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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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!

Modal verbs of probability may seem like intimidating parts of language, but they’re actually verb structures that are found in everyday speech and cwriting. When you’re looking through the latest gossip magazine regarding George and Amal Clooney’s latest news and find yourself gasping, “That can’t be true!” you are using a modal verb of probability. Modal verbs are essentially helping verbs that add information to the sentence.

What is a Modal Verb?

So what is a modal verb? The dictionary defines it as an auxiliary verb that expresses probability or necessity. They are also commonly used with other verbs to help express things like possibility, ability, obligation, belief and more.

List of Present Modal Verbs of Probability

When talking about the present, modal verbs of probability express a guess or suggestion. Here are some common present modal auxiliary verbs.

Modal Verb of Probability	Meaning
Can’t + infinitive	I’m sure this isn’t so.
Can	This is a general possibility.
Could	Maybe.
May	Maybe.
Might	Maybe.
Must	I’m pretty sure this is true.
Will	I’m very sure this is true.
Won’t	I’ve very sure this isn’t true.
Should	This is probably true.

Present modal verbs of probability are often constructed with “be” following them.

Modal Verbs Examples:

• George must be on the plane by now.
• Katie may be late to the movie.
• Flying can be too expensive.
• Drew can’t be going to the party.

 

Past Modal Verbs of Probability

You can construct past modal verbs by adding “have” and a past participle to the modal verb.

Modal Verbs Examples:

• George must have gotten on the plane.
• Katie might have been late to the movie.
• Flying could have been too expensive.
• Drew can’t have gone to the party.

It is important not to confuse modal verbs like “should” and “could” with their other modal verb roles. When used as a modal verb of probability, “should” means that you assume something happened if everything is as you expect it to be.

• PRESENT: The bus should be leaving.
• PAST: The bus should have left.

When paired with an infinitive, “could” expresses a general possibility in the past and is used as the past tense of “can.” In the present tense, “can” talks about general possibilities that we understand to sometimes be true. “Could” is the past tense version of this type of “can.”

• PRESENT: Gas prices can be high in the summer.
• PAST: Gas prices could be high in the 1970s.

Note the present tense of “be” even when referring to the past with both “should” and “could.” This is not to be confused with pairing these verbs with “have” and a past participle, which talks about specific past possibilities or obligations.

 

Past Modal Verbs of Certainty

When you are certain that something has occurred, then you can use “will” or “won’t” with “have” and a past participle.

Modal Verbs Examples:

• Phil will have arrived by now.
• Cara won’t have left the office until well after closing hours.

 

Making Sense of Modal Verbs of Probability

When using modal verbs of probability, things can quickly get confusing, but ensuring proper grammar could end in your favor. When expressing probability in present tense, pair a modal verb up with an infinitive. When expressing probability in the past tense, add “have” and a past participle to the modal verb.

 

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​If you have a business and want to expand your digital presence, you have probably at one point thought to yourself I need content for my website. It’s true, you need an online article strategy because every business owner stands to benefit from a deliberate online presence.

Right now, there are nearly 1.8 billion websites on the internet, and that number is constantly rising. Managing your business is one can of worms that you’re probably great at, but creating a solid internet presence is a whole new can. And maybe you only have an outdated and dull can opener to attempt to open it with. Creating your online presence is more than merely crafting a website with your unique backstory and essential contact information; it’s connecting with your customers and showing that you are active and your services or products are worth attention.

There are two questions to ask yourself when starting on your content creation: Do I need to write content for my website, or do I need a content writer? The answers to these questions will shape your approach and help determine where your focus is. Getting the content needed for your website may seem simple at first, but as with any job, there is a lot of work that needs to go into it.

 

Do I Need Content Ideas For My Website?

One option that might save you money upfront is to try writing your own content. There are two main reasons to write your own content: it costs less and you already know a lot about the industry. On the other hand, keep in mind that article writing takes time even when you are an expert. If you take on this work, it’s essentially saddling you with another job on top of running your business.

SEO content creation may appear easy at a glance, but when you finally sit down to write, you’ll likely realize there are a whole bunch of different pieces that make up the puzzle of blogging and article writing. How do you know which keywords to use? What are backlinks and where should you put them? Is it good enough to put all of your written content on one website? How often should you be producing new content? These are just a few of many considerations you probably need to start thinking about as you begin writing.

Becoming an expert on your niche’s topics is an important step for establishing your website (and thus, your business) as an authority in your industry. Building your site’s authority takes time. It can take months or even years before you see yourself land at the top of a search engine ranking. Before that can happen, you need content ideas. It may be easy to come up with the first couple of topics on your own, but how are you supposed to keep that up indefinitely? If you’re asking myself “I need content for my website now,” there are a few places to look.

 

Browse Search Engines

Chances are high that whatever questions you have about topics relating to your line of work, someone else has also had them. Search engines are a great place to glean such information as frequently asked questions that people ask about your industry. While the answers and topics might seem overly simple to an expert in the field, they are important to those who aren’t familiar with what you do. You can get a lot of mileage out of the simple topics and basic questions. If you are running low on ideas, do a little search yourself and see what topics start to pop up.

