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Holly's quick 'n' dirty article writing e-course – Part 1.

Welcome to Holly's article writing e-course, part of the quick 'n' dirty e-series.

We are going to look at articles today. Articles are a little more than just content for your site they are a powerful targeted traffic generating tool, and they can foster loyalty. For the earnest Internet home worker using the humble article is a skill you must acquire to some degree. There is software that can generate articles. But they will lack the personal touch. Ultimately you may be able to pay someone else to do it, but do it you must.

The hardest thing with articles is getting started. The best place to start is to think about what you are personally interested in. Articles need to be knowledgeable and accurate and until you get good at research and richer in experience. Your own interests are the best place to start.

Get a basic layout prepared to prompt you and give your article it's basic structure. I have

a simple template to help you get started. The template includes space for a small bio and link to your site.

Free article template

Now with the template in hand it's over to you. A good technique is to jot down some words or phrases about your chosen subject, and then slowly expand on them. Mostly your best inspiration will come when you are not in writing mode staring at an empty template. Keep a notebook handy for those moments, or record your little sparks of imagination on your MP3 player if you have one.

Remember your keywords, get your family or friends to join in it can be a fun game. These are words that are closely associated with what you and your site or blog are about. These words need to appear in your articles, woven into the paragraphs. But, don't over do it. You may have heard of keyword density and if your article is just a list of these words from top to bottom. One: It's not an article. And two: Search engines are smart to this and will downgrade your page rank or just not index you at all.

You don't need to write big long essay style articles 200 – 500 words is a good rule of thumb. People love tips or FAQ's. Another popular format is review articles. Have you bought a movie or gadget recently that you really like? Write a review about it.

When you think your article is finished, proof-read it. Preferably get someone else to do this, they will find more errors than you and can give you honest feedback. Once you are happy with it. Search the web for "article directory", and you will find plenty of places to submit your article for free.

Writing articles is not easy, but with practice you will get more proficient and it's great fun too. If you get really good – and you have granted permission in the footnote. Your article may get picked up and sent out to the e-zine publishers list, getting you some lovely free exposure.

Not long ago I was floundering in the surf of the Internet. But then I discovered the marketing pond http://www.marketingpond.com/ref.cgi/6349/

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter, provided you leave the article fully intact and include the "About The Author" resource box. Thank you.