Did you know that the average reading level in the United States is Grade 8? Here are a few more interesting facts:
According to Ph.D. Susan Weinschenk:
In order to understand information you need one or both of the following:
- You will understand new information more easily if there is already a framework of knowledge to fit it into.
- The information needs to be at the appropriate reading level.
So what does this mean for your website and blog articles? It means you need to have a good understanding of your target audience and write copy that not only appeals to them, but copy they can actually understand.
Your law firm faces an uphill battle taking very complicated, difficult to explain legal issues and presenting them in an easily digestible format for the web. On top of that, you need to understand that your articles and website copy will only be effective if your target audience can understand what they are reading. Crafting content that appeals to your visitors is crucial to helping your website or blog perform at its best (ie: convert website visitors into calls and emails requesting legal services).
Dr. Weinschenk discusses The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Score which is a mathematical formula used to establish the reading level of a piece of content.
The method gives you a Reading Ease formula and also a reading grade level score. The higher the score the easier the passage is to read. Low scores mean the passage is hard to read.
To test the grade level and readability of your content you can visit the website address:
https://www.standards-schmandards.com/exhibits/rix/index.php
Copy and paste your content into the site and it will return your Flesch-Kincaid Grade level and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score.
I think the important thing to recognize here is that you need a good understanding of your target client. What is their average education level? What type of consumer is your firm dealing with? While the answers may vary, you are better off erring on the side of simplicity to ensure the visitors to your site can understand how you will be able to help them.
FYI: Scores for this article:
Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 12.
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score: 37.
Free Guide: Law Firm Link-BuildingGreat content is part of a link-building strategy. Read ways to use your content to get clients. We'll send you the guide with some helpful tips. |
On April 22, 2025, Google sent an email updating Local Services Ads Additional Terms for Providers: Subject: Action required: important updates to Local Service Ads Additional Terms Many people are arguing that lawyers cannot participate in Local Services Ads, as this would constitute a per se violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct related to […]
Conrad and I recently joined Zack at Lawyerist to record a conversation about AI and marketing. You might think that we spend the whole time on how lawyers can use AI to publish content. You'd be wrong. While AI can certainly support publishing, there are many more interesting ways to use it in legal marketing. […]
As more legal services consumers turn to ChatGPT for local law firm recommendations, a fascinating intersection between AI, search, and maps unfolds. While Google remains the undisputed leader in local business data, ChatGPT is increasingly becoming an entry point for searchers seeking legal representation. But here’s the kicker: instead of keeping users within its ecosystem, […]
When law firms contact us, they usually want to talk: • PPC Ads • SEO Rankings • Lead Generation Very few want to talk: • Brand • Trust & Recognition • Emotional Connection Admittedly, much of this concerns that AttorneySync is known for lead generation across those common digital channels. But even when we start […]
According to an October 2024 study by SE Ranking: "The legal niche triggers the highest percentage of AIOs (77.67%). The average number of links matched between the AI Overview resources and the top 20 search results was 6.49 for legal topics. AI Overviews for legal topics most frequently link to NYCourts.gov (114 links), YouTube.com (48 […]
I'm grateful for my friend, Charley Mann of Law firm Alchemy. If you're a lawyer, subscribe to his Free Email List. In a recent email, Charley calls out bad guru advice on hiring: "Trying to execute a major SEO improvement? You need to find people who will help you, instead of trying to DIY it […]
If you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn, you’ve likely seen posts from law firm SEO experts showing off charts with an “up and to the right” trajectory. These screenshots, often pulled from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, are meant to signal SEO success. And it’s not just the agencies celebrating—𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 […]
Meh, links! All things being equal, links still tend to move the dial more than any other factor in legal SERPs. Maybe links are having a diminishing impact internet-wide. But in my experience, quality links, especially relevant links (both topically and geographically), tend to improve law firm visibility in search more than most everything else. […]
When you think of "marketing," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Ads? SEO? Social Media? What about: Helping others?Taking the lead? Rallying around your community? Need an example? Learn from Bart Siniard at Siniard Law Injury Attorneys efforts to help rebuild Mary's Pit BBQ. These efforts aren't about marketing. They're about supporting a […]