Following a meeting discussing search engine optimisation (SEO) and assisting the copy editor, a team member suggested a blog on how to write a blog. So, here it is, how to write a PEGblog while keeping in mind SEO. We’re hoping this will prompt several copy editors to have a go at writing and share what they know of our field. And don’t worry, your post will be edited before it is put into the public domain.
1.   Write your post
Think of something that you feel strongly about or know quite a lot about as a copy editor or as someone in the field of language practice – a topic or opinion you’d like to share with others. Start writing. You should keep your word count to around 700 words. (This can be more of a challenge than you think!) Have a look also at PEG’s contributor guidelines and PEG’s style guide.
2.   Assess your paragraph styles
Search engines like paragraphs that are relatively short. You can keep your paragraphs to about 150 words. It is also important to use sub-headings. For PEGblog, please avoid numbered lists within paragraphs – simple bullets will do the trick. Careful application of paragraph styles improves readability by keeping readers on the page for longer. Improved readability increases SEO. And increased SEO means your post gets ranked higher for more people to find it.
3.   Look at sentence structure
Because you want to keep your readers’ attention, watch out for lengthy sentences. Search engines prefer you to keep 75% of your sentences under 20 words each. You can vary sentence length but, ideally, try to avoid too many long and detailed sentences. It will be easier for search engines to find your PEGblog if you avoid starting consecutive sentences with the same words, and if you use transition words (first, but, so, because, finally, etc.). Also remember to write using more active than passive voice; in the fast-paced digital world, readers want to understand quickly and need to know who is doing what instantly.
4.   Consider hyperlinks
You can link something you write about to something on one of PEG’s website pages (internally) or to an external source such as your website (externally). Hyperlinks improve SEO, which means more chances that your post will be found. (If you don’t know what the link is or how to include it, leave a comment for the editor.)
5.   Apply Word styles
Once your post has been written and it is an appropriate length with sub-headings and good sentence structure, you can apply Word styles to your document. You needn’t worry about typeface as WordPress (the software used for the PEG website) has its own. The title should use Word’s default heading style 1, and the sub-headings in the post will follow from heading level 2 onwards. Remember to keep your heading styles consistent to support people who use screen readers. Once your PEGblog is uploaded onto the WordPress site, the styles that you have applied will automatically take effect.
Your blogpost is ready
And there you have it. Send us your contribution, get yourself some exposure and risk being on the receiving end of having your work edited to make yourself a stronger editor. It’s true – we know it and want you to know it also!
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