Web content and print writing are two very different things, for many reasons. There are keywords and SEO that are important for web copy but not required for print copy. The differences between print copy and web copy don’t end there either. How the reader views/reads the content also differs from print copy to web copy, and therefore, how the paragraphs are broken in the writing becomes important.
Holding a magazine, book or newspaper allows the reader to move the object closer or farther away, place their finger on the pages, use a ruler or a note card to hold under the lines, and other things to make the reading easier. However, these things are often difficult if not impossible to do when reading on a computer screen.
How they differ
Paragraph breaks in print usually are only required to break up a thought or idea before moving on to another one. However, for web copy, paragraph breaks take on a whole different meaning, and the writer has to throw conventional paragraph writing rules out the window.
Internet readers are not likely lounging in a comfortable chair or in bed reading for pleasure, but are more likely looking for nuggets of information. The average attention span of an internet reader is much shorter than that of a print reader, and when someone sees a writing on the internet that has long paragraphs with few or no breaks, generally they will move on to something else without even reading.
Internet content should come in chunks of information, and using shorter paragraphs and adding more paragraph breaks for web copy, along with bullet points and bold headers, makes the writing more visually appealing, more likely to grab the reader’s attention, and easier for the eye to read while viewing on a computer screen.
What to consider
When choosing where to place a paragraph break when writing web content, the format of the screen where the writing will appear should be taken into consideration. If the writing will likely fill the entire screen, from side to side, then paragraphs can be a bit longer, but should generally still be shorter than print paragraphs.
If, however, as is the case with most content websites, the writing or article will be surrounded by advertisements, graphics, links to other content or information, etc., the writing or article will likely be narrower and not fill the entire computer screen. Because of this, paragraphs should be shorter, with more paragraph breaks than one would use in print copy.
How long?
The standard length for a web copy paragraph should not exceed more then five sentences, with three average length sentences being the ideal number per paragraph. If the sentences are long, sometimes for web copy having a paragraph with only one or two sentences is preferred.
While this flies in the face of everything a high school English teacher will say, web copy requires a new set of rules. Learning these rules for web copy where paragraph breaks are concerned will make the writing easier to read, more attractive to the viewer/reader, and reduce eye strain, especially when reading longer articles or content.
Michelle L Devon - ~~Michelle Devon has 15 years of writing and over a decade of editorial experience, working with hundreds of publications and ...
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