What All Articles Should Have

The art of writing and publishing articles on the web are paramount to the online success of today’s websites and internet based companies. They dictate a lot in the success and the drive of traffic onto one’s site. This activity has become a key element in making a site work and earning a profit from it.

A website webmaster and/or owner must have the good sense to include articles that address issues and provide solutions to a market niche. Find that niche, push the right buttons and you will have an army of followers. You articles should include lists of benefits that respond to the same old question: “What’s in it for me?”

Articles have been known to be one of the more sophisticated tools behind driving traffic to a website. The simple inclusion and distribution of articles on the web will generate high rankings in page search and become popular with all the search engines, including Google, Yahoo, MSN, AltaVista, etc. The higher a site ranks the bigger the slice of the traffic pie. With an increased volume in traffic flow, there are more profits and more potential for other income generating schemes as well.

A well written article will catch the eyes and interest of your customers and keep them coming back for more.  They would also be able to recommend your site to others. So, how do you get them interested? You cannot just write and publish articles that are stuffed with keywords. You have to bring something new to the table; you have to share experiences and draw conclusions. You need to inform and educate people so they perceive you as an expert in your field.

Here are some tips to help you write a better article and make your site a profit generator while brimming with traffic.

1. Keywords and Keyword Phrases
   An article must always revolve around keywords and keyword phrases. A web searcher usually goes to a search engine and types in the keywords they are looking for. If you don’t have them – the search engine will simply not list you and look for the next article/site that better matches the search string.The important thing is that you have an article that has the keywords that are related to your site.  You cannot sell shoes and write an article about tattoos in New Guinea. Well – you can but don’t expect someone to find your shoe store based on that article. Unless you somehow describe how the indigenous people were so happy when you donated several hundreds of pair of shoes, they all tattooed your name on their forehead. See the connection?There are many tools in the internet that provides service in helping a webmaster out in determining what keywords and keyword phrases are mostly sought out. You can use this tool to determine what keywords to use and write about.  
2. Keyword Density
   Now that you have your keywords and keyword phrases, you must use them fully. An article must have good keyword density for a search engine to “feel” its presence. Keyword density is the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase is used on an article. The number varies depending on the number of words used in an article. An effective article must have a keyword density that is not too high or too low. Articles should at least have ten to fifteen percent of keyword density in their content for search engines to rank a site high in their search results. Getting a high rank is what articles do best for a site.With a very high density, the essence of the article is lost and may turn off a reader as well as the search engines. Also, a low number of keywords may be ignored by the search engines.
3. Good Article Content
   As previously explained, you cannot just stuff an article with keywords. They must also be regarded as good reading materials. Articles must be able to entertain people as well as provide good information and help for their needs. Articles should be written well with correct spelling and good grammar. If you want people to trust you, make your work good and well thought out.People respond well to figures, facts and statistics. Try to get great information and as many facts as you can. A good and well written article will boost your reputation as an expert in your chosen field or topic. As more people believe in you. They will be able to trust you and your products. For instance, did you know that “As of July 2005 there were an estimated 70 million blogs in the world?”
4. Build Good Links
   When submitting articles to ezines and/or contribute your articles to newsletters and other sites, don’t ever forget to include a link to your site. A little resource box with a brief description of your site and you should always be placed right after your articles that you have submitted. If people like your articles, they will most likely click on the link directing them to your site.
5. Lists
   People love bulleted lists. They will be able to copy them, refer to them later on, etc. so do it often and do it well. As a matter of fact – that is the main reason you stopped and read this article – the title promised you a list. 

 Claudiu Geanta is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Design by Satori Inc. & Satori CG Inc.. He helps businesses promote their presence on and off line. He is also an accomplished web designer, book writer and photographer. You can follow him on Twitter.
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