Web Wings

Maa taught me another lesson

2009-06-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was busy with documentation (as usual) and suddenly my mobile phone started to vibrate (yes I keep my cell on vibration when I am in office). Call from "Sweet Home" - received the call to learn that Mom had fallen on the courtyard and it might be a case of fracture. Oophh Maa, tomake niye arr pari na!

Maa - she is different. Her name is 'Surma' (indigenous cosmetic used as eye-liner); I can only remember another person with the same name - the famous Surma Bhopali of Sholay :D

She does not walk, she only runs. She manages all household chores with almost no help from us - we hardly get time to assist her (but we want to, honestly). All of us are sweating heavily to manage the work that she does alone everyday. Maa, tomar ki 10 ta haat?

It's needless to mention that I became restless after learning about her accident. However, I tried to keep my cool but it was actually "Hard to Keep My Cool". I planned my steps quickly; as I was not sure whether or not I would be able to come office next day, I decided to complete the documentation and other pending works ASAP.

However, I still gave Deb (a dear friend) a brief about the job so that he can finish the job in my absence. I did not take any break and concentrated deeply. And I finished all the work by 5:30 pm. Now, I need to revise the doc before sending it over to the client; but I am relieved.

Lesson learned: It's all about how you think - panicking is not going to help you any way; think rationally and sketch your plan of action accordingly. Believe in yourself - yes...you can do it.

SEO Jobs in India and Aborad - The Basic Difference

2009-06-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

In India: Employers look for SEO specialists with the knowledge of Link Building.

Abroad (USA, UK): Employers look for SEO specialists with programming knowledge to modify web pages, implement tags.

Note:
This is my observation after reviewing some seo job vacancies in India and Abroad. Don't file a lawsuit if you disagree.

ghoom

2009-05-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

amar du-chokhe Ghoom
tumi ele neel shari pore

Mercury remains high

2009-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Highest temperature stat:

1958 – 43.7 degree C
2002 – 43.0 degree C
2009 – 42.1 degree C

Kolkata, with entire South Bengal, is passing through a terrific time. Heat wave of Central India reached South Bengal this year. Initially humidity was low. Citizens of Kolkata are habituated with humid weather; dry summer makes them sick.

Now, the heat flow continues and humidity level also goes up – what a painful situation. Met office recorded 42.1 degree C temperature on May 9, 2009. Humidity was 87 percent on that day.

However, today’s storm followed by a sufficient splash made the situation better.

But, this is the time to think again – “are we on the right track”? Such abnormal hot summer can be an indication of global warming. Beware before it’s too late. I have started saving water and energy as much as I can – WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I tweet

2009-05-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Whenever I open this blog and see the date of last post, I feel sad. I really really want to post on web wings, but I hardly get time these days. So many works to do – so many indeed! Office from 10:00 – 7:00 (officially), preparing for my music exam that is due in June, then helping my friends to manage their blogs (voluntary job, but of huge responsibility), top of all abnormally hot summer in Kolkata this year - sometimes I really feel exhausted and tired.

Please note that whether I am posting web wings or not, I spend a lot of time surfing the net. After orkut, facebook and linkedin, twitter is my latest crush.

I am tweeting heavily these days – got a lot of followers and am following others religiously too. I receive a lot of news updates, resources, quotations on twitter everyday. And it feels good when someone starts following me. Even I got some #FollowFriday mentions on last two Fridays.

So follow me (Find Saikat Sengupta on twitter) on twitter and stay connected. If you do not love twitter, read this article.

But I still love Notepad

2009-02-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Notepad – my favorite editor. Even after working with popular word processing applications, I feel comfortable with Notepad. And when I edit HTML, instead of any WYSIWYG editor, I like to write codes in Notepad.

I really do not know the reason for my endless affection for Notepad; psychologists might be able to reveal the truth. As I am an avid typist and I rarely make spelling mistakes, I do not need spelling assistance. I like the simplicity Notepad has and I do not lose my attention in the crowd of uncountable icons. Black fonts on white background resemble century old conception of writing pads that my eyes and mind are habituated with.

I must admit that MS Word provides the rich text editor with helpful formatting functions that help to create documents without getting puzzled.

And I really feel overwhelmed when I enter today’s theme-specific world. Themes are everywhere starting from Durgapuja pandals in Kolkata to Gmail Inbox. Themes on Durgapuja pandals help to rediscover our forgotten cultural heritage. But why do we need these themes with an email application? So many images, colors, fonts – why? What is the use behind making the web more bulky?

