Article Marketing Strategies and the Ezine Articles Directory

There are different ways to approach article marketing, and every business needs to evaluate what they hope to get out of what they put into their article marketing efforts.

Some are just in it for the backlinks, while others seek to add quality content to their websites, and some have a well rounded plan designed to accomplish multiple goals. If a business is going to invest the time and effort to create articles to promote their site, they should consider all the ways they can maximize the effect of the articles.

Early in 2011, article directory "giant" Ezine Articles took a hard slap to their rankings as a result of algorithm changes in Google's Panda update. Ezine responded quickly in an effort to adapt and regain their lost footing, and this caused reactionary changes to their editorial guidelines.

Some of the changes were:

* Increase of minimum article word count from 250 to 400. Well content is king, after all, so a 250 word "blurb" won't cut it at Ezine Articles anymore.

* Longer article review time so editors can focus on spelling, grammar, and punctuation; the article rejection rate will increase in an effort to demand higher quality submissions.

* Decrease in allotted submissions (25 to 10) at the basic membership level; if a writer does not earn Platinum after those initial 10, they go to Basic Plus with 10 more submissions. Failure to improve, learn, and develop based on the feedback provided will result in account suspension (no more submissions allowed).

Ezine's quality has been compromised over time due to some of the less than acceptable material it allowed to pass through, much of which was targeted for the backlink value only. Everyone suspected the piper (Google) would have to be "paid" at some point. Hopefully the changes Ezine has made will improve the directory's reputation and help it regain its ranking position.

In article marketing, multiple goals can be accomplished with all content that is created and posted on the web. It is better to write one good article and take 3 days to do it right than to take one day to write 3 articles that sacrifice some of their success potential.

Think in terms of these simple "3's."

1. Don't add fluff and/or off subject content to stretch an article into Ezine's minimum word count. If it is a subject worth writing about, there are 400 words to say about it. If you don't have 400 words, rethink the topic and/or do more research.

2. Don't write lousy content just for the backlinks. Your articles should not just drive traffic; they should also build your reputation and get your brand out there and noticed (in a positive way). If you don't deliver what the traffic came there for (useful content and information), your visitors will leave. They'll also feel cheated, and the impression made will be that you don't care about the customer, just your precious backlinks, which have now served to do what? Drive the traffic away?

3. Writing takes time; research takes time. You are running a business; that means it requires work. The time worn statements about making huge profits on the internet while doing absolutely nothing are pure hype. Also proof your work carefully; it is a reflection of your business. Error riddled content will a) get rejected; b) appear as you don't care; c) make you appear illiterate and/or lazy.

In article marketing, you won't get more out of it than you put in. This method of promoting a business isn't going anywhere; that is because it works, but only if it is done right.