Writing an article or a text is not a task everyone can accomplish. Indeed, you need to find the right words to express yourself and be understood. While some people write more fluidly, others often face the dread of a blank page. It's not uncommon to find spelling mistakes, complex grammatical constructions, and phrasing that weigh down the text.
Do you know the recipe for a good text in web writing ?
It boils down to four ingredients: engaging, relevant, clear, and concise! Unless you're writing a detailed deep-dive, overly long texts are boring, and a bored reader is a lost prospect!
To keep your readership until the end, here are 10 tips to shorten an overly long text.
1. Rework your writing plan
I admit, it's very school-like, but very effective for producing shorter texts! Check your titles and subheadings. Are they relevant and all necessary?
If your topic covers probiotics, there's no need to include a paragraph about other dietary supplements. The advantage is you'll save material for a second article!
Use the 5 W rule to structure your text:
- Who? (who)
- What? (what)
- When? (when)
- Where? (where)
- Why? (why)
You can optionally add a 'how' if you think it adds relevance to your text. If you stick to this basic rule, your article will be complete while remaining concise and shortened.
Give short, easy-to-understand answers. Think about prioritizing the answers by putting yourself in the readers' shoes, who visit your site to get information.
That's the original goal and your readers will be won over!
2. One idea per paragraph
If the first paragraph lays the groundwork of your article by succinctly answering the 5 W's, the other paragraphs serve to expand on the topic. We therefore apply the inverted pyramid rule : one paragraph = one idea, starting of course with the most important.
Web writing is particular; always keep in mind that your audience can quickly bail if your article doesn't deliver the information they're looking for fast enough. It's a real balancing act since you also need to pique their curiosity to keep them reading to the end!
Proofread your article and hunt for unnecessary ideas. You'll see your text shorten like magic!
3. Cut the superfluous
Keep it simple! Long words and sentences, repetitions, etc. Be ruthless with your text; not only will this shorten it, but it will also make it more readable.
The structure of a perfect sentence in web writing:
- Subject + verb + object.
- Be concise; no more than one idea per sentence.
- It should contain no more than 25 words.
- Prefer the active voice to the passive; it's more dynamic.
- Don't start your sentences with a coordinating conjunction.
Consider using bulleted lists to effectively shorten an enumerative paragraph.
Use synonyms to simplify your words:
Nothing beats this for shortening your texts!
- One example: 'excessively': 13 characters, 'very': 4 characters.
- 'This article is excessively long. This article is very long.'
Not only will you reduce length, but you'll also improve readability. A smoother-to-read text will hold your audience's attention better, especially for web reading on mobile.
Hunt down repetitions:
Carefully proofread your text and remove all repetitions. In web writing, articles are short; there's no need to restate what you wrote two paragraphs earlier — your reader should still remember it.
Along the same lines, hunt down pleonasms: "as of today", "postpone until later", "an opportunity to seize", etc.
4. Rephrase
Stick to simplicity; convoluted sentences are hard to read and take up a lot of space!
Haven't you ever had the experience of sentences you have to read several times before understanding their meaning?
- Remove introductory phrases. For example: 'Today we will explain to you how…' can be transformed into: 'Discover with us how…'. Do you feel the difference in the sentence's tone? Yes — besides being shorter, it's also more dynamic and more engaging.
- Remove unnecessary adverbs. Ask yourself: is it necessary for my text? If I remove 'attentively' from this sentence: 'Take the time to read this article attentively', do I strip it of meaning?
- Avoid negative constructions: 'This article is hardly understandable.' can become: 'This article is incomprehensible.' Not only is the sentence more positive, it's also shorter since you save 12 characters.
- Replace weak verbs. such as 'be', 'have', 'allow', 'have to'. Not only do they weigh down the text, they also take up space! For example: 'Investing in real estate will allow you to grow your money' becomes 'Invest in real estate and grow your money.' Result: 13 characters saved and increased dynamism!
