Content Style Suggestions, Guidelines for Great Web Copy
Add some style to your (content) substance.
[This is part of the Developing Great Blog Content Series.]
If we’re spending so much time on making your blog content the best that it can be we must talk briefly about styling your copy and content in the best way possible. What I’m talking about specifically is creating an explicit Style Guideline for your content or at least having one internally memorized.
Now, to be sure, I’m not a perfect example and I like the freedom to change the way that I write and present the content but there are a handful of points that you’ll want to always consider when writing great web copy for your readers.
Here are a few things to consider when you write your content so that it’s impact is the best and your readership is the highest.
7 Core Considerations When Writing:
When you write great web content and copy you’ll want to always consider these elements when writing:
- Writing for Web – The simple fact is that writing for the web is dramatically different than copy for print material, books, magazines, and other physical mediums. There’s a culture and nuance to doing it well, besides the fact that it’s more more responsive, interactive, and diverse. Copying and pasting book content into a blog post just doesn’t work and you know this intuitively!
- Audience – Knowing your audience is something that requires intentionality; you might think you know your audience but what I’ve discovered is that it requires explicit thinking and critical analysis. Knowing how they read web copy and content will inform how you will write your content.
- Scanning – Write your content so that it’s easily scannable. You see, we have all developed a propensity to scan content rather than read it all, line-by-line (or at least at first). If your content is not easily scannable then your reader might simply pass over great content without knowing it! Capture their attention with good content and copy styling!
- Simple and Concise – Make sure that you speak plainly and simply with your writing for the web. Your goal isn’t to impress your readers with your expansive vocabulary or to purposely confuse them with rarely-used language – your goal is to have your readers read with understanding! Don’t overdo it! And make your content concise and targeted – if it takes you only one sentence to get a point across then don’t write two!
- Avoid Hype – It’s way too easy to write in such a way that makes everything “super important” and exaggerated. Stay away from that type of language. And especially stay away from boasting in yourself, your products, services, and content. There’s no need to prove anything to your readers, and besides, you don’t do that in real life conversations, right?
- Focus – Always remember that your goal is to write according to your blog’s focus. Don’t veer from these things and you’ll find your writing much easier and more effective.
- Consistency – Whatever you do make sure that you’re ultimately consistent with it! This makes all the difference!
Now on to some practical things that you should consider when actually writing!
Even more style for your substance? For sure...!
Style Suggestions for Your Blog Content:
Here are some particular things that should be in the forefront of your mind as you write. Everyone will have a different style (considering the top seven core considerations above) but there are some basics here as well:
- Spelling and Grammar – Make sure that you’re consistent with your spelling and grammar. Edit your work and even get someone else to review it! Do you follow US spelling? Do you spell the word color or colour? Optimize or optimise?
- Standard Words – Do you always capitalize certain words? JavaScript or javascript? Web design or Web Design? eMail or email or Email? Home Page or homepage? Just be consistent!
- Heading Formats – What format (size) do you use for headings and sub-headings? What is your requirement for those actual titles? Do you capitalize the first letter in every word or just the first word? For example, I use <h3> for headings within the blog post and <strong> or <h4> for sub-headings. I try to capitalize every word in <h3> headings within reason and just the first word in <h4> or <strong> headings.
- Numbers – Do you spell out the numbers? Do you use digits? Do you spell out “one” through “nine” and then use digits after the number 10? I typically am flexible with these but I try to stay as consistent as possible.
- Linking – Do you link appropriately and consistently? Do you link directly within posts or outside? Make sure to review this post here about linking as this applies to your content style!
- Names – Do you always use first and last name when mentioning a person? Do you use both for the first time that you mention and then first (or last) for subsequent mentions? I typically try to do full name on the first mention and then first name on mentions after that.
- Punctuation – Do you put periods and commas inside or outside? Do you care? It’s good practice grammatically to put them inside double quotation marks and outside single quotation marks, e.g. I love ‘blogging’. We all love “blogging.”
- Quotes – Do you use single or double quotation marks for quotes? You should use a single quotation mark for quotes within quotes, e.g. “TentBlogger is a ‘professional blogger’.” Or do you always “pull” the quote out by using the Blockquote feature in WordPress?
