We all know that online publishers earn revenue from our free reprint articles. They place pay-per-click ads on the web page that contains the article, and the advertiser pays them whenever someone clicks on the ad. Most use programs like Google AdSense which automatically identify the subject of the article and deliver an ad related to that subject.
But did you know that publishers can do a similar thing within the article itself? They can turn any word within your article into an ad! They use programs like TextLinkAds to turn select target keywords into hyperlinks to the advertiser's website. When a reader clicks on a link, the advertiser's website opens within the same window. In other words, the page is 'hijacked' and your article disappears!
Gasp! As authors, we spend a lot of time planning and writing content designed to hold the reader's attention. Surely we should condemn anything which hijacks our audience?
The answer to that question is most definitely, "NO!"
As a heavy Internet user, I'm personally not a fan of text link ads. However, as an author of free reprint articles, I think they're great. Before I explain why, though, let's cover off a few basics...
Text link ads ? some FAQs
Like every other form of advertising, text link ads have their detractors. The most common questions asked are:
Q: How can I tell if it's a text link ad?
A: Although text link ads look the same as text links, you can identify them very quickly simply by mousing (hovering) over them. When you hover over a text link ad for about a second, a popup displays the details of the advertiser and the ad content. Check out http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-News/Microsoft-Hopes-to-Crush-Google/1/ for some examples.
Q: Are they ethical?
A: Text link ads are more covert than regular pay-per-click ads like Google AdWords. They look like normal text links, but they don't actually jump where you expect them to. For example, I clicked on a text link ad with anchor text "MSN" expecting it would take me to MSN's search, but instead it took me to the website of some sort of SEO service provider. As we all know, it's quite common for people to link to their site using unrelated anchor text. That's all text link ads are doing. So, by nature, text link ads are no more misleading than any other kind of link.
Q: Are they bad for the Web?
A: When people can't trust the links they're clicking on, won't they stop clicking? Won't this have a detrimental effect on the perceived usability of the Web? I said above that text link ads aren't really any more misleading by nature than normal text links. In reality, though, I suspect they may encourage the misleading use of anchor text, so in that respect, I think they're detrimental to the perceived usability of the Web. But does this make them bad for the Web? I don't think so. In fact, I think their overall effect will be good. By bringing more advertisers (i.e. businesses) to the Web, text link ads ultimately make the Web more useful. Users will quickly recognize text link ads for what they are and adapt.
Q: Are they effective for advertisers?
A: I can't really answer that. I've never used them, so you'll have to ask someone who has. Of course, you could ask one of the companies that offers text link ad technology, but you already know their answer...
Q: Will they become more popular?
A: Once again, I can't answer that question with any authority. But I have my suspicions; I suspect they will become more popular, simply because there are a lot of web publishers out there who are willing to try programs that offer a revenue return. Ultimately, the popularity of text link ads hinges how successful they are for advertisers, not how well-liked they are among users.
Q: Can I stop it happening to my reprint article?
A: No. I believe that power lies solely with the publisher. Of course, you can forbid it in your reprint guidelines, but that will simply limit the number of times your article is reprinted (consequently limiting your referral traffic and link popularity).
Conclusion - Are any of these questions really important to article submission authors?
In my humble opinion, the answer, once again, is "No!" As authors of reprint articles, we love the Google AdSense arrangement because it creates a demand for quality content. The more high quality articles a publisher reprints, the higher their site rank, the greater their traffic, and the more they earn from the pay-per-click ads on their site. As a result, our article submissions get widely published and we build brand awareness, credibility, authority, referral traffic, and ? of course ? link popularity (i.e. increased rank).
Text link ads are no different. Like Google ads, they encourage the publisher to acquire more high quality content. It's as simple as that.
"But my article is hijacked! What if the reader doesn't return?" There's no denying we'd prefer to keep our reader. But most readers know where the 'Back' button is, so if your article is good enough, they'll be sure to click it. And if they don't, well at least you've got the permanent link back to your site in the byline of your article. And after all, that's one of the big benefits of article submission, isn't it?
Anyway, enough talk. Let's see how it all unfolds.
Happy hijacking!
Glenn Murray is an seo copywriter and seo copywriter. He is a director of seo copywriter and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at seo copywriter. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com or http://www.publishhub.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to purchase his e-book, 'SEO Secrets'.
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More
You are running out of ideas, you sit down in... Read More
Writing and leveraging articles is my most successful strategy for... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
So you've decided to market your home-based copywriting business through... Read More
It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More
Recycling your work is a lot like doing your part... Read More
The first twenty-five words of your article are the most... Read More
Find definitions from A to G! ~~~~~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~~~~~ About... Read More
Currently many online writers and would-be online writers, feel very... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
I was asked to write an article on a short... Read More
It's stunning sometimes how far article marketing has come over... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Thanks to recent information that leaked by Google within their... Read More
Some six weeks ago, I began writing and submitting articles... Read More
Two important factors that play a part in the rankings... Read More
Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More
Have ever wished that there were a formula for crafting... Read More
Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More
Article marketing has become very popular of late, especially with... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
Your author bio is a vital part of your article... Read More
Whether you own your own affiliate website, or subscription website,... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks (... Read More
Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More
Good technical articles are challenging to write. They're time-consuming, demanding... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
Many internet home business owners today have learnt that one... Read More
The more you write, the larger your impact. If that's... Read More
Having an article published is one of the fastest and... Read More
Congratulations! You've written your first article (or possibly your 10th... Read More
Submitting well planned articles on-line will increase traffic and can... Read More
You, too, can become a recognized expert in your specialized... Read More
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
When I started Ezine-In-A-Box I wanted to help people publish... Read More
Rule number one - You must write ezine articles and... Read More
The goal of free publicity is to get your name... Read More
You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More
You want your business to be noticed by thousands daily.... Read More
How is it possible to turn an idea into the... Read More
Much has been touted about the effectiveness of article writing... Read More
I've been involved in publishing for over a decade now... Read More
One of the best ways to build credibility and promote... Read More
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
Marketing on the internet can be a costly procedure, especially... Read More
Speak to an Audience that Reaches across the GlobeAs a... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
Article Writing |