Carbon footprint of Internet industry has already grabbed the attention of expert minds – web pages with more images, videos, animation and other special effects generate higher amount of CO2 when viewed by the surfers. Then why we are up to make our pages heavy?

I access my email inbox to receive messages – text messages. I feel comfortable to read them over a white background with no funny creature popping up from the corners. Hence, I reject the proposal of installing themes on Gmail – I am going to use the traditional and classic look.

Even on Orkut, I do not use any themes. Some of the themes pain my eyes and reduce readability. I am not against innovation and creativity. I understand that it involves great deal of knowledge to integrate these themes with applications like Gmail and Orkut. But, why they are doing this? Are they innovating just to innovate OR to show how expert programmers they are?

Whatever, I will stick with my Notepad affinity when it comes to write something or take down some notes.

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

Can't help it quoting from wikipedia:

2009 (MMIX) is the current year of the Anno Domini/Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It is a common year starting on Thursday. It is the last year of the 2000s decade.

2009 has been designated as the:

International Year of Astronomy.^[1][2]

International Year of Natural Fibres.^[3]

International Year of Reconciliation.^[4]

Wish all of you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T05:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

The position of LGBT Community members in India

2008-10-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Why are they fighting? So many NGO’s and social workers are trying to remove the taboo the members of LGBT community have been tagged with. It is like crying in a forest – nothing is going to change; not in India at least.

The Telegraph featured a story on LGBT Community of India in Graphiti on August 31, 2008. "Breaking Free" was the name of the story.

Breaking Free

"INDIA'S GAYS ARE GETTING ORGANISED AND BOLDLY COMING OUT IN THE OPEN"…Read the story.

(Thanks Telegraph for starting the digital version of Graphiti, otherwise I had to scan the pages)

And on the same day, the Survival Strategies column of Graphiti published harsh comments about gays - slums and skyscrapers side by side.

Here are few selective parts from the column:

Question:

I am a 20-year-old man. I have been involved in a homosexual relationship for the past two years with a friend of mine. I wanted to carry this relationship forward but he got involved with a girl and is now ignoring me. Getting ditched by him came as a terrible shock to me as it was totally unexpected and am going through mental turmoil. Please help.

Name and address withheld

Answer:

Mental turmoil? Just because he wants to try and be normal? Are you insane or what? There are more men than women in this country and if you really want to get lucky with men then go to Haryana where the man-woman ratio is miserable. There will be plenty of men who may desire you. So cut out this crap about mental turmoil and start looking all over again!

Cool Advice!!! So they are abnormal right? They cannot wish a long lasting relationship – all that they have is DESIRE!!! Perfect for them, isn’t it?

Scientists are still researching the reason for homosexual behavior. It can be a combination of gene that determines the orientation. How can it be abnormal?

Social workers are trying hard to settle people with physical deformities in the mainstream! We do not call them 'invalid' OR 'abnormal' anymore. "Differently abled" is the term society use for them. (Read how the term was coined)

Still some columns call gays abnormal. And that’s not all; just read the next strategy suggested to another person who is trying to survive:

Question:

I am a 30-year-old gay guy. I have fallen in love with you. I find you very attractive. For this reason, I can’t concentrate on my work and my wife is frustrated with me. Please help.

Name and address withheld

Answer:

Fallen in love with me? I am not gay, I have no desire to be gay either. I am very happy being with people like your wife so leave me alone and if you don’t want to be with your wife, leave her with me. Get the picture son?

Abusive. I don’t have any other word. Or should I say "AN UNCONVENTIONAL TAKE ON PERSONAL PROBLEMS – AND THEIR SOLUTIONS"? Read the entire column here.

Somehow I feel that the Graphiti has nothing to do with this. It is the problem of the columnist. I have never read a valid survival strategy in this column in my life (I admit that I missed some editions though). It sounds like people have done a great blander as they wrote to him!

It is true that some of the questions asked in the column are silly. But then nobody has asked Suhel to answer all the questions! If you feel an email is fake, why don’t you ignore it?

I can see that the topic of this blog post has changed suddenly. It is now an open letter to Suhel Seth.

Respected Sir,

If you are not interested in reading craps, then why are you handling the column? People write to you because they are suffering. If you do not have any suggestion, then just ignore them.

