Since search engines use keywords as a jumping off point when filtering results, it’s incredibly important to make sure that you know how to use keywords in your content correctly so that your content has a better chance of being found, indexed and ranked.

While there are many opinions on how to use keywords for SEO, I want to provide you with a basic and quick step-by-step guide on how to correctly and safely use keywords in any type of SEO content that you write/post.

How Many Keywords Should You Use On A Page?

When talking about how many keywords to focus on in a page, the answer depends a lot on the keywords you are wanting to use, how related they are to one another, and if they help push the message of the content forward. With the right keyword research, though, it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a list of 5-10 keywords. That being said, it doesn’t mean you should focus on all 10!

Let’s first discuss the rules of keyword hierarchy. There are 3 main types of keywords for SEO:

1. Primary Keyword
2. Secondary Keywords
3. Additional Keywords

Your primary keyword should be the main focus of the entire article, so the title and ensuing content should reflect that. You can’t really write a good piece of content about 2 separate topics, so only one primary keyword should be used to drive the meat of the content forward.

Secondary keywords are complementary keywords to the primary one, but just slight variations. Usually a main topic will include 3-5 main talking points so using a handful of those secondary keywords makes sense.

Additional keywords are just any other related keywords that are phrased or spelled differently than the first two but mean the same thing. This is a catch-all net to get different variations of your main keywords in there to try and rank for one (or all) of them. Typically, “long-tail” keywords would be included in this category.

So Again, How Many Keywords for SEO?

In most cases, it would be 3-8 total, based on the length of the content. This breaks down into 1 primary keyword, 1-3 secondary keywords and 1-4 additional keywords. This gives you a fighting chance to start ranking for one of them and then further down the line you can even reoptimize your content based on what it’s currently ranking for at that time.

Using more than 8 or so keywords (assuming you don’t have either insanely long content or extremely short content) can come off as spammy. It’s also incredibly hard to naturally incorporate that many keywords for SEO into writing, and really isn’t necessary. What you’ll find is that related keywords will naturally and automatically come up when writing content based around a few really good keywords. Doing more than this usually hurts readability and sticks out like a sore thumb to readers as well as to Google’s page crawlers.

Where to Use Keywords for SEO in Your Content Writing

It’s easy to just say “you need to add keywords for SEO”, but implementing it is a different matter entirely. In fact, there are certain rules and best-practices for adding keywords to a website that can make your SEO efforts much more worthwhile.

You should insert keywords into your content writing using the following steps:

1. Use Keywords in Your Meta Description

This is one of the most basic ways to add keywords for SEO, but it’s often overlooked. The meta description acts as a simple summary to describe what the content is about, so placing the keyword in this summary helps Google to better filter your results. It’s a powerful way to get 1 or 2 of your most important keywords attached to the part of your page that’s directly served up by search engines.

As a refresher, a Meta Description is a 160 character (or 20-25 word) description of what your page is all about. This description is what shows up under a page name and URL when people search for a keyword phrase on search engines. Here is an example of a Meta Description as it appears on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

How to Use Keywords for SEO in a Meta Description

First, it’s important to have the right tools. If you’re using WordPress, try downloading the Yoast SEO Plugin. This little plugin allows you to quickly optimize your content for both SEO and readability, as well as gives you spots to enter in your Meta Description and SEO Title Tag (see step #2).

Next, when using SEO keywords in a meta description make sure to use the keyword at least once, but no more than twice. Be sure to prioritize a helpful, enticing description over keyword stuffing though, since this is the first thing someone will read before ever visiting your website.

SEO Pro Tip: If you can get a secondary keyword in your meta along with one instance of your primary, you’re killin’ it when it comes to using keywords for SEO.

2. Insert Keywords in Your SEO Title Tag

Keep in mind, I said SEO title, not your main article title. You’ll be optimizing that in just a minute. First things first, let’s get some helpful keyword data in your SEO title tag (also known as a meta title tag). This title tag is similar to the meta description in that it is the name of the page that users will see on search engine results pages (SERPs) when they search a keyword phrase. This title will be clickable from the SERPs and will take the user directly to your page. Here is an example:

How to Use Keywords for SEO in a Meta Title Tag

Similar to meta descriptions, you only have a few characters (about 50-60) to use when writing your SEO title tag. Because of that, you typically want to limit your title tag to just your primary keyword as well as your company name. This is the most concise, user-friendly and SEO-friendly way to execute it.

3. Use Keywords in Your Article Title

If possible, put the keyword in the title of your content. Since Google pairs this title header with your meta description to paint a picture of what your content is about, having the keyword in the title is very helpful as long as it can be used naturally.

If the keyword can’t be used naturally in the title, use a variation that still gets the point of the article across while hitting some of the main words from your keyword phrase. A little is better than nothing!

4. Use Keywords Within the First 200 Words

Many experts believe that Google gives more weight to the first 200 words in your content. The reason why is because usually the first 100-200 words of an article are where a content writer sets up the introduction of what will be discussed. Since most readers only continue on in an article if the introduction is good, it stands to reason that it could be a ranking factor as well.

Where to Use Keywords in an Article Introduction

Knowing that Google scrutinizes the first 200 words of a blog post, it’s very important to make sure that you put your primary keyword within the first sentence or paragraph, if at all possible, without sacrificing the quality of the content. Similarly, you should try to use at least one secondary keyword in the first 200 words as well (though not in the first sentence).

Keep in mind that Google is trying to get an overall picture of what the article is all about, and the way you outline your content really matters. You have to be careful to lead Google to the keywords you want it to focus on and not confuse it when optimizing content for keywords. This means your primary keyword should live in all the most important places, your secondary keywords next, and then any other additional keywords after that. Think of it as a pyramid of usage, with primary keywords at the top.

The focus of the article (and introduction) would be the top of the primary, filled in by secondary and lastly additional keywords to make up an entire keyword structure and strategy for that piece.

 

5. Insert Keywords Naturally Throughout the Article

In a seemingly SEO-centered digital world, it’s easy to forget that the reader actually comes first. You should never compromise your reader’s ability to be engaged, informed and enlightened by your content because of bad keyword placement. But believe me, it happens all the time. Here is one solution to help you write your keywords more naturally in your content.

Use Stop Words in Awkward Keyword Phrases

One way to help you write keywords more naturally is to utilize “Stop Words” in your keyword writing. These are words that can be added within keyword phrases to help them read more naturally without decreasing their ranking value.

For instance, if you had a keyword phrase you were targeting that reads “plumbing Salt Lake City“, there is literally no way you can insert it into your content exactly as-is without it either looking like a typo or a blatant keyword insertion. The better way to add keywords for SEO is to use a stop word in that phrase. Adding the stop word “in”, would now have it read “plumbing in Salt Lake City”, which can much more easily be inserted into natural writing. Try it out!

