Here is the formula that I use to write articles almost in an assembly line fashion. The reason that I write so many articles is that in some niches you need dozens, even hundreds of articles, to break through the clutter.

I begin with keyword research. You want to know what keyword phrases your ideal customers are using when searching online. They come online searching for solutions to their problems, and when they come across your articles offering a solution, they become raving fans.

To do keyword research, I often use the “Google External Keyword Tool.” You can find it by googling that term. This tool shows you how many searches are made on a given term in a month, plus how many webpages there are out there already targeting that phrase. The tool also suggests related terms that you might want to target. You can use this tool to compile a list of suitable keywords and then download your research results in an Excel spreadsheet.

In looking at keywords, what you’re trying to identify, in addition to search volume, is “What problems are these searchers try to solve.” People come online looking for solutions to their problems. You identify those problems and then let them know (via your articles) that you have the perfect solution.

In crafting my article titles, I use my keywords but also work in a promised benefit. My titles promise to show them the solution to a nagging problem. When they see that title listed in the search engines, this is what entices them to click through to your target site.

In crafting the body of my articles, I use the “problem, agitate, solution” formula. I describe the problem to let the reader know that I understand their problems. I then go into excruciating details explaining the problem, and how it’s not going to get any better unless they do something about it. Finally, I point out the obvious solution, which is my recommended product.

Sometimes I only point them to a website to read more about the problem. On that website, they’ll also find my recommended solution. This is a less-threatening, soft-sell approach.

When I do my keyword research, I sometimes identify hundreds of related keywords that are being searched on a lot. At the same time, I identify several different painful problems (or variations of the same problem). This is what allows me to write articles in almost an assembly line fashion.

After the articles are written, I use an automated submission service to submit them to the top article directories. I use automated submissions because otherwise I’d spend countless hours submitting each article (not a very good use of our time).

In the resource box of these articles, I point readers to a target site. Where permitted I use anchor text in the links in these resource boxes. That anchor text is generally the keyword that I’m targeting (the same keyword that I used in my title).

I also post these articles to my blogs or maybe to a static page on one of my sites.

Since I like to leverage my time, I also turn many of my articles into videos, and podcasts. I generally create the videos by putting the main points of the articles on PowerPoint slides. Then I read the article as I go through the slides – recording then using Camtasia (screen capture software).

Alternatively, I sometimes simply turn the text of an article into a PDF. Then I scroll down my computer screen reading the article, and again, recording it using Camtasia.

To create the podcast you can use recording software probably already on your computer, or you can download one many free pieces of software such as Audacity. Simply read the article as you record it. I generally save it as an MP3.

Submit the videos to video sharing sites, and submit the audio to podcast sites. I use an automated submission service for this, submitting to numerous sites!

Here’s one final tactic that I use to get my articles to rank higher for a target keyword and get noticed more readily in the search engines. I look for ways to create external links pointing to my article in one location – generally my main blog. I do this by bookmarking the blog post that contains the article. This is perhaps the easiest way to give the article a search engine boost.

There you have it, my super-effective article writing formula. It generates a steady stream of high quality website traffic for me, and a steady stream of orders too. Feel free to use it.

Editor’s Note: This article previously published here.

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Willie Crawford has been marketing online for 13 years, and used article marketing most of that time (writing over 1500 articles). His favorite tools for automatically distributing his articles, videos, podcasts, and press releases is the automated submission site: http://EasyPushButtonTraffic.com/

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There are many ways to generate fast free website traffic, but many of them aren’t readily available to the average, lesser-known marketer.

Joint ventures are an excellent way to get tons of others to send you there traffic. However, joint ventures hinge upon relationships/connections, and many of the people with the most traffic have tons of their own products to promote. Those who own large lists are also approached about joint ventures so often that they may have commitments that extend out past six months.

If you do have a large list, getting immediate traffic to your website can be as simple as sending a compelling email. However, it takes time to build a quality list. It also takes time to build strong relationships and trust with your list members.

Another one of my favorite ways to generate lots of free traffic is by creating an inexpensive product and then allowing others to selling it and keep 100% of the profit. However, that does require a product on a really hot topic, and you still have to recruit affiliates.

You are also giving away 100% of the money on the sale (sacrificing early profits), and your goal there is not so much traffic but to build a list. I do often do this, using a script called Rapid Action Profits, which deposits proceed from the sale directly into my affiliates Paypal accounts while adding the new subscriber to my list automatically.

However, for generating traffic that is free, fast, and even long-term, I recommend creating lots of content and putting it in the path of the search engines. In fact, I often do this when I’m launching a new product, or even promoting a new affiliate product. Here are the down and dirty steps that I take:

1) Do your keyword research, striving to identify the “buying keywords” that your target customers are using. One easy way to do that is to use the “Google External Keyword Tool” to research which keywords get the most searches. This tool is free to use, and will also suggest related keywords to you.

What you are looking for is evidence that people are searching on a given phrase, and that those people are spending money. The Google External Keyword Tool will tell you this.

You can also enter a keyword phrase that you plan to target into the regular Google search box, and look at how many Google AdWords ads display on the right side of the page. These are people paying for each click from people who search on that term, and then click through to their sites. Presumably, they wouldn’t pay for those clicks unless these customers were spending money.

2) Use your target keywords to craft titles for 20 articles. In addition to the keywords make sure that your title also promises some benefit. The article title is what’s going to get you the most traction in the search engines.

