Good grammar and spelling are essential parts of content writing that help you communicate accurate information to your readers. Sure, you might ask, if you have one or two typos in your blog or article, is that really going to affect how well someone understands your content? Maybe not. But poor grammar and spelling can affect your content’s SEO. Today, we’re discussing the ins and outs of grammar and spelling affecting content and SEO:
- How Do Grammar and Spelling Affect SEO?
- How Do Poor Grammar and Spelling Reflect on Your Brand?
- Tips To Improve Grammar and Spelling in Content
How Do Grammar and Spelling Affect SEO?
Grammar and spelling affect SEO differently on different search engines. Bing bots and crawlers scan content to look for spelling and grammar mistakes to help determine the quality of a webpage. If your content has a lot of typos or errors, Bing may rank your content lower than similar pieces without mistakes.
Google doesn’t care as much. Unlike Bing, Google’s bots don’t downgrade your content directly if it has spelling or grammar mistakes. But that doesn’t mean errors don’t matter at all for Google SEO. If your blog, article, or webpage has a lot of grammatical errors, especially when discussing your target keywords, it’s more difficult for bots and crawlers to understand what your page is about. If Google can’t figure out what you’re talking about in your content, it won’t rank for the right keywords.
How Do Poor Grammar and Spelling Reflect on Your Brand?
Poor grammar and spelling downgrade your content quality. If your audience sees content filled with mistakes, it lowers their trust in your brand. That makes them avoid interacting with your company further.Website Planet discovered in a recent study that web pages with poor grammar receive 4% fewer visitors and have significantly higher bounce rates than those with good grammar. Content quality also affects SEO. High bounce rates and fewer clicks on your content also contribute to lower search engine positioning.
A lot of grammar and spelling mistakes also deter other domains from linking to your website. Losing links also affects your SEO. The top-ranking pages on any search engine have plenty of authoritative backlinks. But other sites that value their reputation and authority online won’t link to subpart content. Even if your information is solid, there’s likely a similar source that doesn’t have copy full of mistakes. Those sites will get the backlinks while yours slides down the ranks.
Related: Your Guide to Getting Quality Backlinks
Tips To Improve Grammar and Spelling in Content
Images via Giphy
Here are several ways to improve your grammar and spelling to produce more high-quality content:
- Use grammar-checking tools:There are many online tools you can use to check your content’s grammar and spelling, such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid. These tools help improve your content’s quality and readability by pointing out grammar errors, like poor comma usage and instances of passive voice.
- Find a proofreader: Asking a colleague to proofread content allows you to get a second pair of eyes to look over it before you post. Though proofreading may not help you catch every single mistake, it still ensures a second level of quality control before the content reaches your audience.
- Practice your grammar skills: Reviewing your middle and high school grammar and spelling skills helps improve your writing so you make fewer errors in the future. There are websites and tools you can use to study and practice your grammar and spelling sticky spots.
- Hire an editor: Hiring a professional editor is one of the more costly options to improve your grammar and spelling, but it definitely reduces your mistakes and improves overall content quality. Better quality content increases your rankings on both Google and Bing.
Don’t want to hire a full-time or part-time employee for a single task? Work with a content marketing company, like CopyPress, to help you do even more. We have a team of writing, editing, and quality assurance (QA) experts to help you improve your content marketing campaign and increase your website’s ranking, contributing to your content ROI. We know how to engage with your target audience while following practiced SEO methods for the best results. Schedule a free call with us today!
More from the author:
As an expert in content writing and SEO, I have a comprehensive understanding of the critical role that grammar and spelling play in the digital landscape. My expertise is grounded in both theoretical knowledge and practical application, and I have closely followed developments in this field up until my last knowledge update in January 2022.
The article you provided, authored by Ed Pronley on December 2, 2021, and updated on May 4, 2023, delves into the impact of grammar and spelling on content and SEO. Let's break down the key concepts discussed:
1. How Do Grammar and Spelling Affect SEO?
- The article explains that different search engines treat grammar and spelling differently. For instance, Bing scans content for errors and may rank pages lower if they contain numerous mistakes. Google, on the other hand, doesn't directly penalize for errors but emphasizes the importance of clarity. If content has significant grammatical errors, especially related to target keywords, it may hinder Google bots' understanding, affecting keyword ranking.
2. How Do Poor Grammar and Spelling Reflect on Your Brand?
- The article highlights that poor grammar and spelling can degrade content quality, leading to reduced trust in the brand. It cites a study by Website Planet indicating that pages with poor grammar receive fewer visitors and higher bounce rates. The quality of content also impacts SEO, as high bounce rates and fewer clicks contribute to lower search engine positioning. Additionally, other domains may hesitate to link to content with numerous mistakes, affecting SEO further.
3. Tips To Improve Grammar and Spelling in Content:
- The article provides practical tips for enhancing grammar and spelling:
- Use grammar-checking tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid to identify and correct errors.
- Seek a second opinion by having a colleague proofread content for an additional layer of quality control.
- Practice and review grammar skills, leveraging online resources to strengthen writing abilities.
- Consider hiring a professional editor, though it's acknowledged as a more costly option, to significantly reduce mistakes and improve overall content quality.
4. Additional Information:
- The article briefly mentions the option of working with a content marketing company like CopyPress to enhance content marketing campaigns. CopyPress offers services from writing and editing to quality assurance, aiming to improve content and increase website rankings.
In conclusion, the article emphasizes the interconnectedness of content quality, grammar, spelling, and SEO. It provides actionable tips for writers and businesses to enhance their content, build trust, and optimize for search engine rankings.
