About a decade ago I lucked into a job as a technology journalist. I had no journalism experience / qualifications, but I could string a sentence together and was madly passionate about ‘the internet’. Still am, for that matter.
I had to learn on the job: it was very much a case of in-at-the-deep end. I remember doing a lot of reading to understand how users read online, and how best to write. A lot of the standards set by the likes of Jakob Nielsen still apply today.
Nowadays writing is a part of what I do, but it isn’t my whole job. But I still manage writers on a daily basis and wanted to share some of the rules for web writing that I’ve embraced, adapted or created.
Before we begin I should point out that Yossarian remains my foremost literary hero and rules are always there to be broken. These 23 ‘rules’ are just guidelines that you can adopt if you see fit. They work for me.
STARTING OUT
The Braindump rule
One of the best ways of writing an article is to quickly pour out your thoughts, and then to finesse the finer points once you have a structure for your post. That’s how I’m writing this one: I’ve written out the rules and am now filling in the detail.
The Write The Opening Paragraph Last rule
I often start an article by writing an introduction, only to completely change it after I’ve finished the piece. Don’t labour over your opening: it will pretty much write itself once you have the bulk of the post in the bag.
WRITING & FORMATTING
The One Comma rule
This is fairly new one. Multiple-comma sentences can often be reworked to just include one comma. Keeps things nice and concise. There are all kinds of exceptions, so this one is certainly not set in stone.
The Short Sentences rule
Shorter sentences are better than longer ones. If in doubt, use a full stop and move on. That is all.
The Lo-fi Punctuation rule
This follows on from the last rule. Econsultancy is in the business of sharing guidance and ideas and our best practice research needs to be digestible for it to sink in and make a difference to the reader. Excessive punctuation suggests that sentences might be overly-long and complicated, when they need to be to the point and simple.
The Five-Line Paragraphs Might Be One Line Too Many rule
When I see a page with numerous 15-line unformatted paragraphs my right hand starts to twitch. I subconsciously think about hitting the ‘back’ button. This isn’t about my inability to read a dense paragraph, it is about the writer making it easy for the reader. Aesthetics are so important online: first impressions really matter. Try to break up your articles into bite-sized chunks. Avoid multi-idea sentences and paragraphs.
The Wiggly Left Margin rule
Some articles need to be longer than others. Pay attention to the formatting of these posts. A long article with all paragraphs lined up neatly, flush to the left margin, is going to be more of a challenge to read than one all broken up. Here’s what you can use to help mess things up a bit, to keep the reader’s eye interested: indents, bullet points, quotes, numbered lists, pictures and videos.
The Sub-Headers FTW rule
Again, these help break up the page and sort your page content into easily-digestible chunks and are great for readers who skim your page before tuning in properly. This article obviously contains 23 of them, which should hopefully help make it more readable.
The Bold As Highlighting Rule
I use bold to highlight certain phrases / words / sentences, particularly in longer articles. It’s about identifying some of the key takeaways, rather than about being rubbish at making my points stand out. It’s not about shouting either: bold is not the bastard child of CAPS LOCK. It just helps readers to make sense of a page when skim reading it, and provides a neat anchor for the eye.
HEADLINE RULES
The Awesome Adjectives In Headlines rule
Headlines that include awesome adjectives tend to attract a lot more interest / clicks / retweets / links than those that avoid them. For example, ’16 bitchin shortcuts and commands for Twitter’ beats ’16 shortcuts and commands for Twitter’. Adjectives can be highly persuasive. Try to incorporate them into your headlines.
The Look Before You Leap Into That Headline rule
Any self-respecting writer will check out Google before deciding on a headline. What do you want to rank well for? What does the competition look like? What’s the search volume looking like for the query you’re aiming to reflect? How can you stand out from the noisy crowd?
The Keyword Phrases rule
I optimise my headlines around keyphrases, rather than individual keywords. Front load keyphrases for maximum impact.
The One Line Headlines rule
I tend to use maybe six to eight words in a headline, to try to keep it on a single line. Nothing is worse than overdoing it by one word, which appears as an ‘orphan’ on the second line. This is mainly for aesthetic reasons, but think about retweets too (you want to leave 30-40 characters of extra space for the tweeter to add a comment).
The Change Your Headline Once For SEO Uplift rule
This is a new one that I’ll be experimenting with on a new Wordpress blog. After saving a post as a draft I can change the headline without changing the URL. So it’s possible to write a long keyword-rich headline to start off with, only to chop it down after you’ve saved or published the post. Keyword spamming in the URL structure is not cool, but removing ‘Google’ from a ‘Google Adsense’ headline (to leave the ‘Google’ in the URL) seems perfectly acceptable to me.
