Readability and SEO: short sentences, answers first
Readability is not a direct ranking factor, but readers leave pages they cannot follow. What makes web writing readable, how to measure it, and fixes that help.
People skim on screens. They arrive from a search with one question and decide within seconds whether this page answers it. Readable writing is how you keep them long enough to find out.
What makes web writing readable
- The answer first. The first paragraph answers the question in the title.
- Short sentences. One idea each, most of the time.
- Plain words. "Use" rather than "utilise", "check" rather than "look deeply into".
- Headings that say something. A reader should get the gist from headings alone.
- Lists for steps and options. Prose for reasoning.
Measuring it
| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Average sentence length | Whether sentences are carrying too much |
| Flesch reading ease | A rough score from sentence and word length; higher is easier |
| Longest sentence | The one most likely to lose a reader |
| Passive voice count | Where the actor went missing |
Scores are a guide, not a target. A post about DNS records will score lower than one about coffee, and it should not be dumbed down to hit a number.
The edits that help most
- Split every sentence over thirty words.
- Cut the first paragraph if it only sets the scene.
- Replace abstract nouns with verbs: "make a decision" becomes "decide".
- Delete the closing paragraph that restates the post.
These also remove most of what makes AI drafts read as AI. See writing SEO blog posts with Claude. Length is a separate question, covered in blog post length for SEO.
SEO Blog Writer's linter reports each post's average sentence length and reading ease before you see it. On its demo post it measured an average sentence of 11.9 words and a reading ease of 95.
Questions
Is readability a Google ranking factor?
Google has not said it uses a readability score. It does aim to rank helpful pages, and pages people can understand quickly tend to satisfy searchers better.
What is a good Flesch reading ease score?
Higher is easier. Scores around 60 and above read as plain English for most adults. Technical subjects score lower; aim for the easiest score the subject allows.
How long should sentences be?
An average of around 15 to 20 words or fewer reads comfortably online. Vary the length, and split any sentence that makes the reader hold several ideas at once.