While nothing new in 2021, sponsored articles are still hugely popular. However, creating a quality text is not easy and requires not only intuition, but also knowledge and skills. How to write a great article that will attract your audience? What to pay attention to so that it is noticed and appreciated? You will find the answer to these questions in the article below!

What is a Sponsored Article?

A sponsored article is content published on external websites that develops a specific topic. This is one of the better ways to promote your online business and an important part of your marketing strategy that brings many benefits. It is primarily a great alternative to the ubiquitous paid advertising. It does not attack the recipient, but attracts them, offering quality content. Thanks to it, the recipient can expand their knowledge or receive other specific benefits from reading.

Creating high-quality text attractive to the recipient allows you to gain higher positions in search results. You should take care of substantive content and naturally placed linking. It cannot turn into an advertising banner!

Sponsored article? Who needs it …

If you are still wondering whether it is worth investing in sponsored articles, the answer is a post – definitely yes! Here are some examples of the real benefits of publishing sponsored articles:

Higher position in the search engine – using linking to the landing page and ensuring a good selection of publication places will help you rank higher! The more quality content you publish on websites with good SEO parameters, the more trust you gain in Google’s algorithm. Let yourself be liked!

Expanding knowledge on a specific topic – thanks to the articles, you can focus on a selected issue and describe it extensively. Of course, the level of advancement of the content depends on the target group. Remember to use the content further. If you create content for people who are familiar with the topic from scratch, you can not only attract completely new audiences to your website, but also use it as part of your knowledge base building strategy, enabling self-service. You can modify some texts, add more advanced statistics and topics, and send them to specialists.

Building a brand image – by creating quality content and reaching new recipients, you build the image of a specialist. Present your company from a professional side and show that you are the best in the industry!

The ability to reach a specific target group – by selecting the appropriate pages on which you will place your articles, you will reach a group of people interested in the topic. Therefore, it is important that the text matches the content on the publication’s landing pages. The audience should be attracted by the topic, and the content should encourage them to read the entire article. It will only be possible if we direct the text to the appropriate audience interested in the topic.

Driving traffic to the landing page – the articles are designed to support the sales process. Therefore, their task is to attract potential customers to the website. The content of the article should contain an unobtrusive offer or description of the product. However, it should be remembered that no advertising elements cannot dominate the substantive content!

Building brand recognition – by publishing articles on other websites that are popular with your target group, you can gain more and more recognition.

Content for publication in social media – you have no idea for valuable posts in social media? The content of sponsored articles comes to the rescue. As we mentioned, it’s worth using them further, and one way is to create posts on your brand’s social media. You can share links to the publication or use content elements, e.g. by developing new issues or creating a series of posts on the topic described in the article.

You already know what for, now find out HOW! Learn the 5 best practices for writing sponsored articles.

Select a group of recipients and set a goal

Before you start writing an article, be sure to ask yourself the following questions: what is the purpose of writing it? Who is it to reach? What are the benefits for the recipient to bring its content?

Remember that the goal and target group complement each other.

If your goal is to present a specific issue from A to Z, then direct the content to people without specialist knowledge, but interested in the topic. However, if you want to reach professionals, the content must contain specific content, issues and statistics. In creating a strategy, you can use tools such as the content matrix. They will help you effectively choose both the target group and set a goal.

It is also important to choose the right topic! It must carry interesting information that will attract audiences. It is worth looking for inspiration in current trends or industry news. You can also track what a specific audience is looking for or collect information on Facebook groups or online forums devoted to specific topics.

Remember that you are creating the text for the recipient

Once you’ve established your audience and purpose, and started writing your article, note that you’re writing it for the reader. It must be properly adjusted to the recipient’s knowledge, but the reading itself is also supposed to give him specific benefits! It is not only a way to advertise your company, but also valuable content.

The language should suit the reader. Before you start writing, do a thorough research and prepare valuable information or statistics. The more time you spend on it, the more substantive and valuable the text you will write.

Don’t stretch the topic

None of us like to stretch the topic unnecessarily. Imagine a conference where each speaker omits the topic and you expect specific and practical advice. You wouldn’t be particularly happy about that. It is the same with readers, even those who learn a given topic from scratch. Remember that the recipient’s time is extremely valuable. There is nothing worse than the disappointment of a reader who takes a long time to read the article and does not learn from it.

