[Do you like this? Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel and then share it for me!]
Video Summary
Have you ever found yourself lost in the vast world of online writing, desperately searching for that golden formula to captivate your audience and please the mighty search engines? Well, you’re not alone!
And I understand your struggle because this is kind of like cooking up the perfect dish, but instead of ingredients, we’re mixing words, paragraphs, and a dash of SEO magic.
There’s an art to this… You have to find the sweet spot between keeping readers hooked and making the search algorithms happy. Now, I’m not promising you a one-size-fits-all solution because, let’s face it, creativity doesn’t conform to moulds.
But fear not, because in this video, I’m going to unravel the mystery of blog post length. It’s not just about hitting a word count; it’s about strategically crafting content that meets the needs of your site visitors.
Why does it matter? Well, thanks for asking! This matters because, if you do it right, your blog simultaneously establishes your authority in your industry and forges a connection with your audience.
Okay, here’s wow many words should you write in a blog post…
Video Transcript
Hello, Jeffrey Kirk here.
Have you ever found yourself lost in the vast world of online writing, desperately searching for that golden formula to captivate your audience and please the mighty search engines? Well, you’re not alone!
And I understand your struggle because this is kind of like cooking up the perfect dish, but instead of ingredients, we’re mixing words, paragraphs, and a dash of SEO magic.
There’s an art to this… You have to find the sweet spot between keeping readers hooked and making the search algorithms happy. Now, I’m not promising you a one-size-fits-all solution because, let’s face it, creativity doesn’t conform to moulds.
But fear not, because in this video, I’m going to unravel the mystery of blog post length. It’s not just about hitting a word count; it’s about strategically crafting content that meets the needs of your site visitors.
Why does it matter? Well, thanks for asking! This matters because, if you do it right, your blog simultaneously establishes your authority in your industry and forges a connection with your audience.
Before I continue, I want to point out that if you do not yet have a blog for your business, then you are missing out on that authority and connection! Head over to my previous video called “How to Start a Business Blog” and get in the game. And, please, take a moment to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you get notified of future videos.
Okay, now let me get right to the point…
How many words should you write in a blog post?
So, the rule of thumb is for a blog post to be around 1,500 to 2,500 words. This range typically lets you dive deep into topics, share useful info, and boost your SEO all at once. However, the best length depends on your goals, your audience, and what people are searching for.
For detailed subjects, go for longer articles. Shorter posts are better for announcements or perhaps business news that some might find useful but might not need to reach a large audience.
Longer isn’t always better. A thousand words of fluff to turn a 700-word post into a 1,700-word post is a waste of a thousand words and your time. Don’t stuff crap into a blog post simply to hit some magical number.
Your focus should be on answering your audience’s questions. Figure out what they need and write the ideal amount of content to help them.
Here are some steps you can follow to figure out the best post length for your audience…
1. Set Your Goal
Before you start writing your next blog post, think about why you’re doing it. What’s the goal? Is it about getting noticed on Google, being shared on social media, promoting a new product or service, getting leads, or something else?
Knowing your goal helps you figure out some parameters about how long your post should be. For example, Google likes detailed answers, while a product announcement should be brief.
2. Understand Your Readers
The better you know and understand the needs of your audience, the easier it is to figure out the ideal post length. Is your audience made up of beginners who need a lot of explanation or are they experts who already know a lot about your topic?
Likewise, are your post readers always in a hurry, short on time, then shorter posts make sense. If time is not an issue, and they’re looking for in-depth information because they’re trying to learn a lot about something that interests them, then longer posts are ideal.
Tools like Google Analytics can help guide you to some answers to these questions. Look for where users are coming from and for patterns that show how much time they stay on specific pages. Then over time, adjust your post lengths to match your audience needs.
3. Think About Your Topic
Consider the complexity of whatever you write about. If it’s a straightforward ‘how-to’ guide with simple steps, keep it concise. For a deep dive into a complex analysis, you’ll aim for a longer, more detailed piece.
No matter what, you always want to find the right balance between being informative and keeping your audience engaged. The longer the post, the more you’ll need to break it up, including more images, and have good section titles to allow for better skimming.
4. Focus on Search Intent, Not Just Words
Search intent is one of the keys to online search success. Whatever you post should align with what someone wants when they search online. Are they trying to research something, or are they trying to find someone who can provide a service they need right now?
Do a search for the keyword phrase you think someone would use. What’s already showing up in the search results for that word or phrase? Whatever you see is a guide to the intent of that search.
Search engines want to give searchers what they’re looking for, so they already understand the intent of specific searches. If the search results are a good match for what you want to publish, then take a look at the length, tone, topics covered, and the structure of the posts that already show up. Make yours similar to meet the search intent.
Or, if your post idea is not a good fit for the intent shown by the search results, you should adjust your post so that it responds to a better search. If you want to know more about searcher intent, here’s the link to my video on that topic.
5. Consider SEO Impacts
While the purpose of your post should never have SEO as the primary objective, SEO must be a factor to consider. You certainly don’t want to go through the effort to create a post only to discover that no one can ever find it.
While there’s no magic number for hitting Google’s front page, studies show that content around 1,500 to 2,500 words tends to do well. That’s why I gave you this range right up front. This gives you enough room to use keywords and similar words while demonstrating to the search engines that your content is a solid resource.
But you should also understand now that there are other factors involved. Sometimes you simply cannot create 1,500 words of high quality. So stick with quality instead of quantity.
Sometimes people ask me if there’s a minimum number of words for a blog post. In my experience, 500 to 600 words is still enough to get decent results if the posts have good quality content. The fewest number of words I would ever suggest is 300. This is for emergency use only. Do not go that low very often unless it’s content you don’t care about.
For example, if you have a post about a one time event, and you’re emailing your customers the link to the post, then you don’t need search engines to find and index it, so the number of words doesn’t matter. But if you want something to endure and show up for the right search, always try to get to at least 500 words. So, let’s get back to the main question…
How Long Should a Blog Post Be as We Head into 2024?
The best answer I can give you is, “As long as it needs to be!” Your goal is to help your audience by providing content that answers the questions swirling around in their minds. Therefore, the right length depends on what they need and what they’re searching for. And this means you should avoid extremes.
Too short, and search engines may overlook your content’s value. Too long, and the readers might lose interest before reaching the end. Aim for the middle ground, strategically weaving keywords into a well-crafted story.
Stay flexible, keep an eye on your audience’s reaction, and tweak your approach as you continue to develop fresh content.
In case you’d like to go a little deeper, I put together a Content Marketing Checklist for you. It’s free, and you can download it from upatdawn.biz/10content. Go ahead and get that now.
Your business deserves to be seen online, and I will help you get there.
Thanks for watching and have a great day!