You can easily find a list of commonly used stop words you can utilize when adding keywords to your website.

How Many Keywords Should You Put in Your Content?

This is a great question that’s often discussed and argued about among SEOs. The real answer is that it completely depends on the types of keywords you have and the length of your content.

The general rule, however, is you should try to include your primary keyword about once every 100-150 words. So if you’re writing a 1000 word article, inserting the primary keyword around 7-10 times would be appropriate. Also keep in mind that you want to fairly distribute these instances of the keyword throughout the article. You don’t want all 7 instances of your primary keyword in the same 200 word section or you lose the flow of a consistent keyword theme throughout.

Secondary and Additional keywords, however, shouldn’t be in the article more than your primary keyword. Whatever your baseline is for using your primary keyword in your content, decrease by about 25% for secondary and another 25% for additional keywords for SEO. Then you can keep a healthy keyword structure that Google crawlers should easily be able to follow.

6. Use Keywords in the Last 200 Words

Similar to how an introduction of an article is important to keyword rankings because it sets the framework for the content, it could be argued that the conclusion (or last 200 words) is just as important, if not more important. For this reason, try to include your primary keyword again near the last or second-to-last paragraph and include a secondary keyword if possible.

For blog posts, it’s usually good practice to include a call-to-action (or CTA) in the very last paragraph, so if you can fit the primary keyword there, great! If not, get it in that second-to-last paragraph as we talked about above.

7. Use Keywords in Headings (H1s, H2s, H3s, etc)

Headings are a formatting tool that most text editors offer to allow you to help break up your text. From a purely visual standpoint, they are a must-have. Huge chunks of paragraph content with no end in sight are intimidating and often skipped completely. Using headings to break up content allows you to visually move the reader along to the most important points, or the ones they are most interested in.

From an SEO standpoint, headings might be even more important. The HTML tags used to identify H1s, H2s, H3s, etc are also ranking signals for Google to know what’s most important in the content. Adding keywords to headings in content may be the single best way to try and rank for multiple keywords. The more content you have, the more headings you have – so longer content usually ranks better than shorter content.

When a keyword is used in headings, it brings more emphasis to the meaning and importance of the keywords. This helps the search engines to know how relevant those keywords are to your content. Here’s an example of where to find heading formats in a text editor:

How to Add Keywords to Heading 1s (H1s)

Heading 1s, or H1s, are typically reserved just for the main title of the article. If you use multiple H1s in your content, you’re basically asking Google to get confused. Instead, just stick to a single H1 as your article title with your primary keyword included.

How to Use Keywords in Heading 2s (H2s)

Heading 2s, or H2s, are where you can do the bulk of inserting important keywords. H2s are the headings that break up the main sections of your content and usually come into play every couple hundred words. For a 1000 word article, you can plan on around 3-5 of these H2s. this is where you’d want to include the primary keyword again in one of them and reserve the rest for secondary keywords you are targeting.

How to Insert Keywords to Heading 3s (H3s)

Heading 3s, or H3s, are used to help break up and list individual points in the main sections. You might find H3s in the form of numbered lists or clarifying sections to an H2 heading. This is another good place for an instance of the primary, but probably a better spot for secondary keywords and any additional keywords you have.

8. Use Keywords in Anchor Text Links

When a keyword is used as an anchor text link in your content, it implies that there is a place to find even more information regarding that word. This helps to place added emphasis on the keyword and the relevance it has to the content it’s being linked to. So how does that apply to the article you’re currently writing?

Well, it doesn’t. Not exactly. Using keywords as anchor text links in your articles can help OTHER pages on your site. This is also known as creating an internal link structure showing Google where the most important articles are for exact keyword phrases. If you can plan your content accordingly, you know you can use anchor text links of certain keyword phrases to drive the authority of other “pillar” pieces.

SEO Pro Tip: Do NOT use your primary keyword (or variation of it) in anchor text that is linking to another page unless you’ve completely given up hope of ranking for that keyword on that page. Doing this basically tells Google to ignore that keyword on the page you’re working on and to look for it in the page you’re linking to. This is a common mistake that a lot of content marketers make. Instead, find a related topic within your article with an associated keyword that you can link to another page to help improve it’s authority. For any of the main keywords you hope to rank for on the page you’re working on, DO NOT LINK out to other pages using them as the anchor text.

I won’t get too much more into the specifics of link structures in this article, but if you’re interested then check out what Neil Patel has to say.

9. Use Keywords in Image Alt-tags

First of all, if you aren’t using images in your content writing then PLEASE do so! I can’t overemphasize how many opportunities you’re missing out on if you aren’t using some kind of visual cue to help educate, engage and inform your readers and prospective clients. Images and content writing (and videos for that matter) are a perfect marriage when it comes to user engagement.

How to Use SEO Keywords in Alt Tags

In terms of keyword usage, using your keywords in an image alt-tag can help it to be shown during image searches. This can help users to be led to your content in a round-about way.

Not only do images help break up the text and give it color, personality and sex appeal, they also can be a great opportunity for you to add keywords for SEO to your website. Take advantage of putting images in your articles and the blessed alt-text you’re allowed to manipulate.

10. Use Keywords in URL

Last, but not least, when it comes to adding keywords to your website to maximize your onsite SEO, you should always try to put your primary keyword in the main page URL of the article you’ve written. If you’ve done the steps above and put your primary keyword in the title of your article, it should be in the URL automatically when you go to publish it. But even if your title is similar to the main keyword but doesn’t include it completely, you should tweak your page URL to include it after the fact.  Here is an example:

There has often been talk among SEOs and content marketers of whether or not it’s necessary to put your primary keyword into your page URL and if it affects rankings. Based on a study we did here at BKA Content, analyzing around 60 posts over a 6 month period, the posts we had with a keyword as a part of the page URL were overwhelmingly ranking for that exact keyword, where posts that didn’t have the targeted keyword in the URL did not. That’s enough evidence for me that it IS effective to include the keyword in the page URL.

SEO Pro Tip: During that same content marketing study we did here at BKA Content, there were some concerns that changing the URL after the fact might hurt any existing rankings we had for that page and that the page might not recover. After changing the URL after the fact (while always including a redirect from the original URL), there was always an immediate drop in tracked rankings in our keyword tracking tool, but it never affected our actual site traffic. In fact, almost every page that had the URL adjusted ended up rebounding in about 3-4 weeks in our keyword tracking tools to rank for more keywords than they were originally.