 

Venture Through Social Media

The number of active social media users is quickly approaching 4 billion, so there must be some content there that is holding people’s interests. A business social media account is a great way to quickly interact with your customers. You can focus on client engagement and even head off negative reviews by quickly addressing concerns brought to your attention.

More importantly, you can see what businesses like yours are doing and take note of what your target clientele is responding to online. From recent news to the latest industry trends, social media can be a useful tool for discovering what is important to your clients right now. Just make sure the content you produce is unique and not copying everything your competitors are doing.

 

Check Your Analytics

If you are managing your website and creating content on your own, it’s vital that you take advantage of analytics tools. More importantly, if you are using any sort of analytics program, you must review the information it’s collecting. The right analytics tools tell you everything from how many people are visiting your site to which keywords customers are using when they find your business.

And if you look closely, these tools can answer your “I need content for my website” question. Understanding your highest-rated keywords may help guide your article topics list.

 

Do I Need a Content Writer?

Creating your own content is a lot of work. Eventually, trying to maintain your online content while running your business may get to be too much. Or maybe writing isn’t one of your strong suits. Most businesses benefit from hiring a content writer to come up with articles for them. Outsourcing your content creation can be beneficial in many ways, but ultimately, it all culminates in you being able to focus on your business. But where should you start looking when you need a professional writer? Your options range from basic content to freelancers to professional companies.

 

Basic Content Options

You may have the option to hire an in-house writer. There are many considerations to mull over before taking this dive. Hiring an in-house writer means paying another wage or salary, plus any potential benefits if the writer works full time. This makes more financial sense in the long term than the short term, and you should be sure there will be plenty of work for the writer. If your content needs come in small bursts, an in-house writer might not be the way to go.

Some mill-type companies churn out a lot of content for seemingly low rates, but the quality of the content you get can be hit and miss. You get what you pay for. Keep in mind that maintaining your online presence is one part of investing in your business. Getting the content needed for your website should be given a high priority in both quality and quantity.

If you are not making room in your budget to secure quality articles or blogs, don’t expect to see a large return on your investment. If you plan on using another company to help produce your content, perform your due diligence to make sure you will get the quality of content you want.

 

Freelancer Choices

Better than a basic content option is to work with a professional who understands search engine optimization and online content creation. Thanks to the growth of remote work, freelance writers are abundant online. On the one hand, there are many great writers out there with portfolios to back up their skills. On the other hand, finding writers of this caliber is not always easy, or cheap. Freelancers are business owners themselves and ultimately determine their own rates. If you only wish to work with the cream of the crop, make sure you can afford it.

As with the basic options, you should also be wary of too-good-to-be-true prices. Always research the services being provided and vet your desired writer as thoroughly as possible.

 

Professional Content Creation Companies

Probably the best middle ground between writing your own content, getting affordable rates and securing quality is to go with a professional content creation company. These businesses typically work with teams of writers to craft written content for a variety of businesses. Although it’s still important to research each company to ensure the fit is right for you, with most professional content companies you can expect the following:

• Writer availability
• Quality assurance
• Keyword research
• Topic ideas

In addition, some companies offer extra services, such as posting the content for your business. With the right company, you can be mostly hands-off regarding your online content. However, it is always a good idea to know what’s going on with your website and social media so as to head off any issues. Having a company take over your content creation can be similar to having an in-house writer, depending on who you work with. At the same time, if you are on a tight budget and can’t afford professional rates, it can save your wallet.

 

What Should I Look for in Content Creation Services?

While asking yourself “I need content for my website, how do I get it?” you should definitely consider outsourcing. As you’re hunting down the best place to get content for your website, you should also know what qualities to look for in a content provider – and what to avoid. For example, steer away from businesses that practice black hat SEO tactics. Black hat SEO tactics are strategies that, while not illegal, attempt to artificially inflate page rankings through questionable means.

For example, stuffing keywords repeatedly into a single blog or placing links in every blog or social media comment. Quality and authority take a back seat with this approach. Good content providers should be able to help elevate your business organically following search engine guidelines.

Specifically, the following can be indicators of good website content writing services:

 

Human Contact

In an increasingly automated world, human contact can be welcoming. Whatever business you work with, you should have the ability to reach a real person when you need to. This could be through the company’s online chat, a phone line, text message, email or social media page. Being able to order your content through a smooth and automated process online is definitely convenient, but make sure you are dealing with real people, too. This also helps if you have specific questions or needs for your article topics.

 

Quality Oversight

If you’re hiring a company to write the content needed for your website, your time might be precious. Yet you need to ensure that the content representing your business is of good quality. Your business shouldn’t be creating content purely for content’s sake. The more educational, informative, and authoritative your content is, the better it’s likely to rank.

You should be able to trust that the company you use can generate quality content in your target language. This means if you want content written in English, the writer should be a native English speaker. The company’s writers should be vetted and properly trained. If you are constantly worrying about major grammar mistakes and coherency, it may be time to find a better provider.

