If you want to create powerful content that ranks and converts, mastering active voice is a game-changer. In today’s SEO landscape, search engines reward content that’s not only keyword-rich but also clear, engaging, and reader-friendly.
Active voice helps you achieve all three.
What Is Active Voice?
In grammar, active voice means the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example:
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✅ Active: “The marketer wrote the article.”
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❌ Passive: “The article was written by the marketer.”
Active voice is direct, energetic, and easier to understand. That’s why it’s preferred in both SEO writing and professional communication.
Why Active Voice Matters in SEO
Using active voice benefits your SEO in multiple ways:
✅ 1. Improves Readability
Search engines like Google prioritize content that offers a great user experience. Active voice simplifies sentence structure, making your content easier to read and understand.
✅ 2. Enhances Engagement
Active voice feels more natural and dynamic. It grabs the reader’s attention and encourages action—exactly what you want for content like calls to action (CTAs), product descriptions, or blog posts.
✅ 3. Boosts Clarity and Authority
When you write in active voice, your statements sound more confident. This clarity strengthens your messaging and positions your site as a trustworthy source.
Passive Voice Can Hurt Your SEO
While not always incorrect, overusing passive voice can:
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Make content feel dull and lifeless
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Confuse readers with unclear subject-action relationships
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Lower readability scores (which Google takes into account)
Yoast SEO, for example, flags high passive voice use as a readability issue that may impact content performance.
How to Identify Passive Voice
Here are some clues:
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Look for versions of the verb “to be” (is, was, were, are, been) followed by a past participle (e.g., “written”, “built”, “designed”).
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Ask: Can I identify who’s performing the action?
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If the actor comes after “by,” it’s likely passive. Example: “The book was written by her.”
Convert Passive Voice to Active Voice
Let’s look at some real examples:
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❌ Passive: “The website was designed by our team.”
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✅ Active: “Our team designed the website.”
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❌ Passive: “The report was submitted late.”
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✅ Active: “John submitted the report late.”
The active versions are clearer, shorter, and more powerful.
Active Voice in Different Types of SEO Content
Here’s how you can apply active voice in various formats:
🔹 Blog Posts
Keep your tone conversational and clear. Active voice makes tutorials, how-tos, and case studies easier to follow.
🔹 Landing Pages
Encourage action with punchy active sentences like “Start your free trial today” or “Boost your site speed now.”
🔹 Meta Descriptions
Use action words to increase CTR. Instead of “Our services are offered by experts,” say “Our experts deliver professional SEO services.”
🔹 Product Descriptions
Say “This camera captures stunning images” instead of “Stunning images are captured by this camera.”
Tools to Help You Write in Active Voice
If you’re unsure how often you use passive voice, try these tools:
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Grammarly – Highlights passive voice and suggests rewrites
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Hemingway App – Flags complex or passive sentences
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Yoast SEO Plugin – Measures passive voice usage in WordPress content
Use these to polish your drafts and keep your content reader-focused and SEO-ready.
Final Tips to Master Active Voice
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Write as you speak – Imagine explaining your point out loud
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Use strong verbs – Avoid filler words and unnecessary phrases
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Start sentences with the subject – Then show the action
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Edit ruthlessly – Rework passive phrases into active ones
Final Thoughts
In 2025, SEO success depends on more than just stuffing keywords. Your content must communicate clearly, compel readers, and create trust.
Using active voice does exactly that.
When you make active voice your default writing style, your content becomes more powerful, your message becomes clearer, and your SEO results improve dramatically. So start editing today—and give your rankings a real voice.
