WRITING FOR THE WEB
JN2053 and JN3800
Textual information flow
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INFORMATION FLOW
The Link Economy
Today: Multiplicity of text 41 bn web pages - maybe
But the internet is infinite
Question: How does your content stand out? Can it be found?
How do search engines function?
What perspectives are there on writing for the web?
What is SEO?
SEO explained Ensures content is findable
Search engines detect web pages and list them
Text, video, audio and images are ‘optimised’ to make them more searchable and therefore findable
Constructing websites and content with search engines in mind
Dual role of developer and content generators
So, how do search engines work?
ModomaticRobots and spiders
Google Penguins
V2.1
What factors are search engines interested in…?
They like websites that have good-quality textual and video content that is relevant to users’ search terms
They recognise sites that attract visitors and are used by incoming traffic
Include ‘Metadata’– engines appreciate what is your site/pages are called
Engines like relevant URLs, rather than random numbers
They hate it when someone tries to trick them
Search engines like order – if you’re tagging your content into organised groupings, it’ll be appreciated by the engines
Pictures and video are searchable via tags, names and captions
Search engines like to see hyperlinks that direct users around your site, and the rest of the web
Search engines closely guard their algorithms, and many give different values to certain variables, but a few standard factors can be indentified…
Personalisation
LESSON: Tell the web what your content is
WRITING FOR SERPS: Search engine results page(s)
Heat maps – where search meets humanity in the shape of an F
Establish your keywords
Writing, SERPs, and keyword positioning Relevant keywords are better at the very beginning of
a sentence, rather than mid-way through or at the end
If this isn’t possible, instead place relevant keywords as close as possible to the beginning of a sentence or story.
A third option is to use a relatively high paragraph or the end of a paragraph to include your relevant keywords.
Even the final paragraph is a worthwhile place to include your optimised phrase, or synonym. It’s better to include them here than not at all.
By including phrases in this way, you run a better chance of not only appearing on search engines, but actually getting human beings to click on the pages themselves. Without these clicks, the pages (key phrases or not) aren’t delivering what you want them to – which is readers ….
Top SEO tips for writers Understand your audience – write for
humans, not bots and crawlers. Adopt the correct tone and linguistic
approach Ensure the content is highly relevant
Integrate keywords using a standard keyword tool (such as Google Trends and Google Adwords). But remember, don’t overdo it. Search engines are always on the lookout for spam.
Don’t use puns in headlines – they need to be easily read by Googlebot et al
Build a strong architecture - this includes classification and internal and external links
Update regularly and seek to spread the word using social media. Through providing new pages that are ‘on brief’, which are then linked to by people who pick up your content, search engines will add additional value to your website
It’s all gone a bit Meta
Tagging Categorisation URLs SEO headline Excerpt Author
Multiplicity of text #2
Stories: Headlines Alternative headlines Body text Excerpts Meta-text URLs Categories Tags
Images Titles Descriptions Tags
Audio Titles Descriptions Tags Comments
Videos Titles Descriptions
Social Media Platform-specific Self-generated text Polls Shared posts and
ReTweets Curated groups Direct communication
Mobile content Style and approach
Visualisation tool Word cloud Infographics
Platforms: consider the form
. in the beginning was the word .
in thi beginning was thi wurd
in thi beginnin was thi wurd
in thi biginnin was thi wurd
in thi biginnin wuz thi wurd
n thi biginnin wuz thiwurd
nthi biginnin wuzthiwurd
nthibiginnin wuzthiwurd
Nthibiginninwuzthiwurd
. in the beginning was the sound .
Tom Leonard
Considerations: Style and ToneWho are you writing for and why?
Mobile
Curate: make the web work for you
Storify Twitter Lists Facebook
Groups LinkedIn
Groups Flickr Groups Pinterest
Take away Write good-quality and relevant copy
Engage with the Link Economy
Write for search engines and humans
Take writing beyond the textual story: think video, audio, images. Think multimedia
Be cross platform
Remember to adopt the right style, tone and approach (for your audience, the story, the device and the platform).
Know your audience and what they want
Curate content and communities
Resources
Media Briefing: Why Newspapers are writing the wrong articles for the web
Malcom Coles on SEO
Econsultancy SEO
SEOMoz
flickr Nathan Harper Light Lines
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Triangulum Galaxy LRGB=HA the justified sinner WWF Knitwear Silly Little Man Pigeon Takeaway renaissancechambara Personalisation Seventh Continent King Penguin Charlie Barker Write One Word Over and Over