# Natural Transitions Transitional phrases to guide readers through your content. Good signposting improves readability, user engagement, and helps search engines understand content structure. Adapted from: University of Manchester Academic Phrasebank (2023), Plain English Campaign, web content best practices --- ## Previewing Content Structure Use to orient readers and set expectations: - Here's what we'll cover... - This guide walks you through... - Below, you'll find... - We'll start with X, then move to Y... - First, let's look at... - Let's break this down step by step. - The sections below explain... --- ## Introducing a New Topic - When it comes to X,... - Regarding X,... - Speaking of X,... - Now let's talk about X. - Another key factor is... - X is worth exploring because... --- ## Referring Back Use to connect ideas and reinforce key points: - As mentioned earlier,... - As we covered above,... - Remember when we discussed X? - Building on that point,... - Going back to X,... - Earlier, we explained that... --- ## Moving Between Sections - Now let's look at... - Next up:... - Moving on to... - With that covered, let's turn to... - Now that you understand X, here's Y. - That brings us to... --- ## Indicating Addition - Also,... - Plus,... - On top of that,... - What's more,... - Another benefit is... - Beyond that,... - In addition,... - There's also... **Note:** Use "moreover" and "furthermore" sparingly. They can sound AI-generated when overused. --- ## Indicating Contrast - However,... - But,... - That said,... - On the flip side,... - In contrast,... - Unlike X, Y... - While X is true, Y... - Despite this,... --- ## Indicating Similarity - Similarly,... - Likewise,... - In the same way,... - Just like X, Y also... - This mirrors... - The same applies to... --- ## Indicating Cause and Effect - So,... - This means... - As a result,... - That's why... - Because of this,... - This leads to... - The outcome?... - Here's what happens:... --- ## Giving Examples - For example,... - For instance,... - Here's an example:... - Take X, for instance. - Consider this:... - A good example is... - To illustrate,... - Like when... - Say you want to... --- ## Emphasising Key Points - Here's the key takeaway:... - The important thing is... - What matters most is... - Don't miss this:... - Pay attention to... - This is critical:... - The bottom line?... --- ## Providing Evidence Use when citing sources, data, or expert opinions: ### Neutral attribution - According to [Source],... - [Source] reports that... - Research shows that... - Data from [Source] indicates... - A study by [Source] found... ### Expert quotes - As [Expert] puts it,... - [Expert] explains,... - In the words of [Expert],... - [Expert] notes that... ### Supporting claims - This is backed by... - Evidence suggests... - The numbers confirm... - This aligns with findings from... --- ## Summarising Sections - To recap,... - Here's the short version:... - In short,... - The takeaway?... - So what does this mean?... - Let's pull this together:... - Quick summary:... --- ## Concluding Content - Wrapping up,... - The bottom line is... - Here's what to do next:... - To sum up,... - Final thoughts:... - Ready to get started?... - Now it's your turn. **Note:** Avoid "In conclusion" at the start of a paragraph. It's overused and signals AI writing. --- ## Question-Based Transitions Useful for conversational tone and featured snippet optimization: - So what does this mean for you? - But why does this matter? - How do you actually do this? - What's the catch? - Sound complicated? It's not. - Wondering where to start? - Still not sure? Here's the breakdown. --- ## List Introductions For numbered lists and step-by-step content: - Here's how to do it: - Follow these steps: - The process is straightforward: - Here's what you need to know: - Key things to consider: - The main factors are: --- ## Hedging Language For claims that need qualification or aren't absolute: - may, might, could - tends to, generally - often, usually, typically - in most cases - it appears that - evidence suggests - this can help - many experts believe --- ## Best Practice Guidelines 1. **Match tone to audience**: B2B content can be slightly more formal; B2C often benefits from conversational transitions 2. **Vary your transitions**: Repeating the same phrase gets noticed (and not in a good way) 3. **Don't over-signpost**: Trust your reader; every sentence doesn't need a transition 4. **Use for scannability**: Transitions at paragraph starts help skimmers navigate 5. **Keep it natural**: Read aloud; if it sounds forced, simplify 6. **Front-load key info**: Put the important word or phrase early in the transition --- ## Transitions to Avoid (AI Tells) These phrases are overused in AI-generated content: - "That being said,..." - "It's worth noting that..." - "At its core,..." - "In today's digital landscape,..." - "When it comes to the realm of..." - "This begs the question..." - "Let's delve into..." See the seo-audit skill's `references/ai-writing-detection.md` for a complete list of AI writing tells.