SEO 101: Content Readability Matters!

Reading is the simplest action, yet it can be overwhelming. Nobody wants to read complex content. Why? Because no one wants to put their energy into something futile that has no benefits. Unless it trades in great value for the users or readers. Writing readable content is now urgent and needful for every writer, regardless of their domain. People stop reading as soon as they find something difficult to understand. So, whether you are a copywriter, content writer, scriptwriter, or alike, you need to write with a focus on readability. The simpler the language, the less brain power is used for reading and understanding. Still, writing clearly and simply is a challenging path every writer goes through. Readability in SEO is important as it helps understand the information easily. But how do you write content that soothes readers and helps them continue their reading voyage? Before we dive into “how to write readable content?” or “what tools to use to improve readability in SEO?” let’s understand the importance of SEO readability first. Why is readability important in Search Engine Optimisation? As discussed, readability is essential in SEO because it helps convey information clearly. The readers can understand exactly what is being said in a written form. So, the content is more likely to be shared with others. Google rewards quality content with higher ranks on the SERPs, and readability is a key trait of such content. Above all, readability is an essential factor in SEO. Readable content reduces the bounce rate (the percentage of users that visit a site and leave without further navigating it). Ultimately, the readers are more and more engaged with your content. Ease in understanding More shares Higher chances of ranking on SERPs Lower bounce rate Increased reader engagement Tips for writing readable content for Search Engine Optimisation Matt Barker is a copywriter well-known for his simple yet creative writing stance. Barker shows exceptional quality in being straightforward and precise in his sayings. This has eased reading for his audience. His post “3 Tips To Write Concisely” cuts the fluff and puts the essentials for creating readable content on the top of the table. Figure 1: Three tips for readable content Let’s break down each step and create readable SEO-optimised content. #1: Use simple language People get bored easily. – Matt Barker But why do they get bored easily? Complex writing exhausts the reader’s mind. When language is simple, people don’t have to put stress on understanding. Have you ever read something and got like, “Wait, what does that mean?” and then paused, trying to understand the meaning? Now, you have to re-read just because you were zoned out. This was because while reading, your brain juggles between reading and interpreting simultaneously. Matt says simple language makes: Reading easy Less brain power in reading So, write like you are teaching a 7-year-old kid. Write like you are speaking. Simple language comes in with natural speaking. Writing as if you’re speaking to an audience will add more authority and confidence in your tone of voice. And this has a direct impact on readability. Pro tip: Write in active voice as much as possible. Avoid passive sentences as they have lower readability scores when compared with active sentences. #2: Reduce unnecessary words We humans easily get carried away in when it comes to exaggerating. This is reflected in writing too. Writers tend to use unique words that are sometimes extremely idiosyncratic. Even though it is necessary to have a balance between common words and unique words in Search Engine Optimisation. Still, adding unnecessary words blurs writing, which has a significant impact on readability. Consider this paragraph, “The results of the formulated hypotheses express that the whole of the research conducted has been totally associated with the…” It is indeed laborious to read and even to speak. Kicking out useless words that don’t add any value or improve the meaning is mandatory for a smooth read. Instead, writing or saying just “The results” and then simply pointing out the outcomes is certainly a good action. Shun weak words like: Very Really Literally And so on. Pro tip: Look out for synonyms for words that are too basic to keep a balance between common-unique words. #3: Clear structure The structure is the backbone of any write-up, whether it be a blog, article, or anything. A seamless structure assists readers in flowing through the text and scanning the content fluently. Thus, having a structure that obstructs and clogs reading isn’t something you should be putting in your effort. Break the information into chunks. Use headings and subheadings and place relevant information under each one. Below is an example of how to structure your content. Figure 2: Good and bad website structure Matt also suggests keeping the sentence shorter. Sentences having 8 to 12 words are enough. 