I just read a blog post on link building through article marketing that was spot-on. The topic of “Article Marketing In A Post Panda World” by Michael Gray takes an unencumbered look at the value of article sites like EZinearticles, Suite 101, Helium, etc. The question remains whether article submission to these locations remains a valuable tool for SEO in gaining backlinks – “link equity”, as he refers to it, since the onset of Google’s content crackdown.
With so much emphasis once again being placed on content, we return to home base where search started. Quality content has always been the cement that is the base for successful optimization, providing relevance and authority for any website. Just as quality merchandise, customer service, access and pricing are key indicators for what makes a ‘brick and mortar’ business successful, the same is true for an online business.
We give our consumer trust – and dollar – to any number of business models that suit what we are looking for. Whether it’s a roll of packing tape, a cherry side table for our living room or the latest iPhone app we’re looking for, each demands a different shopping criteria. So…depending upon what we’re looking for, we might browse any of the following:
- Dollar Store
- Corner Grocery
- Exclusive boutique
- Furniture Store
- University Bookstore
- Big Box store
You get the idea. These are all completely different business models; each has a niche, each has relevance and value in its own area of influence. As Gray says, “Your link building activities should never be dominated by just one tactic.” Bingo.
So…most article marketing sites will continually try to improve their content quality moving forward. That’s a good thing! Remember, the articles you submit to those sites will most likely attract like quality links. Sort of that “birds of a feather flock together” phenom! You don’t have control of who links to you once that article is up, but you can do your best to stack the deck and create opportunities to get a link back from the university bookstore rather than the dollar store. (Unless that’s your target market, of course!)
The lesson here for successful search engine positioning? Same one we’ve been getting since the ‘birth of search’! Submit quality content and earn relevant, discerning links from quality content. Oh, yeah…and be careful where you shop!
