We hear a lot about article marketing lately. It is becoming one of the most prevalent strategies for Internet marketing lately. Popularized by the “bum marketing” strategy, it has two very significant characteristics: it’s free, and it works.

Article marketing provides Internet marketers with two important benefits. First, it creates wider exposure for the author and their website. Secondly, it provides valuable inbound links or IBL’s.

As with most bum marketing techniques, article marketing is a numbers game. In order to be effective, it requires ongoing and consistent effort. One article submission may not do much for you, but one article submitted every day for two weeks provides an overall benefit greater than the sum of its parts.

To get the most out of your article submission strategy, it’s important to focus on one indivudual keyword or phrase for each individual article. It’s also very important to optimize each article, in much the same way you would optimize a website. Once an article is submitted, it becomes a one-page mini site.

You optimize an article for the search engines the same way you would for a web page. Put your keyword or phrase in the article title, as the beginning of the first paragraph, the beginning of the last paragraph, and for the anchor text in your link or resource box.

Taking those few simple steps will insure were that you get the maximum return for your effort. While article marketing should be one part of a multipronged approach, it can be extremely effective and extremely inexpensive.

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