Monday, 3 August 2009

Top 25 Article Directories and Free Content Sites Ranked by Alexa and PageRank

Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, Editor-in-Chief Web Marketing Today Rocklin, CA - May 8, 2007
If you're trying to publish a regular e-mail newsletter for your customers, good news! There's a wealth of content out there that you can use for free -- poor, average, good, and occasionally excellent. Why is this content offered free of charge? Two reasons:

1. Article directories can earn revenue from Google ads placed on their site as part of the Google AdSense program (www.google.com/adsense). This has stimulated the growth of thousands of look-alike article sites that receive very little traffic. Others are niche sites that carry articles in particular vertical categories.
2. Websites can be promoted effectively through articles. A link to the author's website contained in each free article serves to: (a) bring targeted traffic through a well-designed, intriguing "signature" or author bio at the bottom of the article and (b) raise Google PageRank by creating more incoming links to a website. These links point to the author's website from the article's presence both on the article sites and on the websites that use the free articles.

If you're a marketer, I can hear your brain beginning to compute wildly:

1000 article sites X 1 link to my site X 15 articles submitted = 15,000 links to my site

Moreover, article submission tools make article spamming extremely easy. Hold on, it's not that simple. Submitting your article to hundreds or thousands of article sites can actually hurt you, since Google spiders are finely tuned to spot spam in its many flavors. You're much better off to submit your article to five of your favorite article sites and a couple of niche sites, and resist the temptation to blast your article to every pathetic article site on the planet.
How to Promote Your Site through Article Marketing, by Ralph F. Wilson
For more information on article marketing, see my book How to Promote Your Site through
Article Marketing.

To help you see which sites you might consider submitting to, I've listed below the top 25 article directory sites by their Google PageRank (10 being high) and Alexa traffic rank (1 being high). A disclaimer: The Alexa rankings are flawed and seem volatile, but give a relative measure of traffic to a site. Google PageRank (PR) is notoriously inaccurate, but can be seen as an indicator of Google's relative trust in a site -- sort of. The list is not exhaustive and includes both general article directories and some popular niche directories with an Alexa rank of under 50,000. Sites are listed in ascending Alexa rank order, with the PR 6+ sites boldfaced for your convenience.

Rankings as of 05-May-2007


Google
PageRank


Alexa
Rank

EzineArticles.com


6


499

GoArticles.com


4


3,592

ArticleDashboard.com


6


5,255

SearchWarp.com


5


6,032

ArticlesBase.com


4


8,735

iSnare.com *


6


8,791

SelfGrowth.com


6


9,653

Buzzle.com


6


9,698

ArticleCity.com


6


11,526

IdeaMarketers.com


4


13,121

ArticleAlley.com


5


14,259

Web-Source.net


5


15,375

SelfSEO.com


5


15,945

Amazines.com


5


17,509

ArticleTrader.com


5


17,633

SearchGuild.com


6


20,008

WebWorldIndex.com


5


22,233

ArticleSphere.com


4


24,462

BusinessKnowHow.com


6


28,036

PromotionWorld.com


6


29,707

ArticlesFactory.com


7


30,664

ExcellentGuide.com/article


6


33,740

ContentDesk.com


4


33,894

ArticleCube.com


5


36,322
AfroArticles.com

4
42,283

ArticleBiz.com


6


49,044
* Site is also is in the article submission business.

For more information on article marketing, see my book How to Promote Your Site through Article Marketing.

Dr. Ralph F. Wilson is one of the pioneers of Internet marketing, founding the Web Marketing Today newsletter in 1995 at the beginning of the commercial Internet. In addition to developing scores of websites and online stores and consulting with many companies large and small, he is the author of hundreds of articles and more than a dozen books on Internet marketing and e-commerce.
Link to: Top 25 Article Directories and Free Content Sites Ranked by Alexa and PageRank
http://www.wilsonweb.com/linking/wilson-article-marketing-1.htm

Top 21: The Best Top 21: The Best Article Directory List

by Jack Humphrey on May 23

Article directories are a dime a dozen. If you are going to do it the hard way, meaning you’d rather submit one at a time and not use the best article syndication service I have ever used, then focus on submitting your articles to the top 21 article directories below.

You won’t benefit from the long tail effect of submitting to the other article directories available, but you will at least hit the big ones with the highest Alexa and Google rankings.

1. EzineArticles

2. GoArticles

3. WebProNews

4. ArticleDashboard

5. SearchWarp

6. PubsACS

7. ArticleBase

8. Isnare

9. Buzzle

10. ArticleCity

11. IdeaMarketers

12. Site Reference

13. Article Alley

14. Web Source

15. Amazines

16. Submit Your Article

17. TheWhir

18. Excellent Guide

19. Directory Gold

20. Articles Factory

21. SelfGrowth

Need more article directory information?

