Write a Solid Article in 15 Minutes
Before I got into SEO and SMO I was a teacher.
It was a way tougher job than I have now.
I taught crazed 7th and 8th graders to write. Not just write, but write for standardized tests. Which meant quick, informative pieces, that score them well enough to earn IPods and Xbox 360s from their parents.
So the result on my end is the knowledge of how to write a servicable article in no time.
Why is this important?
Because you should be adding at least 5 to 10 pages of fresh content on your site every week. Either via blog or some other means. Fresh content is spider bait, and fresh content increases your long tail value.
Here is how to create a great article in 15 minutes:
1) Open your feed reader. Damnit if you aren’t collecting RSS feeds of important market sites and blogs start now! Skim your feeds and choose three possible topics — 1 minute
2) Open Notepad on your computer, or whatever text writer you use, and list the topics 1,2,3. Under each bullet as many ideas as you can, spending 30 seconds on each. Whichever topic has the most written under it is the one you are going with. - 1 minute 30 seconds
3) Under your list of topics write, Who:, What:, When:, Where:. Then take 1 minute to assign your bullet points from step 2 into these categories. — 1 minute
4) Spend 3 minutes creating a really strong hook sentence, followed by two sentences that tell your reader who, when, and where. This is now your intro. — 3 minutes
Note: There are lots of places you can go for a hook. The laziest, and thus the fastest is a question.
“Do you love hotdogs?”
“When is the last time you loved a cell phone?”
Other concepts include a quote, a simile, or setting a scene.
5) Create two paragraphs explaining the “What.” Include any quotes or background information. – 3 minutes
6) Create a fourth paragraph where you do a personal analysis of the topic and conclude. — 3 minutes
7) Create a strong title that will stand out in someone elses feed reader — 30 seconds
8) Scan for spelling and grammar mistakes. Then save the file and put it away for about an hour. This will allow you time to remember any info you may have forgotten to add to the piece. — 2 minutes
If you are a perfectionist you will go through the file for a second round of revision after the hour has elapsed. If not you should be ready to put it together with your CMS or in HTML form and push it live.
Should you write all of your content in 15 minutes?
No.
The point here is that quality content is not as painful and costly as it seems. A good idea is half the battle. Once you have that, it is just about finding the right framework to display it.
28 Comments, Comment or Ping
jeremiah andrick
Nice. I need to try this more often. I feel like I have to force myself on my personal blog and so often it reads that way to me.
Sep 22nd, 2008
andrew
Great article, true and simple, something that we should go back to now and then, thanks Dave
Andrew
BBunderground
http://blackberryunderground.com
Sep 23rd, 2008
Glen Allsopp
Nice tips man, I’ve been writing 2 / 3,000 word articles lately so any speed advice helps ;)
Sep 23rd, 2008
daniel
fantastic article - love it. How long did it take to write? :)
Sep 23rd, 2008
Michael D
Great tips. I’ve been writing posts for years and I push myself to roll out fresh content daily. 15 minutes has long been my standard. Will be putting your advice into action.
Sep 23rd, 2008
web design
great post.
Sep 24th, 2008
Internet Marketing Joy
I have to admit that my writing skill is not really good..this article had helped a lot in making article writing easier and more effective…thanks a bunch for the great tips!
Sep 24th, 2008
Nate Moller
This is a great step-by-step how to on writing articles and content for your site. I agree, content is key for quality SEO placement, especially as you use the right keywords and deep link to other pages on your site(s).
I will definitely use this list as I teach clients how to build an online business. Many of them are scared to just start writing - they claim they don’t know how, don’t know where to look, etc. This article will help them get going.
Thanks again!
Sep 24th, 2008
Chic Web Design
FANTASTIC article with great tips. I can never cry “blogger’s block” again!
Sep 25th, 2008
Eric Werner
This blows my mind - it’s so fresh to hear something that you can take action on to improve immediately.
Sep 25th, 2008
admin
(Update: Joe Ferry from Shadywoodcommunications.com began to use vulgarity, sock puppetry, and spamming the blog, so his comments were deleted. This blog is open to criticism, but not negativity for the purpose of self-promotion.)
@joe tell us how you really feel!
