Article title
An article title should be optimised for top search engine rankings and distinctive within the Statistics Explained environment.
- Style - Use concise, descriptive titles like labels, avoiding journalistic style and non-informative terms. Max 50-60 characters. ('High-tech statistics' rather than 'In 2012 two thirds of enterprises ...')
- Searchability - Using user friendly words rather than technical terms
- Self-explanatory - Include 'statistics' for self-explanatory titles that stand alone in search results
- Topic structure - Start with the basic topic and specify further if needed (e.g., 'Freight transport statistics - cabotage')
- Geographical terms - Exclude 'European', 'Europe', 'European Union', 'EU'; mention in the introduction instead for better searchability
- Timeliness - Avoid time periods; articles should present the latest data and be regularly updated
- Capitalisation- Begin with a capital letter, use lowercase for remaining words in titles
- Character restrictions - Avoid characters like /, \, ?, *, +, :, |, ", —, and ' in titles to prevent syntax issues
- Uniqueness - Ensure titles do not duplicate existing page names; verify on the relevant theme entry page
Once you have decided on the title of the article you are planning to write, please send an e-mail to the Statistics Explained team at ESTAT-STATISTICS-EXPLAINED@ec.europa.eu and a link to a created page will be sent to you as soon as possible.
Type of article
- research existing articles - review existing Statistics Explained articles, particularly within the theme your article would fit in
- plan content - define the message and trends you wish to present. Create a brief outline of your statistical story
- writing options - decide whether to write a new article or update an existing one
- If you choose to write a new article, decide whether it will be a Statistical article or a Background article. The differences are
- a statistical article contains data that require regular updates and includes main statistical findings (Example: Tutorial:Learning mobility statistics)
- a background article offers comprehensive methodological information on topics like statistical methods or classifications (Example: UNESCO OECD Eurostat)
- All articles are published under Eurostat logo and with Eurostat as the publisher. In the past, some articles carried the names of authors. This practice has been discontinued as everything published under the Eurostat logo is considered as being under Eurostat authorship.
- article length - aim for between 1 000 and 2 500 words. If longer, consider shortening or splitting into multiple articles, which can be interlinked
Exceptions from the web writing guidelines
Although we follow the Commission's web writing guidelines, there a few exceptions which are listed below:
- We recommend using a colon before a bullet list
- Years should be written in the following format: '2013-2023' instead of '2013-23'
- We recommend avoiding contracted forms (e.g. use 'do not' instead of 'don’t')
- In Statistics Explained, we use 'euro area' instead of 'Eurozone'
- In most cases, do not write out numbers; use numerals (1, 2, 3), which are easier to read onscreen. However, avoid two numerals next to each other: use '8 one-day sessions,' not '8 1-day sessions.' Exceptions include when the meaning is not to count (e.g. 'one of the most important,' 'from one ship to the other') and for compounds (e.g. 'one-off,' 'one of the most important'). We also avoid writing large numbers as digits (for example, the preferred version is 'million' instead of '1 000 0000')
Additionally, here are a few rules not mentioned in the web writing guidelines but followed in Statistics Explained publications:
- Using the Oxford comma is recommended (e.g. 'sugar, beef and other meats, and milk products')
- Prefer 'people' over 'persons'
- We recommend using men/women, but there are exceptions (e.g. when it does not refer to adults (below 16) or in adjectives, e.g. male farmers, female students)
- Use 'percentage points (pp)' at the first mention, then 'pp' or 'points' subsequently; maintain consistency throughout the article
- For Statistics Explained articles: if no year is mentioned, we use 'first quarter'; if a year is used, we use 'Q1 2023' (e.g. 'This means that in total, in Q3 2024, 366.2 million guests...This is the fourth year in a row with a double-digit year-to-year increase for the third quarter...')
- Ordinal numbers should be written as follows if they are smaller than 10: 'First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth.' Use the shorter version for larger numbers: '10th, 11th, … 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, etc.' However, the 'first to ninth' rule does not always apply to all of the ordinal numbers, e.g., '2nd edition, 5th place, etc'
- We recommend avoiding fractions. However, if fractions are used, follow the rule: insert hyphens when used as an adverb or adjective (e.g. 'two-thirds complete,' 'a two-thirds increase') but not when used as a noun (e.g. 'an increase of two thirds'), and always include the percentage value in brackets. Do not use figures for fractions in SE articles, eg '⅔ completed'.
SEO guidelines for Statistics Explained
User research indicates that the majority of users tend to scan articles rather than read them in their entirety, with the primary goal of quickly identifying the most crucial information. This behaviour aligns with search engine optimisation (SEO) practices, which emphasise using relevant keywords and structuring content to enhance discoverability and efficiency in locating key details. Additionally, SEO-optimised articles have a better chance to appear at the top of Google SERP, and therefore, have more visibility.
With this in mind, here are some SEO guidelines that should be observed when writing Statistics Explained articles.
- create clear and concise content that naturally incorporates primary and secondary keywords- these are the main and supporting search terms users type into search engines, reflecting what they most want to read about (for example: ‘living conditions in Europe’- primary keyword, ‘cost of living in Europe’ and ‘quality of life in Europe’- secondary keyword
- place the most interesting information for users at the beginning of an article
- use keywords in the headings, preferably at the beginning but avoid forcing them
- use short paragraphs (2-3 sentences)
- use bullet points and visuals where appropriate
- optimise your content for AI (clear headings, concise sections, summarising key points)
- use natural language and avoid repetitions of words
- avoid placing graphs with more than 1 y-axis. Example: Create 2 separate graphs instead of 1 to display the following information; 1 for ‘Thousands’ and 1 for ‘Share (%)’
In other words, graphs shouldn’t be too complicated and should be easily understood by users with little statistical literacy
- when possible, add interactive visuals
- ensure images have alt text and are the correct size (700 px)
When in doubt, please refer to the Commission’s SEO recommendations
Structure
Highlight section
- date of extraction
- a planned update date (month and year)
- some main messages of the article
- an interactive or static illustration of some of the main data
- introduction - introduction text should briefly describe what the article is about and mention general findings or trends. This part is the hook for the reader to entice them to read on. It should not include methodological information; this should be placed under the sections Data details and Context.
Main text body
- statistical findings - present findings in clear text with journalistic subheadings, incorporating relevant graphs and tables, and keep each paragraph within 300-500 characters
- footnotes - add footnotes (if there are any) within the article text; they will be automatically positioned at the end of the article
- data sources - briefly explain data sources and availability, noting comparability, while definitions are placed in a separate Glossary page
- context - outline the policy and legal basis behind data collection and its uses
- Excel file - include an Excel file with the data for the graphs and tables. This rule is not necessary for Vistool graphs.
Further Eurostat information
- Explore further - link to Eurostat resources
- - other articles
- - database
- - thematic section
- - publications
- - methodology
- - selected datasets
- - visualisations
- - other information, including legal texts, manuals, ...
- - external links: to trustworthy official organisations (e.g. ECB, OECD, UN, WHO), specific to the subject treated and leading directly to additional information.
Note: Interactive publications should be included in both the 'Publications' and the 'Visualisation' sections.