Length Of Successful Articles
PotPieGirl on July 9th, 2008
When using article marketing to promote your niche website as well as generate traffic and build back links to your niche site, how long should your article be? This is a very common question I get in my email, so let’s answer it right here.
When Using Article Marketing (ie, Bum Marketing), How Long Should An Article Be?
Let’s think about natural human behavior - especially natural human behavior online. When folks are searching for information online, they are really ’scanning’ words and looking for answers that ‘pop out’ to them. I do it. Also, those that search for information online are going through a LOT of words and get a bit tired of reading all the fluffy stuff to try and find their solution. Readers are more likely to click the back button than they are to click the url link to your niche site when reading articles.
In order to generate a better click thru rate for your articles, the following needs of an article must be met:
1) A Title That Pops And Gets The Reader to Click It
2) A Short ‘Answer’ To Their Problem
3) A Place To Go To Get MORE Answers To Their Problem
You’ve got to get the reader to look at your article in the first place, to read the whole thing (or at least scan through it, and then get them to click on the link for where you would like them to go next.
Long articles have a much harder time ‘converting’ than short articles do. Think about it - you are searching the internet for a solution. You see a article title in your search results that catches your eye…. you click it. The page you are met with is this huge 750-1000 word article that seems so over-whelming that - you don’t even read it. You might read the first paragraph, but if the reader isn’t unbelievably good at keeping a readers attention, they are gone via the back button.
How Long Are Successful Article Marketing Articles?
On EzineArticles, the required minimum length is 250 words. Yes, ONLY 250 words.
Here is a better thing to think about - EZinearticles allows a max of 300 words in your author resource box (you know, the area of the article they allow self-promotional links? ) This is precious space for someone who is marketing with articles!
Keep your article body length short. Give them a solution, or at least get them thinking about the beginnings of your solution. Then, make your bio/resource box ‘flow’ with the rest of the article.
Don’t use all that “About the author’ stuff or try and market you, or your author pen name - just keep writing and flowing with the topic and get your links in there. Make sure the last thing you type is a strong call to action and get them on their way where you’d like to guide them - and do it quickly and efficiently.
I like to use two links in my author bio area. One is a strong anchor link to my niche site, and the other is a link directly to the Clickbank product I am promoting. If you read a previous post I made here, you also now know how to get affiliate links into your Bum Marketing articles, too.
When you are involved with internet marketing, it is hard to browse the internet like a ‘normal’ internet user. We know too much now =) We can filter out the crap sites from the good ones. We get distracted by how someone monetizes their site or their Wordpress theme. Happens to me all the time. However, sometimes I find I AM searching for info like a ‘normal’ person. These moments catch my attention as I evaluate how *I* behaved.
We are in the process of buying a new car (not NEW new, but new to us). I was searching for information on certain vehicles, etc and was amazed at how I behaved.
When searching for info, I want my question answered quickly. If I was met with too much fluff, I used the back button. If was a short ’semi-answer’, I scanned for where I could get the FULL answers (ie, the links to other pages and other resources).
I wanted instant gratification 
When using articles/ article marketing to promote your niche website, give your readers instant gratification. Keep it short and you will enjoy a better click-thru rate and more sales.
October 29th, 2008 at 10:30 am
hi potpie girl.,
I got interest recently in internet marketing. Please what do i do or the steps to take to get the nitty gritty of the stuffs in it. Actually i stumbled here and i can say the way you explain things is really amazing. I will like you to guide me and be my mentor.
Best regards,
woleola