Grammar on Blogs: Does It Affect Rankings?

 

Ever wonder how spelling and grammar affect a web page’s online rankings? For example, when Google ranks WordPress blogs, do their computer algorithms take grammar and spelling into account?

That question was posed to Google’s Matt Cutts, who posted the reply on his YouTube Channel. The answer was interesting because, though Google doesn’t assess the grammar and spelling, the company points out there’s a clear correlation between a page’s success and its grammar and spelling.

“The more reputable pages do tend to have better spelling and better grammar,” Cutts said. “So if you can put in the time to make sure that a page is edited well, you’ll find it’s probably not just a good overall piece of content that’s more likely to stand the test of time, but probably users will appreciate it. People can understand when they land on the page whether something is a little bit, you know, knocked out quickly versus someone put a lot of work into it -- whether there was a copy editor or someone did fact checking or they’re an expert on the subject. ... I would encourage people pay attention to these things maybe not for the search rankings directly but just because it’s a good experience for users and users appreciate that and will be a little more likely to bookmark you and come back.”

Another user asked Cutts whether bad grammar in comments matters. Specifically, a user wanted to know whether he should correct the grammar in the comments on his own blog. According to Cutts, there’s no reason to. Grammar and spelling in the comments section doesn’t affect rankings. “I wouldn’t worry about the grammar in your comments, as long as the grammar in your own page is fine.”

"Just make sure that your own content is high-quality," Cutts said. 

 

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