Aims and objectives
This module will:
- explain how to write for online audiences
- explore different ways to produce online content
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- write effectively for online platforms
- implement techniques to make online content accessible to all
- select appropriate online platforms to publish web content
5. Make content findable
Your audience needs to be able to find your content. You want your webpage to appear as high as possible in the search results when users search on your topic. There are strategies you can use to improve the findability of your content.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
Search engines, like Google or Bing, use complex algorithms to determine what results to return when users search. SEO is a range of tactics you can use to try to improve the ranking of your webpages in search results.
The steps you take to structure your content to make it scannable and accessible, outlined in the previous sections, will help improve search engine ranking. Other strategies to use are:
Keywords
Choose keywords and phrases that your audience uses. For your content to appear in their search results, the words you use need to match the search terms they use.
Do a search on your topic in a search engine. Try different synonyms for your terms to see what results you get. Are there words in the results that might be more common or more popular?
Search for your keywords in Google Trends. It will show related topics and queries in different locations around the world and give you ideas for what keywords to use in your own content.
Metadata
Most search engines use your webpage metadata, such as the page title and page description, to describe your content in their results. It is essential to have keywords and phrases in the page title and page description so that your audience can see immediately, in the search result list, that your content is relevant.
Page titles
Most website building platforms will have a Title field to enter the title of your page or require you to make the title Heading 1. If you are using HTML to create your content you must use the HTML <title> element for the title of your page. The next section has more information about using HTML.
Page descriptions
Look for a Summary field or meta tag option to add the page description. Briefly summarise your page content in a couple of sentences. Make sure to include the keywords and phrases. In HTML the <meta> tag is used for the description and other metadata.
Also include the keywords or phrases in the:
- URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or web address
- headings
- link text
- body text
Duration: 
Approximately 20 minutes
Graduate attributes
Knowledge and skills you can gain to contribute to your Graduate attributes:
Effective communication
Independence and creativity
Ethical and social understanding
Check your knowledge
Check what you know about this topic:
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