Article Reading Time
Estimate an article's reading time to display on the page — the familiar minute read label.
Setting the reader's expectation
The minute read label at the top of an article is a small courtesy that measurably helps: it sets expectations, and readers are more likely to start something when they know it is a five-minute read rather than an unknown commitment. This estimates that figure from your article's word count, ready to display on the page.
Paste your article and it gives the estimated reading time.
A UX touch, not a ranking factor
To be clear, reading time is not something search engines rank on — its value is in user experience, and indirectly in the engagement that good experience brings. It is an estimate, based on an average reading pace of a few hundred words a minute, so treat it as a helpful signpost rather than a precise promise. Shown on a page, it is one of those little details that makes content feel considered and reader-friendly.
Questions & answers
Does reading time affect SEO?
Not directly. It is a user-experience touch that helps engagement, not a ranking factor search engines measure.
How is it calculated?
From the word count divided by an average reading speed of a few hundred words a minute, so it is a close estimate.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The estimate is worked out in your browser.