You Can't Click That! 3 Common Writing Mistakes

Writing is an art. It's also an art form that can be extremely difficult to master, especially if you're relatively new to it. If you've ever tried writing something and sent it out only to realize that there were some glaring errors on the page, then you know the pain of having to go back and revise your work - it hurts!

Like any other skill or trade, writing has its own set of rules, guidelines, and best practices that experts use as a foundation for their work. And while no one is going to fault you for making a mistake here or there (especially when starting out), knowing what common mistakes writers make will help ensure that your hard work doesn't go unnoticed - or worse yet, unread due to poor quality.

Not starting headlines with a verb.

Good headlines are all about the verbs. The verb is what makes your headline stand out and get noticed, so it's important to use it. However, some writers don't quite understand how to use verbs properly in their headlines.

Verbs should be at or near the beginning of your headline, not at the end where they can be easily overlooked by readers who are scanning quickly through all of their options. Here's an example: "You Can't Click That! 3 Common Writing Mistakes." This is a very boring headline because there isn't any action going on here - it just tells you what you can't do (and then lists three things). You want something more exciting and active-sounding like this: "3 Common Writing Mistakes That Will Make Your Head Explode If You Don't Fix Them Now!"

Not including a call-to-action with your URL.

One of the most important parts of your article is your Call to Action (CTA). The CTA is what you want your audience to do with the information you've given them - whether it's ordering something, visiting a website or reading another article.

Your CTA should be included in both the headline and first sentence of any piece of content you write:

• In the headline: "How To…" or "Is [something] Better Than [something else]?"
• First sentence: "[Action] can help you…"

Ending a sentence with a preposition.

Don't end sentences with prepositions!!

That's it. You shouldn't ever end sentences with prepositions, because it's not proper grammar and it sounds awkward when you do. There are many reasons why this is wrong; let's go over them now:

• It makes your writing feel clumsy and unnatural, like you're stumbling over yourself to get the words out fast and without hesitation.
• The reader might think that you're trying to show off how much vocabulary knowledge you have by using big words, even if those big words aren't necessary for what you're saying at all (e.g., "It came as no surprise that I discovered she was up to no good.")
• It can make you look silly or incompetent if someone catches this mistake in one of your pieces of writing - not only did they have to read a sentence they didn't enjoy reading because of its odd construction, but also they had to spend a minute figuring out why!

You can't click headlines or URLs, so they need to be clear and direct.

You can't click headlines or URLs, so they need to be clear and direct.

Headlines and URLs are clickable, but only in the sense that you can use them to search for what's written in them. They're not links; there's no way for readers to follow their own path through your article by clicking on a headline or URL. However, if you want people to read your content, it's important that both of these elements are written clearly and concisely so that anyone who sees them can immediately understand what they're about.

There are some general rules when it comes to writing headlines: they should be short (less than 16 words is ideal), written in the active voice (so "The Top 10 Ways To Ruin Your Relationship" instead of "10 Ways To Ruin Your Relationship"), and should match up with the subject matter of whatever is going on under said headline (so if you're talking about how much you love pizza rolls, put "I Love Pizza Rolls!" somewhere). When it comes out comes down those guys start having fun again!

Conclusion

If you want people to be able to understand and respond to your writing, these three basic mistakes are some of the most common errors that can trip up even experienced writers. Following the guidelines above will help you steer clear of these pitfalls, so that your content is clear and concise.