10 Quick & Easy Ways to Improve Your Readability Score

Capturing and holding your audience’s attention is more crucial than ever. One key factor in achieving this is readability.

A readability score measures how easy it is for the average person to understand your content.

When your content is easy to read and comprehend, visitors are more likely to:

• Stay engaged: Readers are less likely to bounce if they can quickly grasp your message.
• Explore further: Easy-to-read content encourages deeper engagement, leading to more page views and time on site.
• Take action: Clear writing increases the likelihood of conversions, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting your business.

Sounds promising, right?

It is, and the good news is that it’s super simple to do.

In this blog post, you’ll learn why readability matters for SEO and how to improve your readability score for better user engagement.

Why Is Content Readability Important for SEO?

Search engines like Google prioritize content that provides a positive user experience. Readability is a key aspect of this user experience.

When your content is easy to read and understand:

• Users spend more time on your site. As mentioned earlier, easy-to-read content keeps visitors engaged. Search engines track user behavior, such as time on site and bounce rate. Longer dwell times and lower bounce rates are positive signals to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant.
• Users are more likely to share your content. When users find your content valuable and easy to consume, they are more likely to share it. This may look like backlinks, which are among the most important Google ranking factors. It could also lead to more social media sharing, which supports brand awareness.
• Search engines can better understand your content. A good readability score also helps search engines understand the meaning of your content more effectively. This allows them to better match your content with relevant search queries.

Ultimately, by focusing on readability, you can improve your online visibility and attract more organic traffic.

How to Improve Your Readability Score

Now that we understand the importance of readability, let’s dive into actionable tips to improve your score:

1. Use Simple Language

Clear and concise language is fundamental to good readability. It also ensures your content is accessible to a wide audience.

Here are some tips for effective communication:

• Focus on clarity. Choose words that are easy for your target audience to understand.
• Avoid jargon. Jargon refers to words and expressions used by particular industries or groups. When used out of context, they can hinder comprehension and alienate your readers.
• Explain technical terms. If you must use technical terms, define them clearly and concisely.
• Prioritize everyday language. Opt for simple, everyday words and phrases that are easy to understand and digest. For example, instead of saying “utilize,” say “use.”

2. Shorten Sentences and Paragraphs

Long, wordy sentences can be difficult to read and follow. Similarly, dense paragraphs can overwhelm readers and make your content appear intimidating.

Here’s what to do instead:

• Break down long sentences. Aim for shorter, more concise sentences. This improves readability and makes your content easier to follow.
• Aim for simplicity. Avoid complex sentence structures with multiple clauses.
• Keep paragraphs short. Short paragraphs are easier to read and digest. Aim for paragraphs that are 2-3 sentences long.

3. Include Bullet Points and Lists

Have you noticed a theme in this blog post?

There are quite a few bulleted lists.

That’s because they’re easy to read. They also help illustrate key points in a visually appealing way.

And, most importantly, they aid in scannability.

Scannability is how easy it is for users to scan written text and find the information they’re looking for.

When you use lists and some stylistic choices, like bolding, you make it quicker for users to find what interests them.

This strategy can improve user engagement metrics, like scroll depth and dwell time.

4. Break Up Content With Subheadings

Subheadings play a crucial role in content readability and the overall page experience.

And chances are you’re already optimizing them appropriately.

That’s because subheadings help break up your content into sections. They follow a logical and clear order, making them a natural part of the content creation process.

As for a refresher, here are some best practices for optimizing subheadings:

• Include your target keywords. Subheadings should have your focus keyword and related keywords.
• Use a logical order. Follow the hierarchy and use an H1 first, followed by H2s, then H3s, and so on.

Need help finding keywords for your content?

LowFruits has you covered.

LowFruits is the best keyword research tool for small business owners.

It’s designed to help you find low-competition keywords that are easy to rank for.

When you use the KWFinder tool, you’ll get keyword insights that make this process fast and beginner-friendly. Take a look at the example report below, paying special attention to the following columns:

• SERP Difficulty Score (SD): LowFruits metric for keyword difficulty. 1 is the easiest to rank for, and 3 is the hardest.
• Weak Spots: Low domain authority website ranking in the top 10 search results.

In LowFruits, when you have a keyword with a low SD and multiple Weak Spots, you know you’ve found a winner.

These are low-hanging ranking opportunities that are ripe for the taking.

You can use these keywords throughout your content, including subheadings, to rank higher in search results.

