Quick Answer: The truth is, it depends. There’s no magical word count you should be aiming for and it’s much better to focus on giving the best answer or solution you can and not think about blog post length at all.
While you should only go after one main keyword per blog post, how long you want your blog post to depends on what you’re trying to achieve with your blog post.
That said, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make sure your blog post is the right length for your purposes.
In this blog post, we’ll go over a few different scenarios and offer advice on how long your blog post should be in each case.
If you’re just trying to give your readers a quick update, a few hundred words will do the trick. In this case, less is definitely more – you don’t want to bore your readers with unnecessary details. Just hit the highlights and move on.
On the other hand, if you’re attempting to share detailed instructions or convey a lot of information, you’ll need to write a longer post – 1,000 words or more.
In these cases, longer is better as you want to make sure your readers have all the information they need. No one likes having to piece together bits of information from multiple sources, so give them everything they need in one place.
You can always include internal and external links to further reading for those who want to know more.
How To Determine The Ideal Blog Post Length
If you’re looking to write posts that are both informative and engaging, it’s important to keep your readers in mind and aim for a length that will hold their attention.
Here are some important points you should consider:
- Topic and Comprehensiveness
The first thing to consider when trying to determine the ideal blog post length is your topic. If you’re writing about a complex topic that requires a lot of explanation, you’re going to need a longer blog post to do it justice.
On the other hand, if you’re writing about a simpler topic, you can probably get away with a shorter post. Keep your target audience in mind as well; if they’re experts on the topic, they’ll need less explanation than if they’re beginners.
- Audience and Goals
Speaking of your target audience, that’s another important factor to consider when determining how long your blog post should be.
If you’re writing for an audience with a short attention span, you’ll need to keep your posts on the shorter side so that they don’t lose interest.
On the other hand, if you have an engaged audience that enjoys reading in-depth articles, you can go longer.
Finally, think about what goal you’re hoping to achieve with your blog post; if you want people to spend a lot of time on your site, longer posts will help with that.
- Competing Posts
Finally, take a look at the blog posts that are already ranking for the keyword or keywords you’re targeting. If they’re all short posts, that’s an indication that Google prefers shorter articles on that particular topic.
If the top-ranking articles are all long-form pieces, you’ll likely need to write a longer post to compete.
Shoot for somewhere in between if the competing articles are of mixed lengths.
Blog Post Length For Different Content Types
If you’re a blogger, you know that one of the eternal questions is:
How long should my blog post be?
In the past, the answer was typically around 300-600 words. But as Google’s algorithms have become more sophisticated, longer blog posts have become the norm. So what is the ideal length of a blog post, according to search engines?
The answer, it turns out, depends on what kind of content you’re producing. Here is the general word count guide for different types of blog posts.
How Long Do How-To Blog Posts Need To Be?
While there’s no hard and fast rule, most experts agree that “how-to” blog posts should be between 1500 and 2200 words.
That may seem like a lot, but remember that you don’t have to cover everything in one post. You can always link to other resources or break your post up into multiple parts.
The important thing is to provide enough detail so your readers can follow along and learn something from your post.
How Long Do Listicles Need To Be?
Generally, listicles should be between 2200 and 2700 words in length. This gives readers enough information to be thorough without becoming bogged down in details.
There are, of course, always exceptions to this rule. For example, a listicle about the top 10 movies of all time could be shorter than 2200 words if each movie is only given a brief description.
A listicle about the history of the United States could easily exceed 2700 words if it is comprehensive.
Ultimately, the length of a listicle should be dictated by its content. The most important thing is that the article is interesting and informative, regardless of its word count.
How Long Do News Articles Need To Be?
The length of an article should be determined by the subject matter and the intended audience. For instance, a news article about a local event may only need to be a few hundred words, while an in-depth investigative piece could easily surpass 1,000 words.
In general, however, most articles fall somewhere in the range of 600 to 800 words. This gives readers enough information to get a full understanding of the story without becoming bogged down in detail. At the same time, it helps to keep the article concise and easy to read.
The best way to determine the ideal length for an article is to experiment and see what works best for your particular style and audience.
How Long Do “What Is” Articles Need To Be?
These posts are designed to give readers a clear and concise answer to a specific question. However, crafting a successful “what is” post is not as simple as it may seem. In order to be effective, these posts must strike the right balance between being informative and engaging.
They should be long enough to provide a comprehensive answer, but not so long that readers lose interest. Based on this, we recommend that “what is” posts be between 1200 and 1600 words in length. This will give you enough space to provide a thorough explanation while still keeping the reader’s attention.
So, if you’re looking to craft the perfect “what is” post, remember to keep it around 1200-1600 words.
What Is The Minimum Blog Post Length?
The answer, unfortunately, is that there is no magic number when it comes to blog post length. It really depends on the subject matter you’re writing about and your audience’s needs.
