If you’ve ever come across the Yoast SEO plugin, you’ve certainly heard about transition words. But, do you know how to use them, and how important are they to create a more intelligible text? In this content, we share some tips on how and why to use transition words in posts.
What Are Transition Words?
Transition words are resources used to show the reader the correlation between sentences and/or paragraphs. In other words, it demonstrates the idea of continuity. Do you know when you read a text and consider that the paragraphs are completely disconnected from each other? Or when sentences seem unrelated? Well, this usually happens when the text is precarious in transition words.
Doesn’t your reading become much more fluid when the text is well written? Therefore, it is interesting to use some words to make the article better articulated.
Transition Words – Are They Important for SEO?
Yes! Google performs constant updates and, with each one, new metrics are introduced. As such, it eventually considers things that were once rather neglected. Currently, the company has increasingly privileged the user experience.
That is, the way the user responds to your website or article. The better the experience, the easier it is to rank. There are several points that must be considered to stipulate a good user experience. Page opening speed, fast image loading and, of course, readability.
The easier it is for your text to be read, the better the user experience will be. Consequently, Google tends to recommend your article to more people because it understands that you value a good experience for your readers. Thus, knowing how to use transition words is a way to make your text with better metrics.
How to Use Transition Words?
Okay, you already understand the importance of transition words for your text, both in terms of readability and SEO of articles. However, now what? How should these elements be used in stories? Check out the tips below.
1. Try to Be as Natural as Possible
The purpose of using transition words is to make the text more fluid to read. Therefore, when introducing these elements in your text, try to be as natural as possible. After all, readers should easily understand the main idea of the article, and this should be done naturally.
Stuffing your article with transition words, even though it leaves Yoast metrics green, doesn’t mean your article is good. Remember what these elements are for: to bring continuity between paragraphs, sentences and sentences. Leave them harmonic and cohesive, make them easier to read.
2. Use the Appropriate Transition Words
There are different types, such as: introduction; continuity; time; similarity or comparison; transition; conclusion.
You should use transition words at the appropriate time in your text. This may sound complicated, but in reality, categorizing this textual element makes writing even easier. After all, if you want to insert some transitional words at the beginning of your text, but you don’t know which ones, just search for introductory transition words, for example.
3. Use the Words According to Your Audience
Transition words serve to make your text easier to understand. However, some of these words can be considered too “formal” for a more relaxed audience. On the other hand, they can be used calmly if your audience is formed by lawyers, for example.
4. Search for References
Do you have difficulty applying transition words in your text, especially considering your audience? Then look for other blogs or articles in the same niche as yours that are well-positioned. As readability is an influential factor in ranking, certainly well-positioned articles use this textual element masterfully. Also: read books, articles and other things that interest you – even if you don’t notice, you’re improving your vocabulary.
5. Variety!
Another precaution you should take when writing your text is to pay attention to the variety of transition words. There is a huge range of words, so try to make the most of these features. If you persist in repeating the same expression over and over, your text becomes repetitive or even boring to understand.
What Transition Words To Use?
As we mentioned before, there are several categories of transition words. Below, we’ve listed some from each category, so it’s easier to include them in your texts.
1. Introduction
In advance; first of all; at first; above all; since now; primarily; about everything; firstly.
2. Continuation
Further; even so; other than that; despite that; as well as; yet; in the same way; in other words; along with; in this sense; that is; although; for example; still.
3. Time
Now; previously; at the same time; whereas; sometimes; currently; constantly; after; since; while; right away; then; eventually; finally; often; immediately; soon after; right after; in the meantime; occasionally; just before; just after; rarely; ever; whenever; simultaneously; every time.
4. Similarity or comparison
Similarly;
instead; like this; this way too; as well as; according; according;
identically; otherwise; in the same way; in contrast; equally; by analogy; on
the other hand; second; from the same point of view; such as.
5. Conclusion
Above all; in the end; so; as a result; definitively; in this way; thus; in conclusion; in summary; anyway; in short; lastly; therefore.
SEO Firm in Vancouver – Anney Ha SEO Consultant
After this article, you can conclude that transition words are great allies to improve your site’s SEO. However, it is necessary to know how to correctly use these elements, as it can also be decisive in keeping your article and website irrelevant. If you still have questions or need help designing your 2022 content plan, please let us know. We can help you with your needs.