Optimizing a website for on-page SEO is sure to include keyword density, meta tags, image alt tags, headings and much more. However, what can often be overlooked is a website’s readability.
What is readability?
Readability is the measure of how easy a piece of writing is to read and understand.
Why is readability important for SEO?
Google has been clear that readability is an important consideration for ranking. We can see this through a high correlation between high ranking sites and content that is readable to a wide audience.
If you really think about it, it should be a no-brainer. Of course you want to write content that isn’t poorly researched or misspelled. Of course you want your writing to be clear. And of course you want a wide audience to be able to understand your writing. However, sometimes this important aspect of on-page SEO can be lost amidst the focus of keywords, tags and headings.
This can especially be true if writing isn’t the focus of your business but just a necessary part of your necessary marketing strategy. And true if writing just isn’t your jam.
Today we give you 3 ways to ensure your website’s readability is on-par.
1. Your content is well-researched and fairly easy to read – and is tailored to your audience For example, your writing should be much easier to understand if your main readers are children versus a group of scientists with a Ph.D. In general, use simple language and sentence structures instead of lengthy sentences with difficult words. Remember that reading on a computer or phone screen is hard enough – don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be! Use this Flesch readability test to help: https://readability-score.com
2. Your writing is legible. Consider how your text will look on computer and other mobile device screens. Pick a font that easily readable – it is suggested that clear sans-serif font families are the best choice. Your paragraph font size should at least be 14 pixels, but of course not too big. Make sure your paragraph width isn’t too wide, or else your reader might not be able to focus from beginning to end. Also, don’t be afraid of a little white space. Give your text a little room to breathe instead of grouping it all together. Utilize short paragraphs, lists, and images.
3. And finally, make sure your writing is error-free! Check your spelling and grammar. Read your final product, then read it again (or have someone else do it). Your credibility may be at stake if people come to your website and find a ton of errors.
Take these considerations to heart and optimize your website’s readability. It will not only be pleasing to your human audience – but to your search engine audience as well.
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