Content is king, but only if it is easy to read. If your content is too complex, boring, or confusing, you will lose your audience's attention and trust. How do you know if your content is easy to read? Here are some tips and tools to help you test and improve your content readability.
Readability is the measure of how easily and quickly someone can understand your content, which is determined by factors like language, structure, style, and design. Readability has a significant impact on your content's effectiveness, engagement, and SEO. If your content is easy to read, you can deliver your message clearly and concisely to a wider and more diverse audience. This will boost your credibility and authority, resulting in an increase in traffic and conversions as well as improved ranking and visibility.
For me, a piece that offers effortless reading is one that inspires me to start a conversation after reading it, 'coz if content is king, then conversation is the queen and any kingdom needs both to thrive!
If someone can't read and understand your content, then very simply, it's not achieving its purpose. You can't entertain, inform or persuade an audience if they don't understand your message. If the audience are struggling to understand, they will disengage, and be unlikely to engage again in future.
Readability is of exceptional importance. In a modern world filled with instantly accessible information, deadlines, distractions, and poor mental discipline, etc. readers find it difficult to become hooked by the narrative/message. Material with a high "readability" quotient draws the reader in and is less likely to lose their attention. In addition information delivered with said quotient is more likely to be retained and assimilated. Low readability, of even the most pertinent information, can appear to be a form of tangential speech - a communication disorder in which the train of thought of the speaker wanders and shows a lack of focus, never returning to the initial topic of the conversation; thereby losing the reader's attention.
Keeping this brutally simple: high readability = receptibility, potential trust, and retention. MESSAGE RECEIVED. low readability = the loss of attention, trust, and readers. MESSAGE LOST.
Recuerda que le escribes a humanos, te comunicas con humanos, por lo tanto tu lenguaje deber ser humano, entendible, con sustancia y fácil de digerir. Aunque sea un artículo de nicho o muy especializado, a los lectores les gusta la lectura fácil, sencilla y con sencilla no me refiero a un contenido sin sustancia o profundidad, sino fácil de entender. En una de esas y atraes a lectores de otros segmentos o nichos.
Testing your content readability can be done in various ways, depending on your goals and resources. Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and SMOG are some of the most common readability formulas that calculate a score and grade level based on variables like word length, sentence length, and syllables. Readability checkers such as Hemingway, Grammarly, and Yoast provide feedback, suggestions, scores, and reports. User testing is the most reliable way to assess readability since it involves getting feedback from real users. Surveys, interviews, focus groups, or usability tests can measure comprehension, interest, satisfaction, and action.
One method is to convert your text to audio and listen to it in a different accent. i.e. If you are from the UK use an American voice or visa versa. It is often easier to recognize the flow and cadence of the written word when an automated audio programme is used to convert it. Author's idiosyncrasies and inappropriate words stand out, as does excessive repetition. This can also highlight the blight of many authors where there is an unconscious assumption that the reader has similar hidden knowledge and will therefore "fill in" the logic gap. Heard in a different voice or accent, some authors can recognize a lack, or an excess, of appropriate exposition.
In my experience, it helps to switch up your routine. Aside from using formulas, read your work out loud and if possible, in front of another person. Having an audience (even if it is a party of one) can create a break in your usual practice. This will help you interpret it differently, regardless of the feedback you receive from the listener.
Se pueden utilizar recursos para ello, pero pocos entienden perfectamente el espa?ol. Por ejemplo, a Yoast se le dificultan los textos en nuestro idioma, es una herramienta muy valiosa, pero desarrollada en idioma inglés y aunque se puede usar con otros lenguajes, aún no está lejos de entender perfectamente el espa?ol. El internet y la mayoría de las apps y desarrollos fueron creados en inglés (razón por la que no hay ? o acentos en las URLs: anobisiesto.com vs. a?obisiesto.com). Párrafos más peque?os y oraciones no tan largas y concisas son suficientes para ser más legibles. Haz prueba sencilla: usa el traductor de Google y escucha tus oraciones en tu idioma y tradúcelas a un idioma que conozcas, si la entiendes, ?ya la hiciste!
