lazy and busy and everything, but even I can write one article per day. (Well, nearly - I write about 5 per week, to be honest ).

        Later, I dump that article in EZA. Nobody ever finds that copy through a search engine (thankfully for me - I'd hate my potential search engine traffic to go to EZA rather than to my own site!), but some more publishers I never found and don't know about go to EZA looking for content, next month, and they use EZA's search-function and they put the word "soup" (or "cauliflower", if you like) into it, and up pops my article under the name of Veroushka Vegetable-Queen, and they read it and say "Oh wow, yes, I want to share this one with my readers. AND it's 1,200 words which means I don't have to find anything else, either - what a result!" And I'll track them down (easily) and contact them and offer them another 5 articles and add them to my syndication-list, which continues to grow.

        Did you notice something, here?

        At no stage did anyone involved in the entire story use a search engine at all.

        Clearer, now?

        (Apologies, Christophe, for using such a ridiculous "niche" as an example: it's late at night here and I'm tired and couldn't be bothered to think of a realistic one. But you can see what I mean about getting masses of highly targeted traffic every day without any search engine being involved, I think?)

        PS It's true that I will also get some search engine traffic, probably, later, because let's face it: "cauliflower soup" is pretty easy to rank for, and I now have 20 relevant websites out there with my article on it and a link to my site (including Harvard University soup kitchens department, and let me tell you, in this niche that's a real authority-site), so my SEO is also looking pretty good, compared with that of all the people who wrote a 500-word article and then mass-submitted it to 1,000 article directories using an auto-submitter (and nobody much ever reads it anyway), because their backlinks are worthless compared with mine: mine are relevant ones, I tell you - just the ones those nice little people inside Google's magic algorithms bow down and worship.

        That sounds like a real recipe, Alexa!

        Although my business model is a bit different from yours, I would really love to know how to prepare a syndicator's list of yours.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

          I would really love to know how to prepare a syndicator's list of yours.
          That surprises me rather a lot, Ron, given your former comments about article syndication ...

          • Originally Posted by schttrj

            Well...I always believe, syndication is NOT the right way to go.
          • Originally Posted by schttrj

            article marketing works through backlink building
          • Originally Posted by schttrj

            the so-called masters of article marketing haven't yet proven anything.

          Call me a skepchick, but I'm afraid it's not at all easy for me to take your question seriously, after many of the directly personal, bitingly sarcastic observations you've made about me in the past. Possibly some other "so-called master of article marketing" will help you out. Speaking for myself, I'd love to help you out but I'm not quite sure which way you came in.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

      I want as many leads as possible to find out about my new gardening ebook. I have articles all over the place with the purpose of getting these leads to my opt in page. How are they finding my articles without using the Search Engines?

      Advertising on similar niche related blogs and things like ad swaps I'm familiar with, but I don't think you'd use articles in advertising.

      Maybe I'm missing something.
      Indeed, you are missing something huge. By "having your articles all over the place" it appears you are undifferentiated; as this seems to be article directories or untargeted blogs. Rather than wait for your articles to be "found", you may have better results by active self-syndication of your articles to niche ezines, relevant websites, and even offline publications such as newspapers and magazines. For example, none of my niches are within any practical rank in the search engines, yet my traffic far exceeds what could be expected as a result of keyword searches. This is accomplished by targeting niche specialty outlets for article submission. In your niche, gardening, there are literally millions of available potential article syndication candidates.
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  • Profile picture of the author Increase Media
    The thing about content is that is has to be good, informative, and interesting for the reader. Many people make the mistake of stuffing keywords instead of writing good content for the reader. It doesn't help to rank high, but then the article that the person reads is not good.

    Investing in good articles will payoff in the long-run.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
    Great information on this thread. I get requests to write articles based on the key word density meeting a certain percentage. When the request results in an article than cannot make sense due to the requirement of using the keyword too much, I contact the client. It amazes me that the client wants the content, regardless of whether or not it makes sense.

    And here I thought Alexa was going to reveal one of her niches. And I even used the google keyword tool for cauliflower soup...
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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    If you use keywords as a broad guide instead of treating them scientifically (like SEO tends to do), you'll write faster and that's another big key here. Anyone who has had a really large niche site with many pages of content that are loosely based on keywords will tell you what I'm about to tell you: size matters.

    The more content you put out there, the more drips and drabs of what I call "unintended traffic" you will inevitably get. It's not quick and it's not sexy, but it's just about 100% unavoidable. Those small trickles of visitors add up to a hefty number when you get enough of them.

    As much as I am a proponent of proper niche and keyword research, it's easy to overanalyze and go too slowly with the actual execution (content creation). In the same time, put up 3-5 new pages of content without such a care about keyword density and monthly searches and competition and all the other SEO jive. I'm not saying ignore keywords. I am saying that the recipe always changes anyway. Stop trying to get it perfect and just write and post, write and post.

    Use the keywords as loose guides as you write, otherwise they'll become concrete and your writing "feet" will become mired.

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author stephenwaldo
    To me all this article marketing confusion seems to stem from one crucial misconception - One that is in someways directly opposite of the OP's post, but in some ways not so opposite.

    Here it is: When you syndicate your article to a directory, the ONLY people you want actually reading that content are publishers, not readers...You are leaving revenue and/or leads on the table if a legitimate reader finds your content on an article directory.

    The way you get all that traffic without search engines is from people who already have that traffic to give out in exchange for your content, not from the article directories' loyal readership (I just lol'd a little bit).

    The principal is a lot like guest posting; the only difference is that instead of going to webmasters and asking them to post your content in exchange for a link or some traffic, you're posting your content and waiting for webmasters / ezine publishers to find you.

    So the ideal life of an article is:

    1. Publish on your site
    2. Syndicate it across article directories
    3. It never ranks for even 1 impression in any search engine ever
    4. Rather, your article only ever catches the eye of one or more of the many webmasters subscribed to one of the syndicated article directories' feeds
    5a. The article is republished on someone else's blog that actually DOES have a loyal readership with links intact, and you get traffic
    5b. Someone with a list decides they like your article and uses it because they don't want to write their own content, and in turn you get some traffic.

    Hope this helps clear things up. Correct me if I'm missing anything Alexa (or anyone). Obviously you see more results as you propagate your content to more places. Hence the similarities I mentioned earlier between good article marketing and what most people think of as 'guest posting'.

    I thought you did an adequate job of covering the process, Alexa, but I like numbers and lists =/

    Kindly,
    - Stephen
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    • Profile picture of the author Christophe Young
      I wrote a 1,200-word article last week called "Cauliflower Soup Regurgitated: How Not To Poison Your Kids", for the "cauliflower soup recipes" niche (let's say - I've made up this "niche" just as an example! ).
      Hey skepchick, I think you really are obsessed with "Cauliflower Soup." Did you know there are much better soups out there like Chicken Noodle soup, or Clam Chowder, or even Hot and Sour Soup? (Love that stuff!)

      No seriously, that post of yours pretty much sums it up and I'll thank you for that!

      Let me see if I can break it down to it's simplest core using as few words as possible. (Just because I'm weird like that.)

      1) Write a kick ass article and make it long and entertaining.
      2) Post it on your website and get it indexed there first.
      3) Submit it to a site like EZA so that other webmasters in your niche can find it there.
      4) Let your list of syndicators know about your new kick ass article.
      5) The webmasters on your list who have websites and huge lists in your niche will then post your kick ass article on their site and/or send it out to their list.
      6) Then the magic happens as those targeted leads will find my article and click through to my website!

      Ok, that makes sense. BTW, I'm not really in the Gardening niche, just an example.

      Bottom line with syndication... find big players in your niche and give them your stuff! Damn, sounds like something I need to outsource. Wonder if there's a service who does just this.