5. Embrace White Space

White space is often overlooked, but it plays an important role in the page experience.

Can you imagine trying to read an article without any breaks and line after line of black text?

It would be overwhelming.

And you probably would have hit the back button before you even got past the first few sentences. (Hello, bad bounce rates.)

That’s why it’s encouraged to use white space generously throughout your content.

6. Add Images and Videos

Multimedia is a powerful way to illustrate key points and improve your readability score.

Take this blog about search engine results pages (SERPs), for example.

This section explains the various sections of a SERP and uses an image to point out where they appear in Google search results.

This visual aid helps readers understand the different components of a SERP, such as paid ads, organic results, and SERP features.

Videos are another great way to demonstrate more complex topics and tutorials.

You can walk users through processes step-by-step and they can pause as needed.

For example, a video tutorial explaining how to mount a horse would be much more effective than a written guide alone.

Ultimately, the best multimedia for your content will depend on your subject matter and target audience.

7. Aim for a Conversational Tone

Writing in a conversational tone is more prevalent than ever, particularly in the age of AI-generated content.

Users appreciate a human touch and engaging with content that feels real and authentic.

That’s why you can let your personality shine and write like you would speak to a customer.

Here are a few tips for doing this:

• Use contractions. For example, use “don’t” instead of “do not” and “you’re” instead of “you are.”
• Use first-person pronouns. Use “I,” “we,” and “you” to create a more personal and engaging tone.
• Ask questions. Engage your readers by asking questions throughout your content.

These optimizations will make your content more engaging and improve its readability.

8. Avoid Passive Voice

A lot of writers fall victim to passive voice. This grammatical structure occurs when the subject of a sentence receives the verb’s action.

For example: The report was written by the team.

Unfortunately, this structure can be clunky and hard to follow.

Active voice is much easier to comprehend and more effective in writing.

Here’s our previous example sentence written in the active voice: The team wrote the report.

Which sentence do you prefer?

If you answered passive, try saying it out loud and see if that changes anything.

The active voice is often cleaner and more natural-sounding. By using it whenever possible, you can make your writing more dynamic and engaging.

9. Check for Transitions

Transition words and phrases can greatly improve the flow and readability of your content.

They help connect ideas, promote a natural flow, and appear in readability algorithms.

Common categories of transitional words include:

• Time: Subsequently, afterward, ultimately, simultaneously
• Addition: Furthermore, additionally, moreover
• Contrast: Conversely, nonetheless, although
• Cause/Effect: As a result, consequently, thus
• Comparison: Similarly, likewise, in comparison
• Sequence: Initially, secondly, finally
• Example: For instance, for example

10. Run Your Copy Through a Readability Tool

Analyzing your content with readability tools is a powerful last step in the content creation process. These tools provide valuable insights into the readability of your writing in a way that’s easy to understand.

They can help you identify areas for improvement and ensure your text is easily understood by your audience.

One of my favorite readability score checkers is SEOBoost.

Here’s how I use it to check readability:

1. Create a Topic Report for your desired keyword.

2. View the report, paying special attention to the Readability Level. You’ll notice that it gives you three levels:

• Average
• Highest Readability (and what position this website is ranking)
• Lowest Readability (and what position this website is ranking)

I aim for the Readability Score of the highest-ranking article shown. So, for this article, that would be 8th-9th grade because that’s the same score as the article ranking in position 3.

3. Now, you’re going to create your content in the Content Optimization tool. It looks similar to popular writing software like Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

This tool gives you real-time feedback on your readability score, which you can monitor in the left menu.

Once I’ve matched my readability score to the feedback from the Topic Report, I consider my content readability optimized.

Not hitting your desired score?

Implement the methods we discussed in this article to improve it!

Try adding transitions, line breaks, and images. You can also change sentences from passive voice to active voice for improved engagement.

Content Readability FAQs

Final Thoughts

A good readability score is integral to providing a positive user experience. These quick and easy methods can help you improve it, ensuring your audience easily understands your content.

It’s also important to note that readability isn’t just about following a set of rules. It’s about writing for people.

Always prioritize the user experience, clarity, and conciseness.

This approach will help you create content that resonates with your audience while achieving your SEO goals.

Further content creation resources:

• 17 Creative Ways to Come Up With New Content Ideas
• Beginner’s Guide to Content Optimization in SEO
• How to Optimize Images for SEO
• Search Intent Explained: What It Is & Why It Matters