The 7 Deadly Sins of Writing for the Web. 7 Quick Reasons Why No One Read Your Last Article
How Not to Be Read in 5 Minutes or Less
Turn around now if you don't like mirrors. Read further and you may see your own reflection. Dare you press on? You will learn something about yourself and your writing. You will learn how to get your article ignored. If you are honest, you will learn how to get read.This is not about keyword optimization. That gets your article indexed by the mindless search engines. Keywords have their place. This is about making a human being want to read your writing. Last time I checked, robots don't read.
Humans invented and survive on language. We need it. We love it. If we find reason to loathe it, we run from it. Here are the top 7 reasons why a breathing, literate human may pass by your article even after they've found it floating in the fluid space of the Internet.
The Title
This is where keywords play a part in getting your article seen. Search engines and humans alike want descriptive titles. "Fuzzy Bunnies" does nothing to make anyone look once, much less twice, at your article. "Raising Rabbits for Profit. Starting a Rabbit Farm for Less than $1000" is a laser beam to your intended audience. Rabbit farms are not everyone's cup of tea, but you are now going to draw the attention of your serious readers.
The Abstract
A well crafted, easy to read paragraph is crucial. It should highlight the main theme of the article and entice the reader. Think of it as your article's resume. If it gets the reader's attention, they are likely to "hire" your article.
Short, pithy sentence are not going to get your foot in the door. "A funny look at milkshakes," will lose eyeballs faster than nickels in a slot machine. Better to go with, "Find out why milkshakes are taking over the world, controlling the weather and may elect the next President of the United States." That may pique someone's curiosity just enough to make their finger fall on the mouse button.
Paragraph One
This is Writing 101. The first paragraph should not only grab the reader's attention, but draw them down to the next. Compel these humans to read your article by whatever means necessary. Shock them. Taunt them. Tell them this article will change their life.
- Note: The author has embedded no links in the body of this article.
Comments
I'm still trying to figure out the "spike" in readership to over 4,000 hits ("Golden Globe" article) on 1/17, when the daily average (over past 10 days) is 269. Also, trying to figure out why my article about Oscar snubs is just laying there in the queue like a dead weasel, at a time when the Oscars are a hot topic. Good article, Mr. Barefoot. If you need some shoes, I am the Imelda Marcos of the U.S.
I thought this was good advice. Every little bit helps. Thanks.
RE-READ THIS ARTICLE (msg to author)
Wonderful, informative article, Barefoot. Many Thanks for the tips.
thanks for the great tips. Slowly but surely I'm learning.
thanks mr barefoot... i am just new in AC and am trying to learn more. i've been reminded of some mistakes i had in writing on web. keep on going mr. barefoot... :)
Great advice. I can see a couple of mistakes I've been making! Now I know.
I agree with the rule of using "and." It's easy to overuse that one!
This article is definatly going in my save file. Slow and steady wins the race. Thanks
I am also new, which explains why I would be reading this guide. Without your help, this comment would have been written in one long sentence with a comma after guide and an "and" in between. Already I have a new tool in my writing kit!
Thank you for telling me that I am already an expert on the articles I present. Without this sage bit of empowerment, I probably would have started my next posting with "If you are like me, you might find this interesting. Thank you!
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