8 Types of Stop Words That Make Your Text Worse, and How to Get Rid of Them: SEOquick

When we read any text content on the Internet − whether it's company blogs, posts on Facebook and Instagram − we involuntarily judge the quality of the text by various criteria.

Some people notice spelling mistakes, others immediately see factual inconsistencies and contradictions.

But, say what you will, no one likes an abundance of stop words.

Stop words (or "noise words") are punctuation marks, words, and text characters that carry no meaning of their own and are used only in combination with meaningful words, which convey the main idea of the text.

Of course, it's hard to avoid using stop words entirely, because the text would become very "dry" and, you could say, mathematical − facts with no emotional coloring.

But when writing any kind of piece, you should try to reduce the number of noise words and not turn the text into a list of pronouns and conjunctions.

Here, just like with text density (keyword stuffing), no matter how much you try to reduce it, you always want less.

And if you don't know what text density is and how to lower it, this article is specially for you: "5 Ways to Lower Text Density + Free Analysis Services"

The optimal ratio of noise words to the total number of words depends on the length of the text and is roughly 30%:

The values in the table are averages. You can check text density on the websites https://text.ru/ and https://advego.com/.

If you work as a copywriter, you know how important the text density metric is.

And if it's higher than you'd like, you can work with stop words − try to remove them as much as possible or at least replace them.

Of course, such edits will somewhat reduce the length of the text, but you'll convey the meaning more clearly and the density level will immediately drop.

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What Kinds of Stop Words Exist and Why They Are Dangerous

As written above, the use of stop words is undesirable in any text content.

But why?

Which words specifically count as noise words, read in this chapter.

If we talk about stop words in the context of SEO promotion, every search engine has its own list of words that are not recognized and are classified as noise words.

These lists are constantly supplemented and expanded.

If your text has too many stop words that are not recognized by a particular search engine, this will affect the site's ranking in the search results.

However, there's another side to the coin − without stop words the text loses its logic entirely.

For example, the sentence: "Without any doubt, Nataliya studies quite well, moreover, she takes part in olympiads, but her grade-point average on her certificate probably won't be enough for a gold medal."

If we remove the stop words, we get something like this: "Nataliya studies quite well, takes part in olympiads, her grade-point average won't be enough for a gold medal."

There's a missing word that would link the first and second parts of the sentence, so in this case you can do without the phrase "without any doubt," but you can't do without the particle "but."

Now let's break down which groups of noise words stand out:

1. General

• numerals (fifth, 10, three, eighth, etc.);
• particles (no, not, yes, etc.);
• adverbs (in total, altogether, etc.);
• introductory words (generally, incredibly, possibly, etc.);
• words with an intensifying meaning (the most, gigantic, the worst, etc.);
• conjunctions (and, or, oh, etc.);
• interjections (ah, bravo, wow, well done, etc.).

2. Dependent

• Words that convey meaning only when used together with the main word. For example, if you want to find information in Google about Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko, only the full search query will work, while "Taras" or "Taras Hryhorovych" won't lead to the desired results.

Why do copywriters need to abandon the use of stop words as much as possible?

It would seem that noise words add volume to the text, show the author's attitude to certain issues (for example, the word "undoubtedly" expresses confidence), and generally frame the text.

But despite these pluses, there are a number of downsides to using stop words.

3. With a large number of stop words, the fluffiness of the text goes off the scale

From the definition we remember that noise words are the ones that carry no meaning.

And that means using them thoughtlessly leads to reduced informativeness of the entire text.

If you need to write a text purely by length, without thinking about meaning, then you can safely use stop words and it will help you reach your goal faster.

Or if you're writing for your social media and want to emphasize your attitude toward one topic or another, you also shouldn't be afraid of an abundance of noise words such as: "I think I'm not the only one…; however, to be objective, it's worth saying that…; I don't want to guess because it's pointless. But I want to clarify that recent events…" and others.

4. Very often in advertising texts authors slip into clichéd phrases that everyone is tired of

I think you've often come across advertising posts on Facebook and Instagram that literally began with the words "Our company is unique and its name is widely known on the market."

The copywriters of that firm wanted to win clients over with their unique selling proposition (USP) and uniqueness in general, but in a world where everyone is special, you won't surprise anyone with that.

Try to write about your advantages clearly and understandably.

For example, if you offer clients free delivery on orders over a certain amount, write out all the conditions.

Because even more than worn-out clichés, people are annoyed by empty headlines with the word "free" that have nothing to do with reality.

5. Stop words lengthen sentences and make the text hard to understand

People more easily perceive short sentences and phrases that describe the essence, rather than complex participial constructions that could have been done without.

For example, the sentences "The snow that unexpectedly fell during the night complicated transport movement around the city due to the poor performance of the utility services, which failed to fight the elements and clear the roads" and "An abnormal amount of snow fell during the night, and the utility services were unable to clear the roads. Because of this, transport movement around the city is limited."

The meaning of these two sentences is the same, but how differently are they perceived?

Try not to use the passive voice and participial constructions where you can build simple sentences.

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Which Stop Words You Should Abandon Forever

In this chapter, using clear examples, we'll break down the most frequently encountered stop-word constructions.

Abandoning them will make your text better and clearer.

Of course, I won't list all noise words here, because: a) it would take very long, b) this list is constantly expanding and it's simply impossible to cover everything.

