Online articles may be the single best way to get traffic to your web site. Writing articles and submitting them to free article directories is certainly one of the least expensive ways. To make it work, though, you have to be persuasive.
Maybe you wonder what persuasive writing has to do with articles. You're not exactly selling something with an informative article, are you? Actually, you are. First, you have to persuade the reader to keep reading until he gets to your link at the bottom. Then you have to give the reader a reason to click through to your site. Use the following tips to get more traffic by writing persuasively.
Persuasive Online Articles
1. Keyword optimized headlines. "How Much Can You Make This Year?" will get more readers than "Make More Money," but only if people find the article first. "Get Rich Writing Simple Articles," might have been a more attention grabbing headline, but I used "Online Articles" because that is a keyword phrase that people are actually searching. Of course, if you can use good keywords AND eye-catching headlines, it is even better.
Another way to have the best of both, is to write the article twice. Firt write it with a good keyword-optimized title, and then re-write it and submit it again with a more catchy title. Paint a picture in seven words or less, if you can. "A Thousand Dollars Fell Off My Table," might lure them in. Titles with,"10 Ways To..." or "Avoid These Six Mistakes..." or "How To..." in them, are popular too.
2. The article description. Many article directories require a description. This lets the reader know what the article is about, and hopefully convinces them to read it. Hinting at things and leaving the reader wanting more can help: "If you're making these errors, you're losing money every day. Learn to avoid the most common optimization mistakes."
3. The article body. You should write in your natural style, or, if you haven't yet developed one, stick to easy "top 10" types of articles. Keep paragraphs short, or readers will lose interest. Hinting at incompleteness can also help to get readers to visit your site. Instaed of, "Here's how to write articles." Say, "Here are a few of the techniques I use to easily write new articles." You want them looking for the other techniques - on your site.
4. Use subtitles. The use of subtitles and headings breaks up an article, making it easier to read. Subtitles also help to optimize an article for search engines, if they contain good keywords. You'll notice I often use subtitles, like the one coming up...
Online Articles - The Resource Box
You write online articles to get traffic, which you get from the link in the author's resource box - if the reader clicks on it. Invite them to do so, and never just put your name, acheievements, and a link. At the very least say "To learn more, visit..." or something similar.
My most successful resource box is for my real estate site. It reads, "Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To get a free real estate investing course, and see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com The resource box is what online articles are all about. Below, you'll find an another one that has worked well for me.
Steve Gillman didn't even know what HTML was when he registered his first domain name. Soon afterwards, he was making a good living online. To learn how you can do the same, visit http://www.TenMoney.com
