How can Text to HTML ratio affect SEO?
The Text to HTML ratio measures the amount of text in a webpage compared to the amount of HTML code on a web page. A healthy Text to HTML ratio sits between 25 to 70 per cent. The higher the number between that range, the better.
The Text to HTML ratio is not a metric that Google uses to rank web pages in their search results. But, generally speaking, a good amount of text on a page means that it contains a lot of information relevant to its users. Considering that Google has been leaning towards user experience in its rankings, this metric indirectly measures how optimised your page is for search engines.
Moreover, a low value means that your webpage may be using too much HTML code to display a little amount of text. This can be a sign that your web page may be bloated, which affects page size and page loading speed. A page with a slow loading speed ultimately affects user experience, which can be penalised by Google.
How can I improve this ratio?
To better optimise your Text to HTML ratio, here are some tips:
- Get rid of unnecessary code. This will reduce your page size and improve your page loading speed.
- Add more meaningful content to your web pages. If your web page is lacking content, consider revising it to include other valuable information such as FAQs, Q&As, definitions, descriptions etc.
- Make your text easily readable and understandable. A large chunk of text can overwhelm your page viewers, which can affect the user experience. It is better to section your content into smaller, bite-sized pieces of content. This way, you can add more information to a webpage, without affecting the user experience.
- Get rid of comments in your HTML code. Comments are helpful for web developers but in your live website, this can only bloat your page size and it is best to remove them.
Further Reading:
How Text to HTML ratio affects SEO? – GSM Results
Are Text to HTML Ratios Important? – Woorank
Nick Berns is a web developer & SEO specialist.