Those who send you letters or emails might not be of the same I.Q. level you belong to. The situation that appears to be a serious problem to them might be a silly thing for you. Please look at the situations from their perspectives if possible. Trust me, people have started reading this column for fun! If this is the purpose of this column, then no issues, just go ahead – mission has been accomplished.

Thanks
Saikat

P.S. I DO NOT HAVE ANY INTENTION TO HURT ANYBODY. IF YOU FIND ANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE IN THE ABOVE POST, OR ANY OF THE WORDS THAT I USED HERE INAPPROPRIATE OR HARSH, THEN I AM SORRY. DON'T SUE ME; SEND ME AND EMAIL AND I WILL AMMEND IT.

Orientation Crisis

2008-09-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Web Wings has completed 2 years on September 1, 2008. When I look back to the days that I have left behind, I feel emotional. My surrounding has changed completely; new faces around, new goals to meet.

Since then I was thinking of presenting Web Wings with a gift – something special, something unique! How can I excuse myself for not writing a single post on it’s birthday! So I wanted to come up with a gift that compensates the grief my Web Wings had to gone through. And then the idea came to my mind. I decided to make it my personal blog.

When I created this blog, I was not sure about its niche. As I am closely associated with Web, SEO, Content Writing – those topics naturally became the main content of this blog. And I also started thinking that Web Wings is all about Web, SEO, Web Copywriting, Online Marketing and all such stuff.

It is true that my profession would always be reflected in my personal blog, but it should, at the same time, cover a lot more, right?

So I am freeing it today – I am taking back the old title of the blog – it won’t be "Web Wings: A Blog on SEO, Web Content Writing, Web 2.0" any more. It will be Web Wings, just Web Wings from now on. Let's fly over the web and look at the real and virtual world with a bird’s eye. Cheers!

SocialMatic – not quite impressed with

2008-09-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

I got 3 or 4 emails from SocialMatic team few days back and finally joined the site today. On home page they say that:

But after joining realized the figure should be 21. Mistake on the home page!

It seems that people have not quite approved their aggressive marketing strategy. Read some feedbacks:

The concept behind SocialMatic is simple. Just add a site to SocialMatic and it will be added to the following list of social bookmarking sites. For this, users need to disclose username and password for all the bookmarking sites to SocialMatic.

delirious
bibsonomy
faves
xilinus
buddymarks
connectedy
misterwong
blinklist
delicious
yahoo
blogmarks
markaboo
linkagogo
backflip
google
magnolia
linkroll
propeller
searchles
linkatopia
sphinn

I did not find any reason why they asked for my address in the registration form. When I went back to home page after logging in, I got logged out! I submitted one site without filling up the long username/password form and nothing happened. They need to improve a lot on both technical and marketing aspects if they wish to stay here. I am just going to forget about them after finishing this post.

SEO in India is being disrespected

2008-08-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

Indians are Spammers: Really!

A lot of people BELIEVE that Indians are spammers!

Kamanashish wrote the topic on seomoz blog and the debate started. I got surprised to learn that a lot of people really believe that Indians are spammers when it comes to SEO.

I am sure, Kamanashish tried to alert people about cheap services. He also tried to conscious the good people of Indian SEO industry. When I go out to market to buy some golden jewelry and somebody offers me say Rs.100/gm, I do not buy it. I am an informed consumer.

Then how could someone expect Oscar Wilde standard when somebody agrees to write 500 words article for just $2.

However, most buyers believe that it is not right to blame the buyer, but we Indians should set up some standards internally. Now, spammers are everywhere – not only in India. Is a rule-book enough to stop them doing wrongs?

But, there should be a checking system. A trusted institution OR an authority site should be there through which such transactions should be done. Difficult to implement, but we need it. Otherwise SEO in India will never get the value it deserves.

Writers' Block

2008-08-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

When it started I thought I have lost my ability of writing and that I am no more creative. Or I was never creative in my life; I just pretended to be creative.

It is painful. I was unable to write a single sentence properly. I do not know when it started, but suddenly I realized that I cannot write.

I thought it is happening to me only because I am a bad writer. I was about to enter into a prolonged depression.

Then I started searching for "how to write" – thank God that I did! I found this phrase: Writers’ Block.

Wikipedia says:

Writer's block is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity.