Here’s a big list of article directories.

Also check out my post on getting the most out of article syndication.

Top 4 Article Directories to Submit Your Content To

Back in 2007 I wrote a post about article submission being a poor SEO tactic. Since then the article has had about 5,000 visitors that mainly came from Google and it’s still getting good traffic now. Because it has been so popular I just gave it a bit of an update and added information about how to submit to article directories and which ones to use.

Over the years I have been screwed over in various ways by a few directories such as Article Alley, Articles Base and Isnare, the 1st two added nofollow to my author signature links and Isnare took a payment from me for a featured submission and then never published it or got back to me when I emailed.

Anyway, fortunately there are a handful of decent general article directories that you can rely on, here are my top 4:

Ezine Articles Logo1/ Ezine Articles is the best article directory on the web, it has good standards, a PageRank 6/10 and currently, according to Alexa it’s the 185th most popular site on the web. The site is very easy to use, just click onto submit articles and follow instructions to get started.

Buzzle Logo2/ My 2nd favourite article directory is Buzzle, I have been an author there for over a year now, my articles are usually published within 24 hours and indexed by Google in no time. The site has a PageRank score of 5/10 and it’s Alexa rank is in the top 2,000. You have to apply to get accepted as an author at Buzzle and it can take a few weeks, but IMO it’s worth the wait.

Go Articles Logo 3/ Another great article site is Go Articles, it’s ran by the Jayde Online Network, it has a Google PageRank of 6/10 and its Alexa score is inside the top 3,500. Submitting is a piece of cake, click on submit articles and then fill in the register as a new member form to get started. Articles are published fast, usually in less then a week.

Article Dashboard Logo4/ Article Dashboard is a mother of an article directory with, according to siteexplorer nearly 4,000,000 links that have come from other article directories using their script. The site has a Google PageRank score of 4/10 and its Alexa traffic rank is about 5,000. Click on the sign up link in the top right hand corner, follow instructions and start submitting your content.

Make sure you read our article submission blog post before you start using these sites, if done correctly and in moderation article submission can be a good small part of your link building and SEO strategy.

FYI: I think the UK needs a really good article directory so I have just registered OriginalArticles.co.uk and I plan to launch that in the next month or so.

Posted in Link Building News By David Eaves a UK search engine optimisation specialist.

Friday, 31 July 2009

Top Tips for getting the best results from your AdSense Ads

By Michael Andrew

The revenue that you earn from Google AdSense program is totally dependent on you and your abilities. Here are some tips that you can use to get the best results from your AdSense Ads:


Use channels: Channels help you in conducting a better analysis of the performance of your AdSense Ads. You can use custom channels to check what web pages are making more revenue and which ones are not doing so well. In fact, custom channels can be used for conducting analysis on multiple aspects at the same time. You can use this analysis for making amendments to your AdSense Ads or website content in order to get better results.

Ad customization and positioning: Shape, Size and color are the three properties of your AdSense Ads that you can easily control and customize in a way that the Ads don’t look out of place when served on your website. You can either make your Ads stand-out from the rest of the content on your webpage or you can make them blend with the overall webpage. Moreover, you can identify the hot spots on your website and position your Ads accordingly. Ad customization and Ad positioning are, in fact, the best ways to attract more clicks to your AdSense Ads.

Content quality: ‘The best generally overcomes the rest’ – is a very true saying. If you host quality content on your website and provide regular updates to your visitors, you can expect more traffic to your website. This will in turn lead to more ad impressions and possibly more clicks.

Use AdSense Ads on all pages: If you have multiple web pages on your website, you should include AdSense Ads on all of them. Since the visitors can enter your website through a number of different pages, having AdSense Ads on all the pages will surely increase your earnings.

Use multiple ad units: Google allows you to use up to 3 ad units and one link unit per web page. Since your revenue earnings are dependent on ad clicks and ad impressions, a higher number of ad units can potentially increase your AdSense earnings. However, do not go with the maximum allowed ad units if you don’t have enough content on your web page; this might offend the website visitors.

Use wider Ad format: Though Ad formats yield different results for different websites, the wider Ad formats (like rectangles) are generally known to be more effective than their narrower counterparts (there is a scientific explanation for this, but we can leave that out since we are more concerned with the results).

Limit the filters: Filters are useful for blocking the Ads that you don’t want displayed on your website e.g. Ads of competitors. However, too many filters can seriously limit your revenue earning potential from AdSense Ads. So, limit the use of filters to minimum.

