Building a content site is kinda tricky. We need to have content, we don't want to pay to much for it, we want the site built easy and fast. We want the site and content to be unique to avoid 'duplicate content filters/penalties'. To be honest I think the latter is something of a scary story, but I still want content that is, as far as possible, unique. Over the past year or so I have used several systems that have claimed to help the content site builder. Most have been rubbishy or gimmicky, some over-hyped and over-priced.
 
I came across Articlebuilder.net the other day, from the guy who wrote the well known and very effective site translation software Translation Gold, Jonathan Leger. I am a fan – since installing translation software on my article directory I have more than doubled traffic and indexed pages in both English and translations have skyrocketed. His new product is Article Builder. I read the blurb and thought 'Oh no, not another one'. But I was curious enough to take a look – perhaps it was that the system could insert article snippets called 'tips' into the pages to give a degree of uniqueness or the idea of automatic insertion of my affiliate links for relevant products into the pages. So, I went to Articlebuilder.net and got my first surprise. It is free!

No, he's not gone mad. When you sign up you have a choice to subscribe to the free service, or the paid version. The free version is perfectly serviceable, but has some limitations. The paid version removes the limitations and gives a whole load more. If you are building blogs, then this is something well worth a look, I promise you!

Here are just some of the benefits:

1)Easy to use, really! No databases to install, no plugins to mes around with, simply search for the articles, add the snippets from the selection offered, and save the file in the format(s) you choose.

2)Huge searchable article database – over a quarter million articles at the moment.

3)Outputs pages in HTML, PHP, MySQL and various blog formats as well as in a RsstoBlog format for users of this and compatible products.

4)Makes unique pages using article 'tips'. You can insert tips into articles from the database, or your own articles.

5)Builds into pages relevant links to Clickbank products using your affiliate ID, these replace the 'tips' from other articles and so contribute to making your pages even more unique.

6) This system is REALLY fast, given that you are not using an auto page generator- you are building 'proper' web pages.

7) ArticleBuilder.net posts to categories in blogs and according to a schedule that you can set, one per day to once per week and with a start date you choose.

All posting times are randomised so that post times look as natural as possible.

9) The appearance of the tips boxes is very configurable, you can choose the colours of text and background and even the wording 'tips' can be altered to suit your style, reducing the already tiny fotprint of the system still further.

I use this tool in my site building, using WordPress Blogs.

This is not an over hyped launch of an underwhelming product. This is an ordinary guy who has made a very serviceable system to make very good and unique websites based upon a great selection of articles. Try the free version, make some websites, see what you think – can article tips and built in affiliate links make it work for you? I think so, I use ArticleBuilder in almost all my sites and have no plan to change.

UPDATE

I made the original post in September 2006 and have been using ArticleBuilder.net almost every day ever since. The database now carries about 280,000 articles and the tool has been upgraded to work easily with the Semiologic theme from Denis de Bernardy. This is a below the radar success story. People quietly getting on with making attractive and successful sites day after day!

If you have ever used ArticleMiner, or envied those who do, then take a look at ArticleBuilder, they are very different products but if you seek content for your sites then there is a worthwhile comparison.