Search Engine Optimisation

Being an Expert Columnist allows you to generate FREE website traffic

We all know about content marketing. Yes, it’s an effective way of generating traffic to your website over time.

However, a much more direct way of getting your website in front of your target market is by doing something a bit more targeted than traditional article marketing.

Basically, we’re taking out the middle-man and going directly to the sites we want to have our articles published on. But, with a twist. Now, we are not knocking EzineArticles.com or Isnare.com.

They are both fantastic. However, they are also BEASTS of websites. How do you get noticed in such a crowd?

Yes, you can write excellent articles. Yes, you can work on writing the best headlines possible.

More direct way of getting your website in front of your target market is by doing something a bit more targeted….

Yes, you can play with long-tail keywords. But, there is an easier way. In addition to writing and submitting articles to the big sites, hook up with a website that is in your niche and become an expert columnist for that site. If you continue to produce the goods you will soon find that you might be regarded as an expert columnist.

We’ve got to tell you that we have several expert columnists for niche websites and it’s actually quite difficult to find people that are willing to start off on this content journey.

It’s insane that we have to look so far and wide to find writers who are willing to stick with a schedule and give us articles on time.

What do they get out of it?

• Exposure to their target market forever.
• Guaranteed publishing on a targeted website for each article. (Assuming it’s a good article, of course.)
• Exposure on a high traffic website that has some great Search Engine rankings.
• Exposure in ezine and autoresponder as new articles are added.
• Exposure to other blogs.

What do we get?

• Fresh, unique, quality content. (This is much better to me than using PLR articles or hiring a ghostwriter, because I’m finding experts who know the topics inside and out.)

Of course, the writers may also write and submit other articles to the big directories, but they know that the ones they submit to me are for my sites only.

So, if you’re looking to get some serious exposure in front of the exact people who buy your products or services, then I’d say to start searching Google for people who are reaching those people already.

Once you find a great content site, offer to provide them with regular articles. If they say “no” then keep looking.

Things to discuss in advance before agreeing to be a Columnist:

1. Where your articles will be published.
2. If you can have a graphic by your articles. (Many newspaper columnists have their photo by their byline.)
3. How often you’ll be writing (weekly, monthly, etc).
4. Length of articles.
5. Your deadlines.
6. How many links you can include in the bio. (Your advertising.)
7. Advertising that will be on the page (other than yours).
8. Copyright. You retain copyright to your own article, even as it’s published on the other site, just as you would with an article directory.
9. If you may use the content in eBooks or reports, but not published as an article on other sites.
10. If you’ll have exposure on other areas of the site, in the ezine, or linked from a related blog as an expert.
11. And you’ll want to make sure that your articles are NOT coded with a “nofollow” tag.

(Many website owners use “nofollow” tags. You do not want this on your links.) Remember, when negotiating with the website owner be easy to work with. When coming to an agreement, remember that most article directories (like ezinearticles.com) do have advertising in and around your articles, too.

So, work with the publisher and be flexible. I’m sure you can come up with a win-win for both of you.

Hot Tip! You may be able to also turn the articles into a pdf report that you can then offer as a tool for your affiliates in your affiliate center.