Writing Effective Blog Posts

Making Your Blog Work for Users

By Haley Nelson, Web content writer, Web Content Company

Millions of people who write blogs are not familiar with basic Web content writing practices. Employing some of these simple techniques can make a blog more usable for visitors and better optimized for search engines.

A wealth of information is available regarding how people read on the Web. Any blog writer can implement simple practices learned through usability studies and other Web content research. Here are some easy tips to get you started:

Stick to one topic

Chances are, your blog visitors come to your site for information on a certain topic: Fashion, current events, politics, cooking.
Try: Limiting your writing to one focus area. By doing so, you will better establish yourself as an expert in that area.

Less is more

In the world of Web content, less is truly more. Research shows that Web readers don't actually read, but rather scan.
Try: Since your readers probably won't read long paragraphs, accommodate them by keeping your blog posts short and to-the-point.

Headings, bullet points, and tabled information

Readers of the Web tend to skip around a page and "grab" content in bits and pieces.
Try: Implementing bulleted lists, headings, and tabled information. By doing so, you will write in a way that accommodates how Web users read.

Add visual elements

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. Web users love photos and videos. Implementing these in your blog will provide a multi-sensory experience for your users.
Try: Embedding YouTube videos onto your blog. Simply copy and paste the "embed" coding found under the "category" and "tags" information from a YouTube video page.

Update frequently

Nothing is worse than visiting a Web page or blog that hasn't been updated for months or years - or one that has a permanent "under construction" graphic.
Try: Commiting to daily posts, or at the minimum, weekly. This will give your users incentive to come back to your blog to see what's new.

Get a logo

If you are serious about blogging, your site has to look professional.
Try: Working with a designer to come up with a logo that effectively brands your site.

Do your own research. There is a wealth of information available on the Web to help you improve your blog. A simple search like "Web content writing tips" can get you started.
Check out your competition. No matter what you're blogging about, chances are someone else is blogging about the same thing. Visit other people's blogs to get ideas.