Internet Writing

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Whether you’re writing an article for your own website, or other sites on the internet, there are certain aspects of internet writing that you should be aware of. The basic rules are different from those used in writing for print because of the different habits of online readers and also the importance of ranking well in search engine results.

It is important to integrate keyword strategies into your content right from the beginning. Following are some internet writing tips that will attract visitors to your site and keep them interested:

Pick a single topic and relevant keyword phrase – Use Wordtracker’s free keyword tool, or Google’s free keyword tool, or any other keyword tool (more free keyword tools) that includes Google results (Google still serves more search results than any other search engine), and type in one or two words that describe the main topic you’re writing about.

If the words you chose show no searches, or very few, try other keywords that describe your topic. From the results, pick keywords that show a minimum of at least a few hundred searches for example. Many keyword search tools will also show you a ratio between searches and number of SERPs served for those searches (generally the higher the ratio, the better), or searches and competition for those searches in paid search results as in the Adwords tool. This would be useful if you’re writing content for Adsense integration (in this case, the higher the competition, the better).

Use of keywords – Use your keyword phrase (keyword phrases are better than single keywords) in the title of your article (use unique titles for each article), at the beginning of the article and a few times throughout. Do not ‘overuse’ your keyword phrase to make sure your article still reads well. Stuffing your article and its title with keywords may be considered spamming by the search engines. You can also use keywords in the meta description for page you’re creating. Search engines do make use of meta descriptions in the SERPs.

Focus on one topic – By choosing relevant keywords to your topic, you’re already focusing on just one topic. The more focused your content is, the more relevant keywords you’ll be able to use in it and the more likely it will be that it’ll show up in search results.

State your main message first – Avoid stating elaborate background information leading up to the main point that you are trying to make. It is in the first few lines that you will either get the reader interested in your article or lose the reader to another website. Good internet writing practices mean you state the main point first and then go on to support your statements.

Short paragraphs – Breaking up the information on the web page is also good internet writing practice. If you write too many elaborate paragraphs, the reader may lose focus. Plus, generally people have a shorter attention span on the internet and tend to read shorter pieces.

Simple sentences – Short and simple sentences make it easier to read content online. Long drawn complicated sentences may result in you losing your visitors before you get your point across.

Address the reader – Connect with your readers by using the word ‘you’ on the webpage. It makes the content more personal, a factor that is more likely to keep your reader interested and engaged in your article or content.

Consider your readers’ demographic – Writing for an audience of pre-teens for example would require a different tone than writing for an audience of retirees. Adjusting your content, vocabulary and the slang according to your audience is essential.

Appropriate content – The internet is a space that welcomes opinions, but depending on the site you write for, you may have to keep your content fairly neutral and objective. Save opinionated pieces for blogs, personal, or review sites.

Structure the content – If your writing is unplanned and unstructured, the message that you are trying to communicate may get lost. A single piece of internet writing should not communicate too many messages. Stay focused on your main topic and make use of lists, numbering, bullet points and sub headings.

These are some main points to keep in mind when writing for the internet. Priorities might vary slightly depending on whether you’re writing a product page (focused on attracting shopping search engines; sufficient info and successful call to action for potential buyers), news article (structure, keeping reader on the page), or a blog post (enticing subscribers to react and share on social sites). However, when it comes to brand new websites researching and testing a variety of keywords should be number one on the list.

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