Website Content

• When creating and managing webpages, web editors should understand what the user is expecting to find and follow the user’s expectations. Typically, they want access to internally focused information, such as resources, forms, current events and happenings, etc. 

• Users should not have to work for their information; make the content clear and concise. 

• If the page does have a specific audience, make sure that audience is clearly stated, but remain aware the content is accessible to everyone. 

• Do not write for an internal audience or post private information. This includes department or division internal information such as meeting minutes, staff schedules and personal information. 

• Do not consistently refer to the University and/or its entities. That information is already in the header and users do not need to be reminded that they are viewing a university website. 

• Always stop and ask yourself whether someone outside the University will understand what you have written. 

• Make sure to update and remove outdated content on your site. Nothing is more annoying to a visitor than to encounter information that is irrelevant or obsolete. 

People consume information differently on the web than with other written forms. They don’t read, they skim, looking for highlighted keywords, meaningful headings, short paragraphs and scannable lists. 

Since they’re in a hurry to find the very piece of information they’re looking for, they will skip content not relevant for them. Don’t expect people to read content that is not easily scannable. Therefore, long text blocks, unnecessary instructions, promotional writing and “small talk” should be avoided on the web. 

• Use simple and commonly used terminology. Avoid abbreviations and academic jargon. Do not use department slogans or marketing phrases as page titles. 

• Sentence case is much easier to read than uppercase. Do not use UPPERCASE for anything except abbreviations or acronyms. To emphasize an important point, use bold. However, use it sparingly to bring attention to key phrases. 

• Use quotes to indicate book and magazine titles. 

• Do not use underlines; users will assume they are links. 

• Each block of content should be preceded by a descriptive heading. Headings should be used to give the copy structure and to help navigation. Headings need to follow the appropriate order of hierarchy and can’t be placed out of order (H2, H3, H4, etc). 

Sentence Structure 

A needlessly complicated approach to composing text that includes unnecessary verbiage and sophisticated vocabulary generally result in an inferior amount of comprehension for the user. In other words, write simply. 

Paragraphs 

Smaller paragraphs are easier to skim than larger paragraphs. Separate long blocks of copy into smaller paragraphs, each describing one topic or idea. Several short paragraphs are preferable to one long one. 

Lists 

• Lists are easier to skim and understand than paragraphs. 
• Use them when describing a series or a list of steps to be taken. 

Spelling, Grammar and Abbreviations 

Grammar and spelling must be perfect. All text must be spell-checked prior to being inserted into a page. Any website submitted for review with spelling errors will be automatically rejected from the approval process. References to the University, job titles, abbreviations and times should follow the SF State Editorial Style Guide.

Timely Updates 

The University’s websites are living documents. All content editors are responsible for updating their department content so it stays relative and up to date.

• Make sure to check that all dates and calendar events are current. 
• Content that is semester specific must be updated.

Pages should not include:   

• Excessively large graphics that cannot be compressed for faster display or better resolution   

• Links to commercial entities; avoid linking to commercial websites unless that company provides goods or services specifically for SF State   

• Copyrighted material in any form unless permission from the original copyright owner is explicitly granted

• Any information pertaining to other individuals who object to their information being placed on the internet  

• Consistently referring to the university and/or its entities; that information is already in the header and users do not need to be reminded that they are viewing the university website

• Unimplemented links and links to pages informing users that “this area is not yet developed” or are “under construction”

All web content must comply with the SF State copyright guidelines. Text, images and videos that do not meet these requirements must be deleted immediately. 

In cases where copyrighted material is posted with the permission of the content owner, that permission must be attained in writing and be available for verification if needed. 

When you are finished updating your content for the page, add in the page title and description to let searchers know what your page is about.

Page title

Remember that searchers are scanning SEO titles for relevance, clarity and keywords to quickly assess the content.

• Accurately reflects content on page
• Think of keyword(s) you want to highlight
• 60 characters max

Description

Searchers are seeking clear, informative summaries that address their search intent and encourage further engagement with the content. 

• Summarizes the content of the page
• Write to entice users to click on result
• Have a CTA
• 150-160 characters max

Header tags build out the structure of the page and section out your content for search engines. Header tags are like the titles and subtitles of a webpage. They help organize the content, making it easier to read and understand. 

Think of header tags as titles and subtitles for webpages. The main title is marked with H1, and subtitles use H2, H3, etc. They help visitors and search engines understand what the page is about. Using them well makes your webpage clearer and more likely to show up in search results.

Using the keywords in the web address and content is important. They help people find your page when they search online. By including keywords in the web address and writing about them in your content, it's easier for search engines to understand what your page is about. This can make your page show up higher in search results, helping more people find it.

Notes: Use keywords naturally within your content! Overusing them can actually negatively affect your SEO score.