Tools and Techniques to Improve Your Content

Yes, content is still king. A while back, we posted an article on how you can become an excellent copywriter. If you haven’t read it, please do so here. You’ll find fantastic tips that will help you.

However, there are still more ways to improve your content. Most of these cost nothing but can make a world of difference. These can even improve your SEO.

So, what’s the next step then?

Content Editing

Your job now is to be an excellent editor. Sure, you can outsource content writing, but you’re still responsible for the final proof. You want your audience to focus on your message and not on errors. When your work is shoddy, they won’t waste time on your site.

What is your content’s goal? Is it to inform, entertain or invite action (CTA)? Does each section smoothly transition to the next one? Are there mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation? These are some of the questions you, as an editor, should ask.

Fortunately, many tools can make your task easier. But first, here is what’s involved in the editing process:

Readability

This isn’t about your ability to easily read your post. Instead, it’s about your audience. According to this Forbes article, 54% of American adults, ages 16 to 74 lack literacy skills. These people read below the 6^th-grade level. Other sources say they’re at the 7^th- to the 9^th-grade.  

Online businesses shouldn’t ignore readability when creating content. It’s not stressed enough, because it doesn’t directly affect search rankings. The emphasis has always been on keywords, meta tags, headlines, etc.

But, readability may be one reason why a site’s visitors quickly leave a page. When they do, this tells a search engine’s algorithm that there’s something wrong. Algorithms can even now detect readability. They also notice the signs like short visits and bounce rates. If people leave right away, then something is not right with your page.

So, in the end, does readability affect SEO? Yes, it does!

Readability And Creativity

The statistics above are still meaningful despite writing for skilled or highly educated audiences. Professionals are busy people. They will probably skim over your content anyway. Make it effortless for them. 

Conversely, you don’t want to sound condescending to your audience. Instead, make your content easy enough for 7th graders to understand.

Your content is your voice. Your style is one way of standing out from your competitors. You don’t have to sacrifice readability for creativity or vice versa. Combining both is a challenge. But short words and sentences can be engaging.

So, read what you write or type. Aside from readability, check for monotony. When your content is dull, it’s time to be creative. Remember, you want your audience to keep on reading.    

Flesch-Kincaid Tests

These are readability tests used to rate the difficulty of understanding an English passage, essay, article, blog, etc. There are two types: the Reading Ease and the Grade Level. Word and sentence length are the core measures of both. 

The former gives a block of text a score between 1 and 100. A score between 70 to 80 means a 7^th or 8th grader can understand your content. 

The Grade Level test rates a block of text based on the required grade a person should attain to comprehend it. So, if your article gets a score of 8, it means a 13 or 14-year-old can read it.

Rudolf Flesch first created the readability formula in the early 1940’s. He aimed to improve newspaper content. The U.S. Navy developed the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level in the 1970’s for their own needs.

Many tools include these tests when checking an article’s readability. These correct typos, punctuation, spelling and grammar mistakes. Below are some of the best you will find.

• Hemingway Editor

It’s an excellent starting point if you haven’t used any writing assistant. You don’t have to log on to their site. Paste your document and get instant results. Hemingway highlights words, phrases and sentences in different colors, which correspond to specific improvement suggestions. You get a readability score and can export your document as an HTML file. If you’re on a budget,  take note – the lifetime fee is only $20.

• Grammarly

This online checker ranks high among reviewers. The free version checks spelling, grammar and punctuation. Grammarly is easy to use and you get notifications about other errors. However, you only get the suggested improvements through the paid version. If you’re a copywriter, I recommend purchasing the premium version. You enjoy more features like the plagiarism checker.   

• Readable

You don’t have to download any software. Like Hemingway Editor, paste your blog, click “Score Text” and you will instantly get a result. It does what most writing assistants do. One thing I found different is that Readable alerts you when using clichés. It checks your tone and sentiment – will your audience find your text positive or negative? Also, it measures keyword density and can help e-mail marketers. 