 

Content Management

You have a couple of options for handling your finished content. As with the writing portion, you need to decide if you will publish and promote the content yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Many content providers also offer management services and can schedule the publication of blogs and articles to blogging platforms and social media for you. While promoting content is not necessarily as time-consuming as writing it, the process still takes time. Letting someone else handle publishing and promoting can take a lot of stress off your plate.

Taking note of all of these aspects of a good company, it is vital that you’re able to form a trusting relationship with your content provider. After all, you’ll be sharing a lot of information about your business with the writer and any other necessary contacts. Check out reviews, talk to listed references, and gather as much information as you can about the company beforehand to make sure you can trust their services. If available, take advantage of a trial offer to see if they will be the right fit. As with any business relationship, it’s important to start with a solid foundation.

 

What Works Best For My Business?

If you need content for your website, there are a few different ways to find articles online. While you can’t just take someone else’s content and claim it as your own, the internet provides quick access to a variety of services for professionally created content. You can also find tips for writing your own quality content. Where you ultimately get your articles comes down to personal preference, time and budget.

Once you have established your preferred method for content generation, eventually your content library may grow large enough that you can start updating and reinvigorating older posts, but you have to start somewhere. The internet is full of article writing advice as well as professionals and companies that can do the job for you. Ultimately, if your focus needs to be on your business, then you likely need content writer services.

Has working with professional writers benefitted your content strategy? What qualities do you look for in a professional writer or content company? Share your experiences with us!

 

Do I Need Content For My Website Right Now?

If you’re ready to start buying custom content for your website or you’re saying to yourself “I need a content writer,” give BKA Content a try. Our trained and vetted writers can create the content you want at affordable prices. You can order from our Content Shop today.

 

If you’ve just finished writing your article, blog post or book and are looking to publish it right away – stop. Take a step back and consider this: Has your document gone through any sort of editing process by someone other than you? If not, you should seriously consider hiring an editor. There are many different types of editing, and you can use them to improve the quality and readability of any content you write.

Even businesses can benefit from using an editor to improve their SEO content. An editor can spot ways to cut out the fluff and improve the flow of the writing, which can boost the quality of content and improve search rankings. As well as in publishing and online posting, editing has a crucial role in any content marketing strategy.

Why Is Editing Important?

I may write and edit articles for a living, but that doesn’t mean I trust myself to catch every mistake in something that I wrote, especially if I proofread at the last minute. I need a fresh pair of eyes familiar with different types of editing for that.

Editing helps you create the best version of your content possible. The perspective and expertise of a content editor are invaluable, especially if you are planning on showing your content to a lot of people. The extra work before publishing can save you from public embarrassment, but more importantly, it enhances what you have already written. Whatever type of editing you choose, it’s a win-win situation.

The Different Types of Editing

Before you start looking for an editor, you should first figure out what type of content editing service you require. You can find many freelance editors and content editing services on the internet, but you need to make sure the one you choose can really meet your needs. What is the editing process you are looking for? Consider many of the common types of editing necessary these days:

1. Tables, Legends, and Other Media

Some types of editors will look over the data in your articles, such as graphs, legends and tables. Other editors may look at images and, sometimes, videos. This type of media content editor may help you to decide the best way to present your visual content. They can also help to fact-check some of your data and statistics to make sure they are relevant and add to the flow of the content.

There are many different types of editing in media, so this is a broad segment. However, as media use on websites and blog posts continues to increase, a media content editor is an asset.

2. Citations

Many journalistic articles and academic publications require extensive bibliographies or literature citations. This is when reference editing, fact-checking or citation editing can be useful, especially if your article must follow a specific citation format. If you’re blogging for business, you should also make sure your citations are correct and conform to company or brand style guides.

3. Indexing

Indexing editors look through a piece of content and create an index of names, places, or other important information using special indexing software. This is useful for companies that need to easily access information on a specific topic or file. This type of editing is slightly different than creating citations. It is useful for preparing reference materials for publication.

4. Formatting

Every publication has strict rules regarding the formatting of its articles or stories. You may need format editing to ensure your article or e-book will meet the requirements of your desired publisher. This type of editing looks at fonts, line and paragraph spacing, use of bullet points and headings and overall structure.

Formatting editors are familiar with specific formats, such as the Associated Press style, and they will check to see if you are following all the rules. Web content often requires headers, meta descriptions and keywords that this type of editor can check and correct too.

5. Review

A review editor should note both the pros and cons of your content. Review editing is useful to point out issues in your work, such as when something doesn’t quite make sense, is incomplete, is ambiguous or is otherwise problematic. This type of edit can be particularly useful for looking over a publication that will be subject to a peer review or for a manuscript being pitched to a publisher. It is also known as evaluation editing.

This type of editing can help to improve your writing or those writing for you (such as a freelance writer or content writing service). If you have consistent projects with the same writers completing the assignments, review editing can be a valuable tool.

6. Proofreading

Of the many editing services available, proofreading is the most basic there is. A proofreader will look over your work and fix issues with grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling and word use.

