Articles With Just Good Information

How to Measure the Value of Your Article Marketing Campaign

It's not enough to scatter your articles across the internet - you've got to measure what you're doing so you can be sure that you're getting value from your effort.

Here are some of my preliminary thoughts on what's measurable in regards to article marketing, (and what you measure should depend on your predefined article marketing goals, but you knew that already):

Number of new of links to your site

This is a big one of course, and just about the easiest to measure with a simple "link:" search in the major engines.

Since I submitted "Build Links and Your Brand: Article Marketing Delivers" to 8 directories on January 26th Google has logged 24 instances of my article (I did have a little help from search engine expert Andy Beal's mention in his blog), MSN search shows 59 instances and Yahoo has me down for 10.

Now, all those mentions aren't links... just instances of my article title.

Google currently shows no links to my main blog site. Yahoo and MSN both show 14 to http://articlemarketing.blogspot.com.

I'm also currently ranked 3rd in Yahoo for the term article marketing - woo hoo! Not bad for only 3 days. We'll see how long I stay there - things may change dramatically after an update. I'm currently nowhere to be found in MSN. Ditto for Google, except the post from Andy's blog about my article marketing blog that puts me at 4th for "article marketing."

To give some idea of scale, here are the number of millions of results for article marketing per engine: 12 million in Yahoo; 17 million in MSN; 27 million in Google. I don't think Article Marketing is a phrase that currently generates much competition.

Article submission sites like EzineArticles get the freshbot treatment because of their regularly updated content and I think that speeds indexing.

Article submitted 1-26-05, searches conducted 1-29-05.

Number of readers/impressions

To borrow a bit from the world of online advertising you can measure impressions, that is, the estimated number of readers/site visitors who had the opportunity to at least read your article title and, let's hope, associate it with your business name.

To get an idea of how many impressions your article may have gotten talk with those who republish your article. If you submit to EzineArticles you can see how many writers and editors have viewed your article's page.

It's great to have your impressions high, but it's better to have them targeted to your audience (and by audience I mean customers... here are my thoughts on client as audience). The more care you give your content creation process the more your content will appeal to your target audience.

Which brings us to...

Placement in previously identified key industry media

If at the beginning of your article marketing campaign you identify key industry publications you'd like to be published in... and you get published or don't get published, that's something you can measure.

This is more of a branding initiative than a linking initiative, though it can certainly generate at least one solid link. And once your article's been published and your editor says "go" you can submit it to your article submission directories of choice. And then measure links.

Lead generation through reader inquiries

This is a fun one. There are specific industries and products that are likely to sell well through article marketing... namely information products. If your primary goal for article marketing is sales though you should construct your article campaign in a particular way. Many of the same rules still apply, but the strategy needs to be a little different. Let me know if you have questions about creating sales generating articles. And you still have to follow responsible article writing guidelines.

Email addresses gathered for newsletter signup/downloads/free service

Yeah you're being published in someone else's email newsletter but that doesn't mean you can't try to drive signups to your own newsletter! We had this happen when I worked at WebProNews, where we published all free content. One author's article marketing strategy focused on driving subscribers to her newsletter. I think, but I'm not sure, that it was Dianna Huff, who specializes in B2B article marketing. As an aside, be sure to check out her site.

Pageviews to info pages on your site

If you link out of your article to more info pages on your site you can measure for an increase in traffic on those pages. Have some kind of call to action on these pages though. Don't just boost page views for the sake of having higher page views. Get them to do something on that page, such as give you an email address or visit your products or services page.

Requests from editors for articles

If it's your goal to have more involvement with your target market then be sure to accept all requests from editors for new articles. In fact, cultivate any relationship with an editor you can. This is one fantastic way of staying in front of your target audience and getting new ideas for articles.

How can you increase this likelihood? Contact editors from publications within your target market. In addition, include a mention in your author bio that you'd like to work with editors to help them have happier, more engaged readers.

Audience involvement/questions

This is another fun one, and something I tried to promote during my time at WPN. The level of reader feedback I received led to my creation of the "Ask the Expert" section of WPN (now untended) as well as my proposal for the WebProWorld forums, now with over 50,000 members. (To be fair iEntry had rolled out forums before - they were just scattered across all our publications rather than targetted on the flagship. WebProWorld was definitely a home run.)

So if you'd like to establish more of a relationship with the online audience in your publications contact their editor and see if you can field audience questions.

What else is measurable? Those are a few of my thoughts for article marketing measurables. Did I miss any? Let me know your measurable ideas and if I use them in an upcoming article I'll throw you a link with your link text of choice.

Want to build links to your site and enhance your brand? Send article marketing questions to GFrench@gmail.com for free article marketing brainstorm, including article topic suggestions and key industry media identification. Garrett French is a search engine marketing copy writer for Websourced and conducts branding and link building research on his article marketing blog. If you wish to publish this article, please retain all links.

