Guidelines for Writing Web Content

How to Write Effectively for the Web

The following guidelines are meant to aid in writing and structuring content for the web. When writing content, there are three objectives to focus on:

• Readability: how easy is the text to read and understand.
• Accessibility: is your content accessible to those with disabilities.
• Findability: will search engine bots be able to read and index your content.

By centering these objectives, you’ll ensure that your content provides value to your audience and ranks well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Use a clear heading structure

Headings (H1s, H2s, H3s) serve two key functions: they break up text into sections that are easier to digest, and they outline a hierarchy of information that is easier for search engine bots to read and understand. 

Most importantly, clear headings make it easier for users accessing your content with a screen reader or other assistive technology.

When structuring your content, use the following best practices:

• The H1 should be the main title and include the primary keyword.
• Use H2s for major sections and H3s for subsections to organize content logically.
• Keep headings descriptive and keyword-rich, e.g., “Best SEO Practices for Readability” instead of “SEO Tips”.

✅ Example of Proper Heading Structure:

H1: How to Write Web Content That’s Easy to Read and Rank

• H2: Use a Clear Heading Hierarchy
  • H3: Why Headings Improve Readability
  • H3: How Headings Help Search Engines
• H2: Write Short, Scannable Paragraphs
• H2: Optimize for SEO Without Sacrificing Readability

Write short, scannable paragraphs

The best way to improve the readability of your content is to avoid long blocks of text. Instead, break it up into short paragraphs and use bulleted or numbered lists when applicable. This creates more white space on the page, which makes it easier to focus on the information being presented.

Use the following best practices to improve the readability and clarity of your content:

• Keep paragraphs between 2-4 sentences for easier reading.
• Use bolding or italics to highlight key points.
• Avoid large blocks of text, as they discourage reading and slow down comprehension.

✅ Better Example (Easy to Read)

Bad:

SEO-friendly content is important because it helps search engines understand the topic of a page, making it more likely to appear in search results. This is done by using structured headings, keyword placement, and internal linking. At the same time, readability is crucial because users skim content quickly, and if they can’t find answers easily, they leave.

Good:

SEO-friendly content helps search engines understand your page, improving rankings.

• Use structured headings to organize information.
• Place keywords naturally within text.
• Link internally to relevant pages.

Readers skim content quickly—if they can’t find answers, they’ll leave. Keep sentences short and break up large paragraphs.

Use bulleted and numbered lists

As we’ve already touched on, using lists makes it easier for readers to pull out key information. Lists are also easier for search engine bots to understand.

Using lists help you to:

• Improve readability by breaking down complex ideas.
• Help search engines extract key information (Google often features lists in search results).
• Ideal for steps, comparisons, and summarizing key takeaways.

Example

❌ Hard to Read:

To make content user-friendly, you should use short sentences, break up text into sections, use bullet points, and include visuals like images or charts.

✅ Easy to Read:
To improve readability:

• Use short sentences.
• Break up text into sections with headings.
• Include bullet points for clarity.
• Add visuals like images or charts.

Optimize your content for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of strategies used to make your website more visible to search engines so that it will appear in search engine results pages (SERPs). The written content on your website plays a strong role in the visibility of your website.

What to consider when writing for SEO:

• Length: search engines prioritize longer content. Text should be in the 750-to-1000 word range—longer is always better than shorter.
  (Note: content should be no shorter than 500 words.)
• Keywords: keywords tell search engines which topics your content is relevant to. It’s important that they feature prominently.
  • Place the primary keyword in the title (H1), first 100 words, and at least one H2.
  • Use synonyms and variations to avoid keyword stuffing (e.g., “SEO-friendly content” → “search-optimized writing”).
  • Keep keyword density between 1-2% for natural flow.
• Linking: there are two types of links you should be using in your content:
  • Internal Links:
    • Help search engines crawl your site and improve rankings.
    • Guide users to related content (e.g., linking to a relevant blog post).
  • External Links:
    • Boost credibility when linking to authoritative sources.
    • Should open in a new tab to keep users on your site.

Example of Natural Keyword Use

❌ Over-Optimized (Keyword Stuffing)

Writing SEO-friendly content is important. SEO-friendly content improves rankings. If you want SEO-friendly content, you must structure SEO-friendly content properly.

✅ Properly Optimized

Writing SEO-friendly content helps search engines understand your page. To improve rankings, structure content properly using headings, short paragraphs, and internal links.

Add images with ALT text

Adding images is a way of adding visual appeal to your content, as well as helps to further break up long text. However, when adding images, it is important to consider those with visual impairment. To facilitate people who use screen readers, add ALT text as a descriptive caption.

For further guidance on ALT text best practices, consult the WCAG website.