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Resource Box Text Tweaks That Will Make You More Money
One of the primary aversions many people have to TRYING to test different resource boxes is the TIME they believe it takes to edit, rewrite and recalibrate their marketing message.
How do I know this?
I really don’t. But I couldnt think of a better opening sentence to start this post and I’m in a rush to get some dinner.
So If this is your objection – that you don’t have the time, energy or creative capacity to test a whole hodge podge of different resource boxes – THINK again!
First of all – I do nothing that keeps me away from Judge Joe Brown re-runs from 1-5PM, (the most under-rated TV show judge on right now by far) so any edits I make have to be quick, especially mid -day.
While there are lots of different resource box strategies that I’ve recommended and use, all you really need to to do is create ONE primary resource box, and then to test different permutations of your pitch, simply rotate the 3 or 4 words that you are highlighting for your call to action, or anchor text for incoming link “juice” – which will invariably, depending on the popularity of the phrase, give your landing page a nice ride UP the search engine surfboard to showing up nicely near the top of the organic results. ( the longer the "tail", the easier this is)
Here is a very simple example of this, taken from one of my EZA accounts this morning – the WHOLE of the resource box is boilerplate, and depending on what article category I’m promoting, I rotate this as below.
Why?
It not only allows me to test which specific set of words get the best click through rate, it also, as above, gives me a whole slew of different long tail anchor text phrases that are going to be out there in the “wild”, pointing back to my site ( or in this case – my opt in page) which will give that page a nice bump in the serps on those key terms.
As you’ll notice, this says "FREE Affiliate Marketing" strategies……with the 3 word being "anchored" or linked being FREE Affiliate Marketing, right?
But – what if I KNOW this general resource box converts well, but I’m writing an article about PPC, or article marketing instead?
Same resource box, but a *slightly* different anchor text.
Still TOTALLY makes sense and flows with the rest of the surrounding text, right? Doesn’t take away from, or sound "forced", as I’ve only changed one word, and presumably, I’ve done it because the article this box is going with is NOT on affiliate marketing…..but on it’s red headed step sister, article marketing instead.
Okay.
Of course now we’re getting super duper silly, right? But still……..the simple truth remains, if you’re targetting some easy incoming link variety, and you know your articles get syndicated very well, this is ONE super duper way to do it..:-)
Are we done yet?
Almost. One more bad ass example to show you.
Ok…..so how does this REALLY apply in the real world?
In 2 ways – ONE – you can swap out product names and very specific, "buy" keywords related to your niche or article topic very quickly, which…and while I’m NOT one of those anchor text fanatics for SEO purposes, DOES work really well for bumping the resulting page up in the organic results obviously….and 2, and more importantly to me, it gives you a WIDE window into the words that motivate your market as well.
(plus it’s super easy to do, and is just SMART marketing mindset stuff to boot)
42 Comments to "Resource Box Text Tweaks That Will Make You More Money
Note to Self:
You’ve got a gift for this blogging thing, and don’t worry that no one comments on these things after you’ve taken precious hours out of your day to share your thoughts with the group.
Sure it’s hurtful, but it’s a cruel world – and like Jack Bauer, you do if for the love of country and don’t need the positive reinforcement to do the right thing.
Keep up the good work and don’t forget your meds in the morning.
Another great post for those of us ready to make money with article marketing. Well,except for the redheaded step sister jab. I’m not a step sister but I’ll bet I’m not the only redhead who reads your blog. Anyway your content is so good that I’m willing to overlook it this time. LOL!
I hope you didn’t miss any of Judge Joe Brown. I agree he’s underrated.
Thanks Tyla! ( I promise no more bad red head jokes..:-) I agree – Judge Joe is really my favorite day time judge since Wapner, even though he’s got the lowest name recognition of the bunch. I can’t stand Judge Judy – she’s more interested in the limelight than giving us good, sound judicial decisions which is important to me while eating lunch.
(Plus I’ve got it from an inside source that she’s pretty rough on Rusty the balif between commercial breaks, which sort of bothers me too)
frigging bad ass? Is it okay for us to use slang words like that in EZA?