I tend to think a services website with adwords displayed on it is BS, but what do I know I just write a blog that people actually read ;-)
Sep 26th, 2008
Eric Werner
I suppose that you could also just write an inflammatory two word comment on the blog of someone who already gets traffic.
Perhaps he could write an article on how to write a solid comment in 15 seconds!
Sep 26th, 2008
cat pickett
Eexcellent article. I’m going to send this on to a client who’s having trouble writing blog posts (now that I have him convinced that it’s important to have actual content on his site). Thanks!
Sep 26th, 2008
Politnessman
I just read the article and the comment I agree with the most was the ‘total bullshit’ comment. All the author is advocating is a ‘me too’ article:
“1) Open your feed reader. Damnit if you aren’t collecting RSS feeds of important market sites and blogs start now! Skim your feeds and choose three possible topics — 1 minute”
Thats great, but a real industry leader writes an original article, not one regurgitated from something someone else has done. To do that takes time, research and a lot of thought.
The method advocated above may work well for 7th and 8th grade students who haven’t yet had an original thought, but for a true professional this is rubbish.
Sep 26th, 2008
admin
@politnessman I am wondering if you read the post my friend.
I am an SEO. This is about how to write an article, when all you are looking to do is add fresh content. It is not about how to write AMAZING blog content, which from a quick glance at your blog I am not sure you are qualified to expound on with posts like this http://politenessman.net/?p=117 .
Take the advice in context. This blog is about optimizing for search. Quality SEO needs fresh content, some SMBs do not know how to start with this process, this is post represents a linear point in that education.
Besides I have a few comments pointing out why this post isn’t rubbish. Helping one person made this post effective.
But in the end I find peace due to fact that you are reading and commenting on my blog, which shows why I am more qualified than someone such as yourself to teach others the finer points of the written word.
Sep 26th, 2008
blackzero85
Haha,
I’m gonna use my RSS reader more often now. Thanks. ;)
Sep 27th, 2008
Jess Sanders
What a handy, practical tip. I will be sure to use this next time I am stuck!
Thanks,
Jess
Sep 29th, 2008
Iain
Dave, your article is a good one, although I’d be interested, like daniel, in how long it took to write!
I also see Politnessman’s point however - don’t you think it’s a little bit spammy to approach articles this way? Shouldn’t you always be trying to add new, unique content that adds value? You do say, ‘bullet as many ideas as you can’, so I guess you’re putting your unique slant on it.
Oct 3rd, 2008
Lynn
I’ve been trying something similar myself lately. I’m going to print and test this and see if I can actually write a post in 15 minutes with this method. :) If so, then you’ll have a devoted fan.
I love to collect information for myself and my site visitors, because I happen to think there’s value in this kind of aggregation. When you have a topic you follow (and hopefully visitors who also follow this topic) it’s nice to be able to pull together information from various sources that might not usually have posts or articles that are relevant to the topic, but do occasionally have something of interest. (I love my feed reader for this–google is great and I use the list view for quick access to topic specific posts amid the morass.) These sites might not be the usual haunts for the people I want reading my site so I offer significant value to them. I waste my time so they don’t have to waste theirs. :)
BTW, I’ve linked to a related article on my blog in the website URL where I talk about this same topic in a slightly different context.
Oct 7th, 2008
Manendra
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Oct 22nd, 2008
Speed Blogger
This is a great strategy for writing that we should all follow once in while.
Dec 3rd, 2008
Jhangora
Nice framework.Would definitely try it.However I think after 4 months of blogging I have realised that in order to create a nieche blog one has to have lots of knowledge in a particular domain.Visitors are pretty good at identifying chaff from grain.
Dec 15th, 2008
webtiful web design SEO
Great article, thank you for sharing.
Feb 25th, 2009
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Mar 3rd, 2009
Alexwebmastevf
framework.Would definitely try it.However I think after 4 months of blogging I have realised that in order to create a nieche blog one has to have lots of knowledge in a particular domain.Visitors are pretty good at identifying chaff from grain.
Mar 30th, 2009
Japan tour
framework.Would definitely try it.
Apr 1st, 2009
Japan holiday
look at here !thanks
Apr 1st, 2009
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