3 commas in a sentence? Start over. – Matt Barker Using full stops instead of commas can break complex sentences into simpler ones that are readable. Finally, write what’s necessary and don’t waste other’s time. TL; DR Have a fluid content structure. Use full-stops throughout Respect other’s time by mentioning only what’s necessary Additional tips: Use fonts that are understood easily. Fonts that are too cursive or too flat should be avoided. A contrast must be maintained between the font colour and background colour. Some good combinations include black (text) with white (background) and yellow (text) with royal blue (background). Small paragraphs are soft on the eyes. Paragraphs having two to three sentences are enough as they offer optimal readability. Tools for checking SEO content readability There are several tools to check and assess readability in SEO for a piece of content. To estimate the readability of a piece of writing just copy and paste in the field provided. Figure 3: Different readability checking tools This applies to all the SEO readability tools to be discussed. Flesch-Kincaid readability The Flesch-Kincaid reading ease test in SEO is considered one of the most accurate—the scores on the tool range from 0 to 100. It expresses the difficulty experienced by an average person in understanding the text. Higher scores mean better and easier reading. But scoring above 70 means the text is fairly easy to read. The following is the formula used to calculate readability scores for Flesch-Kincaid. 206.835 - 1.015 × (number of words/number of sentences) - 84.6 × (number of syllables ÷ number of words) The following table defines the score, reading difficulty, and grade of the tool. Score Reading level Grade 0 to 10 Most difficult Professional graduate 10 to 30 Very difficult Graduate 30 to 50 Difficult College student 50 to 60 Fairly difficult 10th to 12th grade 60 to 70 Simple english 8th and 9th grade 70 to 80 Fairly easy 7th grade 80 to 90 Easy 6th grade 90 to 100 Very easy 5th grade Table 1: Flesch-Kincaid scores Below is an example of the Flesch-Kincaid Ease Calculator in SEO: Figure 4: Flesch-Kincaid reading ease calculator Hemingway readability test Hemingway offers a more interactive and intuitive experience to improve your readability scores. Hemingway Editor (named after the founder Ernst Hemingway) is a web-based application that helps people write clearly and simply. This tool offers you different grades based on your writing level. Starting from Grade 1, Grade 2, and so on. The lower the grade, the better the readability. A text scoring Grade 10 is considered okay, but anything below Grade 9 is believed good. However, achieving such lower grades is futile as the different types of writing are targeted at audiences who have attended at least the 8th and 9th classes. Figure 5: Hemingway Editor for readability The Hemingway Editor focuses on five different components of a sentence. It assesses the content in terms of numbers of: Adverbs (blue coloured) Passive voice (green coloured) Simpler alternatives (purple coloured) Hard sentences (yellow coloured) Very hard sentences (red coloured) The tool to assess readability in SEO highlights the issues in the different colours mentioned. This improves the shortening of sentences, removes adverbs, avoids excess use of passive tone, and provides simpler options for sentences. Using Hemingway Editor can sometimes be overwhelming. I feel that sometimes it agitates clarity, thus causing the loss of uniqueness and creativity in the content. However, it offers formatting tools as well, so you can structure your content as you write. Gunning Fog Index Gunning Fog is named after Robert Gunning, an American merchant. This method of readability evaluation was discovered in 1952. As compared to Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog also bestows an overall understanding of the write-up. It assesses the number of words, complex terms, and sentences. The tradition of low scores means better readability is also applicable for this tool. Gunning Fog grade or score ranges from 6 to 17 in terms of content readability. Below is the formula used to measure the readability of a text having 100 sentences. 