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How can you write articles that draw visitors to
your web site, motivate them to read the article, and stimulate them to
take some form of action? While effective articles provide value to the
reader, they must be designed in a way that allows the search engines
to correctly categorize them, have a captivating leading sentence (lede)
that motivates the reader to open the article, and contain information
that introduces the reader to new ideas.
The
key to solving all of these issues the use of an effective writing
process that anyone can use. Figure 1 demonstrates ten steps to
writing an effective article.
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The main objective of an article is to
have strong content that is important to the reader and
pertinent to their needs. The reader of your article should be
able to draw a few key points and put them into action.
The article should go beyond previously
published work and provide them with information that they
don't already know and will not find anywhere else.
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A reader profile defines the
characteristics of the primary readers of publications, such
as magazines and newspapers, as well as websites, books, blogs
and various other media sources. A reader profile includes the
people who will have an interest in finding articles on your
Web site. By defining a reader profile (or profiles), the
research and content can be focused to their specific needs
and interests.
Reader profile categories can be
defined by several characteristics such as job type,
preexisting knowledge, age groups, common values, geographical
regions, and gender. An article may appeal to a target
audience that contains several reader profiles.
A target audience is a section of
people who share common characteristics. These people may be
more likely to be interested in buying or being associated
with products that match the audience needs or desires. When
you define your target audience, consider whom you want to
reach and what kind of effect you want your article to have.
If you cater to a wide range of people, it is more likely that
a bigger group of people will be interested in your article.
However, writing for a niche group of people makes it easier
to define the objectives of the article and meet the needs of
the reader.
To learn more about finding a
target audience, you can talk to clients, customers, and
website visitors. Observe what your possible readers are
saying in other sources. Analyzing what people say online in
industry related publications, blogs and forums will show what
your competitors are writing about.
Conducting research on website
impressions and visitors will also help form a target
audience. Content analysis is the selection and review of
content (data or media) to determine how visitors (content
consumers) and systems (e.g. spam filters) are likely to
perceive and/or react to the content. Content analysis may
include readability, key word density, spam filter keyword
detection and other factors.
Other options include conducting a
survey, or having a marketing research agency conduct
research, provided you have enough time and money.
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Start the article creation process
by making a list of questions that the article should answer
for the reader. To help organize these ideas, come up with a
list of questions and answers. The list of questions can be
updated to include additional questions as you continue to
write your article and find areas that you would like to
expand on. These questions and solutions should help format
your article and determine key concepts.
Before drafting an article, find
several relevant articles or references, preferably from
different sources. Each source should be credible and have a
different perspective. Take each resource and identify key
concepts, terms and keywords used in the materials. With these
concepts, create a draft article outline and keywords.
Search engine discoverability is
the ability of an article to be located by search engines,
relate to a specific interest or need that a reader has, and
contain text that gets them to keep reading through the
article. Effective search engine discoverability involves
identifying and placing key words at important locations
within the article (SEO copywriting).
Search engine optimization
copywriting is the process of writing text for a website so
that web site descriptions, keyword content, and links to/from
other web sites will improve the relative ranking of the
search engine list response to keyword searches.
A key word (keyword) is a sequence
of characters that is recognizable or identifiable with an
item, service or other form of information. Keywords should
help summarize what the article is saying and who the article
is directed towards, and should be located within the text and
headline. Each article should have at least two to three
keywords. |
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In most cases content supersedes
writing style. However, effective article writing requires
certain techniques to prevent fluffy, repetitive writing that
loses the attention of the reader.
Effective articles focus on the
reader, not on the writer. The use of first person is not
necessary, and can lower the quality of an article. The use
of "I" and "we" could potentially mislead the reader into
thinking that the article is aimed at self-promotion rather
than problem solving and informing. Second person, otherwise
known as the use of "you," is acceptable in most cases,
depending on the audience.
Try to abstain from writing biased
materials within your article. Phrases such as "the world's
best" are not useful to the reader. Article writing should be
intended to cover materials that can lead the reader to answer
questions and give solutions.
If your article requires
citations, be specific about where the source came from and
when it was published. Since web content lasts forever, give
the exact time period for a reference. Using absolute
references, such as "in 2009" versus "this year" will
eliminate confusion for a reader who might read your article a
year after it's been published.
