Think about the last time you had to force yourself to read something in school that was hard for you to read. It felt exhausting, right? That’s because nobody likes reading content that’s hard to understand.
However, making your writing easy to read is all about improving content readability. It ensures your audience can get your message quickly and clearly.
Well! Readability is crucial in SEO writing because if your website's content is hard to understand, readers won't get the message you're trying to convey.
When your content is easy to read, visitors stay longer, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable. This helps your website rank higher in search results, making your information more accessible to others.
According to a survey, 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a website after a bad experience with readability and usability.
So, let’s dive into the more details about content readability and how it is important in SEO content writing.
What is content readability?
Content readability is about making your writing easy to understand and digest. It involves using clear language, organizing ideas logically, and presenting information in a user-friendly way.
Just imagine yourself reading an article in the Chinese language! If you’re not familiar with the Chinese language, you can’t read it.
So, personally I use short and simple sentences to make my content more readable. It doesn’t mean your each sentence has to be 5 words only but you have to vary the structure, mix it up so that the reading becomes easier.
According to a 2017 study in association with the National Center for Education Statistics: 54% of adults in the US struggle to read at the ninth-grade level or greater.
Key aspects of readability include:
- Simple words and short sentences
- Well-structured paragraphs
- Clear headings and subheadings
- Use of bullet points and lists
- Appropriate white space
- Consistent tone and style
Ok, now let me tell you more about readable content! It effectively conveys information so your reader learns something new, makes a discovery, or solves a problem. However, if your content is unreadable, it fails to do all of this.
Why readability matters in SEO content writing?
Readability matters alot in SEO because it impacts user experience, engagement metrics, and backlinks. For instance, when a person visits your website through a search engine, you don’t want him to bounce back immediately. Because it creates a negative impact on your website.
So, these are some popular reasons that I’ve compiled where readability matters in SEO content writing:
1. Brain-friendly content
When your writing is easy to read, people's brains don't have to work as hard. This means they're more likely to keep reading and remember what you've said.
Google notices when people spend more time on your site, which helps your website show up higher in search results.
2. Featured snippets
Most of the time when we search something on Google it shows a small piece of text at the top of search results. These are highlighted excerpts of text that appear at the top of a Google search results page and known as 'Position 0'. They provide users quick answers to their questions or queries.
When your content is clear and easy to read, it has a higher chance of being chosen for these special spots. Which helps more people find your website.
3. Mobile-friendly reading
Mobile devices are the biggest contributors of internet traffic. Majority of the internet users use mobile phones for going online. Likewise, I mostly use my mobile phone to open any website. However, Google looks at how websites work on phones first.
When your fonts are appropriate and the text size is easy to read, it looks better on small screens. This is important because long and complicated texts are hard to read on phones.
4. Reducing bounce rates
To understand bounce rates, let me give you a simple example. Imagine you have a pizza shop, but outside, you display pictures of burgers and other food. People walk in expecting variety, but when they find out you only serve pizza, many leave right away.
Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who leave your website immediately without engaging, just like those customers who walked out of your shop.
When I find content easy to read, I’m less likely to leave quickly because the website provides the information I need in simple terms.
When visitors stay longer, it signals to search engines that your site has valuable information, which helps boost your ranking in search results.
5. Encouraging social shares
Readability matters in SEO content writing because when your content is easy to understand, people are more likely to share it. Just like you'd share a funny and interesting video with your friends, and then they share it with others, making the video go viral.
Readers are more inclined to share content that is easy to read and valuable. The more your content is shared, the more visibility your website gains, which improves your search engine rankings.
6. Helping more readers
As I mentioned before, if you're reading content in another language, you can't understand it. Similarly, content with long sentences, small font sizes, too much jargon, and excessive bold words makes it difficult to read.
Easy-to-read content helps people with learning difficulties or those who are new to the language. This helps to bring more visitors to your website and make them think highly of your site.
