Home
>
Article Writing
>
Writing Articles, But Still Not Getting Traffic? Your Articles Suck ? But I Can Help! (Part 1)

Writing Articles, But Still Not Getting Traffic? Your Articles Suck ? But I Can Help! (Part 1)

We've all been there. We hear about how articles will generate HUGE publicity for a site, (the old "If you build it, they will come") so we sit down, write an article, submit it to article directories, then wait. A week goes by, you get a trickle, another week, still a trickle, a month, still a trickle (if that). What happened to all the promise of thousands and thousands of people coming to the site? Nothing - that's the problem. Very few (if any) ezines, newsletters, or web sites reprinted your article. Just the RSS feeds (they were probably responsible for the trickle). Lets take a look at how an article should be written for maximum exposure.

Headline/Title (This just in?)

The headline is arguably the most important part of the article. If the reader isn't interested after reading the headline, they won't read the rest. It should be something catchy. My first article was entitled "Branded Email: Email Branding is the Next Generation of Email" and after posting that to a site or two, I shortened it to "Branded Email: The Next Generation of Email." By now, I'm sure you realize that the introduction paragraph was describing my first experience at article writing. My title was not catchy, (in fact, it sucked) and nobody came.

What is catchy? "How to" headlines are good. "10 Tips" (or 5 tips, or 47 tips) are often read. Case studies are great. Alliteration (putting words that begin with similar sounds together in a row ? Gary Guesses Google's Gauge ? Wow, that was bad, but you get the point) grabs a reader's attention. Using common phrases and clich?s is quite effective, putting a funny spin or changing those same phrases and clich?s works well too. Questions get readers. Pique the reader's curiosity, and they'll read.

Also, depending on your audience, you can use "shocking" words and phrases - mild swear words and words that the industry deems "taboo" work well to get readers. "Shocking" headlines create emotion, and emotion gets a visitor to read the article. I probably offended you (or made you laugh) with my headline ? and you're reading the article now. Just make sure that if you decide to go with a "shocking" headline, you also propose a solution. "- but I can help!" takes your offence and changes it to "Wow, he's right, I'll read the article and find out how he can help me!" Some readers wouldn't keep reading if I just made the headline "Your articles suck" ? that's just plain mean. For example: If I was writing an article about plastic surgery, I could make the headline "Are you ugly? I can fix that."

Byline (By: ME!)

Bylines are simple ? just type your name in the box. Don't use your business name - businesses don't write articles! If you're writing for your business, include it with a copyright at the bottom of the body of the article.

Summary (That about sums it all up?)

Summaries are there to pull the reader in. Their job is to tell the reader what the article is about, and to grab their attention so the reader clicks and reads the article. Much like a headline, these need to be fairly catchy, but concentrate on informing the reader about the article. This is not the place to generate emotion (especially if your headline already has), but instead it's where you need to leave the reader wanting more.

For example, "These tips will help you make over $5000/month" is a good sentence to put in your summary, as is "Find out the secrets of how to start your own business, without a lot of startup costs." Do NOT make this sound like a blatant sales pitch, or your article won't get read.

Next Time (Same bat time, same bat channel)

Check out Part 2 of "Your articles suck" for tips and tricks on how to write a great Article Body and a wonderful Resource Box.

Jason is a long time web developer, and the owner of Premier MicroSolutions, LLC, an Internet marketing company based in Ohio. When you want to submit your articles, visit content-articles.com - the premier web site content article directory

shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating doctors, police and banks using spoofed numbers as "smishing" texts surge nationwide.

Communities with unreliable internet service stand to gain after Amazon's Project Kuiper launched its first full batch of satellites into orbit April 28.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says unsubscribing from spam might actually backfire. Learn when to avoid it and stop junk effectively.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how the first nonstop beating heart transplant, called zero ischemic time, at Taiwan hospital changes surgery.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.

Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

Writing Articles, But Still Not Getting Traffic? Your Articles Suck ? But I Can Help! (Part 1)

Article Writing