While there are many automated spell-checkers out there, they don’t catch everything. A proofread ensures that your content writing at least meets all of the basic eye tests, so readers aren’t immediately put off by blatant spelling and grammar errors.

7. Developmental

Also known as substantive editing, developmental editing is one of the most time-consuming. The editor looks over the book or article to make changes to organization and structure. With fiction writing, there may be major changes to characterization and plot. When you need someone to seriously scrutinize your work and help adjust it, you need substantive editing.

8. Copyediting

Copyediting can include a close look at the content of a piece, such as coherence and subject matter. Copyeditors also tend to carefully go over grammar, word use and punctuation. This type of editing is particularly useful for articles in news publications or blogs. Most content editing services provide a form of editing in this realm, since it can be a huge help to businesses creating content marketing copy but don’t have the bandwidth or skillset to go through each piece themselves.

9. Project

Project editing can take on many different meanings depending on what you need to be edited. You can find editors who will look over your timeline or schedule for project completion and make adjustments.

10. Stylistic

If you are ghostwriting or need to make sure your writing matches a specific style, then stylistic editing may be necessary. Stylistic editors can examine the reference material and compare how your style matches the original. This type of editing may be necessary if you are looking to pitch an article to an existing publication with strict style and voice requirements.

This type of editing is also very helpful when trying to ghostwrite and mimic the voice of a personality, executive or brand that has an extensive amount of content previously written. Often, companies offer a style guide that can be used by both the writer and editor.

11. Structural

Structural editing is similar to developmental or substantive editing. This type of editing examines the structure of a written piece – such as the plot and content flow. Structural editing can also encompass stylistic and copyediting. It is one of the more comprehensive forms of editing and is especially useful for novels or articles being submitted to a journal or for peer review.

How To Improve Your Editing Skills

Along with a content editor’s help, you may want to master a few editing tricks as you write. Self-editing can greatly improve your first draft.

You may still want to hire an editor, but at least you’ll have the basic grammar issues covered. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Get a grammar checker. There are many free applications out there that can catch easy mistakes and help you proofread as you go. There are different types of editing depending on the application you choose.
• Brush up on confusing concepts. If you’ve never mastered the use of commas, do some extra research to minimize mistakes.

Grammar and spelling are important, but so are the organization and appeal of your writing. Web writers and other professional writers must focus on the structure of their writing to incorporate marketing strategy. And even then, the article must be engaging to be effective. Here are a few tips to ensure the readability of your content:

Keep the Audience in Mind

Writers have the power to influence readers and inspire them. Whether you are writing a persuasive paper for college or an article for your website, you need to know who your target market is. The needs and wants of your audience can help you effectively choose topics and perspectives they will understand.

A structural editor or a similar type of content editor can help you more effectively target the audience you are looking for, such as tweak your word choice or develop the main ideas of your content.

Be Concise

Although novels and poems have more freedom of words and descriptions, being concise is a great skill to pick up for any style of writing. Use clear words and cut out the fluff. For online content, this is a must to keep the attention of your readers. They want information, but they won’t stay long if they have to read through lengthy, flowery sentences that don’t offer anything useful.

Read Out Loud

Reading out loud may be one of the best proofreading tips out there. It helps you catch silly grammar mistakes, awkward phrasing and helps you get a feel for the flow and tone of your work. During your proofreading, get a different perspective by reading out loud.

Take a Break

After staring at a Word document for too long, it’s easy to overlook mistakes or miss awkward phrasing. Get a breath of fresh air, do something different or take a nice break before coming back to what you have written.

Using these tips can improve the overall readability and flow of your content. Remember, not all types of editing are strictly grammar-related. Take note of the things you struggle with while writing. Whether it’s the structure, format or spelling, you can improve your own writing skills.

Different Kinds of Editing for Every Need

Editing encompasses so many different avenues these days that you can usually find a professional editor or content editing service to meet your needs. On top of that, with so much content being put out on the web every day the need for editing has never been greater!

Even if you have an extensive copywriter portfolio and consider yourself a grammar whiz, it’s beneficial to have professional editing services look over any text before it goes live or is published. Are you looking for content writing or editing services? We’ve got you covered. Our content shop offers a variety of writing services as well as standalone editing.

What other types of editing are relevant to modern writers? Which type of editing has benefited you the most? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

 

There are two things that dictate the quality of website content: readability and error-free writing.

While there are many other writing tips that help can improve the quality of your content, when it comes to technical writing, those two things should be at the forefront. Technical content is often harder to create, as the writer is expected to turn very complicated ideas or terms into writing that flows and makes sense. If you feel intimidated by this task, don’t worry. Many people do! It’s a difficult skill, especially if you don’t know that much about the topic or about creating engaging web content.

When you have a technical topic that the average person might not fully understand, you may benefit from hiring technical writing services.

 

What Is a Technical Writing Service?

