Many people simply don't understand how to write for the internet - and when it comes to starting a blog or an online business, they get the content aspect all wrong.
So here are eight powerful tips for writing online articles for the web:
1. Write an Eye Catching Title
Most online articles are found through internet searches or links from forums or social bookmarking sites. So an article needs to be attention-grabbing to get the click. The best kind of titles demonstrate value straight away (such as the classic "How To...") and serves the immediate need of the reader. Some people employ the shock tactic (such as "Make $10,000 a Month From Home!") but be warned: readers may click away as soon as they see that the website won't live up to their expectations.
2. Use High Demand Keywords
Use Google's Keyword Tool to research the best keywords for an online article. For instance, there may be many people searching for "cheap flights" and far less searching for "budget flights." Use the main keyword in the title, and have four more strong keywords to use in the teaser and article body itself. Since Google is by far the most popular search engine, work towards its specification of 55 characters or less.
3. Write a Compelling Teaser
A new Web page or blog post provides the opportunity for a compelling teaser or article description. This is mainly to encourage readers to make the click, but also to tell search engine spiders what the article is about. This is the place to use as many keywords as possible, in a concise and attractive format for the reader. Again, Google's standards say that this description should be no longer than 170 characters.
4. Write Short, Sharp, Active Sentences
People usually skim read when they surf the internet. Since anyone can self publish an online article, there is a lot of poor quality writing and even misinformation on the internet. As a result, many people adapt to this by scanning a new website or online resource for value before committing their time and attention to it. They need to know if it's worth their effort, since there are millions of other websites out there potentially offering something better.
If they are confronted with large chunks of text, with long sentences and no paragraph breaks, they will quickly click away from the site. So pamper them with short, active sentences - no more than 25 words long (and often much less) - and keep each paragraph down to just a few sentences.
5. Distribute High Demand Keywords
Google and other search engines use complex algorithms to rank pages in order of relevancy. To help them figure out what an article is about (and increase its chances of being found in searches) use the main keyword in the first and last sentence of an article. Scatter it sparingly throughout the article in an hourglass shape - with more occurrences at the beginning and end. Place other closely related keywords in the body text to help search engines sort for relevancy.
6. Use Attractive Images
Clean, professional graphics help break up large chunks of text and appeal to readers. They also add another traffic stream when people search for those keywords on Google Image Search. Just ensure that any images are free of copyright (by purchasing stock images) or get permission from the image owner before publishing it online.
7. Add Alt and Meta Tags
All images should be attributed both Title and Alt tags. This shows Google what the image represents, as it cannot "read" graphics. Similarly, Meta tags are special Titles and Descriptions of the article, explaining to search engines what the article is about. Adding keyword-loaded tags to a web page can make a huge difference to its Google rank.
Further Reading
Readers who found How To Write for The Internet interesting may also enjoy How To Work at Home, Moms!, Affiliate Programs Online, and How To Build a Profitable Website.
