How To Write Effective And Unique Articles That Are Optimized for the Search Engines

It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and posting articles to various location on the web is an extremely effective way to generate targeted traffic and establish yourself as an experienced marketer in your field. Unique articles that help solve the reader's problems, assists the reader in advancing their marketing acumen, or otherwise generally inform tend to stay posted on many web sites throughout the Internet and usually generate targeted traffic for the writer.

In order to further maximize the benefits of writing and posting unique articles, it makes good business sense to optimize the articles so the search engines list the URL's associated with those articles on search engine results pages (SERP's). Ideally, you'd like to see your article URL on the 1st page of the SERP's so you can capitalize on the free and targeted traffic from these listings.

So, what type of strategy can be utilized to optimize your articles for the search engines?

There's quite a few different ways but here are some tactics that you may want to use:

Article optimization tactic 1: Choose keywords that complement your USP and name your article page accordingly. When choosing keywords that will be the central theme of your article, it is necessary to define what your article will be about, who the information in the article will benefit, and how it will tie into your USP before choosing your keywords. After you've thought through this, then come up with a list of keywords that will be suitable as the central them of the article.

Next, decide which keywords you will center your article around based on the number of searches that keyword gets per day and by assessing how much competition there is for that keyword phrase. Once you have chosen your keyword phrase for the article, name your page.

Example: If 'green widgets' is the keyword you wish to base your article on, you may want to name your web page 'greenwdgets.htm' or 'greenwdgets.html' or 'greenwdgets.shtml'.

Article optimization tactic 2: Utilize keyword in the title tag. Utilize your keywords that you've chosen for your article in the title tag of the web page.

Example: Green Widgets | The best green widgets available

Article optimization tactic 3: Utilize keyword in headline tags. Using keywords in headline tags will increase rankings of your web pages.

Ideally you would use the keywords as the headline, but usually this doesn't look natural.

Keep the h tags before and after the entire headline.

Example:Green widgets: We have the most affordable and powerful green widget available anywhere, guaranteed!

Article optimization tactic 4: Utilize keywords in the 1st sentence of the initial paragraph. This an easily be accomplished and still make the paragraph read well and in a natural sounding tone if read back. Remember that you want your reader to feel like they are being talked with not "at" and you want your reader to not realize that your placement of your keyword phrases might be planned.

Article optimization tactic 5: Utilize keywords in text with appropriate keyword density After you write your article, you can easily edit to try to obtain the best keyword density for the search engines you'd like to target.

Google's optimum keyword density is between 1.5% to 2.5% keyword density at the time of this writing.

Once you have the article written you can use GoRank's keyword optimization tool (http://www.gorank.com/seotools/) to check what the keyword density is of the text of the article so you can edit accordingly.

Remember, you don't want to 'stuff' the page with your chosen and targeted keyword phrase but you do want to make sure that you utilize your keywords when you can up to the required amount for the desired keyword density.

Article optimization tactic 6: Bold or italicize keywords in text. When bolding and italicizing your keywords in your articles, it isn't necessary to bold and/or italicize every keyword phrase. When the reader comes across bolded and italicized words they add emphasis to the text at the time they read those words. So you should use your best judgment as to what looks right and 'reads' right when you edit your article.

One key item to remember to write naturally so you get your message across in a human manner.

You want the reader to click to your link at the end or in the body of the article and the more human and conversational your article comes across, the more likely that the reader will travel to the URL you'd like them to see. Some marketers write their articles without search engine optimization in mind and then go back and edit them for the search engines.

After your article is optimized, do all you can to get it posted to other web sites so the number of relevant links pointing to that article is heightened. If you get your article posted to some of the heavier web sites that post articles and have the correct categories where your article will fit, the faster your article URL will get indexed by the search engines.

Be humble, work hard, work smart.

Karl Augustine Author, "9 Deadly Mistakes To Avoid...",
SEO enthusiast, niche web site builder.
GET preferred status now!