Simply put, a technical writing service is a company or agency with a team of writers who can take highly technical information and create readable content from it. A technical writer is someone who works for one of these agencies or does freelance work to create high-quality technical content. While many writers cover a wide range of topics that include general information and research, technical writers must be able to understand and use industry-specific terminology and explain more technical concepts in written form.

Technical writing services do not necessarily need to have writers who have worked in or written about the industry or topic before, but their writers must be able to thoroughly research the topic and produce comprehensible content that sounds like it was written by an industry professional.

 

 

What Does a Technical Writing Service Do?

Technical writing services should be able to handle in-depth research into niche topics for a variety of industries. They may produce manuals, instructions, reviews or even product-level pages that contain information that sounds like it was written by a professional in that industry.

Here are some of the things a technical writing service and its writers need to be able to do:

• Ask questions about the content you want to produce
• Research additional information to learn more about the topic or products
• Write high-quality content to the length and specifications requested
• Complete the content in a timely manner

While you can expect the writer to handle the bulk of the research side of things, whatever upfront information you can provide concerning the kind of content you want is helpful. Be ready to offer example websites and even reference materials, if you have them available. Niche, technical content can sometimes take longer to produce depending on how much research the writer has to do.

 

Which Businesses Need Technical Writing Services?

Every business stands to benefit in some way from producing online content. According to surveys, in 2018 approximately 33% of people used an online search to find local businesses every day. Creating consistent, quality content can get your business, service or product in front of more people.

 

Industries That Need Technical Expertise

But what happens when your industry is a little more difficult to explain to the average person? That is when you need the help of a technical writer. Technical writing services tend to be more prominent in these industries:

• Engineering: From working with CNC machines to creating instructions and manuals for device operation, engineering is a field that involves a lot of technical writing. Incorporating the proper terminology when writing about certain engineering subjects is essential, and a little more difficult than what is involved with your average blog writing.
• Law: Law firms tend to have strict ethical guidelines that written content must adhere to. Some practice areas are more complex than others and can require additional research on the part of the writer. You can anticipate the need to hire a technical writer if you require more in-depth legal content.
• Medicine: The medical field includes a lot of technical language. Depending on your audience, you may require a technical writer to dive into the specifics of diseases, pathology or a field of medicine.
• Sciences: The sciences include pretty much any field of writing that a technical writer is likely to fall into, from medicine and technology to biology, geology, chemistry and others. If you need to delve into niche subject matter related to the sciences, an experienced technical writer is a must.
• Technology: Technology is a dynamic field. With new products and developments occurring constantly, having a technical writer who understands IT and other technological nuances, such as software development or coding languages, is beneficial. Having a technical writer handling written content creation allows you to focus on your field.

 

What Are the Benefits of Hiring Professional Technical Writing Services?

There are many excellent reasons to hire a few technical writers to manage the production of your written content. The skill of writing is essentially a muscle; if you do not exercise your writing regularly, the quality of your content may suffer. Just as people may turn to you as an expert in your industry, it makes sense to turn to professional technical writing services to produce readable content. There is a myriad of benefits to choosing to work with professionals:

 

Focus on Your Field

You could be the top expert in your industry, but writing might not be your strong suit. Hiring a technical writing service to produce your content for you allows you to focus on your work and business. Creating new content regularly is important for keeping your business visible and relevant, and sometimes it just might be better to let someone else handle that part of things so it is not a constant worry in the back of your mind.

 

Get Approachable Content

When you work in a technical field, using the lingo of your industry becomes second nature, but it could sound like gibberish when you explain it to someone outside of your industry. Writers from a technical writing service may be able to put your content into simpler terms that reach a wider audience. Of course, if your business and content are aimed at professionals in your industry who understand the terminology, a technical writer should be able to create knowledgeable pieces for that audience as well.

 

Access Scalable Projects

Online content creation is not a one-time thing. Sure, some pieces of content can last for years, and it does take some time after you upload new content to see increased traffic, but that does not mean you should be letting your blogs, webpages, manuals and other pages just sit. When you hire professional technical writing services, you should be able to order consistent content and increase your output on a project-by-project basis.

 

Where Can You Find Technical Writing Services?

At this point, you might be saying to yourself, “I need a technical writer now.” The good news is that you do not have to go far to find writers for whatever type of content you need. As with many other industries that require written content, there are three main choices you have when searching for a technical writer for hire:

 

In-House Technical Writers

In-house writers are employees of your business. An advantage to hiring in-house writers is that you can train them on all the details of your business and the content they will be writing so they can become experts. However, hiring an in-house technical writer tends to be a more expensive approach. You need to ensure you have enough regular content to keep the writer busy, plus you will need to factor in wages and any benefits.

 

Technical Writing Freelancers

Freelancers, or independent contractors, are writers for hire. You can pay these technical writers for each project they work on. Like hiring any employee, it is important to research freelancers before contracting with one to ensure you know what you are getting. You should expect to pay a higher price for more experienced writing professionals. While you can save money with a less experienced writer, the quality may suffer as well. The main drawback of going with a technical writing freelancer is that you have to be careful about ensuring you choose a quality person to work with who will put in the effort to research your technical topics, and it can get expensive when you go with a pro.

