Better Readability Better SEO – Web SEO Directory

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is constantly changing. Each and every week, another Search Engine modifies their rules. From the release of an additional algorithm to a new preference, there is constant progression. Currently, Search Engines are moving away from websites with masses of links and keywords. The next destination: “well-written” websites.

What does this mean? If a website’s content is clear, legible and easily understood, it will be favoured by Search Engines. This is in some measure determined by a website’s Readability Level. Within this blog, you’ll learn how to ensure your website’s Readability Level is not a hindrance, but a secret weapon in your SEO arsenal.

What is Readability Level and why is it Important?

The Readability Level of a text is the ease in which it is read and understood. There are a range of methods currently used to measure readability, from Speed of Perception to the Reflex Blink Technique. Microsoft Word, for example, measures the Readability Level of a text using a system called the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. This method counts the number of letters in each word and the number of words in each sentence. Longer words and sentences raise the Reading level and therefore the required Reading Level of the Reader.

The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores work as follows:

90.0 – 100.0 – Easily understood by an average 11-year-old student
60.0 – 70.0 – Easily understood by 13 to 15-year-old students
0.0 – 30.0 – Best understood by University Graduates
It is important to understand that the Reading Level does not take into account the actual meaning of the words or how ideas are conveyed. If an argument is poorly structured, the Reading Level can still be high. Likewise, a complicated theory can be explained in clean and simple terms and, as such, receive a lower Reading Level.

A website’s reading level is crucial for two reasons:

1) Good Communication

If a website’s content is difficult to read, visitors will lose interest and leave. Conversely, a straight-forward, easily understood text is more likely to hook the audience. Ask yourself this question: “Why use a long, unfamiliar word when a short one does the same job?”

Plain, simple language is not condescending; it’s good communication.

2) Google Analyses Readability

Websites must be written in a manner than matches their target audience. If a webpage is for children, the text must be easily understood by the average 11-year-old. If a website doesn’t match a Search Engine User’s Reading Level, the site will be marginalised.