There are many common issues you can watch for on your webpages to help increase the quality and search engine optimization (SEO) of your pages, make them more accessible, and follow Michigan Tech’s editorial standards.
Specific instructions that may be included below are for Michigan Tech’s Modern Campus CMS.
Misspellings
It only takes a few misspellings to affect a user’s impression of your website. Be sure to use the spell-checking options within Modern Campus CMS before publishing your pages. The system does not check spelling as you go. Within the editor, you can use the Spell Check icon 
to check the existing text and underline spelling errors. Before publishing you should always run the Final Checks, which includes a spelling check.
Large Image Files
Having images on your page that are too large can slow down the page load time and frustrate your users. All images that are used in the CMS should be created using the Image Editor gadget in the CMS. This process includes the files being compressed and optimized for the web to manage that file size. Be sure to insert or link to these edited files, not the original.
Email Address Links
Linking email addresses on your page makes it easier for users to contact you, especially from a mobile device. When you paste text into the page or have an email address at the end of a sentence followed by a period, the addresses are not linked automatically. The easiest way to add the link is to put your cursor after the address, press space (this should automatically recognize the email address and link it), and then delete the space. You can also use the Mailto Link icon 
to manually add the link.
Deprecated HTML Tags
There are several outdated HTML codes for some formatting that can get copied and pasted in if you’re not careful. While the text will appear how you want it to a sighted user, it will cause problems for screen readers. This includes
bold <b> should be <strong>
and italics <i> should be <em>
Be sure to use Paste as Text 
before pasting or Clear Formatting 
after pasting to remove all of the potentially bad code, then use the formatting tools available in the CMS editor to apply the needed styles.
Underlines
On webpages, underlines signify links and should not be used to format text for other reasons. If you want to make some text stand out, use headings, bold, or italics, as appropriate, instead.
Empty Headings
Because screen reader users can navigate your page using the headings, having a heading tag with no content in it can cause problems. Be sure there are no blank line spaces between content on your page.
Missing Meta Information
A meta description is displayed in search engine results as a short summary of the page’s content. Along with the meta title, which is the text that shows up in the browser’s tab, it is potentially one of the only pieces of content a user will see from your site, so it plays an important role in the search engine optimization for the page. Keywords help your page rank higher in the search results.
If you do not fill out the Description and Keyword fields when setting up a new webpage, be sure to go back and add the information before publishing. In Modern Campus CMS, the meta title will automatically be generated based on the page and site titles.
Underscores in URLs
URLs with hyphens are preferred over underscores by Google. Hyphens make URLs easier for search engines and real people to read. Do not use underscores in your folder or filenames—only use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens.
H1 Headers
Having multiple <h1> tags can confuse search engines. The only H1 heading on your page should be the page title. Do not add Heading 1 to the body of your webpages, instead start with a Heading 2 and use subheadings in sequential order as needed. Read more information about headings.
Words in All Caps
Not only can it be harder to read, but etiquette generally discourages the use of all caps online. Instead, use headings, bold, or italics, as appropriate, to make the message stand out.
Michigan Tech Editorial Guide
Michigan Tech’s Editorial Guide has additional information about text formatting, style, and punctuation. These are some of the common issues seen on our webpages that are easy to avoid. Following the Editorial Guide will help maintain a consistent user experience across all our pages.
Phone Number Format
Phone numbers should be formatted with hyphens, not parentheses or periods.
Example: 906-487-1885
And, Not &
Ampersand (&) should only be used for brand-specific words, Twitter, or in lists and titles. Otherwise, use “and.”
Time
Times should be listed using a.m. and p.m. When the time is on the hour, do not include :00, just list the number. Use noon or midnight rather than 12 p.m. or 12 a.m.
Example: 8 a.m.—2:30 p.m. or 8—11 a.m.
Dates
Dates should be spelled out and include the day of the week and year for informational purposes. Do not add nd or st to the number portion.
Example: Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Numbers Zero Through Nine
Numbers zero to nine are always spelled out except in recipes, with staff positions, or in credit hours.
Example: There were six people in class taking 3 credits.