Those of us in the business of blogging, content marketing, and otherwise writing for the web need to accept a painful truth: most people don’t actually read what we write.
Even when you discount “bounces” — people who click away almost immediately after arriving on a web page — those who read our blogs or articles usually don’t technically read them. They skim them.
While we pour our hearts into our content and would rather people appreciate every word, it’s perfectly natural for readers to skim online articles. And if you’re strategic about how you structure your content, skimming can still lead to engaging experiences and, for brands, conversions.
Instead of wishing everyone read more thoroughly, successful writing for the web means catering to skimmers so they can still understand the heart of your message. Here are three ways to do that.
1. Break Up Your Text with Subheadings
The first key to engaging online readers is using subheadings well.
At the most basic level, subheadings show the reader what is being discussed in a particular section of text so they know whether that section is relevant to them. They also break up the text, making it look more appealing to a skimmer.
Ideally, subheadings should be used frequently. Frequent subheadings give skimmers a better idea of what parts of the article they want to actually read, while also helping them feel like they can understand the gist of the article even if they don’t read it at all.
Using a lot of subheadings can also increase the chances that people will read the actual content. An article or blog post broken into several bite-sized pieces feels more digestible than one long post, even if it has the same word count.
By making each subsection feel like a quick, easy read, you may be able to trick skimmers into reading most — or even all — of your article.
Ideally, subsections should be somewhere between 3-5 paragraphs long. My personal rule of thumb is that at least one subheading should always be visible on a standard-sized screen.
2. Avoid Overly Long Paragraphs
Just as important as frequent subheadings are frequent paragraph breaks.
Long paragraphs are intimidating to the skimmer. When faced with a wall of text, people tend to prematurely check out. Short paragraphs, though, promise quick and digestible information.
While long paragraphs can be acceptable for more academic content, shorter paragraphs are generally best for blogs, content marketing posts, and similar web content. I try to aim for roughly 3-4 lines per paragraph to strike the best balance between text and white space.
Some online publications go as far as to make each sentence its own paragraph. This definitely makes a piece of content easier to skim, but I personally think it also makes the content appear more simplistic, giving the reader the impression of a bare-bones overview instead of a trustworthy resource. So unless your publication has a very pared-down tone, I’d advise against single-sentence paragraphs.
Instead, you’ll get more mileage from mostly using short-to-average paragraphs and setting off the occasional single sentence for emphasis. Notice how the first paragraph of this subsection is a single sentence, but none of the rest are. That gives the first sentence a little extra emphasis.
3. Use Lists and Other Interesting Elements
Another great way to make your content more approachable is by including lists in it.
Clickbait writers discovered the power of lists long ago — seeing a number in a piece’s title is appealing because it tells readers that they will get a specific, digestible amount of information. But you don’t have to write a clickbait-style listicle to capitalize on the impact of lists.
Finding opportunities to insert lists into your content is a great way to give readers a lot of information in a way that feels simple. At the same time, they create more white space and allow you to keep your paragraphs shorter, making your content look more digestible.
Lists are also variations in text that catch a skimmer’s eye. People automatically notice variations, so readers will pause when they see a list.
That principle — that readers notice variations — can also be applied to other disruptions in a text, like sidebars, graphics, or pull quotes. Like lists, these elements draw a skimmer’s eye and, in doing so, easily share the key information you want to impart.
Making Content that Keeps People Hooked
Reading on the web is a fundamentally different experience than reading in print. Even the most dedicated online readers will often skip large paragraphs or bounce away from long walls of text.
But creating white space, whether by adding subheads, shortening paragraphs, or inserting lists and similar elements, keeps people on your page and ensures that your key points come across.
Need support creating content that will turn skimmers into customers? Contact me to see how we can work together.
Nicole D'Angelo 