When people search for information they search by keyword, and when search engines catalog your website, they rank it according to keyword. Therefore, if you want to have a successful website, you must focus your writing around keywords.

Writing for a website is different from any other kind of writing. You might be an excellent journalist, novelist, or academic writer, but all the rules change when it comes to writing for websites.

Two reasons for making your website writing clear, concise, and simple:

1. People who surf the Web are usually trying to find information quickly. They don’t want to spend a lot of time trying to find what they’re looking for, and they won’t spend a lot of time on your website if you don’t get to the point.

2. Reading online is about 25% slower than reading from a book. So not only are people scanning your writing to find the information they want – their reading is slower than usual.

TIPS

• Pick your keywords before you start.
• Put a title on every page.
• Break up your writing with sub-headlines.
• Keep your paragraphs short.
• Use lots of white space.
• Use bullets and numbered lists.
• Keep important information “above the fold” by putting key information on the top part of the screen.
• Keep your writing conversational.