Mark Flavin's Internet Marketing Blog

9 Steps To Writing A Traffic Pulling Article

Mark Flavin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:30:26 +0000

As marketers, we are told that we should be article marketing. It is how you make money as an affiliate, its how to get traffic, it is how you promote your websites and it is how you add content to your virtual real estate empire.

Many people find article writing difficult to do because they are not used to writing. If you have the money, it can be outsourced. However, for many people starting out online, money is tight and so they can’t afford an outsourcer.

You can get articles written for a couple of dollars, but they are likely to be very poor quality. For a decent 400 to 500 word article you are looking to pay around ten dollars, possibly more depending on the niche and the author.

You can write the articles yourself, and it’s not that difficult to do if you follow a system. Many people suffer from writers block or are just not used to writing an article. It can be very daunting to sit down and write if it is something you are not used to.

Below is a system that works very well, it is one I use myself and you can be writing high quality articles surprisingly quickly with this technique. It really isn’t that hard and it enables even the most novice of writers to create decent articles rapidly.

Step 1 : Decide upon the niche you are writing in.

Step 2 : Determine which keyword(s) you are targeting in your article.

Step 3 : Determine the subject your article will be about.

Step 4 : Type into Google some of your keywords and see what problems and issues people are facing in that niche. What do they want to know? What is their pain? What solutions are they looking for?

Step 5 : Write a powerful, interest building title with your keyword at the start, if possible.

Step 6 : Write out four or five short sentences about the problem (don’t give away too much … you want your reader to buy).

Step 7 : Turn each sentence into more descriptive paragraphs, remembering not to give away too much information.

Step 8 : Write a paragraph introducing the article at the top.

Step 9 : Write a paragraph summarizing what was in the article at the bottom.

And there you have a good quality, unique article that you could spin or just submit to an article directory or use on your website. Content is king on the Internet, and unique content provides you with an edge over the competition.

This method will help you to quickly write articles, and it won’t be long before you can write a high quality article in under ten minutes. With practice, you will be able to do them in five to seven minutes easily!

And remember the more articles you have out there, the more you can potentially earn!

Also here’s an article I wrote showing how to turn a single article into multiple streams of traffic.

Article Submission For Maximum Traffic

Mark Flavin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:38:04 +0000

Submitting articles to the search engines is a time honored strategy for generating traffic. It has been used since the early days of the Internet and is still an effective traffic generation strategy even in our Web 2.0 times.

There are a lot of questions over the best method of submitting articles for maximum traffic and effectiveness. What are the best techniques and which are the most effective?

The first technique is to submit your article to the granddaddy of all article directories, EzineArticles. This site has built a reputation of being the best article directory in town. It is loved by marketers and by readers and most importantly, by Google.

It is a source of frustration to many marketers who find it hard to meet the submission guidelines or cope with the timescales for articles to be approved.

However, if you read their guidelines and stick to them, your articles will get through without a hitch.

Once they are in Ezinearticles you instantly receive benefits from it. Articles in this directory tend to rank very well in Google, even without backlinks to them.

Add in a few backlinks and suddenly you find your articles are ranking in the top ten for moderately competitive keywords. In fact, even without backlinks they can often rank well just because they are on Ezinearticles.

Once your article has been published you need to do some simple backlinking to it just to give it that extra boost in the search engines.

Firstly, take your Ezinearticle author RSS feed and submit it to RSS directories. You can either use a tool or do it by hand. If you are doing it by hand, just pick the top ten directories in a Google search and that will be good enough for now. You can always submit to more later on, so make sure you keep track of which ones you have added your feed to.

You can also use one of the many ping sites to ping your article. This does give Ezinearticles a lift, but it also gets your article noticed.

Finally, social bookmark your article. Again, you can either use a tool or do it manually. If your article is newsworthy and well written then you can look at adding it to sites such as Digg or Stumbleupon to get further links and traffic.

Of course, there are other article directories out there, but none of them carry the weight of Ezinearticles. Google Knol is a current contender and is very popular with marketers who are using it to submit their articles too. So far though, these don’t seem to be ranking as well as Ezinearticles, but it is a good way to get the Big G to notice your sites.