TONE & VOICE
The Plain English rule
Avoid jargon. Say what you see. Don’t dress things up too much.
The Conversational Tone rule
Not so much a rule as an affliction. I basically write as I think / talk. I think that’s ok for blogs, and maybe ok full stop.
The Humour rule
Sometimes it may not be appropriate, but a little light humour can work wonders, especially when dealing with seemingly dry subject matter.
The Personality rule
It is essential to define your own voice and to allow the reader to get to know you a little bit. It’s a noisy world out there and I prefer to read articles with a bit of verve, rather than straight-down-the-middle news reporting. Try to stand out from the crowd. Dare to be different. Show a little leg. Refer to Yossarian now and again. Whatever it takes…
The Death To PRspeak rule
When digesting a technology press release the first thing you do is strip out all of the bullshit. The very last thing you want to do as a writer is to describe a company as ‘world-leading’. Leave that to the PRs.
WRAPPING IT UP
The Check Yo Facts rule
I’ll often write an article quickly, without worrying too much about the fine print. But before publishing it is wise to tune into the specifics, and to make sure what you’re saying is accurate. Sounds obvious, I know, but it is hugely important.
The Am I A Dickhead? rule
This follows on from the above fact-checking rule, but also extends to the copy on the page (not just typos / grammar issues, but formatting too). After publishing I self-edit my posts probably five or six times on average. That’s how many mistakes I’ll find. Spellchecker is never enough, folks. The law of irony means that I’ll have no doubt left at least one error in this post…
The Internal Link rule
I try to add at least one internal link per article, and often write articles simply to support other pages on our website. Don’t miss the chance to push readers towards other interesting content. Keep an eye open for linking opportunities before you hit the publish button.
The Invite Feedback rule
I tend to finish articles on a ‘What did I miss?’ or ‘What do you think?’ question, to encourage comments.
So, with that in mind, what do you think? What works for you?
[Image by dbdrobot via Flickr. Various rights reserved.]
Chris Lake is Director of Product Development at Econsultancy, an entrepreneur and a long-term internet fiend. Follow him on Twitter or connect via Linkedin.
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3:06PM on 28th October 2010
Content is king. too many adjectives in the headline will not be a good idea. I suggest that headline writing should be in active voice invariably.
3:20PM on 28th October 2010
Good post, although being something of a contrary Mary I'd argue that verbs are actually more effective than adjectives are in headlines. '5 ways to refresh your web writing', 'How to write web copy that grabs attention', etc. Adjectives are nice, but they don't evoke or express like a well-chosen verb does.
3:21PM on 28th October 2010
Brilliant advice. I try to follow in all my posts in my blog site. I believe that even your methods apply to expressive writing. Never test the readers brain, otherwise they'll just leave.
3:32PM on 28th October 2010
Great tips and resource for web content writing. Although, I've been doing most of these tips, its serves as a good reminder for me, that I'm on the right track! thanks mate!
Director of Product Development at Econsultancy
3:39PM on 28th October 2010
Thanks for the feedback folks. Glad that the tips are useful.
@hanmireddy: Yeah, one adjective is normally plenty. I agree with @Adam about using verbs too. Similar thinking. And I'm totally with you on active voice. There are other editorial rules that I adhere to along those lines, such as writing 'while' and 'among' and never 'whilst' and 'amongst' (both of which sound practically Chaucerian these days).
Marketing Consultant at Independent
3:52PM on 28th October 2010
People write, people read, right?
I would like to big up the personality rule and stress those first six characters of the word.
That is: Add a photo of the writer, and a link to their bio, much like Econsultancy do. Unlike a staid TV newsreader I actually want to know the person behind the content also, especially in a blog, which can start with a photo, a bio, supporting social profiles and so on.
Or is this just spider food?
5:16PM on 28th October 2010
Why not just go in guns ablazing with full-on verbs, adjectives and interjections? "Zounds! The 23 sexiest tactics to pimp your articles like an awesomeasaurus!" Now there's a headline that'll get some clicks.
10:09AM on 29th October 2010
@hanmireddy : This is why all in one seo wordpress plugin is very hand. You can write intriguing title without losing your real targeting keyword.
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3:14PM on 29th October 2010
Heres a couple more :
- MS Word formatting… dont use it! it causes lots of problems for people who dont use your default character set
- writing in sentences as opposed to paragraphs. Yes you have to keep information as short as possible however resist the temptation to start a new paragraph after every sentence, it makes the page look choppy
- Do some keyword research using free google tools. this will help you identify the language of the common surfer and ensure your calling a spade a spade when you write about your topic.
