Author: Sharon Housley
Writing Articles for Web Content
Writing Articles
Articles are excellent tools to generate web traffic
and product interest. Writing articles, may sound easy enough, but it is important that you write the proper types of articles to attract interested readers. Follow these simple steps to create compelling and interesting content.
Compelling Titles
Think of article titles as news headlines. They must
strike a chord with the reader and encourage them to read
on. Article titles are the writer's opportunity to grab
the casual web browsers interest. Consider using a play
on words or slightly modifying a common phrase to make the
reader pause. Use a provocative title. Consider making the
the title a question, and the article the answer. Questions
are particularly useful as an article title because readers
are naturally curious and will be enticed to read more.
Titles can also be calls to action.
While it is important that titles be compelling,
they should also not lead the reader astray. The title should
relate to the general subject of the article.
The first letter of each word in the article title should be capitalized for emphasis. Articles should not only be thought of as educational tools, but also a benefit to your search engine ranking. With that in mind authors should include relevant keywords in the articles title.
Examples of compelling titles:
Content is Queen
What Are The Newest Technology Trends?
Learn The Secret To Windsurfing
Types of Articles
Articles that are timeless have the longest shelf life.
Consider "How-to" articles or instructional articles that
explain common questions in simple terms. Authors should
always keep in mind that the types of articles that tend
to be the best received contain useful original content.
Articles that are portrayed as educational
articles should not be infomercials, but should contain
objective information and tips that will genuinely assist
readers.
Keep It Real
People will not be impressed by complex sentences that make
little sense. Readers are looking for relevant information.
Focus on topics that allow you to provide concrete helpful
information.
Article Length
The ideal length for articles that are to be syndicated
is between 600 and 800 words. If you have some content that
is considerably longer, break it into a two-part article.
Proof Read
Articles that are embraced by publishers are well-written.
Like it or not, grammar and punctuation do matter. The quality of your writing will impact how the content is received.
Double and triple check for typographical errors and incorrect
grammar usage. Edit each article for spelling and grammatical errors. Typos reflect poorly on the author. Regardless of whether the information contained in the article is accurate, articles that are poorly formatted or include spelling errors, will be quickly discarded.
Article Formatting
The article should be written in such a way that it can
easily be broken into small paragraphs, making it easy for
readers to skim. Small paragraphs will also increase the
article's overall readability. Each paragraph can include
a mini-keyword rich title that will highlight the information
contained within that paragraph. A bulleted list, highlighting
important points, is another way to draw attention to a
specific section of an article.
Archive Articles
All articles should be archived onto a stable and persistent
webpage. Each article should have it's own page, and the
page should be optimized for keywords related to the contents of the article.
Resource Box
Use the author resource box to show expertise in a specific
area. The author resource box should include the article
author's name, company, web address and any call to action
items that relate to the article contents.
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This article may be used freely in opt-in publications and websites, provided that the resource box is included and the links are active. A courtesy copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon[at]notepage.net
Additional articles available for publication available
at
http://www.small-business-software.net/free-website-content.htm
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About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage
http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company. "