Sunday, 26 July 2009

14 Websites that Pay People to Write

How to Make Money and Build Residual Income Writing on the Web

Read more: http://home-based-businesses.suite101.com/article.cfm/14_websites_that_pay_people_to_write#ixzz0MP39WST2
Writers and bloggers may be pleased to know they can make money writing content on the web. This article reviews 14 of these sites and their merits.

Given today's environment of layoffs and millions of jobs lost, employment is becoming scarce. However, there's a new way to make money and it's becoming more popular every day.

The concept is simple: a content website shares collective revenue from advertising it places throughout its site with its members. Each individual page of a members' content also generates revenue through advertising and/or page views. In short, it's called revenue sharing.

Generally speaking, to make money on any given revenue sharing website takes a lot of time, patience, and knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO). The idea is to keep writing content in order to make money through residual income.

eHow
eHow is a fun paid content website based on writing step-by-step "how-to" instructions. The people who succeed on eHow write lots of practical, hands-on articles for everyday tasks. eHow also has a built-in social networking feature where you can make both friends and money at the same time.

Helium
Helium is the only site on the web that pairs freelance writers with real-world publishers looking to pay between $20-$200 for quality content. Helium also features numerous titles to write to.

Bukisa
Like eHow and Helium, Bukisa offers members the opportunity to make money on each article submitted on the site. Additionally, Bukisa offers even more money by signing others up on the site.

Associated Content
Associated Content focuses on original, unique, quality content with a bent toward up-to-the-minute news stories. While any content can be submitted, editors can be selective and will not always post a writer's article. Members make $1.50 per thousand page views and can also make additional money through upfront payments.

Suite101
Suite101 is a decidedly professional paid content website. In order to apply as a contributor to the site, the writer must send Suite101 a resume summary and two writing samples. If the freelance writer is accepted, he or she will work closely with editors and will learn everything there is to know about SEO.

About.com
About.com Guides write authoritative articles in their areas of expertise. To become an About.com guide, the person must apply online. The website guarantees a minimum of $725 per month for all new About.com guides, plus revenue sharing based on the number of page views generated by the writer's content pages.

Xomba
A rather zany paid content website with a decidedly fun, casual style.

HubPages
HubPages members make money by creating topical web pages called "Hubs." The site pays each member a share of revenue generated from ad impressions.

PayPerPost
Simply put, PayPerPost pays members to blog.

Triond
A unique paid content website that posts members' articles to Triond affiliate websites.

Squidoo
A really fun, some say addicting, way to make money writing topical web pages called "lenses."

Flixya
While Flixya is really a paid video sharing website, members can also make money blogging.

ZestBit
ZestBit members make money by writing blog-style content on individual web pages called "twists."

HowHub
Likely competitor to eHow, HowHub focuses on paying members to write "how-to" content.

Making a significant amount of money on these websites takes time, patience, and persistence. But over time, collective revenue generated from each article builds enough to produce a residual stream of income.

See related article: 6 Websites that Pay People to Watch Video


The copyright of the article 14 Websites that Pay People to Write in Home-based Businesses is owned by Daniel Gansle. Permission to republish 14 Websites that Pay People to Write in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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Top 4 Websites that Pay People to Write

Get Paid for Writing on Four Professional Revenue-Sharing Sites

Read more: http://home-based-businesses.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_4_websites_that_pay_people_to_write#ixzz0MP1jBOYG

These top four paid content revenue-sharing websites have been hand-picked for professionalism and higher monetization.

In this difficult economy where layoffs and unemployment are the rule rather than the exception, is it possible to make money by writing short articles on the web? The answer is yes, and here’s how.

A growing number of paid content revenue-sharing websites make it easy for people to make money simply by writing articles of varying length. Articles can be on any topic imaginable from news to politics, technology, opinion, and everything in between.

These websites share advertising revenue with members. Over time, the writer’s articles produce a stream of residual income when people searching the web click on advertising on the writer’s article pages, view article pages, or a combination of both.

Four paid content revenue-sharing websites in particular stand out as a cut above the rest in terms of professionalism and uniqueness: Helium, Suite101, eHow, and Associated Content.

Helium: Professional Freelancing, Revenue Sharing, and Much More
Helium is the only paid content website that pairs writers with real-world publishers looking to pay anywhere between $20-$200 for well-written pieces of varying lengths. In addition to generating residual income on each article produced, writers also enjoy up-front payments and income from weekly contests.
Suite101: It’s All about the SEO
Members writing articles for Suite101 will learn a great deal about search engine optimization (SEO) by working one on one with editors who provide guidance. To be accepted as a contributor to the website, the writer must send Suite101 a resume summary and two writing samples.

eHow: Practical Everyday How-to Instructional Articles
eHow is a highly unique paid content revenue-sharing website where writers create practical “how-to” articles. The site has a built-in social networking component to it as well, where writers can share articles and discuss how to write quality content that will attract search engines and make money.

eHow members must keep in mind the original intent of the site: to write practical how-to instructions on everyday tasks such as, “how to paint a house” or “how to plant a tree.”

