Editor's note (2026): Article marketing — the practice of submitting keyword-stuffed articles to online directories for backlinks — is completely dead as an SEO strategy. Google's algorithm updates eliminated article directories as a viable ranking tactic years ago. The specific software tools reviewed here (Article Post Robot and Automatic Article Submitter) are no longer available or relevant. I'm keeping this post as a historical snapshot because understanding what used to work (and why it stopped working) helps you evaluate the SEO tactics being sold to you today.

What Was Article Marketing?

In the late 2000s, article marketing was one of the most popular link-building strategies in internet marketing. The concept was simple: write articles (or spin them from templates), submit them to dozens of article directories like EzineArticles, and include links back to your website in the author bio. The directories published your article, you got a backlink, and theoretically your search rankings improved.

Software tools like Article Post Robot and Automatic Article Submitter automated this process, letting you submit to hundreds of directories with a few clicks. Features like advanced category handling, spinning support with built-in thesauruses, and time-based article drip scheduling made these tools popular among marketers looking to scale their link building.

Why Article Marketing Died

Google's Panda and Penguin algorithm updates between 2011 and 2013 effectively killed article marketing. Google recognized that article directories were filled with low-quality, spun content that existed solely for backlinks. The directories themselves were devalued, and sites relying on these backlinks saw their rankings collapse.

The death of article marketing was, frankly, good for the internet. The strategy incentivized producing the lowest quality content possible at the highest volume. It made search results worse for users and cluttered the web with garbage.

The Lesson for Today's Marketers

Every few years, a new “automated link building” or “traffic hack” emerges that promises easy rankings. The specifics change, but the pattern is always the same: exploit a loophole, scale it with software, and hope Google doesn't catch on. They always catch on.

The strategies that actually work long-term haven't changed: create genuinely helpful content, build real relationships in your niche, earn links by being worth linking to, and focus on serving your audience. It's slower, but it's the only approach that compounds over time instead of collapsing when the next algorithm update hits.