Choose a topic that you are interested in and passionate about

When you write about a topic that invokes emotion in yourself, it shows. Your writing will flow more naturally, while your enthusiasm for the subject will affect your readers in a positive way.

Do some research to get your facts right

If your article deals mostly with basic facts that many people already know, it may seem unappealing. Dig deep into your research to find interesting and surprising facts, quotes, pictures and videos. Try Wikipedia, Youtube, Flickr, Google, Yahoo, and/or Altavista.

Ask yourself if the topic is a potentially popular one

Think about your audience. While you don't have to write about celebrities and current events, you also shouldn't pick a subject that no one has heard of, unless you can deliver relevant reasons to interest and entertain your readers. Take your topic's popularity into account, and try Google Trends to help you decide.

Make sure that you have enough to write about

The subject shouldn't be so limited that you can cover all of its aspects in one paragraph, but it shouldn't be so broad that a good article won't provide enough information to cover the relevant points.

Keep your paragraphs short

Readers on the Internet tend to ignore large batches of words in long paragraphs. Break up your writing into easily readable paragraphs.

Get to the point of the article as quickly as possible

The title and the first line of the article should catch your readers' attention. The last few lines of the article should summarize your thoughts and leave them entertained and satisfied. Make sure you keep your readers' interest by limiting your introductions and conclusions to a sentence or two.

Communicate and explain clearly to your readers what you want them to do and why you want them to do it

Your reading audience is waiting for your article to improve their lives, make their days, and give them something interesting to think about and discuss. Make your words and sentences strong, clear, and direct.

Target your article to a specific audience

In order to write articles with a clear message, you must know for whom they are intended. While you are writing, try to form a picture in your mind of the ideal readers and imagine what they would want to discover about your topic.

A good article should take the readers on a journey

In order to do that, a quality article should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Declare your intentions in the beginning, cover the main points of the topic in the body, and draw a conclusion at the end. Don't just jump into a list without explaining why it is interesting and worth reading. You can even hint at surprising facts or quotes.

Provide something that your readers will appreciate

If you find pics or videos that add to the value of your article, use them. If you find some interesting links to your topic, include them. If your article has connections to current events or well-known persons, discuss them.