Track, Refine and Use Different Keywords If Necessary

Last of all, don’t forget that you can go back and re-optimize your posts in a few months once the dust has settled. Give your content about 3 months before you decide to make any real changes, then go and see what keywords it’s ranking for and what’s gained traction, and optimize further from there. If your post is ranking better for a secondary or additional keyword than the initial “primary keyword”, then switch your primary keyword for SEO!

Just be sure to be careful about making massive changes or you could end up capsizing the entire boat. Engage in the art of SEO maintenance and make small changes to optimize keywords and see if the results are favorable. Do this over and over again and you’ll have a really fine-tuned content marketing strategy on your hands.

Conclusion: How to Use Keywords for SEO

• Focus on 3-8 keywords total per article (primary, secondary and additional).
• Add keywords to Meta Descriptions, Meta Title Tags and page URLs.
• Use keywords in title, headers, Alt-Image tags.
• Insert keywords in the first and last paragraphs and evenly throughout.
• If it doesn’t work naturally, don’t use it. Keywords should be relevant and highly applicable to your content, if the word is odd or doesn’t fit, use the correct version of it that makes sense or throw it out.
• While keywords are great, the meat of the content is the most important thing you should focus on. Keyword-riddled content helps nobody and Google will not rank your content unless it helps somebody.

So there you have it, basically everything you could ever want to know about how to use SEO keywords in your writing. Have anything to add about using keywords for SEO? Leave it in the comments below!

After spending time and energy coming up with the perfect title for your article or blog post, do you really want to take even more time debating how to format it correctly? For instance, what words do you capitalize in the title of an SEO blog? Which words are not capitalized in a title on a web page? Is “your” capitalized in a title? Is “and” capitalized in a title?

When writing for an internet audience, using a standardized title case can help you avoid criticism and confusion. AP style title case has a few easy rules that will help showcase your title. (Note: These rules are the exact same for APA style, the only difference being that AP style does not recommend the use of title case for newspaper headlines, but rather sentence case.)

To master AP title case, learn the capitalization rules below. If you want a simple cheat sheet to have at your side, feel free to download the “Rules of AP Title Case” infographic we’ve created at the bottom of the page.

 

Capitalize the Principal Words in a Title

What words do you capitalize in a title? You should capitalize all of the principal words. The principal words of a title include the first and last words of that title, which you should always capitalize. You should also capitalize all verbs (including infinitives), nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs and some conjunctions. Finally, capitalize every word that is more than three letters long.

Title Capitalization Examples:

 Creating the Perfect Centerpiece for Your Party 
 Increase Curb Appeal With New Shutters
 How To Look For a Paid Internship 

In the last example, note that the entire verb phrase “to look for” is capitalized.

 

What Not To Capitalize in a Title

So what words are not capitalized in a title? The short answer is don’t capitalize articles, prepositions or conjunctions that have fewer than four letters. That leaves a pretty short list of words that often aren’t capitalized*:

a		for		so
an		in		the
and		nor		to
at		of		up
but		on		yet
by		or

*Remember to focus on how a word functions in the title to determine if it should be capitalized. For example, “yet” should be capitalized while acting as an adverb, but lowercase while acting as a conjunction. 

 

Pay Special Attention to Prepositions

When you write titles that contain prepositions, your word processor will likely tell you that you should leave words like “with,” “about,” and “around” lowercase. Defiantly look past the squiggly line indicating a potential error, and remember that in AP title case, prepositions with four or more letters should be capitalized.

Examples of Capitalizing Prepositions in a Title:

 The Dangers of Hiking Without Proper Shoes 
 Working Your Way Around Office Politics  

X   Questions about the Importance of Renters Insurance
X  What’s Lurking beneath Your Home?

 

Capitalizing The Verb “Is”

Many writers make the error of leaving “to be” verbs lowercase. Even though “is,” “are,” “was,” and “be,” are all short words, they should still be capitalized in a title because they are verbs.

Examples Capitalizing the Verb “Is”:

 Why Sunless Tanning Is a Hot Trend
 Satin Sheets Are a Luxury You Can Afford

X    How to be More Aware of Bank Fraud
X    Simple Reasons Why I am Never Bored

 

Title Capitalization Conclusion

The title of your article or blog post is the first thing that your readers will see. By using an intriguing title and formatting it correctly, you can draw your readers in and build their trust. Throughout your article, make sure that the headings within the body of your work follow the same formatting guidelines as your title. When you do this, you are well on your way to creating an article that is both fun to read and visually appealing.

If you have any comments on the subject (or funny examples), leave them below! Click here if you’d like to freshen up on some more AP Style rules.

 

Rules of AP Title Case Cheat Sheet:

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What Are Subordinate Conjunctions?

So what is a subordinating conjunction? Subordinating conjunctions join independent clauses with a dependent or subordinate clause. A clause that is dependent (subordinate) is a clause that contains two qualities.

The first quality is that a subordinate clause does not complete a thought on its own, which means it can’t act as a sentence on its own. The second quality is that it relies on an independent clause, which is a clause that can act as a sentence on its own.

The word because is a great way to quickly help you to understand subordinate conjunctions. The word because exists to show you the cause and effect of something, which is essentially what a subordinate conjunction does.

List of Subordinating Conjunctions

Whereas coordinating conjunctions and correlative conjunctions link two equal elements, subordinate conjunctions are the link between two unequal elements. This usually occurs when you link a main or independent clause with a subordinate or dependent clause. This combination creates a complex sentence that requires the use of a subordinating conjunction.

There are many subordinate conjunctions to keep track of, but here is a list of those most commonly used.

After	Once	Until
Although	Provided that	When
As	Rather than	Whenever
Because	Since	Where
Before	So that	Whereas
Even if	Than	Wherever
Even though	That	Whether
If	Though	While
In order to	Unless	Why

Although many people consider them to be subordinate conjunctions, words such as however, accordingly, still, otherwise and so forth are referred to as conjunctive adverbs, which are slightly different in function from subordinate conjunctions, and they’re punctuated differently as well.

How To Use and Punctuate Subordinating Conjunctions

There are two main functions of subordinating conjunctions: to transition between two ideas and to reduce importance of one clause over another. On the matter of importance, the main clause is the one that is given importance over the subordinate clause.

Transition: I often sit down to write articles after my children eat breakfast.
Reducing Importance: Although it is a beautiful day outside, I plan on working inside at my computer.

There are four main ways to construct sentences using subordinating conjunction. See the subordinating conjunctions examples below:

1. Main clause and subordinate clause. There is no comma required with this simple structure.

– Amber rubbed her eyes as she opened a new training article.
– I prefer to write while my children are at school.

