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Where Should Links Point To From Your Articles?

by Halmac
12 replies
  • SEO
    • |
When you submit articles to directories, and the links in your articles are all pointing back to your own site...is it better to have that site be nothing but a squeeze page (to build a list) and nothing else on that domain...

This is what I am currently doing.

Or,

Have a site with a squeeze page, AND maybe 5-6 pages of content (other articles) on that domain. Each page being named using relevant keywords so you have multiple pages now to direct articles back to?

If the second option makes more sense...isn't it true that you cannot link from articles to pages that are extensions of your domain name?

I have seen and heard both strategies and wondered which to do.
#articles #links #point
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

    is it better to have that site be nothing but a squeeze page (to build a list) and nothing else on that domain...

    This is what I am currently doing.

    Or,

    Have a site with a squeeze page, AND maybe 5-6 pages of content
    What's better for one person isn't better for another, so you have to test for yourself.

    Personally, I do neither of those.

    I have a link in every article's resource-box (or in the article itself, if that's allowed) to my site's landing page, which isn't a squeeze page. Every page of my site has an incentivised opt-in on the page (because I've made all the sites with blogging software, though they don't look like it) and the opt-in is in a sidebar.

    I like people to see that there's plenty of content, and to show them the whole site, and to let them buy, without requiring an opt-in first.

    I'm building lists in 8 different niches. I've split-tested 4 of them, each over a 4-month period, (split-testing what's described above against a pure squeeze-page) and in all 4 niches I did better without a squeeze-page.

    I know that some people have different testing results from mine. One reason for different people getting different results, on testing, is that they're attracting different people to their sites (for example, "PPC traffic" is often very different from "article traffic" and even "article traffic leads" can vary a bit, depending on what sort of articles you're writing - so you have to test for yourself).

    The easy mistake, in my opinion, is to put up a squeeze-page, discover that you build a bigger list that way, and assume that that's necessarily going to lead to a bigger long-term income. It may not.
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    • Profile picture of the author Halmac
      Thank you very much Alexa.

      You are right, testing is of course necessary. I have tried both methods that I listed but I don't think I have done them long enough to get an accurate reading yet.

      Is it possible then, when you put the links in your article or resource box (or both), that you link only to the landing page of your site, or can you link to other pages? Ex. www.yourdomain.com/content1

      Is there any benefit to linking to other pages of your site, or should all links just go straight to your root domain?

      Having blog software and the opt-in box show up on every page allows you to have a visitor on any page of your site and still have the chance to get them on your list. But you are also saying that you sell from the actual content on your site too? I guess an affiliate product or CPA offer can be presented. The list is more of a BONUS for you if they opt-in?
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

        I have tried both methods that I listed but I don't think I have done them long enough to get an accurate reading yet.
        I know what you mean.

        Everyone always says "split-test" but it's not always quite so easy to do. You have to decide exactly what to split-test, how to do it, and how long for. And then there are all the classic mistakes to avoid as well (like people who "test" exit pop-ups and imagine they've tested them "successfully" when some people opt in to them, or buy at a discount, not realising that they're also losing a lot of people who would have returned - and paid the full price, say - but don't after seeing the pop-up). Testing is not as easy as some would have you believe.

        Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

        Is it possible then, when you put the links in your article or resource box (or both), that you link only to the landing page of your site, or can you link to other pages? Ex. www.yourdomain.com/content1
        Yes, you can link to other pages, too.

        Where I have two links, I often have one to my landing page and one to an "inner page", so that the landing page gets at least 50% of all the links but many other pages (eventually) get some links.

        Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

        Having blog software and the opt-in box show up on every page allows you to have a visitor on any page of your site and still have the chance to get them on your list. But you are also saying that you sell from the actual content on your site too?
        Yes. Some people buy without opting in at all. (The opposite, however, is of course much more common. And a few do both).
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  • Profile picture of the author NeilC
    It also depends on what you are trying to sell or achieve, just a squeeze page is good if your main aim is just to build a list in some niches.

    With another site you might want to give visitors a chance to opt-in but your main aim might be to get the highest conversion to sales the first time someone visits and too strong an opt-in can be a distraction.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dave Lianelli
    Alexa is right about the split-testing. However my results are different.

    I have great conversions on squeeze pages, as high as 92%. Though when I tried mini-sites and even a blog, my conversions dropped immediately.

    There's another thing you should test, and that's the quality of the subscribers I get. For example, leads from giveaway contests tend to be rubbish. While subscribers that come through a blog tend to spend a lot more money with me.

    All in all, it's best to have a multi-channel approach towards lead generation. Be on Twitter, Facebook, a blog, forums, guest authoring in newsletters and other blogs, Wikipedia... the more the better.

