Reading Time
Estimating Reading Time
Knowing the estimated reading time helps set expectations for readers and can improve their experience. It allows them to gauge how long the content will take to read and decide whether to continue.
We measure reading time in minutes, based on the average reading speed of 250 words per minute in the following way:
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Short Reading Time (0 - 2 minutes): If the estimated reading time is between 0 and 2 minutes, a small penalty of 0.2 is applied.
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Moderate Reading Time (3 - 4 minutes): If the reading time is between 3 and 4 minutes, a lower penalty of 0.1 is assigned. This range suggests a reasonable article length, but not too long to risk losing attention.
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Ideal Reading Time (5 - 12 minutes): For reading times greater than 4 minutes and up to 12 minutes, there is no penalty applied. This is considered the optimal range for most articles. Long enough to provide value, but not so long that it overwhelms the reader.
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Long Reading Time (over 12 minutes): If the reading time exceeds 12 minutes, a penalty of 1.2 is applied.
Examples of calculating penalty points
- Reading Time of 2 minutes: - 0.2 points
- Reading Time of 4 minutes: - 0.1 points
- Reading Time of 8 minutes: - 0 penalty
- Reading Time of 15 minutes: - 1.2 points
This logic ensures that articles with very short or very long reading times are flagged with an appropriate penalty, while articles in the optimal reading time don’t receive any penalty.