How to Find Inspiration and Make Your Article Stand Out From the Crowd

If there's one thing every online business needs to do to be successful, it's this: provide lots of good quality content. So it's no wonder that web owners everywhere are clamoring for good content to put on their websites.nnAnd if YOU can provide that content for other sites in your industry -- for free! -- you'll get more than good search marketing karma. Giving away free content will also...n

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• Build your credibilityn
• Establish your online reputationn
• Drive a steady stream of eager customers to your siten
• Generate inbound links from websites relevant to your industry n

n... all of which will help your site speed to the top of the search engines.nnIn fact, generating lots of good quality content (and giving it away) is a key part of the process I use to help my clients routinely achieve top rankings very quickly!nnHere's one of the most effective ways to get started:nnWrite short 400-600 word articles on topics related to your industry, and add an "About the Author" blurb at the end with a link back to your website. Then post your article on content syndication sites like www.ezinearticles.com and www.freesticky.com. Many content syndication sites provide articles to thousands of other sites, so submitting a few articles is well worth your time!nnThat's it! You've got "linkbait"!nnBut there's a hitch.nnIf you're like a lot of people, writing an article is like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Figuring out what to write about is one of the biggest stumbling blocks people face.nnHiring a professional writer can overcome that hurdle for people who absolutely can't stand the thought or spare the time.nnBut if you're stuck for ideas and you still want to do it yourself, here are some tips from a professional writer on how to get your creative juices flowing.n

nHow to Find Inspiration and Make YOUR Article Stand Out from the CrowdnnFresh content! It's the mantra of the search marketer.nnBut that doesn't make it any easier to actually sit down and write an article, does it?nnWell there's no need to sweat it… because I'm going to share with you right now some foolproof tricks that professional writers use to get ideas for what to write.nnThere are two things you face when you're looking at that blank screen, waiting for inspiration to hit you:nn• What the heck you're going to write about; andnn• How do you make the post interesting so people will want to read it.nnIt's easier than you think! Jumpstart your creativity by coming up with an “angle.” Find something current that people are already thinking about, and then link your subject to it.nnTo start with, there are seasonal topics you know will come around each year, like spring, Halloween, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter, Valentine's Day, and so on.nnThen there are seasonal events such as the Oscars, the Olympics, The World Cup, The Superbowl, Fashion Week, The Grammys, “American Idol”… you name it, there's always something going on.nnAdd to this big news events, like the US presidential elections, and technology updates -- release of the iPhone or a new gaming console -- and suddenly you have a lot of topics you know people are curious about.nnAnd have you also thought about movies?nnRun a search for “upcoming movies” and make a list of what's already causing a buzz. Top previews I found include: The X Files 2; Indiana Jones 4; The Incredible Hulk; X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Batman: The Dark Knight; Star Wars: The Clone Wars; and The Mummy 3…nnRight there you have a list of some of the hottest topics on the Internet at the moment!nnNow the point of this is not to snag people searching for those topics.nnYou want to appeal to the people who are searching for information on YOUR topic and get them intrigued enough to actually read your article and post it on their website. And of course, to encourage anyone who reads it to click through to YOUR website!nnSo don't write your entire article on one of these topics. You simply use it as a hook to create interest for your readers. Then keep your article relevant to your business so the content adds to your credibility and value.nnFortunately, all is takes is a little lateral thinking.nnFor example, one of my colleagues challenged me to relate “scarab beetles” to my hot topics list. Pretty obscure, right? And yet it took me all of about 20 seconds to recall that the movie “The Mummy” had whole scenes featuring flesh-eating beetles. Right there I have my hook. Using the movie as an example, I can talk about how the movies have portrayed beetles, and how realistic that is. And since “The Mummy 3” is being released soon, I know my blog post will be topical.nnLet's think of another example.nnSay your best keyword is how to “find the right mortgage lender.” You could tie this one in with the US Presidential elections. Run a search for what policies the candidates have on finance and do a comparison that relates to your niche. Remember that you don't have to write the whole article on it… it can simply serve as a lead-in to other information you might have.nnIn case you were thinking these examples were easy ones… how about “worm farms?” Tie it in with an post about spring! Or how worm farming is good for the environment (always a topical subject), or how worms are represented at Halloween or in different cultures.nnIt's a simple process: Look around, see what's on people's minds, ask if there's some connection you can make with your own topic, then write and post your article while the subject is still hot.nnOnce you've discovered an angle, you'll find it's pretty easy to write a post that will hook readers… even if you thought your inspiration had disappeared for good!nnby Jess Summers

nnThanks, Jess!nnWriting short articles to post on syndication sites is one of the best ways to shoot to the top of the search engine rankings -- and score a ton of traffic and inbound links in the meantime.nnSo how can you make sure YOUR article gets picked up by the most people possible?nnSimple: Fill it with valuable and informative content. And keep it fresh so it stands out from other articles seeding the Web in your industry.nnJust remember, the more people who post your content on their websites, the more traffic and inbound links you'll get -- and the more your word as a credible expert in your field will cross the far reaches of the Net.