Divide the article appropriately

A good sponsored article consists of several elements:

Title
This is the first moment of a potential reader contact with the article, therefore it is extremely important. Its purpose is, above all, to attract the audience and encourage them to read! So how do you make it catchy?
– It should be the essence of your article, so keep it short;
– Use emotionally marked adjectives;
– If your article is a set of tips or instructions, use the power of the word “how”;
– Catch the reader by using a strong phrase such as “check it out!”, “Don’t be fooled!”;
– It should show the value of your article and refer to the benefits of reading it;
– Include in it a phrase to the target group, for example, “Marketing toolkit for 2021”.

Lead
This is a brief summary of all the elements that will be included in the article. This is the right place to present the benefits of reading the article. It is worth using phrases and information that will convince the recipient that this content is exactly what he was looking for.

Introduction
Here you can describe a topic in more detail and give reasons why it describes a specific topic. This is a good time to present statistics or gather knowledge on the subject so far. Still, this element should be short and refer to the real needs of the recipient, making him aware of the benefits of reading the article below.

Development
This is the place where you can answer all your questions and dispel any doubts on a specific topic. Show off your knowledge! Remember to diversify the content a bit by weaving graphics and dividing the content with subheadings. You cannot let the reader be overwhelmed by a wall of text.

Summary
Finally, it is worth collecting all the information in the form of a short summary. It is also a moment to draw conclusions or discuss the issue.

Choose your place of publication well

As we know, linking is of great importance in positioning. Until recently, it was enough to invest in as many publications as possible, in various places. However, that all changed with Google’s 2012 update called Penguin, which was designed to protect against low-quality linking. It is a pity, therefore, to waste time publishing low-value content on equally weak websites, unrelated to the subject of the article. According to Ahrefs, almost 91% of websites do not have any organic traffic. This is why investing in backlinks is so important. So what parameters of the pages should we take into account when choosing the place of publication?

– visibility in the search engine – tools such as SEMSTORM or Senuto will help us in this,
– number and traffic of unique users – this data will be obtained thanks to Google Analytics,
– domain link profile – this will be assessed using Majestic and Ahrefs tools.

It is also worth looking at the quality of content published by a given brand, or the ratio of outbound to inbound links.

Summary

Sponsored articles are an essential part of your marketing strategy. It is an unobtrusive way of advertising that brings many other benefits at the same time. Good article writing practices will help you create quality content that will attract your audience.

It is important to choose the target audience and the purpose of your text well. Thanks to this, you will know how to write and to whom to direct the content. Dividing the article properly will help to structure it and ensure a smooth transition for the reader through the text.

The system is very simple and works in such a way that both the advertiser and the page on which the ads are placed profit from it. The advertiser gets access to a huge number of potential customers, while the partner website earns money by providing advertising space – depending on business decisions and design, it can be a small panel (or panels) or large frames obscuring the content of the page.

Importantly, banners on Google Display Network can only be displayed to specific people thanks to targeting and remarketing. This means that a given user will receive a different message (a different banner will be displayed) than the other person entering the portal, based on their previous behavior on the Web, the history of entered search terms and websites visited. This guarantees a better match, and thus – campaign results than in the case of static banners displayed in the same form to all Internet users visiting a given portal.

However, even perfect use of the targeting possibilities offered by Google Display Network will not be sufficient if the displayed Google Ads banners are not well designed and visually attractive. After all, their task is to encourage recipients to click. The right banner design has a huge impact on the effectiveness of the campaign and achieving a high CTR (click through rate).

Google’s guidelines for banner attributes are simple and fairly straightforward. The advertisement must refer directly to the offer being promoted (without “smuggling” other companies or products), and it must not:
– contain low-quality images (too heavily compressed or unreadable for other reasons);
– mislead the user (contain false information, e.g. warnings about an imaginary virus to increase click-through rates);
– promote pornographic or erotic content (the Internet is also used by minors).

You can see the dimensions of the banners in Google Display Network in a separate article on our blog.

How to design Google Ads banners?