For the other article directories it is not worth submitting articles manually to them, except maybe the top half a dozen big directories. Many of the rest get so little traffic it is not worthwhile, except for the backlink. Therefore you should either outsource or automate these submissions to free up your time to concentrate on building your business.

If you are submitting articles then you need to make sure they are on Ezinearticles for maximum traffic. Do some simple backlinking to your article and you will easily find your articles ranking well for their keywords and bringing you good traffic.

TweetGlide

Mark Flavin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:20:52 +0000

Mike Filsaime released his new Twitter Software Tweetglide yesterday. You can download it at the link below:

-> Click Here To Download Tweetglide

Basically the idea of tweetglide is you use it to post to twitter & every time you post you can earn credits which you can put towards advertising on the tweet glide software.

I’ll do a more detailed review once I’ve used it a bit more but the software looks promising, so give it a go & let me know what you think.

(If you’ve got any comments about tweetglide please leave them below)

Technorati Tags: Targeted Traffic, Twitter, twitter software, twitter traffic

Howie’s Halloween Party? Increase Your Search Engine Ranking!

Mark Flavin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:05:49 +0000

You may have heard of Howie Schwartz If not he’s one of the foremost experts in social media, you know, facebook, twitter, youtube & all that jazz! Well he’s got a new free report you can download at the link below that you can use to get better Google Rankings for your blogs and websites.

=> Howie’s 9 Web 2.0 Properties Free Report

After you sign up for your free report you will be offered something else. I purchased it straight away & here’s why. You will get access to…..

- 10,000 keywords from the Top Ten Hottest Niches ready for you to dominate!
and
- Howie’s personal traffic system. (Plus lots more cool stuff)

I put together a video showing you how impressive this offer from Howie is, you can watch it below & as soon as your done, go to the link below grab your free report & then go grab the special offer where you will get Howie’s personal traffic system. Here’s the link:

=> Howie’s 9 Web 2.0 Properties Free Report

Technorati Tags: free report, free website traffic, taregeted traffic, web2.0

How To Get Traffic & Sales Using Blogs

Mark Flavin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:07:14 +0000

As you probably know by now blogs are a great way to get website traffic & to generate sales. Search engines love blogs & there content is very easy to get onto web 2.0 sites like stumbleupon, facebook, twitter, del.icio.us and so on, in fact many wordpress plugins will allow you to simply click a button on the blog and hey presto your content is on one of those sites.

So here are two great free reports which will show you how to start generating traffic & sales using blogs.

1. => The Blogging Pitfalls & Solutions Report

2. => The Blogging For Profit Report
(Direct download in pdf format)

Technorati Tags: blog traffic, Blogging, increase sales, increase website traffic, Targeted Traffic

3 Tips For Building Traffic To Your Website

Mark Flavin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:11:50 +0000

Doing business on the Internet is not much different from doing business anywhere else. If you are active and creative you will get success. If you have these two qualities it would be wise to use them to build traffic to your website. Getting traffic is not as easy as you might think but it’s not that hard either you just have to do the right things. Although millions of people use the Internet, there are also millions of offerings out there. If you want to get a share of the visitors you will have to work hard. To get you started here are some techniques that you can use to build traffic and also improve the search engine ranking of your site.

1. The best way to build traffic is to build an interesting website!

This doesn’t mean that we subscribe to the build it and they will come philosophy. However if your website has many pages of information, then each one of those pages will be packed with words and phrases that people will find when they make searches. On the other hand if you have only published a brochure site, a website that is a mirror image of an offline introductory brochure about your company, then there will not be much spider food on your site. That is, there will not be much for search engines to put in their data base, and you will not get much traffic from search engine queries.

Another consequence in building an interesting site is that other sites will link to you, viewing your site as an important resource. In fact, this is what Google had in mind when it set up its current ranking system. A site that is informative and filled with useful information will be noted and other sites will link to it. Each of these links is viewed by Google as a vote for that site. Make your site interesting, and people will link to it without you even knowing about it.

In addition, never underestimate the importance of word-of-mouth. If your site is interesting people will tell their friends and they will check out your site. A content rich site is the first secret of building traffic.

