I'm wondering if Article Submission is a worth the time and effort we spend. Well, it's kinda embarrassing but I have to admit I rarely read any article from article directories.

There must be a few article directories/sites worth the time in thousands of sites out there?

It can be, but usually isn't.

The key to it is the same as the key to most things: it has to be something unique, original, and something people want to read.

If you come up with an article like that, you'll generate traffic to it.
If you come up with the same recycled crap everyone else is writing about, you won't.

Assuming I have good content already? Which article sites would you guys recommend?

If you already have good content i would suggest hosting the articles yourself and add to that good content.

When i was a youngen i used to write and submit a lot of articles, It resulted in very little click through traffic and the backlinks didn't improve my ranking by anything noticable.

Now i host whatever i write myself, unless it's written on a blog where i am a co-writer, Such as the WMT blog

I do have the content hosted on my site, just wondering if it helps to post it else where as well. Seem like it's not worth the time according to you.

Certainly not the same articles. But if you write something you're not hosting and syndicate it, that can help to at least some degree. You give unique content and get links at worst, name recognition if the quality is good and it gets read, and some traffic at best. Plus, you're taking part in the larger community; people think of the web as "social marketing" ( forums, for example, are quite social ) and helping other sites in your area of interest can help embed you in that community.

Article submission shouldn't be your strategy, but it can work as one of the dozen or so things you do to promote your site. Having your name and link out there can help bring people to look at the articles on your site, even indirectly. But if it's the only thing you're doing to market your site, it won't work, and will quickly become frustrating, not worth the time.

In my own view, usually if the user want to search information on the specific topics, they used search engines and article directories. I think we need effort and time article submission because it will boost traffic for the site and gave backlinks for the site.

Originally Posted by yellow1912

I'm wondering if Article Submission is a worth the time and effort we spend. Well, it's kinda embarrassing but I have to admit I rarely read only article from article directories.

There must be a few article directories/sites worth the time in thousands of sites out there?

I've never been to an article directory in my life. This weekend I asked a few people, and they had never heard of the concept. I think they only work if someone else who wants content for their site comes along and takes your article from the directory.

I don't think its necessarily about other people reading the articles, moreso it's about the engines finding the articles with your links. To be honest, it's not a very good tool anymore, but does provide some backlinks.

I can speak from experience that it is not a myth

Not at all, article submissions are great. I have never done them on large scale and have had success without them, but I can imagine how much more it would help with my own sites

So how can you say they are great without knowing whether they are or not ??

Do you read many SEO articles? I read some everyday. A lot of them talk about such things. As I said I have had success without them, so I do not know how much more then would help

Do you read many SEO articles?

No, but I read a lot of ill informed garbage dressed up as SEO articles.

I read some everyday. A lot of them talk about such things

That does not make it fact or even accurate

reiterating "stuff" that you have read is simply perpetuating what may or may not be utter rubbish.
When you have tried something for yourself you can discuss your experience and the results obtained until then, it is simply an opinion of you or of others.

The vast majority of "experts" spouting their "wisdom" around forums have no idea about testing and constantly get cause and effect mixed up.

Well, I have read several articles, its kind of like that saying if 3 people call you a horse buy a sattle. Same applies here, if I see several articles pertaining to the same thing, I figure it is pretty accurate

i think it depends on the quality of the article that you'll create and the topic. if people will be interested enough to read your article it can definitely bring you traffic and vice versa.

Originally Posted by theseokit

Well, I have read several articles, its kind of like that saying if 3 people call you a horse buy a sattle. Same applies here, if I see several articles pertaining to the same thing, I figure it is pretty accurate

When I was in college, three people called the girl I was dating "horse face," so I bought her a saddle, but then she slapped me in the face, and told me never to contact her again or she would file a restraining order.

So I'll have to side with Chris here. Not too long ago, almost everybody insisted the Earth was flat, but a few people came up with ways to test this ( "... for I have seen the Earth's shadow on the moon..." ). A hundred years ago, they almost tarred and feathered the idiot who tried to say the continents are moving, and that Africa and South America used to touch.

Kind of tells me that being popular and being true aren't the same thing.