Does Grammar Really Affect SEO?

You’ve created a website for your business, but there may be spelling and grammar errors scattered throughout. Does website grammar really matter if your marketing message still comes across? Yes. Yes, it does. And here’s why.

Content Marketing and Grammar

When a customer is looking online for a business, the business’s website usually provides their first impression. If there are spelling and grammar errors, it can affect how the potential customer views the business as a whole. Even if grammar has nothing to do with what you offer, their initial opinion will be colored by the fact that the content appeared to be careless, incorrect, or sloppy.

For example, typos on a landing page increase bounce rate by 85%. Those customers leave before they even interact with your website! Bad grammar is simply bad for business.

And your customers aren’t the only ones looking. Grammatical errors affect your content marketing at your web visitors’ level and a search engine optimization (SEO) level. Google’s algorithm values high-quality, well-written content. Your site could fall dramatically in search results if Google detects spelling and grammar mistakes and ranks your site as lower in quality and user experience. Check out what Google guru John Mueller has to say about the SEO impact of poor spelling and grammar. Spoiler: He says it’s more important than broken HTML code.

No one is perfect. Mistakes happen. But multiple mistakes will cost you. A poll conducted by SurveyMonkey revealed that women are 81% less likely to buy a product advertised with spelling/grammar ads and 77% of men feel the same way.

All-in-all, poor grammar and spelling will lead to a poor user experience on your website, cause a loss of credibility, and negatively affect your search engine rankings.

Grammar Tools

If spelling and grammar aren’t your strengths, you have options. Microsoft Word has built-in spell check, but it does not check words for context. You still need to check that everything makes sense in the context of your content.

Grammarly checks spelling and basic grammar in its free version. It offers suggestions for clarity, fluency, engagement, and delivery in the paid version. There are desktop versions, browser extensions, versions for iOS and Android, as well as Microsoft Word.

The Hemingway App is another tool that checks your content’s readability and makes suggestions. Online use is free, and desktop downloads are paid. Both offer the same features.

These tools can make suggestions, but you need a basic understanding of grammar to ensure that the changes the tools recommend are right for what you’re writing.

Pro tip: Read your copy out loud to yourself before posting it to your website. If it sounds awkward—fix it!

Professional Writing

Another option to improve your content is to hire a professional. Web content writers bring specialized skills to the table. They are experts in SEO, grammar, spelling, and how to write copy that will help you appeal to your target audience.

KP Kreative Can Help!

Our team of professional writers, designers, and marketing and SEO experts are here to help. We can create a professional website that will reflect your business in the best light for potential customers, clients, and Google. Contact KP Kreative today to get started!

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