- Commas – Do you use commas in serial or do you leave it out after the ‘and’? For example: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging. I flip-flop here but it’s better practice to leave out the last comma. Also remember numbers to use a comma after any value over 999, like 9,999.
- Dashes – How do you use dashes? Do you use it to grab attention or make a point?
- Bold, Italics – How often to you use bold text? It’s good practice to only use it for very important words and only one time per paragraph. For a more tonal emphasis and focus you should use the italics in your copy.
- Code – Do you have a styling for your code snippets? Most people just use the <code> attribute for inline code call-outs but some people use plugins to give it more style.
- Images – I have a complete post on using images here but you should always be consistent in size and scale. Make sure they are of high-quality and use screenshots that are high fidelity. Make sure to optimize them as well. Do you use captions? Make sure you define that use as well.
These are just some of the more basic elements of good copywriting for the web and this should provide you a great place to start.
Of course, you could probably refer to someone like Michael Hyatt for even better (and more specific) writing techniques and styles!
[This is part of the Developing Great Blog Content Series. Image via Joel.]
I do write in a consistent way. I also try to publish in a consistent manner. While I don’t have a true schedule for my posts etc, I write devotions Mon-Weds, Thurs is my “Dear Mel” advice column, Friday is usually a fun day, Saturday is my “Saturday Morning Confessions” which is just a silly series but one folks seem to enjoy. Sunday, I don’t post because it’s Sunday and I write a Christian site.
I must say,grammar is very important! I won’t finish reading an article, even if it’s good content, if the grammar hangs me up! My brain just can’t handle it
Blessings,
Mel
Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
i’m not a grammar nazi, that’s for sure… mine is riddled with broken stuff… but i try!
Great post, John. One of the things we are seeing in Book Pub World is that people now expect books to read like blogs. (Seth Godin is a great example of this.) The good news is that if you can learn to write for the web, you can probably be successful as a book author.
That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about that – but you’re right.
I think like you Mr. Hyatt – eventually we are all going to be paperless and use our portable devices, readers to do everything from email to reading books, paying our bills, etc. So, I believe that the new generation of readers will not want to pickup a book in the next 6 months or even less…
I’m learning how to write for my audience. I believe is a challenge we should all go thru in our life time.
i’m going to try to get my daughter to love paper books…
Agree – my son has 2 full bookcases of books! Believe me, he loves them as well. But on his kindle, that’s another story. More space for books, he can share quickly, lend a book to a friend, get a new book in seconds… And it’s GREEN!
oh. so green!
LOL!
http://tentblogger.com/evergreen
oh, that’s a good one.
this is definitely true!
that is REALLY interesting…
Great post.
Unfortunately, I might think that ‘scanners’ are scanning primarily because writers are writing in the manner that encourages it.
I’m not really sure how you would go about changing that cycle, but it still seems to be one that grows mostly through the writers approach.
ah. interesting point. circle of death…?
Ya, that’s probably a good way of putting it. If the content was interesting and enjoyable to read (as well as good), then readers wouldn’t care to scan.
Just a thought
i think it’s a good one. making me think…
I should write a post on it someday…in fact I think I will. Let me know any thoughts you come up with
oh please do. i’ll read it!
Great stuff, this is definitely an article worth reading and not just scanning! I am also sending this to some friends who are new bloggers. Thanks!
thanks craig!
Great post, John!
word up! great post yourself on mag!
Great stuff! How do you add the small text right under the photos like you do?
that’s just a caption text.
Oh so when it asks to caption it, you just put that in?
yeah. in your image settings.
Great post, John. I use many of the examples you have listed, but I’m not sure how consistent I am from post to post. It sounds like we need to make up our own blogging style guide. I tend to use bolding, italics and underlining to emphasize text throughout my posts. Is there one of those that is better to use than the others? I tend to go for effect and visual appeal, but I’ve always wondered about the SEO ramifications. How about heading size? Do large sizes have more weight in SEO?
yes, these can impact SEO. for example, if everything was
tag then search engines might be confused as to which one is more important. there are some disagreements about how google indexes and values these but good form is important.
