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Web writing tips - tricks every blogger should know

As a full-time editor and copywriter people sometimes ask me for advice about how to write more effectively. Or more commonly they ask me to proofread their work and it ends in a discussion about writing tips. Mostly these days it’s about writing for the web or blogging. So this post isn’t about travel, it’s about writing.

Writing, and writing for the web, isn’t an art, it’s a craft. Some people have more innate talent as wordsmiths, but basically, writing to communicate effectively is a learnable skill. This brief guide first concentrates on general writing tips which should underline the basis of all your writing. The second part concentrates on specific web writing tricks.

General writing tips

Follow Orwell’s ‘Six Rules’

Not content with politicising farmyard animals and inspiring a series of torrid reality TV shows, George Orwell also penned these invaluable writing rules. They form the backbone of honed, journalistic writing:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous

Know your audience

Form a mental picture of your typical reader, or better still, do some research and write down a user profile. What is their age, social background, interests? Tailor your language to this person. You are writing for them, not your vanity.

Assuming prior knowledge is dangerous

If you are writing a blog dedicated to cycling enthusiasts, you can assume they are familiar with common cycling terms. But don’t assume too much. Casual readers may have stumbled across your page and be put off your subject forever by your elitism. Which leads to the next point…

Patronise readers at your peril

Explain what unfamiliar terms mean, but be subtle. Instil clarity but don’t dumb down your subject. Don’t come across like a school teacher – make the reader feel like you are reminding them about something they are aware of but have forgotten.

Get to grips with house style

All publications worth their salt have an in-house style guide. It shows how to present numbers, measurements, titles and much, much more. If you’re unsure whether to write twentieth century or 20th Century, then refer to the style guide.

If there isn’t a style guide, then at least ensure your copy is consistent throughout. Consider using one of the common UK style guides as a template:

The Economist style guide
The Guardian style guide
The Times style guide

All three are available in print, as is the excellent New Oxford Dictionary for Writers & Editors. Buy at least one from this list.

Exclamation marks (and other pet hates)

Unless your statement is truly surprising don’t use an exclamation mark. Avoid the word ‘unique’ as well. Things rarely are. Don’t start subsequent sentences (or paragraphs) with the word ‘the’. Read up on ‘dangling modifiers’ then ruthlessly eliminate them. And remember, tautology is sinful.

Specific web writing tips

It’s hard to concentrate when reading a computer screen. Web users get bored quickly and tend to be goal driven. They know what they want and if they can’t find it quickly they search elsewhere. Information needs to be short, punchy and to the point. Always remember this – it informs much of the good web writing practice that follows.

Keep to a standard article length

As a rule of thumb, a single web page should contain between 350 and 800 words. Less beggars the question ‘why bother?’ and more swamps the reader.

Keep sentences and paragraphs really short

Sentences should not exceed 25 words unless meaning is sacrificed by pruning them. Paragraphs should be kept between two and five sentences.

Write informative headlines

The Sun might use punning headlines to great effect, but this won’t do on the web. Let readers know what to expect in your headlines. Include key words and keep them short – ideally eight words or less. Numbers grab attention. Avoid negative messages.

Use subheadings liberally

Break up your text with frequent subheadings. Treat each sub-section as a standalone section. If you just read that part, would it make sense on its own?

Be generous with bullet points and lists

The Brontë sisters wouldn’t approve, but bullet points focus attention. Ugly but effective. Lists are also good – top tens and top fives are particularly powerful tools.

Write relevant link text

Never write ‘click here’. Use link text to describe what the user will find when they click. Keep link text fairly short, though – ten words or less if you can.

Keyword your copy

Make sure you include a good dash of key words to help your article get picked up by the search engines. But don’t overdo it.

Get to grips with ‘frontloading’

Eyetracking studies show that web users generally scan pages in the shape of an ‘F’. They start at the top left before moving down and to the right, their attention fading the further down they go.

Therefore you need to get your information across quickly and efficiently. Start your article by summarising the content. Try to put key words to the front of headings and subheadings. Try to get key words and messages to the front of sentences, paragraphs and link text. This is an acquired skill, but worth developing.

Include a call to action

Give your reader somewhere useful to go after reading your article. Invite them to comment on a blog, subscribe to a newsletter or visit a relevant website, or tell them when to expect your next post, for example.

What next?

Get writing. Keep your sentences short. Make sure your copy conveys exactly what you want it to mean. If you’re a budding travel writer, then check out the travel review website Simonseeks. Write a review of your favourite place and their editors will give you feedback before publishing it on their site.

© 2010 I Came I Saw I Wandered.