      Thanks again, and I hope I didn't keep you up too late.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

        Did you know there are much better soups out there like Chicken Noodle soup, or Clam Chowder, or even Hot and Sour Soup? (Love that stuff!)
        Well, I heard this ...

        Only a few days ago, E. Brian Rose was trying to convince me about the merits of that clam chowder, I think ... but to be very frank, he lost a little credibility in the discussion by having moved to Mississippi: I mean to say, if the chowder was so good up in New England, why did he need to change it in for the catfish, mud pie, Cajun fried pecans and all those other Southern delicacies? :confused:
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Christophe Young View Post

        Hey skepchick, I think you really are obsessed with "Cauliflower Soup." Did you know there are much better soups out there like Chicken Noodle soup, or Clam Chowder, or even Hot and Sour Soup? (Love that stuff!)

        No seriously, that post of yours pretty much sums it up and I'll thank you for that!

        Let me see if I can break it down to it's simplest core using as few words as possible. (Just because I'm weird like that.)

        1) Write a kick ass article and make it long and entertaining.
        2) Post it on your website and get it indexed there first.
        3) Submit it to a site like EZA so that other webmasters in your niche can find it there.
        4) Let your list of syndicators know about your new kick ass article.
        5) The webmasters on your list who have websites and huge lists in your niche will then post your kick ass article on their site and/or send it out to their list.
        6) Then the magic happens as those targeted leads will find my article and click through to my website!

        Ok, that makes sense. BTW, I'm not really in the Gardening niche, just an example.

        Bottom line with syndication... find big players in your niche and give them your stuff! Damn, sounds like something I need to outsource. Wonder if there's a service who does just this.

        Thanks again, and I hope I didn't keep you up too late.
        The only change I would make is to swap #3 and #4.

        The folks in my syndicate get my new articles before the directories.
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  • Profile picture of the author rooze
    I only wish things weren't made out to be so black and white. There are multiple ways to skin a cat, as there are multiple approaches to "generating revenue from articles". It's great to have a preferred method, but not when one discounts all other approaches as wrong or invalid.
    My best result from a single article was $12,000 in 48 hours, and it didn't involve posting the article on my website, ever. I write content intended for a specific location. Sometimes that involves it being on my website, other times I don't want it anywhere near my website as it would be counterproductive to what I'm trying to achieve with it.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by rooze View Post

      My best result from a single article was $12,000 in 48 hours

      Damn! I only get $7,000 for my articles.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        Damn! I only get $7,000 for my articles.
        Hey ... you had quite some nerve charging me $8,000 then, Mister.

        I demand a refund of $1,000, otherwise you'll be hearing from my lawyers (which is more than I ever do, myself, now I come to think of it ...).
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        • Profile picture of the author myob
          Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

          Hey ... you had quite some nerve charging me $8,000 then, Mister.

          I demand a refund of $1,000, otherwise you'll be hearing from my lawyers (which is more than I ever do, myself, now I come to think of it ...).
          You must of got one of my special, exclusive only deals. Paying just $8,000 for an article that earns you $7,000 per month is a steal.
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  • Profile picture of the author anwar001
    Yes, you are right. Keyword research is important while writing articles. Many people may fail there. Nice tip.
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  • Profile picture of the author James Gould
    Never thought this would get so much attention...
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    • Profile picture of the author TiffLee
      Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

      Never thought this would get so much attention...
      It seems that any thread dealing with article syndication (or the misconception of article marketing) explodes on this forum.
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      • Profile picture of the author James Gould
        Originally Posted by TiffLee View Post

        It seems that any thread dealing with article syndication (or the misconception of article marketing) explodes on this forum.
        Apparently so!
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Hy,

    Im a little bit afraid of that "article syndicate syndrom", then I believe that myn publishers on ezine(?)
    adzine, quondio, ideamarketers, will steal my content, that I have published first on my own website with my copyright, without gave me backlinks.

    That is who I have a little bit headache.

    with best wishes
    marco005
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    • Profile picture of the author capitalalchemy
      I dig what you are saying. Ultimately, I remember rushing articles out there, because I thought that I needed to write 10 - 15 a day, and as a result they would just garbage.

      Instead, spending a couple of hours or more (maybe even a full day) is the way to go. This way you can write really engaging, informative and entertaining content - have ample time to do your research, creating something that is nice and lengthy, spell check, check for grammatical errors, proof read several times through, get your keywords in their (including your LSI keywords), etc.

      I realized that the real power is to write one damn good article, and then get it out there through as many channels as possible. Video, audio, podcasts, pdf, slide shows, directories, blogs, websites, everything.
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      • Profile picture of the author NetworkCorridor
        We have been interested in this method for sometime now. However, as we are in the internet marketing business, we did not feel we could get the shoppers interested in putting our material up, as most of our desired sites will have an article plan in place.

        This takes away from us a good opportunity to develop back links. Anyone think we could have some success with this technique with internet Marketers.

        Alternatively, any ideas how to offset this issue.
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      • Profile picture of the author TheyCallMeBE
        This is genius.
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Yes capitalchemy,

    promote out to different channels is the way. Spread a little bit,not only article sydication.

    In my marketing plan,I would spread it to articles, article syndication directories, blogger.com, rss feeds.
    I would not bookmarking or any on that social networks,social backlinks are not worth it, and this traffic not convert.

    (OK, its another strategy to make an squidoo page with many articles with amazon products or so, this is another way, this can be convert).

    Additional forum marketing on related forums,then in an forum I can do more than just only write guest comments or so. I can write tips (topic) who is an article too. Write 1-2 tips weekly in 2 different related forums with backlink in signature can help.

    Plus 3waylink.net or so.

    This, in the sum must be bring me good results, so I have different sources backlinks.

    Blogger.com would be great to index fast your article (first onyour own website), then blogger.com is google.
    So your articles are index faster, so you can faster write and spread your article over the web in other channels.


    best wishes
    marco005
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan92
    To distinguish article writing as a traffic generation method in it's own right in that it's about writing for humans without much regard for search engines - I don't believe I've heard it quite that way before. That's actually pretty insightful.
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    • Profile picture of the author RDInfo
      Hello,

      I have some questions for you Alexa and also for some of you who spread their articles to specific websites, blogs, ezines, newsletters, rather than posting it to article directories :



      1)Why a webmaster would be interested to post an article with a link to another website where there is an optin form or an infoproduct to buy or an affiliate link which redirects to a page with a physical product to buy ?

      I don't understand really. It is as you are giving away all you list and your traffic to a stranger for free... And let him monetize your list and traffic.

      If there would be an affiliate link (with a pay per click remuneration, or with a pay per action remuneration) in the article that the webmaster post on his website or on his blog or in his ezine or in his newsletter, then i understand why he would do this.

      But as Alexa explained it i don't understand. And i also remember that in one of your post Alexa, you have explained that you always make sure that a clickbank landing page does not contain an optin or a "leak". So why webmasters allow this ? They all work hard to attract targeted visitors and then they give this traffic to the first stranger who contact them ?



      2)Can you explain to me how you contact these webmasters ?
      A simple message like this is ok ?
      Hello,

      I have written an article which is related to the topic of your website/blog/ezine/newsletter.

      If you are interested you can post it.

      For any questions you can contact me at this email address :

      Cordially,

      Firstname Lastname



      Thanks,
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  • Profile picture of the author Leslie B
    Alexa,

    Thank you for your response. I was thinking along those lines and now I know what I'm trying to do is along the right path.

    Leslie
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    • Profile picture of the author RDInfo
      Thanks for your answers Alexa

      I suspect perhaps you don't understand because (a) you're looking at it from the perspective of a competing marketer (I wouldn't expect them to be syndicating my articles)
      Again, I think you're assuming that all websites belong to marketers, or something?
      Do you mean that many webmasters/bloggers create and publish content just because they are passionated about a topic ?
      And giving them an article (for free ! ) is a benefit for them because they can have fresh content without having to write it ?

