How to Write Content for Online Readers
Online content is different from their printed counterparts, and Internet users have distinct reading habits from readers of printed materials.
Internet readers have shorter attention spans than readers of printed content. It doesn’t take much time for them to switch to a different site should they find that the content is not compelling enough. The web has a different set of rules to meet the expectations of website visitors.
Here are seven tips to help you write content for your online readers:
1. Write captivating titles
Captivating titles are the ones that arouse reader curiosity. These will make them stop to read a few lines in your first paragraph. You should be sure to let your reader know that your article intends to fulfill that promise. This will make them read a lot more.
2. Write scannable content
Scannability is one of the most important features that online content should have. It is a good way to present quick information to your visitor without having them read through your entire article.
Make your content scannable by providing it with subheadings and bullet lists for important points. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and compact. These will help to keep your readers read on to the other points.
You should repurpose printed content when you publish it online. Make them scannable by creating subheadings and bullet lists to make it interesting to your visitors.
3. Present information like an inverted pyramid.
One of the best ways to present information online is to state it like a journalist does. The vital questions that need to be answered in journalistic writing are who, what, when, where and why. You should present it like an inverted pyramid. This means that you have to tell your readers what they should know before you give the details. Just be sure to produce a high quality, highly informative article for your target audience.
4. Optimize your content
Content is intended to attract visitors and you cannot make it serve its purpose if you don’t optimize it for the search engines. You can optimize your content by infusing keywords in the title, the first and last paragraph and somewhere in the body of your article. You also need to use keywords for your anchor text to make your content more search engine friendly, and if your article has a resource box, you should also mention your keyword in it.
5. Link to other sites for related information
Linking to other websites for related information is an effective way of establishing your credibility. It helps to build your reputation in the search engines and create a relationship with related sites.