Opinions vary considerably regarding the “perfect” length for website content. You know, that magical number of words which will guarantee the search engines will love your content, indexing it promptly and moving it up quickly in the rankings. The most recent comments out there seem to go with the idea that either 500 or 1000 words will get you noticed , but experts believe the “ideal” length of a web article is anywhere from 400 to 1200 words, depending on your subject matter. EzineArticles.com believes that 400-750 words are the “ideal” number to shoot for, with keywords judiciously placed every 75-100 words. While there really is no magic number there are several factors to consider when writing your web content in regards to the length.
Keeping it Short and Concise
First, always remember when writing for the web that web users scan and seldom read anything word-for-word. In fact, studies show that nearly 80% of all web readers scan a page quickly, deciding within ten seconds or less whether to continue reading or exit and look for a more informative article. With this fact uppermost in your mind, organize your page content in the most logical manner to make it easier to scan. Also, with ease of scanning in mind, keep your sentences and paragraphs much shorter than you would for a print source, concentrating one main idea in each paragraph. No matter what you are writing, ask yourself what your user will gain from taking the time to read your article. Is there something you want them to do after reading the article, or what purpose does the article hope to accomplish? Your headings are of utmost importance—they must entice the reader by immediately communicating the content of the
Earn the Trust of Your Readers
Back in the early days of the web anyone who had a .com domain and a pretty website were automatically considered trustworthy, and the web owners were required to put little effort into showing why they are the best solution to the user’s problems. Today, blogging is much more about building relationships with visitors meaning the author must let readers know there is a real person behind the content. If you are working on your own site, include an “About” page and make it clearly visible.
A picture is a nice touch to give readers the sense that they are not dealing with a phantom site rather there is a real person behind the service or product. If you are writing for others, you might suggest they include an “About” page which makes them approachable to their clients or readers. Make the leap to social media; Facebook and Twitter can bring lots of benefits to your site if they are utilized properly. Another great way to build trust with your readers is to always answer questions and e-mails promptly and possibly even to offer regular question and answer sessions—in other words offer your services for free every now and then to get and keep loyal visitors.
Remember the Mechanics of Reading from a Computer Screen
Reading from a computer screen or handheld device is at least 25% slower than reading from a paper source. You want your content to be digested and understood quickly and the best way to accomplish this is through the overall structure of your content. Always place the most important information—the primary fact you want your visitors to take away—near the top. Once you’ve written your content, go back and edit ruthlessly, omitting any unnecessary words to create a lean, highly informative article. The truth is, the exact word count is much less important than how those words are used, so make sure every single word counts.
Tags: Lawyer Website Content