0.4 × ((number of words ÷ number of sentences) + 100 × number complex words ÷ number of words) The Gunning Fog index follows the adjacent chart and gives a rank. Score Educational level Grade 6 Elementary Sixth 7 Seventh 8 Eighth 9 High school Newcomer 10 Sophomore 11 Junior 12 Senior 13 College Newcomer 14 Sophomore 15 Junior 16 Senior 17 Graduate Table 2: Gunning Fog scores An example of the Gunning Fog index to evaluate the readability of SEO content is attached: Figure 6: Gunning Fog Index SMOG Index SMOG stands for “Simple Measure of Gobbledygook.” Developed in 1969 as an alternative to the Gunning Fog Index for the healthcare sector by G. Harry McLaughlin. To bring down the score of the test and improve readability, one should limit the number of times words having three or more than three syllables used. The formula to calculate SMOG readability for 100 sentences is as follows: 1.0430 × square root(number of polysyllables × (100 ÷ number of sentences)) + 3.1291 Moreover, the following are the scores and level of education for the said test: Score Educational level 4.9 or below Elementary school 5 to 8.9 Middle school 9 to 12.9 High school 13 to 16.9 Undergraduate 17 or more Graduate Table 3: SMOG scores An example of the results of the SMOG readability test is pinned below: Figure 7: SMOG Readability WordPress plugins to measure readability WordPress is indeed a go-to platform for designing websites. Bloggers and writers prioritize WordPress over other CMS (Content Management Systems) out there. Over the years, WordPress has evolved into a complete solution for businesses, marketers, writers, bloggers, and anyone associated with the internet. WordPress comes with handy-dandy plugins, making selling, marketing, and blogging just some finger taps. Writers on WordPress have implemented various plugins to estimate how readable their content is. These are a handful of plugins on which you can rely without any doubt. Figure 8: WordPress plugins to measure readability Yoast Yoast SEO is well-known for readability. The tool doesn’t require much introduction if you are already a writer on WordPress. Yet, the advantages of using Yoast are worth mentioning. The plugin comes with built-in features like search engine preview, social media preview tools, and integrations like Semrush and Wincher. But, the readability analysis tool takes the game to the next level. Yoast’s readability analysis tools come in two versions: Free Paid The free version includes almost every feature. The tool gives suggestions in the following areas: Use of a limited number of passive voice Distribution of subheadings Length of paragraphs Number of transition words Use of inclusive language Here’s an example from my previous post on proven link-building strategies. Figure 9: Yoast SEO in action RankMath RankMath is another big name in the kingdom of SEO. Some users prefer RankMath over Yoast, yet both of them allow you to have total authority on on-page SEO. For beginners and newbies, I feel RankMath can be a great initiative. Why? Because of the simple user interface it offers. Let’s break this down. RankMath categories aspects of SEO into four categories: General Advanced Schema generation Social Appearance Under the general section, it covers the basics: Focus keyword Basic SEO Additional Title readability Content readability Figure 10: RankMath in action Simply, RankMath shapes everything for the users. Above all these, it offers an SEO score for every post out of 100. I have been able to maintain SEO scores above 90 for almost all of my posts. Some of them have reached 100 out of 100, like the above one on keyword research, which is the first step to triumph SEO. All-in-One SEO All in One SEO, abbreviated as AISEO, is also a remarkable tool for improving readability in Search Engine Optimisation. AISEO is very practical and pragmatic regarding its interface. The developers have decluttered a lot of features that are less important and have structured how we use the tool. The tool is not much associated with content readability, but it focuses on heading readability and persuasiveness. AISEO has this additional feature for “SEO Headline Analyzer.” Here, one can assess the title of the post in terms of the following: Word balance Sentiment Type of headline Character count Word count Beginning and ending words Search preview Figure 11: AISEO in action AISEO places a lot of emphasis on the importance of having a headline or title that entices users. This is the reason the tool focuses on creating titles that are not just readable but also persuasive and convincing to explore. You can also try a different headline without messing up the current one, which is an exceptional feature. This allows for experimentation and discovery of the most suitable one. Finally, based on different factors, the tool offers an overall score for the title with suitable improvements here and there. Figure 12: AISEO’s SEO Headline Analyzer score Scoring between 70 and 90 is considered very good. I have scored 81/100 for my post on Search Engine Optimisation. Notion SEO Notion SEO is designed with a focus on Notion users. Designed by Shivam, Notion SEO offers three key metrics to measure. SEO score, readability score, and number of unique words. For better SEO scores, you need to add target keyword(s), links, and visual content. The readability section consists of almost all the metrics discussed, including Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, SMOG, and others. Only Flesch-Kincaid is free to use. A