And there is a big article in about.com on how to overcome this.

The points mentioned there are really useful. I changed my chair, stopped writing on few projects for sometime, started writing on topics that I like, gave a pause, discontinued all connections with internet and read some good books and stories which include Happy Prince!

And now, I am feeling much better...got back the urge to write. I am trying to change my writing style as well. Soon I will start writing more for Indian audience.

My plan of buying a mobile handset is still true; got tempted to know iphone is coming to India. However, I think an advanced handset will be ok for me for the time being.

I need a new mobile handset with Internet connectivity

2008-07-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

I decided not to buy an advanced (read expensive) mobile handset. I thought I could manage with my simple Nokia 6600i. But I was wrong. I need a handset that would help me stay connected with my e-friends and would help me post in my blog when I travel :)

Since we shifted to the new office building, I am starting for office around 8:45 o'clock in the morning these days and not returning home before 9:30 p.m. When I get back I feel to go to bed right on. And the result is quite readable...just visit my blog archive. Even I feel bad to see so few posts in last couple of months.

So I need a mobile...I would be writing small posts when I sit idle and watch outside the bus lazily when I commute. I need a mobile handset with strong internet connectivity...can you suggest one?

Content Writing Resources

2008-06-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

What are content writing resources? One would surely answer the things that are needed for web copy writing! Let me add the word ‘essentially’ here – otherwise the keyboard, monitor, mouse, internet OR pen, paper everything need to be discussed. I am talking about the things that are needed for WEB CONTENT writing, not for JUST ANY kind of writing.

Let’s divide the task the entire task of web content writing this way:

You get a topic OR a set of keywords
You are given a word limit (It’s a different issue that I hate limits)
You are supposed to do some research to make an idea about the topic if it is not known to you
You may need to take hard copy prints of essential study materials
Once you understand the topic and develop a clear picture about it, start writing
Consult both online and offline references
Proofread your copy at least twice; you can also get it checked by some one else as some errors may go unnoticed even after revisions
Check whether it is copyscape passed i.e., not a duplicated article. If you write by your own it should be copyscape passed – still having it checked with copyscape is like writing with enough protection (no pun intended)
You may need to upload the content somewhere to check the keyword density; be careful while uploading the content. Use a ‘no-index’ website so that it never gets crawled by search engine bots
Deliver the finished copy

The steps may differ depending on specific requirements. In case of technical writing, preparing documentation for a program or writing user manual you may need to interact with software developers or the experts in the field frequently. You can include such steps with points #3 or #6 as per your convenient.

Now some tools and resources that would make accomplishing the task easily – you may be aware of them, however, let me put them here again for those who are new in the field:

For Research and Study:

Use search engines to find relevant websites, articles, forums or blogs. You can visit ezinearticles.com or buzzle.com – these article directories contain huge number of articles on varieties of topics. You can gather enough information about practically any topic from these places.
Wikipedia, TheFreeDictionary or about.com are some other places where you can get plenty of information.

For Writing:

Frequently read blogs like problogger, copyblogger and alike to learn the latest writing trends. There are bloggers’ forums where you can find fellow bloggers to share your knowledge.

Copyscape is the tool that helps you check if the content shares any text-wise similarity with other online content. It is important to check copyscape otherwise, you may end up creating duplicate content (though that is quite impossible for a true copy writer, but it may happen when you write about ecommerce products or technical articles)

If you are in SEO web copy writing, you may need to upgrade your SEO knowledge regularly. So keep reading SEO Forums and SEO blogs as much as you can. Some more SEO and Content Writing resources are here:

Ghostwriting – another form of copy writing

2008-05-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Do you love your writings? Money OR your voice – which one is more important for you? I am sure a lot of writers would answer that they want money in turn of getting their voice reached to the mass or to the target audience.

But that may not be possible all the time. In ghostwriting – you do the research, you write, you pour your own voice into the content, but the matter is published in someone else's name – sometimes a fictitious name.

Especially when a writer is asked to write SEO web content, the matter generally is not published in his own name, unless the person is an icon of that niche.

How does it feel to see someone else's name below the article written by you? Well, it does not feel good, specifically when you took a lot of interest in the topic.

Even I did not like ghostwriting initially and I tried to associate my own name with my articles in several ways; arguing with my boss is one such way I tried.

