Article writing is a skill that most people can learn, and if you know how to promote your home business by writing articles, then article marketing can be an effective way to make money. However, most people do not know how to write in such a fashion as to maintain the readers interest, and have an even less idea of how to properly use those that they do write.

Writing articles is a skill - that cannot be denied - but it is possible to learn the skill. A reasonable understanding of grammar will be essential, but not spelling due to the quality of modern spell checkers. It is not these that are the problem, as much as knowledge of how to write the content in such a way as to be of use to the reader.

Let's have a look, then, at what the reader is looking for when they come across your article.

1. Information

People use the internet for information, to chat or to buy something, and by far the most extensive of these is information. Most people using Google do so to find information. It might be pricing information, it might be information of a technical nature or even what times the trains are running, but the main point is that people are looking for information, and you can provide that by writing articles on the topic.

Perhaps you own a website that serves those interested in the niche, or you might write an article oferig a link to an affiliate product offering you a good commission for each sale. With the latter, it is possible to make money without a website or even a product, whereas with the former you can build up a list of email addresses of people intersted in your niche, so allowing your to keep in touch with them, and make them periodic offers.

2. There is No 2

That's right - There is no 2 that is relevant. People are looking for information, and you can give them what they want by providing a good website, advertised using article marketing, or by means of a good article rich in the type of information will make any interested visitor believe you to be an expert in the niche, and to whom they are prepared to provide their contact details. That's right - their subject. It's theirs, not yours, and you are writing articles on their niche to offer them information on it.

There is more to article writing than simply dashing out a few paragraphs: it involves a degree of keyword research, should stress the benefits to the reader of what you have to say, and generally provide useful and interesting information.

How to Write Articles

There has to be a benefit for the reader, or there will be no incentive to read it. The title of your article must stress that benefit: the first part of your listing that is noticed, and the part that will be at the top of the listings on Google, Yahoo, MSN, ASK or any other search engine results page. many people are confused by this,but if your article is accepted by an article directory, then it will published on a web page that is the same as any other, in that it can be spidered by search engines and listed on their page relating to the keywords being used by the person carrying out the search.

The heading for the listing is the title you write, and the part under the heading is the summary that you write or the first several words from the introductory paragraph. People using the search engine to find information will be exposed to your article link, and whether they click on it or not could be determined by how your title is worded.

You should use the main keyword early on (main here is 'article writing', and other keywords used in the rest - as part of my title I have included: article writing, how to promote your home business, home business, make money, article marketing, money from article marketing

You expand on the theme of the title in the introductory paragraph, including the main keyword within the first 100 characters, and then write the article itself. Use keywords sparingly (once each 300 words), and use vocabulary that explains and defines the main keyword. Employ a few of the other keywords that you used for the title.

If you use keywords too much, your articles are liable to be dropped from the listings because Google's main objective is to offer its customers with as accurate and relevant information as possible on the keyword they are using for their search. If you satisfy Google's needs they will reward you.

The biggest rewards will be in the form of high listings in the search engines and plenty visitors interested in your niche. This can be transferred into cash fairly easily if you know how to best monetize your website. You might be using Google Adsense adverts, selling affiliate products or offering a service, but traffic is what brings sales and writing articles brings the traffic.

As to the way article marketing is actually carried out - well, let's simply take that to be a different topic, becaue you are not going to learn about article marketing, or how to use it effectively in online advertising, in one article. You can write articles to promote a home business, and there is money to be made b