The document discusses the importance of crafting effective headlines and titles for web content, emphasizing the need for clarity, creativity, and audience engagement. It outlines different types of titles such as local heads and title/search combinations, and offers tips for concise and scannable writing. Additionally, it provides guidance on redefining co-curricular requirements in educational contexts to better align with course themes and learning outcomes.

1. Feed the robots rock-m, sock-mweb heads(and other web text tips)

2. Types of Titles / HeadsPage titles you must write for search enginesMany systems insert your page-specific headline into the title tagPage specific – write to elaborateSubheads – add details and breaksLocal heads – the links your regulars /fans followCombos – may work well locally AND globally

3. <title>Titles / Headlines </title>Page specific headlines Can be different or same as titlesHead/Title all pages well for search (you may want to add Something-colon)School of Journalism: Message from William Freivogel, the directorPost Entertainment: Celebrity critic Chick Flick pans “Tilt” movie

4. SubheadsIn traditional writing courses, teachers say “there are NO magic bullets”In Web writing, bullets are MAGICOrganize everything into short sectionsUse lots of subheadsUse tons of bullet boxes

5. Local headlinesLocal headlines – The NEWS links you want your fans/regular users to find and followThis audience types in, wanders in or has bookmarked your main page (pbpost.com) or a top section page (pbpost.com/sports/) to SCANA more creative head may attract the scanner to news itemsYou have less than 20 secondsYou may be less global or less keywordy“Cole slaw: C’dale mayor chefs at homeless shelter”Understand what makes your audience tickMorgan Fairchild - NAKED!

8. On local or fan user pages…Headline Writing as Poetry“The headline writer is the journalist most like the poet, stuffing big meaning into small spaces.” -- Poynter InstituteCreative heads draw clicks from your regulars:CleverCatchyBalanced with title/ searchhead writing that isClearConcisePreciseInformative

9. Review ExampleFirst consider the basic who what etc.The lead singer for Molly Hatchet died from diabetes complicationsThe band’s big hit was “Flirtin’ with Disaster”Remember, search engine recognition and creativity draw two different types of clicks NOTE: Because of space restrictions, the head has to fit in just four words. Identify which is what type of head:Diabetes -- not Disaster -- killsMolly Hatchet mourns leadDiabetes kills Hatchet man1. subhead 2. title/search 3. local

10. Combo headsSometimes a title/head works well for local audiences AND searchMy all time favorite example works well for BOTH search engines and for the home page…. consider reading this on a high school newspaper home pageHow to get served alcohol underage

11. Headline Writing as Poetry (a creative tip)Play with words, sometimes even for serious storiesPLAY, meaning choose words the average writer avoids But, words the average reader understands.Jubilant mob mauls four dead AmericansWhat word makes this headline distinct?Also, invite the user to an experienceExplore the space station with seven former astronauts

12. Description TextThe best systems give you a little box to type intobut sometimes they just rehashYou may have to stick it in the meta-info yourselfThis is what search engines stick under the result Another place to put the most attractive catch-phrases“how to make a peanut butter banana sandwich”

13. Readable Text on the PagesShoot straight to the pointCut excess, be specific / CONCISEOffer visual cues (bullets, boxes)Stay focused – kill verbose textProvide linksThe “right” amount

14. Traditional Writing Sample Southern Illinois is filled with nationally recognized events that draw large crowds of tourists every year. In 2002, some of the most popular events were the Big Muddy Film Festival (25,000 attending), the DuQuoin State Fair (75,000), the SIU Salukis (140,000), Sunset Concerts (83,000) and Parade of Lights (18,000).

15. Rewriting for the Web: Bullets ScanSouthern Illinois is filled with nationally recognized events that draw large crowds of tourists every year. In 2008, some of the most popular events were SIU Saluki games (140,000)Big Muddy Film Festival (25,000)DuQuoin State Fair (75,000)Sunset Concerts (83,000)Parade of Lights (18,000)

16. To the Web: Concise, Objective, ScannableIn 2008, top events in Southern Illinois included:SIU Saluki gamesBig Muddy Film FestivalDuQuoin State FairSunset ConcertsParade of Lights(or title a box, Southern Illinois: Top Events)

17. Academy–speak example …In fact, the revisions are less changes, than they are re-conceptualizations and the development of a new distribution system for getting information about campus events to you and your students. Translated: An intern will send you information about campus events.You will change the assignment

19. The Conceptual Change – What we Call it and Why that MattersAlthough in our documents to you, we are now calling it the “co-curricular requirement,” we would like for individual instructors to consider renaming it in a way that makes sense for your own individual courses. For instance, because my course is themed heavily on the idea of community as it relates to success and learning, I may choose to call it the “Community and Culture” requirement.

20. How to change the Co-curricular or “Passport” requirement1. Rename it in a way that suits the theme of your course

21. We suggest this renaming possibility because we are trying to find ways to embed co-curricular occasions into the heart of courses, rather than have them feel like “add-ons,” disconnected to course theme, etc. This is a disconnection we (and our students) have struggled with in the past. In fact, we hope instructors will help us begin thinking about the ways in which we can use co-curricular events, not to meet simply a goal of having students “participate in co-curricular events” but to meet one of our other learning outcomes for INQ 101 (I will be sending more information about thoughts on this soon)

22. 3. Ask students to attend events that match up with one of the learning outcomes

23. This doesn’t mean you can’t just call it the “Co-curricular Requirement.” You can, if you’d like. We are just suggesting you consider renaming it based on theme and begging you not to call it “The Passport Program.”

24. 2. Do not call it the “Passport Program”

25. While you can certainly have students do what many of us did last year – require them to attend a certain number of events in each category – we ask you to consider re-imagining this by linking either certain categories or events more closely to your course theme.

26. 4. Require events that pertain to your course theme

27. How to change the Co-curricular or “Passport” requirement1. Rename it in a way that suits the theme of your course2. Do not call it the “Passport Program”3. Ask students to attend events that match up with one of the learning outcomes4. Require events that pertain to your course theme

28. More Writing Tipshttp://jrnl.siu.edu/~stoneranita/312/Poynter’snewsU: http://newsu.orgCyberjournalist.net and others