Writing For The Web

Writing For The Web; The end users or readers of your content were looking for something specific when they reached your article. Most likely they found you through a search engine like Google that categorized your article through a sophisticated algorithm. This algorithm interprets subject matter much like how we are about to describe in the way the end user will decide if your article satisfies their needs. So, by following the subsequent guidelines, you are assisting the readers in a multiple of ways. First off, the search engines will be better able to understand your article thus including it in the search results where it becomes available to the reader. Secondly, the readers will be able to quickly and with a large degree of accuracy decide if your article is applicable to their needs.

Already we have clarified how, through the proper structure of your article, writing for the web is benefited by mastering the principals behind these powerful writing techniques we are about to cover. These six tips included below will reinforce what we have previously stated in the paragraph above. This is followed by what is referred to as the 7 C's of effective writing that we included to support the tips for successfully writing for the web.

Tip 1: Clearly Define the Purpose of Your Article
Three points, clarity, consistency, and usability, best describe the successful article written for the web. All three points will greatly suffer if you have not first defined in the subject of your writing before commencing to write the article. Therefore, begin by thinking through this step as to how the end user would benefit from the article and do this before you start to write it. Once you do start, keep the subject clearly in mind all the way through the conclusion and then ask yourself, does this satisfy the objective of this article?

Tip 2: Start With An Outline
Begin by constructing an outline of your thoughts. You can build upon this outline as you do your research, adding and removing thoughts as needed to build your story. The outline is also an efficient tool for structuring your story into one coherent article. Adjust the flow of thoughts here before you begin to write the actual article.

Tip 3: The Powerful Headline
A powerful headline is essential to the success of your article. This opening statement must succeed in gaining the reader’s attention and generating a desire to read on. Use caution not to make your headline too vague or misleading or you risk loosing the trust and respect of your readers. Resolve to make this opening announcement sum up the entire purpose for the article in one short but persuasive statement.
As always, when writing for the web, you should not use passive voice verbs unless you have a good reason.
For clarity, the following are descriptions of what active and passive voice means in writing are as follows.
Active voice: The subject of sentence does the action.
Passive voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action.

Tip 4: Include the Article Byline
Equally as important and what should almost be a continuation of the headline is the article byline. Bylines are important aspects of your writing as they offer a chance to summarize the subject of your article. These two aspects together, your headline and byline, need to the point as to not give the wrong impression of the body of your article to the reader. One last point, powerful writing, when used in your headline and byline, are an essential part of the success of your writing for the web.

Tip 5: Begin Well
Spend some time on the introductory paragraph as if that isn't good enough, it is unlikely your readers would read the rest of the article even though it may hold the content they were looking for. Ideally, your first paragraph should address questions such as who, what, why, when and where, in the context of the subject matter of your article.

Tip 6: Get To The Point Quickly
Articles written for the web need to capture the reader’s attention within the first paragraph if the reader is to remain on the site and finish the article in its entirety. To rapidly accomplish this try using topic sentences in your writing. Articles for the web lend themselves to the topic sentence structure which is essentially a sentence at the beginning of the paragraph that describes the remaining content of the paragraph. This form of writing immediately directs the readers focus to the purpose of the paragraph. It is important not to shift topics and lose this focus within the paragraphs. So open with the topic sentence and then develop the paragraph around the idea. Be careful not to expand the focus of the paragraph as this is only another form of topic shifting.

Tip 7: Close With Style
Introductions, the headlines & bylines, as well as conclusions can be the most difficult parts of writing effective articles for the web. The conclusion of the article sums up your thoughts in one final paragraph. At this point it would be prudent to remember that the conclusion needs to wrap up any loose ends through a brief summary of the main points of the article. Use this space to bring your readers full circle. You can accomplish this by referring to the introductory paragraph or through the use of some connecting words, phrases or parallel structures as found in the introductory paragraph.
So, as you see, the above mentioned article writing tips will assist you in churning out quality articles at a brisk pace.

NEXT: The 7 C's Of Powerful Writing

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