Article Marketing Post-Penguin 2.0: 4 Tips on How to Still Generate Tons of Web Traffic and Sales

Aug. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Google’s Penguin 2.0 update in May 2013 really hit article marketers hard; so hard in my opinion that it could have been nicknamed the “Kill Article Marketing Forever” update. I’ve been an avid article marketer since 2002; I’ve written and distributed hundreds of them, which has led to thousands of dollars in sales of my ebooks, e-classes and freelance writing services.

And in spite of the havoc that Penguin 2.0 brought on, I continue to believe in – and effectively utilize -- this internet marketing strategy. Following are four key insights on how to still make it work for you because in my opinion, this method of online marketing is simply too darned good to give up!

1) Write longer articles: Many article directories have a minimum word count for the content you submit to them (usually 400 words). As an aside, I remember when a word count minimum wasn’t a requirement at all.

Really every since the Panda update in 2011, Google has been telling webmasters that they want “relevant, useful, authoritative” content. Translation for article marketing purposes: write longer articles that helps we surfers make more informed decisions. No junk content allowed.

In my opinion, articles should be between 450-700 words.

2) Produce high-quality content: A lot of online marketers either don’t like to write, don’t have time to write, or don’t have the necessary skills to write. And, this is why there’s so much garbage on the web that passes for "article marketing."

Remember, the Penguin update is really just a build on the Panda updates in 2011 and 2012. Google’s overall goal is to return high-quality, relevant content. So just because your content is going to be distributed via an article directory, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be as well-written and useful as a piece of content you intend to use on your site.

3) Don’t Keyword Stuff: This is an easy practice that Google cracked down on in the Penguin 2.0 update further. Just don’t do it. To avoid it, use the following SEO writing rule: "don’t use the keyword phrase more than once every 100 o 150 words. This will give you a keyword density of between 1 and 2 percent, which is pretty much where you want to be.

4) Supplement Article Marketing with Original Content: Article marketing should never been your main content marketing strategy. It should be used IN CONJUNCTION WITH other traffic-generating tactics.

So regularly update your own blog with original, in-depth content – content that supplements what you distribute via article directories.

Internet Article Marketing: Conclusion
Article marketing post-Penguin (http://inkwelleditorial.com/article-marketing-in-2013) can still be highly effective, if you stay abreast of the changes search engines like Google make, and stay on the right side of them.

Remember, article marketing is simply content marketing, ie, giving prospects useful information upon which to make an informed decision. If you do this consistently, it’s easy to build your brand, and generate traffic and sales via this online marketing tactic. THAT hasn’t changed because of Penguin.
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About the Author: Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words, an SEO writing company, and is the publisher of Inkwell Editorial, a blog devoted to helping others start successful, home-based writing careers. She's also the author of over 50 ebooks, most of which cover some aspect of freelance / SEO writing. They can be found on major outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. She’s used article marketing (http://inkwelleditorial.com/what-is-article-marketing) to generate thousands of dollars in sales of her ebooks and e-classes. You can too!