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7:41PM on 29th October 2010
And let us not forget the always-vital link, which in some cases should be the same as the headline and in some cases not.
The link has to be well-written and demonstrate value if it's going to earn that click and, thus, get readers.
7:59PM on 29th October 2010
Thanks for sharing. Writing is not that difficult, but writing effectively requires skills. You have provided a fine check list.
Director of Product Development at Econsultancy
9:23PM on 29th October 2010
Thanks for the positive feedback. Glad the tips are useful.
Keep the ideas coming!
5:18PM on 1st November 2010
Very good useful tips here. I will add making your post scannable. The use of sub-headers, bullet points and paragraphs to make content more readable.
7:55PM on 1st November 2010
Your 23 useful rules are great. I just wish I had thought them up earlier, and as well and as witilly as you have.
1:00PM on 2nd November 2010
Great set of rules. They match very well the advice in my book on writing for the web, Letting Go of the Words -- Writing Web Content that Works. The theme of Letting Go is content as conversation.
Conversation should be a rule, not just an affliction. Definitely ok full stop. Some people still think of the internet as an open file cabinet or an online newsletter. Poor metaphors. Much better metaphor: internet as telephone; internet replacing phone calls.
I also wrote the book in conversational style. The publisher allowed me to follow your (our?) guidelines, so the book has an open format, useful headlines, full color, lots of example screenshots with callouts. If you want to check it out, you can download chapters 1 and 5 from http://redish.net/writingfortheweb/index.php/sample-chapters/.
2:42PM on 2nd November 2010
Nice post. Totally agree with keeping things pecise and also with the comment about making it scanable. I very rarely read every word in a post, I scan it to pull out the key points relevant to me.
4:20PM on 2nd November 2010
You had me at "Show a little leg." Actually, you had me well before that. Thank you, I will never forget the expression. In fact, I fully plan to steal it and use.
Uh-oh, you blinked. Consider it stolen.
Director of Product Development at Econsultancy
4:26PM on 2nd November 2010
@Lori - Consider it a gift. Thanks!
11:42PM on 2nd November 2010
hi great & useful article - thanks. Well, as I am not native English speaking, I am 'forced' to use Spellchecker cheers from Slovenia
8:43AM on 3rd November 2010
Nice work sir; a whole batch of, useful, inspired, advice that (or is it "which"?) command a place on my bookmarks list. Sincerely - nicely done!
(Was that too many commas?)
8-)
10:47AM on 4th November 2010
Hi Chris,
Good solid advice. One important and overlooked aspect of all [web] writing is of course the context. Blog posts will usually be "scanned", while in-depth reviews will be read more deeply. So I think you need to allow for this, and not oversimplify content too much, or make it too "easy" for the reader. We all have brains, and so occasionally we like to be challenged, provoked or stimulated. More thoughts and debate on content at www.contentetc.wordpress.com.
Keep it up Chris.
Creative Director at Foliovision
8:17PM on 4th November 2010
To follow up on your comment, Craig.
Context and target audience.
ArsTechnica is one group, Tom's Hardware is another as is PC Gamer.
The Economist is one group, Huffington Post another and Fox News something else altogether.
Director of Product Development at Econsultancy
12:21PM on 10th November 2010
@Craig - totally agree. Many newspapers tell journalists to "write for an intelligent 11-year old", but I think that's unsuitable for our audience. No need to use big words just for the hell of it. That said, we're dealing with relatively complicated subject matter so it is important to communicate it clearly. Knowing your audience (and not patronising them) is key.
9:46AM on 16th November 2010
Great post Chris - I wrote a piece some time ago titled: Are you writing for the web? And it pretty much covers most of what you've cited - but there were definitely a few more in yours - so thanks, I'll like that post to this post for reference to readers that find it via my blog. One piece of advice I received was to write the headline imagining that the user won’t even see the article. So the headline has to grab attention and totally tell the story.
9:48AM on 16th November 2010
Tell me Chris, what's the job spec for Director of Innovation at EConsultancy? sounds like a blast...;)
Director/Owner at Jack Media London Ltd
2:17PM on 16th November 2010
Really good advice. I like the one about changing the url on Wordpress after the draft! I write my own blog and I try and do most of what you mentioned though there are defo some good new suggestions that I will be trying out. I also like the bit about internal linking and making sure that you push readers to previous content, otherwise its can just be wasted which is such a shame.