2. Subordinate clause and main clause. Because the sentence is beginning with a dependent clause, a comma should usually come at the end of the subordinate clause before starting the main clause.

– While Drew sets up the trading show booth, Jon explains BKA services to some interested guests.
– Although Katie assured me it was OK, I felt terrible about asking for a writing extension.

3. Main clause and essential relative clause. This involves the use of a relative pronoun such as where, who, that or which. If the relative pronoun is used to clarify a general noun, it is essential and does not require a comma before it. If the essential relative clause interrupts a main sentence, do not put commas around it.

– I like to type in the bedroom where the ceiling fan is located.
– Sharon graciously edited the articles that were due later that day.
– Interrupted: I can usually tell when my neighbor who owns an old truck leaves for work in the morning.

4. Main clause and nonessential relative clause. This again uses a relative pronoun. When the relative pronoun follows a specific noun, the clause is nonessential and should include a comma before it. If the nonessential relative clause interrupts a main sentence, put commas around it.

– Few people enjoy May 4th as much as Greg, who loves Star Wars.
– I curled up to read the first book of The Prydain Chronicles, which is one of my favorite series.
– Interrupted: When it comes to law articles, Claudia, who is a legal whiz, knows just what to write.

Subordinating Conjunctions: Make Your Writing Interesting

Complex sentences make blogs, articles and web pages unique with interesting writing. Now that you know the essential elements of constructing complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions, which subordinating conjunction do you use the most in SEO content? Can you identify how many were used in this article outside of the examples? Sound off in the comments below! 

 

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Just because you know the rules of writing great content doesn’t mean you have to do it all by yourself! If you’re a small business owner or digital marketing agency looking for help writing content for SEO, look no further! We have writing experts that also know how to implement proper keyword research and strategy to create a winning content formula. Check our our monthly SEO blog writing services to learn more!

I’ve learned, especially when writing about living persons, that formal titles are a big deal. If you fail to properly capitalize an individual’s formal title when writing SEO content, that person may perceive it as an insult. You may also run into people insisting that you capitalize job titles that don’t actually qualify as formal. In those cases, just let them know that you’re adhering to the Associated Press Stylebook. Below are some guidelines on how to work with formal titles in AP style.

 

Capitalize Formal Titles Before Names

Formal titles in AP style should be capitalized when they immediately precede one or more names. For instance, people often ask, “Is president capitalized?”. The simple answer is, “yes”. See the formal titles examples below:

President Abraham Lincoln

Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dan Quayle

When a title stands alone or is offset from a name by commas, it should be lowercase.

The president was on vacation.

The lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom, was serving in the governor’s absence.

If an individual does not presently or permanently hold a title, still capitalize it when including it before the person’s name. However, do not capitalize adjectives describing the status of the title.

former President Jimmy Carter

interim Mayor Todd Gloria

 

Formal Titles vs. Occupational Descriptions

Are job titles capitalized? The challenge is distinguishing between formal titles and occupational descriptions. A formal title is conferred upon an individual alongside a scope of authority. Examples include persons in the military, government officials, religious leaders and royalty. Formal titles may also denote a level of academic or professional achievement, as in the case of doctors.

Occupational descriptions, on the other hand, more generally describe what a person does for a living. Occupational descriptions are not capitalized even when positioned directly before an individual’s name.

astronaut Sally Ride

actor Ronald Reagan

professor Barack Obama

Notice that the AP Stylebook does not recognize professor as a formal title. Professor Emeritus, however, is a formal title and should be capitalized accordingly before a name.

For further guidance in determining whether a title is formal or occupational, you should also check whether it is capitalized in usage by the organization conferring it.

 

Formal Titles in Comma Constructions

If you remain unable to determine whether a title is a formal title or an occupational description, use a comma construction and set the title in lowercase apart from the individual’s name.

The department meeting was chaired by Jesse Andrews, coach of the lacrosse team.

Comma constructions should also be used for long bureaucratic titles.

Greg Eagles, deputy associate director of night basketball programs, opposed extending the three-point line.

If a title is unique to one person within an organization, use a comma construction along with the word the before the title.

Oscar Scolari, the chief operating officer, is second-in-command.

 

Formal Titles to Abbreviate

Most formal titles should be spelled out at all times. Specific exceptions include Dr., Rep., Sen., Gov., Lt. Gov. and certain ranks in the military. These AP style titles should be abbreviated only when used directly before a name.

 

Additional Guidelines for Formal Titles

Stories with U.S. datelines generally should not include U.S. before the titles of government officials. Include U.S., however, if the omission could cause confusion.

U.S. Sen. Diana Salazar was scheduled to meet with state Sen. Calvin Carson.

International stories should include U.S. before government titles for U.S. officials.

Titles of nobility sometimes serve as alternate names for individuals. In such cases, capitalize the full title.

The Earl of Sandwich ordered a salad.

 

Formal Titles Are Serious Business

Do you still have questions about how to use formal titles in AP style? Are you still unsure on some job titles and if they are capitalized or not? Let us know by commenting below, and don’t forget to check out our blog on how to use courtesy title in AP style. Click here if you’d like to freshen up on some more AP Style rules.

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If you are like me and tend to do a lot of blog or SEO content writing throughout the week, you probably mention a well-known company or two in your content. It is imperative that when you write any piece – particularly if it is for a specific company – that you get these names right. For instance, is “inc” capitalized? Is there a comma before “LLC”? While it often may seem that AP Stylebook guidelines can be difficult to learn, AP style company names are quite simple if you keep a few things in mind.

Rules for Writing Company Names in AP Style

Below you’ll find a list of things to consider when writing company names:

Include the Company’s Full Name

Use the company’s full name somewhere in the article, especially if the article’s subject matter could affect the company’s business. Doing so also helps search engines find your content. The full name is not required if the company name is irrelevant to the story, and you don’t have to use the formal name on first reference.

Consider Costco Wholesale Corp. as an example. It’s appropriate to refer to the company as Costco, but you’ll want to use Costco Wholesale Corp. if you’re writing an earnings report or a story that could influence the company’s stock price.

Drop the Comma

Have you ever wondered if there is a comma before LLC in AP style? Or if there is a comma after “inc” in a sentence? Well, if the company name is followed by Inc., Ltd. or LLC, do not include a comma before it, even if it is included in the formal name elsewhere.

• Apple Inc.
• Schlumberger Ltd.
• FCA US LLC

Don’t Forget the ‘The’

Be sure to include “The” if it is part of the formal company name.

Company Name Examples:

• The Coca-Cola Co.
• The Gap Inc.

If “The” is not included in the formal company name, keep it lowercase unless it is the first word in the sentence.

