Writing for the Web : The 4 Golden Rules

The art of writing quality content for the web

Writing quality content for a web design project is no easy task, especially if you are not used to it.

There are many best practices that can help you write web-friendly content that is both fun to read and simple to understand.

Here is Chameleon's 4 Golden rules for writing quality content for your website.

1) Write using the Inverted Pyramid style

The Inverted pyramid style of writing consists of starting with the conclusion and ending with the details.

Presenting the most important information first allows your readers to quickly extract value from your content. Ideally, your users should be able to understand the main subjects of a web page by reading only its titles and subtitles.

In addition to making the reading of your texts more effective, this method of writing helps you gain visibility in search engines. When a GoogleBot explores a website to assess its relevance, it attaches greater importance to the words located at the beginning of texts.

2) Write easily scannable content

Internet users do not read your content, they skim it. More precisely, 79% of users scan content while of web pages.

The Nielsen Norman Group, world renowned for their user experience research, claims that only 19% of users read a website texts word for word.

We recommend that you use these tips to improve your readers' user experience :

• Write 2 to 3 sentences maximum per paragraph
• Use bold, italics and underlining to highlight certain words
• Use bulleted lists when possible
• Address one idea per paragraph
• Create a hierarchy of titles and subtitles
• Cut the word count in half compared to conventional writing

3) Quote reliable sources to increase your credibility

Including reliable sources in the form of hyperlinks in your texts increases your credibility and helps you position yourself as an expert in your field.

In addition to establishing trust with your readers, quoting reliable sources of informations increases your credibility from Google's point of view therefore improving your pages visibility in search engines.

Credibility is important for web users because it is not obvious who is behind the information provided on the Web. People often rate the credibility of your content based on the credibility of it's sources. Make sure you quote credible websites such as :

• Government sites
• University websites
• Financial institution sites
• Websites recognized in your industry

4) Write for Users and not for Google

Write your content for your audience, not for Google. Remember that your content is meant to be read by users, not search engines. Avoid writing content filled with keywords if it makes it unpleasant to read.

• Use simple vocabulary (avoid the use of jargon)
• Write naturally, like you'd talk to someone in person
• Write content that addresses the search intent of the reader
• Formulate sentences using an active voice (as much as possible)
• Use transition words like "First" or "However" when introducing new topics
• Make sure each paragraph has a clear topic introduction and conclusion

Content writing, we take care of it!

Writing content for a web design project is a daunting task. Applying the tips presented in this article, you should be better equipped to write your website content.

If you are looking for content writing professionals, our team can help you. Chameleon has been helping canadian SMEs for over 20 years with the web design and marketing needs.

Let's discuss your project