Why You Should Write Articles That Won't Make You Money

When I tell affiliates that they need to focus on creating non-converting content for their websites, they look at me like I'm crazy.

That's understandable.

In the world of affiliate marketing, where our ultimate goal is to make money, why would we do anything that WOULDN'T make us money?

This is a large reason as to why most webmasters won't provide links to other affiliate websites - what's the point of sending somewhere elsewhere, and losing out on any potential income?

Honestly, I completely understand the mindset in regard to backlinks.

Even if it's only a 1/1000 chance, you'd rather try and make money from that visitor - even if they're going to be unhappy, not find what they're looking for, and go back to Googling.

However non-conversion content is another matter entirely, and there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't be offering non-conversion content on your website.

And this isn't just because you might have a 1/1000 chance at converting visitors from non-conversion content - it's for other reasons entirely.

What exactly IS non-conversion content?

Well for example - I have the website BetEuro2012.org - the primary purpose of that website is to promote sportsbooks via betting tips and guides.

I have lots of converting content like articles on Euro 2012 mobile betting, or where to bet the Euro 2012 Top Goalscorer.

This is all content written up purely to get the visitor to convert to an online sportsbook.

However I also have other content.

Content that will most likely get zero conversions, such as my Euro 2012 Fixtures Schedule.

THAT is non-converting content, because the amount of people Googling "Euro 2012 Fixtures", finding my website and then somehow signing up for an online sportsbook is extremely small.

Now as I said above - with this type of content there is probably a 1/1000 chance visitors will convert.

I could increase conversions I am sure by inundating the user with ads on that page, whether it be for sportsbooks or my mailing list.

But that's not the point of writing that content.

The point of writing that content?

It's Bloody Useful.

That's why I write that content - because the visitor will find it useful!

Crazy concept, right?

I've spent time, effort and money writing content that won't make me a dime. Instead, it just provides the visitor with useful content.

I must be nuts!

Yet I'm not.

I learned a long time ago that the best thing you can do is put the visitor first.

Create a great, resourceful and user-friendly website for the visitor, and the search engines will respect that.

Look at Google Panda targeting affiliate websites - Google are tired of these websites that are created purely to make money.

As they should be - they want a better internet, not the internet today where the majority of websites are written purely to make money, and the visitor be damned.

It's not like there's no long-term affiliate marketing positives to it either.

It's not like you're creating a useless page that is only going to waste bandwidth.

Whether it's a Euro 2012 Fixture Schedule, Blackjack Terminology or the Rules to Craps - these are resourceful pages that people are going to bookmark and possibly refer back to.

The more they visit your site, the more they learn to "trust" your website.

Then when they DO want to gamble or bet, they will trust your site more.

On top of that, if you create a resourceful page that people are looking for, then it's likely that the visitors that find your site and bookmark it will also SHARE it with others, or on social networking sites.

Your goal at all times should be to create useful, resourceful websites for your visitors.

If you want to be a long-term, successful webmaster, making money should almost be an afterthought.

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