• Pittsburgh is home of the United States Steel Corp. headquarters.

If you are unsure what the full name of a company is, you can consult the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, or any filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Use Proper Spelling and Capitalization in Company Names

You should generally use the company’s preferred spelling of its name, but for corporate news or press releases, you can simply use the legal name filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Remember to capitalize the first letter of a company name even if it uses a lowercase one initially. For example, Adidas and Lululemon both tend to use a lowercase letter at the beginning of their names, but when referring to those companies in a piece of content, you would capitalize the first letter per AP style company names guidelines.

An exception to this capitalization rule is any company that begins with a lowercase letter but includes a capital letter elsewhere in the name, such as eBay. However, you should always capitalize company names when they appear at the beginning of a sentence.

• Ebay was originally named AuctionWeb.
• A broken laser pointer was the first item sold on eBay.

Likewise, if a company tends to use all capital letters in its name, you would not use all capitals. Instead, capitalize just the first letter followed by lowercase letters.

• Asus rather than ASUS
• Ikea rather than IKEA
• USA Today rather than USA TODAY

The only time it is appropriate to use all capital letters in a company name is if the letters are individually pronounced, as in BMW or BKA Content. Remember to brush up on your AP acronym rules while you are at it.

Do You Italicize Company Names?

No. Capitalization of company names is correct, but no italicizing or underlining is needed.

Avoid Symbols

Even if a company’s name typically includes symbols such as asterisks, exclamation points or plus signs, do not use these when following AP Stylebook, because they could distract or confuse readers. Take these company names for example:

• E-Trade rather than E*Trade
• Toys R Us rather than Toys “R” Us
• Yahoo rather than Yahoo!

Include Ampersands

When it comes to ampersands (&), you should use one only if it is included in the formal name of the company. Otherwise, use “and.”

• AT&T Inc.
• Eli Lilly and Co.

Examples of AP Style Company Names

Below you’ll find a list of the formal names of some major U.S companies:

3M Co.	Exelon Corp.	Norfolk Southern Corp.
Abbott Laboratories	Express Scripts Holding Co.	Northrop Grumman Corp.
Aetna Inc.	Exxon Mobil Corp.	Occidental Petroleum Corp.
Alcoa Corp.	Facebook Inc.	Oracle Corp.
The Allstate Corp.	FedEx Corp.	PepsiCo Inc.
Alphabet Inc.	Ford Motor Co.	Pfizer Inc.
Altria Group Inc.	The Gap Inc.	Phillips 66
Amazon.com Inc.	General Dynamics Corp.	PNC Financial Services Group Inc.
American Express Co.	General Electric Co.	The Procter & Gamble Co.
American International Group Inc.	General Mills Inc.	Prudential Financial Inc.
Amgen Inc.	General Motors Co.	Qualcomm Inc.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp.	The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.	Raytheon Co.
Anthem Inc.	Halliburton Co.	Schlumberger Ltd.
Apple Inc.	HP Inc.	Sears Holdings Corp.
Arconic Inc.	The Home Depot Inc.	Simon Property Group Inc.
AT&T Inc.	Honeywell International Inc.	Southwest Airlines Co.
Bank of America Corp.	Intel Corp.	Sprint Corp.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	International Business Machines Corp.	Starbucks Corp.
Best Buy Co.	J.C. Penney Co.	Staples Inc.
Biogen Idec Inc.	Johnson & Johnson	Target Corp.
Boeing Co.	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Texas Instruments Inc.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.	Kellogg Co.	Time Warner Inc.
Carnival Corp.	Kimberly-Clark Corp.	Travelers Cos.
Caterpillar Inc.	The Kraft Heinz Co.	Twitter Inc.
CBS Corp.	The Kroger Co.	Tyson Foods Inc.
Chevron Corp.	Lockheed Martin Corp.	Union Pacific Corp.
Cisco Systems Inc.	Lowe’s Cos.	United Continental Holdings Inc.
Citigroup Inc.	Macy’s Inc.	UnitedHealth Group Inc.
The Coca-Cola Co.	Marathon Oil Corp.	United Parcel Service Inc.
Colgate-Palmolive Co.	Mastercard Inc.	United States Steel Corp.
Comcast Corp.	McDonald’s Corp.	United Technologies Corp.
ConAgra Foods Inc.	McKesson Corp.	U.S. Bancorp
ConocoPhillips	Medtronic Inc.	Verizon Communications Inc.
Costco Wholesale Corp.	Merck & Co.	Viacom Inc.
CVS Health Corp.	MetLife Inc.	Visa Inc.
Deere & Co.	Microsoft Corp.	Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.
Delta Air Lines Inc.	Mondelez International Inc.	Walmart Inc.
DowDuPont Inc.	Monsanto Co.	The Walt Disney Co.
Duke Energy Corp.	Morgan Stanley	Wells Fargo & Co.
eBay Inc.	News Corp.	Whole Foods Market Inc.
Eli Lilly and Co.	Nike Inc.	Xerox Corp.

 

Below you’ll find a list of the formal names of some major non-U.S companies:

Airbus Group	Diageo PLC	Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.
Allianz SE	Electricite de France SA	Reliance Industries Ltd.
America Movil SAB de CV	Eni SpA	Rio Tinto PLC
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA	E.ON SE	Roche Holding AG
ArcelorMittal	Fiat Automobiles SpA	Royal Dutch Shell PLC
AstraZeneca PLC	Gazprom OAO	SABMiller PLC
Baidu Inc.	GlaxoSmithKline PLC	Samsung Electronics Co.
Banco Santander SA	Glencore PLC	Sanofi SA
Bank of China Ltd.	H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB	SAP SE
Barclays PLC	Honda Motor Co.	Siemens AG
Barrick Gold Corp.	HSBC Holdings PLC	Societe Generale SA
Bayer AG	Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd.	Sony Corp.
BHP Billiton Ltd.	ING Groep NV	Tata Group
BMW Group	L’Oreal SA	Telefonica SA
BNP Paribas SA	LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA	Tesco PLC
BP PLC	Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.	Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Carrefour SA	Nestle SA	ThyssenKrupp AG
China Construction Bank Corp.	Nintendo Co.	Total SA
China Mobile Ltd.	Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.	Toyota Motor Corp.
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. or Sinopec	Nissan Motor Co.	UBS AG
CNOOC Ltd.	Nokia Corp.	Unilever NV
Credit Suisse Group AG	Novartis AG	Vale SA
Daimler AG	Novo Nordisk A/S	Vivendi SA
Deutsche Bank AG	PetroChina Co.	Vodafone Group PLC
Deutsche Telekom AG	Petroleo Brasileiro SA	Volkswagen AG

 

AP Style Company Names: Conclusion

It may seem like there is a lot to remember with AP style company names, but if you keep these tips in mind, mentioning them in your content should be easy. What simple tips do you have for remembering how to write company names in AP style? Share them in the comments!