      Ok i think i can understand why many webmasters/bloggers appreciate a free article, but the link you put in your article has to redirect to a page with free content, else it is obvious that you are trying to attract traffic to a page.



      Back to your cauliflowers example.
      Let's say you contact several webmasters/bloggers in the natural health niche, and you tell them how much you like their approach about natural health and how much you can relate about this and that. A discussion takes place. You are happy, he is happy. Good. You are almost friends now.

      One day you decide to write an interesting article about the health benefits of eating cauliflowers.

      Then you decide that your article is so awesome that you must share it with many webmasters/bloggers (for free! ).

      You send your article to webmasters/bloggers who are interested in a similar topic and who have a similar mindset as yours. (in the natural health niche).
      The link in your article redirects to a page with free content about a recipe with cauliflowers.
      The wemasters/bloggers think you are really a good person with a big heart to allow them to publish your article for free on their website. And really, you are.

      In order to monetize the article, you introduce an infoproduct at the end of your free recipe (a ebook or a videos course about how to make 10 awesome recipes with cauliflowers or others healthy vegetables).

      At the end of your article you also add an affiliate link which redirects to a seller of organic cauliflowers. And also several affiliate links to buy cooking tools on amazon.



      If i understand your explanations correctly and you use a strategy as explained above, i have to say that you are a wise article marketer, indeed. I have never thought of guest posting before, because i have always assumed that the webmaster/blogger will see that i am part of the "competition" and i am trying to attract their visitors.

      I have already contacted several others webmasters/bloggers interested to a similar topic as me, and i have discussed with them, without even thinking about this strategy of "article syndication".

      The first step, to contact webmasters/bloggers interested in a similar topic as me, is natural and easy because i am really interested in my topic.

      However, how to do the next step (to share an article related to a topic of the website/blog) without being seen as a "traffic thief".
      That's what i still have difficulties to understand.

      Can you share an example of an email ? (if you want to of course, i understand if you want to keep your gold techniques)

      Thanks,
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

        Do you mean that many webmasters/bloggers create and publish content just because they are passionated about a topic ?
        And giving them an article (for free ! ) is a benefit for them because they can have fresh content without having to write it ?
        Exactly so.

        Of course, more in some niches than in others (which one can take into account when choosing niches).

        I'm not suggesting that someone promoting autoresponder companies for a commission on people signing up through their link would find this a great way to promote their content, because I suspect that most of the people who have websites discussing and reviewing autoresponder services are doing the same thing themselves, rather than just being "enthusiasts", but having said that, there are actually "internet marketing blogs" that accept guest posts/articles in exchange for a backlink and the possibility of traffic, so even there it might be worth trying. Not my sort of niche, though, for many, many other reasons. :p

        Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

        Ok i think i can understand why many webmasters/bloggers appreciate a free article, but the link you put in your article has to redirect to a page with free content, else it is obvious that you are trying to attract traffic to a page.
        Why would that being obvious be "a bad thing"? Fortunately, it doesn't apparently concern any of the thousands of sites that syndicate my articles ...

        Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

        I have never thought of guest posting before, because i have always assumed that the webmaster/blogger will see that i am part of the "competition" and i am trying to attract their visitors.
        It's true that your direct competitors won't normally jump at the opportunity to let you promote your own business.

        What proportion of the web do you think comprises "other internet marketers with niche sites selling the same sort of things as you/me"? I think it's really, really tiny. But I'm getting the impression that you think it's pretty high?

        Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

        how to do the next step (to share an article related to a topic of the website/blog) without being seen as a "traffic thief". That's what i still have difficulties to understand.
        That's perhaps because you look at "traffic" very differently from others? I don't understand in what way you think you'd come across as a "thief" by doing this? Why would people mind that? :confused:

        Anyway, the reality is that for large and increasing numbers of us making our livings this way, that clearly isn't an issue at all. (I'm just kind of interested in what makes you think it would be, because I don't follow your reasoning, to be honest). You seem - to simplify - to be saying "but this would be a problem" and "but that would be a problem", and to me (and fortunately to everyone else I deal with) they're undeniably factual realities but they're simply not "problems" at all.

        Originally Posted by RDInfo View Post

        Can you share an example of an email ?
        Apologies ... I really can't; sorry.

        Originally Posted by MetroHome View Post

        My personal thought is no one would use these as most articles related to internet marketing would not be used.
        "No-one would use them as they wouldn't be used"?

        Well ... can't fault the logic, there - though the causation remains something of a mystery.

        How about all the internet marketing blogs that publish guest articles in exchange for the resource-box/backlink, then? What's that all about?

        Originally Posted by MetroHome View Post

        We have wanted to use this method but felt there is not much of a need presently.
        Are you saying that you want content like that, for your own site? Or that you want to get your content on other people's sites? :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author MetroHome
    If you are in a Market, for example, Internet Marketing how well do you think submitting articles to the directories hoping you can get other people to pick up your articles and post them to their site.

    My personal thought is no one would use these as most articles related to internet marketing would not be used. As most internet marketers are already sufficiently adjusted to creating their own articles.

    I ask this question because it relates to our site, which is about Internet Marketing. We have wanted to use this method but felt there is not much of a need presently.
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  • Profile picture of the author timb98133
    A few thoughts here:

    NEVER copy & past phrases into your article. All articles need to be 100% original content. Spinning articles may seem like a fast solution, however they will soon get dropped from SE rankings. Original content is the way to go.

    Pre-sell your website/offer. Your article should be a lead-in to what you're offering!

    KW research is also a good idea, but I use a sneaky method of using Ezinearticles itself (instead of the Google tool) to determine what keywords to use!!! It works all the time!
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  • Profile picture of the author jamesrich1
    Kurt makes some very good points. Reading Alexa's content is like getting access to a $197 a month membership. I agree that links to other relevant sites, pictures and videos do enhance the visitors experience. I think that Alexa and other popular syndication experts are writing for people first but have to follow some guidelines that allow their content to be widely syndicated. They can do all of what you mention Kurt, on their own sites but must follow some guidelines when it goes to newsletters and sites that syndicate their content. I do think that they are writing for people first. That is just what I perceive from the hundreds of posts that I have read from Alexa. She really cares about people. She is a solution machine.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by jamesrich1 View Post

      Kurt makes some very good points. Reading Alexa's content is like getting access to a $197 a month membership. I agree that links to other relevant sites, pictures and videos do enhance the visitors experience. I think that Alexa and other popular syndication experts are writing for people first but have to follow some guidelines that allow their content to be widely syndicated. They can do all of what you mention Kurt, on their own sites but must follow some guidelines when it goes to newsletters and sites that syndicate their content. I do think that they are writing for people first. That is just what I perceive from the hundreds of posts that I have read from Alexa. She really cares about people. She is a solution machine.
      Hi James,

      In general, you are correct. However, I believe Alexa has claimed that all the articles (or at least the vast majority) she publishes on her own site, she also syndicates to other sites.

      If true, then it's logical for us to assume she is writing the content to be used on her own sites using the guidelines of the other sites as the primary focus, and not what is necessarily the most beneficial for her readers.

      I don't have a problem with this method. The problem I have is the "holier than thou" attitude some have about how they give the reader more "value" than writers that consider SEs when writing.

      In today's SEO, adding videos, images and links to more info on relevant authority sites is not only good SEO, it also adds value to readers. Because of this, I can make a case that GOOD content providers that add multi-media, videos and links can provide BETTER content than article syndicators that are often restricted by the guidelines of other sites.

      This doesn't mean all people that provide content with SEs in mind create better content than syndicators, only that they can. And, writing for SEs doesn't mean that the content is junk, although it can be. But the blanket statements made by some syndicators that all content created with SEO in mind is junk, as compared to their content for syndication, is pure BS.
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      • Profile picture of the author rooze
        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        Hi James,

        In general, you are correct. However, I believe Alexa has claimed that all the articles (or at least the vast majority) she publishes on her own site, she also syndicates to other sites.

