25 replies to this topic

[making-it-big]

"There's more to business life than search rank. Site owners post articles because they judge them to be of interest to their visitors. Visitors who read the articles and find them useful will click the link and visit your site. Drawing targeted visitors - people who are interested in the content of your site - is valuable. It's a necessary step toward selling."

I agree with this statement completely. Look if you are going to take a step away from the search engines and find targeted visitors elsewhere this is something that really has to be done. You will have to either pay to advertise or barter for quality links. Distributing articles is one very important way to do this.

"Sooner of later Google will 'read' that a link comes from another site but is contained in (my) article. They have enough money and smart people to build a such kind of algorithm. Then Google will consider this kind of link like a manipulation (thanks Debra) or an unnatural way of advertising close to spam."

If Google treats this as spam...let's just say it would cause a world of hurt. If they discount the links from such distributed articles then there wouldn't be as much problem (unless you RELY on those links for PR). Distributing articles should be LESS about PR and more about EXPOSURE. Who cares if Google discounts the links...the point of those articles is to SHARE INFORMATION with another site in which you tap into THEIR visitor base (no matter where they obtain those visitors).

"Of course they build a reputation (in human eyes - thanks Bobette) and I have no doubt that articles were one of the best way to build links and quality traffic (thanks joeblstrn), but this way will be soon discredited by Google and other SEs. At least this is the tendency I 'smell'."

Again who cares if they are discredited this isn't the intent of distributed article. If it is then Google is right that you are merely GAMING the system. It is about marketing not SEO. IF Google were to discount this type of link and that type of link eventually they would discredit ALL links since they all can be manipulated in some fashion.

"Articles are also a danger for duplicate content penalty (thanks Brian)."

If you are worried about duplicate content then don't distribute duplicate content. The way to break this is to write several versions of the article but not duplicating it on your site. Distribute one version to each site that would be the BEST to obtain a link from. They would be much more likely to publish it if it is UNIQUE to them. Put a byline not necessarily a link in the byline. If in the future search engines will discount such byline links...it may be more important to link within an article and mix around the linking on each article. This will help keep articles appear to be written by the site owner mentioning links to your site rather than a "distributed" article to search engines.

Do another article for General distribution to "other" sites/article distribution sites. Don't forget to link within the articles also.

Contributing to email newsletters within your industry is probably the BEST advertising to your site. You don't have to worry about SE if the newsletters (back versions) are not published online. They are VERY targeted to ALREADY interested readers. The publisher of the newsletter is inadvertently promoting your site as an authority on the subject as well as distribute your content to very target already interested readers. You can either pay for this distribution or barter or may get lucky and have it published for free.

Above all GET TO KNOW YOUR DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS personally. It is harder for them to say NO to a "friend". From time to time contact them as a friend. Don't always ask things of them. Offer some advice if you have it but don't ask for anything back. Ask if they would like you to write something for them. Be kind and generous while looking for opportunity. You will be amazed on what you will find out. I have many distribution partners who are authorities on their subjects. They fill me in on what is going on in their industries with new products, information, and techniques as well as information from seminars and gatherings they attend.

[BobetteKyle]

What could be funny is that a Google wage earner could read our posts and make proposals for future strategies.

I am sure it's nothing they aren't already thinking about.

[interval]

"Who cares about Google ..... "
Sincerely, I don't want to.
Unfortunately, a top position in Google means big and high qualified traffic. And traffic results in money. Of course swap linking works fine in Yahoo! and MSN, but Google still has the biggest slice of cake.

[making-it-big]

"Unfortunately, a top position in Google means big and high qualified traffic. And traffic results in money. Of course swap linking works fine in Yahoo! and MSN, but Google still has the biggest slice of cake."

Hmmmm…Let me ask you something. If Google has the cake and you pick up the crumbs, wouldn't it be better if YOU BAKED the cake and EAT it to? CREATE your market and OWN it! Amazon, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, AOL, Coke, Wal-mart and many others CREATED their market. They built BRANDS on PR not advertising/SEO. Guess what? Most of them own top position in the search engines anyway. Whats even better is that they are able to stand alone without. If you had a strong brand and owned YOUR market then google would just be icing on YOUR CAKE!