7. Building trust
Establishing trust should be a top priority for any website to rank higher in search engine results. When you create content make sure it is thoroughly researched, fact-checked, and presented in an unbiased, transparent way. It's not just about looking professional but also about demonstrating expertise.
Beyond SEO benefits, focusing on trust is also important for converting visitors into loyal customers. Establishing brand reputation, and providing a human touch helps build trust with readers. When they trust your site and see you as an expert, search engines are more likely to show your site to others.
How to improve content readability?
According to the survey: 85% of people understand information written at an eighth-grade level.
At this point, we understand that content readability is crucial, and improving it means making your writing clearer and easier to understand. Here’s how I make my writing more reader-friendly:
- Break up long sentences into smaller ones. This makes your ideas easier to follow.
- Write at a level that suits the people you're trying to reach.
- Use paragraphs, headings, and bullet points. This gives readers' eyes a break and makes information easier to find.
- Write in a conversational tone. This makes your content more engaging and relatable.
- Use active voice sentences like say "The dog chased the cat" instead of "The cat was chased by the dog." Active voice is usually clearer.
- If you need to use complex terms, explain them in simple words.
- Use pictures, charts, or videos to help explain your points. This makes your content more interesting and easier to understand.
- Use transition words like "however," "also," and "for example" help connect your ideas smoothly.
- Try a readability checker online to improve your content readability. This tool analyze sentence length, text difficulty, other factors and provides readability scores
Common readability mistakes to avoid
Let's dive into some common readability mistakes I’ve noticed that we should avoid. These errors make your writing harder to understand and less engaging for your readers.
- Don't use too much jargon: Use common words that most people understand easily. This helps more readers follow your ideas.
- Avoid long and complicated sentences: They confuse readers. Keep sentences short and focus on one idea at a time. This makes your writing clearer.
- Don't make large paragraphs: They look scary on the page. Use shorter paragraphs like 3-4 sentences.
- Writing without a clear structure: This makes your content hard to read. Use headings to organize your ideas. This helps readers follow your thoughts and find information easily.
- Overusing passive voice: Sentences in passive voice make your writing unclear. Try to use active voice more than passive voice. It makes your writing clearer.
- Neglecting transitions: Transitions like jumping from one idea to another without connecting the confused readers. Use connecting words like "however," "because," and "also" to show how your ideas relate to each other.
- Don't use too many short forms (acronyms): Avoid using words like (FBI or NASA). Explain what they mean the first time you use them. Too many abbreviations can confuse readers.
- Writing without considering your audience: Your audience is everything and ignoring them is a big mistake. Think about who will read your writing. Write in a way they can understand easily.
- Don't be too formal or too casual: Aim for a friendly and conversational tone that still sounds knowledgeable.
- Not using examples: Using examples in your content is a great idea. Content or ideas with examples are easy to understand. Use examples to explain complex ideas. This helps readers understand better.
Balancing readability and SEO
Me and my team always practice to make our site’s content more effective and engaging. So, I focus on balancing readability and SEO to ensure my content is easy to understand for both readers and search engines.
You should also try to balance readability and SEO. Use simple language and keep sentences short. This makes your content more engaging for readers and also helps it rank better in search results.
When you’re organizing your content, use headings and subheadings to break up the text. This not only makes it easier for readers to scan but also helps search engines understand the structure of my ideas.
Always try to adjust important keywords in headings when it feels natural, but avoid stuffing them.
However, you should try to add useful links to other pages on your site. It helps your readers explore more information and shows search engines how the content connects.
When I use links, I ensure to use clear and descriptive words for my links instead of just saying "click here."
Conclusion
Content readability is crucial for both your audience and SEO success. Clear and easy-to-understand content not only helps readers but also improves your chances of ranking well in search engines.
When you focus on readability, you create content that engages readers, keeps them on your page longer, and encourages sharing. This positive user experience sends strong signals to search engines, which helps to rank higher.