What Should Be The Ideal Blog Post Length?

Are you struggling to find the right length for your blog posts?

You’re not alone. The ideal length of a blog post varies according to your content objectives, audience needs, and search intent. However, there are some broad guidelines to help you get started.

Also, we’ll discuss blog-length best practices to help you attract more readers, improve your SEO, boost communication, and more. 

So let’s dive in!

What Is the Ideal Blog Post Length for SEO?

The ideal blog post length is between 1,500 and 2,500 words, with a sweet spot at 2,450. When you keep inside this range, your posts are more likely to rank higher in search engines, receive more social media shares, and generate backlinks. 

However, while these figures are an excellent place to start, there is no “one size fits all” approach because different topics need varying levels of content. To fine-tune your article length, consider why you decided to create a blog in the first place, as well as the type of blog you want to publish. 

Here’s an overview of the various viewpoints on the ideal blog post length for SEO.

a. Short and Sweet (300-500 words): This length is suitable for fast ideas, news updates, or simple queries. They are simple to understand and can rank well for narrow keywords, but they may not provide sufficient information for complex topics.

b. Medium Magic (500-1200 words): This is a comfortable range for most blog posts. It enables you to talk about a subject extensively without overwhelming readers. According to studies, posts in this range had higher engagement and social share rates.

c. Long Form (1200+ words): This category includes in-depth articles, ultimate guides, and research pieces. They demand significant effort but have the potential to be SEO powerhouses, ranking higher for competitive keywords and attracting backlinks. Remember that quality beats quantity, so minimize fluff and make sure the length is appropriate for the topic’s complexity.

Beyond word count, the optimal blog post length depends on these factors:

a. The niche or industry you’re targeting: Some marketplaces may demand more explanatory content, while others do not.

b. Buyer persona: What type of information do they prefer to read? What would they be looking for at their current professional level? Do they favor short or long texts?

c. Stage of the buyer’s journey: Some material is more effective than others at each stage of the buyer’s journey. Shorter blog entries, for example, are more appropriate at the awareness stage, near the top of the funnel. Longer blog entries, on the other hand, can be quite useful during the decision-making process.

d. Search intent: Users’ search intent necessitates a methodical approach to content creation as well as a thorough understanding of how customers think and what motivates them to act. Maybe their goal with a search is to read a 3000-word text; perhaps they have a question that can be answered in a few paragraphs.

e. Keywords: Keywords can determine the length of a blog post. Research relevant keywords and their search traffic to determine how much content people expect to see.

The Benefits of Long-Form Blog Posts!

a. Increased Time Spent on the Page

The longer your blog postings are, the longer readers will stay on your site. Google monitors how long visitors spend on your website and absorb your content. They use this as part of their decision-making process to choose where to rank your content.

Naturally, 2000-word long-form articles will keep your clients reading for extended periods, but only if the content is of high quality and addresses their search queries and purpose.

You may also use internal linking in your long-form articles to direct users to other blog entries with more information on specific elements of what they’re looking for. Again, this is another method for keeping your visitors reading and increasing their stay time.

b. Detailed Exploration of Content

With only 350 or 500 words, you cannot completely explore any topic, especially one that is detailed and involved.

With the “What is SEO?” topic we discussed before, you’d barely have gotten through the introduction and a portion of your first explanation before running out of room.

When you want your readers to remain reading, you must be able to produce detailed blog entries that cover all aspects of your website’s primary topics.

c. More Words Lead to More Social Shares and Backlinks

It has been shown that long-form content between 1,000 and 2000 words gets 77% more backlinks and 56% more social shares than content less than 1,000 words. This is excellent for increasing your credibility as a writer, whether you’re guest posting or writing for your site. 

One probable explanation is that people are more likely to find value in longer posts, making them more willing to share or link to such useful content. 

d. Long-form Content Significantly Boosts SEO

The purpose of search engines is to organize and make the world’s information available to everyone. They want to provide their billions of users with trustworthy, well-researched, and reliable results.

As a result, producing a 300-word blog article is unlikely to yield a topic relevant enough to rank. To increase your blog’s SEO performance, focus on longer-form material that demonstrates value and authority. 

Remember that ranking for popular keywords can significantly improve your traffic, resulting in more conversions and revenue opportunities for you. So, while writing those extra 700 words may seem inconvenient, they can pay off handsomely. 

Drawbacks of Long-form Blog Posts!

While long-form blog posts have several appealing benefits it is also important to recognize their potential disadvantages. A balanced approach to content development involves looking at both sides of the coin.

a. Time and Resource Investments

Long-form content requires a large amount of time and resources to research, create, and edit. This can be difficult for busy bloggers with little time or resources.

b. Longer Content May Not be as Shareable

Short-form information, such as infographics or videos, is typically easier to share on social media. This means that long-form blog entries may receive less exposure than shorter pieces of material and may not have the same viral potential.

It is more difficult to promote since long-form content is more difficult to distribute on social media and persuade people to read it completely. This does not imply you should abandon your long-form approach entirely, but it is something to consider before you begin.

c. Mobile Readability Challenge

Long-form information may not necessarily work well on smaller screens. Poor formatting or dense paragraphs might make reading difficult for mobile users.

d. It Can Be Challenging to Stay on Topic

When writing long-form content, it is easy to become sidetracked and address issues that are unrelated to your core message. This can reduce the coherence and effectiveness of your content. To avoid this, create a detailed outline of the content before start writing. This will help you remain on track and ensure that your content is organized.