However, I had invented a trick that I would share with you all here. This helps you somehow get recognized by your readers. This trick comes very useful when you are writing SEO web content like articles for submission purpose, blogs for third parties etc.

Choose a pen name for yourself; it should be a fictitious name. Now use this pen name for all the articles written by you. Most of the article directories accept author's name. Make sure your pen name is added with all your articles.

So all your articles are now recognized as written by the same author. Now, make a small declaration that it’s none else but you who use the pen name! This helps you claim your own articles in future and you can show them to your future employers too.

NOW, let me tell you the pen name I use. It's none other than Stanley Gallor :D You can find a lot of articles written by me on the web :D

Technorati Tags: Content Writing, Content Writer, Web Copywriting, Ghostwriting

Web Content Writer – Are you good at copywriting?

2008-04-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Web content writing or web copywriting, whatever you call it, is a prospective career. If you go through 10 Career Guide types of articles for teens, I bet at least 8 of them would feature content writing as a rewarding career option.

Have you ever wondered what should be the qualification of a content writer?

- I again bet, most people would answer that content writers should be a B.A. or M.A. in English.

Why so?

- Because, the content is to be written in English!

Is that the only criterion?

- Ummm, well, not exactly. The person should have an analytical mind and should be a fast learner too!

I think that is the most important skill web copy writers should have! A copywriter in Kolkata may need to write an article about Cantonese and Mandarin translation or, Medical Malpractice laws in the United States of America or, Florida Incorporation or, Texas Hotels, or, Paris tours and travels or anything that you can and cannot think.

So the content writers should have the ability to understand a new topic very fast and to notice the way of writing in that particular field. Furthermore, they should have the interest to research and study the new topic so that the adequate and right information is presented through the content.

Besides, they should have the basic knowledge of how Internet and Search Engines work. (Let me assume keyword analysis would be done by the SEO guys.)

Then comes the ability to communicate in English. The content should be written in plain English. People search internet for information. So the content should be informative. People browse the web pages glancing at bold texts, lists and headings; rarely somebody read entire article. So easy-to-understand and precisely written content is what they prefer.

Long paragraphs and complex sentences damage readability. Writers should be careful about it. Proper use of images and diagrams add to the quality of the web content.

So the web copywriters should be fast learners, should understand the basic technicalities of internet, websites and search engines, should identify human psychology a bit and should be able to communicate properly. Are you suitable for the job? Then click on: Content Writing Jobs in Kolkata. Cheers!

Technorati Tags: Content Writing, Content Writer, Web Copywriting

Google AdSense with Scrollbar

2008-04-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the scrollbar (Or, should I better call it Up-Down Flip!) with Google Ad Units? It's a nice addition; more ads can be accommodated this way.

I am browsing through the ads whenever I see the scroll bars, it's helpful too! See the ads in the side panel on this blog. Cheers!

Technorati Tags: Google, AdSense, Google AdSense

Applying Web Copywriting Tips

2008-03-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Since I started writing for web, I surfed a lot to find good Web Copywriting Resources. I looked for tips, suggestions and techniques on the internet. I found quite a few and always kept those in mind while writing for web.

Unfortunately, sometimes it becomes so difficult to develop content maintaining all the standards. Here is a catch 22 that I have experienced:

Good copy writers always suggest to write in short. They say to proofread your copy again and again to find out if you can cut some unwanted words and make the content smaller and precise.

At the same time, there are clients who ask web content writers to write 600 word articles and they are very strict at word count. Writers are paid on the basis of word count only! I find it really painful. When the subject does not demand more, why should I write a lengthy article?

Hence, I have to compromise with the standards. I cannot apply the web 2.0 copywriting techniques as I need to meet the word limit! It hurts!

But, last week I got the chance to write for my company’s website. And I applied all the content writing standards:

I wrote just as much as needed, did not care about word count
Did proper keyword research and put related phrases in the copy
Added bulleted lists to make it easy for the readers
Added proper headings
Innovated some catchy phrases
Proofread the copy again and again to cut unnecessary words

I was really happy with this work. I am sure that not only the readers, but search engines would rate the page high. It will take no time to appear in the SERP as soon as the page goes live.

But some webmasters and web businessmen still follow the older notions. They believe that more content you put on your page, higher is the chance to get a rank. They impose the idea on content writers when it comes to write articles, press releases or web pages. As a result, a lot of garbage dumps on the internet. I really don’t know where we are heading; I am searching for a solution, if you have got any, do comment here.

