How do you identify an expert these days? You can buy a
legitimate-looking PhD. at any number of online "life skills
for credit" phony universities. You don't see the person at
the other end of most web conversations. And though you
may know more about a particular subject, for example car
mechanics, than 99.9% of people, you may not come across
online as knowledgeable. Most car mechanics are known for
fixing cars, not writing.
Simply put, most people don't write well for the Internet.
Though someone might tell you a hundred times to put
content articles on your website, articles that show you
know what you're doing, that doesn't mean you're capable
of writing one that comes across as capable or even literate.
Yet content articles are the key to getting yourself seen on
the Internet; they ensure that your website is picked up by
the search engines, driving traffic to your site. And the
keywords within that article drive the right traffic to your
site – those who are looking for your specific product or
service. The good information contained in the article
ensures your customers remain at your site.
Nothing online is more powerful than your content articles.
Using Content Articles
Content articles relevant to your site, placed carefully where
both search engines and prospective customers can easily
see them, are critical to the success of your website. Make
them more readable by:
Keeping your page well-organized
Minimizing graphics, especially fancy animated ones
Delivering succinct, readable information (preferably
with lots of bullets and headings)
Eliminating grammar and spelling errors
After this, you should ensure that there are plenty of
keywords in the top part of your document, particularly in
the title and headers. Take care of the customer's needs
first, then the search engine spider's.
But not everyone has the skills to write articles, particularly
not in such a specific way. There are other ways to get your
information. For instance, lots of webmasters have been
using article directories, websites that provide free
downloads of articles containing content optimized for your
website. Others have contracted directly with writers or with
content article brokers like YourOwnArticles.com to
purchase content articles tailored to their needs to put on
their websites as their own.
Both using free downloads and paying for articles have
positives and negatives. Here's a breakdown.
Free downloads are, by definition, free.
Articles you buy are not. But they are generally not
outrageously expensive either.
The free articles require you to place a "resource box"
on your site containing the author's name and,
generally, his or her web site address with a link.
Articles you buy can generally be placed on your
website with your name on them as author.
Both types are of similar quality as far as content;
purchased articles may be better written, as they're written
by professional writers.
You've heard the old adage that you get what you pay for? If
you use the freebie, it may seem like a great deal. But by
placing the resource box of the other author on your
website, you may be sending a message to customers you
don't intend.
You're saying, "I'm not the expert. But this guy is, and
here's his website."
At the very least, if you use free articles you should ensure
that the author is not selling a competing product to yours.
At best, you're better off not putting his link on your site at
all. It may be better to spend a little money, and get that
perfect article on your website with you as the author –
denoting you as the real expert.
