How to Improve Readability Score on WordPress (9 Steps)

On the internet, clarity is king.

If users can't skim your content and understand it instantly, they bounce (leave). And when they do, your SEO rankings tank.

Improving your readability score isn't about “dumbing down” your content. It's about respecting your reader's time and making sure your message actually lands.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to improve readability on WordPress using the same checklist I use when writing for the AIOSEO Blog.

What Is Readability & Why Does It Matter for SEO?

Readability measures how easy it is for a human to understand your writing. It's calculated using algorithms (like the Flesch-Kincaid tests) that look at sentence length, syllable count, and paragraph structure.

But does readability affect SEO?

Yes and no.

• Directly: Google has said readability isn't a direct ranking factor (like backlinks).
• Indirectly: Readability is important. If your content is a wall of text, users will leave (high bounce rate). If it's easy to read, they stay longer (high dwell time).

User signals are a huge part of modern SEO. When I focus on better readability, I see my time-on-page metrics go up, which signals to Google that my content is valuable.

How Readability Score Works

Everyone has their own style of writing and knowledge of vocabulary. So, how do you track if your content is readable or not?

This is where the readability score comes in handy. 

A readability score helps you keep track of the readability issues and errors in your writing. By analyzing the score, you'll know how difficult or easy it is to read your content. 

How to Check Your Readability Score

Before you can improve readability, you need to measure it.

But I'll be honest, calculating your readability score manually is virtually impossible. The good news is there are plenty of on-page SEO tools that analyze your content and give you a score automatically.

When I'm not working in WordPress, I like to use the Hemingway Editor. It provides a readability score as a school grade. It also highlights specific sentences that could be improved.

Now, more often than not, I work on WordPress websites. And when I can get tools to work directly in the WordPress editor, I prefer to do that instead of jumping between tools and tabs. (Every second saved counts!)

So, for WordPress, I use All in One SEO (AIOSEO). It has a built-in content analysis tool called TruSEO that scans my content in real-time inside the WordPress editor.

TruSEO provides a readability checklist right inside the WordPres editor. This means you can see your readability score as you write and get recommendations for improving it.

I also love how TruSEO takes you exactly where you can make edits to improve readability. By clicking on the eye icon next to the checklist item, you'll go right to the sentence that could use some work.

This is similar to the highlighter in Hemingway Editor, but it's integrated directly into the WordPress editor.

Overall, it's a must-have for WordPress users looking to increase their readability scores.

9 Ways to Improve Your Readability Score (My Checklist)

When my content is flagged as “Hard to Read,” I run through this 9-step checklist to fix it.

1. The “Breath Test” (Shorten Your Sentences)

Long sentences are the enemy of online reading. If a sentence is around 20 words or longer, readability tools will flag it.

My trick: I read the sentence out loud. If I can't finish the sentence in one breath, I cut it in half.

• Bad: “Readability is important because it helps users understand content which leads to better SEO rankings and higher conversion rates.”
• Good: “Readability helps users understand content. This leads to better SEO rankings and higher conversion rates.”

2. Swap “College” Words for “Conversation” Words

I aim for an 8th-grade reading level. This isn't about intelligence; it's about processing speed. I actively swap complex words for simpler synonyms. For example:

• Instead of “utilize,” I write “use.”
• I say “help” instead of “facilitate.”
• Instead of “demonstrate,” I use “show.”

3. Break Up Walls of Text

Nothing scares a mobile user more than a paragraph that spans their entire phone screen.

I follow a strict rule: No paragraphs longer than 3 lines.

If a paragraph gets too long, I find a natural breaking point and hit “Enter.” This creates white space, which acts as a visual breathing room for the reader.

It also makes your content easy to scan, which increases dwell times.

4. Use “Bucket Brigades” (Transition Words)

Transition words are the grease that keeps your readers sliding down the page. They connect ideas so the reader doesn't get stuck. Common categories of transition words include:

• Time: then, next, finally, meanwhile
• Addition: furthermore, moreover, also
• Contrast: however, nevertheless, although
• Cause/Effect: therefore, consequently, thus
• Comparison: similarly, likewise, in comparison
• Sequence: first, second, lastly Example: for instance, specifically, namely

I try to ensure at least 30% of my sentences contain a transition word. (Bonus: AIOSEO checks for these automatically.)

