In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of digital content creation, there is always a need to know and follow the industry’s best practices on what will to aid your success.
The length of your blog post should primarily depend on what is relevant to your audience, not just on filling spaces and increasing word count.
It’s something that is not definitive and is always subjected to a lot of other important factors within the topic itself.
However, as you go further into this article at the end you will discover;
- How long your blog post should be
- What is a blog post length?
- Ideal Word Range For Different types of blog posts
- What Should Determine The Length Of Your Blog Post?
- Pros and cons of short and long blog posts
- Recommended blog length from successful sites
How Long Should A Blog Post Length Be
Generally, there are no ideal word counts for blog post length. The average word count for a blog post that ranks well on the first page of Google is usually between 1,400 – 1,890 words.
This is a good suggestion since what you need is a post that can rank well on Google. This report is from industry studies from a reputable source like Backlinko.
Furthermore, the way you format your blog post and structure the content within it will determine the length if you are also considering the height.
The most important goal is to provide value that meets your reader’s interests. This is what truly matters. Whether your content is short or long, it can rank well as long as your audience is engaged.
What is a blog length?
A blog post length is the word count of a blog post alongside other media items used within it [images and videos].
The number of words and media items you use in your blog post is what determines its length, which should exist to serve its readers primarily.
The Ideal range of word count for different blog posts
Blog stats reports show that blog posts with 2,000+ words tend to perform better in search rankings and attract more traffic compared to shorter posts.
For Short Posts (500 – 1,000 words):
- Best for quick updates, news, or brief insights.
- Suitable for audiences looking for fast information.
- Good for frequent posting and maintaining reader engagement.
Medium-Length Posts (1,800 – 2,000 words):
- Ideal for listicles, how-to guides, and opinion pieces.
- Provides enough space to explore a topic without overwhelming the reader.
- Balances depth with readability, making it suitable for a wide range of topics.
Long-Form Posts (2,500 – 4,000+ words):
- Great for in-depth guides, tutorials, and comprehensive analyses.
- Attracts more search traffic due to the thorough coverage of the topic.
- Appeals to readers looking for detailed information and can establish you as an authority in your niche.
We have a quick, simple guide on “How to Write a Blog Post” if you are struggling with that, too.
What Should Determine The Length Of Your Blog Post?
As I said before, the amount of content you think is relevant enough to your audience should determine the length of your blog post.
This also depends on the type of posts, as different posts would require different word count ranges as illustrated earlier.
Here are other factors that can help you determine how long your blog posts should be;
- Write according to your audience preferences – Understanding what your audience wants from your blog post is the beginning of a successful blog post. Some readers prefer concise and straight-to-the-point content, while others may appreciate more in-depth and comprehensive articles. Analyze your audience demographics, engagement metrics, and feedback to gauge their preferences. This will help you come up with a good post length.
- Competitor’s Post Analysis: Researching the lengths of other similar successful posts ranking well on the search results, will let you have an idea of what other blogs are doing.
- SEO Considerations: Longer posts often perform better in search engine rankings due to their comprehensive nature, but it’s important to balance this with readability and user experience. If your goal is strictly for SEO longer posts will most times be recommended.
- Content Goals: The purpose of your blog post (e.g., to inform, entertain, persuade) can influence its length. In-depth guides may require more words, while concise formats may be more direct for quick updates.
- Topic Complexity: More complex or technical subjects may need longer posts to thoroughly explain concepts, while simpler topics can be covered in shorter formats.
- Blog Format and Structure: Using headings, bullet points, and visuals can make longer posts more readable, regardless of their length.
- Engagement Metrics: Monitoring metrics like visitor’s bounce rate and time on your blog post page can also help you to update your post length, to adapt to what readers/visitors want.
Pros And Cons Of Short & Long Form Blog Posts
To help determine how long your blog post content should be, knowing the pros and cons of a short & long-form blog post will help you weigh and balance things yourself.
Long-Form Blog Posts: Pros and Cons
Pros
- It leads to SEO benefits
- It signifies expertise in the topic
- It leads to a higher engagement score
- It is more comprehensive than a shorter post
Cons
- It takes more time to write
- It is harder for readers to scan
- It can lead to confusion due to overwhelming content
- Mobile users have shorter attention spans which can lead to a high bounce rate
Short-Form Blog Posts: Pros and Cons
Pros
- They are easy to share
- They are easier to write
- They are easy to consume by your audience
- Due to more niche content coverage, it can increase your site topical authority in the sight of Google.
Cons
- It can lead to a high bounce rate
- It has a limited monetization opportunity
- It is less comprehensive and unsatisfying for the audience
- It attracts less backlinks when compared to longer-form post
- It isn’t easy to stand out or compete among other similar topic
- It has a lower engagement rate when compared to longer-form content
Is there a recommended blog length from successful sites
A stat report by Backlinko found that on average Google’s first page result blog posts contain 1,447 words.
This means if your post contains as much as 1,447 words and above you probably have a good chance of ranking on the first page of Google results.
Apart from that, across the majority of authoritative sites, I have personally reviewed most of them recommend having a blog post that contains anywhere within this range of 1,500 – 3,500 words to be good enough in most cases.
It’s all left for you to decide on how long your blog post should be.
We have a quick simple guide on How To Write A Blog Post if you are struggling with that too.
Post End.
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