A Brief Comparison between AP Style and SEO Writing (Pt. II)
So, in the last post I touched on the inherent similarities between AP style and SEO writing. This time, it’s less AP structure and more of what the Associated Press wants you to look out for.
For starters, don’t go Shakespearean with your language. You don’t have to overdo your sentences and wording. Keep it simple. A reminder here would be to remember one thing: The average intellect of your online reader, which is the same as that of the news reader. Not that they’re stupid, but the net’s global and your reader may not be English-savvy. So make sure your language is easy to understand. Middle-school level, at most.
The other thing is to be as concise as humanly possible. This goes hand-in-hand with the language thing, but toward your grammar. Try to write your sentences with as little filler space as possible. Get to the point as quickly in your sentences and paragraphs as possible. Don’t dance around the central idea. Just say it!
Lastly, be active with your wording. You want to get your reader’s tail wagging about your client’s goods or services, but it does no good if you use passive language. For instance:
Passive: “The gun was held to the dog’s head by Jerry.”
Active: “Jerry held the gun to the dog’s head.”
Have your subject acting on the object rather than your object being acted upon by the subject. It makes your sentences terse and well-pointed.
Well…that’s my word for the day on SEO writing. You can actually take these tips and apply them to any sort of writing, whether it’s professional or personal. 