Hey Ian lets say that I have a pretty good 90-110 words long resource box with a good CTR and so I use that same resource box for a different article under the same niche, will my CTR be affected by the quality of my articles? I ask because I outsource my article writing and the quality of those articles doesn’t seem to give that much value, I mean those articles my writer wrote for me seem like basic common sense that doesn’t WOW a reader it has such a boring opening paragraph with no real value. So does the quality of your article affect your CTR? Also how much can you expect to pay for a short article and still at least try to break even or make a profit, right now Im getting short 250-300 words article for $2 each.
OH by the way Ian, good stuff! You always got good stuff that’s why I always have to open everyone of your emails although its not like me to do that. LOL
Hi Vuedoolor – Yes, EZA actually encourages the use of profanity, especially in the resource box area of the article as it’s a proven way to get more clicks..;-) No, I’m kidding – and no – “friggin bad ass” didn’t go live – I was just changing those in the box for illustrative purposes only. ( although I’ve pushed the envelope once or twice and sometimes I don’t think they notice – but that’s usually only to amuse myself and see what I can get away with when bored..:-)
As far as the “quality” issue goes – I think – yes, by and large, the better your article, the more that bleeds over to the click through rate just as a function of value to the reader – BUT – as I’ve written about before, a list of good bullets – and then having an extra bullet in the resource box, is a pretty effective way to “trick” the eye into thinking that the flow of the article is actually onging – whereas they are really reading your “sell” rather than your “tell”. But in general – absolutely, better articles get better CTR simply as a matter of general human nature.
I have NEVER paid for articles like that to be honest – I only write articles anymore in for my own stuff – and outsource mostly everything else but on an hourly basis to people who do other things – i.e. – build blogs, social network, write and post the content, etc – based around the system that I prefer to use.
I don’t know what an article “costs” in the wild and woolly world of content creation these days, so I’m the wrong person to ask. But for 2 bucks – I have a hard time seeing how you’re going to get something worth reading – although I guess overseas……it’s a different deal altogether.
And thanks for opening my emails – you are in the select minority!
quote=( although I’ve pushed the envelope once or twice and sometimes I don’t think they notice – but that’s usually only to amuse myself and see what I can get away with when bored..:-)
So has any of this envelope pushing brought a “+” benefit to you or isn’t it something you’ve bothered to test.
You’ve stated the above “quote” a couple of times before and I was wondering…just wondering
Hi Delton – that’s actually a good question..:-) It’s sort of hard to tell – sometimes I’ll just make up outrageous stuff and stick it in the article – or copy – or wherever – just for some creative fun…….and it’s sort of hard to tell how people respond for sure – i.e. – do they scratch their head and say…..this person is nuts – do they "get it" – or do they simply go away at rates consistent with what they would have done anyway…:-)
For example – in one of the last "lessons" – I put a whole little narrative in there about my "prison experience" – and NO ONE commented about it at all. I totally made it up – I found it very funny myself at 3 am while writing it…..but – some people unsubscribed from my list the same day – and – in the absence of any feeback as to why – could that have been a negative?
Absolutely. Do I care?
Hmmm….maybe a little bit, but, in the end – I really only write this stuff for people who "get" the joke a little bit anyway….and let’s be honest – this is INTERNET MARKETING and not super serious stuff to begin with – and a few smiles to me are infinitely more valuable than the money.
Or….they may not have really cared about my message to begin with – or they don’t know a good thing when it smacks them square in the head – or – even more likely – they’re part of the widespread conspiracy that the government is running to keep my message of hope from the masses. You just never know..:-)
Honestly – I don’t know. I’ve always taken chances creatively when it comes to that sort of stuff for years- and not sure if I can say it’s paid off – I think lots of people appreciate it – but probably most ultimately go the other way.
(Although the one thing that always makes me laugh is the EZA editors, for example – that approve some of those articles – i.e. – what are THEY thinking when they hit "approve"..:-)
Great pointers Ian.
My mom gets downright hostile if I call her when Judge Judy is on so I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a judge show fanatic:)
Thanks, Sushine..:-) It’s actually the reverse in my family – my Mom gets upset when she calls ME in the afternoon and I’ve got to hang up quickly because Judge Joe has come back from commercial. (If you don’t pay close attention – you can miss those little intracacies of the law which are often the basis for his judgements, and they usually come right after commercial break – so you got to pay extra close attention after the breaks for the "a-ha" moments’)
It’s actually funny – because in my family – everyone is either a doctor – or a lawyer – but me. But between HOUSE and Judge Brown – I know the most about medicine – and the most about legal precedent out of all of them…;-)
I’ve been doing a fair amount of testing like this and it totally works. I have one resource box that I use in two different niches that convert anywhere from 25-45%. Certainly not as good as you’re able to do, but figuring that copywriting is fairly new to me, I’d say it’s pretty good.