 

Technical Writing Agencies

If you want consistent content for a reasonable price, working with a technical writing service such as a content agency is a great option. Content companies or agencies typically consist of teams of managers and writers who are experienced in creating online content. Good content companies will work with you to determine the specifications of your project and ensure they have a writer who can meet your needs.

Just watch out for “mill” type companies that tend to produce mass, low-quality content for a cheap price, which could ultimately come back to bite you in search engine rankings. Solid, responsive communication with a real person is a good sign that you are more likely to get better content from that agency.

Treat your search for technical writing services as though you are hiring an employee. Check out referrals and content samples whenever possible. It is ideal if you can connect with a real person to customize your project parameters.

 

How Much Should You Pay for Technical Writing Services?

The cost of article writing services is a tricky area because it ultimately depends on who is handling the writing and the contract you create for the service. Factors that affect the final price for hiring professional technical writing services include:

• How many pieces of content you need
• The length of each piece of content (how many words)
• The time required for additional research
• How quickly you need the content finished

In most cases, technical content costs more than an average blog or webpage. If you work with a freelance writer, you may end up paying an hourly rate, which the writer typically negotiates. If you work with a content agency, your cost is likely to be determined by the final word count. Which option is better?

• Hourly rates can be better when you are working with a fast writer.
• Word count rates (or cent-per-word rates) can be better if you are ordering content in bulk or when the content takes longer to write.

If you have budget restrictions, it is a good idea to let your writer or content company know so they can customize your project to fit your financial needs.

 

What Qualities Make a Good Technical Writing Service?

Unless you work with technical writing services regularly, it can be difficult to tell if the content you are getting is good. Sometimes, the quality is obvious, such as when you are reading a web page and the language is awkward. Perusing customer reviews of the service you intend to use can also give you a clearer picture of communication and quality. To get the most out of your online content, you should look for a technical writing service that espouses the following qualities.

 

Includes Reputable, Recent Research

Good writers know to cite their sources, and those sources should be recent and reliable. If you have specific expectations as far as sources go, be sure to communicate that with your writer. You can also provide the writer with your own list of acceptable sources for your industry. Trust me; the writer will be grateful.

 

Does Not Include Fluff Content

Fluff content is wording that does not add value or information. It often appears as a general statement that everyone already knows. Lower-quality writers may resort to inserting fluff content just to meet a minimum word count.

 

Does Not Plagiarize

Plagiarism ultimately harms your visibility in online searches, so it is imperative that your web content is unique. Doing a plagiarism search is easy, but check beforehand to ensure your technical writing services assure the production of original content.

 

Follows Up on Finished Content

What happens if you get your finished content, but you are not happy with it and the writer ghosts you? Unfortunately, in that case, you are stuck with that finished product. However, you could turn over the poor content to a better writer and possibly have them fix it. A good technical writing service delivers your content and is open to your feedback because they are interested in building a business relationship with you. Usually, if a change needs to be made, a good writing service can work that in until the content meets your expectations.

 

Use Technical Writing Services To Your Advantage

Now that you know what technical writing services are good for and which businesses benefit the most from them, it is time to find a writer. Take your time to research your options and make sure you go with technical writers who will meet all of your needs. If you have any questions about BKA Content and our technical writing services, please contact us.

What qualities have you found to be the most beneficial when searching for professional writing services? Share your tips with us in the comments below.

Thanks to certain global events of 2020, I have realized more than ever how lucky I am to have a job in an industry that easily allows for remote work. If there is even one thing that businesses might take away from these events, it is that online content writing is vital for continuing business even in the midst of a pandemic. But creating online content can be quite the undertaking, especially if your area of business deals more with in-person contact. For law firms, how can you find time to figure out what kind of content to write and to promote when you are also in the middle of handling cases and claims that take up all your spare time? While some attorneys take on the SEO writing themselves, others utilize legal writers for hire to create quality content to attract more potential clients.

 

Content Writing Tips for Law Firms

When enlisting a team of legal SEO writers to create and publish legal content, an understanding of the industry and how to appeal to the right audience is essential. Law firms have their own set of ethics, rules and regulations they need to adhere to, especially on their websites. With this in mind, consider implementing these SEO writing tips for law firms into your marketing strategy.

 

1. Know Your Target Audience

Getting the angle right for online legal content is vital as it is the first thing that will either draw in or drive away readers and potential clients. A firm that handles criminal defense has a different target audience than a firm that handles plaintiff personal injury claims. If your firm uses SEO writers for hire, they must keep the correct audience in mind in order to create an effective piece.

The best legal content writers for hire avoid wording that comes across as victim-blaming, as well as phrasing that assumes the target client is guilty. Instead, the legal content should reaffirm that the law firm is there to help and is understanding of the situations the clients may find themselves in. Even lawyers who want their clientele to know they will take a tough stance and fight the case in court can appeal to emotion by letting the reader know they are committed to their clients.