5. Add Visual Context (Images and Video)

Sometimes, words aren't enough. If I'm explaining a technical concept (like “how to enable HTML sitemaps“), I stop writing and take a screenshot. Images can help readers understand where to go and what to do more easily than length explanations.

Breaking up text with rich media (images, videos, GIFs) also resets the reader's attention span. Plus, Google’s AI loves diverse content formats.

6. The “Zombie Test” (Fix Passive Voice)

Passive voice makes your writing feel distant and weak. Active voice feels punchy and authoritative.

How to spot it: The “Zombie Test.” If you can add “by zombies” after the verb, it's passive.

• Passive: “The blog post was written [by zombies].” (Weak)
• Active: “I wrote the blog post.” (Strong)

It's silly, I know, but it works. I aim to keep passive voice below 10% of my total word count.

7. Use Descriptive Subheadings

Header tags break your content into skimmable sections and guide readers through your content. Because, here's the reality:

Most users don't read; they scan.

If readers scan down the page, your headings should tell the full story. Instead of a heading like “Strategy,” I write “My Strategy for Improving Readability.”

Here's another example:

8. Use a Conversational Tone

I write like I speak. I use “I,” “You,” and “We.”

Creating a connection with the reader keeps them on the page. If your content sounds like a term paper, you'll lose them. Don't be afraid to use contractions (e.g., use “don't” instead of “do not”) to sound more natural.

The goal is to make readers feel like they're having a friendly conversation rather than reading a formal document. It's particularly effective in blogs, emails, social media, and marketing content where building rapport is important.

9. Check the Flesch Reading Ease Score

Finally, I use the Flesch Reading Ease test. This is a popular tool for writers to analyze their content for readability.

The Flesch Reading Ease score uses a formula that measures how easy a text is to read based on sentence length and word complexity (syllable count). The score ranges from 0 to 100.

• 0-30: Very difficult (Best understood by university graduates)
• 30-50: Difficult (College level)
• 50-60: Fairly difficult (High school/some college)
• 60-70: Standard (8th/9th grade)
• 70-80: Fairly easy (7th grade)
• 80-90: Easy (6th grade)
• 90-100: Very easy (5th grade)

Don’t want to go through the hassle of checking each of readability factor on your own?

Me either, that's why I use All in One SEO.

How to Increase Readability Score in WordPress

You've already gotten a preview of how I use All in One SEO to improve readability, but here's a full breakdown of my process in WordPress:

Step 1: Install the All in One SEO Plugin

First, install and activate the plugin. You can grab the free version from the WordPress repository or the Pro version for advanced features.

Once you sign up for an AIOSEO account, you can find your plugin file and license key on the Downloads tab. 

Next, you'll upload the file on your WordPress dashboard and install the plugin.

Once you've installed AIOSEO, you'll navigate to the Settings tab. Here, you can enter your license key to activate the plugin.

Step 2: Write Your Draft

I write my content directly in WordPress. As I type, AIOSEO runs in the background.

Remember the readability checklist we looked at earlier?

Here's where I really pay attention to its feedback. This feature is embedded to the right of the WordPress editor. A green checkmark means you're good, and a red checkmark means there's room for improvement.

Step 3: Leverage AI to Improve Readability

Have a red checkmark that you can't seem to figure out?

Ask AI to help.

AIOSEO has a built-in AI Assistant that can help you do anything from writing entire blog posts, creating FAQs, and improving readability. Here's how I used it to fix my issue about consecutive sentences starting with the same word.

First, I added the AIOSEO – AI Assistant to my post.

Then, I asked it to change the wording of my “problematic” sentences.

After clicking “Generate,” the AI produced the following result:

Once you're happy with the result, you can click “Insert,” and it will put the text (or image because it can create those too) as a new block in your post.

Ultimately, it's a quick and easy way to fix readability issues and improve your score.

Conclusion: Readability Is About Respect

Improving your readability score isn't just about chasing a green light in a plugin. It’s about empathy.

When you write clearly, you respect your reader's time. You make it as easy as possible for them to solve their problem. And when readers feel respected, they stay on the page longer, read more of your content, and are more likely to convert.

That is the ultimate SEO win.

Want to dive deeper into WordPress SEO optimization? You may enjoy reading our tutorial on starting a small business blog or our picks for the best free SEO tools.

I also invite you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You’ll find many more helpful tutorials there. You can also follow us on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, or Facebook to stay in the loop.

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