Writing for web guide

Writing content for the web is different to writing for other media and mediums. It requires a change of mindset for most people. A basic understanding of how websites and search engines work is also important. Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is that our website is our most valuable piece of ‘real estate’ outside of our campuses. You should represent CCCU online just as you would in person.

Here, we introduce you to the concepts you should know and should try to stick to when writing for our website. Visit our specific guidance on search engine optimisation (SEO) if you wish to know more about that element of content creation.

On this page

Who is your audience?

Before you put finger to keyboard, think about who you are writing for. Different audiences require different types and styles of web content.

For example, when writing for international students, you would keep language simple and avoid complex words or phrases. Postgraduates, however, will respond better to more elevated language and academic phrases.

Always avoid idioms and especially cliches. Don’t use jargon or buzzwords. Remember that an external audience will not understand abbreviations unless explained within the content.

Our Tone of Voice Guidelines give more examples. Whatever you are doing, be inclusive.

The information pyramid

Studies and our own analytics show that readers of our web pages want the most important information as quickly as possible. They then scan through content for other things they’re interested in, so using headings is imperative when structuring and presenting content for web.

Rarely do web visitors read a whole page from top to bottom.

We can think of this like a pyramid from the top down:

• At the top: Put the information you want the reader to take notice of at the top of the page. In essence, give them the conclusion – the who, what, when or why – before they’ve read it. Furthermore, search engines will often look at introductory paragraphs and present them for relevant results.
• In the middle: This is where you can add more context and information. Your paragraphs can include increasing detail, expanding the layers to the content like going down the sides of a pyramid. This content is also useful for search as it provides context, and Google uses contextual search when presenting results.
• At the bottom: This is where you tie up the content in a relevant way. You can provide links to further information, for example, to promote further reading with CCCU’s website.

Keep it simple

Write in short, punchy sentences which get to the point. Cut the preamble and concentrate on the essence of what you want to say. Get a colleague to read your work and tell them to be brutal. Cutting through on the internet is hard, so don’t be precious about your content.

It’s the same with paragraphs; short paragraphs help readers scan through content easily. A single-sentence paragraph is fine.

Finally, don’t use overly complicated language. Of course, different audiences will require a different level of complexity, but as a rule, keep it simple. Our Tone of Voice guidelines explain how we should represent CCCU through our content to different audiences.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Search engine optimisation is an essential part of writing for web. ‘SEO friendly’ content means that CCCU is easier to find through search engines such as Google. Good content is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal.

Nobody expects you to be an expert, but there are a few simple things you can do to improve your content for SEO:

• Make your page title and introduction text relevant to what a reader will find.
• Use headings! Search engines look at headings to work out if content is relevant. Headings also give your content a hierarchy:
  • The page title is known as the ‘H1’.
  • From there, split your content into sections and give these ‘H2’ headings.
  • If there are sub-headings within these sections, use H3, H4 etc. headings.
• Include ‘keywords’ in your introduction and throughout your copy. These are words which someone will likely use when looking for your content. We don’t expect you to know exactly what these are but use your intuition and think about what a user will search for to get to your content.
• Write a punchy meta description - this has a maximum of 156 characters and should describe what users will find on your page. Open with a verb to make it a call to action. For example:
  • “Find out about the student accommodation CCCU has to offer.”
  • “Read why AI is being implemented in secondary schools.”

When Google shows your page in a search result, the meta is the description that will appear under the link.

Accessibility

Our students have diverse needs. On campus we try to be as accessible as possible. It should be the same online.

• When adding links into content, always provide a clear and concise description of where the link is taking a user.
• When adding images, always provide an alt description which says what the image shows.
• Never write things like ‘the toolbar on the right’ when referencing other content on a page. Different screen sizes – e.g. mobile – show our content in different locations compared to desktop. You will confuse the user.

Links, and how to use them

Linking to other relevant content is an important part of writing for web. It allows users to explore more of our website and gain more information. There is a correct way of doing it which you should be aware of.

• Always add a link description which tells the user where the link is taking them.
• Don’t use phrases like ‘click here’ – e.g. Click here to read about accommodation at CCCU.
• Do add links to phrases which explain what you’re linking to – e.g. We offer a range of accommodation at CCCU.
• Don’t overload content with links; focus on what is most relevant to improve a user’s experience on our website – aim for two links.
• If you’re providing supplementary information via a link within our site, ensure it is set to open in a new window. This makes it easier for a user to get back to their main journey by simply closing a tab rather than using the back button.
• All external links should open in a new window, otherwise we are just sending people away from our website.

Content goes out of date...

…so update it regularly. Content you write today referencing something in the future will be in the future tense. You will need to come back and edit the content once that thing has passed. Put notes in your calendar to update content like this.

Avoid using dates unless necessary as this ages content. For example, in some circumstances you could write “This academic year” instead of “The 2023/24 academic year”.

Content also ages naturally. Review and refresh it every few months as this is good for SEO. 

If the content is time-sensitive and cannot be updated, it's best to unpublish. 

Who to contact

If you are unsure of something when writing for web, put your query in the Contensis User Group on Microsoft Teams. It is a great forum for shared learning. Alternatively, drop the Content Team a line via their work request form and they will be happy to help.