While there is no obligation to rate articles, many Helium writers choose to participate in the Helium article rating process.
As the person rating articles, it isn’t always easy to pick the best article out of both A and B. The exact way to rate articles is not concrete and there is no specific manner that represents the recommended criteria.
Helium raters usually have their own criteria for choosing the best article and with most raters, the choice may come down to several factors including enjoyment factor, writing style, format and the information within those articles.
Because rating is such an important part of the website, asking yourself the following questions as you read an article may help you determine the article that stands out just a little more than the other;
- Does the article have my attention?
- Does the article fit the title?
- Is the article easy to read?
- Is the right information in the article?
- Did the writer use the right language for the article?
- How was the spelling and grammar?
- Can I praise the writer or make a suggestion?
- Does the article have my attention?
There is the potential with a good opening sentence to grab someone’s attention and hold it to the end. Helium members who rate articles on a regular basis know that sometimes they are presented with an article they have little or no knowledge about.
Ask yourself if the opening lines of the articles tell you anything about the subject and then make you want to read further.
- Does the article fit the title?
It helps to read the whole article first and then answer this question. Some articles can take a little while to get going and its best not to dismiss one article against the other if it doesn’t fit the title within the first or second paragraph, the good stuff might be in the middle and towards the end of the article. Of course, this applies when the article doesn’t leave it too long to get to the topic at hand.
- Is the article easy to read?
The breaking up of information is important when it comes to being able to successfully read an article. Is the article easy on the eye? Does it have enough white space and is it presented in a way that fits within its type of article, for example, a how to article may be written in a series of steps that have been broken up into easy to read paragraphs.
- Is the right information in the article?
Going back again to the title. After reading the title, did you think the writer of the article told you or taught you something about the subject? Did the how to article teach you? Did the review make you want to know more about the product? These are just a few examples of article types, but after reading the specific article, did it give helpful information?
- Did the writer use the right language for the article?
How was the article written? Was the article written in a style that was easy to follow and read? Going back to the ‘right information in the article’, could you understand the article easily, was the topic explained plainly or too technically? (Keeping in mind that some articles need to be written with a slight degree of technical skill depending on the topic), did the style suit the title?
- How was the spelling and grammar?
This may not be of great significance because Helium has a number of international writers whose grammar and spelling may differ.
However, when there are numerous spelling and grammar mistakes, to rate fairly, these mistakes should be taken into account but not to a high degree in most instances.
- Can I praise the writer or make a suggestion?
When it comes to rating, the writer of the article may have written a great article that only has a minor mistake or needs a minor adjustment, for example, they forgot to press the enter button or didn’t check the articles format when they hit the ‘submit’ button. It’s better to tell the write rather than not tell them.
Rating of articles ultimately comes down to the raters own criteria. The above questions to ask are merely a suggestion as to some of the things to look out for when rating an article against another