Some people will say you should never use web slang in your site copy.  Some people threaten to violently kill those that do, while some cheerfully chuck out ‘lol-bombs’ like there’s no tomorrow. So … what affect does web slang have on your SEO?

Do you REALLY need these expressions in your website?!

Potential for reader engagement

Web slang actually has the potential to make your readers fully engage with you as a writer. Reading copy with web slang is like reading a conversation with a friend for many people. If you have a very personal site (like a blog), this could be a huge advantage in your SEO, building rankings by boosting traffic and repeat visits.

Potential for reader disengagement

It’s hard to know when to stop … and even people that are happy to use ‘lol’, ‘imho’ or ‘rofl’ in net conversations can often be turned off by the deliberate misspellings and more obscure terms. Obviously you need to know your audience.

A middle ground

Facebook is a great example of a middle ground. They never use netspeak themselves, but provide plenty of opportunity for readers to talk however they like. Increase reader engagement on your website, and you could sidestep this whole SEO issue!