Readability in SEO is one of the vital elements to increase user engagement and successful digital marketing campaigns. The reasons are simple! Search engines like Google are evolving continuously to give the best user experience for visitors. Therefore, it has established a guideline for businesses. Digital marketers who adhere to these guidelines have more chances of ranking and high visibility.
A good readability Score is one of them. As content is the key to every successful SEO campaign, the optimisation experts stresses more on content guidelines. Good content adhering to Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines leaves a good impression. It improves chances of sustainable ranking and high domain authority.
Here in this blog, SEOSyrup will guide you through why readability is important in SEO. How is the readability score counted in SEO? Most importantly, tips to increase readability score. So, let’s get started:
What is Readability in SEO?
Readability in SEO means how clear your text is to read. It refers to how attractive, genuine, and easy your content is to read. A good readability score means writing over complex topics in easy words that the target audience can easily comprehend. The higher your readability score is, the more you have chances to engage users on your site. The search engine algorithms also count it as a good ranking factor. Technically speaking, readability can be counted by computers but is purely based on linguistic rules and principles. Mainly online tools calculate it based on syllables number in a sentence.
Let’s see how it is counted:
How to Calculate Readability Score in SEO?
The readability score in SEO is calculated to evaluate how difficult content is to read. The content is generally tested using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test. It is a commonly used formula to access the reading level of your content. It is based on several factors such as average sentence length, vocabulary, and use of active & passive voice, etc.
Why Readability Score is Important
Let’s look at a few reasons why a good readability score is important in SEO.
- Readability is both a direct and indirect SEO factor. The higher your readability score is, the easier it is for you to read. A good readability score helps your target audience to understand your content. It increases user time on the website.
- More time on site means search engine algorithms get signs of positivity. It makes them understand that the site offers the end-user a good experience.
- Content with a good readability score means you will have a lower bounce rate on the site. With the use of easy words, even complex topics become simple, and users are more attracted to move to the next level.
- With a high readability score, the users are tempted to move to the next step, hence your site has more chances of generating revenue.
How to Increase Readability in SEO?
The website is all about users! With all your SEO efforts, what do you want to achieve? It attracts users’ attention to your business and increases your chances of generating revenue. Make sure your content hits right to the targeted audience. The language should be according to the readers as well. For instance, if you are writing about toy cars or LEGO, your target audience is kids and teenage children. Hence, the content should be super easy and appealing for children. On the contrary, if you are writing about the hazards and benefits of any cancer medications, your target audience might be highly educated, like doctors, scientists, and Ph.D.s.
So, you use the relevant medical terms, jargon, and language that is most appropriate to the targeted audience. Here are a few tips to increase your readability score.
Write Concise and Clear Paragraphs:
Ensure you write concise and clear paragraphs. We advise you to start a paragraph with important sentences and elaborate it in the paragraph. In the introduction try to give a concise breakdown of what is your blog about and how the sections are divided. Sentences should be clear and deliver the concept you are writing about.
Maintain the flow of content so it does not look messy. For instance, suppose you are reading about DIY projects, maintain a flow, and elaborate A to Z points in sequence. Writing about “A, B, and then D” and then switching back to C will give a confusing reaction and might increase the bounce rate.
Short Sentences With High Readability:
Short sentences are easy to read and understand. You will also make fewer mistakes while writing shorter sentences. A good sentence length is a maximum of 20 words. However, make sure you are adding useful breaks or meaningful sentences. Use alternative words to deliver the message. For instance, instead of writing “Also to add here,” writing words like “Moreover” or “additionally” can deliver the message.
Minimise The Use of Difficult Dords:
Difficult words make text sound difficult and people usually do not read it. Keeping people on the screen is harder if your language is too difficult. For instance, think of the word uncanny; you can use the word strange in its place to deliver the message or any substitute that’s easy to understand. However, using the exact word is necessary. For instance, you are talking about illustrations. The word illustration is itself a little difficult, but you can use it in the text as your blog is about it. However, to increase readability use its alternatives where possible. For example, you can use words like images or visuals whenever possible.
Transition Words Help:
Transition words are helpful to keep sentences and phrases shorter. These words are like ‘importantly,’ ‘besides,’ ‘moreover,’ ‘rather than,’ else, ‘therefore,’ ‘contrarily,’ etc.
Variation of Words:
A variety of words make the text more appealing and attractive. It also helps them stay engaged and make boredom run away. Repetition of the exact words or jargon can annoy the readers, and they might brush things off. Try using synonyms and alternative shorter sentences to bring variety to your content. The words like furthermore also can be a great alternative to ‘and’ and ‘too.’
Conclusion:
Improving Readability in SEO is important as it is crucial to rank content higher. The higher readability score means the easier your content is and the more chances of attracting users. To increase readability score make sure you intend to write for users. To boost your readability score follow the tips like writing in short paragraphs, writing shorter sentences, adding images, use of synonyms and transition words.
Remember, the easier your content is, the higher your chance of landing organic traffic on your site for a longer time. It gives your site more chances of conversions and higher rankings.
