This document provides tips for effective writing for the web. It advises writers to consider their audience and purpose before writing. Key recommendations include front-loading content by placing important keywords and summaries at the beginning, using plain English with short words, and formatting content with white space and headings to make it easy to read. While SEO is important, writers are advised to focus on creating useful, interesting content for human readers rather than just search engines. The document encourages finding the right balance between worrying too much or too little about Google rankings.

1. Everything you ever wanted to know
about writing for the web
(But were afraid to ask)
With Sue Keogh from

2. WHO ARE
THESE PEOPLE?
AND WHAT DO
THEY WANT?

3. Before you start writing, think…
• Why are people visiting your site?
• What are they after – information, advice or to be entertained?
• Are you talking to other businesses or consumers?
• Is it a specialist audience or are they just passing through?
• How much of what you say will be familiar and how much will you have to explain?
• Which part of the site are you writing? A homepage can be broad brush strokes,
whereas the inner pages can be more detailed

4. A search for ‘bank holidays uk’

5. Search result no. 2
Lots of waffle to wade through and an artificially high level of
Google and getting the banner ads seen…but doesn’t make for a

6. Search result no. 1
GOV.UK have spent time identifying user needs, which in this case is to find
holiday is. And there it is, in massive letters at the top of the page. No waffle,
know people need.

7. PUT THE
GOOD STUFF
FIRST

8. Front-load your content
• People scan content, rather than read every word on
the page
• Put the relevant bits first so readers know exactly what
they’re going to get. Don’t make them work for it!
• Putting keywords at the start of your titles and start blog
posts with a summary

9. See how news organisations like the BBC
front-load their content
Important keywords placed at the beginning so you can scan in a
typical F formation and find the stories of interest to you.
Each title makes sense in isolation.

10. Abstract titles
These titles only make sense when you read them in the context of
But if the title isn’t strong enough, no one will click through to read
Tip: Never underestimate the power of a good title in your content!
good title is time well spent.

11. Engaging titles
These titles make sense even when you don’t see the content.
The summary from Brainpicker picks out interesting nuggets
encourage you to read on.

12. Front-loading works in social media too!
Putting those keywords at the start help readers who are
media feeds.

13. USE PLAIN
ENGLISH

14. Why use plain English?
• It’s not dumbing down. It’s making sure your content is
more easily read and understood by everyone
• Words over 8-9 letters long can cause the brain to
‘stumble’, meaning the reader retains less of what
you’re saying
• Go for shorter words that people recognise by shape
alone

15. George Orwell: Rules for writers
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to
seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of
an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Politics and the English Language, 1946
(worth bearing in mind when writing for the web, particularly point 2!)

16. Quiz! What can you say instead?
• Culmination
• Majority
• Opportunity
• Possibility
• Regulation
• At the present time
• Requirement
• Utilise
• Articulate
• Subsequent

17. MAKE IT
EASY TO
READ

18. How to make it easy to read
• Break it up! More white space helps you recognise
the words simply by shape
• Make friends with line breaks, headings and bullet
points
• Keep sentences below 25 words

19. Why is this so difficult to read?

20. Why is this easier to read?

21. PEOPLE WORRY
TOO MUCH
ABOUT
GOOGLE

22. Why so?
• When you rely on Google for new business, it’s easy
to get hung up on SEO.
• But try to write for humans, not robots.
• Create quality content that is interesting, useful or
helpful.

23. PEOPLE DON’T
WORRY ABOUT
GOOGLE
ENOUGH

24. Why so?
• If you don’t use the language your audience is using to
search, people won’t find you.
• Find out what keywords people are using when searching
for your product or service. Include them in your titles,
summaries, meta descriptions and headings.
• Tag and describe everything. Otherwise Google won’t
know it’s there!

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26. Everything you ever wanted to know
about writing for the web
(But were afraid to ask)
With Sue Keogh from