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I personally love the use of adverbs at certain times to further clarify the action of a sentence, especially when taking on an SEO writing project. Although there is some debate as to whether or not adverbs weaken writing, there is likely to come a time, whether you are writing a journalistic article or a short story, that you will need to use an adverb. Incidentally, many prolific content writers find themselves using sentence adverbs more often than they realize.

 

Define Sentence Adverbs

So what is a sentence adverb? Whereas an adverb typically modifies the verb of a sentence, a sentence adverb is an adverb that appears usually at the beginning of a sentence and modifies the sentence as a whole. This type of adverb usually ends in –ly and is often followed by a comma.

Sentence Adverb Examples:

– She carefully considered whether proper grammar should dictate her future friendships.

In this sentence, carefully is an adverb modifying the verb considered.

– Thankfully, the lower roads were free of snow and ice on our drive over.

In this sentence, the adverb thankfully applies to the entire sentence and not just the verb.

 

List of Sentence Adverbs

There are many different sentence adverbs that are usable at the beginning of a sentence. Here is an adverbs list of the most commonly used ones:

Actually	Fortunately	Regrettably
Apparently	Hopefully	Seriously
Basically	Ideally	Strangely
Briefly	Incidentally	Surprisingly
Certainly	Indeed	Thankfully
Clearly	Interestingly	Theoretically
Conceivably	Ironically	Truthfully
Confidentially	Naturally	Ultimately
Curiously	Predictably	Wisely
Evidently	Presumably

If you look carefully, you will notice that not all of the adverbs on this list end in -ly. The main qualification for identifying a sentence adverb is whether it modifies the whole sentence.

 

The ‘Hopefully’ Debate

If you happen to know anyone who is a bit of a grammar snob, he or she might tell you that it is incorrect to use hopefully as a sentence adverb. This is one of those grammar myths that is not necessarily true. Some people profess that the use of hopefully is indicative of lazy writing and makes the meaning of the sentence unclear.

However, hopefully appears in all kinds of writing, and you can even find it in the dictionary as meaning “I hope” or “it is to be hoped.” While certain individuals might nitpick and even argue with you over its use, hopefully is a generally acceptable sentence adverb, especially in plain language pieces. Even the Associated Press Stylebook, which once rejected the use of hopefully as a sentence adverb, now accepts it as grammatically correct.

 

Use Sentence Adverbs Wisely

If you have ever used an adverb at the beginning of a sentence in order to modify the entire sentence (and not just the verb), then you have successfully used sentence adverbs. Despite what some people may tell you, even hopefully is not necessarily among the lazy and weak words to avoid in writing. As with any words in writing, my greatest tip is to remember not to overuse sentence adverbs in any single blog or story.

What do you think of the use of sentence adverbs in fiction and nonfiction writing? Was the adverbs list above helpful or do you have any suggestions? Do you have any additional sentence adverbs examples to share? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

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When I’m spending hours at my computer coming up with an article topic, I’m often too tired to notice many of the minor mistakes in my writing. Because relying on spell-check software can weaken writing, this is when it helps to have an extra set of eyes to look over my work. I could just call on a friend to help me out, but there are some types of content that need something more: an editor. Just like there are different types of editing, there are many different types of editors out there, so how do you know which one to hire?

What Do Editors Do?

When most people think of editors, they imagine someone scrutinizing a paper, their pen dripping with red ink. Some editors like to edit the old-fashioned way, but for the most part, editors are simply people who tweak, fix and enhance the content you write. Their invaluable corrections and advice can make a boring piece of content flourish.

Editors today can be found in all settings, such as in the workplace of a newspaper publishing company or online through freelancing services. Not all editors get an English degree, some come from communication or journalism backgrounds. Over time, they get enough experience to become expertly skilled in grammar, spelling and story structure.

What Are the Different Types of Editors?

Selecting the right editor for your project depends on your needs and, sometimes, your budget. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the different roles editors can play in getting an article or a book published.

1. Beta Reader

Beta readers are generally those people you let look over your writing to get their opinion. They aren’t required to have a lot of background in editing, but they have valuable advice that only a fresh pair of eyes can give. This is an ideal way to receive feedback if you are writing a book.

Many authors may ask for beta readers and create a questionnaire for the readers to get early feedback on a story. You want to find beta readers if you are looking for feedback from the general public for your work. Knowing how the audience feels about your writing can help you create a more compelling version before you publish.

2. Proofreader

The types of editors and their roles may vary, but proofreaders are one of the most common types. Proofreaders look over content after it has gone through other stages of editing. It is the final readthrough before publishing. Proofreaders often only look for glaring mistakes in grammar and punctuation, and they may give little feedback as to quality or content development.

You want to hire a proofreader if you are concerned about spelling, punctuation or grammar mistakes, such as in articles or resumes. It is also reassuring to have one read-through before publishing your work. Some proofreaders will mark up the content to show where the corrections were made, while others will simply catch anything they see and move on.

3. Online Editor

The term “online editor” includes anyone you can find online to look over your content. These types of editors are most likely freelancers, and their skill sets may vary. Hiring online can be a helpful option if you don’t know who to turn to.

If you plan on hiring an online editor, first make sure he or she is well-versed in the type of editing you are looking for. Prices may vary, so be sure to find the right level and type of editing expertise that you are looking for.

4. Critique Partner

A critique partner tends to be a writer or published author who looks over a story and helps another writer or aspiring author to raise the quality of his or her work. A CP may act more as a coach than an editor. You want a critique partner when you need guidance on developing a story for publication.

If you have connections with other writers, this is a great way to swap work and receive great feedback. Because your CP is also a writer, they can find specific ways to improve your writing such as developing characters, describing the setting more naturally and cutting out cliché writing.

5. Commissioning Editor

Also known as an acquisition editor, a commissioning editor is the one who looks for books or articles for publication. This is the person to talk to if you’re looking to get a book published or if you’re a freelance writer and want to pitch an article or blog to a particular site or company.

This type of editor searches for books and articles that will benefit the publishing house or company. They keep an eye on market trends and find authors, book proposals and potential ideas that can appeal to hungry readers. If you think your novel or article is extraordinary, pitch it to a commissioning editor.

6. Developmental Editor

Developmental editors act as coaches for writers to get a story ready for publication. They cheer you on and help you stay on track with the tone, structure and audience. They also challenge you to improve your writing and may fight with you on how to develop your plot.

