How readable are those blogs?
Would you like to take the Blog Readability Test? Click here. Here is a1-fan-fun’s result:
Interestingly enough, my other blog Karen Zara Dwells Here got a better result: Junior High School. As its posts are all written by yours truly, this made me wonder how the results are generated and what the cause of this difference might be.
I’ve written longer and better articles for KZDH. Now I’m trying to improve a1-fan-fun’s content, but in the past it used to be silly indeed. That may explain why two blogs mantained by the same writer got different results. On the other hand, the criteria behind the Blog Readability Test remains unknown as far as I’m concerned.
This made me so curious that I decided to put many other blogs to the test. See the results:
Vandelay Website Design – High School
DoshDosh – College (Undergrad)
HELLO, my name is BLOG! – Elementary School
DailyBlogTips – Junior High School
John Chow – Junior High School
Problogger – Genius
Warrior Blog – Elementary School
Pro Blog Design – Junior High School
SEO Chicks – Junior High School
Skelliewag – College (Undergrad)
Blogging Bits – College (Undergrad)
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog – Elementary School
eMoms at Home – High School
Blogging Web 2.0 – Junior High School
The Honest Way – Junior High School
The Writers Manifesto – Elementary School
All Tips and Tricks – High School
I am Karthik – Elementary School
How to Make Money Online for Beginners – Genius
Internet Marketing Mind – Junior High School
SEO 2.0 – Junior High School
Abstract Promotion – Junior High School
Internet Marketing Sucks! – Elementary School
Lars-Christian – College (Postgrad)
Jim Kukral – High School
Mike’s Money Making Mission – Junior High School
Ades Blog – Junior High School
Angela Booth’s Writing Blog – High School
Bloggers Blog – Junior High School
Hot Diggity! – Elementary School
Go Media Zine – Elementary School
C. Hope Clark – College (Undergrad)
Wrimo Buddies – High School
Marketing Pilgrim – High School
45n5 – High School
Daily Writing Tips – Junior High School
Copyblogger – College (Postgrad)
I’m sure I’ve left many cool blogs out of this list, but it is long enough already.
On my next post I’ll write more on this subject. Meanwhile, tell me what you think. Is there any blog you believe to have been underrated (or overrated)? Why?
UPDATE: In fact my next post will deal with an entirely different subject. Sorry about that. But I’ll write more on this readability thing, promised! Thanks a lot for your comments. 
November 7th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Now, I wonder, is that good or bad?
Wider reader base available, but not taken seriously by ‘gurus’? Harder to read and to be understood but with some gems hidden within?
November 7th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Genius here…lol
Cool idea. Just thought you might want to check out
http://www.websitegrader.com/#ReportTop
This has a readability level tool as well and a few other interesting facts if you run your site through it. It’s free to use. I ranked PhD on it. Sadly the higher you rank the worse your score as they recommend writing at a high school or lower level.
and I thought I needed an education…
Cheers,
Grizzly
November 7th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
How Readable is Your Blog?
Are you too smart for your readers? Karen Zara has run a number of A-list blogs and others through a readability tool and posted a comparative list of her findings. Do you write at an elementary school level or College Graduate level? Find out how you …
November 8th, 2007 at 2:16 am
Wow – one needs an undergrad degree to understand my blog? Interesting. That could be good or bad. Takes all levels, I imagine, so better stick with what I know. Thanks for ranking me! And it’s nice to know I’m one of your favorite blogs. http://hopeclark.blogspot.com
November 8th, 2007 at 4:16 am
Hi Karen,
I wasn’t too surprised at my result either. I think that as far as a blog’s readability by the majority of visitors goes, a lower (but not too low!) result is best. When you’re writing style is so complex that you’re going to score at advanced level it might actually put most people off. Except maybe for a few.
At the ehnd of the day, you want maximum visitors to your blog so I say write for the masses, not fo rthe few college professors that might stop by once in a while!
Terry
November 8th, 2007 at 5:23 am
LOL Karen,
Cool tool, I wonder what indicators are being used to come up with the results? Glad my readers don’t need a PHD to understand where I’m coming from.
Monika
November 8th, 2007 at 7:25 am
That’s very interesting. I can see only Problogger is a “Genius”. Is it any wonder he’s one of the tops, LOL. Surprising that Copyblogger is only “College”. I’d thought he would into the Genius category. Seriously, it’s still a good indicator of your level of writing.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:24 am
I got High School. I’m happy with that grade, because I sometimes find blogs that write using words that require dictionary.com open in a new tab just to complete the article. Sometimes I end up leaving without finishing it, ’cause who should have to work that hard?
November 8th, 2007 at 10:47 am
We got “junior high school” because we all wear turquoise stirrup pants and long sweaters most likely. I can’t imagine any other reason…
November 8th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I just checked my own blog myself, and apparantly after the more recent changes I’ve made (using only excerpts on the front-page) has transformed it into Genius. Not sure how good that is to be honest
November 8th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I found this to be really interesting. My blog turned out to be College (Undergrad). I thought it was funny, though, when I tried Target.com and found out it’s a Genius while almost all of the presidential candidate’s web sites are listed as Elementary!
November 9th, 2007 at 1:04 am
Thanks for the link
Honestly, I take pride in my blog’s Elementary degree – it means I reach a wider base of audience
And yes, its a conscious effort to keep it simple. You can get higher rankings by using more complex words, but I’m a firm believer of KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid!)
November 18th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
[...] post about the Blog Readability Test generated more interest than I [...]
November 20th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Hi, as someone from educational publishing . . . readability tools are widely varying. I can show you the same book coming out at second grade and college level.
This one is probably based on number of syllables per word and number of words in a sentence. If you link your readability is too high, write shorter sentences.
I kind of figured I would come out at elementary school.
By the way, one of the most complex sentences to understand is at a first grade (age 6) readability.
It’s . . . To be or not to be.
smiles,
liz