Well, there's a writer in all of us, and writing articles to gain expert status as well as targeted traffic is so important. You have to write articles that will engage your reader and hold their attention all the way through, as opposed to the usual clicking and fleeing.



Have you ever clicked and fled? If yes, then you know how it feels like being the reader.

This is what happens when your eyes are weary of the internet information overload. You click on an article that is so copy- heavy; it makes your brain groan from the pain

of reading all that information. You do not want this to happen to someone who is reading your stuff, do you? So do not bombard your readers with words. Granted that you

know every single word in the dictionary. But that is not a reason to try and put all that in one material.

Here are five tips to help you create articles that are super-tight and can beckon thousands of visitors that you are the one being bombarded.

1. Keep it short.

The article websites say to keep your articles under 800 words, but it is really difficult to control yourself when an article concept is blowing around in your head and wanting release. If it is any consolation, 500-1,000 words is okay. Just remember that if you start rambling, your reader would not stay with you very long. So keep it short and straight to the point.

2. Pace and balance.

Some people who write short articles start with a slow and intriguing buildup, but then cut the reader off at the end. This may keep the number of words down, but the sudden

anti-climactic ending makes for lousy reading. Do not leave your reader high and dry. Write a quick summary of each paragraph, then develop each one with three or four supporting sentences. Close with a motivating call to action.

3. Break it up.

An article that is broken up into sections is so much easier on the eyes than one with long paragraphs of copy. For this reason, the How-To, "7 Tips" and Q&A are immensely

popular. Use sub headlines in bold type to help guide their eyes down the page. If you can offer your content-hungry article prospects some great, well-paced copy that will look fantastic on their specialty niche website, you can be sure your articles will

get great exposure and readership.

4. Focus on the customer.

Of course, your article content will come from your own experiences. But instead of saying, "I know this guy who" and "When I designed my website," you can project your

story onto the customer. It helps to address the reader and ask questions: "Ever

find yourself buried under piles of paperwork??. Writing is all about the reader. Keep that in mind always.

5. Include a call to action.

If you word your articles in just the right way, you can really inspire your key customer to take action without making them feel pressured. Tap their wants and needs, offer solutions, and then spur them on to make a change for the better. Of course, the solution is to get in touch with you. Do this subtly in your article, and then do it again with a bit more volume in your conclusion and bio. "Visit us today to find out how great copywriting can make a world of difference for your business!" is a classic example. Easy, is it not? In general, it helps to visualize the article reaching its final destination. If your article is about cooking, then imagine it on someone else's cooking website. Now imagine the reader, taking in your story. What would they want to read about? How can the visual presentation keep them riveted on your words, so they can make it to the end where your bio and URL link is? How can you get them to click that link? If you do get wrapped up in the joyous act of article writing, then there is nothing wrong with that. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize and the purpose why you are writing these articles in the first place. Your prospects. his, of course, has led to a lot of Web site owners scrambling to get incoming links. They try to set up reciprocal links (in other words, trade links with other businesses). They pay for links (certain directories, including Yahoo, may sell links for a specified period of time). They send out hundreds of emails to other Web site owners begging for incoming links (which in some cases borders on spamming).

Sometimes they make the mistake of getting listed at "link farms", sites that are in business only to create links to other sites for the purpose of search engine rank. Often being listed at a link farm will lead to being removed from the search engines entirely.

Some site owners even hire special link-building firms to find, qualify and make inquiries to related sites for incoming links. While this can prove effective, the expense is often well over a thousand dollars or more; too high for many small businesses or entrepreneurs.