recurrent purchase of ₹423.82/month or $5/month has to be made to unlock all features. Content uniqueness is equally significant, and having a balance between unique and common words improves readability and preserves the interest of readers. Figure 13: NotionSEO in action I personally write all my blog posts for SynthSEO on Notion and rigorously use Notion SEO. I also use the tool to write for my posts on Medium. Notion SEO grants users a better insight into how they are writing. Summary Readability for SEO is impartially important as doing keyword research, image optimization, getting the page indexed, and others. Neglecting readability can mess things up, such as increasing the bounce rate. That significantly impacts how search engines perceive a website or page. Combining tools like Hemingway and RankMath can seriously improve SEO and readability, helping retain readers or users. Love this post? Why not share with others? Reading is the simplest action, yet it can be overwhelming. Reading is the simplest action, yet it can be overwhelming. Nobody wants to read complex content . Why? read complex content Because no one wants to put their energy into something futile that has no benefits. Unless it trades in great value for the users or readers. put their energy great value Writing readable content is now urgent and needful for every writer, regardless of their domain. People stop reading as soon as they find something difficult to understand. readable content So, whether you are a copywriter, content writer, scriptwriter, or alike, you need to write with a focus on readability . focus on readability The simpler the language, the less brain power is used for reading and understanding. Still, writing clearly and simply is a challenging path every writer goes through. simpler the language, less brain power Readability in SEO is important as it helps understand the information easily. understand the information But how do you write content that soothes readers and helps them continue their reading voyage? soothes readers Before we dive into “how to write readable content?” or “what tools to use to improve readability in SEO?” let’s understand the importance of SEO readability first. Why is readability important in Search Engine Optimisation? Why is readability important in Search Engine Optimisation? As discussed, readability is essential in SEO because it helps convey information clearly. The readers can understand exactly what is being said in a written form. So, the content is more likely to be shared with others . what is being said shared with others Google rewards quality content with higher ranks on the SERPs, and readability is a key trait of such content. Above all, readability is an essential factor in SEO . rewards higher ranks readability is an essential factor in SEO Readable content reduces the bounce rate (the percentage of users that visit a site and leave without further navigating it). bounce rate Ultimately, the readers are more and more engaged with your content. Ease in understanding More shares Higher chances of ranking on SERPs Lower bounce rate Increased reader engagement Ease in understanding More shares Higher chances of ranking on SERPs Lower bounce rate Increased reader engagement Tips for writing readable content for Search Engine Optimisation Tips for writing readable content for Search Engine Optimisation Matt Barker is a copywriter well-known for his simple yet creative writing stance. Barker shows exceptional quality in being straightforward and precise in his sayings. Matt Barker is a copywriter Matt Barker simple yet creative writing This has eased reading for his audience. His post “ 3 Tips To Write Concisely ” cuts the fluff and puts the essentials for creating readable content on the top of the table. 3 Tips To Write Concisely Figure 1: Three tips for readable content Figure 1: Three tips for readable content Let’s break down each step and create readable SEO-optimised content. #1: Use simple language #1: Use simple language People get bored easily. – Matt Barker People get bored easily. – Matt Barker But why do they get bored easily ? get bored easily Complex writing exhausts the reader’s mind. When language is simple , people don’t have to put stress on understanding. language is simple put stress Have you ever read something and got like, “Wait, what does that mean?” and then paused, trying to understand the meaning? Now, you have to re-read just because you were zoned out. re-read This was because while reading, your brain juggles between reading and interpreting simultaneously. brain juggles Matt says simple language makes: Matt says Matt says Reading easy Less brain power in reading Reading easy Less brain power in reading So, write like you are teaching a 7-year-old kid . Write like you are speaking . write like teaching a 7-year-old kid speaking Simple language comes in with natural speaking . Writing as if you’re speaking to an audience will add more authority and confidence in your tone of voice. And this has a direct impact on readability. Simple language natural speaking authority and confidence Pro tip: Write in active voice as much as possible. Avoid passive sentences as they have lower readability scores when compared with active sentences. Pro tip: Write in active voice as much as possible. Avoid passive sentences as they have lower readability scores when compared with active sentences. Pro tip: #2: Reduce unnecessary words #2: Reduce unnecessary words We humans easily get carried away in when it comes to exaggerating. This is reflected in writing too. Writers tend to use unique words that are sometimes extremely idiosyncratic . unique words idiosyncratic Even though it is necessary to have a balance between common words and unique words in Search Engine Optimisation. Still, adding unnecessary words blurs writing, which has a significant impact on readability. balance between common unique Consider this paragraph, “The results of the formulated hypotheses express that the whole of the research conducted has been totally associated with the…” It is indeed laborious to read and even to speak. laborious Kicking out useless words that don’t add any value or improve the meaning is mandatory for a smooth read. useless words Instead, writing or saying just “ The results ” and then simply pointing out the outcomes is certainly a good action. The results Shun weak words like: Shun weak words Very Really Literally And so on. Very Very Really Really Literally Literally And so on. And so on. Pro tip: Look out for synonyms for words that are too basic to keep a balance between common-unique words. Pro tip: Look out for synonyms for words that are too basic to keep a balance between common-unique words. Pro tip: #3: Clear structure #3: Clear structure The structure is the backbone of any write-up, whether it be a blog, article, or anything. structure is the backbone A seamless structure assists readers in flowing through the text and scanning the content fluently. seamless structure Thus, having a structure that obstructs and clogs reading isn’t something you should be putting in your effort. clogs reading Break the information into chunks . Use headings and subheadings and place relevant information under each one. Below is an example of how to structure your content. information into chunks headings and subheadings Figure 2: Good and bad website structure Figure 2: Good and bad website structure Matt also suggests keeping the sentence shorter . Sentences having 8 to 12 words are enough. Matt also suggests the sentence shorter 8 to 12 words 3 commas in a sentence? Start over. – Matt Barker 3 commas in a sentence? Start over. – Matt Barker Using full stops instead of commas can break complex sentences into simpler ones that are readable. full stops instead of commas complex sentences Finally, write what’s necessary and don’t waste other’s time . don’t waste other’s time TL; DR TL; DR Have a fluid content structure. Use full-stops throughout Respect other’s time by mentioning only what’s necessary Have a fluid content structure. Use full-stops throughout Respect other’s time by mentioning only what’s necessary Additional tips: Additional tips: Use fonts that are understood easily. Fonts that are too cursive or too flat should be avoided. A contrast must be maintained between the font colour and background colour. Some good combinations include black (text) with white (background) and yellow (text) with royal blue (background). Small paragraphs are soft on the eyes. Paragraphs having two to three sentences are enough as they offer optimal readability. Use fonts that are understood easily. Fonts that are too cursive or too flat should be avoided. too cursive too flat A contrast must be maintained between the font colour and background colour . Some good combinations include black (text) with white (background) and yellow (text) with royal blue (background). contrast font colour background colour Small paragraphs are soft on the eyes. Paragraphs having two to three sentences are enough as they offer optimal readability. two to three sentences Tools for checking SEO content readability Tools for checking SEO content readability There are several tools to check and assess readability in SEO for a piece of content. To estimate the readability of a piece of writing just copy and paste in the field provided. Figure 3: Different readability checking tools Figure 3: Different readability checking tools This applies to all the SEO readability tools to be discussed. Flesch-Kincaid readability Flesch-Kincaid readability The Flesch-Kincaid reading ease test in SEO is considered one of the most accurate—the scores on the tool range from 0 to 100 . Flesch-Kincaid Flesch-Kincaid 0 to 100 It expresses the difficulty experienced by an average person in understanding the text. Higher scores mean better and easier reading. But scoring above 70 means the text is fairly easy to read. scoring above 70 The following is the formula used to calculate readability scores for Flesch-Kincaid. 