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Writing for the Web
It is quite amazing how many people discount good web writing. It sometimes seems like and add-on in the “How to optimize your website” –mix.So much attention is focused on the technical optimization of blogs and websites,; the backlinks and index drivers and all the techniques we employ to optimize search and to keep our keywords and phrases as highly rated as possible for as long as possible.
I am no SEO expert, in fact, I am hoping to learn more about that here, on this Small Business Networking forum, but I do know about writing for the Web. In fact, I teach a course at two related online writing colleges (outline of my course at New Zealand Writing College).
Good Contents Writing
One thing I am certain of is that good contents writing is about much more than just sprinkling a few keyword phrases into your copy and hoping for the best.
I was already an experienced journalist when I began to learn contents or SEO writing. It was a rude awakening to find that all my skills and experience weren’t of much use on the web – I practically had to start all over again.
It was as if I had been playing a violin in an orchestra all my life and had now changed to the trumpet!
After a lot of discordant music, I eventually began to produce sweet sounds.
Web Writing – Ongoing Learning Process
Web writing is an ongoing learning process. Because we mortals are never really sure of the algorithms of the search engines, we have to paint with broad brush strokes. Once the copy is out there on the Web we can only watch the analytics and see how accurate we are.
After all this time, I am amazed every day at what search phrases people use and what articles they like. I watch the tends on Google and twitter and I often just shake my head - you know, one of those “No Way! I’m not going there” moments.
Writing for the Web
So my take on writing for the web is that is it a lot of research, learning, and practice and just a little bit of magic to create that potent brew that will shoot your article to the top and keep it there.
But it is always challenging and there is always something new to learn.
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Comment by Karen Lotter on August 19, 2010 at 1:58am -
Hi Bridget
SEO - Search Engine Optimization :-) Writing so that search engines will find you (well that is one way of optimization) There is also structural optimization and all kinds of other things one can do. But I focus on writing. But the end of this month I'll have a course available that will probably be more relevant to you - and will cost less - It will be a four or five module - Writing for Social media course. Focusing on blogging, Facebook, Twitter etc. Keep in touch.
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Comment by Bridget D Ferrell on August 18, 2010 at 10:16am -
Wow, your internet writing course is really involved, expensive, but maybe not so expensive. I could not afford it but liked the content. I really appreciated your story of starting all over again. Would you please tell what the acronym SEO stands for. I would love to learn how to write on the internet, and that is why I now belong to this group. Thank you again for sharing
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Comment by Karen Lotter on August 10, 2010 at 12:48am
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Thanks Dave. I truly believe that well-written, original content is much more sustainable and will do better for longer.
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Comment by Dave Wellman on August 9, 2010 at 6:56pm -
Good writing and good content. Sounds like a good idea (and a pretty rare one these days)! Thanks for the challenge. The web seems to be going through the same business cycle that off-line businesses. Early on in the "wild west" days, any content online was good enough, but now days people are looking for more than just words.
That is why your challenge makes so much sense! Thanks again ....
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