by Ruth Belena

Created on: July 04, 2009   Last Updated: July 25, 2009

When writing a knowledge article, it is of great importance to find the right point of view. Using the wrong point of view in a knowledge article will prevent that article from performing well in search results, so it will earn less money from page views.

Generally, knowledge articles should be written as a straight piece of reporting, without any reference to "you" and "your" or "I" and "my", unless it is intended to be a guide or a personal point of view.

~ Choose the right point of view for search engines

Remember the importance of your knowledge article showing up in appropriate search results, so it will get more page views. An informative article should stand out in results shown to someone searching for information.

* Anyone looking for instructions will respond to an article that tells "you" what to do.

* Someone wanting facts looks for a knowledge article that is written as straight reporting.

* Few people will want to read an account of what "my father" or "my wife" did, or a knowledge article that is all about "me".

~ Use the article title as a guide

If you take notice of exactly how a title is worded, that will provide you with the right point of view to choose.

* Whenever the title is a "How to" guide, or a "Why you should" piece of advice, consider the point of view of a reader, and instruct that reader what to do.

* Any title that includes the words "you" or "your", can address the reader as "you" within the article.

* If the article title is on "Why it is important for a writer to...", or "When should parents...", the article should refer to "a writer" or "parents", rather than you or I.

The only time a knowledge article can be in the first person, is when the title is specifically about "How I" do something. You should also avoid writing a knowledge article that states what "we should" do, or what "we can" do. Think about your readers, but do not assume they have anything in common with you as a writer, a parent or whatever the article title suggests you are.

A title that does not mention you, I or anyone in particular, can be interpreted as a how to guide, or it can be written without a point of view. For example the title of this article "Choosing the right Point of View for a knowledge article", could be written as advice to the reader on how to choose, or it could be an article about how writers choose. Whichever you decide, be consistent and avoid writing an article that switches between you/your and they/their.

When a

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