206.835 - 1.015 × (number of words/number of sentences) - 84.6 × (number of syllables ÷ number of words) 206.835 - 1.015 × (number of words/number of sentences) - 84.6 × (number of syllables ÷ number of words) The following table defines the score, reading difficulty, and grade of the tool. Score Reading level Grade 0 to 10 Most difficult Professional graduate 10 to 30 Very difficult Graduate 30 to 50 Difficult College student 50 to 60 Fairly difficult 10th to 12th grade 60 to 70 Simple english 8th and 9th grade 70 to 80 Fairly easy 7th grade 80 to 90 Easy 6th grade 90 to 100 Very easy 5th grade Score Reading level Grade 0 to 10 Most difficult Professional graduate 10 to 30 Very difficult Graduate 30 to 50 Difficult College student 50 to 60 Fairly difficult 10th to 12th grade 60 to 70 Simple english 8th and 9th grade 70 to 80 Fairly easy 7th grade 80 to 90 Easy 6th grade 90 to 100 Very easy 5th grade Score Reading level Grade Score Score Score Reading level Reading level Reading level Grade Grade Grade 0 to 10 Most difficult Professional graduate 0 to 10 0 to 10 Most difficult Most difficult Professional graduate Professional graduate 10 to 30 Very difficult Graduate 10 to 30 10 to 30 Very difficult Very difficult Graduate Graduate 30 to 50 Difficult College student 30 to 50 30 to 50 Difficult Difficult College student College student 50 to 60 Fairly difficult 10th to 12th grade 50 to 60 50 to 60 Fairly difficult Fairly difficult 10th to 12th grade 10th to 12th grade 60 to 70 Simple english 8th and 9th grade 60 to 70 60 to 70 Simple english Simple english 8th and 9th grade 8th and 9th grade 70 to 80 Fairly easy 7th grade 70 to 80 70 to 80 Fairly easy Fairly easy 7th grade 7th grade 80 to 90 Easy 6th grade 80 to 90 80 to 90 Easy Easy 6th grade 6th grade 90 to 100 Very easy 5th grade 90 to 100 90 to 100 Very easy Very easy 5th grade 5th grade Table 1: Flesch-Kincaid scores Table 1: Flesch-Kincaid scores Below is an example of the Flesch-Kincaid Ease Calculator in SEO: Figure 4: Flesch-Kincaid reading ease calculator Figure 4: Flesch-Kincaid reading ease calculator Hemingway readability test Hemingway readability test Hemingway offers a more interactive and intuitive experience to improve your readability scores. Hemingway Editor (named after the founder Ernst Hemingway) is a web-based application that helps people write clearly and simply. Hemingway Editor Hemingway Editor This tool offers you different grades based on your writing level. Starting from Grade 1, Grade 2, and so on. The lower the grade, the better the readability. A text scoring Grade 10 is considered okay , but anything below Grade 9 is believed good . scoring Grade 10 okay Grade 9 good However, achieving such lower grades is futile as the different types of writing are targeted at audiences who have attended at least the 8th and 9th classes. Figure 5: Hemingway Editor for readability Figure 5: Hemingway Editor for readability The Hemingway Editor focuses on five different components of a sentence. It assesses the content in terms of numbers of: five different components five different components Adverbs (blue coloured) Passive voice (green coloured) Simpler alternatives (purple coloured) Hard sentences (yellow coloured) Very hard sentences (red coloured) Adverbs (blue coloured) Passive voice (green coloured) Simpler alternatives (purple coloured) Hard sentences (yellow coloured) Very hard sentences (red coloured) The tool to assess readability in SEO highlights the issues in the different colours mentioned. This improves the shortening of sentences, removes adverbs, avoids excess use of passive tone, and provides simpler options for sentences. Using Hemingway Editor can sometimes be overwhelming. I feel that sometimes it agitates clarity, thus causing the loss of uniqueness and creativity in the content. However, it offers formatting tools as well, so you can structure your content as you write. Gunning Fog Index Gunning Fog Index Gunning Fog is named after Robert Gunning, an American merchant. This method of readability evaluation was discovered in 1952. Gunning Fog Gunning Fog Robert Gunning, As compared to Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog also bestows an overall understanding of the write-up. It assesses the number of words, complex terms, and sentences. The tradition of low scores means better readability is also applicable for this tool. Gunning Fog grade or score ranges from 6 to 17 in terms of content readability . 