But still, there are some types of stop words that appear in literally every text (yes, yes, in this one too).

I recommend studying the list below and analyzing in your head − which of these constructions do you often use in communication and writing?

What can you exclude from your vocabulary, and what can you replace with more meaningful words?

This will help you approach your speech more consciously.

1. Subjective evaluation

People often give a harsh subjective evaluation of what's happening in their pieces.

If we're talking about a personal blog or a column on a political site where you express your opinion, this is acceptable and even necessary.

But if we're talking about literary and scientific texts, then the saying "judge not, lest ye be judged" applies − try not to delve into your own thoughts and feelings.

In the first example, the author (I assure you, nothing personal − just for illustration) insults everyone who doesn't like jogging and presents themselves as "the smartest."

In the second one, without unnecessary emotion, the benefits of morning runs are presented and the expected results are described.

2. Verbal clichés

Verbal clichés are well-known phrases with a blurred meaning, or, on the contrary, ones that can be expressed in a single word.

In the first example, we understand that admiration for the guy reaches its highest point, but the construction "out of one's mind" strips the sentence of any literary quality.

3. Introductory words and phrases

This is the most frequently encountered group of stop words.

We use these constructions in speech, and so we carry them over to writing.

But there's an upside to this − they're easy to spot and just as easy to get rid of.

Don't be afraid to give examples in your text − it's fresh, interesting, and increases trust in the author if you write about an example from your own life.

4. Euphemisms

A euphemism is a soft designation of something negative.

It's fine to use in general, but undesirable in the context where you want to point out someone's incompetence or poorly done work.

Write honestly and truthfully, but always remember one thing: your freedom ends where another person's freedom begins.

You don't need to flatter and hush up problems, but always think before giving a personal evaluation of a person.

5. Convoluted words

Always remember: if you can shorten a sentence without losing meaning − shorten it; if you can simplify the wording − simplify it.

In this case, the second sentence could be supplemented with details that the manager neglected professional ethics, but here that's not the focus and such an addition can safely be omitted.

6. Verbal nouns

Don't abandon the use of verbs − they're exactly what creates dynamics in the text and brings the story to life.

On top of that, to avoid writing 10 words that denote just one action, write 1 verb − it will make life easier both for you as the author and for the readers.

Using participles and gerunds in sentences makes them harder to understand and to write.

7. Vagueness

Vague wording is sort of not a lie, but sort of not the truth either.

Some authors use such wording to reinforce an unfounded and unsupported claim.

Vague wording is vague precisely because it instills uncertainty and shows the author's incompetence.

If you have the best pizza in town, you won't even think about any comparison.

You simply know that the best pizza is yours.

8. Indefiniteness

When we read a text, we willingly or unwillingly picture what's written in our imagination (of course, if we're talking about narratives).

And if we don't have precise data, the picture in our heads will be blurry.

When we watch films, we see and understand what the director wanted to show us, and when we read, we want to get the same precise information.

These sentences are clear and simple, but very often we ourselves don't notice how we introduce indefinite wording into our texts.

And if you want to match your site's semantics with future ad texts in order to reduce the number of stop words to a minimum, use our free utility Google Adwords Ad Generator.

Commonly Encountered Stop-Word Constructions

Some stop words must be abandoned.

And if that's impossible?

What you can replace some of the noise words that every copywriter uses in their texts with, we'll break down in this chapter.

1. We take on absolutely any work in the field of copywriting

First, let me ask − are you sure? Can you write a 20,000-character text on cognitive neuroscience? Not a given.

Try not to throw dust in the reader's eyes (noticed the verbal cliché? So the previous chapter wasn't written in vain), but instead clearly describe your achievements: "I'll write you a great text about starting your own business in the field of marketing," for example.

Show your expertise, not your knowledge of loud phrases.

2. "I love flexing at a rave, and chilling at a resto in the morning"

If you didn't understand the previous phrase (I'll be honest − I looked up the meanings of these words on Google), then at least you don't use this slang in your work − that's already good.

Of course, you need to be on trend and know the meaning of various new words, but you shouldn't use them often in your texts − after all, you're a well-read person and you write for equally well-read people.

3. We provide a wide range of services and are professionals in all areas…

In many advertising texts or on business-card websites, copywriters love to write about the "wide range" of services the company provides.

This phrase should be avoided. First, "everything for everyone" no longer works − everyone should mind their own business.

And second, choose a narrow niche in which you'll become a true professional, rather than spreading yourself thin on everything at once and becoming "mediocre."

Don't write "wide range," but indicate what specifically you do.

Because it's simpler and faster for a potential client to turn to a company that definitely does stretch ceilings than to "an organization that provides the widest range of services in the field of renovations and interiors."

Recommended reading:

1. 5 Ways to Lower Text Density: Free Analysis Services
2. A Brief for a Copywriter: How to Compose It Correctly

Conclusions

Stop words appear in every text, and that's normal, because sometimes without them the meaning of a sentence simply won't be clear.

But there's a very fine line between the necessity of using noise words and an abundance of empty phrases that turn the text into a jumble of letters and words.

Some stop words are easy to identify and remove from the text without losing meaning; with others, you need to analyze not only your specific text but also review the stop-word list of the search engine in which the SEO promotion will be carried out.