Writing Right for the Web
Bob Johnson
communicators.unl.edu
You can’t force people to read on a website.
They want to scan.
1. No paragraph should be longer than five
lines (2-3 better).
2. Turn series (red, white and blue) into
bullet points
3. Use subheads to break down your page
into sections
• 1. No paragraph should be longer than five
lines
• (2-3 better).
• 2. Turn series (red, white and blue) into
bullet points
• 3. Use subheads to break down your page
into sections
Need to have a scanable page.
But also must have something (carewords)
to keep them there.
White Paper on SEO
go.unl.edu/seo
(read pages 8-23)
5 key SEO copywriting elements
-Title that contains keywords
-Meta-description for search engine results
page
-Tightly on topic copy
-Don’t overuse keywords
-Link out
3 essentials of keyword selection
-Get specific, use phrases like “Austin real
estate lawyer” rather than “attorney”
-If I told my mom or dad to search for this
content, what terms would they use?
-Research, like using Google’s keyword tool
Putting your news online
Using the Events Calendar
Recommending stories for
-Today@UNL
-Next@Nebraska
Event submission
Homecoming Parade
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
UNL’s annual Homecoming Parade….
Voice
First person: (Use this for social media.)
I went to the lecture.
We went to the Lied Center performance.
Voice
Second person
(Use this for marketing copy.)
You can vote online.
If you go to the lecture, take notes for me.
Voice
Second person (Implied subject)
Go to the parade.
Learn more about nanotechnology.
Voice
Third person (‘News voice’)
The website will be available on Monday.
Tuesday’s lecture has been postponed.
Name that voice:
The Innocents Society of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and the President’s
Leadership Society of the University of
Iowa are asking Nebraskans and Iowans
to help select a trophy for the annual
student exchange following the NebraskaIowa football game
Name that voice:
Here’s your chance to help select the next
Nebraska-Iowa football trophy.
Log on to nebraskaiowatrophy.com to cast
your vote by Oct. 3. Your vote counts.
Name that voice:
Vote for your pick of the #UNL – University
of Iowa trophy at
nebraskaiowatrophy.com.
Name that voice:
High school juniors and seniors, their
parents and teachers will get an up-close
look at opportunities and exciting careers
in the field of chemistry on Oct. 15 when
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hosts
its 11th annual Chemistry Day.
Name that voice:
Attention high school students: You could
win a scholarship to study at UNL at the
Oct. 15 Chemistry Day. The University of
Nebraska-Lincoln Chemistry
Department’s annual Chemistry Quizbowl
and scavenger hunt offer a chance to find
out more about UNL’s chemistry labs,
majoring in Chemistry and careers in
chemistry.
Name that voice:
Chemistry Day Oct. 15 at #UNL. We will
have learning, fun and prizes for high
schoolers @unlchemistry.
Name that voice:
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's
Landscape Services will coordinate a
volunteer effort with Recycling Enterprises
to encourage recycling at Husker home
football games again this fall. This effort
will focus on parking lots and walkways on
the UNL campus around Memorial
Stadium.
Name that voice:
You still have time to volunteer to help with
#UNL’s gameday “Go Green for Big Red”
recycling effort @gogreenbigred
Name that voice:
We plan to help with the recycling event on
gameday.
Name that voice:
Fans are encouraged to visit the City of
Lincoln website to learn more about the
roundabouts and how to drive them.
Officials suggest that, if possible, those
who will drive in that area on gamedays
drive through the roundabouts on an
earlier date to become familiar with the
entrances and exits.
Name that voice:
We are planning to drive to the game on
Saturday. Knowing that there are new
roundabouts that may be confusing to
drive through the first time, we are
planning to make a practice run on
Thursday.
Name that voice:
If you plan to drive to the Nebraska game
this Saturday, city and UNL officials advise
you to practice driving the new
roundabouts in advance to avoid gameday
traffic problems. You can access
information on the roundabouts and how to
drive them at http://bit.ly/mSUXPt
Name that voice:
Don’t get hung up driving on the new
roundabouts on your way to the #UNL
football game. Visit http://bit.ly/mSUXPt
Example sites
Gaughan Center
OASIS
Visitors Center
Style guide notes
Use full sentences.
Style guide notes
Dates: Time, month, date
Example: 2 p.m. May 19
No day of the week and no “th” or “st”.
Use “a.m.” and “p.m.”
Abbreviate only these months:
Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
Style guide notes
No exclamation points!!!!!!!!
No ampersands (&) unless they are used in
an official name instead of “and.”
Style guide notes
Phone numbers have hyphens in them, not
periods.
402-472-0088
Style guide notes
Acronyms: Use only on second reference.
Spell out the full name of the organization on
first reference.
Example: University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Second reference: UNL
Style guide notes
Capitals: NO ALL CAPS!
Style guide notes
Lecture titles should be in quotes,
following the name of the presenter.
Janet Jones, professor, University of
California, Berkeley, will present, “How to
Increase Soybean Yields.”
Don’t use italics.
Style guide notes
Do not put “Dr.” in front of a professor’s
name. “Professor” on first reference is
OK. So is putting Ph.D. after the name.
UNL sociology professor Max Smith….
Style guide notes
For news items, use third person voice.
Entice your reader to read more by writing
an interesting, targeted Today@UNL
summary of about two Tweets in length.
Style guide notes
Often quote marks and apostrophes do not
translate well from word documents to the
Web. Turn off smart or “curly” quotes
before copying and pasting something
onto the Web.
Style guide notes
Most frequently looked-up:
Nebraska Union
Nebraska East Union
a.m., p.m.
master’s degree, bachelor’s degree,
doctorate
Style guide notes
Email
One man is an alumnus.
One woman is an alumna.
Several men or a group of men and women
are alumni.
Several women are alumnae.
A lecture is “titled,” not “entitled.”
Style guide notes
Big Ten (not Big 10)
Style Guide quiz
Dr. David Wright, Ph.D., provided a campuswide perspective on his role at the College
of Fine & Performing Arts.
The student bulletin is now on-line. The Web
site can be accessed at bulletin.unl.edu.
Putting your news online
Adding a photo to your announcement
Communicators.unl.edu
(Digital Photo Archive)
Shortening your URL
Sources:
Go.unl.edu
Bitly.com
Useful sites
• gobigred.unl.edu
• GAMEDAY – go.unl.edu/unlgameday
• ABOUT LINCOLN – go.unl.edu/lincoln
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