Easy to read, properly optimized for the Search Engines and no longer then 500 words(Any longer and you lose the attention of the reader). Content should be fairly well researched and written in a manner that is easy to read(So go easy on the tech talk ) I think that would cover most of it
I agree with Kraven but if I could emphasize one thing it would be this: write quality content that's designed for people first (you know, humans) and algorithms second (you know, search engines). If you're lucky, a search engine might show you love. But it'll never share it with its friends, commend you for your work, spread love on social media, and buy your products. (only humans will do that stuff). Just my $.02
It must offer something to the reader. Imagine talking naturally to someone about a subject you enjoy and write your article like that.
A good article must first and foremost be well written i.e. not grammatical errors or other English language errors. Secondly, and equally important, it must provide some real value to the intended audience. People must want to read it because it either answers a question they have or is merely entertaining.
A good article should be informative, easy to understand, unique, and mainly the one which has the content flow, only plain text cant help entice the users to read the complete content and images & videos going along with the content will definitely help.
Good points made, Kraven! Here are a few more tips. 1) Good article should be free from grammar/spelling/punctuation errors. 2) No repetitive points in the article. 3) Don't beat around the bush. Get to the point directly. 4) Article should be formatted well, short paragraphs are easy to read and interest the reader as opposed to long ones which bore the readers 5) Subheadings are a must in an article, IMHO. It helps you divide and deliver content to readers so they will be able to ignore unwanted stuff and get to the paragraph they feel is informative! 6) Good article should make the reader feel informed of something after reading your article. If you achieve this, then you've written a great article Not sure if I've missed out anything but these are the most important factors according to me.
A good article has a beginning, middle and end. It is formatted to provide several points, and to have each of those points expanded on and properly explained. It follows the proper tone for the chosen content type (whether that is casual and friendly, or academic and technical). It cites any necessary sources, links to further information where required, and is easy to navigate and read. But above everything else, a good article is informative and helpful to the audience you are courting.
oo87, your definition caters more to academic articles than 'general' articles as general articles don't have citations/references..
a) short and to the point b) grammatically correct c) properly researched d) interesting and easy to read e) useful to the readers my 5 cents
I am a blogger and ghostwriter. I cite sources all the time, because many blogs and articles end up interconnected within its niche. People comment on what others have said, they point out articles already written and provide a counterpoint, ect. What in the world kind of writing are you doing that you never cite sources?
A good article should be free from grammar,spelling,punctuation errors and should be interesting to read. Its only good to me if its enjoyably to read.
Referencing sources is only one style of writing. It's not a requirement for every blog article or copy written as a ghostwriter.
No, it isn't a requirement in every blog article. But it is in some. Creativity is a primary part of any writing, whatever the style. But that doesn't mean you don't have to research and sometimes cite things. Say I am writing a blog post on a new survey done by a site on Google+ and whether they really have the users they claim, or accounts are inactive. I would have to reference the original study, even though my post itself is not academic in nature but a casual piece about Google+. I find it hard to imagine someone writing content and still thinking citation is only for academic works. I only bring it up because people not citing sources on blogs is a huge problem these days.
Yes, you do. lol. Creativity alone is for writing fiction, not writing content based in fact. I am not saying everything you write has to have citations. But it is going to come up eventually, and you need to know how to properly do it. Especially for blog writing.
Your question was this; Your question was answered and you acknowledged that it isn't a requirement in every blog article. No one said that you didn't have to know how to cite sources when needed. The point was made that the practice is not needed or used in many forms of writing, even when blogging. Your Google+ example is only one form of writing. Creativity in writing and creative writing are two different forms of writing. It's important for people not to confuse the two. Here's another way to look at it... I own an established dental blog where I'm the author of the content that appears on that blog. The content is written for the common person, not academics. Think doctor speaking to patient. (Sometimes I'll publish a guest post or publish an article I wrote for someone else for a fee on my blog, but 99% of the content that appears on that blog was written by me.) So lets say today I decided to write an article explaining why root canal treatment is needed and the procedure itself. Since I'm trained in dentistry and am an experienced dental assistant, I write from my own knowledge and experience. No citations are needed. That's one type of blog post. If I write about a dental issue or procedure that I have to research a little more, refresh my memory or discuss a new technique, I can write the article without having to reference all the sources I read content on. It's a general article explaining a dental issue or technique. No citations are needed because I'm not stating facts, using direct quotes, or referencing a person. Now if I write an article about dental decay in children and I wanted to reinforce how important it is to get a child started on an oral hygiene routine early and how important it is for a child to visit the dentist within the first year after the first tooth erupts, I could include some facts. Something like, "28% of children ages 2-5 have already had decay in their primary (baby) teeth". In this case, I would give credit to the source. "According to the Center for Disease Control, although dental caries (tooth decay) is largely preventable, it remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5-17 years - four times more common than asthma (42% versus 9.5%). 28% of children ages 2-5 have already had decay in their primary (baby) teeth." If I write an article about a new tooth implant that hit the market, I can write something along the lines of, "Dr. Tooth from 32 Teeth Dental Labs, has created a new titanium dental implant that promotes bone growth and is outperforming popular dental implants by leaps and bounds according to studies conducted by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons" The same applies to whether a person is writing about golf, the latest in fashion design, Wordpress, cell phones, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, wine and beer, travel... So you can see that there are situations where one can write articles and blog posts where citations aren't needed at all.
oo87, you answered it yourself - "No, it isn't a requirement in every blog article. But it is in some." When a writer quotes something from a source, it's fundamental to cite sources. But unless you do this, you don't have to cite sources. Especially, in the creative type of articles I write, I have never felt the need to quote anyone's sources. Say, if I'm gonna write on "How to make writing writing articles" and post on my blog, it will just be my own thoughts and experiences. There's absolutely no need of citations here. TextServices explained it very well!