2. Publish some of your information on other websites

This is one of the most effective ways to build traffic. If your site is full of useful material, then other people will also want to publish it on their websites. Webmasters are hungry for content to beef up their sites and their newsletters.

Here are a few places where you can offer your content (but make sure that you put your url and contact information on each article, this is how you actually get the traffic).

You can first submit your article to article directories such as:

- GoArticles

- EZinearticles.com

- ArticleCity

Or, you can use an article submission service such as http://www.isnare.com

3. Improve your search engine ranking with on-page and off-page optimization

While good content is an essential part of any traffic building strategy. It also helps to take steps to improve your ranking in search engines. If your content is not optimized it will not get the exposure that it deserves.

You can improve your search engine ranking by placing your important key search terms in the title tag, the description tag, in your siteís headlines, and in link text on your web pages. These are the on-page factors of website optimization. If you do this successfully your siteís search engine ranking for a particular keyword or keyword phrase will improve.

It is also important to work on off-page factors that are related to search engine positioning. Your ranking is partly determined by how many other websites link to you. If you have published your material elsewhere, then you will get a good amount of important links. If not, you may have to launch a reciprocal links campaign or place your site in paid directories in order to increase the number of incoming links to your website.

Creativity combined with activity is a good recipe for traffic building. Build your site as best you can, and then spread the word about it. Use these three tips and you are sure to succeed.

To increase your website Traffic Fast go check out the Traffic Transformer Traffic System.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-04

Mark Flavin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:17:00 +0000

All lasting business is built on friendship. – Alfred A. Montapert #
Ask five economists and you'll get five different answers – six if one went to Harvard. – Edgar R. Fiedler #
Business is a combination of war and sport. – Andre Maurois #
Definition of Statistics: The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures. – Evan Esar #
Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. – Napoleon Hill #
Failure doesn't mean you are a failure it just means you haven't succeeded yet. – Robert H. Schuller #
If all the economists were laid end to end, they'd never reach a conclusion. – George Bernard Shaw #
RT: @Twt2Us Can you help pls? http://FireballOnline.com/floodsale/ If you can't help in any other way, pls at least RT. Tnx! #Philippines #
Real easy traffic with Squidoo: http://twurl.nl/ajnunr #
Free Exit Tweet Software. Get Lots More Traffic & Publicity On Twitter For Free: http://twurl.nl/dhfjda #
Free Twitter Software – Easy way to get more website traffic http://twurl.nl/dhfjda #
RT @Java4Two: #FollowFriday @zacjohnson @PianoGeek @creepu @gatordeano @markflav @jeremysheldon #

Technorati Tags: tweets, Twitter

Free Exit Tweet Software

Mark Flavin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:36:29 +0000

Frank Salinas has just released a free script that will turn visitors of your blog or website into viral promoters of your products, free reports, articles, blogs, webpages & more…

If you want more people on twitter, tweeting about you and your products then this free software will get the job done! Click here to get Exit Tweet for free & watch a demo video of the Exit Tweet in action.

Technorati Tags: exit tweet, Frank Salinas, Targeted Traffic, Twitter, twitter traffic

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-09-27

Mark Flavin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:17:00 +0000

(Video) Quick way to get website traffic (It will surprise you!) http://bit.ly/4ApIc #
(Free Video) easy way to get traffic (this will surprise you) http://bit.ly/4ApIc #
Morning Tweeple! If you haven't checked out my new blog post on getting traffic & customers from Squidoo.com it's at: http://bit.ly/1vnVXi #
RT: @Twt2Us Tweet! Tweet! Join us at Twt2.us! http://is.gd/3ARX7 #

Technorati Tags: tweets, Twitter

50 Must Have Squidoo.com Strategies

Mark Flavin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:59:52 +0000

If you haven’t heard of or used Squidoo or don’t know that much about it I have a lot of free material on it here on the blog. You can watch video tutorials here & get a full three part course including the introduction to Squidoo, more about Squidoo and setting up a lens & how to Squidoo & profit from it.

