Writing blogging and SEO for journalists Ian Reeves

Writing, blogging and SEO for journalists Ian Reeves

Why should journalists blog? □ Visibility – reaching your audience and letting your audience reach you □ Vulnerability – showing that you’re open and transparent □ Veracity – allowing, even encouraging your audience to correct your errors □ Variety – giving yourself an option to express yourself in a different voice

When should journalist blog? □ Often □ When researching certain stories to understand what the audience thinks □ When you see something interesting elsewhere that is relevant to your audience – link blogging □ To keep following a running story □ When you need to explain your approach to a story

How should journalists blog? □ Using a blog tool on their publication’s main site, or □ Using any one of various free blogging tools – Wordpress, Blogger, Movable Type etc □ Then publicise your blog – register with Feedburner, Technorati etc

Entrepreneurial blogging □ There is money to be made… http: //www. businessweek. com/smallbiz/content/jul 2007/sb 20070713_202390. ht m … if you can get the traffic

So how do I get the traffic? □ Who are you writing for? Readers? Or Google’s computers? □ The answer is both □ The readers might not see you if the computers don’t notice you □ So balance is required □ Some of the print-based rules, particularly headline writing, need to be rethought

Search Engine Optimisation □ A way of ensuring that internet search engines (Google, Bing) etc, will list your content as prominently as possible if a user types in certain key words □ Key words used in headline and intro are particularly important □ Think about the terms a reader would use for their search

SEO headlines □ Headline accounts for 30% of decision to click through □ Headline has big impact on search ranking □ Headline also important for RSS feeds □ BBC headlines max 33 characters

Classic headlines. . . □ Gotcha! □ Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster □ Headless Body in Topless Bar □ Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious □ Zip Me Up Before You Go-Go □ Churchill Flies Back To Front □ Dr Fuchs off to Antarctic

. . . given the SEO treatment □ □ □ Argentine warship Belgrano sunk by British forces in Falklands War Comedian Freddie Starr ate my pet hamster, claims blonde model New York police search for killer of headless victim in topless bar Inverness Caledonian Thistle beat Glasgow Celtic in Scottish Cup George Michael arrested for lewd conduct in public toilet by Los Angeles police □ Winston Churchill returns to rally British troops in France □ Polar adventurer Doctor Vivian Fuchs explores Antarctic

SEO intros □ Intro par accounts for 43% of decision to click through □ Include the key words you imagine people will search for, and tell the story concisely and compellingly. □ Include geographical locations if appropriate, and full names of key players/institutions in the story □ Think: who do I want to read this, and what Google alerts will they have set?

SEO sources □ http: //www. editorsweblog. org/newspaper/2008/06/how_to_maximize_your_ sites_visibility_in. php □ http: //news. cnet. com/2100 -1038_3 -6155739. html □ http: //news. cnet. com/Newspaper-headlines-lost-in-Web-translation/21001025_3 -6155618. html? tag=mncol; txt □ http: //www. nytimes. com/2006/04/09/weekinreview/09 lohr. html? _r=1 □ http: //www. cyberjournalist. net/can-seos-and-journalists-really-be-friends/ □ http: //www. searchenginejournal. com/10 -ways-journalists-and-newsroomscan-conquer-seo/8364/ □ http: //www. searchenginejournal. com/5 -tools-for-keywordbrainstorming/6874/