7:56PM on 18th November 2010
A friend of mine sent this article to me. It's interesting. But some of your rules are pretty ridiculous.
No more than one comma per sentence? What about when you're writing about a series of things? What about the comedy of threes?
Wiggly margins? How did you come up with this? Breaking up your story with quotes and indents simply for the sake of not having everything flush left is crazy. It's much more important to break up your copy into simple, bite-size morsels. Long paragraphs scare away readers. Save the indents for when you actually need them.
Using bold copy in paragraphs? Bad idea. When people see copy that's a different colour or bolder than the rest of the copy, they're going to assume it's a link and try to click on it. Most hyperlinks these days are not underlined.
Granted, I don't write articles for the Web. But I do write for a living.
8:51PM on 18th November 2010
Thanks for this! I can't tell you how incredibly helpful posts like this are for newbs like me. I've started and abandoned so many blogs in my adult life, and I'm finally trying to start a serious one; so I'm reading as much info on how to do it well as possible. I defintely break the comma rule, going to have to address that! This is a quick and easy to understand post with a lot of important points. Much appreciated!
Director of Product Development at Econsultancy
11:53PM on 18th November 2010
@Smivey - The one comma rule came about having realised that writers often use two or more commas, when the sentence could be rearranged to include just one (or none). It's just about asking yourself whether you can a) lose a few words while b) saying the exact same thing.
You know:
...could be rewritten as:
No commas required, but you say the same thing. It's about going for punchier sentences. I break the one comma rule all of the time (and mentioned that it wasn't remotely set in stone).
The wiggly margins thing is a preference I have as a reader. I've got away without doing it in this post because I've used 23 sub-headers, but imagine it without those in place. It could look a bit repetitive. Totally agree with you about bite-sized morsels, but 23 three-line paragraphs in a neat full-width column layout might be overkill for many readers.
Without indents and formatting in play you have no anchor for the eye, and maybe it's that tiny bit harder to find your place if you glance away from the screen for a second. None of this is make or break, as far as the content goes, but I think it eases digestibility. It really depends on the type and length of the article.
This business about anchoring the eye is why I like the use of bold, as well as links (and once the reader sees a link coloured blue, I think they'll see what I'm trying to do with the bold thing).
11:59AM on 19th November 2010
Formating is more important especially for search engines. and too formatting the phrases with keywords is good to again search engines attention.
Simply formatted content which solves the visitor problem is the best web content, what do you say ?
Thanks.
2:14AM on 20th November 2010
Chris this is a fantastic post, not only for web writing, but for authors in general. All your tips apply to any kind of writing. I especially like the "check if I'm a dickhead" tip - it's all too easy to pontificate rather than share.
CEO at KODIME Ltd
10:17AM on 25th November 2010
Thank you Chris for this post, very useful.
Social Media Manager at Sisarina, Inc
1:11PM on 2nd December 2010
Great post! Nice to have all these points in one spot. I love your o=comment that bold is not caps locks' bastard child! I am also a big fan of using bold to highlight key terms for scanning. And Sub-Tiitles FTW iindeed!!!
1:04AM on 23rd December 2010
Has this been picked up yet: 'This is fairly new one.'?
Great post - I enjoyed it thanks!
12:57PM on 3rd January 2011
i HATE to agree with everything you've said but i fear you are right. as an academic cum blogger i've learned a thing or three on the way. the point we have in common, though, is writing the intro (and conclusion) last. cuz invariably, when you write the intro first, it doesnt "go" with the body. it's like putting earrings and lipstick on after you've chosen an outfit. it completes the look.
4:36PM on 26th January 2011
Thanks for the advice. This post answered a lot of the questions as I have been starting to blog. Especially information about paragraph length and your SEO Uplift Rule.
12:55PM on 23rd February 2011
The Awesome Adjectives rule - yeah. Contentious. I rarely click on articles that use awesome adjectives in their headline. Generally they are less informative and more opinionated than real information.
7:16AM on 21st August 2011
Jeepers Mr. Wizard, you make writing sound hard. If I hadn't been doing it for the last 15 years I doubt I'd start now.
(and I really want to go back and put a comma after "Jeepers")
Looking forward to the glorious day when the word "awesome" is outlawed.
Account Director at Freestyle Interactive Ltd
7:40AM on 30th October 2011
Very solid post Chris. Keen to start writing more for the agency blog so will keep this bookmarked. I find adding personality into my writing the biggest challenge, although this is completely the opposite when I'm actually speaking to someone...I know, I know - I can already hear you say 'practice makes perfect'.
Thanks.