Check Out My Lens

Here Are Your 50 Must Have Squidoo.com Strategies

1. Make sure your page on Squidoo looks its absolute best. A polished page gets more results.

2. Don’t be afraid to promote and market your business and website through your profile or content.

3. Title your lenses effectively and use keywords to get attention.

4. Make the introduction and description captivating and helpful so people want to read more.

5. Add photos for visual interest in the descrption.

6. You can set up multiple lenses for multiple keyword phrases. This is highly recommended.

7. Use tags to your advantage, and do so by making the most effective tags possible using powerful wording and linking to the best sites that will get you real results.

8. Understand the link flow on Squidoo, so you know how people find you, and how your links get distributed from the source page.

9. Make a “lens of the day” to keep people interested in your page and they’ll want to see what you have to say more often.

10. Find your voice on Squidoo. Think about who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish. Brainstorm some content ideas and think about your plans in advance before setting up your profile and lenses.

11. Be sure you are not only knowledgeable about your content, but that it comes across that way to others.

12. As always, watch spelling, grammar, and use of language.

13. Patience is the key with this website as with any other, so do things right the first time, and don’t expect results overnight.

14. Use the forum to your advantage to get advice, see what others are doing, and ask and answer questions.

15. Do not spam your pages or lenses, as people will run away from your profile. Members can tell spam a mile away.

16. Make a lens solely about you, so people have a place to start.

17. Co-branding is popular and a great way to get more income. Find some other companies or brands you can partner up with.

18. Use the Squidoo Answer Deck if you have any questions or need help.

19. The Squidcast feature lets you promote your lenses, so definitely use this to your advantage.

20. Make sure all of your links work. You should check them periodically to ensure they still work.

21. If time goes on and you find better links, don’t forget to update them!

22. Add a table of contents to your lens. People really like this feature.

23. Spell check, spell check, spell check.

24. Update your profile to allow people to contact you so that you are available to your customers, potential clients, and anyone who wants to ask you something. Being accessible is a great way to gain a good reputation.

25. Twitter is a great tool for promoting your lenses, so use it to your advantage.

26. Edit your modules so they are not just the ones generated from Squidoo. Tailor them to each lens, so it looks more through and professional.

27. The more high quality lenses you have, the better so make up as many as you can. Just be sure each one has a purpose and will get results.

28. Think of ways to spin your company’s mission statement into a lens title.

29. Charities play a big role on Squidoo. Find a few you believe in, and work with them on your pages.

30. Don’t just limit lenses to links. Have them point to your RSS feeds, Twitter, Fickr page, and tons more.

31. If you’re a fan of other companies or products, make a lens for it. See if the place you’re a fan of will reciprocate the favor.

32. Use referrals to your advantage and recruit as many people as you can.

33. Don’t hesitate to make a lens about your own affiliate program.

34. Have your affiliates make some lenses of their own promoting your website.

35. Don’t forget that spam is NOT welcome on Squidoo, and your account could be cancelled if you spam. Find out about their guidelines before publishing anything.

36. Use Google AdSense in conjunction with Squidoo, since they work hand in hand.

37. Max your lenses for optimum exposure. Simply check this option on the edit pages of your lenses for the maximum view and exposure.

38. Aspire to earn the Giant Badge so people will see you’ve been a long-standing member who produces quality content.

39. Try to get gold stars for your lenses, as this means you’re the best of the best.

40. Use the Flickr module to incorporate cool photos. Visually appealing lenses and modules typically have the most success.

41. Add your Squidoo links to your blogs and website.

42. Add your lenses to Squidoo groups. Look into the many different groups available and then add your lenses accordingly.

43. Introduce yourself in the Forums, and on other websites dedicated to Squidoo users.

44. The longer you’re on Squidoo, the better your reputation, so remember it takes a while to become established.

45. The more lenses the better, just make sure each is unique in its own way.

46. Make sure you have a Paypal account, because that is how Squidoo makes payments.

47. Your content should be thorough and high quality. Don’t skimp on well written content just to get more lenses published.

48. Do not just use Google as a resource for information when creating content. Look into more in depth resources and you content will be much better.

49. It’s up to you how often you want to update your lenses. As long as they remain relevant, it’s ok to leave them alone.

50. You can use popular hot topics for lenses aside from your own company or business related topics. It still gets hits!

For Advanced Squidoo Tactics Click Here