By http://www.spotaleopard.com/2013/01/forgive-them-father-for-they-have.html
We all make mistakes, and some people are doing it again and again, wasting time, money, and effort. The article writing world is littered with these offenders who are given too much freedom that somebody should put a stop on them (thanks, Panda!). Article writing, as easy as it sounds, is a delicate balance of style, presentation, and adaptation to the SEO necessities.
A. Titles
Titles are crucial. Not only they contain the keyword(s), they are also the first thing the readers see. Catering to SEO and readership means the writer must balance the two.
3 Mistakes You Could Avoid with Article Titles
1. Starting titles with Articles (The, A, An)
If you noticed, articles are seldom used in titles. Why?
First, it is unnecessary and takes space (The Simple Ways to Load Your Gun vs Simple Ways to Load Your Gun).
Second, it is the trend, which sees writers and webmasters adhering to the fact robots don't put much importance to articles. They prioritize article titles that start with adjectives, verbs, and nouns (as a reflection of the internet users' instinct when searching the web).
2. Not reflective of the Article Content
If you could do one thing to annoy the readers, it is titling the content with something else for several reasons: (1) to get inclusion from search engines (short term) and (2) lure visitors. Here's an example:
The Fountain of Youth Solved At Last (And We Have The Proof)
Visitors, who're interested with everything to do with staying young, will be open-mouthed with amazement and shock after stumbling across this title (because they've been searching for answers themselves, but to no avail). But when they visit the homepage, all they'll see is another article CLAIMING to have the answer with their all-range beauty products and rehashed info the visitor has come across before. All of which lead them to clicking the BUY button.
3. Not SEO/Reader Friendly
a. Long titles that readers love to hate (so as the Robots)
The Most Shocking Truth About Six-Pack Abs and The Latest Breakthrough every Fitness Enthusiast Should Know Today!
b. Titles that should be Numbers spelled into words (one of the many pet peeves by crawlers)
Twenty-two Things Parents Should Not Tell Their Kids When Visiting the Dentist
c. Misspelled Titles
The Healty Way to Lose Wieght Easily
B. Introduction
Opening paragraphs are crucial to the article's fate of being read to the finish. The internet has millions of articles, and the readers had developed a sense of "there's something out there better" attitude. To put it simply: YOU.NEED.TO.GRAB.THE.READERS.RIGHT.AWAY.
3 Major Sins of Opening an Article and Not Rewriting It
1. Opening the article with a question
"Do you want to lose weight?" or "Having trouble putting your infant to sleep?" are some of the openings that would make your readers roll their eyes. Of course they want to know because it's the reason why they're scurrying over the internet in the dead of the night.
The same goes with location-based articles. If you're writing about Cheap Auto Insurances in LA, you don't want to start, "Are you from LA, looking for affordable insurance quotes?"
There's nothing wrong with beginning an article with a question. It's just some readers find them not creative or redundant.
2. Setting up a mood
As much as we want to describe the feeling of being misunderstood or having had had enough of being fat to sell a Self-Improvement E-Book, we don't want to put an impression to our readers they're going to read a sob story.
Most writers aim to leave a mark of hope when they open articles with this style, yet it does the opposite; it breeds a negative atmosphere. Also, it promotes fake empathy as the article would eventually go to its promotional platform. Here's an example:
In a world where being fat or fatness is synonymous with committing a crime, the obese person's world is shrinking very fast. From public transportation to t-shirt sizes, bigotry is an everyday battle for them. However, with the scientific breakthrough of this fruit extract found in Iraq, all of these are about to change. An effective fat killer, Kelminow is an affordable deal...
If the article subject leaves you no choice but to start with mood setting, do it, BUT keep it at two sentences max and immediately jump into giving facts.
3. Lengthy explanations -
We're not talking about avoiding explaining why, where, and how did this product, person, and event ended up being discussed in the article. We're talking about empty word-filling designed to make up for the lack of research and skill on the writer's end. Here's an example:
Why American Express Credit Got the Best Card Features
The happiest part of any shopping spree is knowing the credit card was approved when the TOOT! sound didn't come to humiliate you -
Instead of the writer going straight to discussing the benefits of choosing American Express over its competitors, the writer gets carried away with expanding the flashy opening.
- Who would want to be embarrassed in front of the shoppers, store manager, and the whole store just because the quality of your credit card failed you? No noe, right? Credit card companies should keep in mind the welfare of their clients by making sure their cards are durable, blah blah blah...
C. Body
The article's body should focus on what's the article about. This means it shouldn't have an echo of the introduction. At this stage, the reader is ready to get convinced (after being captivated by your intro).
The last thing you do is make them wait for another paragraph. Here's an example:
Intro:
An Asian getaway doesn't get any better than a visit to the Philippines. With its 7,107 islands of colors, culture, and breathtaking natural sites, tourists will be taken on a riveting ride. May it be land, air, or sea, the Philippines cater to all your destination and excitement needs.
Instead of going straight to the facts, the article starts from where it left off.
Body:
The Philippines is a country full of surprises! It's no wonder why it is heralded as one of the best Asian destinations. The country is simply spectacular with lots to offer for the wandering tourists.
This is when the readers scan the next paragraphs to find words like how to get there, name of places, or interesting facts. If they still can't find any, the BACK button gets clicked.
D. Closing
Closing has one important role: to seal the deal. It should be 3-4 sentences. Trying to convince or to make gimmicky statements are two things your closing should not contain, for these would blow the sale.
Here's an example:
So, after reading our Teach Your Parrot How to Talk booklet, there's no reason for hesitation anymore. This is the answer to those mute moments you've always spent together. Buying this product just does it!
Also, readers don't like being yelled at, so keep the exclamations checked.
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