Tips for writing website articles

Writing website content is much different than writing text for a newspaper, book, or other type of print. People read on the web for a different purpose, and in a different way that is comfortable on their eyes. There is also the issue of search engines finding your website through content. Here are a few rules to follow when writing website content, so your readers will appreciate reading it.

1) Keyword Density
The first thing you'll hear when researching 'writing for the web' is the term 'Keyword Density.' This is the idea that if you write enough targeted keywords within your content, search engines will find you faster, and rank you higher.

While this is true, you need to practice a good balance between too many keywords and not enough. You'll need enough for search engines to find you, but you also want your content to sound natural.

A good way to do this is to use the same words for the same terms. For example, whenever you need to say the word website, don't use different variations such as web, site, website, web-site, and web site. Keep it the same: just way website.

If you find your not ranking highly enough, use tags and category names to include keywords into your website.

Pay attention to it, but don't rely entirely on keyword density within your articles.

2) Proofread
This is so obvious, but so necessary. Always proofread your content and blog posts. One misspelling of a word, grammatical error, or misuse of the word 'your' and your content and website look unprofessional. Professionalism is popularity.

If necessary, divide the article into categories to ensure the content is well organized. Look out for basic typos, misspellings, etc. Also read through it to make sure it flows well. You may have no technical mistakes, but the visitor may still have trouble reading your content.

3) Step-by-Step Writing
People come to websites to find out information; they don't just go floating around to find random things. If a visitor comes to your website, they're likely looking for something that's on it. Give them the information they're looking for as easily as possible.

As an example, I'm writing this article in steps. Step 1: Keyword Density, Step 2: Proofread, Step 3: Step-by-Step Writing, etc. This way, you can read my entire article, or skip to something you need directly. You can skim the first paragraph of each section to get the basic idea, or read each in full. Make sure the title of each section/step is well defined so the visitor knows exactly what they are about to read. If a visitor cannot find what they need right away, they'll leave to find the information elsewhere.

4) A good introduction
When somebody sits down to read a book, they're going to read beyond the first paragraph whether they enjoyed the introduction or not. Unfortunately, this isn't the same for website content. If it doesn't seem like your content is what they're looking for within the first few sentences, they'll move on.

Write an interesting, and more importantly, informative introduction to any body of text on your website. In the introduction to this article for example, I laid down the basic points of how and why people read website content. I also laid out the problems with it so you would be motivated to read on and fix these problems for your own website content. I did this because I know if you're reading this, you're looking to improve your website writing skills.

5) Simple sentences
Avoid run-on sentences, too many semicolons, and big terms. That's for paper. Say the same thing with smaller words, sentences, and paragraphs. This makes for better skimming, which is primarily what you're visitors do.

By dumbing down you're writing, you're not saying your visitors will be dumb too. You're simply saying, 'I know you're trying to skim, and I'm here to make that easier for you.' By not having to process so much information, they'll get what they need faster, and appreciate you're content more. They'll also take in more from your content, and be likely to remember it. In return, they'll bookmark your website for future reference.

6) Avoid cultural norms
That joke you just used may be funny in America, but confusing or vulgar in the UK. Keep professional and don't make puns or jokes that are specific to your culture or area. Remember, you're writing for an international audience. You don't want to be offending anyone. You want to make your visitors feel like guests on your website.

7) Cite your information
You look much more credible if your visitors can tell you've done your research. Quote from popular magazines, blogs, or other credible sources. Doing this also lets your visitors view resources you've been reading, and will feel more apart of your website.

Keep researching to improve your technique on writing website content. This is the basic outline, and what you should be looking for when writing a blog or article on the web. Always keep looking for ways to improve your skills in each of these areas.