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J3800 l4 writing for the web

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This document provides an overview of search engine optimization (SEO) and writing for the web. It discusses how search engines work and the key factors they consider, such as relevant content, user traffic, metadata, URLs, and hyperlinks. The document also offers tips for writers, such as understanding the audience, integrating keywords, building site architecture, and regularly updating content. Writers are advised to write for both search engines and humans, and to tailor their writing for different devices and platforms.

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JN2053 and JN3800 WRITING FOR THE WEB
Textual information flow INFORMATION FLOW  D
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 befound?  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? Robots and spiders Modomatic
Google Penguins V2.1
What factors are search engines interested in…? Search engines closely guard their algorithms, and many give different values to certain variables, but a few standard factors can be indentified…  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
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
 Stories:          Images     Platform-specific Self-generated text Polls Shared posts and ReTweets Curated groups Direct communication Mobile content   Titles Descriptions Social Media        Titles Descriptions Tags Comments Videos    Titles Descriptions Tags Audio      Headlines Alternative headlines Body text Excerpts Meta-text URLs Categories Tags Style and approach Visualisation tool   Word cloud Infographics Multiplicity of text #2
Platforms: consider the form . in the beginning was the word . in thi beginning was thiwurd in thibeginnin was thiwurd in thibiginnin was thiwurd in thibiginninwuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd Nthibiginninwuzthiwurd . in the beginning was the sound . Tom Leonard
Considerations: Style and Tone Who are you writing for and why?
J3800 l4 writing for the web
Mobile
Curate: make the web work for you  Storify  Twitter Lists  Facebook Groups  LinkedIn Groups  Flickr Groups  Pinterest
J3800 l4 writing for the web
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  JD Hancock Tagged!  Today is a good day Condensation 1  Terry Hancock www.downunderobservatory.comM33 (NGC 598) The Triangulum Galaxy LRGB=HA  the justified sinner WWF Knitwear  Silly Little Man Pigeon Takeaway  renaissancechambaraPersonalisation  Seventh Continent King Penguin  Charlie Barker Write One Word Over and Over

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J3800 l4 writing for the web

  • 4. Today: Multiplicity of text  41 bn web pages - maybe  But the internet is infinite  Question: How does your content stand out?  Can it befound?  How do search engines function?  What perspectives are there on writing for the web?
  • 6. 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
  • 7. So, how do search engines work? Robots and spiders Modomatic
  • 9. What factors are search engines interested in…? Search engines closely guard their algorithms, and many give different values to certain variables, but a few standard factors can be indentified…  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
  • 11. LESSON: Tell the web what your content is
  • 12. WRITING FOR SERPS: Search engine results page(s)
  • 13. Heat maps – where search meets humanity in the shape of an F
  • 15. 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 ….
  • 16. 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
  • 17. It’s all gone a bit Meta  Tagging  Categorisation  URLs  SEO headline  Excerpt  Author
  • 18.  Stories:          Images     Platform-specific Self-generated text Polls Shared posts and ReTweets Curated groups Direct communication Mobile content   Titles Descriptions Social Media        Titles Descriptions Tags Comments Videos    Titles Descriptions Tags Audio      Headlines Alternative headlines Body text Excerpts Meta-text URLs Categories Tags Style and approach Visualisation tool   Word cloud Infographics Multiplicity of text #2
  • 19. Platforms: consider the form . in the beginning was the word . in thi beginning was thiwurd in thibeginnin was thiwurd in thibiginnin was thiwurd in thibiginninwuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd Nthibiginninwuzthiwurd . in the beginning was the sound . Tom Leonard
  • 20. Considerations: Style and Tone Who are you writing for and why?
  • 23. Curate: make the web work for you  Storify  Twitter Lists  Facebook Groups  LinkedIn Groups  Flickr Groups  Pinterest
  • 25. 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
  • 26. Resources  Media Briefing: Why Newspapers are writing the wrong articles for the web  Malcom Coles on SEO  Econsultancy SEO  SEOMoz
  • 27. flickr  Nathan Harper Light Lines  JD Hancock Tagged!  Today is a good day Condensation 1  Terry Hancock www.downunderobservatory.comM33 (NGC 598) The Triangulum Galaxy LRGB=HA  the justified sinner WWF Knitwear  Silly Little Man Pigeon Takeaway  renaissancechambaraPersonalisation  Seventh Continent King Penguin  Charlie Barker Write One Word Over and Over