I was reading and researching on how to improve my technical writing skills and I came across an Saahil Nair's interesting article on How to Write an Article: A Six-Step Guide which explains six basic steps on how to write a good article.
Basically, the six steps, the last one being optional can all be summed up in his ending quote:
…be clear what your article is about and who you’re writing it for, have a proper outline in place before you start writing, and be sure to review your work thoroughly while writing and after you’re done to ensure that you’ve stayed on track and maintained a high quality throughout.
I’ll sum it up here once more:
Have a clear goal
Set your target audience for your article and keep them in mind throughout
Write an outline before you start writing your full thoughts/ideas
Write/review your work
Have visuals (pictures, graphics, or even videos)
Review your work (again)
Even though the fifth step is technically optional, it’s a necessary part if you want to stand out from the crowd or explain in a way that’s visually stimulating, and interesting. Plus, a picture can speak a thousand words without ever producing a single sound.
But, you would want views for your articles, right? (let’s be honest now) And you’d want it to be the number 1 on the Google search algorithm right? (Or is it just me?).
Well, these steps would help you out, certainly, but one thing I’ve noticed with my most viewed articles is that these rules are not so strictly followed. Don’t get me wrong, I do write and take time to review my work, but when I go back after a while, I always feel like something can be added to make it better. So it’s not perfect, but it’s good enough. You get?
What I’ve noticed to get more views on your article is a good amount of research, the value you’re providing in the article, a sheer amount of luck, and God’s everlasting grace - which I consider to be the most important of them all.
I haven’t cracked the numbers code yet so (I’m not yet having millions of views on my articles QUITE YET. CAN I HEAR AN AMEN SOMEBODY?)…I’d have to go back to the drawing board with this one. But, one thing I do know about this field is that you have to consistently experiment to know what works and what doesn’t. And like every other field you want to be good at, you need to try over and over and over again to build up your prowess and know what makes your work so much better.
Let me know your thoughts on this down below though. I’d love to see what you also do to improve the quality of your articles. :)