Article writers are submitting their articles to hundreds of article directories to offer publishers free content and to provide themselves with a marketing tool for their website. As an administrator for one of the fastest growing article directories on the web, I review hundreds of articles submitted each day. I have the joy of both reading and approving quality articles, and the unfortunate task of declining those that do not meet site standards. I have noticed many mistakes by writers that wind themselves up with an ?article denied?. It can be unfortunate because the articles can have rich content, but minor problems will result in a rejection. Let's take a look at some of the very basic ways you can guarantee that your article gets approved and submitted to the article directory.

1. Unique Article Content - One of the most important things is to make sure your article is unique to the article directory. Article directories are looking for unique content. Do not submit duplicate articles. That is a sure way to get your article declined, but an even better way to get your account deactivated. Run a search before submitting your article to see what kind of content is being offered.

2. Choose a Descriptive Title ? Along with writing a unique article, choose a title that describes your content well and targets your article keywords. Some articles I receive will include only one or two words. It is not a good idea to be vague. Be as specific and detailed as possible. Select a title that will draw your reader in! Another important thing to note is that a title marked in all capital letters is usually frowned upon by article directories.

3. Format Your Article Properly ? Many article directories prefer that you do not use hard breaks. In other words, as you write your article lets your text automatically wrap to the next line instead of pressing ?Enter? after every line. Also, pay attention to what the article directory requires as far as coding goes. The key is to make it easy on your reader to read the article. A formatted article also portrays professionalism and quality. Part of professionalism and quality is to use the spell check. A poorly spelled article will result in a rejection and a delay in getting your article published.

4. Length ? It is vital before you even think of submitting your article to an article directory to make sure your article is the appropriate length. It is a safe assumption that the article needs to be at least 500 words. In the process of making sure your article is a good length, do not spam the article with nonsense.

5. Keywords ? Do make sure you choose appropriate keywords that relate to your article. Keywords are vital for your article. Keywords allow for your article to be found by users searching for those words in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search. Keywords are very important for gaining maximum exposure for your article.

Along with these five principles, take the time to read the submission guidelines for the article directory. This may seem like a very obvious principle, but I do not have the feeling many follow it. Usually the submission guidelines are not lengthy. The principles above are pretty much standard for gaining an inclusion into an article directory, but it is always wise to read the site rules so you are sure to meet the article directory's standards.