Content that is hard to read gets abandoned. High bounce rates signal low quality to Google. Improving readability reduces bounces, increases time on page, and makes your content more likely to be cited by AI search engines.
Google wants to serve content that users find useful. When users land on a page and immediately leave because the writing is hard to follow, that is a negative signal. Time on page, scroll depth and return visits are all influenced by how readable your content is.
The single most effective readability improvement. Aim for an average sentence length of 15-20 words. Sentences over 30 words should almost always be split. Look for conjunctions — and, but, because, which, that — as natural split points.
Replace complex words with simpler equivalents. Use "use" not "utilise". Use "help" not "facilitate". Use "start" not "commence". Each unnecessary syllable makes your text marginally harder to read — across a 2,000 word article, they add up.
On screens, dense blocks of text are harder to read than paragraphs of 2-3 sentences. White space is not wasted space — it gives the reader's eye time to process information and makes the page feel less intimidating.
Subheadings help readers scan for the section they need and break up long content into digestible chunks. Every subheading is also a potential match for a search query or AI question.
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