Importance of Choosing the Right Online Article Syndication Sites
Engaging in a link building strategy is one of the most important things you can do to increase your Web site’s visibility. Link popularity, the measure of the quantity and quality of incoming links to a Web site, has significant impact on how search engines find, value, and rank Web pages. Therefore, it is critical to have a significant number of incoming links from quality sites.
There are a variety of tactics you can use to increase the number of quality of links pointing to your site. One of the most popular is article syndication.
What is Article Syndication?
Article syndication is the process of writing articles, then submitting them to online syndication services. Syndication sites then distribute the content through a variety of methods, most commonly RSS (real simple syndication) feeds.
If your article has been optimized and written effectively, online distribution creates a network of links back to your Web site, thus increasing your link popularity and search engine ranking performance.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Unfortunately, article marketing is not a quick fix for poor link popularity. If not implemented properly, it can result in low quality links and duplicate content issues. Another common problem encountered with optimized article syndication (if not executed correctly) is its negative association with SEO. If it’s too obvious that you are submitting articles just for the link value, your articles will be viewed as SPAM and will not spread virally, therefore defeating the purpose of this activity.
One of the most common article syndication mistakes is choosing ineffective syndication sites – those that do not pass link value to your Web site, or worse, flag you as being associated with a “questionable” site.
Distributing articles to directories still works, provided that other non-article directory sites reprint them. So before you begin syndicating your articles, be sure you understand the process and how to select the best distribution sites.
Choosing the Best Article Syndication Sites
There’s definitely no shortage of article syndication sites. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, so it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. At Brulant, we’re continually testing and measuring the results of these syndication sites, so we know which ones work – and which ones don’t – so you can always ask us for direction.
Helpful criteria for evaluating an article syndication site:
§ Popularity and reputation, including link popularity and number of pages indexed
§ Spiderability
§ Ability to create hyperlinks and pass link value
§ Quality of content
§ Strength of distribution network
Other Article Syndication Tips
Of course, choosing the best syndication sites doesn’t guarantee success. To get the most mileage from your article syndication efforts, producing quality content is key. Ask yourself:
§ Does my content add value for the consumer?
§ Am I providing new, original information – or am I recycling information that can be easily found somewhere else?
§ Is my article professional and well-written?
§ Have I properly chosen and included hyperlinks with optimized anchor text?
§ Is my content optimized for the search engines?
§ How will I measure the results?
§ How will I define success?
Additional Benefits of Article Syndication
If article syndication doesn’t seem worth the effort, think again. In addition to increasing your overall online visibility, link popularity, and rankings within search engine results, online article syndication can:
§ Expand market share
§ Create brand awareness
§ Generate buzz among target audiences
§ Increase incremental traffic to the site
§ Establish expertise and authority in an industry or market
In addition to syndication, there are other article-related tactics that can improve your link building strategy. The content specialists and link building team at Brulant work closely together to identify and develop the most effective plan for each client.
For more information about integrating link building or article syndication into your online marketing efforts, please contact us.
