"Are You a Good Article Writer?"

The curious, on-screen outlaw standing face to face, and eye to eye with The Sundance Kid nearly makes the mistake of his life. Following some tense "gunfightin' talk", the outmatched outlaw finally stops his notion of a showdown, but he then inquires,

"Hey Kid, how good are you?"

Instantly, the Kid fires off a red-hot, one minute hour of world class gun marksmanship, leaving no doubt he was the best - the best in that dusty, sun-blocked, old western saloon; the best seen on 'The Big Screen' at that moment in time; the best that day.

So, Top Gun article writer, how good are YOU?

Writing articles for the web dictates a necessary and personal, in-depth knowledge of Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.

After choosing a topic, do you run a full keyword search? If so, do you get a keyword list and use it liberally throughout your piece? Performing proper SEO places you at the top end of the 'good article writer list'.

Very rarely do I see keywords placed in an online article title... A huge mistake! Missing keywords from your title results in your item never being indexed in the leading search engines, i.e. your product will never be found

MOST online writers do not, nor do they have the desire to learn SEO - much to their detriment.

Google's Search Engine Optimization algorithm changes with time, and Google never fully shares those changes with online article writers. Like the Coca-Cola recipe, the SEO system is locked away somewhere or nowhere in a roomful of 10,000 fire-proof, and crack-proof vaults... Forget about it.

Google DOES disclose some info here and there.

Recently, I discovered an invaluable suggestion that has proven its worth in getting my hubs indexed quicker and placed much higher.

Always place keywords or a keyphrase in your first hub sentence.

If you are doing this already, congratulations, you most likely are an excellent online article writer.

Most compelling article writers present a page(s) that flows smoothly, drawing attention to the article.

When I see a hulking blob of black ink that appears to travel the length of the page... No breaks, no ordered or numbered lists, I know a good article writer didn't pen the creation.

Worse, viewers will not read or try to understand that non-design... They will only click-off; or, if you are writing offline, potential readers will simply turn the page.

If you throw blocks of uninterrupted ink on your page, and you think viewers will read your message, you need help in the worst way. Go back and read those hubs and articles that instilled a personal, strong, and lasting impression. Consciously, you maybe didn't note the formatting excellence, but it was there or you would not have read the article.

Good article writers display The Sundance Kid's "how good are you" proof of proficiency in the reporting and creative writing fields.

Tom Junod of Esquire is, in my estimation, a GREAT article writer. Read his treatment and this magnificent headline he wrote on Joe Frazier's recent death:

http://www.esquire.com/the-side/opinion/joe-frazier-dead-6551212

Every article Tom Junod publishes is a 'must read' from start to finish. When I read ANY story he's written, I find myself thoroughly engaged - as the adage goes: I can't put it down.

I hope to one day become a Tom Junod, but many dues on my end must first be paid. Just recently, I came across his work, and I've read all of his articles I could locate.

Reading other greats is another aspect all outstanding article writers share... Do you explore the Internet or read other writers' material?

I am worn-out from reading hubs and online articles with introductory statements like:

I've got exciting news for all of you desiring to be an article writer

(oooooh, I'm SO excited, I can't wait to see what's next!)

You need not have earned your Master's in Creative Writing to be an authority on the Internet

(WOW! Reeeeaaaaly???)

All you need are a few personality traits like:

OK, that's enough and methinks ye do see the picture. When I see this sort of opening, the blinking, red emergency light linked to the alarm section of my mind goes berserk, short-wiring my desire to read further.

Though this "writing" can't be called plagiarism, the form should so be labeled, as I see it copied article after most tiresome article.

• Be original!
• Find a point of view!
• Be CREATIVE!!!

Do you see this poor writing style in the circle of the greats? Hopefully, the mental reply was, "are you kidding?"

As you near the end of this article where do you rank on the imaginary list of great article writers? I believe we writers are always learning, and I also think we should constantly write. At the same time, reading and analyzing others' work helps add speed to the learning curve.

This hub provides a short list of absolutes every good, online article writer follows.

However, YOU must apply these standards to your writing each and every time the desire to dip the quilled pen into the ink bottle is too tempting to ignore.

I learned this information the hard way. When I first joined HubPages, I knew NONE of what you just read. You now own quite a payload of powerful information, and I am most happy to be only one of several sharing his/her hard-earned knowledge.

A final suggestion: Apply these proven gems of golden online article writing to your yet-to-become #1 spot in Google, Bing, and Yahoo, and watch your earning power substantially increase.

A final warning: Ignore these proven, online writing "laws" and your future online article writing career grinds to a screeching halt... Yes, this information IS that powerful!

Accept this hub as a gift from a writer just now reaching full stride because of self-study and from article writers who, for the most part, helped me in the same friendly manner.

Happy writing!