Somewhere along the way, someone lied to so many content writers and editors. They told us: – You have to have a "lead-in" sentence before a bulleted list. – You have to have some paragraph text under every header tag; no "header tag stacking." – You can't end a section with a bullet point. Not true. None of it. Not for web content or SEO purposes. But if you're interested in adding fluff to your content, by all means. #Editing #Writing #Content #SEO
Amy Coffey
1mo
As a newbie to the field of content writing, and reading everything I can to learn more about it, I keep seeing the tip "make it skimmable" because readers skim. Do some of these "rules" affect how much information a person can absorb by skimming?
Mary Whitehouse
1mo
By 'fluff' do you mean 'stuff that's actually interesting to read'?
No, you don’t “have to” and you shouldn’t do it if it’s just “fluff.” But leadins aren’t just “fluff.” They’re important sources of context. Of the WHY of what comes next. You should also do it because even the most functional copy should still be a pleasure to read. Many, many readers prefer coherent narrative over bullets. Why do you think so many people like GenAI search so much? After all, they could just skim the “bullets,” aka headlines and links.
Deb M Dutta
1mo
Aren't those just transitions?
Spencer Cappelli
1mo
Sound editorial judgement > arbitrary rulebook that exists "because we've always done it that way."
Dianna Mason
1mo
Gonna screenshot this and send it to the next agency that tells me I can't end a section with a bullet point 😂😂
Anthony Salveggi
1mo
Serendipity -- I JUST wrote about this topic. Well, something very similar: About the need to stop adding unnecessary fluff to the intro sections of blog posts, homepage sections, and the like: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anthonysalveggi_we-can-improve-a-lot-of-marketing-copy-by-activity-7200096733786161152-ldfu?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Justin Cupler
1mo
I 100% agree with all but number 2 :). In all my years of writing for UX, every "expert" taught me header stacking is jarring for a reader. But that's all opinion. No real hard data I have ever seen backs it up. But these are also the same people who jumble up sentences just so they don't end with a preposition lol
Muhammad Alhan
1mo
There are two types of content producers, one who think of algorithms while writing and others who think of user intention. When your topic covers a semantic flow, your bounce rates decrease and you then don't think of a lead-in sentence or a bullet to end with. Writing styles are myth.
Sr. Content Writer at Micro Orbit | Freelance Content Strategist | Content Editor
1moInteresting perspective on content writing conventions, Alex While I agree that blind adherence to outdated rules isn't ideal, there's value in understanding the rationale behind them. For instance, lead-in sentences can improve readability, especially for longer lists. Similarly, a short paragraph under a header can provide context and guide the reader. However, nowadays, user experience and clarity are paramount. If a bulleted list stands strong on its own or a header is self-explanatory, then omitting those elements makes perfect sense. The key is to prioritize user experience and SEO best practices over arbitrary rules. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is to be adaptable and write for the audience, not outdated style guides.