    Not every source will deliver lots of leads, however you're safer than putting all your eggs into one basket.
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  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

    If the second option makes more sense...isn't it true that you cannot link from articles to pages that are extensions of your domain name?

    I have seen and heard both strategies and wondered which to do.

    To answer your question about the link, you can link to those pages or your main page.

    The best thing you can do with your links is to use anchor text to help move your website up in the search engines for perticular keywords. You can write a few pages and optimize each one for a perticular keyword, then build your backlinks with that keyword in the anchor text.

    So if you're wanting to rank for the keywords: keyword1 and keyword2...
    You'd write your resource box with a strong call to action, include keyword1 and keyword2. Then link the two words to the perticular pages you want to rank.

    yoursite.com/keyword1 or whatever you have.

    I hope that answered your question.
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    • Profile picture of the author Halmac
      Victor...MY MAN!

      That is exactly what I was wondering. I guess I wasn't explaining it properly.

      So to me, it seems to make more sense to build a mini site with some pages of content, use different keywords and then submit articles linking to each page of your site using the anchor text.

      This way your site has a better chance of getting up the search engines and in the long run, you don't have to do as many articles to get traffic. Where as writing articles strictly to a one page site isn't really going to get that site ranked where people might find it organically? Is this correct?

      Again, I realize everyone has their own theory, I am just trying to wrap my head around this. And I see that if your intention is just to build a list, then having nothing but a squeeze page isn't bad, its just one method to try.

      I appreciate the responses.
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      • Profile picture of the author Halmac
        So Alexa, your life depends on it...

        Hypothetically of course!

        You have to choose one way to go...

        A one page site with nothing but a squeeze page, with the attempt to build a list and then do your marketing through email.

        Or,

        A site with some content, the opt-in on the side and sell through your posts, and build a much smaller list this way.

        I think its obvious you will say the site with content, because that is what you are doing, just thought I would ask.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

          So Alexa, your life depends on it...
          Hypothetically of course!
          You have to choose one way to go...
          A one page site with nothing but a squeeze page, with the attempt to build a list and then do your marketing through email.
          Or, a site with some content, the opt-in on the side and sell through your posts, and build a much smaller list this way. I think its obvious you will say the site with content, because that is what you are doing, just thought I would ask.
          Yes, I go the obvious way. This suits me because I write long, wordy articles which are provocative, controversial, sarcastic, facetious and entertaining (albeit not necessarily in that exact order) - and people want to see that I have whole websites of "more of the same" without an opting-in barrier in their way. I'll eventually sell to them by email with no problem, if they like my site first. And in the 50% of my niches I've tested, I did worse with a squeeze-page. People attracted by my articles don't like opting in. But that is really "just me".
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      • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
        Hey Halmac,

        I'm glad I could help.

        If you write articles just for your landing page, it can get ranked too.

        But if you write 5-6 pages, and promote them in the search engines you can get more traffic, and if you choose good long-tail keywords that get traffic they can often be much easier way to build traffic to your site.

        I like to choose one main keyword, and a few long-tail keywords.

        You're absolutely on the right track here.
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  • Profile picture of the author dadamson
    Originally Posted by Halmac View Post

    When you submit articles to directories, and the links in your articles are all pointing back to your own site...is it better to have that site be nothing but a squeeze page (to build a list) and nothing else on that domain...

    This is what I am currently doing.

    Or,

    Have a site with a squeeze page, AND maybe 5-6 pages of content (other articles) on that domain. Each page being named using relevant keywords so you have multiple pages now to direct articles back to?

    If the second option makes more sense...isn't it true that you cannot link from articles to pages that are extensions of your domain name?

    I have seen and heard both strategies and wondered which to do.
    There are a variety of methods you can use when article marketing and a lot of them work well.

    The fact is, Google loves content so if you have a just a squeeze page, it won't do as well as a squeeze page with other subpages around it all linking in.

    As for the articles, most directories allow you to place 2 anchor text links back to your pages, so a good spread would be one link pointing to your squeeze page and one to a subpage.

    You can also mix it up by doing one to your squeeze page and one to a previous article you have written.
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  • Profile picture of the author dadamson
    Also, you can use one of the following strategies to gain natural traffic;

    a.) You can build up 4,5,10, 20 etc pages with related content that all target low competition keywords, going for many low-comp KWs will allow you to rank quicker and attract more traffic over a spread of content. Each page can then link in to your squeeze page and draw traffic.

    b.) You can target a few keywords on your squeeze page and use a longer-term more aggressive SEO approach to gain traffic from these few higher traffic keywords.

    Each method will require a different method of article marketing depending on the competition of each keyword and traffic.

    Cheers,
    -Dave
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