Yahoo launches web style guide

The digital age has created many words in the English language and so far, no single standard for spelling them has prevailed. Is it ‘smartphone’ or ‘smart phone?’ Should you capitalize ‘Internet?’ ‘Ecommerce’ or ‘e-commerce?’

Yahoo is attempting to set a standard with its new Yahoo! Style Guide. Whereas other style guides focus on newspaper style, Yahoo is useful to webmasters and domainers because it bases its standards on what people actually search.

According to Yahoo, for example, ‘smartphone’ is better spelled as one word because that’s what more people search. Sites that use this spelling are better optimized for search engines.

But according to the long-held AP Stylebook, the correct spelling is ‘smart phone.’ Many high-profile websites still adhere to AP standards, even though it puts them at a disadvantage for SEO.

That doesn’t mean you have to be left behind, though. If you want to increase your search engine traffic, consider purchasing the guide when Yahoo releases it on July 6. Domainers should consult it to ensure the spellings they register are best suited for the web.