Based on the results of your readability tests, you can make changes to your content to make it easier to read. To do this, use simple and familiar words that are clear, precise, and appropriate for your topic and tone. Additionally, break down your sentences into smaller chunks and use punctuation and connectors to create flow and coherence. Varying sentence structure and length can create rhythm and interest. Using active voice and verbs can show who is doing what and how. To organize your content, use headings and subheadings that are descriptive, informative, and catchy. Lists and bullet points can be used to highlight important points, steps, or tips. Make sure they are consistent, parallel, and concise. Images and visuals should be relevant, high-quality, and optimized with captions, alt text, and titles to describe them. Finally, use white space and alignment to create balance and harmony.
Using plain language is a great way to make sure that content is readable. According to ISO 24495, these are the principles of plain language: The reader needs the content, the reader can easily find the content, the reader can understand the content, the reader can use the content.
Tell a good story. Indeed, clarity, consistency, and coherence are all very important and tangible metrics for readability, but as long as you don't give readers a good story, it will be hard to follow, and thus, your content's readability suffers. Take the example of academic articles; they are the epitome of clarity, consistency, and coherence since they need to convey accurate, scientific concepts. Yet, they are tough to read and follow, because, at the same time, they are fully detached from the audience. Think of the interesting, subtle aspects of your content and then tell it to people like you would tell your coworkers a story as you enter the office on a sunny Friday morning!
Read, read, read, and read again. Choose a text that you know is easily readable and that you enjoy. 1. Read it at your preferred speed. Now, without returning to the text write down the salient points. 2. Read it again looking for the method the author used to ensure that it was a. readable and b. note the "hooks" that helped you to retain the relevant data. 3. Read it from a critical perspective to identify grammatical points that reduced or increased the readability. Identify emotive words or phrases that aided your reading experience. 4. Read it at least once more, observe when and where the author increased or decreased the reading speed; thereby modifying the flow to retain readability. Modify your writing method accordingly.
Listados, listados, listados. Siempre ayudan los listados en un artículo para dar énfasiso resaltar lo que se requiere. Además puedes enfocarte en escribir bajo las buenas prácticas del SEO: subtítulos, negritas, links, ALT y descripciones en imágenes. Si te lo permite el CMS, usa templates más limpios y en fondos blancos con texto en color negro o variaciones de grises oscuros.
Once you have improved your content readability, you need to measure its impact and performance. To track and analyze your content's readability, you can use different metrics and tools such as engagement metrics, conversion metrics, and SEO metrics. For example, you can use analytics tools like Google Analytics to monitor time on page, bounce rate, scroll depth, comments, and shares. Additionally, conversion tools such as Google Optimize can help you set and measure your content goals. Lastly, SEO tools like Google Search Console can be used to optimize and audit your content SEO.
La puedes medir por los resultados de esas piezas de contenido. Por ejemplo, una buena herramienta es Google Search Console que te ayuda en ver el rendimiento de tus artículos en cuestión de estructura SEO, indexación y UX. Herramientas como SEM Rush, Google Analytics, SEO Quake, hreflang, answerthepublic y más son muy útiles para auditar y mejorar la legibilidad, sin embargo, tu público, target o audiencia son los que tendrán la última palabra. Escúchalos, léelos, atiende sus comentarios y sugerencias, ellos son la clave para generar tus contenidos.
Readability is an ongoing process that requires continual maintenance and updating. As your audience's needs, preferences, and expectations evolve, you need to review your content periodically for errors, inconsistencies, or outdated information. Make sure your content is accurate, relevant, and fresh. Additionally, you can solicit feedback from your audience and experiment with different formats and styles to present your content. Use readability tests and tools to identify and fix any readability issues. Surveys, polls, reviews, or social media can help collect and analyze their feedback. Test different formats and styles to determine which ones suit your audience's preferences and needs. Doing so will improve your content readability and value.
Lo que te funcionó ayer, no necesariamente te funcionará hoy. Siempre hay que actualizarse en tendencias y nuevos formatos de contenido, pero sin dejar de escuchar y leer a tu audiencia. Ellos te darán la pauta para seguir mejorando y actualizando tus contenidos. Las herramientas disponibles en el mercado te darán una guía para estructurar tus contenidos, no dudes en probarlos: esto es a prueba y error. Vamos a fracasar muchas veces, pero eso nos ayudará a disfrutar los éxitos con mayor satisfacción.
In regard to my message received/message lost article*, a message lost cannot be understood or acted upon. Whereas the traditional response in the former is "message received and understood", suggesting that it is acceptable or actionable. High readability doesn't gaurantee that said message is understood but at least it offers the possibility. However, low readability offers little, if any, possibility that the message will be understood or accepted. *Why readability matters.