Whether you are looking for informative content linked to your website or just want to boost your squeeze page with some backlinks, you need to pay close attention to the beginning and the end. What we mean by that is that you need to have both a killer headline and a resource box that is dying to be clicked.

We’ll get to the headlines in another post, but first let’s start with the happy ending.

Resource Boxes…

Sometimes they are called the bio box or the author bio box. Whatever you call them, remember this: The resource box is what makes people decide to visit your website or not. It is your time to really make an impression.

On almost any article directory, you will be able to monitor the click-through rate (CTR) of your resource box. Keep in mind that there is no general benchmark for CTR. A lot depends on your niche. It’s a good idea to test one resource box against the other to see which one pulls in the most click-throughs.

Also, just because some people call them a “bio box” doesn’t mean that you put your life story in there. It’s not all about you. Instead, it is all about your client. Try to identify with your client.

• What is their problem that you can solve?
• What keeps them pacing the floor at night?
• What are the emotional hot buttons for your product or service?

It’s really that simple. Now address it in your resource box.

Keyword Anchored Text in Your Resource Box

You’d be surprised how many times this key factor gets passed over. The Big G likes it when you anchor a keyword with relevant text to your website.

We’re not trying to say that nothing else matters but the resource box. But if you pick only one thing to spend extra time on, make sure that your resource box shines!

Read the resource boxes below and tell me which one you would like to use.

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2. Content Divas has been writing online content for article marketing purposes for years. If you aren’t completely satisfied, neither are we. To find out more about the packages that we offer, visit our website at www.ContentDivas.com.

3. Are you tired of slaving over content that has substance? For native English written content, have the Divas help you optimize your article marketing content. We offer everything from straight content to fully optimized packages with bookmarking, pinging, RSS feeds, blog commenting, and more at www.ContentDivas.com.

So which one do you like? Number 2 is a standard kind of resource box and it certainly won’t get you in trouble. But number 3 is customer-focused and therefore much more likely to have a high click-through rate. And for heaven’s sake, don’t ever put up a bio box that remotely resembles number 1!

Some General Resource Box Guidelines to Keep in Mind

There are a few tips to keep in mind for resource boxes. Currently, EzineArticles tends to set the bar for most anything to do with article directory content. If you can get it past Ezines, you can probably submit just about anywhere else online. Here are a few Ezine standards to keep in mind when you write your resource box:

• Anything over 400 words may have five words anchored to your self-serving link
• Anything under 400 words may have three words anchored to your link
• If you are using a geographically modified keyword, you want to make sure that the geo modifier is linked in the resource box back to your landing page. In some cases at Ezines, it may be your only chance to get the geo modifier in there.
• Make your hard URL link look pretty. For example: www.ContentDivas.com is much more memorable than http://www.contentdivas.com/. If your website is not a “www,” consider anchoring the hard link URL so it looks something like this: ContentDivas.com.

Now, these rules of thumb aren’t consistent across the board, but they are a good place to start. There are some places that prefer only one link in the resource box while others will only allow one link in the resource box but unlimited links in the body of the article. Just make sure to check the guidelines and do some research before you post and you should only have to do minor modifications.

If you outsource your content, you may want to provide a couple of samples of a resource box that you find effective for your product. If you keep these simple but effective tips in mind, you should be good to go anywhere you post your next resource box.

Amit Mehta

Howie Schwartz