There is no universal way to create a banner that will guarantee excellent campaign results. However, when designing, you can take into account good design practices, thanks to which banners will have a very good chance of achieving the desired CTR.

Google Ads banners typically consist of:
– product photos (packshot) and / or photos illustrating the offer (from a dedicated photo session or from the stock portal);
– brand logo;
– optional advertising slogan;
– call to action (CTA).

Packshot photo

The packshot photo focuses on the product. Making a good packshot is not easy – you need to take into account, among others:
– Perspective – the product must be presented in such a way as to present it – as far as possible – in all its glory, and at the same time at the right angle that will emphasize its advantages and most important functions. When promoting, for example, a stroller for a child, it is better to show it not directly from the front, but slightly at an angle, thanks to which, apart from the seat, we will also show other elements – handles for the parent or rear wheels.
– Background – as a rule, a packshot photo has no background, which of course does not mean that the banner cannot be “applied” to the selected background. The process of removing the background from the original photo is called scratching, and it is quite important – poorly done, ie leaving fragments of the “old” version at the edges, will reduce the visual quality of the packshot. Some companies also choose to include a shadow cast by the product on their packshots – this is one option to consider.
– Lighting – products present differently depending on the intensity of light – the same plastic housing can look low or high quality. Poorly selected lighting will highlight the flaws of the product, harming sales. Of course, a lot can be “fixed” with post-production, but it takes time, costs and the involvement of a retoucher.

Illustrative photo

An image that shows the context of our offer in a more or less obvious way. A travel agency may decide to visualize a paradise beach or a luxurious spa center, and the rally track will probably present a dynamic visualization of a speeding car. How many companies and industries, so many possibilities.

In the case of, for example, expert services or recruitment offers, it is worth using a real photo of a person working in the advertised company, best dealing with a given topic – it builds credibility and a professional image. Another option is to use an external photo of a person who inspires confidence and encourages you to click.

Images from the stock photo (stock) can be downloaded from paid sites, such as Adobe Stock or Shutterstock. However, there are many portals with a huge number of free images available – Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash and a few more. The graphics can be freely edited (if the license allows it) and adjusted to our own needs.

Brand logo

If the size of the banner allows it, it’s a good idea to put your brand logo on it. The display of the logo builds recognition, and in the case of premium brands it significantly increases the CTR. However, it is worth remembering that the logo should usually be just one of the elements, not the central, dominant point of the banner. There is also no need to force it if it would disrupt the entire composition or violate the protective field described in the visual identity of the brand.

Call to action (CTA)

The banner presents the offer in a visually attractive form, but the CTA is the factor that “finalizes” the click. A call to action is a text that encourages you to take an action, which should be as short and simple as possible on the one hand, and explaining on the other what benefits the user will receive after completing the conversion. The most popular phrases in CTA are, for example, “buy now” (sales offer), “download a free guide” (encouragement to read) or “join us” (job advertisement) – but you can get a little more creative, depending on your what we offer and how we want to communicate it.

The text, however, is not the only element – the CTA should usually be separated from the rest of the banner, e.g. placed on a background of a different color than the rest of the creative.

The most common mistakes when creating Google Ads banners

– Excess– it often happens that advertisers want to present their offer in an extensive form and list all the advantages of a given product or service or put several photos. The time for that will come after clicking, when the customer will go to the landing page. The purpose of the banner is to encourage conversion by presenting the strongest point (or possibly the points) in an abbreviated form. In the vast majority of cases, less is more, and the empty space (the so-called whitespace) is an integral part of a well-designed banner.
– Ignoring visual identification – consistency is one of the keys to creating a recognizable, reliable brand. If a given brand has been using a specific color combination for years, you can – if the brand book allows it – make subtle modifications, but a complete change of the color palette, in isolation from the developed identification, will cause dissonance in the customer. This does not mean that the campaign will fail, but it is a short-term action that may prove harmful in the long run.
– Clickbait – the content placed on the banner – both graphic and text – must be related to the offer. The Google Display Network system will not allow the advertisement to be clearly incompatible with its message, but the devil is in the details. A clique-oriented campaign, in which you unethically “overdo” the presentation of the offer in relation to its real value, will probably have an excellent CTR, but in the end the customer will not make many final conversions, and will also become alienated from the brand.

