How to Create Web Traffic at Zero Cost Using Articles

There are numerous ways you can get traffic to your website, some relatively expensive such as PPC (Pay Per Click), but perhaps one of THE best ways to generate traffic is with article marketing - and it will cost you nothing except a little of your time.

It's not difficult to write an article if you have a reasonable grasp of grammar (you don't even need to be good at spelling provided you run a spell check before you submit your articles). Compose your articles (a minimum of 500 words is best, and you won't want to make them too long - say up to 1000 words) on a topic closely related to your website's niche. For best results you'll need a title for your article that grabs attention, and include relevant keywords in the article text.

There are some rules you'll need to follow to get your articles accepted:

• Some directories will not accept them if you have hyperlinks within the article text, or if you directly link to affiliate programs. Make sure that you check the submission guidelines for each directory before submission to establish what is (and isn't) permitted.

• All the articles you submit should be your own original work - do not attempt to simply copy and paste other writer's work, apart from any copyright issues you'll almost certainly have your article rejected and may even have your account terminated.

The topic you write about can be just about anything you like provided it isn't likely to be offensive to readers. Just write on a subject that is likely to be of interest to your target market. You could, for example, write a review of an affiliate program.

Check out the most popular articles in your field on the directories to get a feel for what subjects others are writing about. This will give you an idea of what is 'hot' at any point in time, and you can compare writing styles etc..

Do not make the mistake of trying to sell in your article - this is not your purpose with article marketing. Rather, what you are seeking to do is enlighten readers and in so doing enhance your credibility. If you're writing a review make it honest and point out any downsides as well as the positives. Ensure that you have a good understanding of your topic so that you come across as something of an authority figure.

Let's examine the benefits of writing articles and submitting them to the free article directories:

Taking all these benefits into account, you can see why article marketing has to be one of THE best ways of promoting your online business – and costs you nothing apart from a little of your time. In fact, it’s quite possible to dramatically increase traffic to your site using article marketing alone.