The main purpose of any article writing job is to provide information. It should be relevant for the intended audience, interesting, and effortless to read. With technology so ubiquitous, most articles are written with the purpose of not only providing information on a given topic, but also to drive Internet users to a specific website. Writing for that purpose is referred to as search engine optimization (SEO). The basic premise is to imbed key words or phrases that individuals within a targeted audience are likely to use in an Internet search, leading the individual to one’s website. The more often a website is visited, the higher ranked it becomes, allowing it to be listed among the top websites displayed during a search.

Some writers erroneously assume that in article writing jobs online the quality of the writing, even the content, is not important for SEO purposes. However, that is far from true. A poorly written piece reflects on the website to which the targeted audience is directed. If the item is uninformative and full of grammatical errors, the viewer of the website is likely not to trust information or services offered and immediately leave. Such a reaction defeats the initial purpose of driving attention to the website which is to generate business.

So, when writing an article, some points to keep in mind are:

• The piece must have a central idea to convey. One can think of this as a thesis statement, or controlling statement.

• Key words or phrases that are to be embedded should directly relate to the thesis statement. One should determine before writing the article what key words will be utilized. That will help in determining the main idea, with key words and phrases strategically placed so that the ideas within the piece flow naturally and smoothly.

• The information conveyed in the article must be interesting and informative. It should also be original or authentic. Plagiarized content will reflect badly on the website, possibly resulting in loss of business.

• Finally, the writing should be free of grammatical errors.

To summarize, when writing an article, focus on the purpose. Make certain that key words and phrases are in alignment with the content. Utilize the basics for any kind of good writing. These include: having a thesis statement; stating and supporting main ideas; organizing ideas in a clear, concise, and coherent manner; and utilizing good grammar. Finally, make certain that the article has interesting, worthwhile information to offer its targeted audience.