 

2. Write to Practice Area Topics

Figuring out what to write for a law firm is often as simple as looking at the practice area. If the goal of content writing for law firms is to have a client think of a particular lawyer or attorney for a specific legal service, then that is the practice area to write about. This varies by every firm and law office, but the end goal is the same: Keep the target audience and clients in mind.

While keywords were an essential SEO writing component in the past, search engines like Google now evaluate the quality of the search results based on search queries. By writing for a practice area topic instead of a keyword, you will organically develop keywords that aid in ranking your page. In addition, law firms that focused on a single practice area tended to rank better in search results over trying to promote all of their practice areas equally.

How will your law blog writers know what to write about? Research what the target clientele is looking for online and answer their questions in your content. Consider frequently asked questions, recent (and, if possible, local) news and other need-to-know topics for the practice area that potential clients would want to know.

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3. Ensure Statements Are Factually Accurate

Many legal professionals handle the writing of their legal website content on their own, but for attorneys using professional content writers, it is vital to ensure those writers are making factually accurate statements. A blog topic about a desired practice area, such as personal injury, might reference local laws for making a claim, for example.

The best legal content writers always ensure that whatever law is mentioned is up to date and accurately explained. It is also a good idea to link to a current source where that information can quickly be verified. Publishing out-of-date or false information could not only cause trouble for the lawyer but also lead to the page diving in search engine rankings.

The sources you use are an important component in presenting factually accurate information to the reader. Check the publication date of any sources you plan to cite or use. Reference the most recent information, and to be safe, avoid using sources that are more than a few years old.

 

4. Avoid Unethical Language

Lawyers and attorneys have a strict code of ethics they must adhere to, especially when it comes to marketing. Unethical language for law firms includes anything that may misrepresent the attorney or mislead potential clients. Different states may even have stringent regulations on the wording that legal professionals can use, so the unethical language may differ depending on where the lawyer is located.

When engaging in SEO content writing for law firms, make sure the wording does not sound like a promise or a guarantee. It is also a good idea to avoid such words as “best,” “specialist” and “expert” when talking about the attorney and offered services. Before publishing, read over the content as though you are the target audience and take out any language that may come across as insensitive or that might drive away clients.

Although you want to avoid touting an attorney as “the best,” you can still mention awards, memberships, and other accolades and successes the law office or firm has earned. While this can be tougher to include in blog content, it tends to fit in well on About Us pages or other site landing pages.

 

5. Incorporate the Target Geography Naturally

Although the topic may be more important than the keyword in terms of establishing authority and ranking in search engines, one easy way to both target an audience and generate a long-tail keyword is to incorporate the geographic location of the legal professional into the content. It can be as simple as “practice area + geography.”

Incorporating the geography aids in narrowing the target audience as well. Though some law firms have offices nationwide, a vast majority are smaller or solo practices that operate in a single location. To set your firm or office apart, have your SEO writers for hire include your target geography or service area in your content where it fits. Avoid forcing the geography into the text, though – awkward phrasing may drive away readers.

 

6. Be the Authority

Whatever your content is saying, say it with confidence. The more knowledgeable content writing for law firms comes across on its topic, the more authoritative it will sound. SEO content that backs itself up with authority is likely to rank higher in searches.

How can you establish authority if your website is new? The first step is to create more legal SEO content! It also helps to have other sites link to yours, but make sure the sites themselves are not questionable as that could come back to bite you. Basically, make your site as information-rich as possible for your client base.

 

7. Mind Social Media

There is no doubt that social media outreach is essential for any modern business, even law firms. However, according to the American Bar Association’s 2019 Legal Technology Survey Report, the use of social media to raise awareness and educate readers dropped to 42% for solo practices and firms with 10-49 lawyers. The majority of firms and practices cited LinkedIn as their platform of choice, and many others reported using other social media for personal or social reasons.

Reaching out across different social media platforms is a vital component to reaching target clientele. Social media is also the perfect place to promote new legal content, such as your most recently published law blog, and to make it shareable. You can also employ visual marketing through images and videos more easily through these platforms.

One social media tip for law firms is to employ the help of a legal SEO writer to manage the the accounts for you. This ensures that you stay focused on what makes your firm great while also making sure new law content is published regularly.

However, don’t forget the different community and business standards for promoting on different platforms. For example, if you are an attorney who handles criminal law in any form, some social media platforms could flag any content that contains references to violence and weapons. Use social media to your advantage, but make sure you follow platform guidelines so your legal SEO content remains visible and shareable.

 

8. Create Reputable Backlinks

Backlinks are links in various locations around the internet that lead back to the intended website. For legal professionals, creating backlinks is an important part of reaching more potential clients and building authority. In general, the more backlinks your site has, the more authoritative it may appear to search engines. However, it is important to also consider the quality of the backlink and where it is located.

Just as using unethical language and inaccurate sources can harm content, a backlink located on a questionable site may harm a legal page’s potential search engine rankings. One effective way to create stronger backlinks is to write guest posts for other authoritative sites in a lawyer’s practice area or industry. Not only does a well-placed, quality legal blog establish you as a knowledgeable professional, but it also allows you to reach a wider audience. While you definitely want to increase the number of backlinks to your site, make quality linking the priority.

