Wikipedia is known for its strict rules and regulations to write and edit an article. Having a massive panel of editors on board, the evaluation criteria of the platform is tough to pass. You need to have a detailed view as to how your article should be composed and what are the measures that need to be followed. So, here is a detailed guide to help you write and edit your Wikipedia article seamlessly. Read on!
A Step By Step Guide To Write And Edit Wiki Articles
Step #1: Create An Account
Wikipedia provides specific guidelines to help you create an account. You need to choose an appropriate username and enter the credentials in the form provided by the website. On the top right corner, you will find the option to create or sign up for an account.
You will be asked to read the guidelines and to accept the policies. You have to enter your basic credentials before submitting the account creation form. It could be a detailed process but you have to stay attentive while filling the form as a simple error can straight away reject your submission.
Step #2: Methods To Create A Wikipedia Page
To create a Wikipedia page you need to access a page title. Now for that four basic methods are followed.
- Method 1- Searching
You enter the text in the search box and double-check of the title already exists. If it does, you will not be allowed to recreate a page. If no results match your search query you can proceed to create the “red linked test you searched for”.
- Method 2- Previewing A Red-Link
In this method, you have to click edit on the accessible page, put the double brackets near the page title, and click the show preview to reveal the red link.
- Method 3- Save the Red Link
You can save the link on your user page or on the user talk page and for that, you have to follow the same process. First, you have to go to the user page and then surround the title with brackets. After that click the publish page and the red link will get revealed.
- Method 4- Change the URL
If you edit a y section of the page, you have to change its existing URL as well. As you click to edit the page, the URL will appear like this:
“https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:How_to_create_a_page&action=edit”
Now you can edit the text in the following manner:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proposed Title&action=edit
Step #3- Select The Type Of Wikipedia Article
You can publish a researched-based article that could be related to anything from a business product or an innovative machine. The next category is of biography. You can write a biography about a person or a country. In both of these cases, there are different formats to follow. You need to be clear about the kind of article you want to compose.
Step #4- Check the Notability Principle
Next step is to check the notability of your topic. For instance, if you have selected a company to write the biography, you have to know if it is credible enough or has the worth to attract readers. The official Wikipedia page editors follow the Wiki’s notability principle. The writers have to make sure whichever topic or title they choose should have some online presence and visibility. In case, if there is none then they have to first build up the credibility and then proceed towards the page creation process. With expert support, you can get the article composed on any topic as the professionals will take care of the notability criteria.
Step #5- Research Thoroughly
The next step is to carry out brief research. You need to know if the content you compose if backed with credible and valuable research. You have to add valuable information in your article to gather the attention and to keep the readers indulged completely. You have to hunt for information that is updated and is highly interesting. Even if you are composing a researched article, you need to make sure to have thoroughly researched data.
One thing is necessary for the writers to do is to know the target audience. You need to know how intellectual your audience is and what is their level of understanding. In this way, you will be able to either restrict or broaden your scope to research. You will know how far you can go or how deep your research could be.
Step #6- Compelling Writing Style
Wikipedia page writers are clearly instructed to compose an interactive and compelling content. You have to make sure that your content is structured professionally. Your content should have precise sentences with proper grammatical structures. Each aspect of the content should be composed expertly to garner attention and to generate enhanced online reach.
You need to make sure that your content is easy to grasp. Avoid adding jargons and technical aspects in a way that it hinders the readability. The tone and voice of your content should be professional as well. You cannot go too informal in delivering your message. You have to stick to active voice and be selective with your vocabulary. Wikipedia only appreciates content, which is well versed, or else the submissions get rejected.
Step #7- Adherence To Wikipedia Policy
It’s imperative for Wikipedia page creators to show complete adherence to the policy and guidelines regarding page creation and submission. Wikipedia has a set of policies that help a writer to not only get his article published on the platform but it ensures to increase the visibility in the search engine.
Every aspect of the content is composed in a way that it can promise increased rankings that eventually ensures to boost the progress of the page. Many articles have been rejected only because they couldn’t show complete adherence to the Wikipedia policies. You need to be very careful and it’s better to opt for professional help to get your article approved easily.
