How to Create Scannable Content in 5 Easy Steps

When the average adult internet user’s attention span is a mere 8.25 seconds, capturing and holding your audience’s attention is challenging.

Scannable content can help you overcome this hurdle by presenting information in a way that’s easy for users to engage with.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create scannable content that keeps users on your page and engaged with your website.

What Is Scannable Content?

Scannable content is digital content that is easy to scan and grasp the main points. Its format encourages skimming and allows readers to quickly find what they’re looking for.

Key characteristics of scannable content include:

• Clear headings and subheadings
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Bold text and italics
• Images and infographics
• White space

Benefits of Scannable Content

By making your content easy to read and digest, you can:

• Increase engagement: When your content is easy to scan, readers are more likely to stay on your page longer and engage with your message. This can lead to increased conversions, such as sign-ups, downloads, or purchases.
• Improve SEO: Search engines reward content that is easy to navigate and understand. You can improve your rankings and reach a wider audience by making your content more scannable.
• Enhance user experience: A positive user experience is essential for building brand loyalty. Scannable content can create a more enjoyable and engaging experience for your readers.
• Improve readability: Scannable content is easier to read and understand. This can make your content more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience.

How to Create Scannable Content

Follow these 5 steps to make your content scannable:

1. Guide Your Readers With Subheadings

Subheadings are essential for creating scannable content. They break up large blocks of text and help readers quickly identify the most relevant information.

They also serve as a roadmap for your content, guiding readers through your article or post.

Subheadings help to break down complex topics into smaller, more manageable sections, making your content easier to read and understand.

Here are some tips for using subheadings effectively:

• Craft descriptive subheadings. Your subheadings should clearly indicate the topic of the section below. Avoid using generic or vague subheadings.
• Use a consistent hierarchy. To structure your content and make it easier to navigate, use a consistent hierarchy of headings and subheadings (e.g., H1, H2, H3).
• Keep subheadings concise. Avoid using overly long subheadings that can be difficult to read.
• Use keywords in your subheadings. Incorporating relevant keywords into your subheadings can help improve your search engine rankings.

Ultimately, using subheadings effectively and incorporating relevant keywords can make your content more user- and search-engine-friendly.

2. Play With Formatting to Avoid Walls of Text

Large blocks of text can be overwhelming and difficult to read. To make your content more visually appealing and engaging, experiment with different formatting techniques.

Here are some formatting tips for breaking up text:

• Use bullet points and numbered lists. Bullet points and numbered lists can be used to present information in a concise and organized manner. They can also help break up large blocks of text and make your content easier to digest.
• Bold and italicize key points. Use bold and italic formatting to highlight important keywords and phrases. This can help draw readers’ attention to the most important information.
• Use headings and subheadings. As discussed in the previous section, headings and subheadings help break up text and make your content easier to navigate.
• Insert images and infographics. Images and infographics make your content more engaging. They can also illustrate points, data, or complex concepts. (We’ll discuss the importance of images in more detail in a later section.)
• Consider an inverted pyramid style. This style of writing positions the most important points at the top of a web page. You’ll often see these as summaries at the beginning of an article. The Nielsen Norman Group is a good example of this technique, as shown below. They use one-sentence summaries before each article.

In general, these formatting techniques make content more inviting and visually appealing.

3. Master the Art of White Space

White space refers to the empty space between elements on a page. It can be used to create a more visually appealing and readable layout.

When used effectively, white space can help to:

• Improve readability: White space can make your content easier to read by reducing eye strain and improving visual clarity.
• Enhance visual appeal: White space can create a more visually appealing and modern look for your content.
• Improve user experience: A well-designed layout with ample white space can improve the overall user experience.

And here’s how to use it in your content:

• Use consistent margins. Margins around your content create a balanced layout.
• Avoid overcrowding. Don’t cram too much content onto a page. Leave plenty of white space between elements to create a more readable layout.
• Separate sections with white space. Use white space to separate different sections of your content, making it easier for readers to navigate.

4. Engage Users With Images

Images can be a powerful tool for capturing your audience’s attention. They help illustrate concepts in an easy-to-understand way and create overall visual interest.

Here are some tips for using images to improve scannability:

• Include high-quality images. Your images should be clear and well-defined.
• Choose relevant images. Make sure your images are relevant to the topic.
• Apply image SEO best practices. Image SEO is the practice of optimizing images for search engines. This includes writing descriptive alt text, optimizing the image file name, and including title tags.

5. Implement Effective Writing Techniques

Even though you’re aiming for scannable content, it’s still important to maintain clear and concise writing.

Effective writing techniques can improve readability, which measures how easily users can read and understand your content.

Here are some tips:

• Use simple language. Avoid using jargon or complex language that may confuse your readers.
• Keep it concise. This goes for headings, sentences, and paragraphs.
• Aim for accuracy. Back up claims with credible sources.
• Proofread your work. Proofread your content carefully to ensure that it is free of errors.

What’s Next: Monitor Your Content’s Performance

Once you’ve created scannable content, it’s important to monitor its performance.

A rank tracker will help you identify what’s working and what’s not so you can make improvements and optimize your content for better results.

Take the LowFruits Rank Tracker, for example. After giving the tool your top keywords, it will fetch their position in the SERPs automatically.

This means you don’t have to spend time manually pulling data and tracking keyword positions.

LowFruits presents your keyword data in a user-friendly dashboard like the one below.

If you notice a decrease in performance, it could signal that your content needs some work. This could range from improving its scannability to checking if the search intent has changed.

Ultimately, it allows you to spot wins and losses for your most important keywords — right as they happen.

Final Thoughts

Creating scannable content is essential for capturing your audience’s attention in today’s fast-paced digital world.

It also allows you to keep their attention, improving engagement metrics that boost your SEO.

By following the tips outlined in this article, you can make your content more skimmable, engaging, and easier to navigate.

For additional tips on improving your content, check out the following articles:

• How to Write Meta Descriptions [Best Practices & Examples]
• 7 Most Important Google Ranking Factors in 2025
• Featured Snippets: What They Are & How to Get Them
• How to Increase Organic Traffic [10 Proven Methods]

Gabriela Jhean SEO Specialist

Gabriela is a creative and results-driven SEO specialist dedicated to helping small businesses stand out online. She contributes in-depth SEO case studies at AIOSEO Trends to reveal the winning strategies of top-ranking websites. In her downtime, Gabriela enjoys treasure hunting for antique jewelry.

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