Only thing I want to practice is better landing pages. I want to sell more physical products and tech stuff, just because I think they’re more interesting. However, I can’t figure out what might be a good way to make a more enticing offer since they’re not CPA.
Great stuff as always. Did I really miss the thing about prison? I’ll have to go back and check. I wouldn’t mind. Prison is just another name for real world experience.
Thanks, Jeff! ( 25-45% is a GREAT click through rate and depending on the niche – mine are often not that high) I’ll be doing some stuff on landing pages very soon – I do very little CPA overall and mostly real products – especially with review sites, automated blogs, etc using some pretty cool WP tools and plugins – I have something planned for that fairly soon – plus actually have a short report planned on some of that sometime next month with a pretty well known PPC “guru” who is the best I know at PPC (and runs a very successful agency) and is super sharp at landing page optimization, etc – even on free traffic.( was supposed to be done 2 months ago but I got loss in the florida sunshine a few months longer than I initially planned..:-)
Hey Ian – I’m commenting! Just to say that I’m sure there are hundreds like me who always read you and never comment. You always make a lot of sense and I love your writing style. Keep it up – even if you never hear from me again!
Thanks, Dawn! I like your site by the way – my first website was an SBI and was a great community of people!
Huge fan Ian !!
always look out for your beautifully written informative posts
Peter
Thanks, Peter – very nice of you to say!
Thanks for your blogs. Although they seem to be a little iff the wall at time I believe there is a lot of good information there. I am new to this arena and have spent the last few months gathering information. Soon I will be starting my business and look foreard to putting your valuable information into practice and being sucessful. Again keep it up, no matter what anyone says, you are doing a great job.
Gary
Thanks, Gary..:-) And speaking of “off the wall” – the guy in Hollywood who shares your name is my favorite actor of all time for insanity ( both on and off camera..:-)
I love your emails and blog, Ian. I also love that you don’t bombard me the latest, greatest launch that seems to happen every week with other marketers. Don’t ever change!
Thank you, Jenny..:-)
Ian I have a question about Keyword density vs LSI
When writing articles for EZA should we worry about keyword density keeping 1%-2% or should we just write naturally about the title topic? As long as we have the keyword in the title..
I don’t pay attention to density, LSI, etc at all – ever – as long as the keywords are in the title – everything else is completely natural and I don’t even think about it. (I’ll usually end up using them again the first sentence purely as a matter of statement of purpose – i.e. – in this article we are going to discuss “x” sort of thing)
Interestingly – and I won’t name names – but I was reading a “tweet” today from one of these jackasses who sells an IM article marketing book – and he said 1 keyword occurence per 75-100 words. It’s really silly and won’t help. ( I believe it hurts to even think about it)
Honestly? It’s sort of like these blog posts – if I start writing these because I’m trying to “rank” well for keywords, the content suffers. Just be mindful of the titles – and let the rest just flow.
( and don’t forget about the guy who got shanked in the pool with the butter knife while discussing LSI..;-)
You know what’s absolutely AMAZING by the way? No sooner had I hit reply on the comment above – the jackass that I mentioned above sent me an email about his course. Talk about bizarre coincidences, huh? The older I get, the more I realize the universe is just full of serendipitous wonders that are beyond the scope of what we can possibly imagine. Its’ heartwarming actually – but – still don’t pay attention to the keyword density stuff.
LOL great comment! I was thinking the same thing but needed reassurance and I knew you’ll know exactly what to say. No wonder why all my writers were running away when they saw my instructions. Now I just need them to create a catchy title and tell them to deliver on what the article title promises without having to worry about what keywords to use, where, and how often it should appear. I gotta stop making things harder then what it really needs to be.
Thanks for the advice!
Right. Keep. It. Simple…:-)
I’m new here but you really hit on something that I’ve been wondering about. The Resource Box! I’m new to all this but I’m trying to learn and read as fast as I can. You have some great advice and I appreciate all the great advice and ideas. By the way, you niece is very cute!
