Web Copywriting Versus Print How Do They Differ

It has been more than 10 years since the dot-com boom and today, most of us can’t imagine life without the internet. Then, we didn’t really know how to write for the web so we applied print copywriting rules to the web with mixed results. This overview covers the three main ways how web copywriting differs from print.
1) Web Copywriting Uses Keywords
Effective web copywriting depends on using the right keyword phrases in the right place for maximum search engine optimization (SEO) engagement. Obviously, the concept of writing for search engines didn’t exist in the days of print, and any good web copywriting campaign must keep SEO in mind. Good SEO copywriting means researching your keywords and incorporating them seamlessly into the right places, such as your heading, subhead and other certain parts of your web page.
However, writing just for SEO has its own perils such as bad writing, poor English-language usage, keyword stuffing and more. In fact, employing some of these ethically questionable tactics can backfire as search engines are wising up to these practices. With print, the focus is always on quality writing. With web copywriting, sometimes writers lose sight of this in favor of writing for SEO. Skipping on quality writing in favor of possible SEO results is usually a bad policy all around.
2) Use Short Phrases When Writing for the Web
In our short-attention society, long paragraphs filled with long sentences are not really suitable for print or web in general. People tend to scan the web rather than read it word for word. As such consider using bullet points, short sentences and a lot of breaking points in web copywriting. A good rule of thumb is to break up text after eight lines (not necessarily sentences). While short style is also best for print, some traditional print mediums such as high-gloss brochures still use some long-form copywriting techniques.
3) The Web Is Dynamic, Print Is Static
When something is in print, it is there, as is, forever. With the web, copy is written with the intention of being commented on, linked to and shared via social media. For this reason and others, copywriting for print has a more authoritative tone.
For the web, copywriting must lend itself to being shared and this is done by using more casual, informal language. That’s why many people will say good web copywriting requires that you write like you talk. Though writing for the web should have a conversational tone, it should not do so at the expense of the rules of English language grammar and usage.
To summarize, web copywriting focuses on using keywords for SEO, using short, pithy phrases and on being dynamic. Print copywriting today also uses short sentences and paragraphs though some forms still use long-form techniques. Web copywriting is dynamic and shared and tends to have a conversational tone. Whether you are writing for print or the web, the focus on good writing should not be overlooked for the sake of style.