6 to 17 content readability Below is the formula used to measure the readability of a text having 100 sentences . having 100 sentences 0.4 × ((number of words ÷ number of sentences) + 100 × number complex words ÷ number of words) 0.4 × ((number of words ÷ number of sentences) + 100 × number complex words ÷ number of words) The Gunning Fog index follows the adjacent chart and gives a rank. Score Educational level Grade 6 Elementary Sixth 7 Seventh 8 Eighth 9 High school Newcomer 10 Sophomore 11 Junior 12 Senior 13 College Newcomer 14 Sophomore 15 Junior 16 Senior 17 Graduate Score Educational level Grade 6 Elementary Sixth 7 Seventh 8 Eighth 9 High school Newcomer 10 Sophomore 11 Junior 12 Senior 13 College Newcomer 14 Sophomore 15 Junior 16 Senior 17 Graduate Score Educational level Grade Score Score Educational level Educational level Grade Grade 6 Elementary Sixth 6 6 Elementary Elementary Sixth Sixth 7 Seventh 7 7 Seventh Seventh 8 Eighth 8 8 Eighth Eighth 9 High school Newcomer 9 9 High school High school Newcomer Newcomer 10 Sophomore 10 10 Sophomore Sophomore 11 Junior 11 11 Junior Junior 12 Senior 12 12 Senior Senior 13 College Newcomer 13 13 College College Newcomer Newcomer 14 Sophomore 14 14 Sophomore Sophomore 15 Junior 15 15 Junior Junior 16 Senior 16 16 Senior Senior 17 Graduate 17 17 Graduate Graduate Table 2: Gunning Fog scores Table 2: Gunning Fog scores An example of the Gunning Fog index to evaluate the readability of SEO content is attached: Figure 6: Gunning Fog Index Figure 6: Gunning Fog Index SMOG Index SMOG Index SMOG stands for “ Simple Measure of Gobbledygook .” Developed in 1969 as an alternative to the Gunning Fog Index for the healthcare sector by G. Harry McLaughlin. Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Simple Measure of Gobbledygook healthcare sector To bring down the score of the test and improve readability, one should limit the number of times words having three or more than three syllables used. three or more than three syllables The formula to calculate SMOG readability for 100 sentences is as follows: 100 sentences 1.0430 × square root(number of polysyllables × (100 ÷ number of sentences)) + 3.1291 1.0430 × square root(number of polysyllables × (100 ÷ number of sentences)) + 3.1291 Moreover, the following are the scores and level of education for the said test: Score Educational level 4.9 or below Elementary school 5 to 8.9 Middle school 9 to 12.9 High school 13 to 16.9 Undergraduate 17 or more Graduate Score Educational level 4.9 or below Elementary school 5 to 8.9 Middle school 9 to 12.9 High school 13 to 16.9 Undergraduate 17 or more Graduate Score Educational level Score Score Educational level Educational level 4.9 or below Elementary school 4.9 or below 4.9 or below Elementary school Elementary school 5 to 8.9 Middle school 5 to 8.9 5 to 8.9 Middle school Middle school 9 to 12.9 High school 9 to 12.9 9 to 12.9 High school High school 13 to 16.9 Undergraduate 13 to 16.9 13 to 16.9 Undergraduate Undergraduate 17 or more Graduate 17 or more 17 or more Graduate Graduate Table 3: SMOG scores Table 3: SMOG scores An example of the results of the SMOG readability test is pinned below: Figure 7: SMOG Readability Figure 7: SMOG Readability WordPress plugins to measure readability WordPress plugins to measure readability WordPress is indeed a go-to platform for designing websites. Bloggers and writers prioritize WordPress over other CMS (Content Management Systems) out there. go-to platform WordPress WordPress Over the years, WordPress has evolved into a complete solution for businesses, marketers, writers, bloggers, and anyone associated with the internet. WordPress comes with handy-dandy plugins, making selling, marketing, and blogging just some finger taps. handy-dandy plugins, Writers on WordPress have implemented various plugins to estimate how readable their content is. These are a handful of plugins on which you can rely without any doubt. plugins Figure 8: WordPress plugins to measure readability Figure 8: WordPress plugins to measure readability Yoast Yoast Yoast SEO is well-known for readability. The tool doesn’t require much introduction if you are already a writer on WordPress. Yet, the advantages of using Yoast are worth mentioning. The plugin comes with built-in features like search engine preview, social media preview tools, and integrations like Semrush and Wincher . But, the readability analysis tool takes the game to the next level. Semrush and Wincher Yoast’s readability analysis tools come in two versions : two versions Free Paid Free Paid The free version includes almost every feature. The tool gives suggestions in the following areas: free version Use of a limited number of passive voice Distribution of subheadings Length of paragraphs Number of transition words Use of inclusive language Use of a limited number of passive voice Use of a limited number of passive voice Distribution of subheadings Distribution of subheadings Length of paragraphs Length of paragraphs Number of transition words Number of transition words Use of inclusive language Use of inclusive language Here’s