Blogging is a great method of adding fresh content to your website on a regular basis and gaining the advantage necessary to get ahead of the competition in search engine results. A good blog suggests to the search engines that the website is well maintained, up to date and is being constantly managed. As important as it is for your website to include an effective blog it is also vitally important that the articles published are of a high quality and follow recommended guidelines:

  1. Choose an Interesting Title – the title is the first glimpse of your article the visitor sees and is therefore vitally important. Which is more appealing – Revenue Tips for Individual Filers or Ten Tips Revenue Dosen’t Want You to Know?
  2. Ask Questions and Provide Answers – visitors are attracted to articles that help them with a specific query or problem.
  3. Provide Ordered How-To Steps – articles that bring readers from the question to the answer in ordered steps are rewarding to visitors.
  4. Supply Simple How-to Details – too many articles tell readers what to do without telling them how to do it. Do not presume visitors have the same knowledge as you.
  5. Use Examples and Quotes – examples are a great way to convince a visitor of your point. Make regular reference to past examples and personal experiences that validate your points.  Also provide quotes where applicable from well known experts in the particular field.
  6. Include Relevant Links – direct visitors to other appropriate articles to backup and reinforce your points.
  7. Avoid Jargon and Cliches - cliches and jargon are boring and will turn visitor away. Communicate your point clearly and visitors will be suitably impressed with the tired cliches.
  8. Keep Sentences and Paragraphs Short - readers bore and lose concentration easily. Make your article easy to read by keeping sentences and paragraphs short.
  9. Make it Personal – speak directly to your readers through your articles. Have a personal conversation with them. You are not lecturing to your visitors but sharing information on a topic of common interest.
  10. Self-Promote Sensibly – avoid cheap plugs and cheap promotion  within articles. If your article is beneficial to visitors they will revisit your site and promote it to others without you telling them to do so.

 
By following these article writing tips you will ensure that your articles are of most benefit to your visitors and therefore more likely to return to your site in the future and also promote your website to others.