Calculating Your Resource Box Size

Is your article’s Resource Box too big, too small or just right?

EzineArticles recommends that your Resource Box be around 15% of your Article Body’s word count. If it’s too big, your article will look spammy and be of little value to the reader. If it’s too small, you may be missing out on a great opportunity to market you and your products.

So how do you calculate the relative size of your Resource Box?

Use this formula: Take the Article Body’s word count and multiply it by .15 (15%). The result is the target size for your Resource Box word count.

Example: An article has 1,000 words in the Body:

  • Article Body word count x .15 = Recommended Resource Box word count
  • 1,000 x .15 (or 15%) = 150 words

Since the recommended target size Resource Box is 15% of the article body word count, in this example you’d want to try to create a Resource Box of about 150 words.

Notice that 15% is not a rule, just a recommendation. Your Resource Box could be significantly larger or smaller than 15%, but then you risk compromising that article’s performance. And if it’s way too big, your article could get soft-rejected. So spend some time evaluating your reasoning if you decide to stray far from this particular “rule of thumb.”

Leave a comment an let us know if you’re unsure of the calculation method or reasons behind this recommendation.

Posted by on November 17, 2009 at 2:23 pm | 7,500 views

16 Comments »


1
Dave Jackson writes:

Thanks, Penny… I’ve often wondered if I’ve not putting enough information in there or just how much I should write. Thanks for the perfect formula. With all the AJAX going on there, maybe you guys can create a widget that tells us automatically when it’s just right.

Thanks again!
Dave

Comment provided November 17, 2009 at 3:49 PM

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2
Akin writes:

I am very excited about becoming a member of EzineArticles. I cannot wait to learn all the bells and whistles to be a successful blogger with EzineArticles.

Thanks with your current updates.

Akin

Comment provided November 17, 2009 at 4:41 PM

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3
Jeff Herring writes:

A short and sweet invitation has always worked well for me, regardless of size of article….

Jeff

Comment provided November 17, 2009 at 7:43 PM

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Lance is in the House! writes:

I agree, keep it simple. And I also agree make it an “invitation” not just a byline; invite them to your website.

November 18, 2009 at 8:52 AM

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4
Juhani Tontti writes:

I see the Author Box as a short text ad, which has to persuade the reader to click one of my two links. That is why I believe that the content in the Box is more important than the length.

I see your recommendation as a general guidance with which you want to keep the lengths between good limits.

Juhani

Comment provided November 18, 2009 at 12:49 AM

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5
Ruth Stewart writes:

I have heard of making your resource box “slippery” so that the reader cannot help himself but to click on the link.

It takes a fair bit of work to get to that stage but there are plenty of good writers to learn from here at EzineArticles.

Thanks for helping us calculate the proper length; just saying 300 words is a bit misleading I guess.

Best wishes,

Ruth

Comment provided November 18, 2009 at 10:31 AM

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6
Sharath writes:

Hey, Great info, will followup.
This resource info is helping me make a change by including the tips in my email. Im doing changes straightaway. Im sure it will help me in the traffic.
Best Regards, Sharath.

Comment provided December 9, 2009 at 12:42 PM

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7
Sharath writes:

Great stuff

Comment provided December 9, 2009 at 12:43 PM

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8
Sharath writes:

Great stuff, very useful for traffic generation.

Comment provided December 9, 2009 at 12:43 PM

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9
Muryal Braun writes:

Thank you for the article. I can never review the facts too often.

Comment provided January 21, 2010 at 4:54 PM

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10
Jose Jacobs writes:

Very usefull tips and aricle Have not wrote first article yet just reading and learning and working out what to say about my business, I want start soon
Jose

Comment provided February 4, 2010 at 7:17 AM

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11
Janet, The Organizing Genie writes:

I’ve always wondered what the proper length should be. Thanks for the info.

Comment provided June 15, 2010 at 7:25 PM

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12
Joe W. Bennett writes:

This is welcome information. As a newcomer to EzineArticles, I’ve been using the same content for my Resource Box in each article, regardless of article length. Good to have a tested and easy-to-calculate formula! I have much to learn but have already benefited greatly from your Blog and the Training Series: Introduction to Article Writing and Marketing. Thanks for all the great learning tools.

Joe

Comment provided June 16, 2010 at 1:40 PM

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Lordy Traveler writes:

I am also a beginner to EzineArticles. This kind of informative post is what newcomers are looking for to improving their Resource Box effectiveness.

June 17, 2010 at 6:38 AM

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13
sara writes:

Hey,
is it possible to post links in the resource box? I have tried to do this so that I can avoid putting links in the body of the article but I am having trouble doing so.
Thanks,
Sara

Comment provided August 24, 2010 at 1:04 PM

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Penny, Managing Editor writes:

Sara,

Yes you can put your links in the resource box. In fact, we encourage this. You must stick within the maximum number of (2) self-serving and (2) non-self serving links. This means a maximum of 4 links.

August 24, 2010 at 3:23 PM

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