SEO & SEM

I hate to say that some people underuse "said" in their writing. Most of the time, writers intentionally choose to swap out this word to improve their text. But, swapping it out can actually have the opposite effect. Why? The switch up becomes distracting. After the first few lines of dialogue, the reader will absorb the tone of the conversation. Unless there is a shift in the way people are speaking, there is no need to keep defining the dialogue. Instead, you can use the word said and allow people to glaze over it. Also, imprecise use of dialogue tags [...]

Search engine optimization (SEO) remains a cornerstone of online success. To effectively optimize your content for search engines, understanding which keywords will drive the most traffic is essential. Enter Google's Keyword Planner: a powerful tool that not only helps you find relevant keywords but also enhances your content strategy over time. Here's why Keyword Planner is the best way to find keywords for SEO and how it can help you create better content. Accurate and Reliable Data One of the standout features of Keyword Planner is its access to Google's vast database of search queries. This means you get accurate [...]

Semicolons are often misunderstood and misused in writing. For many, this punctuation mark seems like a complex blend of a period and a comma. However, when used correctly, semicolons can enhance the clarity and flow of your writing. When writing for web (online articles, website content, social media posts, or blog posts), you should consider removing semicolons for two reasons. First, many readers are unfamiliar with semicolons. Semicolons create complexity within sentences. This intimidates people that require an easier reading level. Second, many writers simply don't know how or where to use them correctly. Semicolons sit at the top of [...]

I maintain a personal vendetta against the backslash. It's on my hit list whenever I edit content. I open the document and use the "Find + Replace" function to search for backslashes. Then, I remove every single one. Why? It's bad grammar and difficult to read. Yet, people drop it into sentences to divide lists, combine ideas and replace other, more appropriate punctuation. Using the Forward-Slash While the forward-slash (/) may be used in writing, it often works against the style and tone. It can be incredibly beneficial in shortening informal communication, such as: Fractions (e.g. 1/2) Abbreviations (e.g. w/o) [...]

While technical aspects like keywords and backlinks dominate discussions, the way content is written can significantly impact its discoverability and effectiveness. One key element often overlooked is the use of active voice. Stunning adverbs and exotic adjectives never redeem a mediocre verb. Whenever I edit for web, I quickly notice a writer that relies on adjectives to the detriment of their overall sentence structure. I suppose this is a quick way to inject some flavor into a dull sentence. The blood test was in the morning becomes The painful, serious blood test was in the early hours of the morning. Yet, [...]

Stunning adverbs and exotic adjectives never redeem a mediocre verb. Whenever I edit for web, I quickly notice a writer that relies on adjectives to the detriment of their overall sentence structure. I suppose this is a quick way to inject some flavor into a dull sentence. The blood test was in the morning becomes The painful, serious blood test was in the early hours of the morning. Yet, the sentence has hardly improved. The sentence structure builds on passive voice and the colorful language doesn't improve this fundamental flaw. If the writer flipped the subject of the sentence to create [...]