Calling All Writers - What's the Ideal Readability?

[ssj1236]

As the title suggests, what do you think the average readability of content should be? Most clients don’t bother with readability but just for enhancing the quality of content what do you guys recommend.

[jonbaas]

I recommend using proper English. This has proven to be the most readable. 😉

[eoinfinnegan]

It depends on the audience.
Too simplistic will make the text seem basic or even amateurish to more intelligent readers, too advanced will alienate the majority.
Always check the target audience first.

[ssj1236]

It depends on the audience.

Too simplistic will make the text seem basic or even amateurish to more intelligent readers, too advanced will alienate the majority.

Always check the target audience first.

Exactly, hence my dilemma. Most buyers don’t know how readability impacts SEO or effects the website which is why I was wondering what standard other content writers have.

[eoinfinnegan]

Exactly, hence my dilemma. Most buyers don’t know how readability impacts SEO or effects the website which is why I was wondering what standard other content writers have.

You need to ask the buyer who the text is to be targeted to.

For example, I had a client who’s site was targeting medical students and only medical students would be interested in the site. If the text was to get the “ideal green score” from Yoast, I would have had to remove a lot of technical information which would mean that when the medical students visit the site they would think it was too basic and lacked the info required. You need to set the standard for your audience, not according to what others use. A kids website will be different to a lawyer’s website, a university website will be different to an online marketplace. Yoast or other checkers can be a guide but the audience is most important.

[ssj1236]

You need to ask the buyer who the text is to be targeted to.

For example, I had a client who’s site was targeting medical students and only medical students would be interested in the site. If the text was to get the “ideal green score” from Yoast, I would have had to remove a lot of technical information which would mean that when the medical students visit the site they would think it was too basic and lacked the info required. You need to set the standard for your audience, not according to what others use. A kids website will be different to a lawyer’s website, a university website will be different to an online marketplace. Yoast or other checkers can be a guide but the audience is most important.

So you know how it feels. I recently had a client that asked me to write on a rather technical topic “HTML5+CSS and their use in animation ads”. Naturally one would expect it to be technical, but the client wanted the readability to be grade 8. Which pretty much got me wondering how other sellers manage their readability grade.

[eoinfinnegan]

So you know how it feels. I recently had a client that asked me to write on a rather technical topic “HTML5+CSS and their use in animation ads”. Naturally one would expect it to be technical, but the client wanted the readability to be grade 8. Which pretty much got me wondering how other sellers manage their readability grade.

Many clients will have read that having grade 8 text will be best for SEO.

If that is what they want then in the end, that is what you should give them but I suggest you advise them of this first:

Showing up in search results is useless if the text does not contain the content that the target audience wants. The audience is more important than the bots - always. You can achieve rankings in other ways but if your content is too basic for the topic/audience, there is no way to change that.

[dasarg]

You need to ask the buyer who the text is to be targeted to.

For example, I had a client who’s site was targeting medical students and only medical students would be interested in the site. If the text was to get the “ideal green score” from Yoast, I would have had to remove a lot of technical information which would mean that when the medical students visit the site they would think it was too basic and lacked the info required. You need to set the standard for your audience, not according to what others use. A kids website will be different to a lawyer’s website, a university website will be different to an online marketplace. Yoast or other checkers can be a guide but the audience is most important.

who’s

C’mon Eoin, you’re a proofreader!

[eoinfinnegan]

who’s

C’mon Eoin, you’re a proofreader!

Im I am not working while on the forum though.

[fonthaunt]

who’s

C’mon Eoin, you’re a proofreader!

If people start critiquing writing based on forum posts (or texts or chat conversations) I would never sell a thing. 😛 Luckily, most people know that for basics, we are all writing in rough draft!

[dasarg]

If people start critiquing writing based on forum posts (or texts or chat conversations) I would never sell a thing. 😛 Luckily, most people know that for basics, we are all writing in rough draft!

True. I understand that. Was just being a bit teasy and maybe scratching the itch that is always present whenever I see misuses of they’re/their, whose/who’s, you’re/your etc.

[eoinfinnegan]

True. I understand that. Was just being a bit teasy and maybe scratching the itch that is always present whenever I see misuses of they’re/their, whose/who’s, you’re/your etc.

I used to feel pain when I saw errors like that, then I started to do it for a living and realized that there are more irritating things in life - for example, those who refuse to accept the corrections I make and most of all, those who point errors out to me 😛

[fonthaunt]

True. I understand that. Was just being a bit teasy and maybe scratching the itch that is always present whenever I see misuses of they’re/their, whose/who’s, you’re/your etc.

I think we are all the same way with our pet peeves! There are certain kinds of typos that drive me crazy on the forum. Moderators generally do not correct typos in posts even though the functionality is available - not all users would want that. Sometimes the desire to scratch that itch is difficult! Your good, tho, dont worry about Eoins’s feeling’s.

[ssj1236]

This has been a lotta help in more ways than one. Thanks guys.

[miiila]

I´m not a writer, narrowly defined, but it applies to translating as well, I got a bit in my gig requirements about that, asking customers to tell me their target audience, anything they want me to know or to consider which might not be evident from the text itself, and I say that if they don´t provide information there, I´ll do it as I consider it best.
Not everyone types something in there (though a lot of my orders are by return/regular customers, so, yeah), but some do, and sometimes it´s helpful. I do get ‘it doesn´t have to be word by word but should read easily’ and things like that, which again are open to interpretation of course, but if they tell me specifics, I´ll work with those of course, if they trust my judgement or don´t provide info for whatever reason, they´ll have to live with what they get.
I´d definitely include a gig requirement to ask about target group etc., even if not making it mandatory, then they have the chance/the nudge to consider that and tell you, or just leave it up to your best (educated) guess.

[abdulmoti]

I recommend using proper English. This has proven to be the most readable. 😉

Why are you assuming that all writings must be in English? So many buyers request articles in Arabic and other languages.

[jonbaas]

Why are you assuming that all writings must be in English? So many buyers request articles in Arabic and other languages.

I am aware of that. However, Fiverr is an English website (written in English), and targeted toward English speakers. I read the OP’s post as referring to the gigs themselves – which are mostly written in English.

Many gigs deliver work in other languages (even that work is ideally written with proper language grammar and syntax), but I was referring to the presentation of gigs (which I realize was not the direct intention of the OP). 🙂

[abdulmoti]

I am aware of that. However, Fiverr is an English website (written in English), and targeted toward English speakers. I read the OP’s post as referring to the gigs themselves – which are mostly written in English.

Many gigs deliver work in other languages (even that work is ideally written with proper language grammar and syntax), but I was referring to the presentation of gigs (which I realize was not the direct intention of the OP). 🙂

I disagree with some of the things you said, the site is in English, yes and that is because it is international and also American website, it used to allow gigs in other languages and the reasons they have stopped that, is simply because they can’t assess what the gigs are about and whether they are legit or fraud. Maybe they don’t have the resources for that or not willing to go through the huge planning involved to support all languages. it is impossible to do that anyway.

If you are referring to the gigs descriptions, I agree with you to some extent that proper English is required, but also depends on the services provided, aside of English writing services, most other services do not require 100% accurate English. Some might not even require English at all. 🙂