Today, reading on paper is completely different from digital reading. If ¾ of the texts are read diagonally, 10 to 20% of Internet users adopt a strictly linear reading. To avoid scaring readers away from the first seconds and write well for the web, you must avoid certain traps in web writing that even the most seasoned writers can fall into!
Working in a place where you cannot concentrate well
Web writing requires a lot of concentration. The slightest disturbing element can make you lose your train of thought. The topics covered are sometimes quite complex, it is essential to be able to understand the ins and outs. If you work from home, try to set up a quiet corner where nothing will disturb you. Turn off your television set, put your phone on silent mode and warn those around you not to solicit you all the time.
Not knowing how to manage your time
In addition to not being distracted, it is also imperative to manage your time well. To do this, you can apply the “Pomodoro method”, a time management technique devised by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. This consists of dividing your tasks into several 25-minute intervals. At the end of each of them, take a break of 5 min. This will save you from feeling tired from a long period of unproductive concentration.
Adopting a style that does not correspond to the target audience
Each writer has their own style. However, whatever it is, it must be in line with the target to be achieved. When you write, keep in mind who you are writing to. A sustained style will suit professionals in a given sector, while if you write specialized texts, the use of specific jargon may prove to be judicious. If your audience is made up of young people, you should also adapt your language to theirs. Another example, writing for a beauty blog will differ from writing a health blog.
Wasting time looking for an exceptional idea
In the process, there is no need to waste time looking for a content idea that is out of the ordinary, that is truly exceptional. It’s a time-consuming and energy-intensive activity that can wear you down in the long run. Find an idea that allows you to meet the expectations of Internet users. Ask yourself the essential questions about the interest they could arouse among your visitors, the added value they bring to them in terms of the information provided.
Overoptimize your content with excessive keywords
Keywords are essential in web writing, but currently they are no longer enough to be indexed by search engines. Previously, a keyword could be written in different ways and was repeated excessively in order to appear in the best places on the Google SERP. Today, this technique is obsolete. It is recommended to create quality content, with coherent and relevant information, without plagiarism.
Choose irrelevant keywords
Choosing keywords is not trivial. You can use SEO tools to determine which ones users use the most in their queries. However, you must ensure that those you select do not face too much competition and that they are correlated with the activities of the company.
Deviate from your editorial line
As in any media, having an editorial line allows you to guide your web articles. It helps you choose themes more easily and optimize your SEO strategy.
Do not disperse in the documentation
When you do web writing, you must first find out about the topics to be covered. This is all the more necessary when you are tackling a subject that is unfamiliar to you. However, do not waste too much time documenting yourself too much, because you risk weighing down your text with unnecessary information. Restrict your research to sources that guarantee the quality of your writing. Remember that relevance and consistency remain the priority.
Always have the same writing style for all texts
Sometimes you deal with the same subject several times. Result: all the texts produced have the same style, the same tone, which can be harmful if you work for several clients simultaneously. Before you start writing a topic (which you’ve covered before), consider it from a different angle. It is sometimes necessary to erase all the achievements of the previous one and to consider it as a new text. Choosing new sources to write it can also be a solution to obtain unique content with a more personal touch.
Web writing is your main source of income? Optimize all facets. And time is part of it. Managing your time, avoiding the pitfalls that make you lose it unnecessarily, using the right SEO techniques, using web writing tools will allow you to generate quality texts that will attract readers from all walks of life and retain them over the long term. , and finally to avoid the traps in web writing .