        If true, then it's logical for us to assume she is writing the content to be used on her own sites using the guidelines of the other sites as the primary focus, and not what is necessarily the most beneficial for her readers.

        I don't have a problem with this method. The problem I have is the "holier than thou" attitude some have about how they give the reader more "value" than writers that consider SEs when writing.

        In today's SEO, adding videos, images and links to more info on relevant authority sites is not only good SEO, it also adds value to readers. Because of this, I can make a case that GOOD content providers that add multi-media, videos and links can provide BETTER content than article syndicators that are often restricted by the guidelines of other sites.

        This doesn't mean all people that provide content with SEs in mind create better content than syndicators, only that they can. And, writing for SEs doesn't mean that the content is junk, although it can be. But the blanket statements made by some syndicators that all content created with SEO in mind is junk, as compared to their content for syndication, is pure BS.
        There are very few definitive right / wrong scenarios on the Internet, just a lot of closely overlapping 'grey', and you make that point well.
        The problems aren't with the system, they're mostly with the application of the system, which is down to the individual. Despite what is propagated as 'gospel' around here it is even possible to benefit from posting to article directories (yes, beyond simple syndication). Sure, their position in the grand scheme of things has shifted, but then so must our approach to the application, in order to continue to benefit.
        I just wish there were some way to prevent newbies from being influenced by the perpetual mistruths spread around here pertaining to article marketing and syndication (and seo, and link-building and and and).
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by rooze View Post

          I just wish there were some way to prevent newbies from being influenced by the perpetual mistruths spread around here pertaining to article marketing and syndication (and seo, and link-building and and and).
          Unfortunately, there's one truth that will guarantee that such a way will never be found, short of shutting down the forum altogether...

          "One man's perpetual mistruth is another man's meal ticket."

          On subjects like this, the untruths will mostly lie around the fringes, the extremes. "Writing for people first" often creates SE-friendly content almost as a byproduct. When that slips into "writing for the ego first", you get content that's a testament to the writer's skill in composing complex sentences and using long words when short ones will do. "Writing with SE in mind" often means using the words people are looking for - speaking the same language, which is one of the ways I judge quality content. Taken to the edge, you get twisted sentences packed with keywords wedged in to satisfy some mechanical formula with no consideration for what people reading it can get out if it.

          The word "unique" is being tortured out of any meaning. If you look at the actual definition of the word, the idea that you could apply some percentage of uniqueness to a piece of writing is silly. Yet you get people all the time talking about an article being '40% unique', as measured by the digital demigod Copyscape.

          I think that the best thing we can do for new folks is to share our own honest viewpoints and experiences, acknowledge that "ain't none of us as smart as all of us" and let the newbie find their own comfortable spot along the spectrum the same way we did. By trying stuff, finding stuff that works for us, and even getting our noses bloodied from time to time.
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          • Profile picture of the author rooze
            Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

            Unfortunately, there's one truth that will guarantee that such a way will never be found, short of shutting down the forum altogether...

            "One man's perpetual mistruth is another man's meal ticket."
            Yes, I agree completely, it's something I'm aware of with life in general but it helps to be reminded and prodded back into reality

            I can't help feeling that when people achieve a certain 'status' here, then with it comes some added responsibility. Of course this is nonsense, everyone has an agenda and there's no rule here that says experienced warriors should put the interests of other forum members ahead of their own self interests.
            However, as a collective, a community, why don't more experienced members call-out their peers when they're clearly crossing the line from providing useful information to providing information which is erroneous and has the capacity to do harm?
            Instead, it seems more like the experienced warriors club together and support each other, regardless of the garbage being perpetrated on the innocent bystander, the newbie. In many cases these newbies are impressionable, they're here looking for expert advice and they're anxious to take it on board and run with it. To allow garbage information to go unchallenged, particularly when it comes from people with 'exalted statuses', is borderline unethical and immoral, in my opinion.

            Sorry for venting, it's just something I feel quite strongly about.
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          • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
            Banned
            Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

            "Writing for people first" often creates SE-friendly content almost as a byproduct.
            Indeed - that's certainly been my experience.
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      • Profile picture of the author fin
        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        I can make a case that GOOD content providers that add multi-media, videos and links can provide BETTER content than article syndicators that are often restricted by the guidelines of other sites.
        What are you harping on about?

        Why can an article syndicator not add vids, multi-media or links to their posts.

        Please do tell?
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  • Profile picture of the author shand
    OK, so I've been lurking around here for some time soaking up information and buying some of the great stuff... just trying to learn and implement. I have to admit, up until this post "syndication" sounded huge to me.

    Now that I see it broken down so nicely, it's what I've been learning to do here all along from everything else I've read.

    Ahhh.... lightbulb moments.

    Susan
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  • Profile picture of the author cashtree
    To the OP the real meat of this thread, and what makes it matter is the people you have connections with, have the sites that matter and then the subscribers, so I must ask, how'd you find them? Just google keywords for your topic and contact blog owners or what?
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  • Profile picture of the author sureshots
    Thanks for the words of wisdom, what I've found to be most important is writing unique quality content for my blogs. I've out ranked plenty of websites in Google in a number competitive terms without doing any SEO. Google is not as complicated as people think it is
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Fullman
      Originally Posted by sureshots View Post

      Thanks for the words of wisdom, what I've found to be most important is writing unique quality content for my blogs. I've out ranked plenty of websites in Google in a number competitive terms without doing any SEO. Google is not as complicated as people think it is
      Hi

      Of *course* it's not as complicated as people think!

      But people *think* it's complicated because ALL THEY EVER HEAR IS:

      "Write unique quality content"...

      Sorry, but what they heck does THAT mean to the average newbie?

      I don't wanna get into a mud-slinging contest, but I hear the same old unqualified comments day in day out.

      What constitutes unique?

      What constitutes quality?

      And do these two combined guarantee high rankings?

      Cheers,
      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author sureshots
        Originally Posted by Steven Fullman View Post

        Hi

        Of *course* it's not as complicated as people think!

        But people *think* it's complicated because ALL THEY EVER HEAR IS:

        "Write unique quality content"...

        Sorry, but what they heck does THAT mean to the average newbie?

        I don't wanna get into a mud-slinging contest, but I hear the same old unqualified comments day in day out.

        What constitutes unique?

        What constitutes quality?

        And do these two combined guarantee high rankings?

        Cheers,
        Steve
        Unique means your point of view on the subject you're writing about?

        Quality could mean a number of the things, for example if you have a blog Unique could mean encouraging your readers to leave comments, Quality could also mean giving personal attention to your readers or encouraging them to sign up for your news letter. Quality depends on you Steve.

        If you want to mud sling mud sling away Steve I'm spending the night at home anyway! Feel free to ask or question me on anything.
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        • Profile picture of the author Steven Fullman
          Originally Posted by sureshots View Post

          Unique means your point of view on the subject you're writing about?

          Quality could mean a number of the things, for example if you have a blog Unique could mean encouraging your readers to leave comments, Quality could also mean giving personal attention to your readers or encouraging them to sign up for your news letter. Quality depends on you Steve.

          If you want to mud sling mud sling away Steve I'm spending the night at home anyway! Feel free to ask or question me on anything.
          Hi

          Great answer. It obviously works for you in your niche, which is AWESOME.

          My point was (and remains)...writing (whether unique, quality, or otherwise) on its own does not guarantee traffic, visibility, or any kind of audience.

          Anyone that says it does has probably got lucky.

          Best wishes,
          Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author sureshots
            Originally Posted by Steven Fullman View Post

            Hi

            Great answer. It obviously works for you in your niche, which is AWESOME.

            My point was (and remains)...writing (whether unique, quality, or otherwise) on its own does not guarantee traffic, visibility, or any kind of audience.

