This all started with something Ezine Articles posted on Twitter earlier today:

I very much respect and appreciate the information provided in that statement. After all, we may not have known this information about click throughs if Ezine Articles hadn’t dug into the massive amount of data they have at their fingertips. But I definitely question the assumption about WHY certain links are clicked more readily.

Before getting into this:

I want to acknowledge that people submit articles to Ezine Articles and other directories for different reasons, so what approach you take with linking will certain depend on your goals:

• Some are looking for SEO benefit and thus, they use anchor text to gain them favor for specific keyword phrases.
• Some want to get traffic from their bylines and in that case, would likely focus on having a strong call-to-action in their byline.
• Some submit with the goal of having their articles republished on other sites. Considering that many web publishers copy-and-paste articles straight from Ezine Articles, having a URL written out in full makes sense.

Of course…and I hope this describes you…submit articles for all of the above reasons. If that’s the case, I imagine you aim to combine an anchor text link AND a URL written out in full. In other words, you use both types of links. Personally, I think that’s a smart thing to do.

With that out of the way:

Now back to this assumption that was made in the above tweet. Ezine Articles suggests that visitors don’t click anchor text link as readily as they do full URLs because they are suspicious of the author’s motives.

That doesn’t really add up for me. Ezine Articles receives a heck of a lot of traffic directly from search engines. In other words, the average Internet user, looking for information on specific topics is their typical visitor.

Let’s look at this realistically:

• Does the average Internet user know about SEO?
• Do they know the benefit of anchor text?

I’m pretty confident that for the majority, the answer to both questions is no.

Perhaps if we polled a bunch of jaded/passive-aggressive Internet marketers, they might tell us they avoid the anchor text…but for the average person, it just really doesn’t come into play.

What really causes the click through difference?

Here’s what I said to Ezine Articles in my alloted 140 characters:

I think it all comes down to a simple matter of call-to-action. Keyword-based anchor text often lacks a call-to-action. Here’s one example from Ezine Articles and I’m sure you can find many . As you see, there are keywords in a link, but no instruction to do anything:

Now, a full URL doesn’t have a call-to-action specifically in the link, but there is an implied call-to-action (i.e. here’s a website address, click the link). But more importantly, in a lot of these types of bylines, the full URL is surrounded by a call to action. Here is an example:

Sure, “Visit…” may not be the strongest call-to-action on the planet, but it does give the reader something to do and a reason to click (“to find the best deal”). I don’t presume to know how the click throughs on the above articles compare, but am just showing how each type of link is commonly presented.

What I’m Wondering

I wonder if Ezine Articles can break down their stats to give us more clues on the click through mystery. For example:

• In links with anchor text, can they distinguish between straight keyword links and those that say “click here for XXX” or “sign up for XXX“, for example.
• Is there a difference in the click through rate on articles that include a full URL and ones that include BOTH anchor text and a full URL?

That type of information could provide more insight to solve the byline clicking mystery. Obviously, there are many factors in determining the WHY people click or don’t click on any byline. Length of byline, relevancy to the content and plenty of other things my influence clicks, but one thing you can’t go wrong with is a strong call-to-action.

Because when it comes down to it, if you don’t tell your readers what to do, how can expect them to click?

As you can see I’ve submitted over 140 articles. Most of those have been within the last six months.  I’ve found that the immediate result is a new flow of traffic to my website. But the long term results will also include more inbound links, business branding and potential opportunities (interviews, joint ventures, etc).

What I want to do today is give you some article writing basics on how I’ve worked my article writing and submissions so you can go and duplicate it with your own business.

Keyword Research

Before I write any of my articles I spend about two to three hours doing keyword research. The tools I use are Wordtracker Free Keyword Tool and Google Adwords Keyword Tool. I use both these tools to think of all the possible keyword phrases someone might type into the search engines to find my website and my seven internet marketing training lists.

For example, I have a email training list about blogging. So I would search through the tools for all the possible terms about blogging. Here are some examples:

As you can see there are a number of titles I can use to create articles from this list.

I aim to find hundreds of keyword phrases in my research and then pull as many article titles as I can from that large list.

Article Writing

I’m using only EzineArticles.com for now. I don’t feel the need to submit to multiple directories at once. I don’t want to dilute my results with more websites to track and I love how easy Ezine Articles makes it for me with their awesome statistics.

Since I’ve done my keyword research all I need to do next is take those titles, make sure I understand what the people searching were really looking for and write an article about it.