[Debra]

"Who cares about Google ..... "Sincerely, I don't want to.
Unfortunately, a top position in Google means big and high qualified traffic. And traffic results in money. Of course swap linking works fine in Yahoo! and MSN, but Google still has the biggest slice of cake.

You've expressed a sentiment a lot of web owners feel interval!

I hope traffic results in money.....you can be in top spots and still not make a buck if your site doesn't provide what searchers need. This dovetails nicely into what the thread was about initially - how to use articles to attract links.

I'm not a big fan of sending articles/content away from a site. I usually suggest clients write the material and add it to their sites increasing content and authority in the location it will do the most good. You'll attract the links after making key sites and media outlets aware it's there.

I also think it's fine to exchange links with sites that support your demographic (or geographic) since the majority of the "power" that comes from those type of links is targeted traffic. It's also good to have some outbound links and to mix up your linking strategy so you touch all different types of sites. The larger your site grows the greater the inbound link diversity, it's a natural evolution of an online business.

[interval]

CREATE your market and OWN it!

What a good music.
If I could... We have our limitations in time, work power, knowledge, skills, money and brain. Amazon, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, AOL, Coke, Wal-mart are good examples and goals but high performence cannot be achieved by everybody. I belong to normal class people like many others on this Earth.
By the way, this nickname 'make-it-big' is a reality or a desire?

[making-it-big]

What a good music.
If I could... We have our limitations in time, work power, knowledge, skills, money and brain. Amazon, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, AOL, Coke, Wal-mart are good examples and goals but high performence cannot be achieved by everybody. I belong to normal class people like many others on this Earth.
By the way, this nickname 'make-it-big' is a reality or a desire?

The nickname is both a reality and a desire. The desire is the meaning I decide to put on the word big. Big just keeps getting bigger but yesterdays big is quite small compared to todays big. Tomorrows big is bigger yet. The reality is that I have achieved big in the past and continue to achieve the bigger than past big now and look forward to bigger than the big that was big in the past and much bigger than the big is now.

Nothing you have mentioned are "limitations". Each in their own way is limitless. Yes you can count the hours in a day but efficiency can stretch what is done within those hours. Money can always be obtained through innovative thinking. New markets are always opening up. Skills can be improved as well as knowledge.

It pretty much comes down to your willingness/desire to use those as limitations. In other words they are merely used as excuses for not WANTING to perform. Don't fall into that mental trap.

[Jill]

I belong to normal class people like many others on this Earth.

So am I and I've done it.

[BobetteKyle]

I usually suggest clients write the material and add it to their sites increasing content and authority in the location it will do the most good

I like this. I will probably never quit sharing at least some of my articles with other sites because of the already-mentioned advantages. In addition to that, though, if the goal is to create an increasingly important and coveted site, then it makes TOTAL sense to save some useful content and articles exclusively for your own site.

If I could... We have our limitations in time, work power, knowledge, skills, money and brain.

So did/does Jeff Bezos, Jerry Yang, David Filo, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Bill Gates, Steve Case, Asa Griggs Candler, Sam Walton (founders of the mentioned companies) and that guy who owns the popular deli across the street. They each began with a dream and some mix of limitations and abilities.

Every person on this earth has those same limitations you mentioned - along with a unique set of strengths and weaknesses - to bring to the table. A strong desire to succeed, persistence in overcoming adversity and a refusal to let the dream die - abilities within everyone's reach - are what make the difference.

[rohgan03]

BobetteKyle: You have said it really well! The only limitations one has are the ones set by ownself! A lot of the big companies today are one generation, rags- to riches sucess stories...if they can do it ...so can I ...so can anyone else on this forum...we just all need to be persistant in working towards our goals and overcoming any adversity.

[making-it-big]

The only limitations one has are the ones set by ownself!

Wooohooo! This statement sums it all up.

I was beginning to think that I was the only one who thought that way.

that guy who owns the popular deli across the street

I don't know about that guy though. He is kinda weird. Although, I bet I could distribute some articles to his deli so his customers have something to read while they eat. Lets see I have a site on food/cooking, gardening, home improvement, I can do gifts and gift ideas during the holidays, childcare, crafts... Hmmm local wedding shops can be a good place for wedding related stuff... Possibilities are everywhere!

Edited by making-it-big, 09 December 2005 - 05:01 PM.