            Anyone that says it does has probably got lucky.

            Best wishes,
            Steve
            From my experience it's not a matter of luck it's a matter of creating a wordpress blog and setting it up correctly. Go to Google and type in "yoast seo" follow his free guide to setting up a Wordpress blog.

            Because of his advice alone I was able to do $40K+ in blogging without doing any back linking last year. I'll quickly give you my experience I'll create a post or page in wordpress on long tail keyword in my niche and in a about three days I'll get ranked on the first page in Google.

            Does this happen on every post? No but it happens 70% of the time, and had I wasted my time on ezine articles or one of the other article directories I would not be able to profit from adsense and infolinks nor would I be able to profit from other webmasters paying me money to put their banners on my blog. None of this was luck! I tried Yoast advice it worked and then I went to work!

            Best wishes to you Steve!
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  • Profile picture of the author Warrior Dragon
    Thanks man. It really helped and was very interesting to read I have never been interested in hiring people to write my articles so I will take this into mind while I write my own articles.
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  • Profile picture of the author jacksonlin
    I think you need to use exact match, otherwise you're going to find out that not that many people search for that term you thought.
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Hy,

    One of my niche is the fitness niche, hard there to find webmasters, magazines whe I can syndicate my article.

    I will try it with this search term in google: fitness magazines: submitt
    but in moment I have not many success.

    best wishes
    marco005
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  • Profile picture of the author providence1877
    reading this thread almost made me feel like i attended a webinar or purchased an ebook... thanks guys... you are wonderful..!
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  • Profile picture of the author Wendy Maki
    There's been so many great contributions to this thread already, but I'll throw in my 2 cents (for what it's worth Hee Hee).

    When I write articles, especially for syndication, I do look at keywords but I don't get obsessed with them. I'll pick out one nice one that I can nicely work in a place or two or three, especially in the article title or first line or two. After that, I just rely on my natural writing skills and focused topic to naturally work in related keywords, ideas, and such. Wow... and now that's called LSI!

    Where I really look at keywords is in the Author Box. I use a keyword phrase that I want Search Engines to see as the subject of the page that link is pointing to. And I "spin" my author box, so that there are slightly different related keyword phrases, all pointing to my page, so that it looks more natural once the article makes its rounds. Of course, I also try to make the author box one that readers might want to click through, but if your article is good enough, intriguing enough, they probably will anyway.

    My primary focus is writing the best quality article for readers, but I do keep a glancing eye toward keywords.

    The only real place I focus on keywords for their own sake is in the author box.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vid Yo
    wow, this post is chock full of great info. guys, we appreciate you sharing!
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  • Profile picture of the author Tadresources
    Well said, but I think, for some IMers, writing articles themselves just won't work. Either they don't have the time, or they don't have the ambition (or both). There's nothing wrong with that, and I think it's important to remember that you get what you pay for. If you don't want to do the work yourself, then you gotta be willing to pay the price for quality work.
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  • Profile picture of the author Smallwheels
    I learned a lot about article marketing from this thread. I bookmarked it for future reference.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Hmm - I've always just written quality articles about what people in my nitch want and need to know. They get used by others when I put them in a directory, and they draw traffic on my own site ---- and I've never once been slammed by google.

    People really make this subject way too complex.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Syndication quality means relevant writing which meets the expectations of publishers and their reading audience. In my experience, what works most effectively to get articles picked up and read are those that are provocative, controversial, cleverly humorous, arouses curiosity, dramatic, etc. To get a better idea of what publishers are looking for in your niche(s), read what already has been published, and query some of those outlets with your own articles of comparable quality and slant.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      Hmm - I've always just written quality articles about what people in my nitch want and need to know. They get used by others when I put them in a directory, and they draw traffic on my own site ---- and I've never once been slammed by google.

      People really make this subject way too complex.
      Nope. They're just looking for that "secret code" that we are hiding from them that leads to tons of traffic and income. They just know it can't be hidden forever. F*** articles :rolleyes:, where's the magic button?!
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  • Profile picture of the author Intrepreneur
    Regardless of what keyword you choose.

    Your article isn't working because you haven't put it on your own website.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lightlysalted
    Using the google keyword tool is something that I use regularly and is a great way to optimise articles. Excellent thread
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by RoniShwartz View Post

      But what exactly is "content that is perfect for syndication" ??? Is there any good online-guide, or nice and detailed article that explains what, exactly, is that "perfect article" that every ezine owner would just love to republish ???

      Many thanks, Roni
      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      Syndication quality means relevant writing which meets the expectations of publishers and their reading audience. In my experience, what works most effectively to get articles picked up and read are those that are provocative, controversial, cleverly humorous, arouses curiosity, dramatic, etc. To get a better idea of what publishers are looking for in your niche(s), read what already has been published, and query some of those outlets with your own articles of comparable quality and slant.
      Roni, there's no such thing as the perfect article that every ezine owner would love to publish. Try to please everybody, and you end up pleasing no one.

      Not trying to be mean here, but if I wanted an article that would offend no one, I'd go to EzineArticles.com and pick one at random. The odds would be heavily in my favor of picking up something very bland, maybe even really boring, but which had a few keywords sprinkled through it.

      I'm going to rephrase what Paul said above...

      To get a better idea of what kind of articles you want to write, read what the type of publication you want to appear in has already published, and query some of those outlets with your own articles of comparable quality and slant.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Mak
    i agree that the article should be interesting for human reader, and this will result in more clicks and buying interest.

    but when we talk about ranking, search engine do not care whether it is attractive or informative writing, the google spider only program to do the calculation to decide your position.

    if you write a good article and a lot of other websites sync your content to their site, then your site will granted with tons of quality backlink instantly. this is auto SEO with article marketing.

    IMHO, backlinks decide your ranking.
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  • Profile picture of the author bokidarkness
    Great post Jamie! I don't speak english fluently, but I'm on as you say OK LEVEL. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author janux
    Do you even tell them whether this is an unpublished before article or not?
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by janux View Post

      Do you even tell them whether this is an unpublished before article or not?
      Nope. I don't. If it's truly a major issue with them, they'll ask. If they do, I tell the truth. Then it's up to them...
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  • Profile picture of the author mootonandy
    Originally Posted by Jamie Gould View Post

    I'm not a stranger to writing my own articles, be that for my blogs or for directories (promotional/traffic generation).

    I have been a freelance writer for 4 years (or just under), and I can safely say there is a LOT to learn from writing.

    I also decided to check out my competition when I was running my writing business. Companies offering a PLR SEO optimized article (500 words) for $5? Bull.

    I ordered one, gave them a topic and 4 days later received what I can only describe as crap from my garden. Absolute trash.

    They had essentially span an article using software, and then manually recorrected 80% of the errors. Yes, 80%. There were stupid grammatical errors that even somebody learning English would be able to spot, so I stuck with my own business.

    When it came to SEO, it was traditionally stuffed. Imagine a Christmas Turkey (or Thanksgiving), now imagine that's rammed full of very bad tasting herbs. That's essentially what I was looking at, metaphorically speaking of course.

    They had simply copied a single phrase (for examples sake, I'll use "Alertpay to Paypal conversion), and had placed it every 5 lines down the article. Regardless of whether it made sense of not, it was there.

    So I advise that if you know English at an okay level (fluent is better!), stick to writing yourself. You'll save a ton of $$$ in the long run, improve your English ten fold and join the few people who offer a great service.

    So Jamie, why isn't my article writing working?

    The key to article writing is effeciency and stucture. If you're writing about a topic you know well, the content isn't an issue. You have the idea, and you just want to dive in.

    STOP.

    Before you begin writing, go a quick search over at the Google Keyword Tool. If you haven't used it before, get used to it. It will help you a great deal, and always will!

