Creating high quality web articles requires a little more than just being a good writer or communicator. There are some subtle ways to connect with your audience, and to make your content suitable for sharing on social media. Here are just a few tips to get you started:

Headlines

You main heading should be a very brief summary of the article and convey precisely what the article is about. Sub-headings describe what the paragraphs beneath them are saying,

By only reading the headlines, readers should grasp the main point of the article, but be sure to deliver on it. Don’t promise one thing, and give them another.

The first paragraph

The first paragraph should expand on your headline a little, but not give too much away. If your article is presenting an argument, the first paragraph should state your conclusions. The beginning paragraph should entice your readers to read the rest of the piece.

Be concise

Unlike books, readers do not want to spend a long time reading a web article. Be concise and clear, and state your ideas as simply as you can. Avoid over-long words and jargon, and use plain English. A good way to avoid long articles is to avoid duplicating too much text from another page, and instead linking to it.

If you find that your topic lends itself to a very long article, consider breaking it up into several parts on different pages, but make each part self-contained so that it makes sense without having read the other pages.

Write as an expert

Readers are looking for quality expert information. Write assertively in such a way that you come across as a trusted expert. If you quote research, or other experts, then link to these sources.

Be original

Google loves original content. Even if you are writing on a topic that many others have written about, try to find your own unique way of expressing the topic.

Writing good quality web articles starts with understanding how web content differs from many other forms of writing.

John Murray

John is every inch the wordsmith and loves a game of Scrabble above all else. With experience writing for newspapers, John’s time at university was spent studying Creative Writing – something which comes across in his love of the pun.