Product photos should not be
included unless they explain the article. The images should
correspond with text. Examples of appropriate images include
product photos and diagrams. Makes sure images are in the
correct format for the appropriate medium.
Stock images can be used to
supplement your text if you do not have access to other images
that correspond with your article. Stock images are existing
sets of photographs or images that can be used or inserted
into media materials. Stock photos are commonly owned by
people or companies who sell or license the images for use.
Article elements are the essential
parts of an article, including the headline, lede, body
paragraphs, and conclusion.
A headline is the title of an
article. Good headlines use strong statements, pose questions,
or offer answers. A headline can also impact the emotions of
the reader or command them do to something. Since the purpose
of a headline is to inform the reader what article is
covering, it is important to not only summarize the main point
of the article, but also use key words to draw in the interest
of the reader.
To write a headline, identify the
key topics that are covered by the article. These topics can
be converted into headings, and should contain key words when
possible. The keywords should be used several times throughout
the article.
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Proper sentence structure is
crucial when writing an effective headline. Headlines should
be written in present tense and active voice, otherwise known
as when the subject performs the action expressed in the verb.
Lede
A lede is the introductory sentence
to a news or feature story. While the headline is the first
attention grabber of an article, the lede should supplement
the headline and compel the reader to view the article.
Effectual ledes catch the
attention of the prospective reader by offering interesting
facts, figures, questions and various attention grabbing text.
Although it should be short and
simple, a lede is responsible for preparing the reader for the
mood and tone of the article. An appropriate lede will contain
text that is suitable for the audience and article.
Even if it is the first sentence
of the article, it does not have to be written first. If you
are having difficulty coming up with an opening lede, come
back to it after finishing your article so it will be
appropriate with the angle of the article. Types of ledes
include summary, question, and picture ledes.
The body paragraphs of an article
should explain and describe the main ideas of the article
topic. Gathering research and being able to analyze and
interpret data will improve the content of your body
paragraphs. The body paragraphs should be used to share
important facts and figures with your readers. To assist with
transitioning from one idea to another, use simple short
paragraphs. Try to cover one idea per paragraph to make your
article easier to read.
Headings are the titles and
subtitles that help organize the article so the reader can
quickly navigate through. Headings allow the reader know see
what topics are being covered and skip to sections they want
to read about.
Sub-headings may be used to
further separate paragraphs in the article. To further
separate thoughts, try using bullets or numbers.
The conclusion paragraph should
briefly explain the importance of your topic and repeat your
main ideas. However, it is important to not just summarize the
body paragraphs. Instead, give new meaning to the topic,
talking about how the previous paragraphs work together. Leave
the reader still interested by suggesting that they commit an
action or pose a question for the future. |
Finishing an Article
When an article is complete, be sure to
have a copy-editor look over your article and revise it for
grammatical and spelling errors. In addition to copy editing,
have a few people review your article for content flaws and
give suggestions to improve your writing.
Articles can serve as a marketing tool,
as well as a source of satisfying information to the reader
when they are properly written. Whether you're a manager or
marketing professional that is responsible for creating
articles that attract potential visitors to a business or web
site, article writing does not have to be an overly time
consuming process. Article writing can be simple and effective
as long as you do your research, properly format your article,
and write based on the needs of the reader.
1) Valuable Content:
providing the reader with content that affords them the
opportunity to learn, experience or clarify a product,
service, position or opinion. Key factors in creating "value"
in your content include organization, a high level of detail,
a birds-eye view, reader perspective, usability and specific
calls to action.
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Your content must provide the reader with "news you can use"
if you will. The overall reader experience must take into
account a variety of different levels of knowledge/proficiency
with the topic. Here's where defining and organizing your
thoughts come in. Start with a bird's eye view of the Who,
What, Where, When, Why and How, then expand into greater
detail on a point by point or step by step basis.
(2) Readability: The user must be able to understand
what the heck you are talking about. A good rule of thumb is
to write for the reader first, then make a second and third
pass for the search engines.
(3) Structure and Formatting: Search Engines are becoming
smarter about assessing the "value" of your content, but they
still rely on a variety of distinguishable factors which are
outlined below. There is no hard and fast rule for any of
these tips. Use them all "sparingly" and remember #1 and 2
above.
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