• Readability Test Tool by WebFX

Using this platform is pretty straightforward. Paste your document or URL, including your competitor’s. A report will give you six readability scores from Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, ARI, Coleman Liau and  SMOG Index. Also, you’ll get an explanation of how these results were calculated. This user-friendly tool is free.     

• Yoast WordPress Plugin

Yoast can do many things, but did you know that it has its content analysis tool as well? Yes, this WordPress plugin helps improve SEO by rating readability while working on a blog or article on your web page. This feature is available on the free and premium versions. You’ll find its readability and SEO analysis on the meta box or the sidebar if you use the block editor.

• After the Deadline

This site will help you edit text online. It proofreads and identifies words that you might have used in the wrong context. After the Deadline employs natural language processing and provides suggestions. This cloud-based platform is free for personal use and is an excellent companion in WordPress.

• Canva

Don’t forget that images are part of your content. Humans prefer photos over text, so you might gain more visits with infographics. Canva is one of the best editing tools right now. The platform has templates for everything. It’s free, but it will cost you $120/year if you want more features.  

Headline Analyzers 

Your site visitors’ journey begins with your headline. How appealing is it? Excellent content and boring headlines are a terrible mix. Here are a couple of tools that can help you get your headlines right.  

• Sharethrough Headline Analyzer

Using this tool is one way to find out if your headline will catch your audience’s attention. There’s no need to create an account. You get a score and suggestions. Increase title length, talk about your body and use alert words are some examples. Continue testing by adding or replacing words. But, don’t stray too far from your topic!

• Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer

Do you want to appeal to your target market’s emotions? Often, businesses connect with audiences through these. Your headline gets an Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) score that’s based on proprietary tech by Advanced Marketing Institute. This analyzer will tell you at the bottom of the page if you connect intellectually, emotionally or spiritually. 

Resources For Content Research

Does your mind go blank when thinking of a topic for your next post? Of course, you have to do a lot of research. In the battle for your target market’s minds, you have to keep your articles interesting and updated. You may know what appeals to your audience, but the following tools can tell you what they want:

• BuzzSumo

This tool can crawl through billions of blogs, articles and social media posts to give you the most popular subjects. You also get data on where these are often discussed. You might be unaware that posting on social media is better for you. BuzzSumo alerts you when specific keywords are used or updated. You can get info on your competitors and influencers as well. There’s a 30-day trial period to use it.   

• AnswerThePublic

You not only get help with keywords with this tool but also content ideas. You can narrow down topics so you’re able to reach your audience effectively. It’s like being able to read your target market’s mind. You discover insights and concerns people have with products. Enter your keywords or product. You’d be surprised at the number of questions your audience might have!  An account isn’t needed to test it.

• Google Scholar

You use this tool to search for scholarly works. You’ll find results from a range of fields that include law, science, literature and the academe. It’s your one-stop shop when searching for related materials from publications. If your business relies on research, this is the site to visit. 

• Quora

You might find the real conversation regarding your product in Quora. It’s a website where people ask and answer questions. It’s also the place to search for opinions. These are valuable sources for your future content. You find out what matters to your audience.

Some people try to be funny or vent their feelings on the website. But, these angry individuals might be looking for better alternatives. If you can give them the answer they want, why not invite them to your website? That’s an opportunity you can’t ignore.  Sign up with Quora.

The Things That Count

• Use simple fonts.
• Keep your words short and simple. Writing experts agree that you should minimize words with more than three syllables.
• Avoid technospeak when you can. Remember the phrase “in English please.”
• Keep your sentences and paragraphs short.
• Write as though you’re having a conversation. Be yourself.

Improving your content quality is a challenge. With the tools above, your task becomes more manageable. Good enough is no longer an option. Set your bar high, and you will reap the rewards.

Which tools have you been using? Are there others not mentioned above? Please let us know in the comments section below.

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