When you need guidance on moving your story forward, developmental editors should be able to help. They may also spend some of their time ghostwriting. Especially for novels, this type of editor is a must-have.

7. Content Editor

Content editors look at everything the writing encompasses. With books, they look over the story and make changes as necessary to the plot, characters, setting and so forth. In journalism or online publications, a content editor ensures the article’s scope is accurate for its audience and subject matter.

If you’re looking for extensive editing, this type of editor is a great option. They will look at everything in your work, making sure that overall, the content is high-quality and engaging. Some content editors even consider marketing strategy and the overall effectiveness of the writing.

8. Copy Editor

Copy editors, also known as line editors and sometimes as content editors, usually look at everything from facts to grammar and formatting. These editors can do it all. Copy editors specifically study punctuation and grammar. They have extensive knowledge of the English language and are familiar with writing styles.

9. Associate Editor

Associate editors often work for newspapers or magazines. Another term for this position is “section editor.” An associate editor often has the same responsibilities as an acquisition editor; he or she is in charge of seeking out stories or content for publication.

These types of editors read and review material that will be published. They often coordinate topics that may be interesting to readers, and they’ll do some tweaking to make the title and content engaging. They keep the overall goal of the newspaper or magazine in mind while picking and editing content.

10. Contributing Editor

Contributing editors tend to contribute their services to a magazine or newspaper and may also be referred to as a roving editor. In the journalism industry, a contributing editor is sometimes called an editor-at-large. A contributing editor has more freedom to choose what they edit or work on and they contribute regularly.

11. Chief Editor

Also known as an executive editor, the chief editor is the person overall in charge of an article, story or other content. The chief editor is the one who looks over the final product to ensure it meets company standards and approves it for release.

It may take years of experience to be considered for this position. But if you’re looking for someone who knows what they’re doing, a chief editor can have the final say on your written content.

12. Editor-in-Chief

So what is an editor-in-chief? The editor-in-chief is generally the person who oversees the editing department and manages all of the other editors for the company. They distribute the work to the editing team and oversee bigger projects. The EIC is also responsible for maintaining the voice of the company and upholding its philosophy and mission. Publishing companies sometimes refer to editors-in-chief as editors-at-large, which essentially means they can work on whatever project they choose to.

Different Types of Editing: Make the Right Choice

Don’t underestimate the power of a good editor. Even the best proofreading and editing tips for writers are no substitute for a fresh set of eyes. Whether you are working on a novel or publishing blog posts for your company’s content marketing strategy, an editor can improve your content.

Here at BKA Content, we have some of the best SEO content editors on the planet. Whether you need someone to look over content for spelling/grammatical errors, optimize content for SEO-keyword best practices or adjust and fix AI-generated content, we can help! Contact BKA Content today to learn more about how our managed SEO content solutions can help take your business to the next level online!

For a few years during elementary school, virtually every sentence my friends and I uttered included the word “like.” This awful speech habit led to plenty of well-deserved ridicule, which made me determined to stop overusing unnecessary words. I thought I was succeeding on this front for years, until I started doing freelance content writing assignments for a client who wasn’t a fan of superfluous words, including “that.” Then, I learned just how guilty I was of overusing the word “that” in my writing. It was basically my new, written version of “like.”

While phasing out “like” was pretty simple, removing unnecessary uses of “that” from my content writing proved challenging because this word legitimately belongs in many sentences. To help you avoid similar grief, today I’d like to share a few tips for avoiding overusing “that” and using “that” in a sentence correctly.

When to Use ‘That’ in a Sentence

First, it’s important to know when “that” is really needed in a sentence. This word frequently attaches dependent clauses to independent clauses, and it is strictly necessary if a clause begins with certain subordinating conjunctions, such as before, while and in addition to. “That” also should be used before clauses that clarify a noun.

• She said that although the sunrise workout sounded like a brilliant idea, sleeping in also sounded good.
• The notion that their project would be finished by the original deadline was laughable.

“That” additionally should appear after certain verbs, such as contend, estimate and point out. If you’re a native speaker, you can probably intuitively identify many of these verbs.

• He enthusiastically declared that he would stop procrastinating tomorrow.

You also should use “that” if a sentence would sound awkward without it. If you’re in doubt, include it, since this does less harm than incorrectly omitting it.

When to Leave Out ‘That’

To decide whether you can omit “that” from a sentence, check how naturally and intelligibly the sentence reads without it. Usually, you can drop “that” if it follows a verb that essentially means “to say.” This omission mimics natural speech and shouldn’t change the meaning of the sentence.

• The children claimed an ice cream break would help them study more effectively.
• She insisted she wasn’t responsible for the houseplant’s untimely death.

However, it’s usually better to keep “that” if other words fall between the verb and the dependent clause.

• The kids also said this morning that a television break would enhance their studying.
• She admitted begrudgingly that she might have contributed to the plant’s demise.

You also can usually omit “that” if it precedes a simple relative clause.

• Neither of them was particularly excited about the compromise (that) they reached.

Using ‘That’ Twice in a Row

When you’re trimming unnecessary uses of “that” from your writing, be sure to pay attention to sentences where it appears multiple times or even twice in a row (“that that”). These sentences can be grammatically correct but stylistically undesirable. For example, at BKA, we use Associated Press Style, which requires sentences to be constructed in a manner that eliminates consecutive uses of “that.”

• He confessed that that plan had been formulated on three hours of sleep.
• He confessed that they had only slept three hours when they formulated that plan.

Even if you’re not following a strict style guide, it’s often beneficial to try revising sentences to avoid using “that” too redundantly.

Using ‘That’ or ‘Which’

It can be tempting to cut back on “that” by replacing it with “which,” but these words aren’t actually interchangeable. “That” introduces information that is integral to the meaning of a sentence, while “which” precedes information that is non-essential and offset by commas.

• The first kindergarten class that all 31 students attended was miraculously free of mishaps.
• The first kindergarten class, which all 31 students attended, was miraculously free of mishaps.

In this example, each sentence has a distinct meaning. The first describes a specific class when all 31 students were present for the first time, while in the second, the attendance of all 31 kids is a non-essential detail.

Got All That?

Striking the right balance between overusing the word “that” and omitting it improperly takes a little thought, but with practice, it should become second nature. What other common words do people overuse? Tell us about it in the comments section! If you’re looking for help on grammar rules, check out some of our other GrammarSpot posts.

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Whether you’re writing location-based SEO content that incorporates state names in keyword phrases or just wanting to make sure you reference state names right in day-to-day communication, we’ve got your back. The writers of most content creation companies usually write using a popular style guide (AP, APA, Chicago, MLA) mixed with a house style. At BKA, we prefer AP style, which is a standard in journalism. Although the rules seem to change as often as I eat a shameful amount of candy (read: every day), I appreciate the AP editors’ understanding that language is constantly evolving. The same is true when it comes to AP state abbreviations.

