The inclusive language analysis

If you want your pages to be found online it’s best to use the language your audience uses. Language evolves along with society, and that’s why we’ve introduced the inclusive language analysis in Yoast SEO. If you’re working on your SEO you probably want to grow your audience. If you write more inclusively you will open up your content to more people. The more people read, understand, and relate to your content the more likely it is that they will enjoy, share or link to it.

Note: The inclusive language analysis is opt-in
The inclusive language analysis is opt-in, so it won’t be activated by default. You can use it if you want to write inclusive content for your audience. You can activate it by going to Yoast SEO > General > Features and toggling the inclusive language analysis switch. The SEO and readability analyses won’t change if you choose not to use this new feature. Would you like to share feedback about the inclusive language analysis? Let us know what you think!

What does it assess?

The inclusive language feature assesses your posts and pages in 7 categories, here they are in alphabetical order.

Age

Age may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to discriminating against others. Yet, ageism is a real problem, affecting many people worldwide. Find out what ageism is and how you can combat it by using more inclusive language in your content.

Appearance

Personal looks can often be the subject of judgment from others. Sometimes these judgments are positive or neutral, but occasionally they may be based on prejudices against certain body types. Learn more about prejudices against appearances and find out how to improve the inclusivity of your content.

Race, culture, and ethnicity

Race, culture, and ethnicity are also often misused in language. As societies evolve and gain a better understanding of the impact of the language they use, language changes as well. Therefore, it is important to use inclusive language when writing on these topics. Read more on how to write about race, culture, and ethnicity in an inclusive way.

Disability and neurodiversity

When creating inclusive content, it’s important to consider the way we write about disability and neurodiversity. The language people use when talking about these topics can be patronizing, or it may be dismissive of people’s lived experiences. Find out how to talk about disability and neurodiversity in a way that’s considerate and factual.

Gender

To write inclusive content, it is important to consider how we write about people of various genders since certain gendered words could alienate potential audience members. Learn how to talk about gender in a way that will make your content more inclusive.

Sexual and romantic orientation

If you want to write inclusively, it is important to use language that doesn’t exclude or stigmatize people based on their sexual and/or romantic orientation. Sexual orientation refers to who you experience sexual attraction to. Romantic orientation is about who you feel romantically attracted to. Find out how to use inclusive language when discussing sexual and romantic orientation.

Socioeconomic status

When writing on topics that center around income, education, occupation, and social class, it is important to use the right language that will not offend or alienate parts of your audience. Non-inclusive language can be harmful as it perpetuates stereotypes and overgeneralizes. Find out how to use inclusive language when discussing socioeconomic issues.

Other

Some non-inclusive terms don’t fit into one of the categories mentioned above, such as terms like minorities and describing people or their behavior as normal or abnormal. Find out more about these terms and their more inclusive alternatives.

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