Posted by Ray White on November 20, 2009 Comments (1)

The author’s resource box is what you usually find at the end of an article that is published in an ezine, a newsletter, or an article directory. It is a small piece of real estate that identifies and briefly introduces the author of the article to the reader. The idea behind including the information is that if a visitor likes what she read, she will want to find out where the article came from to read more on the subject; that is how articles drive web site traffic. Therefore, it behooves you to include a link to your web site in the resource box. The resource box will be the reader’s link to the source of the article.

So how do you get readers to click the link in the resource box?

Like the article itself, the resource box must be eye-catching to demand the attention and interest of the reader. It should convince the visitor that the link will provide even more helpful information about the subject of the article. Better yet, it should tell the reader that a nagging problem will be solved by visiting the link. Overall, the resource box must inspire confidence and trust in the author’s expertise on the subject.

Include your full, real name, not a nickname unless it is part of your branding. State your claim to fame, such as web sites owned or blogs that you write. Talk about your experience with the article subject, like “internet marketing for two years” or something like that. Then end it with a strong call to action such as “Find out more at http://yoururl.com”

It probably wouldn’t hurt to work in your web site’s keywords somewhere in the resource box, either. Although you are writing for people to read, you also want to catch the attention of the search engine spiders, too.

Never underestimate the power of the author’s resource box. It may be small in size, but the resource box will provide a significant aid in driving web site traffic. Be fun and creative but at the same time show that you have a great deal to offer.