Google: The Ultimate
Web Writer's Style Guide
Indulge me for a moment.
Forget that Google is a search engine. Just for a moment,
imagine it is a style guide. A very different kind of style
guide.
Instead of this particular style guide being written as a
static book by an expert or two, it is written by studying
the searching and browsing habits of hundreds of millions
of web users.
Get the idea? Not a search engine. A style guide. A constantly
evolving style guide that works from its insights into how
people use and read web sites.
A style guide that puts the visitor first, puts their needs
ahead of the academic opinions of experts.
A style guide that automatically rewards sites that serve
their readers the best.
If we study Google not as a search engine, but as a style
guide, what does it tell us about how we should write our
web pages?
>> 1. Make the subject of each page absolutely clear.
As visitors arrive at your site, regardless of the entry
page, the first question in their minds is, "Am I in the right
place? Will I find what I want here? Can I achieve what I
want to achieve here?"
Fortunately, the web page format gives us a title, headlines,
first paragraphs and subheads we can use. So it makes sense
to use them to make it abundantly clear to our visitors what
the page is about.
We'll do this for our visitors. But, because doing so helps
our visitors, Google will reward us.
>> 2. Make your home page short text clear
First-time visitors to your home page are unlikely to be
able to achieve their objective through that page alone. So
you need to write short text that will quickly and clearly
let them know if you have what they want deeper in your site,
and how to get there.
This means using the right words in your headings, subheads
and short descriptions. It means anticipating the words and
phrases most visitors will have in their minds and will scan
for. It means understanding which words and phrases best correspond
to your visitors' needs.
Write these headings and short descriptions with your readers
in mind and, once again, Google will reward you.
>> 3. Make your text links relevant and descriptive
A text link that says, "More..." or "Click here" or "Learn
More..." tells the reader nothing about the destination page.
Visitors scan your text links in the same way as they scan
headings, subheads and short text. So provide them with clues.
If you have an interior page about a weight-loss hypnosis
service, write a link that says something like, "More on weight-loss
hypnosis".
Do this and you'll be helping your readers a great deal.
And yes, Google will reward you for your efforts.
>> Concluding thoughts...
By all means use a traditional style guide. They are great
for getting your grammar right and choosing the right words.
That said, many of them conflict in their recommendations
as to the correct online terms. To some, a web site is a web
site, to others it's a website.
But back to Google as a style guide for a moment. This whole
exercise, this make-believe about Google being a digital,
interactive style guide is all about the importance of writing
for your readers.
Yes, what I have been talking about it using the correct
keywords and phrases in the appropriate places.
However, too many people write their pages with Google as
the primary audience. I think that's the wrong approach. You
get a clunky text flow that, intuitively, feels wrong to the
reader.
Instead, write with a clear understanding of what your readers
need. Do this and you'll find that the best keywords fall
into the right places with an appropriate frequency.
And Google will reward you.
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