Article Marketing Builds Momentum and Traffic

When I started submitting articles to ezines and directories I was happy just to get an occasional article written and widely posted online. I assumed that was the point. But I've since learned about equally important considerations--like the Page Rank of the site where it appears.

Each article was written to inform and appeal to the human readers. Search engines were incidental in my mind. I wasn't systematic about submitting new ones on a regular basis so they built momentum. Nor was I careful to emphasize my website's keywords and principal theme. But I do now--it matters. Despite that, the articles already posted have been hard at work for me.

My list of places for submitting keeps expanding. And it's further refined with every article posted. After a year and a half, that's a large list (nearly a thousand). And I'm a known quantity with sites and ezines that consistently post my contributions. My best-received article to date shows 181 Google mentions (with their related incoming links).

Starting from Zero Online Visibility

I launched a new website mid-June, 2004, using article marketing as the primary traffic-building strategy (Yellow Page Sage, getting your Yellow Page ad and website working together). The first article was a strong one, getting 135 Google cites.

Over the next three months I wrote and posted seven articles related to Yellow Pages or Local Search. The website also provided extensive information about Yellow Page advertising by other authors--making it very sticky and content-rich.

Creating an Article 12-pack

After they were submitted to my list, I combined those seven articles with five of my prior marketing articles - twelve in all (with a link to each article). Instead of offering them as onesees, I now send the whole batch (letting the receiver pick what they want).

I prepared a letter offering the 12-pack, asking if they want to receive similar future ones. That letter is only sent to websites I've visited. I'd never offer it to a site unless there's a good fit. Sending out the 12-pack is an ongoing activity, and another way to expand my list. Some websites have posted the whole set - twelve return links from one letter!

Surprise! Google Noticed me!

Since I was busy getting the site polished and launched, it caught me by surprise that in two months my Google Page Rank was 3/10 (the first time I checked). And the following month it had climbed to PR 4/10 - without doing anything but post seven articles. I didn't yet realize it was getting extra mileage because of the strength

Then I started paying serious attention to Page Rank--the posting site's AND mine. Page Rank shows the extra importance that Google gives to the number and popularity of websites linking to yours. Links from higher Page Rank pages elevate your Page Rank.

Two Things I didn't Know When I Started Posting Articles First - I posted my articles to get website traffic and incoming links (via the Sig at the end of each article). I treated every article appearance as equivalent. But Google doesn't. All those articles appearing in high-Page-Rank directories were giving an extra boost to my score.

So I've re-assessed my list. Websites with higher Page Rank are now my "A List." Articles that they publish are doing my Page Rank way more good than other places. Of course, I still need to post widely and pursue both types of links.

Second - I didn't realize that the "Page Rank of a website" doesn't exist. Every page on a site has its own Page Rank. (Although there are ways to make every page on the website share the same Page Rank, it's not widely done.) So a home page with PR 7/10 that links to mine from a PR 3/10 interior page only provides a PR 3/10 link. That awareness influences who and how I link with other websites anymore. And it dictates the way I organize external links on my own websites.

Get a Free a Page Rank Tool

To assess other sites, you need a Page Rank tool. You can compare multiple sites at

http://www.phplivesupport.com/google_pagerank.php

Lilengine.com provides a free Page Rank Tool. Use theirs, or you can post it on your own website.

http://www.lilengine.com/tools/pagerank-tool.php

Articles Give your Ideas a High Profile all Over the Internet

The benefits of article marketing are well documented. And if it can build your Page Rank as well, it's even a better use of your time. Start writing and posting articles that show your expertise. And start getting the traffic and attention you'd been wishing for.

Dr. Lynella Grant http://www.promotewitharticles.com Use posted articles to build your business Expert in the "body language of printed materials" Author, The Business Card Book and Yellow Page Smarts grant@promotewitharticles.com (719) 395-9450