What is an article directory?

Writing articles for an article directory is search engine optimization and search engine marketing combined. Having your articles published via an article directory brings you backlinks and brings an already-interested audience to your site.

An Article directory is a website that accept articles on various topics for publication at their site and often for distribution at other sites. They are a big step up from once-popular link directories as they include content and not just links. Articles at directory sites are organized by category and include an author box, where authors can include one or more links, depending on the directory. They do not pay for content, but they do typically check for some level of quality.

While previously published articles are usually acceptable as long as the submitter has the rights to republish them, copying other people’s content is not. A search may be done to make sure that the article hasn’t been previously published with a different author’s name.

Advantages of writing for an Article Directory-
The links that can be included in author boxes are good for search engine optimization.
You can optimize the articles for your target keywords so that people can get to your sites via the articles and the links in the author boxes as well as by going directly to your site.
At the majority of article directories, you can choose your anchor text and include relevant keywords for the links in your author box.
The articles can create interest in the topic and drive a more targeted audience to the sites in the author box links.
You can use the articles to describe the benefits of your products and services without specifically mentioning them except in your links.
If you write a lot of articles that people find useful, you can become known as an expert in your field or niche.
Articles can be rewritten to be new articles and published at numerous article directory sites, resulting in more content, more backlinks, and more exposure.
When you submit articles to article directories regularly, you have regular new backlinks to your sites.
How to write articles for article directories

Write about what you know, and make sure that your article is factual and useful. To make it useful, follow these tips:

Keep in mind that the purpose of the article is to help readers, not to directly sell your products or services. Save mentions of your company, services, or products for your author box.
Include specifics about the article topic in the title. Your title needs to draw readers in or they won’t read your article. Starting with “How to” or asking a question that the article answers are useful techniques for article titles.
Provide commonly sought information about what you’re writing about. For example, if you’re a web hosting provider, write about how to choose a web host, or the difference between a VPS and dedicated hosting.
Include relevant keywords in the title and near the beginning of the article for both readers and search engines.
For readability, use section headings, short paragraphs, and bulleted lists where suitable.
How to submit articles to article directories

You can submit articles to an Article directory manually or by using article submission software. Either way, target article directories where your content would be relevant, and keep in mind that some article directories have no-follow links, meaning that you won’t get any SEO advantage from the backlinks at these sites. The other advantages of publishing articles in article directories will still be there, of course.

To find article directory to submit your articles, visit the website: http://smartbananas.com/