For instance, most bloggers agree that shorter posts are better for social media sharing, while longer posts are more suited for in-depth analysis of a topic.
As far as an ideal word count goes, again, it depends on the situation. In general, though, most experts recommend somewhere between 500 and 800 words for blog posts. This gives you enough space to cover your topic thoroughly without bogging down your readers with too much information. Just use your best judgment and write what feels right for the topic at hand.
From an SEO perspective, the minimum blog post length should be 300 words. The reason for this is that longer blog posts are typically more comprehensive and offer more value to readers than shorter ones.
In addition, blog posts give you more opportunities to include keywords and phrases that are relevant to your topic, which can help improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
What About Long-Form Blog Posts?
Long-form blog posts are articles that are typically over 2500 words in length. They offer a more in-depth look at a topic than a traditional blog post, and as a result, they can be more valuable to your readers.
Here are just a few of the benefits of writing long-form blog posts:
1. Google Loves Long-Form Content
One of the primary benefits of writing long-form blog posts is that it can help you to rank higher in Google. This is because Google’s algorithms favor articles with a high word count as they are typically seen as being more informative and comprehensive than shorter articles.
As such, if you want to improve your chances of ranking high in Google, then writing long-form blog posts is a great way to do so.
2. People Love Reading Long-Form Content
Another benefit of writing long-form blog posts is that people actually enjoy reading them.
In today’s fast-paced world, people are often looking for quality information that they can take their time to read and digest.
By writing long-form blog posts, you can provide your readers with the in-depth information that they crave.
3. Longer Articles Get More Shares
Longer articles also tend to get more social shares than shorter articles. This is important because social signals are another factor that Google takes into account when determining where to rank your content. If your content is being shared a lot on social media, it’s a good sign to Google that it’s high-quality and worth ranking higher in the search results
4. Long-Form Content Generates More Leads
Finally, writing long-form blog posts can also help you to generate more leads for your business.
A study by HubSpot found that articles with a word count of 2,000 words or more generated significantly more leads than shorter articles. Thus, if you’re looking to use your blog post to generate leads for your business, you’re better off writing a longer article.
5. Long-Form Content Is More Linkable
Another benefit of writing long-form content is that it is more linkable than shorter pieces. This means that people are more likely to link to your content when they find it valuable.
This, in turn, can help to improve your search engine ranking as links are one of the key signals that Google uses to determine a website’s authority.
How To Write a Long-Form Blog Post?
A lot of businesses are making the switch to long-form blog posts, and for good reason. These types of posts are more informative and in-depth, which gives readers the chance to really get to know your business.
Plus, they tend to rank higher in search engines, which means more people will see your content. Follow these simple steps to get started with long-form blog posts:
Step 1: Choose A Topic That’s Interesting And Informative
Your goal is to write something that people will actually want to read, so it’s important to choose a topic that strikes the perfect balance between being interesting and informative.
Brainstorm a few ideas before settling on the one you want to write about. Once you have your topic, it’s time to start the actual writing.
Step 2: Write An Attention-Grabbing Headline
Your headline is what will appear in search engines, so it needs to be both eye-catching and accurate. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your headline is no longer than 60 characters.
This may seem like a challenge, but it’s important to be concise—you want your headline to give readers a taste of what they can expect without giving too much away.
Step 3: Write An Engaging Introduction
Your introduction should give readers a brief overview of what they can expect from your post while also piquing their interest enough that they’ll want to keep reading.
Try starting with a question or a statistic related to your topic.
For example, if you’re writing about ways to increase website traffic, you might start with something like:
“Did you know that over 70% of internet users say they would rather click on a website that’s recommended by a friend or family member?”
This will grab readers’ attention while also giving them an idea of what they can expect from the rest of your post.
Step 4: Flesh Out Your Ideas In The Body Paragraphs
This is where you’ll really get into the meat of your topic. Each body paragraph should focus on one specific idea or point that you’re trying to make.
Make sure each paragraph flows smoothly into the next—a good way to do this is by using transition words (e.g., “however,” “in addition,” “moreover,” etc.).
You should aim for at least three body paragraphs, but more is better if you have a lot of ground to cover. You can also include listicles ad bullet points where needed.
Step 5: Write A Conclusion That Leaves Readers Wanting More
Your conclusion should summarize the main points of your post while also leaving readers wanting more— after all, you want them to come back for more great content from your business!
Try ending with a question or statistic related to your topic that will prompt readers to think about the issue at hand even after they’ve finished reading your post.
Bottom Line: How Long Does A Blog Post Need To Be?
So, what’s the takeaway?
There’s no hard and fast rule but as a general guide, if you want your blog post to rank well in Google and be successful in driving traffic and engagement, aim for a word count of at least 500 words. And if you really want to make an impact, shoot for 1,500 words or more.