Thanks, Lora – glad to help!
Ian – You’re an absolute NUTTER, but that’s why I love reading your information! Your personality comes through strongly and your content is very high caliber. Your writing style flows naturally and is easy to assimilate.
I’m a relative “newbie” to this world of Article/Affiliate Marketing, and I find it quite helpful to read your blogs to get going in the direction I want to head. Thanks for paving the way!
…oh, and you MIGHT want to check on those meds! HAHA
be well, mate.
Thanks, Eric – I appreciate it!
Ian can I add some of your tips and strategies to a notepad for when I outsource my articles I can show them my instructions?
Would you critique my instructions for me too, and let me know what it lacks or where it needs improvement? I don’t want to post it here though…
Yes – of course you can, and I DO appreciate you asking – but all of this stuff is shared with the hope that you apply it in your business – so use it in whatever way it helps yours best.
I can’t though do a ton of editing, critique, etc – I just don’t have the time..:-(
(But I’ll answer any questions here that you post if you would like- just keep them general and then you can apply them to your specific needs if you want to protect your niches/business/ideas/etc)
Okay that’s fair. Anyways there are a few question that I’ve been wanting to ask you but I keep forgetting about it.
Does having a picture in your resource box increase CTR?
If I have several pen names and wanted to add a picture does it have to be a picture of me? Can I use a picture of a friend or family member as long as I have their permission?
Also you said that longer titles are better than short ones which is probably so we’ll have more room to target more relevant key phrases per title but then Google only shows 68 characters from your title page, will that be a problem or lower CTR?
My goal is to learn every itty bitty litte tip and strategy in and out of the book to maximize my earning potential in article marketing. So far I think Im doing pretty good I’m just having a really hard time finding a good writer at an affordable price because I don’t know how much I can afford to hire a writer per article. I need to start keeping track of my ROI or visitor value huh? <— I’m not really sure on how to do that math there. LOL When I first started I didn’t even know how to find my CTR percentage.
I want to learn all the on page and off page tweaks that needs to be done to dominate EZA. Right now I only have one niche in EZA and 2 of my articles are in the most viewed section and the number one spot for most view right now for that niche is…………MINE!!
Pretty good for a newbie huh? Im digging and Im digging, learning and growing and improving each and every day..
Thanks for all the info that you have added to my arsenal
See I knew I forgot something .. Since EZA has changed the placement of their Google ad blocks in EZA has it affected your CTR? I have just noticed that the Relationship and sexuality does not have any adsense ads….
Ian I also remember you saying something about CPA networks cracking down affiliates who are not promoting honestly and using celeb names to get leads and such. What do you think of this article and his landing page technique to get leads (It’s not mines) is this what your were talking about? It doesn’t seem to be relevant to his article.. Im just trying to get a general idea of what to do and what not to do kind of like your blog on the worst and best practices
… http://ezinearticles.com/? ( * Ian says…..I removed this link in respect to author)
1 -I believe having a picture helps, yes – it certainly helps people “connect” to the face behind the words, and on websites, landing pages, etc – it’s a measurable bump, so yes – I would use one in your resource box as well. ( although we do fine with CTR in many niches where we have no pic in the box) EZA has published metrics on this stuff I b elieve – so I would check there to see if it’s answers your question.
2- I can’t comment on their policies….you have to read up on the TOS as far as pics go of other people – I don’t do it – and people have had lots of problems with that sort of stuff – so I’d be careful – as you start to tread in disingenous territory when you mix pen names, and fake pics – you can quickly and easily erode confidence and trust if you’re trying to build a business, rather than making a few affilaite sales here and there. ( and I’ve seen this happen many times – on blogs, etc – I personally don’t do it – and while we do use lots of pen names – I don’t use fake pics as I think it’s ultimately getting into shady and tricky territory – I use pen names for anonymity in niches that I’m testing – and outsource work to people who use pen names all the time, but this can be a straight spiral down into the abyss if you aren’t careful)
3- Don’t over think it…:-) This stuff is dead simple – and article marketing is a QUANTITY game – there is no better advice than that – if you want to WIN – you simply must be willing to write more than the next guy ( or girl) in your niche. The tweaks that I use are leverage – but they are an evolving thing – they might work in ONE niche – but not the next – the key is not to wed yourself to hard and fast rules, and simply test everything yourself – BUT – don’t spend more time learning tweaks….than actually doing the work – that’s another dangerous road that leads to over analysis and you’ll get beat by someone whose not thinking…..but working!
