Productivity Apps for Content Writers

IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

Content writing for the web requires creativity as well as conformity: Content writers need to offer unique, engaging articles and website content, while respecting and following the web's specific conventions. Productivity apps can help content writers manage some of the more uniform tasks and conventions to make sure your content follows web best practice, letting you focus on creativity and originality.

Here are 5 productivity apps that help content writers produce effective web content every time:

Google keyword tool and Google Insights for Search
Your web content needs to be easily found by your audience, so understanding the keywords your audience uses to look up related topics can help you position your articles to be seen by more readers. Look for low competition, longtail keywords for your blog posts and use the keyword in the title, first paragraph, and final paragraph as a minimum.

Inbound app writer
This fantastic web app helps you ensure you are using your keywords sufficiently and scores your web content based on whether it is optimized for search, to maximize AdSense revenue clickrates, or a mix of both. Free accounts allow writers to assess 8 new documents every month: a great starter for any content writer.

Popplet
This ideas platform app lets you outline your web content articles visually and to generate new ideas about how related ideas are interconnected. Visually thinking about your content can lead to that creative breakthrough that makes your web content inspiring and thought-provoking. You can also outline how you plan to add graphics or videos to enhance web content readability. Your article outline popplets can even be embedded into your web pages, offering a readymade graphic with an intriguing and playful aesthetic.

Freedom
If you are easily distracted by checking emails or scanning twitter feeds, Freedom could be the tough love app to help you stay focused on your content writing output. Available for both Mac and PC, Freedom helps you set time frames to focus on your content writing and forces your internet connection closed for the duration.

Boardreader
This social media tracking tool lets you see what your potential audience is asking about and discussing in forums and online postings. Like google insights for search but for forum discussions, widgets can graph the data trends of recent community discussions and show you interest levels in the topic you are writing about. Like Popplet, these embeddable tools make great visuals to go with your online articles and provide your readers with a deeper insight into how people engage with your subject matter.

What is in your everyday toolkit of productivity apps for content writing? Are there any other must-have tools you recommend for content writers?

Mark Boyd is a content writer for the web specializing in software as a service (especially productivity apps!), smart cities technology and data-driven research and analysis.

Mark Boyd is a freelance writer for SaaS businesses, specializing in web 2.0 marketing, smart cities technology, and data-driven research and analysis.