Boost Our Copy on OMTimes!!

By Kathy Custren

The position of OMTimes senior editor, in my humble opinion, gives me a unique and (not to put too heavy of a spin on it) sacred station of not only working with some of the greatest conscious minds and writers today, but also the opportunity to present the work of our writers in such a way that the articles may be found and utilized by people on the Internet who need to see them. I enjoy what I do each week, and each of us plays a conscious and key part in what goes on; we really do!

It cannot escape our notice that the word, “Internet” is capitalized. In relationship terms, it is a proper noun, given the same courtesy and respect afforded to the virtual gathering of personalities and information that it is. To find our words and work on this international and worldwide mechanism, we rely on our good friend, Google, to pave the way; to be our guide and our escort; our entrée into all things searchable.

It may come as no surprise that we might want to be kind to our good friend, to help things along and make our written copy Google-user friendly. There are ways to do this, and if we choose to empower and enable our work in the greater realm of the Internet, here are some hints of the things each of us as OMTimes writers can do:

1. Subject: Know the subject about which you want to write, and investigate it thoroughly. We welcome experts on a particular subject who have direct experience in reporting their interpretation, as they already know what to do. If you do not consider yourself an ‘expert,’ yet make a valiant attempt to ask the right questions and research a particular subject, OMTimes may consider your offering, and this is where our content editors are especially helpful and important. Gather a good overall view to present in your article that may enlighten others; perhaps, even motivate them to think and be mindful about your subject matter. Hint: This subject is your “Keyword” (see Keyword hints).
2. Title: Place your subject (yes, Keyword) as close to the front of the title as possible. Want to start off with it? Google will love you for paving the way. It is also important not to get carried away with length. Can you title in five words or less, and is your Keyword one of them? Hint: If it helps you to think of your title as a sentence, the usual sentence order is “subject-verb-object.” Subjects come first, and yes, Google looks for it up-front, in first place.
3. Keyword: Is your Keyword mentioned at least once in each paragraph? Keywords-as-subjects affirms our energetic connection to the article being created. There is a standard, a percentage, of times that a Keyword (subject) must be mentioned in order to reflect its presence strongly in your article. What might that magic number be, you ask? A percentage, mathematically, is a piece of a hundred. No, Google does not expect you to mention your Keyword one hundred times, silly! But can you do ten? Maybe vary it between paragraphs and subheadings? Sure, you can!! Hint: While we may be tempted, even encouraged, to vary our wording to keep from sounding too repetitive, using various forms of the Keyword does not help count it in the search. A way to check yourself is to go through your work and bold your Keywords. This makes it easier for you to count the ten, and check that they are all the same. [Be sure to take off the bold text on your Keywords before submitting; this hint is for your own empowerment.] Another helpful way is to use the “Find” feature in your word processor. Check each mention of the word in the document and fix them throughout, so you are sure they are correct.
4. Subheadings: You may not think much about splitting your work under subheadings, but they can help your presentation. They are also a good way to focus your content in ways that Google (and just about any reader) especially likes. Some articles may only need one or two subheadings, total. Others may benefit from a subheading before every paragraph. As mentioned above, subheadings are a good place to boost your Keyword count. Hint: Take one of your old articles that does not have any subheadings, and judge for yourself where you feel they can be inserted. Be sure to use the Keyword in its same form! As with titles, place the subject toward the front. Observe from a point of inclusion; do not feel as though subheadings are separating your work; think of it as a spotlight on what is to come.
5. Bio: Last but not least (and we cannot stress enough), please take a good look at your bio paragraph. It is heartening to see where writers are actively using their bio area to say where they are from, what books or trainings they may have in the marketplace, and so forth. Please be sure the name in your bio is the same as the name in your byline; especially if you are listing degrees after your name, or you have a book or publication. Use first and last names. As with titles, there are limits here, too. (400 characters and spaces; approximately 60 words) Take time to craft a quality bio. Hint: It is helpful for your bio to have at least one link for readers to find you or find out more about your book, program, training, or event. Include exact URLs at the bottom, so they can be incorporated.

This may not pertain to every writer, but do you go through the manual process of writing as you compose? Getting off the computer and slowing down the activity of creation by putting pen to paper enables our brains to connect to words and language in ways that direct finger access to keystrokes does not. Also, in typing raw copy that is written manually, we might find ways of expression as we type that were missed with the first draft. Writing is a development of energetic progression that, when done well, brings together a wealth of possibilities. As writers, we might learn to savor that developmental process rather than speeding it along when it is not quite ready.

Experienced writers can still check these five, basic aspects of their articles for fidelity to the subject matter and its ability to be located. New writers can start to write with a focus on presenting fresh material in a way that may draw an audience to your unique vision. Either way, it helps to be found in the vast, virtual wilderness of the Internet. It is up to each writer to do what we can to boost our copy and be found here on OMTimes!!

‘Consciousness is Key’ ~ Blessings!