- Use the slang of the niche you’re addressing to
If you target a particularly narrow audience, make sure you know the buzzwords of the industry. Do your homework and let your readers know that you know what you’re talking about. This will help you (in time) convince them that you are an expert in the field, and you will get more credibility, together, of course, with an increase in traffic.
- Mind your grammar and spelling
There are no little things on the Web more repelling than bad grammar and spelling. Nobody
trusts a Web site where misspellings and grammar mistakes are frequent. It influences credibility in a negative manner, and it is only you who will have to lose.
- Use short sentences and paragraphs
Again, taking into account the short attention span of the Web users, you shouldn’t indulge yourself in long, elaborate phrases and in endless paragraphs. Make sure that your paragraphs are no longer than 5 lines, and that you keep your sentences short and to the point.
Remember that headlines are good “bait” for both search engine spiders and readers. Catchy
headlines that contain keywords should never miss.
Rather than purchasing articles and spending a lot of time trying to rewrite them and to adapt them to your needs, go for originality. This is a sure way to avoid duplicate content. Also, if your texts are genuine, you will most certainly gain notoriety and respect. Nothing beats the “fresh” feel of an article.
- Use appropriate, effective keywords
Keywords are as important as ever in such cases. They show your readers that they are reading something they are interested in, and you provide “food” for search engine spiders.
- Let your readers know that there is a person behind all those words
Be yourself. Be natural. Put a little of your personality in what you’re writing. Of course, you should know where you must draw the line.
- Use language that is easily understood by the target readers
There is no need for complicated turns of phrase and words. Keep in mind that not all Web users are college graduates. Everyday language is best. It doesn’t create confusion, and allows you to express yourself more freely.
OK, so you decided to write articles that you will later submit to directories and Web sites. Although this is a quite pleasant and rewarding task, keep in mind that it is not particularly easy, but not very hard either. You just need to remain focused and pay attention to several aspects. Above all, remember the following:
Do a little research; see what’s of interest. Write on topics that are closely related to your business. Try to reach your niche customers by offering them the exact information that they need.
- Don’t write extensively long articles
Keep in mind that the attention span of the Web user is significantly smaller than the attention span of a regular book reader. If you get boring, you lose your audience.
- Don’t write very short articles
Short articles can’t offer too much information. Web users will penalize scarcity of information by taking the most drastic measure: they simply click the much-dreaded X button on the upper right of a window.