Make Money With Keywords

---

Promote Easily With The Two-Step

Here's a really simple way... to promote your online business today. It makes no difference if it is a product or a service. You can start today... Read More

Articles That Sizzle - Top Ten Topics

There's one key rule that every writer should understand before sitting down to write an article and that's "know your audience".Who are you writing for? A limited... Read More

Lots of Extra Money Waiting to be Made from Writing $5 Articles

There is probably no easier way of earning extra money online. Yet many people ignore online writing and lose all that extra money, mainly because they get... Read More

Get Traffic to Your Web Site with Articles

It is not my intention to give you a 5 or 10 step plan to get traffic to your web site. But I do want to talk... Read More

Article Writing Made Simple

A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their reputations is to write articles. But for many, the thought of writing an article calls to mind... Read More

13 Techniques That Boosts The Power Of Your Resource Box!

***What is the Resource box?'Resource box' is an information box about the author of the article. You will see this resource box at the end of the... Read More

You Should Seriously Consider Making Money With Your Words

Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I bring up the subject of writing articles, I often get a response like "I'd rather have a... Read More

The Difference Between Article Marketing and Traditional Article Writing

Lately, there seems to be some confusion between Article Marketing and regular article writing. People wonder why I would write articles when I'm not getting paid for... Read More

Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Heres How!

We all know that article writing is a great way to promote our businesses AND helps establish us as an expert in our fields. But, just because... Read More

Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Heres How!

We all know that article writing is a great way to promote our businesses AND helps establish us as an expert in our fields. But, just because... Read More

Writing Articles For Permanent Traffic

Writing articles is possibly the best way to generated free traffic to your site. A short article, submitted to a few places, creates permanent streams of traffic.... Read More

7 Important Elements of Any Article - Miss Just 1 Element and Your Article is Doomed

These 7 Important Elements are your Blueprint to Article Writing Success. By Applying these 7 Key Elements anyone will be able to craft Articles for Re-Distribution on... Read More

Build Better Link Popularity with Syndicated Articles

There are many schools of thought on how to build strong backlinks to a Web site. Some webmasters build reciprocal links, while others register their site in... Read More

Promoting Your Affiliate Programs with Articles

If you are not creating articles for your website and your affiliate programs, you should. Why? Even though it may seem like a lot of work, and... Read More

How to Create High-Quality Backlinks the Search Engines Will Love

One great benefit of article marketing is the generation of high-quality backlinks.Simply put, a backlink is a link to your website from another website. There is a... Read More

Article Writing: Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from My English Teacher

By now you probably understand how important writing for trade publications is to establishing credibility in the home business world.On to the first hurdle: how do you... Read More

Keyword Article Writing: the Key to Your Success!

Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of companies are using keyword articles to gain free exposure on the internet. Whether you're a netpreneur marketing... Read More

Stop Struggling and Write Your Article

Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice and start writing your promotional article today.As a writing coach, I frequently work with independent professionals who... Read More

Why a Good-Quality Photo Should Accompany Your Articles

I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you who are reading this don't have a good-quality photo that you could give the media if a... Read More

Effective Affiliate Marketing Using Articles

Every day thousands of people join affiliate programs and yet every day thousands more get discouraged and give up trying to make money from their affiliate programs.Still,... Read More

Writing Articles

You say, I can't write an article, I have no knowledge of writing. Let me tell you yes you can!Why write an article?It can help you build... Read More

Discover How You Can Write an Article That Will Excite Your Target Market and Make You Money!

I am often approached and asked, how do I write an article that will get published in other peoples ezines, newsletters, newspapers or other publications, and it's... Read More

Getting Your Foot in the Door (Or How I Finally Got Published)

This has to be the number one thing that most beginning writers struggle with ? getting that first article, story, or book published. Before you start thinking... Read More

Branding, Control, and Results - Submit Articles in Your Own Name

Article distribution is currently booming on the internet. Authors do it for a number of reasons: It is a good way to be picked up by... Read More

How To Massively Multiply Your Web Exposure AND Position Yourself As An Expert

What's the quickest, easiest way to get exposure for your business all across the web AND turn yourself into an expert, in one fell swoop? The answer... Read More

Resource Box Rules: Winning Tactics

Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to their websites. But if their resource box is lousy and not worded right they will get minimal,... Read More