| Recently I wrote an article discussing the merits | | | | displays, they get the information they want, and |
| of using free reprint articles on your website to | | | | they'll be pleased. And assuming your navigation is |
| increase your search engine ranking. (The article | | | | clear and easy to use, it is likely they'll at least |
| explained how Google loves lots of content on | | | | visit your home page. |
| your site, how it loves that content to be | | | | And finally, yes, if other sites have published the |
| regularly updated, and how you can get lots of | | | | same article, they may display in the results |
| keyword rich content for your site, absolutely | | | | alongside you. The same is true of the original |
| free.) | | | | author's website. But it's important to remember |
| A few days after publishing, I received a 'please | | | | that, generally, the site with the highest PR will |
| help' email from Loren, a small business owner. | | | | rank highest in the results, and it's this site that |
| Her website is all about glass art, and she wanted | | | | most users will visit. You just need to work hard |
| some clarification on some of the points I made in | | | | to make sure that's you! For an example of how |
| my previous article. Loren's questions were good | | | | this works, do a search for a very specific term |
| ones, and the answers important, so I thought I'd | | | | related to the article of mine which you've |
| publish them. | | | | obviously read. Search Google worldwide for |
| Q: We have a site for glass art. From your article, | | | | "Google's love affair with content" (including the |
| I gather that if I create an articles page with free | | | | quotes). You'll notice that the no.1 result is actually |
| reprint articles (written by other people) containing | | | | a page on which contains my article. The page on |
| 'glass art' type keywords, I'll get higher search | | | | my site (DivineWrite.com) containing the article |
| rankings for those keywords? Is that correct? If | | | | only ranks no.2. This is because has a higher PR |
| so, what page comes up in the rankings? The | | | | than DivineWrite.com, and overall, the keywords |
| article itself or my Home page? Also, if the article | | | | are considered more relevant to the rest of the |
| is being used by other webmasters, won't the | | | | content on their site than they are to mine. |
| search results also include their version of the | | | | Obviously, this means that a good article can |
| article? | | | | display several times in the same search results, |
| A: In answer to your first question, yes, having an | | | | but that's ok - it simply adds to the perceived |
| articles page with keyword rich free reprint | | | | authority of the article and the sites containing it. |
| articles generally has the effect of increasing your | | | | * Above I say that the page that displays in the |
| ranking. Google thinks highly of sites with a lot of | | | | results will be the one with the most links to it. |
| helpful content, but it all comes down to whether | | | | There are some complicating factors here. For |
| other webmasters do as well. If your site contains | | | | instance, the text in a link plays a big part in how |
| heaps of helpful content about glass art, other | | | | effective that link is. A link to your site that says |
| webmasters in the glass art field (be they | | | | "Click here" or "check this site out", won't do you |
| suppliers, distributors, or competitors) will be | | | | as much good as a link which says "Glass Art |
| inclined to link to you simply because that link | | | | sales" or "glass art creator". So if lots of people |
| implies (to their customers) an association with | | | | are linking to the page containing the article, but |
| you. That association boosts their credibility | | | | the text in their links is generic, then that page |
| because you're obviously an authority in the field. | | | | may not rank as highly as a page with fewer - |
| It also may help their own search engine ranking a | | | | more keyword rich - links pointing to it. Of course, |
| little as Google will then see them as part of an | | | | this assumes that both pages are equally well |
| expert, credible community of sites (although the | | | | optimized for search engines and for the same |
| benefits of this for the linking site are minimal and | | | | keyword phrases. |
| arguable). So, in a roundabout way, I'm saying | | | | I know that the above is a very specific question |
| that yes, article-based content can help your | | | | and the answer is full of ifs and buts, but |
| ranking, but only if it increases the likelihood that | | | | hopefully this exchange will answer a few |
| other related sites will link to yours. | | | | questions for a few people. |
| As to the question of which page (the article itself | | | | Happy reprinting! |
| or your home page) displays in search results, | | | | * Glenn Murray is an SEO copywriter, advertising |
| that really depends on which page has the most | | | | copywriter, and Article Submission Specialist. He is |
| links to it*. If you have an article which is just | | | | a director of article submission alternative, |
| THE BEST source of info in the industry, and | | | | ArticlePR, and also of copywriting studio Divine |
| everyone's linking to it, that page will display in the | | | | Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 |
| search results. This is good because people who | | | | 4334 6222 or at Visit or for further details, more |
| click on this result are interested specifically in the | | | | FREE articles, or to download his free SEO |
| content of the article. So when your website | | | | e-book, SEO Secrets. |