Writing for the web

Last updated: 15 May 2025

Writing for websites and digital channels

The average reading age in the UK is 9 years old.

We must avoid jargon, complex words and poor grammar because a user:

• is less likely to find the information they need
• is less likely to understand the information they're presented with
• is more likely to get confused and contact us another way
• is more likely to get stuck and abandon their task.

Instead, we must write in plain English.

We keep our content focused and easy to understand when writing for www.medway.gov.uk. You can do this by:

• using simple words such as ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’ or ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’
• having one idea per paragraph. Chunk sections into shorter sentences. Using 5 to 8 words per sentence is fine
• cutting unnecessary words
• using numbered lists to break down instructions into individual steps
• using short bulleted lists with a full stop at the end of the last bullet
• checking grammar and spelling
• spelling out abbreviations and acronyms in full the first time they’re referenced on a page
• capitalising proper nouns only
• explaining technical terms so that the information can be understood by anyone 
• running content through the Hemingway App.

Avoid:

• long blocks of text
• complex words
• complex sentences with multiple clauses
• jargon - internal terms like ‘division’, ‘directorate’ and ‘service’ mean very little to the public.

See our content style guide for more details on our dos and don’ts.

Structuring content

It takes just a few seconds for someone to decide to leave a webpage. This means you must get to the point quickly.

To help users quickly find what they’re looking for, we:

• put vital information at the top, moving down to information that is less important – this is known as the ‘inverted pyramid’ style of writing
• cut out anything that's not essential or does not help users complete a task
• make information easy to scan with clear subheadings
• use short paragraphs with no more than 5 sentences
• use bullet points to make lists easier to read
• use terms within our content and keywords that users search for.

Duplicated content

We do not duplicate content that is already on a website or provided elsewhere by a third party.

Our aim is to break down silos and bring content together in places based on subject. We do not group content based on how council departments are structured.

We will not publish content that:

• is available from other trusted websites (we can link to it)
• gives advice that a non-government organisation is better placed to do.

Links

All links must be justifiable and relevant to the audience. 

When people use our council websites they need to be confident that our decisions on links are not influenced by:

• politics
• commercial pressures
• personal interests.

A link must never be included in return for cash, services or any other gift.

A content designer will check the contents of an external site before adding a link to it.

All links must:

• lead to a secure an trusted source
• function correctly
• be accessible (behind meaningful text)
• open in the same browser window.

When linking to any commercial site, we must take great care to avoid giving the impression that Medway Council is endorsing a commercial product or service. If possible, we should link to competitors too.

Content patterns

Our websites are made up of several patterns that help a user to orientate where they are and find the information they need. For example, we follow the F reading pattern.

Find out more about content patterns.

Content types

We use content types across medway.gov.uk to help maintain a consistent and familiar structure for users.

Find out more about content types.