    Now, the best way to generate real traffic from article directory listings is not through the link juice. It helps, but it's not what you want primarily.
    The key is HUMAN traffic. No good ever came from a bot reading your posts. They can't add their opinion, click your ads or go through to your affliate links. Sure they can rank you up, but interaction is a great way to generate income.

    After using the Google Keyword Tool, start writing your article.

    Let's take this for example:

    Using the phrase I gave earlier on (Alertpay to Paypal conversion), I'll do a quick Keyword search to find out which term has low competition and good search volume. Here are the results:



    As you can see, I have put a red box around the best keyword phrase to use.

    Our original phrase alertpay to paypal conversion had so little searches that nothing came up.

    BUT

    as you can see from the red box, Paypal to alertpay has 18k monthly searches, and [i]low[/b] competition.

    If I had written the article on Alertpay to paypal conversion, it may have been a perfect article and accepted to top directories, but it wouldn't have bought in any human traffic. Bots will pick it up and index your site along with the article, but nothing human based will be gained.

    After you've writing your article, re-read it through and make sure you've included the main keyword phrase (paypal to alertpay) 3 to 4 times. Do not keyword stuff.

    Remember to research everything you need before hand. If you can't read it, nobody else can. It must be readable, quality and best of all, SEO optimised.

    Enjoy your new reign over your niches!

    - Jamie.
    Where it says low thats adwords competition not SEO competition.
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  • Profile picture of the author ExcellentLinks
    Great share. Thanks a lot for the tips Jamie..
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

      I would really love to know how to prepare a syndicator's list
      Despite the babbling barbs of the past, I am feeling slightly charitable today. And since I have mastered article syndication for over 15 years, perhaps some of my unproven claims can be re-hashed here.

      For any given viable niche, there are millions of potential syndication outlets, such as ezines, blogs, websites, and offline publications including niche magazines, trade journals, newspapers, etc. Although I have a list of only 50,000 outlets in my syndication networks, the traffic being generated is so mind-boggling that it would be beyond belief anyway.

      But the fact is, many of the masters of article syndication have shared our methods openly and often, including some priceless nuggets right here in this thread. Our proof is that those who have been using the article syndication model have not suffered the catastrophic casualties of Google's ongoing algorithm changes as has been seen recently.
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      • Profile picture of the author MikeTucker
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        Despite the babbling barbs of the past, I am feeling slightly charitable today.
        You are too kind.
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        Dear Doubters,
        Do the work and test the results for yourself.

        Have a nice day,
        --The WF Article Syndicate


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      • Profile picture of the author schttrj
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        Despite the babbling barbs of the past, I am feeling slightly charitable today. And since I have mastered article syndication for over 15 years, perhaps some of my unproven claims can be re-hashed here.

        For any given viable niche, there are millions of potential syndication outlets, such as ezines, blogs, websites, and offline publications including niche magazines, trade journals, newspapers, etc. Although I have a list of only 50,000 outlets in my syndication networks, the traffic being generated is so mind-boggling that it would be beyond belief anyway.

        But the fact is, many of the masters of article syndication have shared our methods openly and often, including some priceless nuggets right here in this thread. Our proof is that those who have been using the article syndication model have not suffered the catastrophic casualties of Google's ongoing algorithm changes as has been seen recently.
        They were "babbling barbs" to you, and I am sure many of the rest found superior logic and reason in 'em.

        And just for the people who don't know how to keep a normal debate and think they are just RIGHT...outright, they perhaps need to take a chill and look over if they are going wrong somewhere or not.

        And as I always say, simple long-winded, flowery-worded advice never works. Proof works!

        Having said all these, I can tell you that I was never against article syndication, but publishing to EZA is not the best form of article syndication. Period!

        Can you seriously show me ONE proof that it works? Just one proof?? Come on, it's a friendly argument here. Prove me wrong, man.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

          Just thinking about the whole process makes me feel tired and nauseous...
          That's only because you're predisposed to feeling tired and nauseous about article syndication, Ron, as we've all seen from so many of your earlier, equally misguided comments about it:-
          • Originally Posted by schttrj

            Well...I always believe, syndication is NOT the right way to go.
          • Originally Posted by schttrj

            article marketing works through backlink building
          • Originally Posted by schttrj

            the so-called masters of article marketing haven't yet proven anything.
          But I'll answer your question, anyway ...

          Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

          If a hundred thieves steal my content, I would be chasing a hundred thieves?!
          The answer's "no". There you go, you see: if you'd actually read my comments above instead of just quoting them purely for the purpose of attempting to dispute them, you'd have given yourself the chance to appreciate that that isn't so at all. Most of them will turn out to be automated, backlink-oriented "marketers" who are merely a temporary irrelevance, and you can safely ignore them, if you want to. Meanwhile, I advise you to carry on backlinking instead, as you so clearly feel much more comfortable that way, as you've been missing no chance to point out for a year or so. And by the way, don't ever buy a house, just in case one day someone breaks into it: they're obviously not safe places to live, really.

          Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

          I can tell you that I was never against article syndication
          You can tell us, but we don't believe you, because we saw you say "I always believe, syndication is NOT the right way to go" and 100 other things like that.

          You've spent a long time telling us, openly and repeatedly, that you're against something (and even why, albeit that your "reasons" were based on factual misunderstandings), and now you're saying you can tell us that you were never against it? This is fairly classic "trolling": I won't take it seriously and I urge others here not to, either.

          Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

          publishing to EZA is not the best form of article syndication.
          Nobody said it is - in fact, the irony is that all the people here who are making our livings through article syndication spend quite a lot of time explaining to others that publishing to an article directory is only an attempt at passive syndication - and (by comparison) an afterthought.

          As you can see from this post above, I've even explained that in some detail in this very thread.
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          • Profile picture of the author schttrj
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            That's only because you're predisposed to feeling tired and nauseous about article syndication, Ron, as we've all seen from so many of your earlier, equally misguided comments about it:-
            But I'll answer your question, anyway ...

            The answer's "no". There you go, you see: if you'd actually read my comments above instead of just quoting them purely for the purpose of attempting to dispute them, you'd have given yourself the chance to appreciate that that isn't so at all. Most of them will turn out to be automated, backlink-oriented "marketers" who are merely a temporary irrelevance, and you can safely ignore them, if you want to. Meanwhile, I advise you to carry on backlinking instead, as you so clearly feel much more comfortable that way, as you've been missing no chance to point out for a year or so. And by the way, don't ever buy a house, just in case one day someone breaks into it: they're obviously not safe places to live, really.

            You can tell us, but we don't believe you, because we saw you say "I always believe, syndication is NOT the right way to go" and 100 other things like that.

            You've spent a long time telling us, openly and repeatedly, that you're against something (and even why, albeit that your "reasons" were based on factual misunderstandings), and now you're saying you can tell us that you were never against it? This is fairly classic "trolling": I won't take it seriously and I urge others here not to, either.

            Nobody said it is - in fact, the irony is that all the people here who are making our livings through article syndication spend quite a lot of time explaining to others that publishing to an article directory is only an attempt at passive syndication - and (by comparison) an afterthought.

            As you can see from this post above, I've even explained that in some detail in this very thread.
            Alexa, it's very interesting but your 2000-word long post does ONLY two things:

            1. Show how you CAN'T prove your point, other than worthlessly quoting from various threads, where you have "enlightened" us with your wisdom.

            2. You are ONE of those few people, who supremely believe they are right and doesn't have the minimum capability of questioning themselves. Pity you!

            Now, coming to the topic...(if only you understand what I say),

            Firstly, have an open mind! Without an open mind, you will never be able to either provide value or seek value in a popular helpful forum like WF.

            Secondly, neither does anyone has seen anyone of your write-ups nor have you given any proof of your so-called flourishing article syndication business. Would you be so kind to share a few with us? Perhaps not.