Technorati Tags: SEO, Content Writing

It’s all about the right word

2008-03-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Internet stores and retrieves information in Text format. All the Search Engines are Text-based. Even Image or Video Searching processes rely on text used in the title of the image or video file.

Thus when you decide to sell a product on the internet, it is really important to identify the word or phrase used by most searchers who intend to buy the product. Unless you associate the most-used textual phrase with your product selling page, you cannot reach to prospective buyers.

Remember Google Image Labeler? To enhance Google Image Search, perhaps, Google introduced the Image Labeler. It is a funny game. Two players are given one photograph. The players can be anywhere on the earth (obviously with at least a PC and Internet connection)! Both of them are asked to tag labels to the image. As soon as one of your labels matches with one of your partner’s you get some points and pass to the next image.

At the end of the game you can see the words that came in your partners mind when you were shown a sports car. But what you cannot see is the phrase used by most players to identify the sports car. If you are selling sports car online, you could surely be benefited from it!

Now the gap has been bridged by Vertical Leap, the UK based Search Engine Marketing Company. They have introduced SEO Keyword Quiz which displays an image and asks you to enter the phrase that you will use to search for the thing.

Once you submit your words it displays a list of keywords used by visitors to identify the same product.

That definitely helps you decide which keyword best describe the product.

However, here also you need to depend on the Quizmaster; the site does not help you select the picture of your business item. You cannot be sure whether the SEO Keyword Quiz would ever show photograph of terracotta product that you sell online. Hence if your product is not listed in their database, you need to select your keywords by your own. Anyways, with so many exciting tools Vertical Leap would surely come up to enhance the application and more functionality to it.

Technorati Tags: SEO, SEM

SEO: Keep it In-house or Outsource?

2008-03-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

What will YOU do? If you wish to add some more zero’s at the end of your profit by marketing your business through Internet, would you set up a whole new SEO section or you would outsource the job?

Surprisingly I had the opportunity to work under both the systems. Both have their own set of advantages and limitations. My previous post On an attempt to classify Content Writing, I partially touched this topic. With In-house SEO, people get more time to master the subject. But people working in SEO companies need to handle a number of websites all the time; so they hardly get time for excelling a single domain.

This temporary deficiency of domain knowledge sometimes affects the quality of work. A writer who has been creating web content only for a Credit Repair website for 2 years obviously knows more about the topic than the writer who writes on various topics everyday which may or may not include Credit Repair. The same is true for Link Builders, Bloggers and Social Media Marketers. (I will contradict this paragraph very soon; stay tuned!)

Then why do the SEO firms exist? There are advantages of Outsourcing too! Most of the SEO companies have their own networks; network of blogs, websites, bookmarking sites and all. These networks are kept for their clients. Some SEO firms may own good web directories. If you assign your link building task to them, you get good one way links from those places easily.

If you target 100 links per month, you can appoint 4 different SEO companies to do link exchange on your behalf. This way you not only make use of various networks of websites and blogs, but you avoid leaving any link building pattern that Search Engines can blame you for!

Technorati Tags: SEO, SEM

How to become successful Content Writer: Part V

2008-02-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

You need to UNDERSTAND the subject you will be writing on.
Everybody has their OWN WAY of understanding.

Most people know the first phrase, but the second one is what I have learned while working. When I begin working on different web copy writing projects, like anyone else, I wanted to complete it fast. So what I used to do?

Gather information as much as I can
Read them fast
Start writing within 1 hour

The problem that I faced with this process:

I needed to consult the original copy several times
It took much time to complete writing the content
I got panicky
And it took even longer time to finish

I thought that it’s my failure that I could not write fast and I should write faster and all good content writers complete their articles faster than me and alike.

But the thing that amazed me was the speed that I used to pick up at the latter span of the writing. For example, when I was asked to write 10 articles of ‘Breastfeeding and Nursing’, first 4 articles took 3 days, whereas, I completed 6 articles in a single day working 8 hours only.

Of late, I started realizing that once I could grab the subject, the speed would increase automatically. I also realized that I can digest the subject after at least one sleep, I need to go to bed with the topic in my mind – that helps me understand it very well.

Now, I follow these techniques whenever I get a new assignment. I know I need some time to get a hold on the subject. So I spend time searching resources on the web, reading websites and blogs, newspapers etc. Then I start writing slowly. If it takes 50% of time to read and understand, I do not panic. I know I can finish it up in the slog over!