 

9. Post and Promote New SEO Content Regularly With Legal Writers for Hire

Did you know that a law firm can increase its website traffic by 15 times simply by publishing new content regularly? Creating a site is a start, but if you are not updating its content with new blogs, you are missing out on potential clients. This can be as simple as finding legal writers for hire and publishing a single new law blog each month.

Creating and promoting new content each month shows site visitors that you are active and aware of the situations potential clients may find themselves in. This is also a great way to once again establish your authority as a professional in your practice area by writing about new or changing laws that would directly affect clients.

If creating, publishing and promoting fresh monthly content does not fit into your schedule, many law firms rely on law blog writers for hire or content management services to handle marketing for them. While each law firm should be aware of the online content that is associated with its name, you can still have an efficient SEO marketing strategy without having to shoulder all the work yourself.

 

10. Review Analytics To Determine the Effectiveness of Your Legal Content

What good is creating fantastic law content if you do not know how well it is working? Whatever program you decide to use to monitor activity, make sure you have access to analytics that let you know which content on your website is giving you the best results. It may surprise some firms to learn that certain practice areas they thought were their bread and butter do not bring in as many clients online as others. Analyzing the performance of content writing for law firms allows you to adapt your strategy over time.

A content approach that works one year may not work as well the next. To stay relevant, your SEO strategy needs to be adaptable.

 

Content Writing for Law Firms: Time To Start

Effective, efficient legal SEO writing is more important than ever, even for attorneys that tend to handle the bulk of their work face-to-face. Remember: You do not have to create all of your website content yourself. Legal writers for hire and content management options are available to make your online marketing strategy a success while you focus on your clients. Which of these content writing for law firm tips has worked for your business? What else do law firms need to know about creating web content? Have you ever used a legal SEO writer before? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Whether writing an original story or composing customized SEO content for work, I love to use words to convey a particular feeling or message. Sometimes this means waxing eloquent, which was extremely useful when I was trying to meet my minimum page count while writing my Master’s thesis, and sometimes it means being concise, such as trying to squeeze a book’s worth of information into a 200-word article. Incidentally, the use of conjunctive adverbs is beneficial to not only waxing poetic but also to creating intelligent and high-quality content.

 

What Are Conjunctive Adverbs?

Conjunctions are used to connect words, clauses and phrases. Adverbs qualify adjectives, verbs or other adverbs. Many people remember adverbs as words that end in –ly; however, there are many adverbs that do not end this way.

So what are conjunctive adverbs? When an adverb functions as a connection between two ideas, it is a conjunctive adverb, or an adverb that acts as a conjunction. A conjunctive adverb can be used to connect two main clauses or to interrupt a single main clause.

• I like to eat cereal before I sit down to write; however, we were out of milk this morning.
• I feel better today undoubtedly because of the rest I got yesterday.

 

List of Conjunctive Adverbs

Though not necessarily exhaustive, here is a list of common conjunctive adverbs.

Accordingly	Hence	Next
Additionally	Henceforth	Nonetheless
Also	However	Now
Anyway	In addition	Otherwise
Besides	In comparison	Rather
Certainly	In contrast	Similarly
Comparatively	Incidentally	Still
Consequently	Indeed	Subsequently
Conversely	Instead	Then
Elsewhere	Likewise	Thereafter
Equally	Meanwhile	Therefore
Finally	Moreover	Thus
Further	Namely	Undoubtedly
Furthermore	Nevertheless	Yet

 

How to Punctuate Conjunctive Adverbs

A conjunctive adverb only has three options when it comes to punctuation: semicolon, comma or no punctuation at all. Here are the rules regarding each option.

 

1. Use a semicolon when connecting two main clauses.

These should be two complete ideas or two sentences that can stand on their own. Here’s an example:

• The rain started pouring down this morning; however, work doesn’t stop for weather when you work from home.

 

2. Use a comma when the conjunctive adverb introduces, interrupts or concludes a single independent clause.

There is usually a sentence before the clause containing the conjunctive adverb that provides context for the statement. Here are some conjunctive adverb examples for all three:

• Introduces: Mike finished the block of articles within a few hours. Subsequently, he signed up for another block.
• Interrupts: BKA values high-quality content. This is why, undoubtedly, strong writers are an important component of the company.
• Concludes: I ended up sick at the beginning of the week. I eventually caught up on my work, however.

3. Do not use a comma if the conjunctive adverb is used for a weak interruption.

Here’s a conjunctive adverb example:

• Melinda was out of town last week. I therefore had to send my work to Drew.

 

Conjunctive Adverbs Bring Writing to Life

Adverbs are a great way to add pizzazz to almost any kind of content. To glean the full effect of conjunctive adverbs, however, it’s vital to use and punctuate them appropriately. I use them in creative writing and SEO writing all the time, so I definitely find them essential for expression. What is the one conjunctive adverb you absolutely could not live without? Conversely, which one irritates you the most in writing? Let me know in the comments below!