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Book Review: Audience, Relevance, and Search

Posted by Wayne Hurlbert

“Writing for the web is fundamentally different than writing for other media, such as print”. write internet writing and marketing experts James Mathewson, Frank Donatone, and Cynthia Fishel in their practical and results oriented book Audience, Relevance, and Search: Targeting Web Audiences with Relevant Content. The authors describe how online audiences approach and read content differently online than they do with print media. The book guides the reader through the process of writing effectively online, even if a person is an accomplished writer for offline media.

Audience, Relevance, and Search

Targeting Web Audiences with Relevant Content

By: James Mathewson, Frank Donatone, Cynthia Fishel

Published: April 26, 2010
Format: Paperback, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 0-13-700420-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-700420-1
Publisher: IBM Press

James Mathewson (photo left), Frank Donatone, and Cynthia Fishel recognize that good writing habits are universal to both the online and offline media. What the authors focus on is how an online media content is different from print media. Instead of delving into the area of what to write, and the nuts and bolts of quality writing, the book emphasizes the differences in how writers engage readers online from their experience with print media. To develop their ideas about online writing differences, the authors begin with an analysis of the basics of print media writing and engagement. They describe the evolution of copywriting as content has moved from print to the online media. The book highlights how writing and reader engagement has changed in parallel to the online migration of content.

Frank Donatone (photo left), Cynthia Fishel, and James Mathewson understand the importance of knowing and defining the target readership. Taking the time to find the relevant keyword phrases, and including them in the website copy, establishes relevance for the site readership.At the same time, knowing the keyword phrases that the site visitors are searching leads to stronger relevance for the search engines. Higher search engine rankings, for relevant long tail phrases, leads to more visitors actively seeking that online content. The authors provide a solid basic framework for enhancing the search engine optimization for the website, including on page copy and website architecture. The authors, through their understanding of online relevance, demonstrate clearly how to differentiate online web content from that of offline print media.

Cynthia Fishel (photo left), James Mathewson, and Frank Donatone present an important and very timely section on social media for building online relevance. This recognition of the growing reliance on social media for online users enhances the power of the book. The authors add value to the book’s power in several other way as well. One is their emphasis on writing with the different needs and reading styles of online visitors from those who read print content. Another strength of the book is the research backing for the ideas put forward in the book. Instead of relying on anecdote, the authors support their thesis with real world research studies. A further strong point of the book is the chapter on measuring and quantifying the online content effectiveness to reinforce relevant aspects of the site, and to improve the less engaging areas. A final power of the book is the heavy use of graphics and screenshots to illustrate the points, especially for the more complex concepts.

I highly recommend the must read online content writing guidebook Audience, Relevance, and Search: Targeting Web Audiences with Relevant Content by James Mathewson, Frank Donatone, and Cynthia Fishel, to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the real but often overlooked differences between writing effectively online and for print media. The authors share their ideas for creating more relevant content for both the readers and for the search engines, through establishing relevance and deep online relationships.

Read the systematic and well presented book Audience, Relevance, and Search: Targeting Web Audiences with Relevant Content by James Mathewson, Frank Donatone, and Cynthia Fishel, and transform your mediocre online copy to engaging and relevant content. Your readers will thank you, and your online presence will set you apart from your competition.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 8:30 am and is filed under Book Review. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About the Author: Wayne Hurlbert provides insightful information about search engine optimization and public relations for websites and business blogs on the popular Blog Business World.

Book Review: Audience, Relevance, and Search

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