Style Guide

For Writing Posts (Revised:  12/7/19)

To facilitate the efficiency and ease in uploading and formatting posts for the Cruces Atmospheric Sciences Forum (CASF), please use this style guide in preparing your post off line.

  1. Word .docx. Posts should be submitted in Microsoft Word .docx format in order to more easily upload the information to WordPress.
  2. Figure Formats. Avoid using .tif or .tiff formats which do not transfer to WordPress. Most other formats should be ok.
  3. Numbering. Figures should be numbered.
  4. Figure Captions. Figures should include a description of the figure.
  5. Sources. Figure captions should include a linkable source.
  6. Short Paragraphs. Keep paragraphs as short as possible and discuss only one topic per paragraph.
  7. Section Headers. Split your post up into as many subsections as possible and include a subsection subject title for each one. This helps tremendously to improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
  8. Focus Key Phrase. You should create a focus key word or phrase that encapsulates what your post is about. Ideally, your focus key word or phrase should appear (if possible) in your post title and in the first paragraph of your post. Also, the more you use your focus key word or phrase in your post narrative, the better. Again, this is an SEO item.
  9. Compound Sentences. Try to avoid writing compound or overly complex sentences, and try to keep them at 20 words or less, if possible. This aids in reading and improves SEO scores.
  10. Categories and Tags. Separate from your written post, Include a main category and a list of tags. The category and tags are used by browser search engines to find posts on specified subjects and by Word Press in listing similar subject area posts.
  11. Formatting and Fonts. Other than section headings, paragraphing, and sentence structure, do not worry too much about formatting and fonts. Most of this will be taken care of in the installation process and by Word Press.
  12. Publishing Sources.  Do not worry about formatting of publishing sources.  These will be formatted when the post is entered on-line as follows:  upper and lower case, bold, and the color blue-green for source names such as Journals, magazines, etc.
  13. Article Titles Etc.  Do not worry about formatting article titles.  These will be formatted when the post is entered on-line as follows:  upper and lower case, bold, italic, and brown color for article titles etc.

[Note:  Most of the above items are used to improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which should move your post closer to the top in the search results.  Most searchers do not look at search results beyond the first or second page, and if they do not find your post in the search results, they are unlikely to see your post.  All of this is important for increasing the number of reads of your post and the number of visits to the web site.]