Writing for the web is completely different to writing for print. Studies have shown that most visitors to an article scan it it as opposed to reading the entire piece in detail.

Did you notice the duplicate ‘it’ in that last sentence? That is because you are used to scanning text rather than reading it.

Many content creators fall into the trap of thinking that they must write their content like a University Essay. However, the style and format that you use to create articles should be easy to read if you want to visitors to quickly understand the purpose.

Below we have written a simple list of habits you should implement when creating content for your smartsite.

 

1. Treat your visitors like it’s the first time they’ve viewed your website

When someone is visiting your website they are most likely looking for information. You need to make your smartsite layout as simple as possible so that your visitors are able to get to where they need to be as quickly as possible.

This is why we recommend putting your news feed near the top of your homepage. First time visitors will be able to find the most recent and relevant information quickly.

Hint: Use this shortcode to display your latest news anywhere on your new theme smartsite:

[latest-news category="front-page-news"]


2. Place your most important information first

The internet is by far the best way to access information. It’s quick and accessible from everywhere. This is why you should put the most important information at the top of your articles.

When writing an essay it’s expected that you would first of all, present what you are going to discuss, then the information, then draw a conclusion. This is appropriate for academia but not what is best for visitors to your website. Website visitors tend to know what they are looking for and shouldn’t have to scan through hundreds of words to find the appropriate content.

Put your most important information first in order to get happy visitors which will lead to more sharing, traffic and a higher ranked website. If you need to quickly alert your visitors check out our guide here https://goo.gl/iTGfui


3. Share your information as simply as possible

Web page content should be obvious. Writing thought provoking pages with flairs of idioms and ambiguous statements can lead to confusion and unhappy visitors. People hunting for information want the facts, not your need to write long and complicated sentences.

Write as if you are writing for a ten year old and be careful with jokes as some people may not get your sense of humour.

Make your sentences and paragraphs short, avoid jargon and repetition and address your writers directly.

Having an extensive vocabulary is great but it’s rare that people search for terms using uncommon words. If you want to rank highly in search engines your best bet is to litter your text with common phrases and text. Make your page content clearly match the title of the page to get better search results from your smartsite search and from other search engines.

This will make your texts a breeze to read.


4. Make A Visual Impression

Images are as important as your text. They can break up the chore of reading and make your pages more visitor friendly. We would suggest that you use an image every 300-500 words.

Wrap text around your image by clicking the button in the below screenshot.

Featured images also add impact to your page. Follow our guide on the link below to see how to add them to your posts and pages https://goo.gl/S7psV2

 

 

Thanks for reading our top 5 tips on how to create content that is user and SEO friendly.

Make sure you check our knowledge base regularly at https://goo.gl/CkXXwYfor more help in making your school website the best it’s ever been.