You have probably heard the expression ?Content is King?. Search engines, such as Google, MSN and Yahoo reward websites that have useful content with higher rankings. A higher ranking for your website on the search engine results page will result in more traffic your website.



There are two basic points you should keep in mind while writing an article:

(1) Use the simplest possible language that still gets your meaning across clearly.

You will want your article to reach the greatest number of readers. So it must be understood by the widest range of people. Editors of magazines and newspapers instruct their authors to write using a fourth grade level of complexity.

That is true for general interest subjects, but using simple language is not possible for all types of publications. Many technical magazines will use complex language that is relevant only to that topic. Therefore an appropriate level of complexity is needed. Otherwise it is always preferable to use the simplest and most straightforward writing style possible.

(2) Present your ideas in a manner that captures your readers' interest.

Organize your ideas in a manner that will entertain the readers. Be sure not to include too much detail so that the readers feel bored. Most articles written for the internet or for magazines are in a classic style known as ?five paragraph essay?, which is an ideal format for writing brief articles. By following this style you can express your ideas in a very interesting way with a good beginning and ending.

A brief description of the five paragraph essay:

1) First paragraph: Introduction. Present the actual topic and related concepts in brief.

2) Second, Third and Fourth paragraphs: Expand on points mentioned in the introduction in simple and creative language.

3) Fifth paragraph: Conclusion. Fully summarize the topic.

You can successfully write for magazines or the Internet if you can write five paragraph essays in clear and understandable language. Always remember to use a conversational style and use the ?Spelling and Grammar? function in word processor software.

Writing articles need not be an overwhelming task. Once you get in the routine you'll find that you can produce several articles each day without strain.

Benefits of article writing:

Article writing is the best marketing tool for promoting a website. There are many ezines that are constantly looking for content. By putting a link to your website in the author's bio box you will be spreading incoming links throughout the Internet.

Good quality articles will persuade people that you know what you're talking about and therefore they are more likely to trust any recommendation you make. You wouldn't buy a product from someone you don't trust. Neither will anyone else.

Name recognition. After you have published several articles that have propagated throughout the web, people will begin to notice seeing your name repeatedly. This is a big step toward building trust with potential customers.

There are many more benefits than drawbacks involved with article writing. If you are hesitant to try it for any reason, try determining what is holding you back and figure out a way to work around it. If a blank screen is intimidating you, try modifying some existing text just to get going. Once you start rolling you'll become a perpetual motion machine and articles will roll out your computer every day.