How to write conversational content
Have you ever clicked on a blog post or email, started to read and then glazed over? 🙋♀️ Yep, me too! Long, overly-complicated, formal writing makes it tough for us to concentrate. Repetitive, bland writing that doesn’t really go anywhere, or feels like it’s been written by a robot switches us off.
But conversational writing is different. It’s friendly, sometimes fun, and makes us feel like the writer is talking directly to us, face to face.
It’s a completely different style to how we were taught to write at school or university, and one I’ve always loved.
It’s also something that people are using more often when they search for information. If you read my blog post SEO blogging strategy in 2025, you’ll know that natural conversational style is important for generative search and AI overviews too.
Key takeaways
Conversational writing will make readers feel more connected to your content, building trust and longer term relationships.
A conversational tone will make your content more enjoyable and easier to read, helping to keep the reader’s attention.
Avoiding jargon and technical terms will make your writing more accessible to a wider audience, ensuring everyone can understand your message.
Using natural language and a conversational tone is important for SEO, especially as generative search and AI overviews grow in popularity.
Sharing your personal experiences and adding your own voice to content will help it stand out, making it more engaging and relatable than generic AI-generated text.
What is conversational writing?
Conversational writing is relaxed and informal, almost like you’re chatting face to face with someone. It’s not about being disrespectful or unprofessional - it’s about making the reader feel more connected to your words.
A conversational style feels authentic. The reader will find it easier to relate to the things you’re saying, and that helps build trust and an emotional connection.
This is an example of conversational writing from the Services page on my website:
“Here’s how I can help with your online content” (conversational)
If I wanted my website to be very formal (yuk!), here’s what I could have written instead:
“Please find below a detailed list of services that can assist you with your website content” (formal)
Oh my!
I’m going to be honest here - that second version is so far from my normal style of writing that I had to ask ChatGPT to write it 😂
Why write with a conversational tone?
None of us enjoy reading stuffy, formal words on a website, email, or blog post. Sites like Quora and Reddit do well in search results because people are looking for authenticity. They want answers from real people who have experience in the thing they’re asking about.
And while I’m on that subject, it’s worth mentioning AI writing. I’m not against people using AI to help them write content, honestly I’m not. But unless you do a little editing and personalisation on the stuff it churns out, you’ll end up with the same old content that sounds exactly like your competitor who asked AI to write a blog post about the same topic.
So here’s my top tip…
If you have something helpful to share, adding a little of your personality and writing about your own experience will connect much more than a blog post simply regurgitating what’s already available on the internet.
Using a conversational tone will:
Help with SEO, especially as natural language and generative search grows
Connect with your readers, making you feel more relatable and less intimidating
Make your writing more engaging, and easier to read
Build trust, by using clear and straightforward language
Improve accessibility, by avoiding unnecessary jargon and technical terms
10 tips to help you write conversational content
Before we get going with the tips, I want to stress that there are some instances where an informal, conversational tone may not work.
One example is when reading about medical information on a website. This article about acupuncture from the NHS website uses simple, easy to understand language but it sticks to the facts. It avoids directly addressing the reader as “you” or referring to the writer as “I” and instead discusses the topic objectively.
Thankfully, most of us don’t need to stick to that type of formal tone.
When I begin working with a client, I share a document that covers many of the things I’ll be talking about in these tips. So, if you’re looking to write more conversationally, let’s get going:
1. Keep it simple
Think about how you’d talk with someone in person. It’s probably in plain English, using simple and straightforward words.
Here are a few examples:
❌ Require
❌ Assist
❌ Acquire
❌ Fabricate
❌ Receive
✅ Need or want
✅ Help
✅ Buy
✅ Make
✅ Get
2. Forget the old school grammar lessons
Grammar is important and something I look out for during editing. But sometimes, breaking the rules on purpose can make your writing more conversational and engaging.
Here’s how:
Starting sentences with ‘and’ or ‘but’ is a great way to keep a natural flow, just like in everyday conversations (the eagle-eyed may have noticed me doing it already)
Using one-sentence paragraphs can grab attention, make key points stand out, and break up blocks of text
Splitting infinitives can add emphasis and make a sentence sound more natural (‘to really understand’ instead of ‘to understand really’)
3. Use contractions
When we’re chatting in person we naturally use contractions. The same goes for conversational writing as it helps to keep things more relaxed and easier to read.
Here are some examples:
We will = we’ll
You are = you’re
It is = it’s
4. Ask questions
Questions are a great way to engage your readers. Think about it - when you’re reading something and the writer asks you a question, it grabs your attention, doesn’t it? It makes you stop and think.
Rhetorical questions, especially those with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer tend to work best. They’re direct and catch attention better than open ended questions.
5. Use bridge phrases
Bridge phrases help connect your ideas, guiding the reader from one thought to the next. We use them naturally in conversations and they can help your writing flow more naturally too.
For example:
On the other hand…
That said…
The truth is…
6. Keep paragraphs short
Large blocks of text can be overwhelming to read, especially on a mobile device. As a general rule, I tend to keep mine to just three or four sentences. It’s similar to how we speak too, so I use that to work out the natural breaks.
How?
I read through the text as if I’m having a conversation out loud with a person. Wherever I naturally pause to take a breath, I make a paragraph break.
7. Use active voice
Using passive voice can make sentences feel more complicated and harder to understand. In contrast, the active voice is clear and to the point.
For example:
“Your order will be processed by our team soon” (passive)
“Our team will process your order soon” (active)
The active version is much more likely to inspire confidence.
8. Use the second person
Writing in the second person puts your reader right at the centre of the conversation. It makes your message feel more personal and helps them create a connection with you.
For example:
“Users can easily track their progress using the app” (third person)
“You can easily track your progress using our app” (second person)
The second person example is much more friendly and creates a more compelling message.
9. Use informal SEO keywords
Because search is moving to a more conversational format, it’s a good idea for your articles to reflect the same tone. Put yourself into your readers’ shoes and think about what they’d type into the search box.
Instead of thinking about technical keywords only, try using long-tail phrases that would be used in normal conversation. For example, instead of “digital marketing” you could look at “digital marketing strategies for beginners 2025”.
Using long-tail, informal keywords will make your content sound more conversational and help you rank for more specific search queries.
10. Write like you’re talking to a friend
My biggest tip to help you write conversational content is simple.
Write as if you’re chatting with a friend in the same room and think about how you’d explain things to them.
Use anecdotes, share personal experiences, and give real-life solutions to problems. It will make you feel more relatable and approachable.
At the same time, avoid unnecessary jargon or complex language. Instead of sounding professional, it can make text harder to understand, especially for people not familiar with the terms being used.
Summary
Using conversational language in your writing will make your content more relatable and easier to understand.
By speaking to your readers like you would to a friend, you create a natural flow that encourages connection. It will help build trust, keep your message clear, and reach a wider audience.
