What’s the Ideal Blog Post Length?

Blogging is an integral part of content marketing and many bloggers want to know what’s the ideal blog post length for search engine optimization. The interwebs are flush with advice on how long your blog posts should be, but the truth is that there’s no such thing as the perfect blog post length. It just doesn’t exist.

This is mostly because the success of your content depends on many facets, of which length is not one.

The Ideal Blog Post Length

Many people try to use “science” to determine the ideal blog post length. By taking a block of keywords and auditing the length of the top 10 search engines results for each keyword, some people claim to know the ideal blog post length for appearing on the first page of Google. But I am here to tell you it’s all BS.

While there is some evidence that length plays a role in Google search results, exactly how big a role is unknown. What we do know is that quality of content will trump length any day. The length of your blog post should always be secondary to your subject, structure, readability and its potential for engagement.

There are many other factors that influence your search engine rankings. For example, the keyword(s) you choose to go after. Some keywords may require longer blog posts than others. I suggest doing your own canvass of the top 10 keywords you’re targeting. Look at the top 10 results for each keyword and average the word count. This will give you a good idea of where you need to be.

However, that being said, my own anecdotal research shows that blog posts between 1,500 and 2,000 words perform much better than posts of less than 1,000 words.

Quantity vs. Length

One important factor in search engine optimization is publishing frequency. I address this in my article, ”If you’re not publishing, you don’t exist,” in which I discussed how the academia adage “publish or perish” holds true for search engine optimization.

This might lead one to believe that four 250 word blog posts are more powerful than one 1,000 word blog post. But that’s not the case. Long form content gives Google and other search engines more to go on. You see, Google is essentially guessing which web pages a searcher wants based on the search criteria. The more information on your page that matches that search criterion, the better the odds that your page will show up.

Why Does Ideal Blog Post Length Matter for SEO?

The length of a blog post is important for many reasons. When it comes to search engines optimization, it’s less about the length of the text and more about the specific keywords you’re targeting.

With a properly optimized blog post, your desired keyword will appear regularly. The longer the post, the more chances for that keyword to appear. But that doesn’t mean that a well written, well optimized 300-word post can’t outperform a 5,000-word post. It most certainly can. But there’s less need for keyword stuffing in longer text.

Also, the longer your blog posts, the more subheadlines and photos you’ll be able to include, all of which will contain more keyword opportunities.

Blog Post Length and Readability

The one problem many bloggers run into when writing beyond the 1,000-word mark is readability. Unless you’re a natural or professional writer, it can be difficult to hold a reader’s attention for that long. This can increase bounce rate, which will have the opposite effect of the one we’re after.

Lengthy blocks of text have the ability to scare readers away. Poorly written articles will see a similar drop-off. They won’t be shared on social media and getting readers to return will be a challenge. This can be devastating to your brand. Always err on the side of quality, readable content.

So, What’s the Ideal Blog Post Length

In conclusions, it’s safe to say that all the articles on the web discussing the ideal blog post length, are pure BS. Well, not all of them, but most.

The truth is, there’s no such thing as the ideal blog post length. You should write your blog posts to fit the topic. If the topic requires 3,000 words, write away. If it only requires 300 words, don’t pad it.

And, if writing isn’t your forte, don’t force it. There are many agencies, such as this one, that offer content marketing services to small business and can help produce high-quality content on a consistent basis. For more information on our content marketing services, call us today at (949) 354-2574.