For marketers, the term “readability” often brings to mind the popular WordPress plugin, Yoast SEO. This tool, using its mysterious algorithm, assesses the reading difficulty of written content and offers suggestions for improvement. These might include shortening sentences, switching to an active voice, or breaking up long blocks of text with subheadings. Yoast even boldly marks posts it deems algorithmically subpar, but let’s not delve into that.

Transition word problems: First, I’m going to scatter transition words everywhere. After that, I’ll secure a green bullet. In conclusion, I’m going to throw my writing out the window. Yoast fundamentally believes that readability ranks. However, the concept of readability is constantly changing alongside technology like Natural Language Processing (NLP), becoming more human-centric. This post explores five ways to enhance the human readability of your content, which in turn benefits its algorithmic readability as well. These include:

1. Abandoning clickbait titles
2. Avoiding keyword stuffing (even subtle attempts)
3. Ending the practice of excessive paragraphing
4. Refraining from unnecessarily padding how-to posts
5. Resisting the urge to over-format
6. Linking judiciously

The Significance of HUMAN Readability

As previously touched upon, readability is ranked. Improved readability is believed to:

• Enhance user experience.
• Boost the likelihood of your post ranking well in voice search.
• Attract search engines that are increasingly discerning what constitutes valuable writing from a human perspective. Personally, I’m wary of algorithmic approaches to writing. I have little tolerance for the decrees of the Yoast plugin, writing tools like Grammarly, or anything that disrupts my train of thought while writing (sighs in predictive text). However, Yoast highlights a crucial aspect often overlooked in the chaotic checklist-driven world of SEO writing: your target audience isn’t the search engine itself, but a person seeking linguistic coherence. With Google’s advancements in NLP, you can (and should) view the search engine as somewhat human. While focusing on keyword rankings is a valid tactic for driving website traffic, neglecting the fact that you are writing for humans, not Google, is a grave mistake. This attitude leads to articles like this one criticizing how search results seem to prioritize the interests of algorithms over users. It’s a serious concern. As writer Nick Slater aptly puts it, writing solely for search engines results in content that is “a masterpiece by SEO writing standards and an absolute turd by regular writing standards.” It’s not surprising that this approach frustrates people.

Writing solely for search engines results in content that is “…a masterpiece by SEO writing standards and an absolute turd by regular writing standards.”

Enhancing Your Content’s Readability for SEO

With that said, here are some tips to improve the human readability of your content, for the well-being of your readers.

1. Ditch Clickbait Titles

We’re all too familiar with the internet by now. While dramatic blog post titles like “[X number] of Content Marketing Mistakes That Will Blow Your Mind” might have worked in 2010, today they elicit eye rolls and scrolling. The same applies to overly exaggerated anticipation of the reader’s reaction. Headlines promising something “ultimate,” “revealed,” or “revolutionary” are met with skepticism. (The same goes for titles guaranteeing unimaginable success from simply reading the post.)

‘Shake Off the Shackles of Ordinary Headlines TODAY!’ A Touch of Showmanship Is Acceptable While a bit of showmanship in a title is fine, it’s crucial to stay grounded. “What You’re Doing Wrong with Your Content Marketing: 5 Common Mistakes,” as nexus-security titles their own post on the topic, still directly addresses the reader and even presumes they’re making errors. However, it refrains from condescendingly stating “5 Content Marketing Mistakes You’ll NEVER Believe You’re Making”. The difference is evident. Deliver on Your Promises The key takeaway is to avoid setting unrealistic expectations. Carefully consider your headlines—much like titling a book, your choice significantly impacts how a text is received. (In fact, even prolific authors like Toni Morrison have had their titles had their titles changed by publishers for commercial purposes.) Trust Your Instincts Extensive research exists on crafting compelling headlines. Danny Goodwin, for instance, shared his findings from running A/B tests on headlines for 31 days in an insightful post I highly recommend. However, amidst quantifiable metrics and headline analyzers, remember that your instincts (informed by your uniquely human grasp of language) often know best. By adhering to these tips for writing effective headlines, you’ll be well on your way to success.

2. Stop Keyword Stuffing (Even the Subtle Kind)

Ah, keyword stuffing. When it rears its head, you’ll know it instantly, as every other phrase will be crammed with the same keywords, in classic keyword stuffing style.

Although Google’s algorithm supposedly recognizes keyword density as a poor indicator of information quality and relevance, we’ve all encountered search results riddled with repetitive keywords. The potential presence of useful information is overshadowed by the sheer density of keywords, making it challenging to find.

