Writing an Online Article – How-tos and a Basic Template

Many people are wondering, ok Angela – this whole writing articles online looks fine but what does a post or article actually LOOK like. Well, I’m going to show you!

Start with a GOOD Clear Title

Then write up a paragraph form introduction piece. This should summarize your article topic and be rich in keyword search terms related to your article. Two or three sentences at most will suffice.

Subheading for Clarity

Use title case for a keyword rich subheading which will add clarity to your article and help readers understand what the article is about. The supporting text below the subheading should be directly related to what your subheading “title” is and ONLY related to that subheading. Otherwise the focus of your article becomes fuzzy and unclear, or the article can be perceived as “misleading” by readers.

Subheading Two Helps Catch The Eye

By including a couple more subheadings you catch the readers eye and pull them into the article. Many web readers will not spend more than a couple seconds on an article if they are presented with one huge chunk of text. It winds up looking for very daunting and difficult to process. So a second, bolded subheading helps their eye continue on.

Subheading Three for Loose Ends

Remember – it is important when writing for the web that each post or piece be tightly focused and stay on topic. That’s one of the reasons I LOVE my subheadings. *laughing* They help me stay focused and on track….the tendency to ramble is strong within me so I plan my subheadings when I plan my title. Adding bullet points can help you draw the reader’s eye also:

• Does your paragraph match your subheading?
• And does your subheading match your title?
• Is every section of your post clear and well-focused?
• Does each section of your post cover one main point?
• Does the article article deal with one, specific topic or are you trying to write an entire article series?

A concluding paragraph is a good time to wrap up any final thoughts and summarize the article. It should include your main keywords from your title, subtitle and subheadings. Of course – all this will take 400-600 words when you are talking about “Top Ten Tips for Cleaning Laundry” or “Organization for the Kitchen 101“.

I try to keep most of my posts and articles about 400-600 words long. Some recommend articles up to 1000+ words long but I tend to prefer to split one very long post into two shorter posts and create an article series if I have that much to say. (And I often do) Got it? Make sense? Good! Now get writing!