I’ve spent the past couple months dipping my toes into the article-submission-site pool. Of all the hundreds of article submission sites, the law of diminishing returns dictates I really only need to post to two of them. Does anyone really get more value by posting to a dozen sites? I don’t think so. In fact, I’m now questioning the value of posting to more than one.
Ezine Articles and Biznik were my websites of choice. Here’s the tale of what went right–and what went not-so-right.
Let’s start with Ezine Articles.
The first thing you’ll notice about Ezine Articles is that it feels like the internet equivalent of a pawn shop.
You drop off your grandmother’s ring, fully intending to buy it back later. The next week you see your ring all over town.
Some guy is wearing your grandmother’s ring on a chain around his neck.
Along with what appear to be several other rings and chains, too. And, inexplicably, a wizard’s cape. Definite “10″ on the Skeevy scale.
In this example, the guy is one of those spammy SEO optimization blogs (the so-called “publishers” who help “redistribute” my “content”). And my grandmother’s ring is my carefully crafted article.
By posting to Ezine Articles, I’ve apparently written a blank check for anyone to repurpose and repost my articles in any medium they desire in perpetuity. So, now I show up on Dubai SEO Optimization blog, right above the pet shock collars and weight loss tips for teens.
I really don’t think my grandmother would be happy about this.
Is SEO such a great reason to contribute to article submission sites if the keywords drive people to Dubai SEO Optimization Blog–instead of to my own website?
Do I really want the client of my dreams to find me sitting around in the Hotsy Totsy, playing pinball with a plumber, a preschool teacher, and a truck driver? Doesn’t that raise more questions about me than it answers? Wouldn’t it make more sense for the client to find me in the clean, well-lighted place that is my own website?
I think so, too. And not only did Ezine articles leave a bad taste in my mouth by trying to be all things to all people, but they also treated me like my 8th grade English teacher. For example:
- They told me one of my article links was broken. It wasn’t. I tested it 5 times. I sent an email back asking them to recheck. They sent me an email back, saying it was still broken. And onto the merry-go-round we went. I tested it again. I had Marissa test it. You can test it, too. They finally removed the article entirely, saying they wouldn’t be able to keep publishing an article with a broken link.
- They declined to publish this post on how to write a case study when you don’t have any results yet because there were too many grammar and spelling errors. They suggested I have someone proofread it because they would only publish articles written in correct English. Funny enough, the same article made it right through Biznik’s censors.
Which brings me to Biznik. And thank grandma for Biznik.
Biznik is like the Anti-Ezine Articles–although I doubt anyone at Biznik would want to be compared, even favorably, to Ezine Articles. I hesitate to even call Biznik an article submission site, because it’s actually so much more.
One: Biznik’s founder Dan McComb personally reads every article. Personally!
I don’t know the name of a single person at Ezine Articles. I think their people go by names like “#4367″ and “#555.”
Two: If Dan likes your article, he’s apt to send you a personal message. Personal!
And if he really likes your article, he might even sign you up for a free year of Biznik Pro, which normally costs $30 a month.
OK, so that happened to me. And yes, I really do feel special.
When was the last time anything like that happened to you in any industry? It’s rare and it’s extraordinary and I love it! This is how users should be treated all the time.
Biznik is a real community of professionals who actually read and comment on each other’s articles. It’s like going to a coworking office where everyone is professional and where you’re not embarrassed to be seen.
Biznik made me realize that SEO alone is worthless. It’s the networking and the communities and the relationships that count.
I’ll trade you one raving fan for 100 optimized keywords any day.
I wasn’t even planning to contribute to Biznik beyond just the articles, but the Biznik community taught me a lesson.
Which site do you think I’m going to write about, talk about, rave about? Oh, I guess I already am.
So long, Ezine Articles. (And, if you don’t mind, I’d like my grandmother’s rings back. Thx.)
Image by .Larry Page via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.
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16 Comments
Right on, Kelly! Thanks for turning me on to the Biznik community. Can’t wait to check it out and get involved. I am SO anti pimping grandma’s stuff.
Sarah Bray´s last blog ..Reminder from your friendly neighborhood WordPress junkie
It really depends on what your goal is.
If you’re writing that article to attract quality visitors to your site, then no you may not want to be listed in the middle of all the other stuff that’s published on Ezine Articles.
But if you’re after the SEO benefits of publishing that articles (as in, higher organic rankings in Google and other search engines) which in turn lead to more quality visitors although in a roundabout way, then ignoring Ezine Articles would seem fairly foolish to me.
SEO alone is worthless, but so is having great content, site design, or anything else if no one on the web sees it.
This post completely ignores the benefits of SEO and acts like it has no benefit. Smart SEO does not sacrifice your community or prevent you from gaining raving fans, it HELPS that process.
This is a TERRIFIC article and a first-rate serve to freelance writers. Thanks so much, Kelly, for taking time to share your experience with us. I think I might give Biznik a try myself!!
Nancy Scott´s last blog ..This Guy Tweeted Right And Got More Followers
I think it’s good to know that your Right People aren’t going to find you through the Ezine Articles’ method — sometimes a little exposure is all you need, if the right audience is reading.
Amy Crook´s last blog ..The Power of a LIttle Color
Sarah, you’re the perfect fit for Biznik. All naturally collaborative and enthusiastic. I can’t believe you’re not already there! Their home page better make some room for you and your crazy-helpful articles!
