Every webmaster knows that to gain ranking positions in search engines you need to build links. This usually means hours at a computer submitting your site to directories and emailing other webmasters requesting reciprocal links. There is another way of getting links which often overlooked and complements your current link building strategy, writing articles.

Content is the life blood of the Internet every webmaster needs it and every website needs fresh content to keep Google and the other Search engines coming back regularly. By writing articles you can provide this content and at the same time get yourself permanent back links to your website. This article will attempt to answer some common questions asked by first time article writers.

What should I be writing about?

It is always easier to write about what you know to start with. Once you develop your writing skills then you can move on to subjects you need to research. Always make sure that the topic is related to the site that you are promoting.

How are site owners going to find my articles?

Once you have finished writing your article you add a resource box to it which contains links to your site. You then submit the article to article listing directories where they are placed in categories. Site owners can then copy them from the directories and use them. They must however keep your links intact

Will Webmasters just delete the links?

Yes this does happen but not as often as you think. It is very easy to track these webmasters down. Use a tool like Google alerts which checks the Internet for relevant key phrases. It is very useful if you add a unique key phrase to your articles that you can enter into the search tool. You can also search for your name to ensure that all the links are live.

What length should the articles be?

Usually anywhere between 350 words and 500 words is ideal. If you find yourself writing longer article split them up into 2 or 3 separate articles

How many sites should I submit to?

That is a matter of personal choice some people believe that you should submit them to as many as possible, personally I only submit to 2 or 3 sites with a Google PR of 3 and above. My personal belief is that this keeps the articles unique enough to benefit any webmasters who use the articles.

Should I write lots of articles?

The more you can write and distribute the better. It all depends on how comfortable you are with writing. This is my second article today while my wife has written 10. Set yourself a target to start with. For example try to write 1 article before your first coffee.