What is the best length for blog posts? How long should a blog post be?
The ideal length of a blog post is, for most articles, between 1 and 500 words (more on this later).
These are the kinds of questions that many bloggers ask themselves, especially new ones. After all, if you don't know whether you're aiming for 500 or 5 words, it's very difficult to write a blog post.
The good news is that the length of a blog post doesn't have to be a big mystery.
I have written several hundred blog posts (of widely varying lengths) over the years. I have learned some proven principles over time, which I will explain to you in this article.
We'll explore why post length matters, tackle a pervasive myth about post length, and examine the ideal length of a blog post in different contexts.
How long should a blog post be? 1 â 500 words (the ideal word count for SEO) in 2
Why is article length important?
Some bloggers believe that posts can be any length. And let's be honest, your blogging platform probably doesn't limit you in this area. You can publish an article 50 words or a 20 word article.
In reality, readers have certain expectations of online articles. They're definitely looking for something longer than a tweet or twoâŠbut they're not planning on reading the equivalent of a short novel.
Your blog readers want your article to cover your topic quickly, but they want you to go into enough detail to make it worth reading.
For most topics, that means at least 1 words, but if you're creating an in-depth guide, like my guide to the starting a blog, you could be well over 5 words.
Search engines aim to give readers the content they want, so long articles tend to rank better. We will come back to this point in more detail in a moment.
And the ideal length of a blog post isâŠ
One of the big myths is that short attention spans require short content.
You certainly don't need to write all of your articles in 500 words or less to meet the needs of busy readers.
What matters is making your articles scannable.
This way, readers can easily find the information they are looking for. This means using short paragraphs, bold text to highlight key points, and subheadings to âtellâ the reader about different sections of your article.
Longer articles perform better in search results, which means readers want longer articles.
The ideal length for most blog posts is 1-500 words.
How many words are insufficient? I recommend that you avoid going below 1 words for any blog post.
Length of Articles for SEO
Readers love in-depth contentâŠand that means Google loves it too.
In the early days of for-profit blogging, many bloggers aimed for 500-800 word posts because they were quick to write and could post something every day.
As blogging grew in the 2010s, long-form content became increasingly popular with both readers and search engines.
For many keywords, the first 10 Google results will all be around 1-500 words.
By writing longer articles, you can add more keywords (without making your article seem contrived). This allows you to give readers even more value, which increases the chances that they will share your article and link to it.
Additionally, influential bloggers are more likely to link to in-depth resources rather than short articles that only scratch the surface. All of this can contribute to your SEO.
Article length by content type
Of course, there is no "perfect" article length. The right length depends on your niche and the type of content you are creating.
The "Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss" won't deliver on its promise if it's only 500 words long. Likewise, âFive Quick Tips for Cutting Calories This Weekâ will have readers halfway yawning if you stretch it out to 5 words.
To determine the length of your article, search your main keyword on Google and examine the first five articles.
What is the typical length of a blog post on your topic? Determine the average word count of a blog post and try to keep your post the same length.
In general, always-on content will be longer than news-oriented content, but that's not a fixed rule.
Practical articles
How-to articles vary depending on their topic.
If you're writing a guide on something fairly basic (like "how to change admin email in WordPress"), it will be much shorter than a more comprehensive guide (like " How to become a freelancer and earn a lot of money").
How many words? Aim for between 1 and 000 words, depending on the breadth of the topic.
List items (Listicles)
List posts are very popular with bloggers and readers. They are easy to write and read.
On sites like Buzzfeed, listicles can consist of many images or gifs and few words, but most bloggers produce more in-depth and detailed list posts.
How many words? Aim for between 2 and 000 words, depending on the length of your list.
Pillars (or Ultimate Guides)
Mainstay articles (often in the form of "ultimate guides") are a special type of ever-evolving article. They're meant to be an in-depth guide to a big topic, like an entire category on your blog, in your niche.
Typically, they link to a number of your other posts on that topic, acting as a hub on your blog. These are the types of articles that are heavily linked and shared.
How many words? Aim for around 4 words.
Remember, you don't have to follow these length recommendations every time. Think of them as an average word count for a blog post. Some of your articles will be a few hundred words longer, others will be a few hundred words shorter.
How to write longer articles⊠without superfluity
What if your blog posts are normally between 800 and 1 words? You need to make them longer, in order to provide more added value to readers and improve your SEO, but how to do it exactly?
Some bloggers speak of âfluffâ (or âpaddingâ) to designate verbose content that does not add any value. Saying the same thing over and over again, or using tons of words to convey a simple concept, sucks.
This is annoying for readers, who may go straight back to their search results to choose another article, which could cause your page to be ranked less favorably by Google.
Instead, when trying to lengthen a draft or rewrite an existing article to make it longer, you can:
Add more items to your list
A very simple way to lengthen a list is to add elements to it. âTen ways toâŠâ could become âTwenty ways toâŠâ, which would double the length.
Of course, you shouldn't flesh out your list with weak examples. Make sure the new items you add are as good as the ones already on the list. If you're struggling, try one of these other techniques instead to complete your list.
Add more examples
- A simple way to add value and length to an article that gives advice is to include more examples. Depending on your subject, this could be:
- Examples from your personal experience.
- Quotes from other bloggers, books, news articles or other resources.
- Screenshots or photos, and a written explanation of them.
- Case studies from clients you have worked with â a great way to promote your services.
- Links to products or services â this is a good opportunity to include affiliate links.
For example, if you have an article on " how to choose a blog nicheâ, you can add examples of well-known blogs that are successful in different niches.
Add more detailed advice
Sometimes you can give a brief outline of how to do something in your article. To make your article longer (and more useful), you can go into detail. This may mean:
- Give step-by-step instructions instead of a one-paragraph summary.
- Suggest different ways readers could use your advice.
- Give warnings about common errors or misconceptions.
- Share lessons learned from your own experience.
- Explain when your advice doesn't apply or who shouldn't use it.
Give advice to go further
If your article is aimed at beginners, you can add additional tips for readers who want to go deeper. This can be additional "hint" for different parts of the article, or a suggestion for "going further" or "next steps".
Another approach is to give a "recommended resource" for each part of your article, and explain why you suggest that particular resource.
This can be a great way to link to your other blog posts or promote your products or services. You can also link to other bloggers or resources that you are affiliated with.
Answer frequently asked questions (FAQ)
To find good questions to answer, Google your keyword and look for the "People Always Ask" section. For example, here's what appears for "make money blogging":
The answers to these questions can help your article get more search engine traffic.
Snippets of different articles appear when a user clicks on one of these questions to see the answer, and your article could become one of those featured here.
It's often a good idea to place your FAQ section at the end of your article, so readers can easily skip it if the questions aren't relevant to them.
Quality content wins, every time
In the end, what really matters isn't the word count. It's the quality of your content.
Thoughtful, detailed, and well-researched content will always win out over sloppy content that just repeats some basic advice.
Try to write articles of around 1 to 500 words: this is the ideal length for blog posts, in general.
If it's a simple topic, 1 words is enough. (And it's okay to include even shorter articles from time to time, too).
If it's an important topic, feel free to write as long an article as you want, but make sure it's well-structured so readers can easily participate.
No matter how long your blog post is, you need to create the best content possible. Start by writing the outline of your article and everything should fall into place from there.