What’s New With AP Style State Abbreviations?

Some writers may be unaware that AP changed the rule regarding how state names should be written. In the past, states were generally abbreviated in domestic articles and news stories, but they were always spelled out in international content. In an attempt to be more consistent across the board, AP has changed the ruling so that both domestic and international articles now contain spelled-out versions of state names.

State Abbreviations Are Not Extinct

Because nothing can ever truly be simple, abbreviated state names still are used in the following:

• Lists
• Tables
• Datelines
• Photo captions
• Nonpublishable editor’s notes
• Short-form identification
• Political party affiliation
• Agate editions
• Credit lines

What About Headlines?

AP style isn’t keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out.

Exceptions to the Rules

It wouldn’t be AP style without an exception or two! There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. Those are Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.

A great way to remember this exception is to realize that Alaska and Hawaii are not in the contiguous United States, and the other exempted states contain five letters or fewer in their names. To be very, very clear, here are the AP state abbreviations (or lack thereof) for the states listed above:

• Alaska Abbreviation: Alaska
• Hawaii Abbreviation: Hawaii
• Idaho Abbreviation: Idaho
• Iowa Abbreviation: Iowa
• Maine Abbreviation: Maine
• Ohio Abbreviation: Ohio
• Texas Abbreviation: Texas
• Utah Abbreviation: Utah

How To Abbreviate Each State

When abbreviating the state names, don’t make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations (think OK for Oklahoma). AP Stylebook has provided a list indicating exactly how the states should be shortened.

Alabama (Ala.)	Maryland (Md.)	North Dakota (N.D.)
Arizona (Ariz.)	Massachusetts (Mass.)	Oklahoma (Okla.)
Arkansas (Ark.)	Michigan (Mich.)	Oregon (Ore.)
California (Calif.)	Minnesota (Minn.)	Pennsylvania (Pa.)
Colorado (Colo.)	Mississippi (Miss.)	Rhode Island (R.I.)
Connecticut (Conn.)	Missouri (Mo.)	South Carolina (S.C.)
Delaware (Del.)	Montana (Mont.)	South Dakota  (S.D.)
Florida (Fla.)	Nebraska (Neb.)	Tennessee (Tenn.)
Georgia (Ga.)	Nevada (Nev.)	Vermont (Vt.)
Illinois (Ill.)	New Hampshire (N.H.)	Virginia (Va.)
Indiana (Ind.)	New Jersey (N.J.)	Washington (Wash.)
Kansas (Kan.)	New Mexico (N.M.)	West Virginia (W.Va.)
Kentucky (Ky.)	New York (N.Y.)	Wisconsin (Wis.)
Louisiana (La.)	North Carolina (N.C.)	Wyoming (Wyo.)

I suggest you print this table out and keep it close to your computer until you learn all the AP style state abbreviations. Why New Mexico is N.M. and West Virginia is W.Va. is unclear, but if you’re keen on following AP rules, then this is need-to-know information.

If you’d like a more visually appealing way to reference AP style state name abbreviations, save this map we’ve created with all the names you need.

The Good News

The positive here is that the Grammar Gods don’t care if you abbreviate state names, so if these rules aren’t in line with your house style or your clients’ way of writing, then scrap the guidelines, by all means! If in your mind the Arkansas abbreviation will always be AR and Missouri abbreviation MO, then so be it! This is a judgment-free zone.

Sound Off on State Name Abbreviations

What do you think about these AP style state abbreviation rules? Do they make sense to you, or do they make your head spin? Do you still prefer the Massachusetts abbreviation of MA over Mass.? Or the Virginia abbreviation of capitalized VA over Va.? Comment below! Click here if you’d like to freshen up on some more AP Style rules.

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In the words of Meghan Trainor, “it’s all about that noun.” At least, I think that’s what she said. If you can’t seem to figure out when to use amount vs. number vs. quantity when writing content, a good place to start is to define each word and then think about the noun that you’re referring to and whether it’s singular, plural or countable.

Definition of Amount

The dictionary defines the meaning of amount to be:

• the same in effect or meaning as
• to add up to a total
• to reach in quality or kind

Definition of Number

The definition of number is as follows:

• a sum of units
• a large total that is indefinite
• a large group
• a total that cannot be ascertained

Definition of Quantity

The quantity definition is:

• a total sum of units
• a large sum of units
• an indefinite total

Kind of sounds like they all meant the same thing, right? Let’s dive a little deeper in how amount vs. quantity vs number are used in content writing.

Amount vs. Number vs. Quantity at a Glance

– Amount should be used when you’re talking about a singular noun that CAN’T be measured.
– Number should be used when you’re referring to a singular or plural noun that CAN be counted.
–Quantity should be used for an inanimate, single or plural noun that CAN be counted or measured.

When To Use Amount in a Sentence

If you can’t measure it, use amount. It’s also important to keep in mind that amount should come before a singular word and is generally used for mass nouns and words like respect, love and envy. If you aren’t sure whether a noun is countable, take a minute to think about whether or not someone could add up the number on his or her calculator.

Amount Examples:

– In July, the amount of work he got done writing SEO articles was more than ever before.

– The amount of love the preteen girl had for Justin Bieber was way too much.

When To Use Number in a Sentence

If you can count it and it’s plural, use number. However, make sure that you pay attention to the verb that comes after the noun phrase. When you use, “the number,” you should follow it up with a singular verb, while you should use a plural verb after you say, “a number.”

Number Examples:

– The number of people I need to show up at my party is probably unrealistic.

– After spending 20 minutes on Facebook, a number of emails were waiting for me in my inbox.

When To Use Quantity in a Sentence

Here’s where things get a little bit tricky. Quantity, much like number, can be used for singular or plural nouns that you can count or measure. The main difference is that it’s best to use quantity when you’re talking about an inanimate object. However, there are times where you can use quantity and number interchangeably, specifically when the noun is plural. For example, if you were talking about how many tomatoes you have, either number or quantity would technically work.

Quantity Examples:

– It would take a large quantity of ice cream to make me feel better.

– After getting paid, the quantity of dollar bills in my wallet was finally enough to buy Taco Bell.

Amount vs. Number vs. Quantity: You Don’t Have To Be a Mathematician

Remember, you don’t have to be able to do calculus to get amount vs. number vs. quantity straight. Instead, it just takes a little practice. What are some other commonly confused words that make you crazy? Check out some of our other Commonly Confused Words posts.

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