SEO is the set of rules and good practices that need to be adopted in the construction of texts and internet pages, so that they have good scanability. And, consequently, get better rankings in search engines.
Many marketing and content writing professionals always produce their work with a focus on SEO. The big question is: SEO is not something immutable, in fact, it is always possible to discover new ways to optimize the ranking of a website.
And the novelty of the moment are the words of transition, the theme of our post today. Read and learn how transition words are defined and what is the correct way to use them to enhance the SEO of your texts.
Good reading!
Table of Contents
WHAT ARE TRANSITION WORDS?
Transition words are terms applied to join sentences or paragraphs. Let’s go back to school times and do a little grammar class to remember conjunctions and their connecting function.
Terms like “but”, “however” and “however” are examples of conjunctions, which have the function of connecting clauses with compound sentences.
There are a series of words and coordinated conjunctions (formed by more than one word) that perform this function of connecting two periods and giving continuity to a reasoning using two different periods. And we can say that transition words serve a very similar function.
Transition words for SEO are used to join sentences or paragraphs together. Its application aims to make a more fluid text, with simple and facilitated reading.
The result of applying the terms of transition is an optimized experience for users. In addition, they help in a technical way in the scannability of the contents, which enhances the ranking in search engines.
STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND? SO LET’S DO AN EXAMPLE!
If you skipped grammar classes and still don’t understand the idea involved in transition words, let’s look at a practical example.
See the paragraphs below:
- I really like playing football. I don’t play well. I play better than my brother and worse than my cousin. I’m the second best player in the family;
- I really like playing football, but I don’t play well. However , I play better than my brother and worse than my cousin. That is , I am the second best player in the family.
The first example does not show the transition words. Notice how the text becomes more difficult to read, with short ideas and few connections between sentences. Older ones will remember this reference: it looks like a telegram!
In the second example, the words “however”, “however” and the expression “that is” are being applied as transition words. The use of them makes the text simpler, with a more pleasant reading and with an optimized connection between the ideas of each period.
There is nothing wrong with writing like the first example above. However, when it comes to digital marketing, content production for the web and SEO , the most appropriate way is with the application of transitory words.
WHY DO TRANSITION WORDS INFLUENCE SEO?
Good SEO practices do not just focus on building texts that are highly scannable. This is, in fact, very important for rankings, no doubt about it. However, SEO goes beyond the technical part and values the quality of the content.
From the perspective of SEO rules, texts that adopt transition words are easier to read and bring an optimized reading experience for people. And that logic makes perfect sense.
Go back to the example given above and imagine an entire text built with these broken sentences. An idea present in each period. In a boring way. A bit monotonous. Quite stuck. With little connection between ideas. Generating constant breaks.
Did you see? Reading is not pleasant, and SEO seeks to make room for content that is good in information and in the way of presenting this information!
THE FOCUS IS ON READABILITY
The concept of readability is what guides the use of transition terms. Readability is the characteristic of a text whose understanding is simple. And the application of transient words is focused on simplifying ideas, uniting them and delivering a better experience for the user.
But beware: excessive use of transition words can have the opposite effect. That is, leaving the text full of connections to the point of making it difficult to understand the ideas present there.
BESIDES READABILITY, WHAT OTHER BENEFIT DO TRANSITION WORDS OFFER?
Along with improving text comprehension, the application of transition terms has impacts on text quality that are very important for content. Check out the main ones below:
TIME SPENT ON PAGES
SEO experts point out that the use of transition words generates a tendency to increase the time spent on the blog or website.
REDUCTION IN BOUNCE RATE
Better-built texts with better fluidity generate a lower rejection rate among page visitors.
SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF TRANSITION TERMS FOR SEO
Before starting, it is worth paying attention to grammar. Remember that, when explaining the concept of transition words, conjunctions were mentioned. It is important to note that not every transitional word is a conjunction.
The terms can be prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, adverbs and belonging to other grammatical classes. The important thing is not to know which class each term belongs to, but to understand that they give the meaning of connection between sentences!
LET’S GO TO THE EXAMPLES:
- Single transition words: after all, however, therefore, but;
- We have compounds: however, in addition, since, in spite of;
- Words that join two parts of the content: not only X, but also Y; Both X and Y;
Transition words can also be segmented according to the role they play in content. See more:
- Time: currently, often, soon after;
- Introduction: first of all, first of all, at first, in advance;
- Conclusion: being so, in this way, at last;
- Comparison: on the other hand, just like.