How to Write Web Articles that Get Read, Part 1.

Writing articles for the web is a great way to promote your website, showcase your expertise, and create a group of loyal readers (over time, if your information is good, readers will likely become customers or referral sources). Plus, if you have aspirations for monetizing your blog or website, articles are a great way to build traffic.

Writing for the web is different than writing for a print publication. Your audience on the web wants information or advice: they aren’t flipping through a magazine and reading an article that happened to look interesting. Web readers are using search engines to seek out specific answers to their questions. They want this information quickly, in a format that’s easy to digest.

If you want to make an impression with your online articles, try these tips:

Be relevant.

Where you publish your article is key to your success as an article writer. If I wrote an article about grooming a Golden Retriever, for instance, I wouldn’t post it in Biznik or other business-related websites. However, this type of article would be perfect on a blog for Golden Retriever owners. 

When you’re writing an article, keep your reading audience in mind. Ask yourself the following questions:

-Who is going to read my article? 

-Who will my article help?

-What websites will my reader likely visit?

-What blogs would my reader find helpful?

-Which e-newsletters would a reader subscribe to?

-What keywords would my reader use to search for this type of information? (A reader for the article I described above might search “golden retriever grooming.”)

After you’ve answered the questions, do a basic search using the keywords you brainstormed to find websites that meet your criteria. Try a blog search engine like Technorati to find blogs that relate to your topic and offer to be a guest writer. Use an Ezine database like BestEzines.com to locate email newsletters that already reach your target audience. If you can’t find a place to publish, consider starting your own blog or newsletter. 

Now that you know who you’re writing for and where you might publish, you can set about writing a helpful, information packed article. Stay tuned for upcoming posts: more tips to come!