Compelling Articles Make Great Web Copy, by S. Housley

Articles are excellent tools to generate web traffic and product interest. Writing articles, may sound easy enough, but it is important that you write the proper types of articles to attract interested readers. Follow these simple steps to create compelling and interesting content.

Compelling Titles
Think of article titles as news headlines. They must strike a chord with the reader and encourage them to read on. Article titles are the writer's opportunity to grab the casual web browsers interest. Consider using a play on words or slightly modifying a common phrase to make the reader pause. Use a provocative title. Consider making the the title a question, and the article the answer. Questions are particularly useful as an article title because readers are naturally curious and will be enticed to read more. Titles can also be calls to action.

While it is important that titles be compelling, they should also not lead the reader astray. The title should relate to the general subject of the article.

The first letter of each word in the article title should be capitalized for emphasis. Articles should not only be thought of as educational tools, but also a benefit to your search engine ranking. With that in mind authors should include relevant keywords in the articles title.

Examples of compelling titles:
Content is Queen
What Are The Newest Technology Trends?
Learn The Secret To Windsurfing

Types of Articles
Articles that are timeless have the longest shelf life. Consider "How-to" articles or instructional articles that explain common questions in simple terms. Authors should always keep in mind that the types of articles that tend to be the best received contain useful original content.

Articles that are portrayed as educational articles should not be infomercials, but should contain objective information and tips that will genuinely assist readers.

Keep It Real
People will not be impressed by complex sentences that make little sense. Readers are looking for relevant information. Focus on topics that allow you to provide concrete helpful information.

Article Length
The ideal length for articles that are to be syndicated is between 600 and 800 words. If you have some content that is considerably longer, break it into a two-part article.

Proof Read
Articles that are embraced by publishers are well-written. Like it or not, grammar and punctuation do matter. The quality of your writing will impact how the content is received. Double and triple check for typographical errors and incorrect grammar usage. Edit each article for spelling and grammatical errors. Typos reflect poorly on the author. Regardless of whether the information contained in the article is accurate, articles that are poorly formatted or include spelling errors, will be quickly discarded.

Article Formatting
The article should be written in such a way that it can easily be broken into small paragraphs, making it easy for readers to skim. Small paragraphs will also increase the article's overall readability. Each paragraph can include a mini-keyword rich title that will highlight the information contained within that paragraph. A bulleted list, highlighting important points, is another way to draw attention to a specific section of an article.

Archive Articles
All articles should be archived onto a stable and persistent webpage. Each article should have it's own page, and the page should be optimized for keywords related to the contents of the article.

Resource Box
Use the author resource box to show expertise in a specific area. The author resource box should include the article author's name, company, web address and any call to action items that relate to the article contents.



About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company