The reason I shared my own experience with you is I wanted to tell you that follow the way you are comfortable with. Understand your way of thinking; that will really help you in your work.

Technorati Tags: Content Writing, Web Content Writer, Web Copy Writing

How to become successful Content Writer: Part IV

2008-02-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

"Know your target audience" – the phrase has become an adage now. I do not want to repeat the same words here again, but I have to as this is really important when it comes to web copy writing or web content writing – whatever you call it.

You need to see the world from your readers’ eyes. That’s very important in web content writing. You need to present the content in such a way that your readers find it useful and the Search Engines index it properly.

What else you need to do?
Simple! You need to ask yourself what is going to be done with the article or teaser or abstract you are writing? Once you know where on the web the content is going to be placed, your job becomes easier.

For example, if you are writing an article that will be published in one of the good article directories, you should adhere to the editorial guidelines provided by the article directory.

Good article directories are very strict with their rules. Contents that conform to all the editorial principles are published only. So apart from keeping your readers in mind, you need to consider the rules of the article directory and the general protocols of web copy writing.

That’s why I always say that web content writing is different from any other form of writing.

Technorati Tags: Content Writing, Web Content Writer, Web Copy Writer

How to become successful Content Writer: Part III

2008-01-22T03:44:00.000-08:00

I have just finished the assignment. I know I could do better if I was allowed to work when I want. I also know how awkward it is to tell I prefer writing in night when the world is calm and quiet!

It was Jan 7 when I got the assignment. The topics were unknown, completely unknown. Though it was pretty cool in the first week of January here in Kolkata, still I started sweating. I did not work on this sort of project before. However, I talked to myself and gave it a start in my own way.

As I prefer scientific and research-oriented subjects, I took interest in the subject. It was about environment and microbes. After spending some time on the resources, I could digest the matter a bit. However, it was taking too much time for me to get started. Hence I did these things:

Created a new file in MS Word and saved it
Drafted the format, made a list of points which I will be elaborating in the article
Calculated what should be the word count for each point
Started writing, consulted the resources as required
Once I finished the first article, it did not take longer to finish the tenth one

Content Writing Mantra #1: Don’t panic if the topic is new. Remember, you are a researcher and you are here to present the right information to the readers. So do your research, take your time, digest the matter and then start writing.

Content Writing Mantra #2: It’s the first article that takes time. Once you are familiar with the subject, you can write lot, a lot.

Content Writing Mantra #3: Editing and Writing are different. Don’t start editing when you write. Complete the job and then review it to edit the errors.

The thing that I found more challenging is writing multiple titles, descriptions and author’s biographies for all the 10 articles. I suspected it to take a lot of time; hence I pushed Meta writing at the end of my schedule. Soon after I finished the last article, I started writing Meta for all of them.

Content Writing Mantra #4: You are a human being. It may be difficult for you to shift to a whole new job readily. Group similar jobs and schedule them as per your convenience.

Then there was another assignment to complete. But this topic was not scientific and one of the topics I do not like to write about. But, as everything has a history, I got the food for my head!

Today, just few minutes back, I have completed the whole task. It took less than 12 working days to write 15 500words articles. I had to write multiple titles, summaries and biographies for all the articles and did HTML formatting for all of them too. I am feeling relaxed today.

Technorati Tags: Content Writing, Content Writer

Hangman - my latest crush

2008-01-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

I found the Hangman game on TheFreeDictionary.com home page. It took just few minutes to understand the game theory! It's simple and interesting too. Hangman gives you a number of blank spaces, a trash, a box to input alphabets and a smiley. You need to put suitable alphabets in the input box. If the alphabet matches with the word in Hangman's mind, it will be accepted and put in the blank space(s), otherwise the alphabet will be sent to the trash.

Hangman won't allow you to enter more than 10 wrong alphabets. If you can complete the word you win :)

And, if you type 10 wrong alphabets and still the word is not complete, you are hanged :(

Visit TheFreeDictionary.com to play the game. This game definitely enriches your vocabulary. TheFreeDictionary.com is extremely useful for word-smiths. With huge information base, it has got answer to all your queries. Make it a habit to search this dictionary when you are looking for right information.

Technorati Tags: Content Writing, Content Writer, Dictionary