Great title? Check
Bullets? Check
Precise? Check
Links? Check
Language? Check
Photos? Uh-oh
Humor? Huh?
Perplexed? These are just some of the things you would need to pay attention to – to become the ultimate web content writer. So what is the first and foremost thing you need to focus on?
A great title!
A predictable and clichéd title? You content is not going to grab the attention of the reader. So go for an unorthodox or sassy title. Yet, don’t go overboard with the title because the reader needs to get on idea of what is to follow. Insert sub-headings where necessary, because they help to break up the ideas and tell the finicky web reader what will follow. Research shows that most web readers skim through the content. So sub-heading and headings are crucial focal points.
Bullets (not the gun-variety)
Inserting bullets are an absolute must to make it easier for your reader to navigate through the article. Or you could go for short paragraphs; you do not want your article to look text heavy, so keep your paragraphs short.
Be precise
Your reader is not looking to see long-winding sentences, but prefers to get to the heart of the matter. So keep your sentences precise and short. Maintain active voice as much as possible. Use passive voice sparingly to vary the tone of the writing.
Links
Give links to other web content. Great articles will guide the readers to other relevant sites. You can also link the page to your own site if it hosts pertinent information.
Use keywords and variations of the keywords in the article. You need to revise and revamp your article for the different kinds of readers. For example, if you are writing an article on Hyderabad as a tourist destination, you will need to keep in mind the desi tourist and the foreign tourist. The desi tourist may know that Hyderabad and Secunderabad are twin cities that jut each other, but the foreign tourist may not, creating confusion. You could also link your article to other sites that provide information on Hyderabad.
Grammatically and politically correct language
Using grammatically correct language and keeping the spelling mistakes to a minimum will increase the rating of your site. But, what many writers forget, or are not aware of, is to be politically correct. For example, typing ‘he’ or ‘man’ to refer to people irrespective of sex; or using the word ‘police officer, instead of policeman; ‘intellectually disabled’ instead of mentally retarded are to be avoided.
Keep abreast of the political, social and cultural movements because languages evolve and are influenced by these external factors. Your tech and language savvy reader would be put off on coming across a politically incorrect phrase or usage.
Use pictures
Now, this may come as a surprise, but readers are still little kids at heart; correlated pictures add an element of persuasiveness to the writing. If you are web content administrator, make sure to add relevant photos or pictures to make the article more captivating.
Humor
Wondering what humor has to do with being the ultimate web content writing? It does – a wee bit of humor will make your writing stand out from the hundreds of others out there. We are not advocating that you put in jokes in each and every article. In fact, a site for a hospital or a trauma care unit might not fare well if the content is humorous. So be discreet and use your common sense.
Keep writing
The more you write, the better you get at it. After all practice makes perfect, right?
Keep these pointers in mind and beat the competition to a pulp.