Step #8- Formatting
The next and most important step is to work on improving the readability of your content. You need to make sure that the content you are composing is easy to read. As online readers are prone to getting distracted in a second, it is imperative for you to format your content professionally. You need to use structured sentences, precise sentences, bullets and short paragraphs. You need to make sure that your content looks clean, engaging and highly indulging. Add a proper index in your article that reveal the many aspects your article provides. Do not opt for cluttered layouts. Once you are done formatting take a brief look and see if it looks professional and captivating or not.
Step #9- Content Optimization
Optimize your content on the basis of search engine techniques and enhance the reach and accessibility of your content. Wikipedia encourages content that is composed on SEO grounds. You have to search for the most popular keywords and index them in your content.
It increases the accessibility of your content. Just when a visitor enters the search query, which is called the keyword, the browser redirects your URL, which in this case is going to be the Wikipedia page. Now your content will more efficiently be able to win the attention of the target visitor, as it will appear on the most credible site. So, follow the SEO grounds and optimize your content professionally.
Step #10- No Promotional Content
Wikipedia strictly rejects the content, which has any promotional information. You are not allowed to enter biased and promotional information in your article with the intention to market or brand your products. You are only allowed to share the information in a neutral tone with a valuable aspect.
If any aspect or chunk of your content is found promoting a certain service or company the article is rejected and is not even send back for further editing and improvisation. So, never waste your chance to get the article approved by opting to add promotional content. If you clearly follow the policies, you will get enough traffic organically that you will not feel the need to promote the company in that unacceptable manner.
Step #11- Citation
What’s the one aspect that can pass your content with flying colors through the evaluation process. Well, it’s adding citation. If you check the articles already published on the platform, you will find out that every single one shows a detailed list of references. Your content needs to be well versed and well-cited as well. You have to look for platforms and sources to gather information, which are credible in order to list them in your article. If you compose a content, which is not properly hyperlinked, you will not be able to get your content approved. You can follow Harvard style referencing or the ones listed in the Wikipedia citation policies.
Step #12- Submit Your Article For Review
Once you are done with every step to write your article you need to submit it on your account for review. You have to make sure that your article is free from any error or flaw. You should double-check your content to check the mistakes and flaws before submitting it. Your submission may take around 3 to 6 months to get approved. If the editors come across errors that can be improvised and fixed, they will send the content back to you for editing.
Step #13- Edit And Re-Submit
In case if you get the article for editing from the professionals of Wikipedia, it’s advisable to use advanced tools to scrutinize the content for mistakes. You have to go through the checking the policies as well in case if you have missed any. The content that is fiddled with mistakes, irrelevant information and false information gains no credibility. Therefore, be very careful about your submission.
Step #14- Page Monitoring
The Wikimedia account holders have the opportunity to monitor their page and see if any reader has left a review. With the help of page monitoring, they can check the performance and improvise theory content to gain enhanced online visibility.
Step #15- Page Management
When you create the Wikipedia account, you get a dashboard that clearly shows the stats of your page performance. It shows the list of all the readers who left reviews. You can manage those reviews and accept the ones you want. You can even double-check the references stated in each review and improvise your content. With the help of reader’s review, you get to keep your content fully updated. In this way, your creation stays fresh and at the top for longer.
Why To Choose Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia established with the aim to provide valuable and trustable information it readers across the world. The platform entertains over 1.6 billion visitors every month as of March 2020. It has grown to be the largest ever-increasing encyclopedia with content delivered in over 300 languages.
Writers from all across the world collaborate their unique content and well-versed articles to expand the horizon. You can find information related to any subject and principle at the highest quality.
Over 53 million articles have been published so far and many are waiting on the list. Wikipedia is an open-source platform that allows readers to make edits whenever they come across an outdated or flawed content. That’s the reason why the platform has strict policies. The Wikipedia guidelines are detailed and thorough. The platform strictly asked its writers and editors to show 100% adherence to each policy for maximum readership.
Wrap Up
Wikipedia, as stated above, has such a strong foundation. It has gained an enormous online reach and visibility by maintaining the content quality and opting for ways that can ensure increased accessibility. You can utilize the limelight of the platform to grow and expand your business online by simply composing an article. Follow the steps and wait to get your article approved in no time.