an example from my previous post on proven link-building strategies . proven link-building strategies Figure 9: Yoast SEO in action Figure 9: Yoast SEO in action RankMath RankMath RankMath is another big name in the kingdom of SEO. Some users prefer RankMath over Yoast, yet both of them allow you to have total authority on on-page SEO. For beginners and newbies , I feel RankMath can be a great initiative. Why? beginners and newbies RankMath Because of the simple user interface it offers. Let’s break this down. simple user interface RankMath categories aspects of SEO into four categories : four categories General Advanced Schema generation Social Appearance General Advanced Schema generation Social Appearance Under the general section, it covers the basics: Focus keyword Basic SEO Additional Title readability Content readability Focus keyword Focus keyword Basic SEO Basic SEO Additional Additional Title readability Title readability Content readability Content readability Figure 10: RankMath in action Figure 10: RankMath in action Simply, RankMath shapes everything for the users. Above all these, it offers an SEO score for every post out of 100 . SEO score out of 100 I have been able to maintain SEO scores above 90 for almost all of my posts. Some of them have reached 100 out of 100, like the above one on keyword research, which is the first step to triumph SEO. above 90 100 out of 100, keyword research, All-in-One SEO All-in-One SEO All in One SEO, abbreviated as AISEO, is also a remarkable tool for improving readability in Search Engine Optimisation. AISEO, AISEO is very practical and pragmatic regarding its interface. The developers have decluttered a lot of features that are less important and have structured how we use the tool. practical and pragmatic The tool is not much associated with content readability, but it focuses on heading readability and persuasiveness. heading readability AISEO has this additional feature for “ SEO Headline Analyzer .” Here, one can assess the title of the post in terms of the following: SEO Headline Analyzer Word balance Sentiment Type of headline Character count Word count Beginning and ending words Search preview Word balance Word balance Sentiment Sentiment Type of headline Type of headline Character count Character count Word count Word count Beginning and ending words Beginning and ending words Search preview Search preview Figure 11: AISEO in action Figure 11: AISEO in action AISEO places a lot of emphasis on the importance of having a headline or title that entices users. having a headline or title This is the reason the tool focuses on creating titles that are not just readable but also persuasive and convincing to explore. You can also try a different headline without messing up the current one, which is an exceptional feature. This allows for experimentation and discovery of the most suitable one. a different headline Finally, based on different factors, the tool offers an overall score for the title with suitable improvements here and there. score for the title Figure 12: AISEO’s SEO Headline Analyzer score Figure 12: AISEO’s SEO Headline Analyzer score Scoring between 70 and 90 is considered very good . I have scored 81/100 for my post on Search Engine Optimisation . 70 and 90 very good 81/100 Search Engine Optimisation Notion SEO Notion SEO Notion SEO is designed with a focus on Notion users . Notion users Designed by Shivam, Notion SEO offers three key metrics to measure. SEO score, readability score, and number of unique words. For better SEO scores, you need to add target keyword(s), links, and visual content. three key metrics The readability section consists of almost all the metrics discussed, including Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, SMOG, and others. readability section all the metrics Only Flesch-Kincaid is free to use. A recurrent purchase of ₹423.82/month or $5/month has to be made to unlock all features. Content uniqueness is equally significant, and having a balance between unique and common words improves readability and preserves the interest of readers. Content uniqueness unique and common words Figure 13: NotionSEO in action Figure 13: NotionSEO in action I personally write all my blog posts for SynthSEO on Notion and rigorously use Notion SEO. I also use the tool to write for my posts on Medium . SynthSEO SynthSEO my posts on Medium Notion SEO grants users a better insight into how they are writing. Summary Summary Readability for SEO is impartially important as doing keyword research, image optimization, getting the page indexed, and others. Neglecting readability can mess things up, such as increasing the bounce rate. That significantly impacts how search engines perceive a website or page. Combining tools like Hemingway and RankMath can seriously improve SEO and readability, helping retain readers or users. Love this post? Why not share with others?