You must avoid the five mistakes that most new online writers make.
# Online Mistake One
There is a misconception on the net that the best way to establish your authority is to write long pieces. This misconception has been strengthened in recent months by search engine analysts. They have been telling you that Google has changed its algorithm. It is now rewarding those online writers who write long form features. Therefore, if you want your article to appear on top of Google search results then you must dish out long articles.
Please don’t make this mistake. The online reader is surrounded by content. But has very little time to read. He surfs or scans content. You must therefore make sure that you say more in few words. A good strategy is to write your article and then prune it. You will find that your article reads better.
# Online Mistake Two
You are told that you should write every day for search engines to notice you. You are also told that readers will return to your blog only if they find fresh content. Both points are correct. But this does not mean that you must publish content that is substandard. Even the best of writers can’t come up with original articles every day.
So, why put yourself under pressure and publish an article a day. A better strategy is to write twice a week or maybe thrice a week. When you do so, you will have more time to think and research. Your write ups will be more readable.
You will not waste the time of your readers. They will find your blog rewarding, and will return more frequently. The search engines too will start noticing you over a period of time.
# Online Mistake three
In your effort to impress you use words that are big and complex. This is a mistake most first-time writers make. They believe that the best way to stamp authority is to throw jargon. Such write ups will surely stand out in Harvard Business Review but not on the net. Online writing must be simple and straight. In fact, you will be valued more if you use simple, everyday words to explain complex concepts.
# Online Mistake four
You love yourself, and would like the world to learn from you. You love to start your sentences with the venerated pronoun ‘I’. Don’t make this mistake. Your readers have a similar high opinion of themselves. They will dump you after the first two sentences.
A better strategy is to share your experiences using the more conversational pronoun ‘you’. It is essential that you connect with your readers. You can throw in the pronoun ‘I’ once in a while to add color and personality. But don’t let your copy drip with it.
# Online Mistake five
You are told that your copy must be keyword rich if it is to be indexed by search engines. The advice is not wrong. But you must remember that you are writing for human beings. They will not like to read copy that is terse, and stuffed with keywords. Your primary goal should be to write readable content. After that, you can insert keywords selectively.