What Posting Articles Online did for my Google Page Rank in90 Days

Article Marketing Builds Momentum and Traffic
When I started submitting articles to ezines and directories
I was happy just to get an occasional article written and
widely posted online. I assumed that was the point. But I've
since learned about equally important considerations--like
the Page Rank of the site where it appears.

Each article was written to inform and appeal to the human
readers. Search engines were incidental in my mind. I wasn't
systematic about submitting new ones on a regular basis so
they built momentum. Nor was I careful to emphasize my
website's keywords and principal theme. But I do now--it
matters. Despite that, the articles already posted have been
hard at work for me.

My list of places for submitting keeps expanding. And it's
further refined with every article posted. After a year and
a half, that's a large list (nearly a thousand). And I'm a
known quantity with sites and ezines that consistently post
my contributions. My best-received article to date shows 181
Google mentions (with their related incoming links).

Starting from Zero Online Visibility
I launched a new website mid-June, 2004, using article
marketing as the primary traffic-building strategy (Yellow
Page Sage, getting your Yellow Page ad and website working
together). The first article was a strong one, getting 135
Google cites.

Over the next three months I wrote and posted seven articles
related to Yellow Pages or Local Search. The website also
provided extensive information about Yellow Page advertising
by other authors--making it very sticky and content-rich.

Creating an Article 12-pack
After they were submitted to my list, I combined those seven
articles with five of my prior marketing articles - twelve
in all (with a link to each article). Instead of offering
them as onesees, I now send the whole batch (letting the
receiver pick what they want).

I prepared a letter offering the 12-pack, asking if they want
to receive similar future ones. That letter is only sent to
websites I've visited. I'd never offer it to a site unless
there's a good fit. Sending out the 12-pack is an ongoing
activity, and another way to expand my list. Some websites
have posted the whole set - twelve return links from one
letter!

Surprise! Google Noticed me!
Since I was busy getting the site polished and launched, it
caught me by surprise that in two months my Google Page Rank
was 3/10 (the first time I checked). And the following month
it had climbed to PR 4/10 - without doing anything but post
seven articles. I didn't yet realize it was getting extra
mileage because of the strength of my list. So moving to PR
5/10 can't be too far off, can it?

Then I started paying serious attention to Page Rank--the
posting site's AND mine. Page Rank shows the extra
importance that Google gives to the number and popularity of
websites linking to yours. Links from higher Page Rank pages
elevate your Page Rank.

Two Things I didn't Know When I Started Posting Articles
First - I posted my articles to get website traffic and
incoming links (via the Sig at the end of each article). I
treated every article appearance as equivalent. But Google
doesn't. All those articles appearing in high-Page-Rank
directories were giving an extra boost to my score.

So I've re-assessed my list. Websites with higher Page Rank
are now my "A List." Articles that they publish are doing my
Page Rank way more good than other places. Of course, I
still need to post widely and pursue both types of links.

Second - I didn't realize that the "Page Rank of a website"
doesn't exist. Every page on a site has its own Page Rank.
(Although there are ways to make every page on the website
share the same Page Rank, it's not widely done.) So a home
page with PR 7/10 that links to mine from a PR 3/10 interior
page only provides a PR 3/10 link. That awareness influences
who and how I link with other websites anymore. And it
dictates the way I organize external links on my own
websites.

Get a Free a Page Rank Tool
To assess other sites, you need a Page Rank tool. You can
compare multiple sites at
http://www.phplivesupport.com/google_pagerank.php

Lilengine.com provides a free Page Rank Tool. Use theirs, or
you can post it on your own website.
http://www.lilengine.com/tools/pagerank-tool.php

Articles Give your Ideas a High Profile all Over the
Internet
The benefits of article marketing are well documented. And
if it can build your Page Rank as well, it's even a better
use of your time. Start writing and posting articles that
show your expertise. And start getting the traffic and
attention you'd been wishing for.

About the Author

--Dr. Lynella Grant http://www.promotewitharticles.com Use posted articles to build your business Expert in the "body language of printed materials" Author, The Business Card Book and Yellow Page Smarts grant@promotewitharticles.com (719) 395-9450