Communication, Connection and Context

Serena Carpenterhttp://scarpenter.personal.asu.edu/wordpress

Poynter Eyetrack Research• 2003

– Difficult to read on screen, so they read less– Scan for interests– Text, then graphics

• 75% read all of text (online) vs. 20-25% (print)

• 2007– 77% of online text read and 63% finish– Maps & graphics (88%)

http://www.sfgate.com/

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090409/SCHOOLS/904090410/DPS+to+cut+600++close+23+schools

Make it easy to scanWash fruits an

vegetables only before eating. If you wash the item before storage, it will spoil more quickly. The best way to wash the fruit or vegetable thoroughly is by gently rubbing the produce item under clean running tap water. If the fruit or vegetable is firm enough (like potatoes and squash) and the skill will be be eaten, then a scrub brush should be used to clean the surface

• Wash fruits and vegetables only before eating. If you wash the item before storage, it will spoil more quickly.

• The best way to wash the fruit and vegetable is by gently rubbing the produce item under tap water.

• If the fruit or vegetable is firm enough (like potatoes or squash) and the skin will be eaten, then a scrub brush should be used to the clean the surface.

Shorten with bullets and highlightsWash fruits an

vegetables only before eating. If you wash the item before storage, it will spoil more quickly. The best way to wash the fruit or vegetable thoroughly is by gently rubbing the produce item under clean running tap water. If the fruit or vegetable is firm enough (like potatoes and squash) and the skill will be be eaten, then a scrub brush should be used to clean the surface

• Wash fruits and vegetables only before eating. If you wash the item before storage, it will spoil more quickly.

• The thorough way to wash the fruit and vegetable is by gently rubbing the produce item under tap water.

• If you’re going to eat the skin and the item is firm (like potatoes or squash), then a scrub brush should be used to the clean the surface.

User don’t read. They scan.

Write for Human Searchers

• Rule of 2– Two words of headlines– Two words of sentence– Two paragraphs

Searchable Headlines

• Don't use puns, metaphors or wordplay• Use keywords• Google pays greatest attention to the first 60

characters– Many RSS feeds cut the headline off after 60– AP – 40 characters– Unique, urgent, short, rewarding– www.cnn.com

Headline: Good or Bad?

Summary Deck

• Major online stories must be accompanied by a headline and summary deck

• Brief summary under headline– After the headline this paragraph can be the next

section of text search engines read, so include keywords.

– http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/113294

– http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/02/kroger.recall.salmonella/index.html

Structure• Shorter stories

– 300-400 words– 600-800 words

• Short sentences– Subject-Verb-Object– One idea per sentence (which, and)

• Two sentences or eliminate words– A combo of broadcast & print

• Single-spaced• Spaces between paragraphs

– http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/mar/13/oaks-christian-asked-to-find-new-league/

Write concise• Go back and edit• Don’t start with “There are/is”• Delete “very”• Delete “of the”• Delete “always” “existing”• Just “to” and not “if you want to” or “in order to”• ACTIVE voice – Home prices fall. Home prices

crash.• Periods and commas inside quotation marks• No punctuation in headlines

Text Formatting• Paragraph chunks (1 – 3 sentences, no more than 5)

– Don’t indent• Headings within text (boldface)

– Informational, not clever subheadings• If text exceeds 300 words or more

• Pull quotes– Make your article as 'scannable' as possible– http://cronkitezine.asu.edu/spring2008/hats.html

• Lists– Keep short– http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4872351

Lists

• Providing a Service– Contact info

• Stats• Background Information

– History

• Instructions

Linking• 1 – 2 words• Clickworthy - Link with purpose

– Lose their trust• Link outbound

– Act as a guide– http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/world/

middleeast/27contractor.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

• No “click here” or full URLs

Linking• Link to original documents

– http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http%3A%2F%2Fjournalist.org%2Fawards%2Farchives%2F000773.php&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2007%2F06%2F28%2F43scotusmain_web.h26.html&levelId=2100&baddebt=false

• Attribute to online sources• Direct email address

– Serena.Carpenter [at] asu.edu

Finding Keywords

• Google Trends• Google Insights for Search• Google Adwords• Twitter Streamgraphs

– Streams last 1000 words related to search

• Slacker Keyword Search

Photos

Video

Enhance screening

• Photos delay access to information

• Sum up the story with a summary deck

• Divide the story into sections

• Put tools related to content above the fold

• Add word “Watch:”

• Use numbers “3 vs Three”

Content must answer questions

• Site design, then…..

• If useful, they will share it• Don’t assume a foundation of knowledge

– Info box with “background .history .facts”

News as a hook for context

• About BackgroundResources Involvement

Context

Quality

1. Are we making our community feel better-informed or merely distracted?

2. Are we chasing the larger story, or just the latest story?

3. Are we synthesizing information, or merely aggregating it?

4. How are we serving those who know [nothing | a lot] about the topic?

5. How are we managing our own info overload?

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Optimizing a Web site for search engines so people can find your content

• Google dominates• 25/75 rule or 20/80 rule

– On-page elements and marketing

Everybody Searches!

Speaking the Language of Your Customer

25% of SEO (page) (Hubspot)

Page Title

Headings

Page text Bold

First few sentences

First few words (50-100, but hopefully even sooner) of a page's text content.

25% of SEO = (code)

• Meta tags– http://www.public.asu.edu/~jjcooper/journ/

index.html

• URL• Alt text on images/video (img file name & alt

tags)

• No HTML• Search engines can’t read text in images, Flash, video• Need description tag

Attach text to multimedia/animation

75% of SEO = Marketing(Hubspot)

• Social media can help your brand’s overall search presence

• Recommendation from friends– “I know Mike Smith.”– “Mike Smith is a marketing expert.”

• Links to your site are online recommendations• Use social media and comments to encourage people

link to you

SEO Tips

• Use the language of your customer/reader• Make sure your text is extractable

– Thoughtful use of multimedia (Flash, JavaScript, video)

• Provide the most relevant, useful info• Spread awareness (and gain links)

Blogs

• About page• Link• Writing• Research

– Stats– Informational or entertainment value

Class

• Lecture: 1) promoting your blog, 2) e-branding and 3) using social media

• Second blog post and 2 comment are due

• Buy your hard drives!!!!•

Resources• People:

– Jakob Nielsen's http://www.useit.com/– Matt Thompson - http://www.newsless.org/– Boxes and Arrows - http://www.boxesandarrows.com/

• Example:– http://www.columbiatomorrow.com/

• Books:– The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman– Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity by

Jakob Nielsen