# Web content development

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'''Web content development''' is the process of [research](/source/research)ing, [writing](/source/writing), gathering, organizing, and [editing](/source/editing) [information](/source/information) for [publication](/source/publication) on [website](/source/website)s. Website [content](/source/Content_(media)) may consist of [prose](/source/prose), [graphics](/source/graphics), [picture](/source/Image)s, [recording](/source/Sound_recording_and_reproduction)s, [movie](/source/Film)s, or other [digital asset](/source/digital_asset)s that could be distributed by a [hypertext transfer protocol](/source/hypertext_transfer_protocol) [server](/source/Server_(computing)), and viewed by a [web browser](/source/web_browser).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hamza |first=M. A. |title=Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance |date=2018 |publisher=Springer |editor-last=Farazmand |editor-first=A. |chapter=Ethics and Website Content |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3021-1}}</ref>

==Web developers and content developers==
When the [World Wide Web](/source/World_Wide_Web) began, [web developer](/source/web_developer)s either developed online content themselves, or modified existing [document](/source/document)s and coded them into [hypertext markup language](/source/HTML) ([HTML](/source/HTML)). In time, the field of website development came to encompass many technologies, so it became difficult for website developers to maintain so many different skills.  

Content developers are specialized website developers who have content generation skills such as  [graphic design](/source/graphic_design), multimedia development, [professional writing](/source/professional_writing), and [documentation](/source/Documentation_(field)). They can integrate content into new or existing websites without using [information technology](/source/information_technology) skills such as [script language](/source/Scripting_language) [programming](/source/Computer_programming) and [database programming](/source/Database). 

Content developers or technical content developers can also be [technical writers](/source/Technical_writer) who produce [technical documentation](/source/technical_documentation) that helps people understand and use a product or service. This documentation includes [online help](/source/online_help), [manuals](/source/User_guide), [white papers](/source/White_paper), [design specifications](/source/Design_specification), developer guides, deployment guides, [release notes](/source/release_notes), etc.

==Search engine optimization==
Content developers may also be [search engine optimization](/source/search_engine_optimization) specialists, or [internet marketing](/source/Digital_marketing) professionals. High quality, unique content is what search engines are looking for. Content development specialists, therefore, have a very important role to play in the search engine optimization process. One issue currently plaguing the world of web content development is keyword-stuffed content which are prepared solely for the purpose of manipulating search engine rankings. The effect is that content is written to appeal to search engine ([algorithm](/source/algorithm)s) rather than human readers. [Search engine optimization](/source/Search_engine_optimization) specialists commonly submit content to article directories to build their website's authority on any given topic.  Most article directories allow visitors to republish submitted content with the agreement that all links are maintained.  This has become a method of [search engine optimization](/source/search_engine_optimization) for many websites today. If written according to SEO [copywriting](/source/copywriting) rules, the submitted content will bring benefits to the publisher (free SEO-friendly content for a webpage) as well as to the author (a [hyperlink](/source/hyperlink) pointing to his/her website, placed on an SEO-friendly webpage).

==New content types==
[Web content](/source/Web_content) is no longer restricted to text. Search engines now index audio/visual media, including video, images, PDFs, and other elements of a web page. Website owners sometimes use [content protection network](/source/content_protection_network)s to scan for plagiarized content.

==See also==
* [Web content](/source/Web_content)
* [Web content lifecycle](/source/Web_content_lifecycle)
* [Content marketing](/source/Content_marketing)
* [Search engine optimization](/source/Search_engine_optimization)
* [Content designer](/source/Content_designer)
* [Content management](/source/Content_management)
* [Content adaptation](/source/Content_adaptation)
* [Professional writing](/source/Professional_writing)
* [Technical writer](/source/Technical_writer)
* [Web content management system](/source/Web_content_management_system)

==References==
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Category:Web development
Category:Web content

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Web content development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_content_development) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_content_development?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.