How to Write a Long-Form Blog Post?

Writing a long-form blog post can be difficult, but it can also be an effective method to add value to your audience and develop your brand.

Here are the 10 steps for creating a long-form blog post:

1. Do all your research before you begin

To avoid feeling overwhelmed when writing a longer piece, conduct all of your research ahead of time. You should have a thorough understanding of the issue, how competitors approached it, your aims, and the target audience for the piece.

Read the top ten blog entries that are currently ranking in search results. An additional suggestion is to look at what Google suggests under the “People also ask” area. These questions can help you figure out what topics to address in your post.

2. Choose significant keywords to include in your content

Each topic you want to analyze or problem you want to address comes down to keywords and phrases. Keywords are what interested people type into search engines to find articles, blog entries, or even business websites. 

You can use blogging tools and keyword planners like Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, or Semrush to strategically locate high-search volume keywords linked to your content and integrate them into your article. 

It’s suggested to use the term in the blog post title, introduction, SEO description, and a few times throughout the text. This helps search engines realize that your article is closely related to the search keyword and increases the likelihood that your blog post will be ranked. 

3. Create a quick and detailed outline

Creating a brief helps you construct your outline, which aids in the layout of your essay. During this preparation process, make bullet points outlining what each area of your post will cover, which of your other blog entries you may want to link to, and where you will place keywords. This makes it much easier to write the piece. 

4. Clearly label headings and sections

We’re all guilty of reading when we’re short on time. By writing headings that clearly describe each segment and breaking down sub-ideas with H2 and H3 headings, readers can skip around the page to the sections that are most important and relevant to them.

As a general rule, try to keep headlines between 3 and 10 words long. 

Good headings will help you keep viewers on your site longer since they will be able to explore the blog article more easily and locate exactly what they need, rather than becoming overwhelmed and leaving your page. A great tip is to put a table of contents at the top of your post, like the one at the beginning of this section, to introduce your key points. 

5. Use images to break up the paragraphs

There are two primary benefits to including photographs in your blog posts. First, studies found that bloggers who included ten or more photographs in their blog posts achieved better outcomes. Second, visuals are an excellent method to break up longer passages without overwhelming or boring the reader.

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and can thus help you convey your message. Finally, remember to include alt text with your photographs for both accessibility and image SEO benefits.  

6. Vary sentence structure

Reading written content is similar to listening to harmonious music. There should be a sense of rhythm and movement, with occasional beat changes. If you conceive of your sentences as music, consider alternating shorter and longer sentences to engage the reader and produce higher-quality writing. 

7. Include bulleted and numbered lists

First, we will say:

• Readers 
• Love 
• Bullet points 
• And lists. 

Longer articles should be well-organized, logical, and easy to read. Incorporating both bullet points and numbered lists within your post can help you communicate your thoughts. 

Bullet points and numbered lists can be used to build on your thoughts inside sections, similar to how headers are used to divide the overall blog article into shorter pieces. When defining stages in a guide, listicles are very useful for explaining what to do in what order. 

8. Write readable text in the active voice

At the end of the day, the purpose of your writing is to help others receive the knowledge they require. In literature, there is a statistic known as readability score, which spans from 0 to 100 and rates the number of years of education required to comprehend the content.

The goal is to achieve a reading score of 60 or better on your blog entries, allowing visitors with an average educational background and reading level to readily understand your writing.

• Furthermore, when it comes to search engine ranking, AI-powered bots crawl your website and blog articles to better understand your content.
• When you create readable text in active voice (rather than passive speech), the bots can better digest and comprehend your thoughts.
• If search engines can see how well-written your content is, they are far more likely to rank it higher. 

9. Keep the paragraphs short and add transition words

Aim for paragraphs of 100 words or less, with only one idea for each paragraph. Long paragraphs may frighten readers, causing them to skip them entirely. 

Include transition words in these areas when moving between points that are unrelated to one another. The idea is to keep your readers engaged by letting them know where your next thought will lead.

10. Add your perspective

You should go over the key points of the topic, even if they have already been written. However, you should also add your twist to it. After all, people visit your blog to learn from you. Share your unique viewpoint and thoughts on the subject with the rest of the world. People will enjoy this innovation and return to read more of it.

Conclusion

The ideal length for blog posts is not a one-size-fits-all metric, but rather a delicate balance determined by your audience, topic, and goals. Our research into the dimensions of blog post length indicates a dynamic world in which quality often surpasses quantity.

Whether you choose short, snackable content or engaging long-form narratives, the idea is to give value, encourage engagement, and meet your audience’s expectations.

FAQs

1. Is there a universal ideal length for blog posts?

No, there is no specific word count that ensures success. The ideal length is determined by various factors, including your topic, target audience, and goals. However, studies show that pieces containing 1,500 to 2,500 words perform well in terms of SEO, social shares, and reader engagement.

2. How does blog post length affect SEO?

Search engines favor both short and long-form material. Longer blog entries offer more options for relevant keywords and thorough content, which may improve SEO rankings.

3. Can a lengthy blog post keep readers interested?

Yes, provided the content is well-structured and entertaining. Divide big entries into sections, incorporate pictures, and keep the content relevant and useful throughout.