Text to HTML Ratio
The Text to HTML Ratio is a metric that measures the amount of text on a webpage compared to the amount of HTML code required to display it. This ratio is not a direct ranking factor for search engines, but it can indirectly affect search rankings due to its impact on user experience, page indexing, and page speed.
Overview[edit | edit source]
Most web pages are written in HTML code, which is used to display the page content, usually in text form. The Text to HTML Ratio represents the correlation between the amount of text on a page and the amount of HTML code needed to display that text. A good Text to HTML Ratio is anywhere from 25 to 70 percent. This percentage refers to the visible text ratio, as opposed to HTML elements, image tags, and other non-visible information.
Usage Types[edit | edit source]
SEO[edit | edit source]
While the Text to HTML Ratio is not listed as an official ranking factor by Google, it can affect SEO efforts in several ways. Google uses this metric to assess the page’s relevancy. Since the Text to HTML Ratio refers to visible text as opposed to HTML elements, websites with visible text tend to rank higher on SERP. Also, a low Text to HTML Ratio indicates that a website is heavy with code, which can increase loading time and negatively impact the user experience.
User Experience[edit | edit source]
Pages with a higher Text to HTML Ratio are usually more readable and user-friendly. Websites built with an end-user in mind are often favored by search engines, which can result in a higher ranking. Less code means fewer unnecessary HTML elements, leading to faster page load times and a better user experience.
Page Indexing[edit | edit source]
A cleaner code and a higher ratio of plain text make it easier for search engines to crawl and index the site. This can indirectly impact the search engine ranking of the website.
Improving Text to HTML Ratio[edit | edit source]
Improving the Text to HTML Ratio starts with validating the HTML code and removing any redundant elements. Other steps include resizing images, removing unnecessary imagery, using CSS for styling and formatting, and keeping the size of the page under 300kb. It's also recommended to use internal linking to help users navigate the site and ensure that the links pass link juice.
Fixing Text to HTML Ratio[edit | edit source]
Fixing the Text to HTML Ratio involves several steps:
- Validate HTML Code: Use online tools to validate the HTML code of your webpage. This can help identify and remove invalid or redundant code.
- Remove Unnecessary Code: Remove any unnecessary HTML elements, comments, and white spaces in the code.
- Use CSS for Styling: Use CSS for styling and formatting instead of HTML. This can help reduce the amount of HTML code on your webpage.
- Optimize Images: Resize and compress images to reduce the amount of code required to display them.
- Increase Text Content: Add more relevant and valuable text content to your webpage. This can help increase the Text to HTML Ratio.
By following these steps, you can effectively fix the Text to HTML Ratio on your webpage, thereby improving its SEO performance, user experience, and page indexing.