How to Use Article Marketing to Build Long-Term Targeted Traffic

Article marketing has two main traffic benefits, direct traffic and search traffic. Both are equally important and should be utilized to their fullest potential. Article marketing is one of the best ways to create long-term, targeted traffic to your website. The focus of this article will be on both traffic benefits.

Article marketing, in itself, is an art form. Writing and creating content for the web takes time and practice. Writing effectively and getting your readers to respond is the first benefit in building traffic. This results in direct traffic as readers are inclined to click on your link(s) in the resource box of your article.

The best thing you can do when crafting an article is to write in a clear and concise manner. You want to convey your message to your readers so that they can understand. Your article should read as though you were talking face to face with them.

An article is made up of different elements that are key to getting direct traffic. These elements include:

• Defining the product/service you want to promote - Most articles have the purpose of providing useful information in order to pre-sell a product or service.
• Using the "useful, but incomplete approach" - Provide useful information to your readers, but make sure it's incomplete and that they could better use the information by visiting the link(s) in your resource box.
• Using a tips list or tutorial format when applicable - If your article can be broken down into a list format, then do it. This will direct your readers along towards realizing their need for your product/service.
• Expanding on your main points to build the content of the article - Just as I'm doing with these key elements, provide information that expands on the main points of the article.
• Providing a closing or "call to action," usually in the resource box, also known as the "about the author" section - Most people fail to do this. The resource box is there for a reason. Tell your readers to visit your link(s) to make better use of what they just read.
• Re-reading and proofreading the article to avoid errors - Don't do this yourself as most people fail to catch their own mistakes. Have someone proofread your article for you so that it reads well and is free from errors.

With these key elements in place, your article stands a much better chance of receiving clickthroughs and your website getting targeted, direct traffic.

The other main benefit involves getting natural search engine traffic from people searching for information. Aside from direct traffic, search traffic is just as good because it's also highly targeted. Most searches performed in a search engine are for information. That's why it's so important that you provide useful information to your readers because there's a better chance that they'll convert to a customer.

There are two elements that you need to be aware of when striving to get search traffic as a result of your articles. As people search for information, they enter keywords into the search box. The keywords they enter determine what results are displayed.

It is your job to find out what keywords those people are searching for. I recommend Google's External Keyword Tool. Once you determine the keywords you're going to focus on, the two elements soon come together. The first element is writing your article for specific keywords.

You need to determine what keyword phrase you want your article to rank for in search engines so that it is displayed when someone searches for that keyword phrase. This may sound complicated, but all you really need to know here is that as long as you provide useful and unique content, your article will get noticed.

The second element applies to your website. This involves the use of your article resource box. While the resource box can be used as your call to action as discussed earlier, it also has another use. Just as you want to get your article ranked high in search engines for a particular keyword phrase, you also want to get your website ranked high for keywords as well.

Websites are primarily ranked based on how many backlinks (links pointing to your site from other relevant sites) they have. They key here is containing the keywords you want your website to rank for within those backlinks. This you can completely control with the use of your article resource box.

While creating your call to action phrase, create a link to the web page you want to send your readers that contains your keywords you want your page to rank for in search engines. Every article you create will contain your resource box with your call to action and a backlink to your website. You see how your resource box serves two purposes in one?

Applying these methods to your article marketing efforts will ensure direct and long-term traffic for years to come. Both forms of traffic are equally important, so don't ignore these methods. Article marketing, when done properly, will help you build your business and set it up for long lasting success. Remember, your website must have traffic, and article marketing can help you achieve it.