            Thirdly, you quoted me saying "article syndication is not the way to go" and then "I was never against article syndication". Right? Hmm..let me ask you a simple question. What do you mean by "right"? You know what, some people means the right hand side while some mean the morally correct, by the term "right".

            Now the thing is, what article marketing means to you does NOT match with what others think. Period. Article marketing means writing a 400-600 words post and submitting it into an online article directories. So, if you ask me about this form of article syndication, I will NEVER support it.

            And if you are talking about syndicating in some high quality Ezine publication or some hotshot offline magazine, do you really think your simple 400-600 words article will be featured as a post in a magazine? You must be kidding!

            But tell you what, this is really NOT the point. You are a fellow marketer and I don't mean to be harsh to you.

            Just to let you know, I don't really condone to your indomitable quest to establish yourself as an expert on this forum. Just if you don't know, even when a PhD accomplished scientist introduces a hypothesis, it is presented before a council of other scientists to be torn, pillaged and criticized.

            If you are not that open, you should just sit in your home and NOT be in a forum looking for like-minded conversations.
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            • Profile picture of the author myob
              Ron, you are again throwing misquotes and invalid premises in your contrived "debate". There are no guarantees that you will ever even approach the same level of success and achievements as many of us have here. But what we have openly shared with you from experience may help you avoid the most common mistakes, thereby saving years of trial, error and even failure. The only real proof, however, is in your own efforts.

              "You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try."
              - Beverly Sills
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              • Profile picture of the author Joshua Rigley
                Banned
                Originally Posted by myob View Post

                Ron, you are again throwing misquotes and invalid premises in your contrived "debate".
                At first I thought this said "mosquitoes", and I was thinking...actually, I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time. Probably a good thing.

                But seriously. Don't throw mosquitoes. Especially not at me.
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            • Profile picture of the author Joshua Rigley
              Banned
              Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

              Now the thing is, what article marketing means to you does NOT match with what others think. Period. Article marketing means writing a 400-600 words post and submitting it into an online article directories. So, if you ask me about this form of article syndication, I will NEVER support it.
              In that respect, we agree.

              And if you are talking about syndicating in some high quality Ezine publication or some hotshot offline magazine, do you really think your simple 400-600 words article will be featured as a post in a magazine? You must be kidding!
              I have never seen Alexa talk of article syndication in the sense of getting published in some high and mighty offline magazine. Neither have I seen here condone simply submitting to article directories. Or even writing 400-600 word articles (I've only ever seen here recommend writing 1,000-1,200 word articles).

              It's odd that you would even mention offline syndication in an online marketing forum. The article syndication I've seen Alexa talk about involves finding blogs and ONLINE ezines in your niche and asking them to republish your stuff. And they don't even need to be big outlets either.

              But tell you what, this is really NOT the point. You are a fellow marketer and I don't mean to be harsh to you.
              Somehow, I doubt this. You sound pretty spiteful to me. And you're right, all this is really beside the point.

              The point is you are belittling a highly intelligent and well-respected member of this forum for no other apparent reason than to continue some kind of vendetta that you can't let go of. And that just makes you look like an idiot.

              Just to let you know, I don't really condone to your indomitable quest to establish yourself as an expert on this forum.
              And there you go again. Harsh words for someone who isn't trying to be harsh. :rolleyes:

              I also find it odd that you would condemn the practice of regularly contributing high quality information for free. Granted, Alexa does tend to repeat herself, but that's only because the truth doesn't change, and is always worth repeating. She is simply sharing her own experiences with article syndication and marketing in general, which is what most people here do; you either ask questions or give answers.

              If you give answers, it's because you (hopefully) have the experience to back it up. And Alexa has already proven multiple times she has the experience to back up her answers. Which makes her an expert in article syndication.

              You aren't doing yourself any favors by keeping this up. But heaven knows, I do love seeing drama on this forum, so by all means, keep doing your thing. Joe and I will be enjoying the popcorn and the debate.
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              • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
                Banned
                Guys, it's just not worth debating it for ever.

                People reading this thread (and others like it) can see perfectly well what's happening, here.

                We went through a long period of "I always believe, syndication is NOT the right way to go" (Ron's capital letters, not mine - I'm only copy/pasting), and now (among stacks of other nonsense) we've come to "I can tell you that I was never against article syndication".

                Seriously, life is too short for this, day after day. Sorry.

                This has been a particularly helpful and useful thread to many Warriors (and not only the many who've said so openly). Though it would doubtless suit Ron, I really don't want to see it removed because it turns into a trolling flame-war, or whatever. No more from me.
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            • Profile picture of the author cjreynolds
              Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

              Alexa, it's very interesting but your 2000-word long post does ONLY two things:

              1. Show how you CAN'T prove your point, other than worthlessly quoting from various threads, where you have "enlightened" us with your wisdom.

              2. You are ONE of those few people, who supremely believe they are right and doesn't have the minimum capability of questioning themselves. Pity you!

              Now, coming to the topic...(if only you understand what I say),

              Firstly, have an open mind! Without an open mind, you will never be able to either provide value or seek value in a popular helpful forum like WF.

              Secondly, neither does anyone has seen anyone of your write-ups nor have you given any proof of your so-called flourishing article syndication business. Would you be so kind to share a few with us? Perhaps not.

              Thirdly, you quoted me saying "article syndication is not the way to go" and then "I was never against article syndication". Right? Hmm..let me ask you a simple question. What do you mean by "right"? You know what, some people means the right hand side while some mean the morally correct, by the term "right".

              Now the thing is, what article marketing means to you does NOT match with what others think. Period. Article marketing means writing a 400-600 words post and submitting it into an online article directories. So, if you ask me about this form of article syndication, I will NEVER support it.

              And if you are talking about syndicating in some high quality Ezine publication or some hotshot offline magazine, do you really think your simple 400-600 words article will be featured as a post in a magazine? You must be kidding!

              But tell you what, this is really NOT the point. You are a fellow marketer and I don't mean to be harsh to you.

              Just to let you know, I don't really condone to your indomitable quest to establish yourself as an expert on this forum. Just if you don't know, even when a PhD accomplished scientist introduces a hypothesis, it is presented before a council of other scientists to be torn, pillaged and criticized.

              If you are not that open, you should just sit in your home and NOT be in a forum looking for like-minded conversations.
              Where's that "No-Thanks" button?
              Signature

              I just added this sig so I can refer to it in my posts...

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              • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
                Banned
                Originally Posted by cjreynolds View Post

                Where's that "No-Thanks" button?


                Close enough.
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        • Profile picture of the author myob
          Originally Posted by schttrj View Post

          They were "babbling barbs" to you, and I am sure many of the rest found superior logic and reason in 'em.

          And just for the people who don't know how to keep a normal debate and think they are just RIGHT...outright, they perhaps need to take a chill and look over if they are going wrong somewhere or not.

          And as I always say, simple long-winded, flowery-worded advice never works. Proof works!

          Having said all these, I can tell you that I was never against article syndication, but publishing to EZA is not the best form of article syndication. Period!

          Can you seriously show me ONE proof that it works? Just one proof?? Come on, it's a friendly argument here. Prove me wrong, man.
          This "debate" must be churning only within your own mind, because I have never said that publishing to EZA is the best form of article syndication. The proof is in the quote referenced for your argument. And a simple keyword search will provide confirmation that there is indeed a great big world out there for article syndication. So, instead of keeping up these unproductive and silly arguments, just go for it! :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author AdamJWahlberg
    I've written several articles for E-Zine. And after perusing this thread, I decided to see if anyone was utilizing my content. As it turns out, several publishers are using it. (Huzzah!)

    But those publishers are using my content without providing a link back to my site. (They omit the resource box altogether.)

    So my question is this: How can I make sure that if I'm providing quality articles, I get dealt with fair and square?

