Article Marketing can be extremely effective but it doesn't happen by accident. All successful articles begin with a well-written title, one that is search engine friendly and speaks directly to the audience you are targeting.

Here are 10 tips to ensure your titles entice readership, are found in the search engines and are approved by the Article Directory Editors.

1. In order to get lots of search engine traffic to your article, make sure you use keyword phrases that are actually being searched upon by web surfers.

Doing a few minutes of keyword research prior to writing your title will help you choose a relevant keyword phrase to include.

2. If possible, place your most important keywords within the first 3-4 words of your title. Doing so will help the search engines determine the relevancy of your article and will help your article rank better in the SERP's (the Search Engine Result Pages).

3. The title of your article should be in upper/lower case (generally referred to as "Title Case").

It's best to capitalize the first letter of each word as it makes your article stand out and easy to read. You can, however, choose not to capitalize "minor" words like "to," "and," "for," etc. but that's entirely up to you.

Do not, however, put your title in "ALL CAPS" as this is hard to read and generally not appreciated (or accepted) by most Article Directory Editors.

4. Don't put quotes around your title.

This is great for a headline on your own website, but the Editors don't want to see them in your article's title.

5. Don't include your name in the title.

Some authors try to add the line, "By: Author Name" to their article titles. The correct place for your name is within the Resource Box and most Article Directory Editors will either remove this piece of text or reject your article altogether.

6. Don't include HTML coding in your title.
I don't know of one directory which allows the use of HTML in an article title, so don't waste your time or that of the Editors you're submitting to.

7. Put yourself in your reader's shoes. Do your best to put the key benefits of your article in the article's title.

If possible, include an element of curiosity as you'll find it increases the readership of your article. Many times, this is done by asking a question.

For instance, I could have titled this article... "Article Marketing: Do You Know These 10 Proven Tips?"

8. Don't put a period at the end of your title.

If you do use any punctuation in your title, say an exclamation point or a question mark, use only one. The Editor's do not want to see... "Check Out My Article!!!"

9. Express yourself creatively. I could have titled this article, "Article Marketing Tips" but this is generic and without much interest.

If you get stuck for ideas, break out the old Thesaurus. You'll find a plethora of ideas you can use to spice up your titles.

10. Include a numerical value in your title.

If appropriate, you'll find that including a numerical value in your title lends interest and credibility. Generally, odd numbers tend to work best with the exception being the number ten.

Also, it's best to use the numerical expression rather than the writing out the word. For example, use "7" not "Seven."

In summary, make sure your titles are interesting, contain relevant keywords and comply with the regulations set forth by the Article Directory Editors.

If your title contains keywords that are actually being searched upon and if it's written in a way that invokes curiosity, your articles will be read. This is the first step to getting the targeted website traffic you so desperately seek.