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Quality article research; Gotta get it right.

by fin
18 replies
I'm wondering about the way people compile their article research.

Tonight, I've started my new blog and working on the first article. I'm going to be using them for syndication so I want them to be great.

I thought of a good idea I want to write about and typed it into Google. I looked at all the relevant sites and took notes on a piece of paper, using little headers about different topics I could include in the article.

I then typed my headers into Google and took notes on the possible ideas I could use under each sub-heading.

Finally, tonight, I will try and organize the lay out of my article.

Decide what main ideas I want to write about and what order I will put them in. Then I'll probably squiggle some sub-topic ideas, as well as extra things I want to include, such as; specific words, sentences, quotes, etc.

I'll then write my article tomorrow night, firstly a rough draft, followed by a main write up after a short break.

I'll then give it a quick edit and wait till the weekend to give it a final edit.

Is there any extra stuff I could do which would improve the article; either through better research, or the actual write up of the article?

Cheers
#article #gotta #quality #research
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Ten
    It sounds like you are being pretty thorough. Good job!
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  • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
    Information-wise, it sounds like you're being incredibly thorough. One thing I might suggest is in the actual writing phase. It seems like you're being awfully formal (which, don't get me wrong, isn't anything to cringe over! ). Instead of having a rough draft, first write-up, etc, why don't you just sit down and write whatever comes off the top of your head?

    After all, you've done all the research, so you're familiar with the subject. Why not just sit down and get it all down on paper, without worrying about sub-headers and the like? That way, it's more likely to come out as conversational and easy-to-understand - and you'll probably inject some of your own personality this way (which is always a good thing!) Then, let it sit for awhile, and clean it up later (ie: insert subheadings, polish up facts and figures, etc.)
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by NicoleBeckett View Post

      Information-wise, it sounds like you're being incredibly thorough. One thing I might suggest is in the actual writing phase. It seems like you're being awfully formal (which, don't get me wrong, isn't anything to cringe over! ). Instead of having a rough draft, first write-up, etc, why don't you just sit down and write whatever comes off the top of your head?

      After all, you've done all the research, so you're familiar with the subject. Why not just sit down and get it all down on paper, without worrying about sub-headers and the like? That way, it's more likely to come out as conversational and easy-to-understand - and you'll probably inject some of your own personality this way (which is always a good thing!) Then, let it sit for awhile, and clean it up later (ie: insert subheadings, polish up facts and figures, etc.)
      Yeah, it's probably too thorough.

      I just want it to flow properly.
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      • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
        Originally Posted by fin View Post

        Yeah, it's probably too thorough.

        I just want it to flow properly.
        I don't think you can be too thorough Fin, the more you know the better. I think Nicole just meant to try and transfer that knowledge out in a natural way but in the end were all different and what may work for me may not be any good to you.

        The good thing is you're doing your research and you know your subject. I'd just write it and see what you come out with. I'm no expert but I'll happily have a look at it and Nicole knows her stuff, I'm sure she'll help you too. (sorry Nicole )
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        • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
          Originally Posted by Richard Van View Post

          I think Nicole just meant to try and transfer that knowledge out in a natural way but in the end were all different and what may work for me may not be any good to you.
          Thanks, Richard (you and I were typing at the same time) That is exactly what I meant!

          Originally Posted by Richard Van View Post

          The good thing is you're doing your research and you know your subject. I'd just write it and see what you come out with. I'm no expert but I'll happily have a look at it and Nicole knows her stuff, I'm sure she'll help you too. (sorry Nicole )
          No apologies necessary! If you have any questions, Fin, feel free to shoot me a PM anytime
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          • Profile picture of the author xu1
            I get the links to my articles indexed with Google in seconds on some of my sites ( yes in seconds form the time I press the publish button and then go straight to Google paste the link and there it is >>"posted 9 seconds ago" etc) why? because one of the very first things you need to do when setting up an authority site is to provide genuine new content.

            Of course there are a few other things I do to kick this off.

            Now having the articles link indexed and ranked are two different things of course. But the advantage of having the article indexed is that you can post your articles to article directories straight away, this way Google will notice your site as an authority on the subject.

            On the advice that Nicole gave you. I say run with it because part of the uniqueness to the article is often times how it is written. Sometimes this is what Google sees and will separate your article from another similar one.

            Tony
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Fin, I like your approach, but I think you may be overdoing things just a bit.

            While I'm a fan of the 'sit at the keyboard and let it flow' method, I need a bit more structure or I start to ramble and inject the writer's version of 'feature creep'.

            So before I sit down to actually draft the article, I'll make an outline. Depending on the topic, that outline has to fit on either a 3"x3" sticky note or a 3x5 index card.

            I write the body of that article from the outline, then write the lead and the conclusion.

            You'll find that as you write more and more articles, your own personal process will evolve.
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            • Profile picture of the author John Coutts
              It goes without saying that the better you know your topic, the better your article will (or at least should) turn out.

              I wrote an article today that came to just under 1,800 words long. It had 7 sub-headings (client's outline), and I wrote it under two hours.

              I wasn't trying to race through it, but I've been writing for this client on this topic for so long now that I know the subject backwards. I just started writing and kept going until I had finished, drawing all the necessary information from somewhere inside my head, then I went back and polished it a bit.

              When you come to a topic cold, and have to research a lot and try to get to grips with lots of unfamiliar terms and concepts, writing the article can be difficult. The result can sometimes be a bit stilted and overly technical, in a way.

              Get familiar with your topic and let your writing flow. Your readers will notice, and they will like it too. The site owners will also notice.

