Writing for the web
Creating web content is quite different from writing conventional texts or print materials.
People don't typically read website content starting from the homepage or from top to bottom. They often visit a website with a specific task in mind, frequently arriving at a subpage via a Google search, and scan the page for key information—usually reading no more than 28% of the content.
In the context of higher education, creating a website can be even more challenging. Information and structures can quickly become overloaded and complex, leading to user overwhelm. Therefore, it's crucial to identify the essential information users need and present it as clearly and concisely as possible.
'A good website' checklist
Whether writing for a corporate, department or research unit website, you should work towards the following key goals:
- Use simple language
- Avoid using jargon or unfamiliar acronyms
- Write for scanners, breaking content into sections
- Keep sentences short, typically no more than 20 words
- Keep paragraphs to no more than 5 lines
- Use correct punctuation and grammar
- Be consistent in presentation
- Use correct heading hierarchy
- Use bullet lists where possible, keeping list entries short
- Avoid duplicate content
- Use bold text only where necessary
- Do not underline text (usually reserved for links on websites)
- Implement a clear separation of language
- Add content that is usable from any device – including smartphones
- Do not use images to convey information without providing alternate content for accessibility
- Use external pageactive voice instead of passive voice
- Use appealing images to break up or draw attention to content
Example minimum content goals per website type:
Department, center or institute website
A department, institute or center website has a specific target audience: prospective students, potential candidates, peers, media, etc. It is important to provide a website that is clear and understandable for all visitors. Ensure that visitors can find out:
- the history and/or mission statement of your unit
- the achievements of your unit
- your research groups and their respective faculty members
- the study programs offered
- the relevant contact persons within your organisation
Research group website
A research group's website has a wide target audience: prospective students, peers, media, article reviewers, grant funders, etc. It is important to provide a website that is clear and understandable for all visitors. Ensure that visitors can find out:
- what your current research goals are
- past impact of your research
- who funds your research
- how to contact you for information about your research
- what your group can offer prospective students
- job openings
- publication information
- how to keep up with your work (e.g. news on your website, social media, etc.)
Study program website
- program description
- description of acquired skills
- curriculum offerings
- requirement and admission information
- administrative contacts
- graduation requirements
Accessibility
Accessibility ensures content is available to all users, including those with disabilities. For ETH websites, accessibility is crucial not only because we are a federally funded institution but also because we have an obligation to make our websites usable by everyone.
Web authors should create content with accessibility in mind. Making content accessible doesn't incur additional costs and requires just a bit more planning.
Authors are encouraged to learn more about accessibility. For detailed information, refer to the Website Accessibility page. For general considerations, see external pageWebAIM's User Perspective page.
Accessibility also applies to graphics on websites. When graphics include text over background colors, such as organizational diagrams, good color contrast is essential. For infographics and other graphics using ETH's official corporate colors, our Colour Accessibility page provides guidance on the appropriate text color (white or black) to meet AA accessibility standards.
Some additional recommended sources of information are:
Additional information:
What do search engines look for and how can you build your website in a way that will help people, as well as search engines? Technically, both look for the same things:
- Content: Does your website provide relevant, concise and well-structured content?
- Performance: Does your site work well and load fast?
- Authority: Does your site have good content? Do other websites link to or use your site as a reference?
- User Experience: Is your site complicated or overcrowded with information? Is it easy to navigate and can user find information easily?
Tips on how to check your internet presence
De-personalize your Google search
To check where your website is ranking in the Google search, you can just type in keywords that relate to your website content. Be aware, however, that Google shows you personalized search results, based on your browser history. To obtain neutral search results, add “&pws=0” to the end of a Google query URL which will remove history-based personalization.
Check for the best webpages for a particular keyword
To find out which page in the ETH domain comes first in the ranking when entering a specific keyword, enter site:ethz.ch'yourkeyword' in the Google search field.
Keyword suggestions
The external pageGoogle Adwords Keyword Tool allows you to find out more about the search behaviour of internet users. You can compare two or more synonymous terms concerning the number of queries. Google lists similar keywords, so that you can obtain suggestions for more relevant terms you can use in your text.
Traffic and visitor analysis
Piano Analytics is the ETH approved analytics tool for AEM websites which allows you to measure and optimize your SEO strategy. Statistics provide information on which documents were called most often, the origin of visitors, the platforms and browsers used, the most frequently used search terms and much more. protected pageInformation about web analytics at ETH