Article submission is one of the best ways to get backlinks for your website, which can lead to increased traffic and more sales. The algorithms that create search engine rankings are secret, but one thing Internet marketers know is that backlinks are a major component. The more backlinks that you have related to a specific keyword phrase, the more likely that you’ll rank well for that specific keyword phrase.

Understanding that, the goal for Internet marketers becomes getting quality backlinks to their websites from as many websites as possible. In an attempt to do so, many marketers post the same article to several different article directories. While each of these article directories represents several backlinks to your website, there’s also the concern of duplicate content.

In addition to using backlinks to weigh the importance of a website, Google uses duplicate content filters to remove duplicate instances of the same content from search results. This is done to prevent website publishers from stealing content from others and publishing it as their own.

But does this apply to article directories? If you submit articles to several different article directories, will your content get caught in the duplicate content filters?

There is no definitive word on what constitutes duplicate content and what does not – but Google does try to find the original source of the content and place that first in the search engine results. This means that your website with your article will appear before your article on EzineArticles.com in the search engine results. Your main website gets preference in search engine rankings.

Your article in EzineArticles.com and other article directories may also be safe because the duplicate content filters are specifically looking for plagiarized content. Anything you submit to an article directory is considered to be syndicated to that directory. You’re doing the submitting so you’re obviously not plagiarizing yourself. Other individuals can get in trouble if they steal your content from your site or the article directory and post it on their own website. But your article submissions will be safe.

With this in mind, what should you do to make sure that your article directory submissions are going to give you the best results? Here are three important tips to remember.

1. Use original content.

Even though your articles will be distributed over many different directories, your primary article should be original. It shouldn’t be spun or rewritten from another source. This can really affect the quality of the content and even if it isn’t caught by duplicate content filters, it could get you caught by the article directories.

2. Use the right keywords.

Effective article marketing is all about choosing the right keywords. Make sure you do keyword research first and avoid shooting into the dark with your writing and article distribution. Use your target keyword as your anchor text for your backlinks.

3. Create a strong call to action.

Traffic from distributed articles will come from the backlinks and readers who like what you have to say and click on your link. Make sure that your bio box includes a strong call to action that will motivate your reader to take the next step with you.