A to Z Writing: Varied Vocabulary Adds Volumes of Value

Vocabulary is vital for writers, but we don’t always see it on the web.

Web content producers strive for search engine optimization (SEO), plunking extra keywords into copy to lure cyber-robots to blog posts, articles and websites. Many internet writers believe repetition is the key to top rankings in search engine results, and the highest rankings usually reap the most readership.

Does repetition spell good writing?

Consider these two paragraphs. Which would you rather read?

The singer sang three songs. Then she walked down the center aisle. She walked into her dressing room for a break before walking onto the stage to sing three more songs.

The soloist performed three numbers before parading down the center aisle. She stepped into her dressing room for a break before returning to the stage to offer an additional trio of tunes.

Which version of the story is most readable and interesting?

Readers and web writers are reaping the benefits of recent changes in search engine formats. Web crawlers have been reprogrammed to recognize synonyms, as they search for keywords relating to web surfers’ queries.

Go ahead, writers. Stretch those verbal muscles. Vie for variation! Readers will still find you.

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Image:  

The Concert Singer

By Thomas Eakins

1892

Public Domain/Wikipedia Commons

2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge logo

Fair Use

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