13/12/2012
Top 10 Quality Measures to Increase Article Success
1. Proofread and Edit
Spelling and grammatical errors in social media or email may be considered a forgivable offense, but in your articles - no way. Employ a draft system:
Draft 1: Brainstorm and outline topic.
Draft 2: Write with wild abandon.
Draft 3: Mercilessly edit, tighten, and polish.
2. Tell, Not Sell
The title, summary, and article body aren't the places to describe the goods and services your business provides - even if you don't name your business within the content, alluding to it is a no-no. Not only will you run out of article topics fast, you'll be rejected by readers. Provide non-promotional, informative articles for the good of your audience 100% of the time.
3. Inform with Quality and Originality
Avoid generalities like the plague. In an article on tips for dog toys, listing "play fetch by using a ball" is far from groundbreaking. Put some elbow grease into your creativity and provide only FRESH information. More fresh tips: Mentioning or discussing a location? Provide an original experience that places the reader in that location. Writing about a common topic? What interesting information based on your experiences can make that topic more engaging and new? Always ask yourself: What's makes this article original?
4. Be True to Your Title
Take your titles seriously. That's not to say you can't be humorous or whimsical, but you should put effort into writing your titles so they're searchable, desirable, and deliverable. If you've created a captivating title that is relevant to your reader's needs and promised a benefit, ensure your article brings the reader home by delivering everything the title promised and more.
5. Provide a Call-to-Action
Strategy! Broadcasting a bunch of links in your article or Resource Box and hoping for the best isn’t going to yield results. It’s similar to a busy intersection without a sense of traffic flow or directional signs. Your submission is allotted up to two self-serving links. Although you can place a link in your article body, strategically placing your submission allotment of 2 relevant links with a call-to-action in your Resource Box (none in the article) gives you momentum and your readers direction.
6. Always Link in the Resource Box
If your Resource Box has been proven to be the best location for your links, why would you link in your article body, but not in your Resource Box? Again, think strategy. Always provide at least one link in your Resource Box (although providing both in the Resource Box has yielded many authors great results). Here are the two best linking strategies:
Link twice in your Resource Box without any links in your article body. Provide one text-based anchored link and one URL-based anchored link.
Link once below the fold in your article body with a text-based anchored link and then one URL-based anchored link in your Resource Box.
7. Link to Quality
Your website should provide a quality experience that meets these 5 areas:
Original - Provide unique information that cannot be found anywhere else.
Quality - Use clean formatting as well as good grammar and spelling.
Relevance - Meet your reader's expectations, needs, wants, and interests.
Navigation - Practice clear, simple, and easily accessible navigation.
Transparency - Establish your presence on your website to increase transparency.
8. Use an Eye-Pleasing Format
Train your reader's eye down the page by making it easy for them. Avoid huge chunks of text by adding full vertical line breaks between paragraphs, incorporate meaningful headers, and employ ordered or unordered lists when applicable.
9. Increase Byline Transparency
Ensure your reader can focus on the article instead of figuring out who wrote it by repeating your name, who you are, and what you can further provide the reader in your Resource Box.
10. Test Your Links Regularly
Don't create a dead-end for your readers. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Check them once, check ‘em twice – if the link doesn’t work, fix it or don’t use the link. If you make any structural changes to your blog or website or completely rebrand yourself by closing a website, don't forget all of your live articles that may be linking to it! Routinely check to make sure everything is up and running.
