Making Google recognize your existence

People online don’t read. We all know this, even if we try to deny it. A blog or a web page just won’t be read in the same way as a book or a paper.

We all have experience with searching content online (hey, you made it here didn’t you?) and we all know that not every web page is equal.

But how do make your web page the best?

It can be frightening to publish online, and that’s totally understandable. Not only are you trying to write your best, you’re also putting yourself out there on the web—a very scary and very public place.

You’ve probably picked up some personal preferences and opinions, but what do they actually mean? And how can you begin to make web content?

Have no fear, instructions are here

Having read the articles and combed through the Google Analytics, I can now bring you the info you need. These instructions will get you off on the right digital foot.

1. Decide on a message


Nothing crazy, but it rings true. Web content is at its best when it’s short, sweet, and to the point.

Readers will engage with your content when they find what they’re looking for, but in order to find it, it needs to be easily digestible.

Pick a singular “call to action,” one thing you want your reader to do with your page (buy something, share your post, etc.), and stick with it.

2. Start with the good stuff


The formula is simple: start with your statement and then fill in background information if needed.

Typically when writing, we like to give a long flowing intro into our main point or “thesis,” but that just doesn’t work for online readers.

When we write for an online audience, who are not willing to wade through paragraphs to get to the information they need, we can’t hide our good information.

3. Break up your paragraphs

Most of the time, a paragraph should be a sentence.

Dense paragraphs are daunting to online readers. Who wants to waste time wading through a huge chunk of text when you could google a shorter answer?

4. Format simply

Always left justify.

If you leave with no other information, always left justify. It’s the simplest thing you can do, and the most helpful.

Way back in 2006, a study was done that tracked people’s eye movement when looking at a webpage. The results are consistent today. People scan in an “F” pattern, as you can see in their images.

Left justifying enables people to scan your information and find your content. This means they are less likely to leave out of frustration.

5. Add headers and bold text strategically


Making text bold or turning it into a header not only lets readers know what’s important, it also lets google know what’s important.

That being said, use sparingly.

We all know that all caps letters are a no-no because they come across as aggressive, and people will usually ignore anything in caps.

The same is true for headers and bold letters. Anything in a special font or weight stands out, but if you make everything important, nothing is important.

Whoa.

6. Know that nothing is ever “finished”


The nature of writing is that it can always be improved. Online or offline, writing is never done.

You might return to a page that you worked hours on and find that you can still take out unnecessary words, or reword things into a more active voice.

Writing is all about research

This past week, my friends and I were brainstorming ideas for various assignments and potential future stories. As writers, we build off each others ideas before reaching some sort of ridiculous conclusion. The conclusion usually presents as a series of questions to be answered before the story can even get off the ground. In this instance, the questions that tripped us up were about the postal system and how many pieces a person can be cut into.

The wonderful Emma Bull once said that she became a writer so she would never have to do research again. As it turns out, writing is all about research. It’s about getting every detail, no matter how small, right. Because someone who perhaps knows more than you about a specific subject (weird, right?) will do one of two things:

1—If the detail is wrong, they’ll assume you have no idea what you’re talking about.

OR

2—If the detail is correct, they’ll get a small thrill out of already possessing said knowledge.

I want to make this clear: Not all readers are like this. But, it is something I have personally done.

Research is hard and time consuming

Sometimes you simply can’t find the answers. Last month I Googled “average number of bodies on a mountain” and the only results I got were about the 200+ bodies on Mount Everest. While I’m sure this information is helpful to some people, it wasn’t much use to me. My mountain isn’t the tallest in the world, or extremely difficult to climb. Well, it is, but that’s because of a witch. The point is, you have to do research first before you make stuff up. You don’t want to be called out on it later.

Resources to help with research

Google—Sure, Google has its limitations, but most questions can be answered here. Recently, I had to look up the temperature blood freezes at. Google knew the answer. (It’s absolute zero.)

Havocscope—This is a database full of black market information based on statistics. It has everything from the price of drugs to the sale of illegal firearms. Perfect for writers.

Wikipedia—Notoriously untrustworthy, but a good place to go for general knowledge. If you’re starting with a completely new concept, time period, etc. it’s a good place to start.

Libraries—Another place to start if you need to gather information before the writing begins. The children’s section usually has books to introduce you to a topic, like DK Publishing, who offer an extensive range of topics. Conveniently located inside libraries are reference librarians. If there is a question you can’t find the answer to, (and don’t want to dedicate the time looking for) the reference librarian is literally at your beck and call.

Textbooks—If you need lots of information about a specific subject, textbooks are the way to go. However, buying textbooks is financially impractical. Some libraries have donated textbooks, and secondhand bookshops occasionally have them. Make sure to double check facts from out-of-date textbooks in case of any changes.

Now, it’s your turn:

What are some of your favorite places or resources for doing research? What weird things have you Googled lately?

As student editors for Runestone, we are asked to write a couple of posts for this blog. As I was considering what I wanted to talk about, I went through many ideas. I knew I did not want to write an essay-type post—I wanted to do a list. But a list about what?

Inspiration finally appeared in the form of the Top Five songs according to iTunes. I don’t usually pay much attention to these lists, but as I was listening to these songs, I thought, “Oh my God… these can be writing prompts!” So let’s start it off with the first song on the list:

“My House” by FLO RIDA
With Flo Rida’s new song My House we can see why it’s first on the list. With his catchy beats and catchy lyrics, we can easily get into the mood when listening to it. Not only is the chorus well thought-out, but the rap gives it a nice touch too. It can easily be played anywhere and anytime! A party perhaps? What party stories can you get from this?

