Short answer: Website copy is the text on your pages: headings, paragraphs, buttons and forms. Most visitors scan before they read. So open with what they came for, keep sentences and paragraphs short, and use headings that say what each section holds. Write it in the words your customers use.
How people read a web page
Mostly, they scan. In NN/g’s research on how people read websites, 79% of test users always scanned any new page, and only 16% read word by word.
From that, NN/g recommends meaningful subheadings rather than clever ones, bulleted lists, one idea per paragraph and the inverted pyramid: start with the conclusion. It also suggests half the word count of conventional writing, or less.
NN/g’s test users also detested “marketese”, the promotional style full of boastful claims, and credibility suffered when a site clearly exaggerated.
NN/g tested five versions of the same site with 51 users, one of them the original promotional copy. The version that was concise, scannable and objective at once scored 124% better usability than that original.
The rules that make copy easy to read
Digital.gov’s plain language guide asks for one idea in each sentence and one topic in each paragraph. Each paragraph should start with a sentence that sums it up.
It cites writing experts who recommend paragraphs of no more than 150 words, in three to eight sentences, and never longer than 250. Headings should give a clear picture of what each section holds.
It also asks for simple words and the active voice, and for one term per idea: switching synonyms makes readers wonder if you mean something new. Its advice is to challenge every word you write.
| Rule | Instead of | Write |
|---|---|---|
| Answer first | Welcome to our website, where we have proudly served our community for many years. | We repair AC units in Miami, most of them the same day. |
| One idea per sentence | Our team, which has years of experience, installs and repairs all brands, and we also offer financing. | We install and repair all brands. You can pay in monthly installments. |
| Fewer words | In order to request a quote, please fill out the form below. | To get a quote, fill out the form. |
| Your customers’ words | Complete HVAC solutions | AC repair and installation |
| Facts, not boasts | The best service in all of South Florida | We answer calls seven days a week |
Rules from NN/g and Digital.gov’s plain language guide, read November 4, 2026. The examples, for a sample AC repair business, are ours.
How to write the copy for a page
- Write down who the page is for and the one thing they came to do.
- Open with the answer or the offer in one or two sentences.
- Split the rest into short sections, each with a heading that says what it holds.
- Keep one idea per sentence and one topic per paragraph.
- Cut every word that doesn’t help, then read the page aloud.
- Use the words customers use when they call, write or search for you.
- End with one clear next step, such as a call or a short form.
For the words, Digital.gov suggests starting from what people ask when they email or call you. Our H1 tag guide covers the main heading, and our call to action guide covers the wording of that last step.
How our own copy measures up
On November 4, 2026, we measured the sentences and paragraphs of 140 English guides on our site and of our home page. We counted a sentence up to each period, question mark or exclamation mark.
The guides hold 11,089 sentences that average 13.9 words, and 5,856 paragraphs that average 26.4 words. The longest paragraph has 119 words, so none passes the 150 that Digital.gov cites.
The home page runs shorter still: its 71 sentences average 9.7 words. We left out our first guide, whose text sits in an older page layout our script doesn’t read.
Before you publish a page
- The first lines answer what the visitor came for.
- Each heading says what its section holds.
- Each sentence carries one idea.
- No paragraph runs past 150 words.
- The same thing has the same name on every page.
- The page ends with one clear next step.
RememberVisitors scan first. Put the answer at the top, keep sentences and paragraphs short, and write in your customers’ words.
If you want the copy written for you, every plan of our web design service includes copy we write.
Quick answers about website copy
How long should website copy be?
As long as it takes to answer what the visitor came for, and no longer. Google says it has no preferred word count. NN/g suggests web copy use half the words of conventional writing, or fewer.
Do people read website copy word by word?
Mostly not. In NN/g’s research, 79% of test users always scanned a new page and only 16% read it word by word. Headings, lists and short paragraphs help them find what they came for.
How long should a paragraph be on a website?
Digital.gov’s plain language guide cites writing experts who recommend no more than 150 words in three to eight sentences, and never more than 250. An occasional one-sentence paragraph is fine. Start each one with a sentence that sums it up.
Should I write website copy for Google or for people?
For people. Google says its ranking systems are designed to favor helpful, reliable information created to benefit people, not content made to manipulate rankings. It also asks whether your main heading or title gives a descriptive, helpful summary.
Does promotional language hurt website copy?
It can. NN/g’s test users detested “marketese”, the boastful style of claims like “hottest ever”, and credibility suffered when a site clearly exaggerated. In its study, a version in plain, objective language scored 27% better usability than the promotional one.
Sources
Read on November 4, 2026. NN/g: How Users Read on the Web and Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to Write for the Web. Digital.gov, Principles of plain language: Short and simple, Organize the information and Write for the reader; Writing for understanding: Clear and short. Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content. Our own case: sentence and paragraph length in our guides and on our home page, measured on November 4, 2026.