This engaging podcast tells the story behind the book Every Page is Page One by Mark Baker, President and Principal Consultant of Analecta Communications Inc. WriterAccess Founder and CEO Byron White lets us in on the treasure trove of secrets within this book.
Why is Every Page, Page One?
When writing a book, the author uses page one as a way to hook the reader. This first page will also communicate what the reader is about to experience. In other words, it sums up the story about to be read. By page 60, the reader is no longer expecting this. They are now enthralled in the story being played out before them. Consequently, page 60 would make a lousy page to read for someone just peeking inside the book. It wouldn’t place the words in context at all. When writing website material or copy, writers have to realize they are always writing page one. They are summarizing. They have to engage the reader. Educate them, communicate with them and inspire them to delve further into the content. [Tweet This]
“The Web isn’t made up of websites, it’s made up of individual pages.” Mark Baker
Is Writing Quality Going Down or Up?
According to Baker, the quality of writing is always dependent on the writer. If they adjust to the method of writing page ones, they do well. If not, the writer inadvertently leaves the reader with something to be desired. As a result, readers tend to click another site that is better laid out and more succinct. This page one type of writing isn’t emotional in nature and is best utilized for writing marketing, informative and technical copy.
Optimize For Readers or for Search Engines?
The reader and search engines are both trying to determine the purpose of the content. Therefore, writers don’t have to necessarily write for SEO purposes. If they write page one type copy, search engines will gravitate towards the same content. During this podcast, Mark Baker tells us all about how readers are much like foraging animals. This too has to do with how content is written. Is it written in an easy-to-take-in manner that SEO engines prefer, or is it too hard to get?
Techniques to Write Engaging Bite-Sized Nuggets or Page One Copy:
In his book, Mark Baker shares seven principles that help writers create the kind of copy that meets the page one standard.
- Content should stand alone.
- Content should tell you one thing.
- It should conform to a type or a common layout.
- It assumes the reader is qualified. Never over explain.
- Topics should remain on one level. Don’t go from detail to big picture points. Remain on the same level throughout the content.
- Content should be linked richly.
Listen to the complete podcast for even more information about the amazingly helpful book for content writers, Every Page is Page One.
5 Star Writer Brandie P’s career as a freelance writer spans several years and encompasses an abundance of niche specialties. Before beginning her writing career, she was an office manager and worked in the medical field.
