The 4 Things ALL Articles Must Have

The importance of articles in today’s websites and Internet based companies are immeasurable. They can dictate the success by the amount of traffic they can drive to one’s site. It has become a key element in making a site work and generating a profit.

Articles have been known to be the driving force in generating traffic to a website and helping to provide high rankings in search result pages. The higher a site ranks the bigger slice of the traffic flow pie he gets. With a huge number in traffic flow, there are more profits and more potential for other income generating schemes as well. But, it is not just about stuffing your site with articles; there are certain requirements. These requirements must be met to obtain the maximum benefits an article will provide. A well written article will catch the interest of your customers and keep them coming back for more as well as provide incentive for referrals.

Here are some tips to help you and assist you with writing your articles which in turn can make your website into a traffic generating, profitable business.

Keywords and Keyword Phrases.
An article must always be centered on keywords and keyword phrases. There are generally two types of website visitors; those who are just merely browsing for information, and those who are looking for a specific product. In both cases, a visitor usually goes to a search engine and types in the keywords they are looking for (e.g. Toyota Camry, Meningitis, Tax Lawyer, etc).

This is why you need an article that has the keywords that are related to your site. For example, if you maintain an auto parts site, you need to have articles about cars and their parts. There are many tools on the Internet that can help you when determining what keywords and keyword phrases are specific to your site.

Keyword Density
Once you have your keywords and keyword phrases, you need to 'salt' your articles with the phrases. An article must have good keyword density for a search engine to “feel” its presence. Articles should have at least ten to fifteen percent of keyword density in their content for search engines to rank a site high in their search results, however, don't simply use one or two keywords. You need to use related keywords as well. You don't want your article to be completely centered around one or two phrases.

Keyword density is the number of times a keyword, phrase, or long tailed keyword is used in an article. An effective article must have a keyword density that is neither too high or too low. With a very high density, the essence of the article is lost and may turn off a reader as well as the search engines. It comes off as overeager and poorly written, whereas a low number may be ignored by the search engines.

Good Article Content
As I have already stated, you cannot just riddle an article with keywords. They must also provide good reading material.Well written articles should keep your visitor interested, as well as provide good information. They should be checked for correct spelling and good grammar. Nothing turns a visitor off quicker than an article that reads like a 'spun' or rewritten work that contains little to no useful information and a ton of keywords. If you want people to trust you, take the time to write something that is well thought out and interesting. People respond well to figures, facts and statistics, so do your best to provide them with good information and as many facts as you can. A well written article will boost your reputation as an expert in your chosen field and inspire believability and trust..

Linking Articles
Another important point to remember, if you are going to submit articles to Ezines and/or contribute your articles to newsletters and other sites, never, ever forget to include a link to your site. A little resource box with a brief description of your site should always be placed right after your article. If people like your articles, they will most likely click on the link directing them to your site.