Congratulations on the rankings for your articles though – and getting in the most viewed is a great way of sustaining your traffic for long periods of time – and should be the goal, absoutely!
As far as your question about the CPA offers – YES, they are somewhat bad news because of the dishonesty inherent in this space – and YES, I was involved in a promotion recently while in florida with 2 very well known PPC and ad network marketers that we pulled – simply because of the “heat” in these spaces – and the slime that you have to compete with – espcially in the health and wellness – acai berry being the most recent example – ( it actually made the homepage of CNN) and the people who throw up the celebrity domains pimping Acai Berry and Anti Aging products, making it appear like it’s the Celeb themselves promoting the offer……SHOULD go to jail – or – at the very least – be waterboarded by Dick Cheyney until they say their sorry.
I spoke to someone at one of the neworks on Monday who told me they had pulled all their Acai berry offers, and several others I know have completely killed the free trial programs as a result of the nefarious nonsense that people are pulling to make sales. ( i.e. – sign up here – and then cancel in 10 days if you don’t love it)
I still run these promotions – but only using real review style sites – and not the “splogs” that lots of these people use to trick people into buying bullshit products.
Lastly – I pulled the landing page URL – just because I don’t know whose it is…..( I didn’t look at it) but I don’t want to run a critique of a random, indentifiable person on here without more information….especially in the sexuality market as folks might click the link and not like what was there. I can tell you that I’ve promoted products in sexuality and am working with a sex therapist now who does article marketing – it’s a high volume, low conversion market that’s good for list building – terrible for conversion rate relative to traffic generated.
( and I didn’t even notice the EZA change in layout – someone esle asked that this morning too – CTR has not changed much so I can’t speak to any drop off on my end)
Dont’ get TOO overwhelmed with writing articles alone though – that should NOT be the entire structure of your online monetization model – it’s not a great one if it’s all you’re doing, as I’ve pointed out in previous posts – keep it as a lead gen – a page rank piggyback – and a great way to get an avalanche of eyeballs in front of your offers fast……but have a back end long term strategy in place for sure.
Can you have a title for a blog/website that would have a highly target word with a last name to keep the title unique?
when you say a last name – do you mean, like “acne tips” Goldstein?
I’m not sure I understand the question as asked.
Hey Ian – like the article (as usual). Have been messing with my article titles on ezine – came up with a corker using YOUR tips and have had loads of people read it, but not that many click thrus. Will work some more on my resource boxes.
thanks – you’re a legend!! x
Thanks, Pollyanna – I’m glad to help and hope the resource box tips help as well..:-)
(I just looked at your site – and the articles titles you have per the EZA widget look good! Personal development/coaching/etc are actually some of the easiest niches to write articles for – and are particularly receptive to the sorts of approaches we’re covering here, too – so I hope you do well with them!
Thanks for sharing your cash creation tips with me! I will keep following.
Hello Ian
Love your blog and writing style. You mentioned earlier in this thread that using a fake picture in your ezinearticle profile is a risky strategy, did you mean it could cause legal troubles or get banned from ezinearticles? Can you please clarify. I have 5 pen names and use a different picture with each. I signed up at Fotolia.com and they let you use a photo for $1 on websites. They split the revenue with the person who uploaded their photo.
Thanks
Russ
Hi Russ – I’m not sure what EZA’s policy is to be honest with you – I ONLY use my own pictures, simply because it feels a bit “borderline” to be using anonymous pictures to promote a niche – especially considering that I’d then want to use that picture on the blog, and essentially craft an entire identity that people can relate to, around a fabricated identity starts to feel a bit odd. (i.e. – I try to have some consistency from one medium to the next regarding the person who is writing the articles, blog posts or copy)
There was some sort of debate about this a while back on the EZA blog where they outlined their position – I just forget the specifics about what is, or is not ok.
I use cartoons or illustrations for many of our authors, rather than real pictures of strangers, and find that works fine. But I woldn’t worry about it – and I didn’t mean to suggest it’s a huge deal, unless of course you were taking real people’s pictures without their permission. You should be fine if they are accepting and publishing your stuff for sure!
Thanks a lot Ian for your clarification. I can sleep better