Author Resource Box

The author resource box is key to promoting your website’s product, service or opt-in offer through article marketing. You need to have a clear purpose with your article, author resource box and call to action. Make sure they all match and that your article leads perfectly to your resource box which leads perfectly to a call to action on the landing page you send them to.

Here’s an example:
I have an email list where I tell people how to make money as an affiliate marketer and have written a number of articles on affiliate marketing.

My author resource box is not the typical “Angela Wills is the owner of Marketers Mojo. Sign up for her email list here.”  Instead I make the resource box like an extension of the article. With Ezine Articles you have 300 words for the resource box and I often try to make use of as many as I can. This is what one of my resource boxes look like:

Oh and by the way, I customize every since resource box I write so that it has that perfect match with the article and the landing page offer.

So there you have it. My article marketing strategy. It’s working very well for me and I’m getting a steady stream of traffic coming from Ezine Articles as a result.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on article marketing.

Article Dashboard has been working to establish itself as a top content provider since it first came on the scene in August 2005. It not only provides content, but also provides free software that allows sites to establish their own article directories. Websites can use this software to build resources for their visitors and the software can be customized for a specific need or niche.

Articledashboard.com lets people from around the world view your content. It currently boasts a unique visitor count of around 125,000 per month. This means that your content will be exposed to new eyes from around the globe through the Article Dashboard site but also through those sites that repost your content.

According to the Articledashboard.com website, there are only a few simple rules to submitting material to their directory. Some of the rules are basic guidelines about how the articles can be used.

• Articles must be the original work of the person submitting them. You must have the rights of all the articles that you submit to Article Dashboard.

• Article Dashboard has the right to used submitted material on any of its outlets – including website, blogs or RSS feed.

• Others also have to the right to use articles that are posted on Article Dashboard in their newsletters and online magazines (with the stipulation that articles be left in their original state, including the resource box and any links).

• There is no guarantee of acceptance into the directory database. Each article will be reviewed. Submitting an article to Article Dashboard does not mean that it will be published.

Article Dashboard is a free article directory. This means that all submissions are done without monetary compensation. Writers do not get paid for submitting material to ArticleDashboard.com. The best thing about article directories, like Article Dashboard, is compensation comes in the form of help establishing a writer as an expert in a particular niche through the published content.

Article Dashboard has a strong standing on the internet. It currently holds a 5 out of 10 Google Page Rank. The Alexa rank of ArticleDashboard.com is 4753.

Submitting material to different article directories is a good way to build your own visitors. Article directories can also be a solid source for discovering content for your own website.

No matter how you choose to use article directories, you should take some time to review Article Dashboard. It is one of the leading article directory websites and provides you with more opportunities to expand your online presence.

WebProNews.com is a directory site that focuses on internet related content. The stories cover the news of the internet, information about products and services and even tips for launching online business ventures. Visitors to WebProNews.com can also find the latest information about search engine optimization (SEO) and online marketing techniques.

The content provided by WebProNews.com is created by in-house writers and contributing writes that include experts in the different fields. Information is provided to visitors through the website, other websites within the iEnry network and through newsletters.

Who is WebProNews.com

WebProNews.com is a part of iEntry, Inc. It has been emerging as a leader in the field since it was first introduced in 1999. Today the visitors of WebProNews.com include some of the top people in various online industries. The company has a commitment to quality that draws visitors in and keeps them returning.

Statistics for WebProNews.com

WebProNews.com currently has a Google Page Rank or 6 out of 10. It has an Alexa rating of 2176. Around 30% of visitors to WebProNews.com are based out of the United States with the rest coming from around the globe. It is truly a world wide website. There are over 6,200 sites that link in to WebProNews.com. It also has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools.

Guidelines for WebProNews.com Authors

Submitting content to WebProNews.com is an easy process. All content must be original and be related only to eBusiness, search engines, information technology or web development. iEntry has the right to use submitted materials any place within the iEntry Network. All authors need to include a photo, author bio and web site address. The only information that is required is the name of the author and an email address.

WebProNews.com is also looking for regularly contributing writers. You can submit your credentials and potential article ideas for their consideration.

The information provided on WebProNews.com is perfect for keeping up with the different issues facing the internet and internet based businesses. WebProNews.com also provides you with the opportunity to expand your own niche expertise by writing for the website as a guest or as a regular contributor. All content must be completely original, but the time and effort you put into content for WebProNews.com will come back to you as new visitors and higher exposure for your own internet endeavors.