    If you're curious, look me up at Ezine Articles under "Adam J. Wahlberg".
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by AdamJWahlberg View Post

      But those publishers are using my content without providing a link back to my site. (They omit the resource box altogether.)
      They're not allowed to do this, of course.

      Originally Posted by AdamJWahlberg View Post

      So my question is this: How can I make sure that if I'm providing quality articles, I get dealt with fair and square?
      You can't prevent people from doing this (just as you couldn't if they stole it from your own site instead of from EZA), but you can remedy it when it happens.

      I have two pre-written emails to send out to them (if I can't find their email address, I try things like "info", "admin" and "support" at theirsite.com).

      The first thanks them for republishing my article and explains that they inadvertently omitted the resource box (required, in accordance with EZA's terms of service etc. etc.), and here it is, and would they please add it to their copy of the article with the link in clickable format, and so on. "And by the way I have three other articles on this subject to offer you, on the same terms, and two of them haven't been published in Ezine Articles". And so on.

      And if that doesn't work, I serve a DMCA notice on them with a (visible) copy to their host (you can find out their host from sites like who-hosts.com). And that gets the article, page or site removed. Usually.

      Bear in mind that some of these scoundrels are just autoblogs, and that they're normally not doing you any harm anyway. It's up to you how seriously you want to take them.

      The thing is to have those two "fill in the blanks" emails ready to send out, so you can spend the minimum amount of time attending to this, when it happens. It's just a bit of a nuisance, but not worth losing any sleep over.

      I hope and trust you're publishing those articles on your own site first, and having them indexed there before submitting them to Ezine Articles?

      http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post5068872
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      • Profile picture of the author AdamJWahlberg
        Alexa,

        Thanks very much for your reply.

        I've actually been writing unique articles for EZA, because until I devoured the majority of your forum posts last night I didn't have a CLUE about article syndication. I've been doing it entirely the wrong way.

        Thank you for lighting my path.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          You're welcome - good luck!

          Originally Posted by AdamJWahlberg View Post

          until I devoured the majority of your forum posts last night ...
          You might want to try a little light seasoning with that ...
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      • Profile picture of the author schttrj
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        They're not allowed to do this, of course.
        And they still DO it, of course!

        You can't prevent people from doing this (just as you couldn't if they stole it from your own site instead of from EZA), but you can remedy it when it happens.

        I have two pre-written emails to send out to them (if I can't find their email address, I try things like "info", "admin" and "support" at theirsite.com).

        The first thanks them for republishing my article and explains that they inadvertently omitted the resource box (required, in accordance with EZA's terms of service etc. etc.), and here it is, and would they please add it to their copy of the article with the link in clickable format, and so on. "And by the way I have three other articles on this subject to offer you, on the same terms, and two of them haven't been published in Ezine Articles". And so on.

        And if that doesn't work, I serve a DMCA notice on them with a (visible) copy to their host (you can find out their host from sites like who-hosts.com). And that gets the article, page or site removed. Usually.

        Bear in mind that some of these scoundrels are just autoblogs, and that they're normally not doing you any harm anyway. It's up to you how seriously you want to take them.

        The thing is to have those two "fill in the blanks" emails ready to send out, so you can spend the minimum amount of time attending to this, when it happens. It's just a bit of a nuisance, but not worth losing any sleep over.

        I hope and trust you're publishing those articles on your own site first, and having them indexed there before submitting them to Ezine Articles?

        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post5068872
        Just thinking about the whole process makes me feel tired and nauseous...If a hundred thieves steal my content, I would be chasing a hundred thieves?! What the heck!
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  • Profile picture of the author club20coaching
    Good point! I think that most people just expect to receive traffic from article marketing but the importance of SEO is left out 90% of the time.. The title, the keywords used, and relevant information that is valuable as gold to your target audience.
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author AdamJWahlberg
    Alexa,

    Could you elaborate on how you involve the DMCA? Do you have to pay for this?
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  • I´m also one of those who wrote articles merely for backlinks. But I´m thinking about doing it your way. However, so far there are some things I find hard to believe.

    I belief/know that guest posting is possible, video syndication is also definitely possible. But where are the websites that use syndicated articles or use syndicated articles in their ezines. I cannot remember ever having received an email with a link to an article author. But there are people using articles from EZA for their mails. (without the link from the author) For email courses etc..

    Syndicated articles, including the author link, also seem to be rare. I only found a few on some dump sites. Free blogs and so on. Usually also without the link. Should one look for blogs that accept non-original guest posts?
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      where are the websites that use syndicated articles
      All over the place: you have only to look at Ezine Articles' statistics for the number of time various articles from there alone have been published (they'll be only a small minority of "all sydnicated articles", of course).

      There are also many discussions in this very forum which include comments from both the re-publishers and the writers of articles. Ask Paul ("myob") how many are on his syndication list now.

      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      or use syndicated articles in their ezines.
      Ezines are circulated by email.

      It's true that some also have a copy of the ezine archived online.

      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      I cannot remember ever having received an email with a link to an article author.
      I'm guessing that you're not an ezine subscriber, then, yourself? :confused:

      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      there are people using articles from EZA for their mails. (without the link from the author)
      Yes, there are, sometimes. Fortunately they're not doing us any harm. It's hardly a reason for not doing it, is it?

      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      Should one look for blogs that accept non-original guest posts?
      Among a very large number of things one should do, yes. There are many threads in this forum with lists of suggestions (and links) for "how to get your articles syndicated". These may also help you ...

      Article Syndication To Benefit and Grow Your Business - Internet Marketing and Publishing

      The Content Cash System

      Directory of Ezines

      Ezine Directories Top 20: The pick of the best ezine directories on the Net

      Article Writing & Syndication Explained?

      Really dumb article SYNDICATION question

      Mass Article Submission and Article Syndication. Any Difference?

      A question for Alexa Smith and MYOB

      Does Article Syndication Works Like Wonders?

      Best way to submit articles?

      What is the Best site for Posting Articles

      Best sites to submit articles?
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      Should one look for blogs that accept non-original guest posts?
      I'll just add a thought to what Alexa said regarding this point...

      When you find such a blog, evaluate it carefully before submitting your content. Many blogs that actively solicit non-original guest posts are part of one or more blog networks, trading links or trying to build huge sites for Adsense income. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with that, but the quality of the "neighborhood" can vary wildy from blog to blog.

      Look beyond the fact that they will accept your article to the articles they have already accepted. Would you be happy to have your content, and your name (real or pen) associated with those articles?

      If you can honestly say yes, go for it. Otherwise, pass it by.
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  • May be I´m wrong about what ezines are. I will investigate this and also the threads I haven´t read yet. Thanks for your answer.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by affiliated survivor View Post

      May be I´m wrong about what ezines are. I will investigate this and also the threads I haven´t read yet. Thanks for your answer.
      "Ezine", like "eBook", has been watered down and *******ized in much the same way pyramids and Ponzi schemes have done for "network marketing" or "multilevel marketing".

      In its original form, an ezine (electronic magazine) was the digital equivalent of a print magazine or newspaper/tabloid/newsletter. The publisher chose articles to include, with bylines. Monetization was by a combination of ad sales and affiliate promotions. If the demand was there, paid subscriptions entered the picture.

      Much like the old "you've got mail" chirp, in the olden days getting these ezines was a novelty. You got to read hand-picked articles by writers you'd never see in a mainstream publication. So people actually looked forward to getting ezines.

      Over the years, marketers have co-opted the phrase to mean any semi-regular email they sent to a list of subscribers.

      Don't get me wrong. There are still traditional ezines out there. You just won't find many of them in the IM/MMO space.

      Getting an article published in a real ezine often results in a quick surge of visitors to your landing page. If the publisher keeps an online archive, you can see occasional visitors for as long as the archive is online.
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  • A quick search on Google made me find a site that seems to fit the description of an ezine directory.

    https://subs.ezezine.com/subs/

    There are probably better ones, but so far I get the idea.
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