Consistency is incredibly important. It’s kinda frustrating, but there’s a lot of times where there’s not one correct way to do things. Like for instance you could say
Mr. Jones’s book
or
Mr. Jones’ book
Both are correct. But consistency is the key.
Actually the first one is correct. The last one is not…
I do get your point though. Just wanted to point out grammar!
this is true!
True statement, but actually only the first example of Mr. Jones is correct…
I’ll have to check
Doesn’t really matter cause I do the first way anyway. 
I might have just started a grammar war!
#winning.
You are right Brandon… the first way is correct, unless Mr. Jones is a historical figure like Moses
Then it would be Moses’
Grammar war over
Interesting post and good reminders. However, your tips would probably be strengthened if you chose a style guide to follow and worked from there. Choosing a blog style “freestyle” is a sure-fire way to forget the rules and Lise consistency.
this is a good point. i tried to provide some guidelines with my suggestions as well.
Great post John… I look at this the same way as music, when you are learning a new “style” you try to get yourself the most that you can listen on that style and try to imitate.
So, same be it with writing. I’m trying to find the writers/bloggers I like the most, and try to imitate what they do. The process will unveil itself and soon one starts adding his own personal touch!
sweet! that’s a great way to look at it for sure.
I’m thinking that all this comes more naturally to some people than others. Infind that I can’t help but be a bit paranoid with consistency of title capitalization and headings etc. So for me the trick is in not spending too much time on editing after writing. After all, that post ain’t going to publish itself, I have to call it done before I’ve invested way too much time on it.
Which begs the question; do you write and then edit? Or edit as you write?
I sometimes try to write as fast as possible, or even use an audio note on Evernote not to loose my idea and train of thought! I’ll come back and edit away adding links, images and video if needed! I guess we all need to find a way – sort of a recipe of how we edit and post!
I’m finding that I have content, but like you – not enough time to edit and post! I’ll be scheduling some 15 to 30 minutes a day for editing and posting daily and not for writing… Will see how that goes.
love this! i do the same!
i write… then edit.
It never hurts to have a reference for those tricky grammar and punctuation situations.
I’ve always used The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X
It is a great reference no matter what sort of content that you are writing.
dude, this is great!
Great info. As a pro web writer, I highly recommend that anyone interested in learning more (and getting some great usability advice) read Ginny Redish’s book, Letting Go of the Words.
Steve Krug’s books (Don’t Make Me Think and Rocket Surgery Made Easy) also talk quite a bit about writing for the web. I also really like the Yahoo! Style Guide.
When you write for the web, always be thinking about what you want the reader to do as a result of reading your post. Then, make it easy for them!
Thanks for the great post.
i have don’t make me think but haven’t checked out surgery… will do!
This is a great post John! Thanks for the food for thought. This is especially important for me to remember as I’m building the main posts for my travel blog. I think it’s easier to be consistent when you start out that way. I’m definitely forward this to some blogging friends!
thanks kristin! appreciate the shares!
This is an excellent post. To your point about sticking with the focus of the blog…many blogs that I have read have guest posts that completely miss the “tone” of the rest of the blog.
For instance my wife and I are both bloggers. Her focus and audience are much different than mine. Thus, my posts are much different than when I write for my own blog.
This has two important applications for us. First, as guest bloggers we owe it to our “host” to know the tone of the blog for which we are writing. Second, as host bloggers, we owe it to our readers to ensure that consistency is achieved when guest write for us.
sweet!
btw… which blog gets more traffic? yours or your wife’s?
My wife’s. It just goes to show there are a lot of people out there with good taste!
I was just starting to strategically think about this last week. Thanks for the pointers!
sure thing eric!
Why H3 and not H2 subheads? Does this affect SEO?
generally it’s underestood that h1-h6 are given more weight by search engines. with standard theme we actually make the title of the post the h1 (many themes do not). we give priority there.
i like my headings but i don’t want to give them an h2 tag as close to the title tag h1.
why not? doesn’t jumping from h1 to h3 mess with SEO? or does it just not matter that much?
no, not a problem. but using h2 multiple times in your post isn’t good.
why? and how many times is too many? (sorry for the badgering.)
up to 3 is a personal rule. 3 major sections if i do. otherwise i stay away from them.