You need to adapt your writing style to fit the medium. Web writing poses different challenges than writing for print media. When readers are looking at content on the web, they have so much information before them that you need to work to catch and keep their attention.
Readers also have more opportunities to click away from your article. Most are looking for specific information, and if they don't find it at a glance, they can easily click to see a different article.
With this in mind, here are 10 tips for writing web-friendly articles.
1. Create a title that is short and to the point
Your readers will be scanning long lists of article titles, so your article title needs to catch their attention immediately. Avoid long titles and clever puns or metaphors. Your article title should tell exactly what your article is about.
2. Get to the point quickly
Remember, people will be scanning your articles, so it's important to get into the meat of your topic early on. Rambling and long storytelling can lose an internet reader's attention. From the first sentence of your article, launch directly into your topic.
3. Limit your word count
A good word count goal is 400-800 words. A word count goal you will help you keep on topic and not ramble on endlessly.
4. Keep your paragraphs short
Reading from a computer screen is a challenge, so anything you can do to make your article easy on the eyes is a benefit. Shorter paragraphs allow the reader's eyes to rest and encourage them to keep on reading. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence. Organize your article's paragraphs so that there is a lot of breathing room in between each idea.
5. Use sub-headings to break up your article into sections
Sub-headings are like road signs that instantly alert the reader to where they are in your article. Sub-headings separate different main topics within your article, and each sub-heading should clearly stand apart from the rest of the text. You can make your sub-heading stand out by having all capital letters, or by putting a star or arrow in front of the sub-heading.
6. If possible, include list items
Lists are hugely popular on the internet, probably because they are easy to skim. Popular types of list articles are Top Tips articles such as this article, and How To articles.
7. Limit your links
It's fine to share a link in your article every once in a while if absolutely necessary, but keep in mind that excessive linking in an article is distracting. Really, you want the main link clicking to be the link in your resource box.
8. Keep your links after the fold
If you must include a link in your article body, keep it after the fold. Most computer monitors cannot show an entire web page there is a point on the page when the reader will have to manually scroll down to see the rest of your article. That point is called the fold. By keeping your links away from the first half of your article, you will give your readers a chance to get interested in your article before clicking away. There are also some publishers who require that all links be kept after the fold after the first 3 or so paragraphs.
9. Leave something to the imagination
Don't feel pressured to include every last bit of your knowledge in an article. Respect your word count goals and leave the reader wanting more. You can provide an excellent amount of value in an article without telling every last thing about your topic. Your article should whet your reader's appetite for your topic, and then they can click the link in your resource box for more info.
10. Edit relentlessly
Put your article away for a few days and then look at it again with fresh eyes. Remove any sentences paragraphs that are not absolutely necessary. Each sentence should provide value and serve a purpose.
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