We have all become aware of the ever-increasing importance of the need to produce the best possible quality content with critical consideration given to its ‘readability’. This has never been more evident than it is today. Search engines are clearly looking for that exceptional quality in terms of the information we are providing our reading audience and also how that information is presented.
In this article I will share how ‘content readability’ plays a significant role in the information that we produce on our websites, in blogs and articles, especially given the dynamics of Google’s recent changes to the game plan. Google, in particular, has been a catalyst and driving force for that imperative quality in our content for years now. We want to avoid falling short with highly relevant, quality-focused content that reads back in a clear, concise and uncluttered language that speaks to our broadest and most targeted audiences alike.
As Google’s algorithmic formula has evolved over time we continue to discover the essential touch points arising from their updates. With each successive Google update it is critical that anyone seeking high visibility in search engine results pages and a voice online that people will engage in must adhere to relevance, quality and readability standards set by Google and their counterparts.
Think of readability from your reading audience perspective. Statistical analysis of this in-depth subject suggests clearly that for the broadest range of general audience reach, a clear majority of that reading audience is engaging in what they read at a Grade 7-8 level. The language we use in our content for that large general audience should therefore be written accordingly as opposed to a document or article to be presented to those accustomed to content in a much more complex, analytical/statistical format.
Best Practices for Web Content Readability Today
When planning for the best possible experience for our readers we need to be ever-conscious of not only the logic and comprehension of our content but also the visual readability comfort level as well.
A positive readability experience will include the use of language understandable and recognized by our target audience, use of shorter words, sentences and paragraphs and consistent use of white space on each page.
In a nutshell, we want to write for our audience with content that they are comfortable with and easily understand. Convey critical message and perspective but don’t load your content with complex jargon that will be less meaningful or understood to a general audience. Save the jargon for those who are accustomed to reading and absorbing that jargon.
Shorter words and sentences in turn make for shorter paragraphs. The longer that paragraphs become the greater the chances of our reading audience becoming fatigued and more easily distracted. We are much more comfortable absorbing information in short spurts of two to four sentences of modest length per paragraph (roughly a six line paragraph).
By following the first two elements reflected above we will automatically generate more ‘white space’ in our content. Space between paragraphs is ‘white space’. There are a multiple of purposes for this type of writing structure but in a general sense white space compliments shorter paragraphs by providing not only a psychological ‘break’ between ideas expressed but also gives the eyes momentary relief as well.
Inception of the Readability Scoring Concept
In 1948 Rudolph Flesch, PhD Eng. and John P. Kincaid developed The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability Formula which takes into consideration numerous factors of English language presentation as they relate to degree of readability.
In their article The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability Formula, Readabilityforumulas.com presents the calculation factors of the formula which is built into the MS Word application.
Where To Find the Readability Scoring in MS Word
Once content has been written into a MS Word document, take the following steps to determine the readability grade level standard that you have established through your writing:
- With the completed Word document open, click on the Office button at the upper left corner of the Word window.
- At the bottom of the Office documents menu click on Word Options.
- In the Options popup click on Proofing.
- Under the ‘When correcting spelling and grammar in Word’ section, ensure that ‘Check grammar and spelling with spelling’ is checked/included and select ‘Show readability statistics’.
Interpreting Readability Scores
MS Office Support provides the following excerpt in support of Understanding Readability Scores:
Understand readability scores: Each readability test bases its rating on the average number of syllables per word and words per sentence. The following sections explain how each test scores your file's readability.
Flesch Reading Ease Test:
This test rates text on a 100-point scale. The higher the score, the easier it is to understand the document. For most standard files, you want the score to be between 60 and 70.
The formula for the Flesch Reading Ease score is:
206.835 – (1.015 x ASL) – (84.6 x ASW)
where:
ASL = average sentence length (the number of words divided by the number of sentences)
ASW = average number of syllables per word (the number of syllables divided by the number of words)
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Test:
This test rates text on a U.S. school grade level. For example, a score of 8.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document. For most documents, aim for a score of approximately 7.0 to 8.0.
The formula for the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score is:
(.39 x ASL) + (11.8 x ASW) – 15.59
where:
ASL = average sentence length (the number of words divided by the number of sentences)
ASW = average number of syllables per word (the number of syllables divided by the number of words)
Understand how languages affect readability scores:
The languages that you use in a document can affect how your Office program checks and presents readability scores.
- If you set up Word to check the spelling and grammar of text in other languages, and a document contains text in multiple languages, Word displays readability statistics for text in the last language that was checked. For example, if a document contains three paragraphs — the first in English, the second in French, and the third in English — Word displays readability statistics for the English text only.
- For some European languages within an English document, Word displays only information about counts and averages, not readability.
The bottom line for all document and online content is to first establish who our targeted audience will be for any given on or offline content and proofread and edit our content carefully to make sure our intended audience readily understands and engages in that content...and ultimately wants to see more. Audience readability must be our first consideration at all times and build on that reading experience through high-quality content for the best possible informational experience.
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© Don MacIver, Author, Poet 2015; All Rights Reserved
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