There are many things you can do to improve your search engine ranking results. Weaving strategically important key words into the copy on every page is the first thing that comes to mind for most folks. However, the most overlooked way to optimize your web content is to edit your copy so that it is clean, clear and succinct.
''Succinct'' means short and to the point. And sometimes you may want to find ways to say more in fewer words. That's typically what editing is all about. However, in some cases it's appropriate to use more words, not fewer. It may be counter-intuitive that effective editing can include adding words that make the content more informative, but that's the way it is. Sometimes more words say more. Sometimes they say less or just sound wordy. Good writers know the difference.
So let's imagine you've completed your first draft and you want to make it better. Here are a few approaches:
First, try deleting all the adverbs (words that end in ''ly'') in your web content. Adverbs can give readers the impression the writer is pushing a point of view. It's known as ''editorializing.''
Using this approach, a sentence like ''The reporter scrupulously checked his facts'' or ''The reporter checked his facts carefully,'' would become, ''The reporter checked his facts.'' (I could have written, ''would simply become'' but using the adverb ''simply'' would be ''leading the witness,'' no?)
Let's imagine you know facts about the reporter's technique. You would be better off writing a second sentence (directly after that first one) that describes what caused you to claim you know about the reporter's technique. Using this approach, the first sentence is a short, simple declaration of fact: ''The reporter checked his facts.'' The next sentence digs deeper, saying, for example, ''He called his sources up a second time and confirmed his facts.''
Yes, this approach might delete a single word and add a twelve-word sentence in its stead, but the writing is improved because it gives more in-depth information.
Here's another way to think about it: Adverbs like ''carefully'' and ''scrupulously'' tell. They draw conclusions for the reader. The approach I just advocated shows rather than tells. It's more informative. It lets the reader read the facts and come to his or her own conclusion.
As a second approach, try deleting all the adjectives in your writing. I readily admit adjectives can come in handy. But try this: Instead of writing that it's a large business, how about writing, ''It's a business with more than 5,000 employees in 20 countries.'' By leaning on facts instead of adjectives, your writing will be more pithy, informative and persuasive. Let the reader come to his or her own conclusion about the size of the business.
Often we use adjectives as part of descriptions. Sometimes our temptation to use adjectives in descriptions causes, shall we say, dysfunction.
For example: ''The rosy, partly clouded-over orb sank beneath the horizon.'' I'd call that sentence a pushy use of description.Instead, see if you can write a clear, declarative sentence and then follow that iup with a separate descriptive sentence. Your description doesn't have to be in-depth. A single brushstroke of description will do:
''The sun sank beneath the horizon. Its rosy glow was partly covered by clouds.''
It's simpler and more graceful when the descriptive sentence is followed by a simple, factual sentence. This way, you get to take the reader unawares.
Here's a third approach: See if you can delete unneeded words such as ''all,'' ''every,'' ''some'' and ''that.''
The sentence, ''All students are required to arrive at school by 8:30'' could become, ''Students must arrive by 8:30.''
Why do we need the word ''all'' in that case? We don't.Note: The second improvement I made here is to take the sentence out of passive voice, ''…are required to…'' and to put it into active voice: ''Students must arrive…''
What is passive voice? It's a state-of-being verb (''are'' or ''were,'' for example) followed by a past participle of a verb (''required,'' for example). Usually, it's better to use active voice in your writing. I have discussed active and passive voice in depth in past EWAs.
You can often delete the word ''every'' with no reduction in meaning. It is rare that the word is necessary. ''Every student is required…'' can be edited: ''Students are required.''
I've written about deleting the word ''that'' in past EWAs. A few examples: ''He thought that…'' or She knew that…'' Not to say you should always delete the word; rather, that you should always look at deleting it. Read the sentence with and without the word ''that'' to see how you like it.
That's it for this month. Next month I'll do a deep dive on passive voice and reveal the dirty little secret nobody likes to admit about passive voice.
