To err is human.” In other words, we make mistakes. A lot. And that’s OK. But when it comes to our brand and business, it’s important that we keep our mistakes to a minimum.
For example, what about our spelling mistakes? Do they negatively impact our SEO? Just how ruthless do you need to be when editing your writing work?
Stick around for more…
Do spelling mistakes negatively impact your SEO?
According to Google, spelling isn’t a ranking factor; a few minor spelling mistakes in your work is not the end of the world. You won’t necessarily be penalised or ranked down for it.
Of course, if you frequently misspell your keywords, then you are going to have a bad time. For example, if you are focusing on “SEO Singapore” and your website and content has “SOE Singpore” littered throughout, Google’s going to get confused when trying to crawl, index, and rank your website accordingly.
Aside from that, one or two spelling mistakes in long-form content isn’t going to bring your entire operation tumbling down.
That said…it doesn’t give you a free pass to skimp on the editing process and publish any old rubbish for the sake of it.
The fact is, spelling mistakes in your content, whether it be on your website, adverts, or social media posts, can negatively impact your business in several ways.
Let’s elaborate…
Spelling mistakes can hinder your conversions
While many of your readers might not even notice the spelling mistakes – or care – there are those who will. And if you continue to post and share content that often has spelling mistakes, your audience will invariably value your brand a lot less.
It’s very difficult to take a business seriously if they can’t take the time to edit and proofread their content before sending it out into the world.
Spelling mistakes create a poor user experience
If your website visitors need to essentially ‘double take’ when reading your content in order to fully understand what you are talking about, then it will de-value the content as it invariably delivers a poor onsite experience.
Your content should be well-written, concise, and should ultimately provide value to your website visitors.
Google knows how to handle misspelling
The good news is that Google typically knows how to handle misspelling. Yes, if your focus keywords are spelled incorrectly then you are going to have a bad time. However, one or two minor spelling mistakes across your website isn’t going to necessarily negatively impact your SEO – especially if the content itself is otherwise flawless and provides high-value.
In fact, you’ve probably noticed one or two spelling mistakes before in high-ranking content. This is largely because the rest of the content is so excellent that such minor errors can be overlooked.
Again, that doesn’t mean you should skimp on editing.
How ruthless should you be when editing your content?
Be very ruthless! You should proofread all of your work at least twice before you send it out into the world. It’s always worth getting a second pair of eyes on it as well.
That, and you should regularly go through your website and your blog posts and always keep an eye out for spelling mistakes or wording that could be far more effective.
Conclusion: Take pride in your work
Your content is essentially the face of your business. If people are coming to your website for the first time and coming across lazy spelling mistakes, it’s going to impact your bottom line because there are many people who will invariably be turned off by it.
If you want to convert as many clicks to customers as possible, put your best foot forward and keep your grammar and spelling ‘toight!’
