Contant

Although proofreading sometimes feels like an inconvenience, you'll thank yourself later for taking the time to proofread now. Set your work aside for a while and revisit it. Spell check can be useful, but remember its capabilities are limited. Quality control requires a human touch.

Hyphens are a punctuation workhorse. We use many of them in online writing, but misuse can lead to misunderstandings, grammar issues, or typesetting errors. En and em dashes can be helpful here—think small (hyphen), medium (en dash), and large (em dash).

**En Dash**

The en dash (–) is longer than a hyphen (-) and is used for comparisons, ranges, and connections.

Examples:

- The Michigan Tech–Northern Michigan hockey game is Friday.

- This is the fall–winter issue of the magazine.

- The Houghton–Chicago flight is operated by United Airlines SkyWest.

**Em Dash**

The em dash (—) is longer than an en dash (–) and is used for explanations, separations, and interruptions.

Examples:

- Our last three presidents—Stein, Tompkins, and Mroz—focused on research goals.

- Undergraduates collect, catalog, and examine—they dig in right away.

- Wildlife Ecology and Management—BS

- She can—she will—pursue an advanced academic degree.

**Typing Dashes**

These keyboard shortcuts work in most cases:

**Mac**

- En dash: Option–Minus

- Em dash: Shift–Option–Minus

**PC**

- En dash: ALT + 0150 on the numeric keypad only

- Em dash: ALT + 0151 on the numeric keypad only

**Fair Warning**

Style guides vary on how hyphens and dashes are used. Michigan Tech’s Editorial Guide provides examples of how we use hyphens and dashes.

Many people consider dashes too fussy and default to hyphens. Remember, the goal is clarity. Write online text that is easy to read. When appropriate, use dashes to enhance readability.

**Search Engine Optimization—Best Practices**

Writing search engine optimized (SEO) content isn’t hard. By following the writing tips outlined above, you should see your webpages' search engine rankings improve. SEO content increases your chances of appearing within the first few search results, which is crucial since 75 percent of users never click past the first page.

Your optimized content will rank higher in search results, giving you a greater chance of reaching your intended web readers. For more information about writing SEO content, read our Top Five Ways to Improve SEO Rankings.

**Files and Folders**

It is also important to prepare and name your pages and files appropriately. This is particularly important for web folders and downloadable files. The general rule of thumb is to use only lowercase letters and hyphens (-). Avoid spaces or other symbols. For more details, read about characters to avoid in directories and filenames.

**How We Can Assist You**