Ben, maybe my headline about the raving fans VERSUS the SEO keywords was a bit over the top, but I stand by my refusal to post anything on a site that treats its own users with such disdain. SEO or not, there’s a point at which I want to support and be supported by businesses I believe in, businesses that share my values. I’d rather invest my time in inspiring my Right People, as Havi Brooks calls them, to talk about me and make THAT my organic SEO strategy.
Nancy, thanks! And you’re welcome! I’ll look for you on Biznik!
Amy, definitely. I love Havi’s term “Right People.” I’ve found that the people who find me through SEO are usually not actually the types of people I want to work with. There are always exceptions, of course. But most of the time they’re looking for a “copywriter.” And the people I truly love working with aren’t just looking for a “copywriter.” They’re looking for something more. And the something more is what happens when we work together, and it’s unique to every person, and it’s what makes all of this so much fun. I think you and your clients have a similar thing going on, right?
–Kelly
Thanks for the fantastic article, Kelly. I really appreciate your taking the time to publish this thoughtful comparison. Seth Godin wrote somewhere that people ALWAYS remember an unexpected benefit, and that dishing them out is a great way to build loyalty. Rewarding great contributors to the community has certainly made a big difference in our growth and it’s allowed us to attract awesome writers like YOU. Zappos.com was able to ride this philosophy all the way to an $800 million sale to Amazon. Crazy dollar signs aside, if we as small business owners spent more time asking ourselves how we could do this for our customers, I think the world would be a better, more prosperous place. Thanks for validating our strategy!
Dan McComb
Biznik cofounder
dan mccomb´s last blog ..“10 Marketing Tips” for Successful Businesses, Wed Sep 16, 2009, hosted by Najat Cola
Very entertainingly written, Kelly.
I’d be interested in your perspective on “building inbound links,” an article I wrote months ago on my own blog. http://joehageonline.com/2009/05/25/building-inbound-links-to-your-site/
At a glance, I wonder if that concept isn’t the equivalent of your grandfather’s pocket watch.
Joe Hage´s last blog ..A new school supply, the AED
Yeah. Ezines is mostly for building one-way backlinks for Google. (i.e. The Robots).
The more I think about Internet Marketing, the more I realize… SEO is about getting higher rankings (hence more organic traffic from 1st SERP on Google), your AR series and Blog is for the humans.
Colin Y.J. Chung´s last blog ..Falling Trees — If An Ad Gets Sent Out And No One Sees It…
Hey Kelly, what the heck’s wrong with sittin’ in a joint like the Hotsy Totsy with plumbers and truckers?!
Actually, I find this post fascinating – I’ve avoided article submission sites mostly because of the lack of consistent quality among the major players. I’ll be interested in to hear your feelings about Biznik the longer you hang out there – I kind of got the sense it was a lot of small biz marketers marketing to other small biz marketers…but I admittedly didn’t spend a whole lot of time there. I’d love it if you would post an update a few months in to share your long-term experiences!
- J.
@Kelly I don’t know anything about Ezine, but I do know that, for me, the kind of value you talk about (Right People) outweighs massive amounts of SEO. So right on. Can you get more site hits with a carefully crafted SEO strategy? Of course, and that’s important, but it’s not the Holy Grail. The quality of traffic is more important to me.
Interesting in that Biznik offers this, too (always fun to see a Google search dig up a Biznik article on the first page).
Additionally, when you post an article on Biznik, you have an opportunity to start a conversation and interact with other members in a way that helps you fine-tune your writing, find out what sticks, and find more of your Right People.
If I post an article somewhere the ability to interact with readers absolutely *must* be a feature. The world of static articles (i.e.; newspapers) is disappearing. Yay.
Sparky Firepants´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
Sparky Firepants! I agree 100%.
Jess! Good suggestion. I’ll be sure to give you an update on what happens next.
And everyone: Ezine may not read the articles I post on THEIR website, but it looks like they definitely read my blog, because before I had a chance to deactivate my account, all of the sudden they started flagging every single article I’d submitted in the past. Hmm, suspicious timing. I guess that fully completes the cycle of my ‘how not to treat your users’ case study.
Kelly, it never ceases to amaze me how you artfully combine funny analogies to help readers understand your point. Someone once told me that if you laugh while you’re learning, you’re more likely to retain information. I can see that it works. Thanks for a great post!
Eryn Willard´s last blog ..Visual Diversion
Kelly, what a terrific article. I’ve read articles through Ezine Articles and some of them are just downright aweful. I just don’t want to submit there either. Plus I’ve found my articles on other blogs and websites-claiming them as their own.
I’m definitely going to check out Biznik. Thanks for the tip.
All my best to you,
Amy
Amy Hale´s last blog ..Success Made Easy
I just started a new blog on real estate marketing and came here looking for a great article I read on writing a profile (which made we want to rewrite mine AGAIN) and then stumbled on more great stuff. Thanks for sharing. Your writing is engaging & content awesome.
Katrina´s last blog ..An Excuse to Share – Thoughts on Climate Change
Hi Kelly,
Bravo! What an empowering article.
I’ve experienced some of the same and am elated
about other options available to me.
I’m going to take a look at Biznik.
Robin
Robin´s last blog ..A woman entrepreneur can alter her life with a positive empowered attitude!
Thanks, Kelly! I’ve had “figure out article submission” sites on my “to do” list for weeks, and your post just did all the work for me. I love checking things off that list…thanks muchly for the help!