Overview of guidelines and best practices when developing copy for online distribution.

1. Vicki Dirksen
Plaid Swan
PLAID SWAN
Media. Marketing. Creative.

2. Strengths of Online Information
 Easily accessible.
 Wealth of information.
 Access to different sides of the same issue.
 Easy to comparison shop.
 Always available.

3. Weaknesses of Online Information
 Unsubstantiated claims.
 Easily misguided.
 Rely on search engine’s algorithms.
 Can be hard to find information.
 Websites change frequently – information may not
always be available.

4. “Choosing A College”

5. Ranking #1

6. Ranking #2

7. Ranking #3

8. What Do You Remember?
 Images
 Navigation
 Headlines
 Links
 Page Copy
 Other

9. How People Read Online
Web copy is totally different than print copy.
 People scan copy online – they don’t read it.
 They are hunting for information.
 They make quick decisions.
 They want easy answers found quickly.
 They don’t want to think.

11. Simple Statements Work Best
 Put important information first.
 Break content into small chunks.
 Use headlines to emphasize main points.
 Minimize punctuation.

12. Make a Visual Impression
 Left justify paragraphs - we read left to right.
 Easier for our brains to absorb information.
 Leave space in between paragraphs.
 De-clutter.
 Evaluate at a glance.
 Format headlines.

13. Avoid Empty Content
 Fluff is unacceptable.
 Content needs to be useful and relevant.
 Answer a question or solve a problem.
 Provide a clear call to action.

14. Encourage Interaction
 Understand your audience.
 Ask for feedback, comments, and questions.
 Respond to all as soon as you can.
 Use a spam filter if that is a concern.

15. Use Relevant Images
 Images can reinforce copy points.
 Don’t over use them as that can be distracting.
 Add captions to emphasize your point.

16. Hyperlink Appropriately
 Use hyperlinks to provide access to full content.
 Can be used to drill deeper into your site OR
 To access articles written by others that reinforce your
statements.
 If using external links have them open a new window
so the user can easily get back to your site.

17. Proofread & Spell Check
 Remember your spell checker can only catch
misspelled words.
 Proofread to catch incorrect spelling of real words
(e.g. hear vs. here).
 Properly use grammar.

18. Grammar Test
Can you use these correctly?
1. “Your” / “you’re”
2. “There” / “they’re” / “their”
3. How is “could’ve” spelled?
4. “To” / “too” / “two”
5. “Its” / “It’s”
6. “Then” / “Than”
7. “Loose” / “Lose”

19. Grammar Answers
1. Your house vs. You are going to their house.
2.There is your house. vs. They are at your house. vs. It is at
their house
3. Could have not could of
4.Let’s go to your house. vs Can I go to your house too? vs
There were two people at the house.
5. That house is showing its age. vs It’s older than the house
next door.
6.We shopped and then went home. vs I would rather go
home with you than with Dad.
7. My pants were too loose. vs I always lose my keys.

20. Write For A General Audience
 Write at a 3rd grade reading level.
 Remember people are scanning the page.
 Always explain acronyms – at least once.
 Use familiar words – avoid large words.
 Explain terms most would not know.

22. Content Should Be Easy To Read
General Guidelines:
 Headings = 8 words or less
 Sentences = 15 – 20 words
 Paragraphs = 40 – 70 words
 Page Word Count = 250+ words

23. Write For How People Search
Search engines are how your website is found.
1. Brainstorm search phrases.
2. Research how often they are used.
Wordtracker.com
b. Wordstream.com
c. Keywordeye.com
a.
3. Incorporate those phrases into your copy.

24. Effective Headlines
Headlines are the most important piece of content.
Keep them to 8 words or less.
2. Include important keywords.
3. Avoid using adjectives & prepositions (and, a, of, the)
4. Be clear and concise.
1.

25. Make Connections
Use links to allow people to delve deeper into your site.
Short statements with clear links to more
information.
2. Links should be presented using action words.
1.

26. Summarize Effectively
Answer these summary questions:
1. Who?
2. What?
3. When?
4. Where?
5. Why?
6. How?

27. Exercise
Write a heading and one paragraph about any topic.

29. Why Worry About SEO?
SEO = Search Engine Optimization
People use search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing to look up
information about anything and everything.
Search engines rank information based on how well it relates
to the search terms used and the content available on the
landing page.
Create high quality, updated and unique content people want
to read and to share on social media.

30. Use Keywords Effectively
Don’t:
 Just add a list of multiple keywords to your site.
Do:
 Research possible keyword phrases relevant to your
planned content.

31. Write Original Content
Don’t:
 Plan on posting once and never again.
Do:
 Publish original, relevant, fresh content on a consistent
basis.

32. Craft Descriptive Headlines
Don’t:
 Write lengthy “sales focused” headlines.
Do:
 Use headlines to grab your reader’s attention.
Compelling and descriptive headlines will make your
content more shareable.

33. Create Share Worthy Content
Don’t:
 Write one way articles that go no where.
Do:
 Create an opportunity for people to engage and share
your content.

34. Format Your Content Properly
Don’t:
 Write long, drawn out sentences and paragraphs.
Do:
 Use lists, subheadings, bullet points, and paragraphs to
make it easy to read and follow your content.

35. Use Data Responsibly
Don’t:
 Present a lot of charts and graphs that don’t mean
anything or are hard to understand.
Do:
 Use infographics to share statistics and data from
reputable sources – be sure to give credit to your sources.

36. Treat Links as Copy Elements
Don’t:
 Provide links only through a “click here” reference.
Do:
 Incorporate links as part of your copy.
 Link to reputable sites to establish authority and trust.

37. Exercise
Brainstorm possible keyword phrases to support the
content you wrote previously.

39. What Are Pay-Per-Click Ads?

40. Not Much Space
25 characters for the headline
70 characters of ad text
35 characters for the Display URL
Purpose is to generate clicks to your webpage.

41. 8 Common Traits of Successful Ads
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Use numbers
Use ASCII symbols
Focus on benefits
Offer proof/credibility
Use quotes
Ask a question
Make a strong offer
Include a call to action

42. Logo Design Guarantee





Use numbers
Use ASCII characters
Focus on benefits
Make a strong offer
Include a call to action

43. North American Spine
 Use numbers
 Use ASCII characters
 Focus on benefits
 Include a strong call to action

44. Proflowers.com / From You Flowers
 Use numbers
 Use ASCII characters
 Offer proof/credibility
 Use quotes

45. POC Hiring
 Use numbers
 Use ASCII characters
 Focus on benefits
 Ask a question
 Make a strong offer

46. General Elements of Successful Ads
Don’t sensationalize or hype.
2. Stand out from the competitors.
3. Extensive testing.
1.

47. Questions
For any future inquiries, I can be reached at:
Vicki Dirksen
Plaid Swan
www.plaidswan.com
563-556-1633
vicki@plaidswan.com