Our Blog: where do you stand?

Gretchen Schiltz says:

Thu, February 18, 2010 at 5:34:pm

As one of Standing’s AP “disciples,” my first reaction is to your pondering is: “Nooooooo!!!” But that is largely due to my natural desire to stick with the status quo. Though I am not a proponent of a complete relaxing of all language and grammar rules (“ain’t” still makes my skin crawl even if it can be found in the dictionary), I do think that language is and always has been an evolving creature. So I wouldn’t be surprised if AP does change some of its rules … eventually. After all, they had to add “e-mail,” “Web site” and other such trickeries at some point anyway; no reason they can’t adjust them. And frankly, I’d be happy to have any consensus on “health care” vs. “healthcare.”

Justin says:

Fri, February 19, 2010 at 10:27:am

As someone with a disciple-like following of AP Style believers who still cringes at the plethora of errors made by people in our industry, I find it hard to break style rules for SEO. However, you make a valid point. I do think that the AP Stylebook often lags behind when it comes to updates. I think “Web site” is ridiculous, and eventually will end up changed to the popular “website” spelling/punctuation, for example. It will just take a few years. And though it’s considered a “Bible,” the AP Stylebook has numerous inconsistencies with the rules found in the AP Guide to Punctuation, so the editors there have proven fallible. Give them some time ...

Danielle says:

Thu, February 25, 2010 at 3:42:pm

Okay, I’m coming from a different persepctive than AP-disciples Gtretchen and Justin…

True, I was trained in AP Style going to Journalism school, but have since moved on to the more informal, organic style of blogging. Hence, a lot of things you mentioned- e-mail vs email- are coming out in my writing. And I don’t see a problem with that. Blogs are supposed to be written as real as possible. As real as you think, as real as you read, as real as you write.

I don’t think it is a matter of SEO vs. AP, but more a matter of AP vs. real life. Should AP style be dictated by the way real people read, write, and think? Or the other way around? I don’t know the answer, but it’s a great discussion.

Halvorsen says:

Tue, March 02, 2010 at 11:48:am

I’m in the SEO industry and I don’t care what AP Style dictates. Only those in Journalism cringe (maybe) when someone misuses e-mail or Internet. But the facts remain, the majority of people could care less about AP Style. For the sake of time and effort, people write email, website, and internet.

Over time, I imagine AP Style will adjust to how people in the real world use these terms.

Jim Grandone says:

Mon, March 08, 2010 at 1:56:pm

I think the AP style is essential for consistency, not just in the States but around the world.  English is not an easy language too learn, I’m told, (try Russian) and in order to avoid confusion, we should establish the standard and stick to it.  Emerging markets would benefit as well as writers here getting into journalism, Public Relations and corporate communications. 
AP style cuts through governmentese. legalese and corporate jargon It helps people write in a comprehensible way,thus making our communications more understandable to all audiences.
Change is constant and the English language is no exception, we should make change as easy to cope with as possible.

Netwave Interactive says:

Thu, April 08, 2010 at 10:24:am

I, too, learned to write in AP style. However, when it comes to SEO, it’s important to write how the people will write. Unless you studied journalism or some form of communications, chances are you don’t write in AP style on a regular basis. People aren’t worried about proper English when typing words into a search bar. AP style is great for writing news, articles, press releases, etc., but when it comes to SEO work, I don’t believe it is a necessity.

Kate says:

Fri, April 09, 2010 at 4:15:pm

How about if we just provide students with a decent education so they don’t assume Gd 4 U is proper English? Then searches would make more sense.

The SEO/AP style problem is made more difficult when we’re looking to get picked up by traditional media websites, as well as blogs. One hit on Comcast or Time’s websites is more valuable than all the online-only blogs. These editors, however, don’t have the time to go through the writing and make all the style changes. They’re more inclined to use articles that are clean.

I don’t like the idea of dumbing down writing, but I do understand the argument you make. It just irritates me no end.

Danielle says:

Fri, April 09, 2010 at 4:33:pm

Kate,
While I agree kids need to learn more than shorthand, and alos not depend on spell checks to add in all those apostrophes in won’t, dont’, shuoldn’t, etc….

I don’t necessarily think writing for SEO is ‘dumbing it down.’ It is just a matter of writing ‘internet’ as opposed to ‘internet’; writing ‘CA’ as opposed to ‘Calif’; writing ten as ten or 10 and not worrying about whether it is right or wrong or indifferent. I’m not saying those rules are silly. I like them because they keep things consistent (and I love consistency).

I just think the ‘rules’ of AP should match the way people really think, really write, and not the other way around. We shouldn’t be matching our writing to AP, it should be matching its rules to us.

-Danielle

kate says:

Fri, April 09, 2010 at 4:44:pm

Then what do you propose I do when my best links come from major media who use the posts because they’re written to style?

Our contract PR guy for online media wants me to write in SEO. Of course, his job depends on the links we get from his contacts. Thanks to 20 years as a journalist for major newspapers, my contacts and best relationships are with traditional media’s content editors.

Is a puzzlement.

Danielle says:

Fri, April 09, 2010 at 5:06:pm

That is quite a predicament. There is obviously value in both sides of the field- the traditional media outlets and the online-only, ‘new’ media outlets. Is it possible to cater to both?

In my opinion, I would cater to the traditional outlets first and foremost. I doubt the online outlets are going to turn you down based on a few style choices, whereas the traditional outlsets will. In the meantime, optimize your site to work better for searches (using clever, sticky headlines; specific tags and keywords; metadata; etc.).

I’m not implying that I think we should all give up on AP Style, start some kind of revolt against it, and I, by no means, think this is a change that will happen overnight; I am just hoping that the traditional and nontraditional platforms will eventually be able to blend together to be the ‘norm.’

Jamie LeRoy says:

Fri, May 27, 2011 at 9:51:am

I agree with Justin. And finding this article a year later has proved that AP Style is coming around. E-mail is now email. Web site is now website. AP recognizes that our language is changing, but at the same time, they take a good look at whether it’s a valid change or a fleeting trend. I doubt you’ll see Gd 4 U in the near future, if ever.

However, I do think this is going to be an ongoing conversation/debate. But one thing that we need to remember is that whether you’re writing for AP or for SEO - both ways are trying to achieve clarity and relevance. Yes, you may have to pick and choose your battles, but if you’re clear in your writing, the SEO value will be good, and you can also satisfy your nit-picky AP style gurus.

Thanks for the great insight with all of the comments!

Nichole Lewis says:

Wed, September 28, 2011 at 2:44:pm

I haven’t read all of the comments, but being a traditionalist who likes to keep things the way they’ve been, I say we write correctly (based on AP standards).  With options available such as tagging posts and entering keywords to websites for the sole purpose of finding said site…I don’t see enough reason to change the standard for an entire style.  I’m all for modernization, but I’m very “anti-watering things down for the general public”  When you lower the standard, you lower the expectation.

But, I’m new to all of this.  So take my comment with a grain of salt.