Associated Content: A Range of Money-Making Options
Associated Content has positioned itself as a paid content revenue-sharing website that puts a lot of effort into quality control and original content. The site’s tilt is toward well-written news pieces that are completely original, such as local and community news. However, content producers can write on a range of other topics as long as the content is original.

All submitted articles are reviewed by site editors and are removed if the article does not meet their quality standards. Content producers can make money through upfront payments as well as residual income on each of their articles. Writers can also assign rights to each article.

Associated Content is unique in the sense that the site allows people to make money by creating a range of content including slideshows, video, and audio.

Helium, Suite101, eHow, and Associated Content are all professional paid content revenue-sharing websites where writers can make money while gaining name recognition in the marketplace.


See related articles, "14 Websites That Pay People to Write," "4 Websites That Offer Work at Home Virtual Jobs," and "How to Work at Home."


The copyright of the article Top 4 Websites that Pay People to Write in Home-based Businesses is owned by Daniel Gansle. Permission to republish Top 4 Websites that Pay People to Write in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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How to Make Money Writing for About.com

Website Guarantees Writers $675 Per Month Minimum
Online help information portal About.com hires freelance writers with expertise in a variety of fields and guarantees them a minimum of $675 monthly. Here's how.

They say that during any recessionary period, companies are still hiring for certain positions. Though layoffs persist, people still see movies, go out to eat, and visit healthcare specialists.

One company that continues to hire freelance writers is About.com. About.com bills itself as the web’s premiere portal for help information. Topics range from city guides to entertainment to sports, travel, dining, parenting, and national parks.

It may come as a surprise to some that About.com doesn’t staff its own writers. Rather, it hires freelance writers called Guides to add content to the site in a given area of expertise. Here’s how freelance writers who are interested in becoming an About.com Guide can get started.

What it Takes to Become an About.com Guide
To become a guide for About.com, the writer must primarily have expertise in his or her field of interest. This could be topics such as bowling, a U.S. city, technology, sports, or any other of the hundreds of topics available on About.com.

The process is very professional, often requiring clips or work samples of the applicant’s prior publications in newspapers, magazines, journals, or online. Some topics for About.com Guides require the person to be a journalist or professional writer.



Read more: http://choosing-careers.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_money_writing_for_aboutcom#ixzz0MP0qQEWu
If the person is selected by editors to become an About.com Guide, the writer must go through About.com’s one-month training program.

Compensation for Freelance Writing on About.com
About.com guarantees new Guides a minimum of $675 per month base pay for the first two years, then guarantees $500 per month thereafter. Additionally, About.com pays Guides according to page view growth with payment incentives.

With base pay plus page view incentives, About.com Guides in their first two years average $1,000 per month. Overall average Guide compensation is around $2,000 per month, with some experienced Guides earning upwards of $100,000 per year.

To be compensated, About.com Guides must write a minimum of four articles per month with gaps no greater than 14 days in between. Also, they must write into their blog one to three times per week.

How to Apply to Become an About.com Guide
Freelance writers interested in applying to become an About.com Guide should point their web browser to the About.com Be a Guide page. This page can also be displayed by clicking Be a Guide in the bottom right-hand corner of About.com’s home page.

On the left-hand side of the About.com Be a Guide page, click Apply Now. The list of available topics to apply for is displayed on the left, with the topic description on the right. Read the qualifications, intended audience, and topics to cover.

If the topic fits into the writer’s area of expertise, click Next to go through a series of informational screens until a form displays. Fill out the form and submit.

If the applicant doesn’t hear back from About.com regarding the status of his or her application, the applicant can check application status on the About.com Check the Status of Your Application(s) page.

Becoming a Guide on About.com is a part-time professional freelance writing opportunity. But if the person is an expert in his or her topic and is willing to put forth time and effort in heavy research and writing, it could easily turn into a full-time writing gig that pays well.

See related articles, "Top 4 Websites That Pay People to Write," "4 Websites That Offer Work at Home Virutal Jobs," and "14 Websites That Pay People to Write."


The copyright of the article How to Make Money Writing for About.com in Choosing Careers is owned by Daniel Gansle. Permission to republish How to Make Money Writing for About.com in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


Read more: http://choosing-careers.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_money_writing_for_aboutcom#ixzz0MP0vUFQF