3. End the Reign of Over-Paragraphing

Is this a poem in disguise? If not, why the abundance of line breaks? Are you composing this on a phone?

A 5-word sentence is not a paragraph, even on smartphones. Minimize Distractions for Your Reader! Micro-paragraphs are incredibly distracting, whether in blog posts or emails. Just as they begin conveying a thought, they are abruptly cut short, leaving the reader hanging. While the rationale behind this trend remains unclear (if it’s “better readability,” then I despair for humanity), the good news is that it’s easily fixed. Paragraph Breaks Have Their Place Be conscious of hitting ’enter’—if a second glance reveals no justification for a line break, resist the urge. Second-guessing yourself is a crucial aspect of becoming a better writer, so embrace the existential crisis over every minor writing decision. Congratulations, you’re officially a writer! (On a serious note, here’s a helpful resource on self-editing.) Consider this example from a post about online presence. In the red box, every sentence comes across as a profound statement. Is it a list? Are they distinct ideas? What’s the key message from this collection of lines? In the green box, the takeaway is isolated, with supporting information presented above.

Reserve single sentence paragraphs for strong statements. >> 9 Free Blog Post Templates Guaranteed to Drive Traffic

4. Don’t Unnecessarily Pad How-to Posts

People Google a vast range of things, so as an SEO writer, you’ll often need to be creative in crafting effective answers. One day you might be tackling “how to be happy,” and the next, “how to use chopsticks.” This Isn’t High School Anymore While “how to be happy” might require a lengthy, thought-provoking piece, “how to use chopsticks” could likely be addressed in a few practical steps. Remember, this isn’t high school, and there’s no need to artificially inflate your writing to reach a specific word count. Avoid Condescension Over-explaining simple tasks can come across as patronizing and tedious, achieving the opposite of user-friendliness. Keep it concise, respecting both your reader’s time and your own.

(Interestingly, “how to be happy” currently receives 27,000 monthly searches in the U.S., while “how to use chopsticks” garners 31,000, according to Ahrefs. While one might question people’s priorities, you could argue that noodles are a more reliable path to genuine happiness.)

5. Resist the Temptation to Over-Format

Anxiety about “skimmability” often manifests as excessive formatting. Headers become larger, perhaps even in different fonts, to supposedly enhance navigation. While some formatting can be beneficial…

• One or two words italicized? Acceptable.
• Information presented in concise bullet points? Reasonable.
• Occasional bolding to emphasize important information? Sounds good. However, if half the text is littered with bright blue hyperlinks, resembles an exploded pinata of headings and subheadings, or features five different fonts vying for attention on a single page, it’s time to reevaluate.

Winnie isn’t sure what “skimmable” means anymore. Skimmable Content Shouldn’t Be Overwhelming There’s a reason typography is usually entrusted to professionals (at least in print): they understand how to establish visual hierarchy, guiding the reader’s attention effectively. For those without professional typographic expertise, overcompensating with excessive formatting is counterproductive. Leverage headers and bullets strategically, but if most of your text is heavily formatted, it’s time to reconsider your approach.

Stick to your header tags, people!

6. Link Judiciously

While internal and external linking are crucial, avoid overwhelming your writing with too many links. Ideally, limit yourself to no more than two links per paragraph to prevent reader distraction. If you must share numerous resources, consider listing them at the bottom as recommended reading.

Do NOT take a page out of Wikipedia’s book. Strategic Linking is Key Beyond quantity, the type of links you incorporate matters. While you might not have complete control over what you need to link to for work, you can control how those links are employed within your writing. In this post, for instance, all links point to: a) Definitions of terms for clarification, b) Sources for specific claims, or c) More in-depth guides on related topics mentioned in passing. I haven’t randomly linked a chopsticks post while discussing noodles, creating a jarring and irrelevant distraction. Relevance is Paramount You might argue that you’d be obligated to link to a random chopsticks brand if that’s who you were writing for. However, in that scenario, the post wouldn’t be about marketing but about chopsticks, making the link relevant.

SEO Readability: Beyond Formulas

By now, it should be clear that readability encompasses much more than ticking boxes on a plugin’s checklist. As a cornerstone of good content, it’s as much about mindset as it is about specific writing choices. While some websites might currently get away with prioritizing algorithmic preferences, as algorithms become more sophisticated and (dare I say) human-like, content that prioritizes human readability will prevail. Why? Because people will actually enjoy reading it. If this has inspired you to revisit and potentially revise your content, our content audit guide (with 6 free templates) can make the process much smoother.