When you are writing an article for the web, there are many things that are done differently than for print material and even blog postings. One of the most obvious differences lie in the formation of the article itself. This article is going to help you take information and format it properly for article content sites such as Edubook, Associated Content, and other sites like them.
Titles - When you title an article, the first thing you should remember is that it should include your primary keyword phrase for the article. It is best to fit that keyword phrase at the beginning of the article so that it is optimized for the web, and also that it is short and succinct. Catchy titles are important, but not at the expense of being search engine optimized. Also, make sure your article title is capitalized properly.
Basic Article Formation - Articles for the web should not be indented, unless you are making lists. Then you should use basic HTML to format the lists. Bold text is okay if you are making sub-headers, or if you are making introductory text such as above. Do not use bold text within the body of the text for emphasis. Instead, use italics or proper punctuation to get the desired effect.
Another basic article formation problem is when you use more than one space after a word. The only time you add an extra space after a word is at the end of a sentence. Also, you should single space your article writing with double spacing between paragraphs.
Information Format - Your article should be set up so that you have an introduction, a body of supporting text, and a closing. Anything else in the article is simply excess. Resist the urge to add a bunch of fluff to your web articles. People want their information quick and to the point. If you dilly dally around, you will quickly lose your reader to the dreaded back button.
Another common problem with web writing is when the writer takes several paragraphs before they even get to the point of the article. For example, if you are writing an article titled “Great Places To Visit In San Diego” and you spend two paragraphs talking about the history of San Diego, you will likely have lost the reader before they ever find out where to go. Get right to the information they are seeking.
Basic article formation for the web is all about making your article search engine friendly, properly punctuated and formed, and succinct and to the point. If you take the time to be certain you are doing these things, then you will find that you work will increase in value. Basic article formation for the web is a great place to start in growing as a web writer, and the rest will come in due time.