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

How To Find Quality Article Directories!
How To Find Quality Article Directories! By: Martin Lemieux

Social Book Marking - Index Web Pages
Social bookmarking has rapidly developed into a popular Internet technique by which Internet users are making use of the information available on the web Social bookmarks are kind of tags that are attached to the various kinds of web links that help in easy organization and an easy management of web links on the Internet

Free Latest Information about Steroids for Bodybuilders and Athletes of All Levels from Steroid-abuse.org
Steroid-abuse.org (http://www.steroid-abuse.org/) newly launched provides latest Information about Steroids for bodybuilders and athletes of all levels . Steriods are commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes of all levels. Usage of steroids can be found in High School sports, steroids in baseball, steroids in football, and, of course, steroids in the Olympics. All these sports, and many more, use steroids in one form or another. There are many different factors leading up to steroid abuse.

AskPatty.com Partners with Chrome Systems to Deliver Comprehensive Vehicle Research, Pricing, and Configuration Information to their Certified Dealers
Chrome Systems Inc., an industry leader in collecting, enhancing and distributing best-in-class automotive data, today announced that AskPatty.com, Inc. will use Chrome's applications to arm their certified automotive sales and service organizations with accurate and up-to-date vehicle research, pricing, and configuration information.

Educator's New Book Teaches How to Help Kids Create a Successful Life
The statistics are sobering--the ones that tell us that more than 50% of all high school students do not know what they want to be or do after graduation and that more than 77% of all employees hate their jobs. These are but two of the reasons that educator Dr. Moses McCutcheon Jr. created the School-to-Success program, a model which is specifically designed to help parents, schools, and organizations with middle and high school students to plan for a successful life.

Due to Increasing Demand, Arrival of the Prince, a Progressive Christian Book, is Now Available Via the AuthorHouse Book Return Program
In James Rutledge's Arrival of the Prince, archaeologists discover ancient stone tablets that point to divine messages in human DNA. When deciphered by geneticists the messages are eerily similar to the Book of Revelation that predict the End Times and the arrival of the Antichrist. Rutledge suggests that John of Patmos, the accepted author of the Biblical Book Revelation, accessed these messages in his own DNA and saw them as revelations.

Confidence - Does Your Family Start Out Daily With It?
Today our lives are so busy and each family receives so many messages that question whether or not they measure up to society?s yardstick of success, appearances, fitting in with the so-called in crowd.

Houston Refinance Mortgage Information
There are three main reasons that consumers consider a Houston refinance mortgage. They are lower rate, cash out (or debt consolidation), and converting from adjustable to a fixed rate.

The DRS Group Boosts COM and Adds COLD Capabilities - Added Staffing and Capacity Helps to Preserve Critical Information
Clifford Newman, president and CEO of The DRS Group, announced today that the DRS Imaging Group has boosted its Computer Output to Microfilm (COM) and added Computer Output to Laser Disk (COLD) capabilities. DRS has added capacity and experienced personnel in its secure U.S.-based facilities to preserve vital government, financial, organizational and business documents and make this information securely accessible when needed.

The Importance of Family Meal Planning
What has happened to us There once was a time when we would all come home from school or work and sit down with our families and enjoy the ritual of family mealtime

Author Amber Kingston's First Book, Laura and the Leprechauns, is Nominated for Benjamin Franklin Children's Award
Chrysalis Press Author Amber Kingston's First Book, Laura and the Leprechauns is Nominated for Benjamin Franklin Children's Award While Kingston is Abroad Visiting German School Children.

'A Very New York Christmas' Book and Ornament Signing by Award Winning Illustrator and Designer Michael Storrings
What people are saying: "Michael Storrings¹s wonderful watercolors evoke so much of the enchantment of Christmas in the city that I felt as a child. Cynthia Nixon" Award-winning illustrator and designer Michael Storrings will be participating in a series of book and ornament signings in New York City during the holiday season. Michael will be signing at the Metropolitan Opera Lobby Gift Shop during the Tree Lighting Ceremony at Lincoln Center November 26, 5-7 pm. Additional signings will be held at Saks Fifth Avenue during a Special Trunk show Thanksgiving weekend November 23, 24, 25, 1-4pm.

Mining Your Experiences for that Article or Book
Chances are good that the next article or book you read is based on the author's experience. In each publication, the author doesn't just relate his or her experience, but explains the benefits that he or she derived from it, such as lessons, suggestions and concepts.

Outskirts Press Announces The Book of Contemporary Conga Techniques, the Latest Highly Anticipated Music - Instruction & Study Book from Fern Park, FL
Outskirts Press, Inc. has published The Book of Contemporary Conga Techniques by Hector Pocho Neciosup and Jose Rosa, which is the author's most recent book to date. The 8.25 x 11 paperback in the Music - Instruction & Study category is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a suggested retail price of $29.95. The webpage at www.outskirtspress.com/thebookofcontemporaryconga was launched simultaneously with the book's publication.