3) Actually write those 20 articles. They can be as short as 400 words. If you have trouble writing, go to several of the bigger article directories and read what others have written on the topic. Also Google the keyword and look at what experts have had to say on the topic. Then write the articles.

If you are still stumped, simply plug your mike into your computer and then talk about the topic. Most of us are certainly good at talking. Record your thoughts then go back and organize them and you have an article (or several articles).

Add a resource box to the article that tells the reader to go to your site for more information, or resources (your product) on the topic. When linking back to your site, use your keyword as the anchor text where permitted.

4) Turn each article into a video. The simplest way to do this is probably to put your main points on PowerPoint slides. Then as you read your article, flip through the slides, and record it using Camtasia screen capture software. As easy as that, you have a movie.

5) Turn each article into a podcast (an MP3). Just read the article and record it using software built right into your computer. You can also download free recording software for tons of places on the internet. One of my favorites is Audacity.

6) Write several press releases using the article titles as your topic. Here you need to get a little creative, but as an example, for this article I would use, “Website Traffic Expert Reveals How To Generate Free website Traffic Fast.”

These press releases are being written for SEO purposes, so the exact wording is not so critical. You are going to share several point in the press release and then you are going to link to one or two websites that you want to call attention to. Your links will use your keywords as the anchor text.

7) Submit these articles, videos, podcasts, and press releases to article directories, video sharing sites, podcast aggregators, and free press release sites. Since I do this for numerous products and projects, I use an automated submission site. Being a very prolific writer, I have weeks when I may do 20-40 articles (while still running my web business).

“Rinse and repeat!” What happens over time is that you’ll soon have so much content in cyberspace that you’ll achieve critical mass. At that point you’ll rank for your most important keywords as well as lots of longtail keywords. At that point, you’ll be amazed at the traffic.

To speed up the process you can also post your articles to an optimized WordPress blog that’s been configured to “ping” RSS aggregators, social networking sites, and bookmarking sites each time that you post. If you don’t know how to do that, it’s beyond the scope of this article, but most webmasters familiar with WordPress can set that up quickly for you. WordPress is very simple, yet very powerful.

There you have it, “How to generate free website traffic fast!” Yes, there is work involved, but when you see the results, you’ll know that it was well worth it.

Article previously published here.

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Willie Crawford has been marketing online for 13 years, and used article marketing most of that time (writing over 1500 articles). His favorite tools for automatically distributing his articles, videos, podcasts, and press releases is the automated submission site: http://EasyPushButtonTraffic.com/

Read more articles written by Willie Crawford

Part of the reason that these sites are so popular is that the Internet can be such a lonely place. People who run online businesses from home-based offices, as I do, sometimes want to just reach out to others who understand their world. So they drop by social networking sites “just to visit.”

Marketers like me look at these sites with millions of users and wonder if they can’t be used for something more than just socializing. We wonder if they can’t have a business application as well.

Social networking purist will scream “NO.” They will insist that you definitely should not sell on these sites. Others teach that you use these sites to build your brand, but lure people off these sites to your marketing site and into your sales funnel.

To those who wonder, “Can’t I market while still being social?” my answer is “yes.” The key is to do it in ways that feel natural (inoffensive) and in places where it’s expected.

Let me give you two quick examples:

1) Many people on sites like Twitter and Facebook are constantly pointing out online videos to their friends. They notice videos on video-sharing sites such as YouTube that are inspirational, touching, or thought provoking, and they want to share them with their friends. They see music videos of their favorite songs, or maybe really sexy videos, and it’s natural to share these with online friends that they know have similar interests.

What most people don’t know is that there are many ways that they can get paid just by pointing out videos to their friends. I personally do this using the system at: http://GetPaidToShareVideos.com This system pay Google AdSense revenue, plus pays you in other ways just for doing something that you already do.

2) Jane Mark and Phil Basten noticed how popular Twitter was becoming, but also that Twitter wasn’t designed for marketing. So they created a site very similar to Twitter, only it’s set up to encourage you to market.

Key differences include that it allows members to add up to five links to their favorite sites, it allows members to add their Clickbank ID and display ads for Clickbank product on which they passively earn commission, and it allows members to earn a commission when free members upgrade to membership levels that make more tools available.

This site is called Sokule (pronounced “so cool”), and it is also set up to make it easier to gather a lot of followers. I have often told my students that they should not think of their Twitter following as a list – because they are not “a list.” However, on Sokule, you can think of them as a list. Sokule is actually configured so that some levels of membership actually allow you to send a direct message to ALL of your followers.

You are only allowed to send a direct message to all of your followers once every three days, but that does make building a following much like building a mailing list on the platform. When you set up your Sokule account, you enter three areas of interest. Those following you can find you by searching the database for others interested in the same topics that they are interested in.

Presumably, those following you are interested in the same topics and would therefore welcome direct messages from you periodically. If not, they can always stop following you, just as they can on Twitter.

You can see how I’ve set up my Sokule profile page at: http://Sokule.com/postit/williec

These are just two quick example of how you can get paid for doing thing that you are already doing on the social networking sites. As you can see though, the key is knowing which sites to use.

It is possible to earn more than many “Internet marketers” earn selling affiliate products, just by “being social.”

Check out the two sites above today, and I’ll share other with you in future articles.

Editor’s Note: This article previously published here.

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Willie Crawford is one of the world’s leading Internet marketing authorities, and an in-demand joint venture broker. Most of his mentoring is done in a group setting on the member-only discussion forum at: http://TheInternetMarkeingInnerCircle.com/ Join that
discussion to experience phenomenal business growth.

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