Here's how that works:



When you do article marketing, you're writing articles on the general topic of your website, and then submitting the articles to article directories and other online publishers.

When website owners need content they will look at article directories and select articles that they'd like to re-publish on their website. Each time your article is picked up for re-publication, your resource box (including a link back to your website) is also published.

So, as more and more publishers pick up your article, you build more and more links.

Pretty much every person who's doing article marketing knows the power of building links and also that the links contribute to an elevated search engine ranking, but a question that I get repeatedly is this:

"What would be the benefit of having my article published on smaller websites? I mean, those websites don't have authority in Google's eyes--why bother with them?"

I would answer that there is definitely benefit to having your article published on websites of all sizes--big, medium and small websites.

The big websites are the ones that attract the most attention--everyone wants a link from a website that is seen as an authority in Google's eyes. But there are a few reasons why you should solicit publication on lesser known websites too:

1) Yes, one way that article marketing builds traffic is by increasing your search engine ranking for your keyword terms, but don't forget that traffic is also driven to a website through your articles themselves.

For example, a potential customer might find your website in one of the following ways:

*By doing a Google search for your keyword terms, and then finding your article or your website listed in the results.

*By stumbling across your article and then clicking the link in your resource box that leads to your website.

The first way is indirect traffic--a potential customer has to do a search for your keyword terms, and then your article or your website appears high up in the search engine rankings.

The second way is direct traffic--the person visits a favorite directory or otherwise stumbles upon your article, and then just clicks from your article through to your website.

A link from the bigger websites will aid your cause if you're trying to rise up in the search engine rankings. A link from an authority site can help boost Google's estimation of your article and in turn help your website jump up in the rankings.

But a link from any size website (even small ones) can help you build direct traffic. Direct traffic is independent of Google and search engine rankings--if a reader happens to see your article on a website, they can go directly to your website from your resource box.

For this reason, it is a good idea to have your article published on as many sites as possible. The more website's that pick up your article for publication, the more opportunities for your potential customers to see your article (and then click through to your website).

2) Imagine this--even a newbie website that has only 50 visitors a day creates 50 chances for your article to come before the eyes of potential customers.

Would you turn down the opportunity to speak to 50 potential customers if you had the chance?

I think not.

Then why pass up the opportunity to have your article published on as many websites as possible--small, medium and mega-sized sites?

3) What is a small site today is not necessarily a small site tomorrow.

Websites grow and change in their authority and ranking (thankfully!). Instead of discarding the idea of getting a link from a lesser known site, why not go for that link now, when the site is still in its infancy, and then ride the escalator up with their increasing success?

There is merit to receiving backlinks from online publishers regardless of size. Yes, the mega size sites offer more benefits, but that doesn't mean that links from other sites are worthless.

If you think about it, it's kind of like comparing mega bookstores with independent bookstores--this is Amazon vs The Corner Bookstore. When an author has a book that she wants people to buy, she will make certain that her book is available on Amazon, but she will also take an interest in the smaller bookstores.

As an article marketer, your article is your book, and it's your job to market it. Don't you want it appearing in as many "bookstores" as possible?