Another Look into Google Rankings: Actual SEO Media, Inc. Delves into “Readability”

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Although Readability is an important factor for writing content and pages on websites, it’s not necessarily a ranking factor for Google.

HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, December 20, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Google considers various factors when ranking websites on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Some are widely known and understood, and others are implied with only circumstantial evidence. Many businesses new to SEO wonder if “readability” is among the many ranking factors. From its own understanding as a long-standing SEO company, Actual SEO Media, Inc. would answer this question with a “no, it isn’t.”

The Definition of “Readability”

Before going into why or why not this factor is something that Google considers when ranking, it’s best to understand what “readability” even is. Readability is how hard or easy it is to read a webpage. Readability should hit a golden ratio for those considering the essence of search engine optimization (SEO). It doesn’t seem like the page sounds too ignorant, but it is still understandable to a layman on the subject.

Readability in it of itself is a conglomeration of various factors. Popular tools like the Yoast SEO WordPress plugin have a section dedicated to “readability.” It denotes aspects of the writing, such as passive voice, paragraph length, subheadings, subsection length, and even the amount of transition words. Most tools sum up the general readability into a number based on the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) score.

This FRE score goes from 1 to 100. The larger the number, the easier it is to read what’s on the page. Of course, that means the lower the number, the harder it is to read. For general SEO purposes, the “sweet spot” is about 60, which is about a ninth-grade reading level. Around 70 is a middle schooler’s reading level, and around 50 is about college level.

Of course, what goes into the FRE score isn’t a secret. It’s mostly based on the page’s sentence length and word choice difficulty. Longer sentences and harder words lower the score and vice versa.

The Reason Why Readability Is Not a Google Ranking Factor

Although readability is important for visitors to a site, it isn’t necessarily a ranking factor. Most of Google’s ranking factors center around user experience. The easier it is for users to find the answers to the questions they have, the higher the website will rank on the search results pages. Most would think readability would fall into user experience, and it does to an extent, but there’s another layer to think about.

For example, the content on a doctor’s website will naturally have more difficult words. After all, medical terminology and jargon are more difficult for the average person to begin with. However, users looking for answers to their medical or highly technical questions wouldn’t be able to find the relevant pages if readability was a ranking factor. Because if it were, any highly technical page would probably tank on the readability score and appear lower on the search result pages.

That’s not to say readability isn’t important. Although it isn’t a ranking factor according to Google’s terms, it still does play a role in retaining users to the website. Users will move to other websites depending on the topic if the language is too difficult to read. So the best rule of thumb to keep in mind is that readability should be adjusted according to the topic at hand.

As a leading Houston SEO company, Actual SEO Media, Inc. grants its clients methods to expand their online presence. By harnessing the power of search engine optimization, the company helps businesses expand their online visibility and establish a stronger presence on the Internet. The company believes that writing blogs and articles can add to the variety of content on a website, increasing brand awareness online. For more information, contact the office at (832) 834 – 0661 or by email at info@actualseomedia.com.

Jamin Mootz
Actual SEO Media, Inc.
+1 832-834-0661
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