Writing for the Web › tools of the trade 5.9 tools of the trade The Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formula from Harry McLaughlin can be used to calculate the reading level of copy that you have written. A SMOG calculator, and instructions for use, can be found on his website: www. harrymclaughlin.com/SMOG.htm Alternatively, www.flesh.sourceforge.net offers a Java application that produces the Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level and the Flesh Reading Ease Score of a document. For an online dictionary and an online thesaurus, you can visit www.dictionary. reference.com and www.thesaurus.com/. Thinkmap’s Visual Thesaurus at www.visualthesaurus.com is also a thesaurus, but with an interactive map that lets you explore words. It’s easy to spend a lot more time on this website than you originally planned! When it comes to keyword research, there are a host of tools available. Some are listed below: • SEO Book - tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html • Wordtracker – www.wordtracker.com • AdWords - adwords.google.com/select/Login • Trellion’s Keyword Discovery Tool – www.keyworddiscovery.com • Hitwise Keyword Intelligence – www.keywordintelligence.com • SEO Chat’s Keyword Suggestions for Google - www.seochat.com/seo-tools/keyword-suggestions-google 5.10 summary Online copy is at the foundation of a website. It is constantly in view – and more often than not the focal point of a page. Good online copy can also be the difference between a site seeing regular traffic or becoming stagnant. Your writing needs to have the reader in mind first and foremost. The copy should be strong, yet easily readable while still making maximum use of key phrases. chapter questions 1. When writing for the web, why are descriptive titles better than titles which play on words? 2. Why should users dictate your content? List some ways that users’ needs determine content