5. Split overly long sentences
To ensure your sentences are simple and easy to understand, choose the construction with the fewest words. When a sentence is too long, the risk of errors is much higher. Don't hesitate to remove unnecessary words and parts that repeat information that has already been covered.
This method helps you to shorten your text and make sentences more fluid. As soon as you notice a sentence is too long, isolate the different ideas and handle them separately: make one sentence per idea. Consider turning subordinate clauses into shorter sentences.
Favor the simplest grammatical structure: subject + verb + object or adjective. The reader understands more quickly and is motivated to keep reading until the end. Do not multiply synonyms, adjectives, and adverbs so you do not stray from your subject.
Also avoid the passive voice and the use of the subjunctive. These constructions can mislead you and lengthen your text. Try to revise sentences that contain multiple adjectives and adverbs by finding the single best word to express your ideas.
6. Learn to categorize your ideas to shorten a text
Once you have a detailed outline, present your ideas starting with the most important. Information must be carefully structured to answer the questions of customers or prospects.
Start with the most interesting points: give clear and concise answers so readers do not get lost in a long, hard-to-understand text. Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes to determine the priority order of the questions you need to answer in your text.
You can also break a long text into several interconnected articles by creating internal links.
7. Shorten a text by using everyday vocabulary
Outdated literary styles should be avoided for shorten a textNot only will your readers get bored, but they also weigh down sentences. Use simple words that everyone can understand so readers feel comfortable.
This method also helps improve the visibility of your content. Indeed, internet users performing an online search will use common expressions. Thus, if your text includes words related to their search and paragraphs that answer their questions.
Warning: using simpler vocabulary does not mean you should repeat yourself. Remember to vary your sentence structures so reading is pleasant, but also to position yourself on the different possible queries on Google.
To shorten a text effectively, also think about making it easier to understand by translating technical jargon. Abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms, etc. must be understandable. Imagine the reader is a complete beginner who doesn’t know the topic. You are there to inform them and help them understand.
8. Remove obvious actions and logical transitions
When rereading sentences in order to shorten a text, you must identify sentences that describe an obvious sequence following the previously mentioned action.
For example: She lies down on the bed to rest and fall asleep. You can simply write: She falls asleep on the bed. She lies down and falls asleep. It is obvious that she lies down on a bed.
Target constructions that weigh down the text and rephrase them. If the information you explain has already been covered in previous paragraphs, don’t hesitate to delete it and keep only the new information.
9. Three tools to help you trim your texts
These tools do not will not replace a rewriting effort, but at least they will help you shorten texts that are too long.
Research so you can choose the text shortener best suited to your needs.
Resoomer
Resoomer offers three very practical functions. The automatic mode summarizes the essentials of your texts in one click. Its analysis function highlights important passages. And best of all, this text shortener offers an optimization tab where you just need to insert your keywords to get a summary optimized. In short, Resoomer is a very handy tool!
Summary Box
SSummary Box works differently, there you'll need to install the app on your browser (only on Chrome). When you're on a long article, you will only have to click its icon so that it text shortener offers you an automatic summary.
SummarizeThis
SummarizeThis it displays it immediately: “Just the facts” (Just the facts) — and ultimately, that's all you need! Paste your text into the text reducer window and a summary appears above.
10. Don't forget to proofread
Once you're satisfied with the work done to shorten the text, take the time to read it aloud. This way you'll spot errors and possible agreement mistakes. You'll also use this proofreading to adjust phrasings you still find awkward.
You'll also be able to detect parts that lack rhythm and sentences that are hard to understand. Don't hesitate to modify them to ensure the flow of your content. You can wait a few hours before rereading to get a fresh perspective. If a colleague can proofread the shortened content, they can also spot heavy sentences to fix.
Our advice for shortening an overly long text
Apply these tips and you'll see your texts shorten for a web reading much more pleasant!
If you don't have the time or the will to get started, you can find qualified online professionals services that can shorten an overly long text.
Your content will be much more pleasant to read and will hold the attention of your potential customers.