“Stressed Out” by TWENTY ONE PILOTS
Well, what do you guys think about this song? Is it great or what?!? I bet all of us can relate to this song’s tale of growing up and dealing with our stress and just wanting to be a kid again so we don’t have to deal with it anymore. Tyler Joseph is the singer on this track, and his voice is so captivating. I can’t wait to hear more from these guys. We can write about a childhood memory that we miss, or the stress that is slowly killing us.

“Love Yourself” by JUSTIN BIEBER
C’mon guys, let’s say it—this is a pretty great song by Bieber. I never thought he would write a song like this. When I first heard it on the radio I didn’t even know it was by him. I was like, No way Bieber! Way to go! I know that we can relate to this story, because we all have that one ex that doesn’t want to let go, and I know we can all write about it in one shape or form. Whether it is a ex-friend or lover, write about a relationship that just refuses to end.

“7 Years” by LUKAS GRAHAM
Lukas Graham’s song really hit me right in my heart—such a relatable story of growing older and realizing what is important in life and what one wants to achieve while still being on this earth. He tells his story in such an honest voice that I can feel what he was feeling during that time. As the song goes on, the music gets happier as he begins singing about his success. Take Graham’s idea of “Once, I was seven years old,” and write from that first line.

“Hello” by ADELE
Adele does it again with Hello, a new twist on a broken heart story. Her voice is soothing, as always, and her honest and raw emotions are at their highest in this song. We can all feel the hurt she felt about not being able to stay with the person she loved the most. Many of us have gone through this at least once in our lives. Write about a phone call or a text from your ex-lover and show us what your initial reaction was and the emotions you were feeling; let’s be Adele for a little while and share our stories like she has.

All right, guys. I hope you’ve enjoyed these prompts. Check out Melissa Tydell’s post at The Write Practice for some more pointers on using music for inspiration. Remember, any time you are feeling the pressure of a blank page, you can turn to music to guide your writing.  

Today, the city of Los Angeles will be graced with the presence of over 12,000 writers, agents, publishers, students, teachers, and myriad other literary enthusiasts for the 2016 AWP Conference and Bookfair. If you are attending the conference for the first time as an undergraduate student, chances are this experience will be both overwhelming and thrilling. Yet here’s the thing—as amazing as it is to be a student at the largest literary get-together in the nation, it can also be terrifying. When the AWP conference came to the Twin Cities (specifically Minneapolis) last year, I had the opportunity to attend for the first time as a senior in an undergraduate creative writing program. It didn’t take long for me to feel amazed and totally inadequate at the same time, and I wasn’t the only undergraduate student attendee who felt this way. Fortunately, I had been warned in advance that such feelings can unexpectedly bubble up in the hubbub, so I was prepared to set them aside. Most pre-AWP guides don’t mention this rush of anxiety, and being prepared for it made the conference much more enjoyable. So from one undergrad to another, here are my top three tips for first-time undergraduate AWP attendees.

Embrace an attitude of inspiration, not inadequacy

When you feel overwhelmed, please do your best to remember that you are surrounded by artists in various stages of growth. By attending AWP, you are entering into a dialogue with a large portion of the literary community in the United States and getting a taste of the range of writers and writing being created across the globe. Diversity is the keyword of the AWP conference, and that can also apply to the diverse range of talents and stages of development present in each attendee. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, I encourage you to feel inspired. You have the opportunity to soak up the wisdom of some of the greatest literary figures in the world at an early stage in your writing career!

Plan ahead to follow your interests

Just like classes at a university campus, the bookfair and panel opportunities are designed to contain something for nearly every taste. I’ve found that a careful pre-conference perusal of the official AWP conference schedule and vendor list helps me focus and plan out the most effective and rewarding use of my time during those three whirlwind days.

Be mindful of the effect your words can have—both in person and online

As writers and/or editors, we hope to treat the writing of others as we would want our own work to be treated—with respect and thoughtfulness. This same standard applies to all the conversations, comments, tweets, and posts that will be generated before, during, and after the conference. Please consider the words you speak and post online with the same critical eye and compassion that you would want applied to any comments on your own work or actions. You will hear accomplished literary figures say and post things they regret, but—and this is so important—try to inspire everyone to a higher standard through your own writing. After all, we are all here to learn from each other. So that’s all for now—but stay tuned, as there will be more to come during and after the upcoming conference.

To follow Runestone’s #AWP16 adventures on social media, check out:

@RunestoneLit on Twitter
runestone.journal on Instagram 
runestonejournal on Facebook

Keep up with us through our hashtag #CWPatAWP16 — shared with our big sister journal, Water~Stone Review, and the CWP at Hamline.

And, if you are attending the conference, look for Runestone at the Hamline University CWP’s booth (#926) in the bookfair—we will have some awesome writer swag, information about our next submission period, and some of the friendliest Minnesotans you can find. I will also be helping at the Forum for Undergraduate Student Editors (FUSE) table at the bookfair (Booth #114) from 9:00 – 10:30AM on Friday, April 1st, so please stop by to find out more about this wonderful organization for undergraduate writers and editors like us. Hope to see you there!