EVOLUTION OF THE WRITTEN WORD

The digital age arrived with big communication challenges for traditional mainstream media.  This has made it necessary for the modern media professional to learn an entirely new bag of tricks. While one’s mind may immediately leap to video or social media, what many do not realize is that the constructs of language itself have shifted due to the demands of this new technology.

Prior to the technological revolution, great content meant great in-depth writing.  Nowadays, writing a successful article is far more complex. The words in an article now need to be carefully chosen to obey SEO strategies. (Column, 2018)  Keywords, optimized headlines, hooks, readability, language and tone all play a part. Yet there is also a deeper underlying technical understanding which is paramount to success.  For example, understanding that external links help Google see your article as an authoritative source, while internal links improve your content hub strategy, is one of the keys to understanding to the methodology behind creating great content. (Dean, 2021)

THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING WORLD OF SEO

There are clearly many facets an effective writer must consider when he sits down to the keyboard.  Semrush, an SEO consulting firm, created a large infographic which clearly delineates all the aspects of effective writing and shows the research which backs up each suggested subtopic.  Brian Dean, CEO of Backlinko, in his informative SEO video guide explains that what Google ranks highly, changes.  And that can trickle down into content. For example, short blogs with repetitive use of keywords used to rank well; but now,  longer articles with many backlinks, using many synonyms for the primary keyword, indicate authoritative content and rank well with Google. (Dean, 2021)  Search Engine Optimization is a constantly evolving technology. Experts explain that it is now shifting towards a machine-learned, informed algorithm and an intent-based search mechanism. (West & Allen, 2020)  Thus, the necessity to understand user intent, and how to optimize for it, is now key to a writer’s success.

It is also important to understand that one cannot look to his employer for up-to-date guidance. Many publishers are relying on outdated SEO training that does not consider recent changes and, in some cases, is actively harming their site’s search performance. (Journalism.co, 2020) So, the complexity of the successful media professsional’s role is further compounded by the fact that he must engage in an ever-present analytical thought process which is not only active while writing, but afterwards, when evaluating the metrics of the article’s reach.  This must be a cyclical self-educational path he embarks on alone, when not actively writing, in order to effectively establish and further hone his reach, and therefore his brand.

 

Figure 1

Backlinko. (2021). The complete 2021 SEO Guide and Tutorial. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cu4EgGHKEw 

Barlow, B., & Hilton, C. (2019, October 16). The 4 machine learning models imperative for business transformation. RocketSource. https://www.rocketsource.co/blog/machine-learning-models 

Column, G. (2018, August 30). Is social media changing how we write? Writer’s Digest. https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/is-social-media-changing-how-we-write 

Google Ranking Factors 2019: Opinions from 1,500+ professional SEOS. SparkToro. (2021, May 22). https://sparktoro.com/blog/google-ranking-factors-2019 

Hollingsworth, S. (2021, August 9). 15 reasons why your business absolutely needs SEO. Search Engine Journal. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-seo-is-important-for-business/248101/#close 

Hutchinson, A. (2021, August 17). 14 tips for writing copy that generates Results [Infographic]. Social Media Today. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/14-tips-for-writing-copy-that-generates-results-infographic/605156 

Journalism.co.uk. (2021, July 1). Essential SEO skills for media professionals. journalism.co.uk. https://www.journalism.co.uk/vocational-skills-study/seo-for-media-professionals-a-practical-guide-to-getting-your-work-found2/s43/a733090 

Reliablesoft.net. (2020). What is SEO & Why is it Important? What is SEO & Why is it important? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj4-RjEUDxc&t=142s 

West, D. M., & Allen, J. R. (2020, April 28). How artificial intelligence is transforming the world. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-artificial-intelligence-is-transforming-the-world