Article writing for search engine rankings
03 Dec 2010
There are many ways to improve your website's search engine rankings, but one of the most effective is through writing and syndicating articles on content relevant to your business. By providing your articles for free to other websites, you can obtain links to your website, resulting in greater traffic and higher search engine rankings. In this article we address how to write a great article and syndication of these articles.
Article Content Creation
Writing articles gives you the opportunity to promote your business expertise and services. First off, brainstorm ideas for articles relating to your business and keywords you are attempting to rank for in the search engines. Include relevant search engine keywords in your articles when appropriate. Create articles that will entertain and educate your website visitors. Search engines respect quality content and rank it accordingly. Some examples of interesting and engaging content include:
- Tutorials on how to use your products or services
- Basic guides on how to maximise your products and services
- How to select products and services in your industry
- Industry relevant information, analysis and opinion
- Expert advice and tips
- Relevant and topical information in your industry
The goal of all articles should be to simplify concepts and generalise principles that will be of relevance to the widest possible audience in your niche. Article content should also be as close to non-commercial and objective as possible. It is unlikely that most external website will post your content if it is commercial in nature. Provide your articles for free in order to build trust and a loyal audience. Articles should be at least 500 words, so that they can be syndicated to article directories, in exchange for a link back to your website.
It's important to write articles that are relevant, interesting and educational. High quality articles will attract more visitors, leads and customers back to your website. To help you write a successful article, here are four article components to keep in mind:
Title or Heading
The title of your article must be catchy. It must grab a person's attention and compel them to open and read your article. Try to include your target keywords when possible but don't overdo it. Your main objective with the title is to get your article published and opened by readers. A title well written for search engines is not effective if the article doesn't reach your audience.
Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph explains or summarises the main points of your article. It should encourage your readers to read your article up to the very end by painting a compelling picture:
For many established bricks and mortar businesses, building a complementary online presence is now an urgent task. In many industries, businesses are already well established online and aggressively pursuing domination of their respective niche.
News websites often summarise the main points of an article at the top. An example is shown below:
- Online Article writing is great for SEO.
- Syndicate your articles for search engine ranking.
- Repurpose content in newsletters and on your website.
Article Body
Your article body must deliver on the expectations created by title. Details should be provided as outlined in the summary given in the introductory paragraph. Some online content writers over-stuff their articles with keywords they wish the article to rank for in the search engines. Use of your keywords is important, but it is not necessary to overdo it. Remember that an article that tells a story or provides useful information keeps readers engaged in your website and makes them come back for more.
The article body must hold the interest of your readers and not merely contain a set of keywords repeated again and again. At the end of the article, readers must feel happy and content to have read it. They must feel that your article has helped them find what they are looking for. If permitted, include hyperlinks on keywords in your article back to your website.
Author's Resource Box
The author's resource box is specific to article directories. Normally the author's resource box will contain information on the writer or the business and contain many of your important keywords. Ideally, the author's resource box must also contain a call-to-action that will move readers from the article to your website. Tell them who you are and what you can offer. When your audience knows what you can do for them, they will be even more compelled to visit your website. Be sure to include hyperlinks in the author resource box back to your website.
Article Publishing and Syndication
Once you have written your article, the next step is to publish and distribute on article directories across the web. Publish articles to article directories and syndicate them widely. In exchange for your content, article directories provide you with links and traffic back to your website. A well-written and interesting article may also be picked-up and published by other websites, giving you more links.
Finally, attempt to network with other relevant websites and blogs, and offer your articles for free to these sites in exchange for links.
Some final words
Online articles that balance keywords with interesting and helpful content are crucial in any website marketing campaign. They improve your search engine rankings by building more inbound links and driving greater traffic to your website. They help you promote your services and increase your business reputation by offering real value to readers.
You can also repurpose your article by publishing them on your website, including them in your newsletters, posting them on blogs and posting links to your content on social media websites.