              John.
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      • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
        Originally Posted by fin View Post

        Yeah, it's probably too thorough.

        I just want it to flow properly.
        There's definitely nothing wrong with that!

        However, have enough faith in your research and your writing abilities to know that it will flow just fine - even if you don't spend days and days on it.

        When I was in TV news, I had to read other people's scripts every single day. Typically, when reporters had hours to sit and mull over a script, it actually wasn't as interesting as when they only had 10 minutes to throw something together. Bear in mind, in both instances, all of the relevant facts and figures were included... But it's almost like you can "overthink" things.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I only write about subjects I'm fairly well familiar with to begin with. Because of this I have a lot of reference books right here. Of course, I use Google and deep search, too.

    I have an idea of what I want to talk about right off the top and if I find myself stuck for actual data, a scientific name, statistic or just an area I need more info on, I research that specific item, then continue writing. I've never drawn up an outline in my life other than for something like a proposal or a formal industry report.

    If I decide to delve into material I'm not familiar with, it's not going to be for one article - I'll be using it for multiple purposes so then I'll read intensively everything I can find on the subject - even non-authority websites, even if for nothing else than to find out misconceptions about a subject.
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      I only write about subjects I'm fairly well familiar with to begin with. Because of this I have a lot of reference books right here. Of course, I use Google and deep search, too.

      I have an idea of what I want to talk about right off the top and if I find myself stuck for actual data, a scientific name, statistic or just an area I need more info on, I research that specific item, then continue writing. I've never drawn up an outline in my life other than for something like a proposal or a formal industry report.

      If I decide to delve into material I'm not familiar with, it's not going to be for one article - I'll be using it for multiple purposes so then I'll read intensively everything I can find on the subject - even non-authority websites, even if for nothing else than to find out misconceptions about a subject.
      I agree, Sal.

      I only ever write about things I can blast out. In fact, I choose my main niche based on the fact I can write about any idea I currently have rummaging about in my head.

      I still think research is important though. Not because you need to learn about a subject from scratch, but mainly because you get more creative hints and tips that will make the article better. That's what we want.

      I'd never write about something I'm not passionate about, not only because I think it would stink, but because I couldn't bare the though of hating what I'm doing.
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      • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
        Originally Posted by fin View Post

        I'd never write about something I'm not passionate about, not only because I think it would stink, but because I couldn't bare the though of hating what I'm doing.
        ^^ That, right there, is the key that so many marketers overlook. Instead of thinking long-term and realizing that the niche they're about to dive into is a true business opportunity, they think of the short-term. They hear that hemorrhoid cream is the newest-can't-miss-best-seller, and they figure they can write a few articles and cash in. Then, a few weeks later, they're sick of talking about hemorrhoids, they haven't milked the cash cow they thought they were getting, and it's onto the next can't-miss shiny object.

        Kudos to you for injecting passion (and common sense!) into the mix. That'll make it much easier for you to turn into a "reading junkie" when it comes to your niche. You may not even be doing "formal research" when you see a witty blog post that gets your creative juices going - or introduces an angle you hadn't thought of yet. That's how you do right by your readers
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      • Profile picture of the author John Coutts
        Originally Posted by fin View Post

        I choose my main niche based on the fact I can write about any idea I currently have rummaging about in my head.
        And that's a wonderful place to be.

        Yes, research is necessary and good, but when you can write off the top of your head - and write really good stuff too - then you are in that delicious groove where only good things can happen.

        John.
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
    I have an online friend who wrote technical memos for a huge corporation for years. When he told me he was getting ready to start article marketing, I figured he would be an instant success. Wrong....

    He had all the facts and figures. Crossed every I and dotted every T. Dry as dust!

    Some of my most profitable articles never did get to the meat. They were a storyline type article meant to entertain and to hint that I knew what I was talking about.
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  • Profile picture of the author FreeMeal
    try and get some of your information from off line sources too if you can. More often than not you can find a few nuggets of interesting info that hasn't been regurgitated all over the internet. A lot of the time i find the first few pages of the SERP's basically say the same stuff but in a different order.
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    • Profile picture of the author HeySal
      Originally Posted by FreeMeal View Post

      try and get some of your information from off line sources too if you can. More often than not you can find a few nuggets of interesting info that hasn't been regurgitated all over the internet. A lot of the time i find the first few pages of the SERP's basically say the same stuff but in a different order.

      What is frustrating is that many people seem to think that everyone finds every fact they write about online. They always want links. I can have years of education in a subject and know something from first hand experience with the subject - and when I talk about it, someone invariably wants a link. Almost makes you wonder if anyone ever did any reading or research, or ever attended college. It's starting to feel uncomfortably like the Matrix.
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      • Profile picture of the author FreeMeal
        Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

        What is frustrating is that many people seem to think that everyone finds every fact they write about online. They always want links. I can have years of education in a subject and know something from first hand experience with the subject - and when I talk about it, someone invariably wants a link. Almost makes you wonder if anyone ever did any reading or research, or ever attended college. It's starting to feel uncomfortably like the Matrix.
        That's true. You can always reference books you have used for research I suppose, like you would a college assignment - maybe even make them affiliate links to Amazon.
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  • Profile picture of the author yourreviewer
    Here are a couple more tips for you.

    1. Video Hosting Sites: Search for topics related to your article on YouTube. You will be surprised to see how much rich information you can get in a fairly short video especially if it involves an expert.

    2. Podcasts: You can do the same with podcasts as well.

    The reason why I like YouTube videos and podcasts is that I can learn a lot in a fairly quick time and if you are looking for information in an engaging and conversational tone, these are probably your best bets.
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