Writing For Beginners, For Beginners
Photography: Learning Extreme… by ernstl
Imagine you’re the owner of a site about search engine optimization (SEO). This is the kind of topic that requires a lot of entry level knowledge. A person might have heard the term but not know what it means, resulting in a Google search for ‘What is search engine optimization’ which brings them to your site.
Let’s compare two different user experiences possible for this hypothetical reader.
1. No beginner-level links visible
Visitor is confronted with a post series on using meta-tags to greatest effect, followed by an article on keyword optimization. The only visible links in your sidebar are to popular posts on advanced SEO strategies. A beginner-level visitor isn’t going to be able to comprehend this information and is probably going to leave your site.
2. Beginner-level links clearly displayed
Visitor is confronted with a post series on using meta-tags to greatest effect, followed by an article on keyword optimization. However, the top of the sidebar contains links to content titled ‘What is search engine optimization (SEO)?’, ‘Basic principles of SEO’, and ‘Benefits of SEO’. Beneath that are links to popular posts on advanced SEO strategies. Do you think this might be more inviting than the above option to a beginner-level visitor?
ProBlogger is a site I often mention because I believe it does many things well. In case you’re not familiar, it’s a blog about making money online. Most of its readers are confident enough in their blogging skills that they could attempt to make money off them, yet the first content link on the top left of the layout is to an article answering the very basic question of ‘What is a blog?’
Linking to beginner-level content from a prominent location in your layout is a clever strategy for a number of reasons:
Beginner-level visitors see that the blog accommodates them
ProBlogger doesn’t frighten such visitors away immediately because they can see it is, at least in part, written to address beginners like themselves.
The beginner-level content is highly accessible
Presenting beginner-level content in such a prominent location means beginners see something written for them straight away and have a reason to explore the site rather than leave.
Beginners who aren’t familiar with your topic will rarely stick around to click through links and content they don’t understand. If they have to search hard for the content you’ve written for them then you might as well not have bothered, because they won’t. It’s not necessary that your beginner level content be right at the top of the screen but it should be made as accessible as possible.
Experts aren’t confronted with beginner content
It’s easy to see how several complete content items for beginners on the main page of your site could annoy visitors who are already familiar with the topic.
If possible, create a new page for each item of beginner content and don’t display it on the main page. If you’re a blogger, you might consider using the shell of an old post by deleting the content and title to host your beginner content. This way you can link to the content via your main page while ensuring your readers can choose whether they see it or not.
What to write for beginners
Think about the fundamental building blocks of knowledge on your topic. What would a person have to know about your topic in order to discuss it in a meaningful way? I think the points below would be vital for beginners in any topic.
- What is it?
I can’t have a conversation about the topic if I don’t know what it is.
- Why is it important?
Now that you’ve described what your topic is, you need to answer the ‘So what?’ question. Explain why your topic is important, what it does, why the reader should take an interest.
- Define core terms
I can’t discuss SEO meaningfully if I don’t know what keywords are, or if I don’t know some of the basic ways search engines categorize results. Every topic has core terms that need to be understood before it can be discussed. For certain topics, though, the average person is already aware of these core terms. Always try and avoid stating the obvious.
- How can I get started?
A beginner who has read the above and is now familiar with the topic might be interested enough to want to get involved but be unsure where to start. This is a perfect opportunity to offer suitable doorways into your content.Let’s imagine you own a site about watercolor painting. Your beginner-level reader, now introduced to the topic, would love to create paintings like those on your site but doesn’t know how to paint. You can point the reader to beginner-level content you’ve created before or write new content on the getting started page.
Many site owners and bloggers report that simple, beginner-level questions on their topic account for a significant portion of incoming search terms for their site. The above tips should help you to draw such visitors into your content and turn some of them into loyal readers.
