Myths and Realities of Writing for the Web
It is true that search engines will more easily pick up your text if you consistently use shorter paragraphs. This is indeed specific to writing for the web and not to be neglected. However, since you should be writing this way anyhow, search engine optimization (SEO) becomes a bonus, not a raison d’être.
5. Write tightly
In other words, eliminate unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, jargon, etc. , that add nothing to meaning, but simply clutter the page. Duh! This is what professional newspaper and magazine writers do as a matter of course; otherwise, they wouldn’t have a job.
Writing tightly also means eliminating anything that is not germane to the text. That odd fact you picked up or that cute anecdote may be very interesting. However, if they do not advance the purpose of your article, they become distractions. Get rid of them and save them for another article where they might really add something.
6. Put key information up front
“Because web users scan articles, you need to get out the basic tenants of your article in the beginning of the text. ” Duh!
Newspaper and magazine readers also scan articles. In fact, there is a journalistic technique called the “inverted pyramid” that specifically addresses this phenomenon. The inverted pyramid is like a triangle standing on its point. All the key information is put at the top (the “lead”), with detailed information filling in the rest of the pyramid (the “body) in descending order of importance.
By reading the first couple of paragraphs or so, you get a good overview of what the article is all about. You can then decide to continue reading or go on to something else. Moreover, because the information in the body is arranged in descending order of importance, you can stop reading at virtually any point you want in full confidence that you will not be missing something seriously important further down.
Arranging information in descending order of importance makes the inverted pyramid extremely useful to readers and a major challenge to writers. Mastering the art of putting information into descending order of importance is a key attribute that distinguishes a professional writer (one who gets paid for writing) from an amateur.
In conclusion, note that this article runs to 1382 words. If you have read this far, it is because you felt you were getting something of value. It is as short as it possibly could be while still saying everything that needed to be said. If it had been artificially restricted it to 600 – 700 words, it would have been too short — and most likely a terrible waste of your time.
Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers. be) and Amazon (amazon. com).
For further information, contact:
Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
Email: phil. yaffe@yahoo. com,phil. yaffe@gmail. com
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