Best Writing Tools To Help Improve Your Content
Being a remote writer is different from being an in-office writer in the sense that you get to work in a completely different setup and get to benefit from different opportunities. That being said, when it comes to the practical aspects of the job, being a remote writer is not very different from being an in-office writer.
In both cases, you want to make your work as good as it can be. Some writers enroll in writing courses to upgrade their qualifications while others choose to practise more outside of their work assignments to improve their skills. One popular way to become a better writer is by learning how to use different tools that can assist you at your job. Hence, here are the best writing tools to help improve your content.
#1 Evernote
The first stage of writing is planning. You can't start writing without having a plan that gives you an idea of what you want to write. But even though there is a degree of purpose in your planning, some of it can be quite chaotic. In other words, you don't know when you will get new ideas that can be relevant to your writing.
That's why you need Evernote. This app is perfect for taking notes, storing relevant documents or pieces of your research, and accessing all of this from any device you are using. Evernote is more than just a note-taking app because it allows you to plan your writing on the go by syncing all your notes. You can then export them or even allow your team of writers and editors to access them with you.
#2 MindMeister
Another valuable app for your planning stage is MindMeister. As the name suggests, this is a tool for creating mind maps, a method for visualizing your ideas and brainstorming. MindMeister is an online tool, but that doesn't reduce its functionality which includes features such as:
- Visualization of ideas
- Collaboration with teams
- Task management
- Exporting and sharing
- Mind map customization
- Outline mode
- Commenting
- Mind map layouts
- Notifications
- Media embedding
#3 Google Trends
The next tool you should use for planning is Google Trends. In some cases, you don't know what to write about. Is the topic you chose relevant? Are people interested in the question you want to answer? You can find out by using Google Trends which gives you free access to valuable insights about searches on Google.
For example, you can view the daily search trends or the trending searches to see which topics have been relevant recently. You can even explore the searches by region or check shopping trends. At the same time, you can check how the popularity of a specific keyword changed over time which will show you whether your topic is evergreen or not.
#4 Semrush
One more tool that will be valuable for your planning stage is Semrush. This is one of the most popular keyword research tools that will be just as useful to you as Google Trends. You can check both keywords and question suggestions and filter by location, volume, and competition.
Because this tool is so good, it isn't free. You can try the free trial version, but you will need to pay to use it in the long run. Alternatively, you can hire a professional writer or editor from the writing services reviews site Best Writers Online who can help you with your keyword research.
#5 FocusWriter
Now that the planning stage is complete, you can move on to the writing stage. You have your notes, your mind map, and your keywords. Perhaps you even have an outline for your content (which is highly recommended). But how can you sit down and focus on what you want to write?
That's when FocusWriter will be handy to you. FocusWriter is a writing program similar to MS Word that strips down all the additional features and makes you focus on your writing above all else. Essentially, it reduces distractions and even lets you set goals by time or word count to keep you on track.
#6 Thesaurus
Thesaurus is another tool you will need during the writing stage. You have probably used a thesaurus before, though most people are familiar with a physical thesaurus in the form of a heavy book. However, you will no longer need to use that kind of thesaurus because there is an online equivalent that is just as good.
By using Thesaurus, you will be able to find definitions, synonyms, and antonyms of both words and phrases. Besides, there is a quick link to the Dictionary website at the top of the Thesaurus website, so you can switch between the two in just a single click. Thesaurus also has a valuable filtering feature to filter results by relevance, word length, and complexity.
#7 YoastSEO
For those writers who work with WordPress and publish their work directly, using YoastSEO while writing is a must. This is by far one of the most popular WordPress plugins which are primarily used for search engine optimization. This tool can help you with:
- Titles
- Meta descriptions
- Content quality assessment
- Readability scoring
- Internal linking
- Subheading distribution
- Sentence length
- And more
#8 Grammarly
Once you have finished writing, you will need to move to the last stage which is proofreading and editing. The number one tool you should use at this point is a grammar checker – and what better option to choose than Grammarly? You've probably heard a thing or two about it, and it is truly that good.
This free online tool (with a premium option) will check your text for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice mistakes. You can even set up the characteristics of your text to guide the tool (e.g. type of English, formality, audience, etc.) If you don't want to do the editing yourself, you can hire an experienced writer from the custom writing reviews site Writing Judge to help you proofread and edit your text.
#9 Hemingway Editor
Another famous tool for checking content for linguistic mistakes is Hemingway Editor. This online tool is more focused on the subtle aspects of your text and will help you improve it by making changes that you wouldn't have thought about otherwise.
For instance, the tool will highlight adverbs, passive voice, complex phrases, and hard-to-read sentences. These are not generally considered to be an issue, but by rewriting these parts of your text, you will significantly improve its readability.
#10 SmallSeoTools Plagiarism Checker
Last but not least, don't forget to check your text for plagiarism or duplicate content by using the SmallSeoTools Plagiarism Checker. You may be thinking that there can't be any plagiarism in your text because you wrote it. Yet, you could plagiarize something unintentionally.
In some cases, you could be using too many quotes from certain online sources. In other cases, you could be rewriting entire paragraphs from different sources without actually paraphrasing much. Don't overlook these problems and correct the parts that are considered to be plagiarized.
#11 Paraphrasingtool.ai
Paraphrasingtool.ai is a state-of-the-art platform that excels at rewording text to avoid plagiarism while maintaining the original meaning and tone. It's not just a simple paraphrasing tool; it's a comprehensive suite of writing utilities.
The tool boasts eight distinct paraphrasing modes, each catering to different writing needs. From student essays to professional content, Paraphrasingtool.ai handles them all.
The platform doesn’t stop there. It also comes with a robust plagiarism checker, a handy text summarizer, and an innovative AI Editor. All these features enable you to refine your writing on the go.
You can also access it from any device, ensuring your paraphrasing and editing needs are always within reach. The platform's dynamic capabilities make Paraphrasingtool.ai more than just a paraphrasing tool. It's your comprehensive, go-to solution for all your writing enhancement needs.
Conclusion
All in all, you don't need much to become a better writer. Improving your skills through practice and upgrading your qualifications by studying are both ideals. However, you shouldn't overlook the importance of a good toolset. Utilize the writing tools in this article to help you improve the quality of your work.
Author's Bio
Frank Hamilton has been working as an editor at essay writing service Trust My Paper. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.