Bounce rate – what is it and what does it mean?

Google Analytics calculates the bounce rate using the formula:

sessions where the user has performed only one interaction / whole session

Of course, the rule is that the lower the bounce rate, the better – low bounce rate means that most users interact with the site, which should be important to every website owner. However, it does not have to play a very important role for every website.

High bounce rate – is this a cause for concern?

Certainly, the opinion that a session with a single subpage means that “the user entered the site, threw up and left”, which can sometimes be found on the Internet, should be approached with a great distance. For natural reasons, the bounce rate analysis will not work very well if the website is a so-called onepage, i.e. there are no subpages. Expert blogs are often characterized by a fairly high bounce rate – a user usually comes to such a blog in search of an article containing specific information on a specific topic, and after obtaining it, he leaves the site. A similar “problem” occurs in the case of online dictionaries, culinary websites or websites with research aids, and it does not necessarily mean that the websites are of little value to users – it is simply dictated by the specificity of the content.

Certainly, a high bounce rate should be very alarming for the e-commerce industry, especially when it is accompanied by a low conversion rate. The specific value in most cases can only be interpreted after taking into account the user group and the customs prevailing in a given industry, as well as – if possible – the results of competing parties.

When it comes to traffic sources, sessions obtained from display ads and social media typically generate the highest bounce rates. Users who access the site from these sources often return to the previous site quickly. In the case of display ads, you should definitely take into account “missclicki”, i.e. incidental clicks on the image with the advertisement, especially if the entries were generated by pop-ups that were difficult to close, or other forms of “clever” provoking not entirely intentional interaction.

Is bounce rate a ranking factor in SEO?

As is often the case with the Google algorithm, opinions are divided. Google itself claims that the bounce rate is not a factor that directly affects a website’s position in search results. On the other hand, a large number of positioners believe that the search engine is able to conclude that a given page is optimized for a given phrase, and users do not find information on it, which must have some impact on SEO.

A high bounce rate can also be related to other factors that are included in Google’s official webmaster guidelines. In this case, the bounce rate will be an indicator of other website optimization problems that will definitely affect positioning. A high value may, for example, result from a long loading of a given subpage, which makes an impatient user decide to switch to another site. Another reason may be poorly optimized text, which makes it difficult to absorb the content, the website is not adapted to mobiles devices, a large number of annoying ads or the lack of an SSL certificate.

How to reduce your bounce rate?

Improve UX (user experience) on the website
Underdeveloped UX is usually the main reason for a high bounce rate. For some reason (or more often reasons), the site simply does not encourage the user to interact. This may be due to hundreds of factors, from the archaic structure of the website itself, through the choice of an insufficiently fast server, to errors that hinder browsing the content.

UX is a multi-faceted, complex issue – a valuable first step may be to commission a full UX audit to specialists.

Optimize your content
Proper optimization of the content is in many respects a UX element – division into paragraphs, alignment of the text in paragraphs to the left, choosing a font that is pleasing to the eye or adapting the content to different resolutions. However, not only the form, but also the content is of great importance – sometimes redrafting a given text can significantly minimize the bounce rate. Analyze whether there is a lack of appropriate call to action, whether the text is read lightly or rather clumsy. Even seemingly small changes can have a noticeable effect.

If a subpage generates a lot of organic traffic and at the same time its bounce rate is very high, perhaps the keywords used do not correspond to the actual content, collecting low-value inputs from the owner’s perspective.

Link internally and send suggestions to users
If there is an article on your website with a high bounce rate, offer the user other subpages that are related to the topic – you can do it in the form of a link directly in the text, with an appropriate CTA or a panel that will automatically display suggestions for similar subpages in within your website. In online stores, you can suggest other products from a given category that will probably meet the customer’s requirements.

Check the correctness of the Google Analytics implementation
Suspiciously high or low bounce rates can also be the result of incorrectly pasting the Google Analytics code. In this case, the system will misinterpret the given page entry, which will result in falsified data. A related issue will also be the lack or improper setting of events – the session with the launch of the movie on the website should not be included in the rejected sessions – although the user has not visited other subpages, he has performed a specific action on the website.