Do you like writing blog posts for your website? Many people tend to freeze up when it comes to deciding on what to cover and how to get everything written. In fact, we hear from clients all the time that content writing is one of the most anxiety-inducing elements of digital marketing. It seems most either really love it or really hate it.
But the question we’re asked most often is about the ideal blog post length. How much is too much, and what is considered too short?
Thankfully, our ZGM team has you covered. Here’s what you need to know about blog post length best practices—including when to bend the rules just a bit if you’ve got a lot to say about a particular topic.
The answer to this question isn’t as clear as you might think it would be. Why? It depends on your goals in writing the content in the first place.
Before starting your piece, think about your reasons for adding it to your website. If you want to use it as part of a search engine optimization strategy, then go on the longer side. If the intent is to make an announcement or answer a couple of common questions, then stay shorter. If you’re looking to use it as a way to draw attention to your site through social media, keep it somewhere in the middle.
The important thing to remember is there’s no right answer to this. There are only a few basic guidelines you can refer to and adjust accordingly to your unique needs and goals.
In some cases, shorter is really better. If the topic is brief, the happy medium is usually somewhere in the range of 500 to 750 words. This is about a page of text and is a good place to give basic information without going too in-depth.
It’s also a better idea to stay on the short side if you’re presenting only two to three main ideas. This way, you’re getting the basic idea of the content across without drowning it out in a much longer piece.
However, it isn’t recommended to go any shorter than 500 words. These micro-posts don’t usually offer enough context or information to be helpful, which is ultimately the goal of adding a blog post to your website in the first place.
Obviously, if you have a lot to say about a particular theme, there is no harm in going over 750 words. The more information you can provide, the more likely it is that you can position yourself as an expert on the subject and earn trust from those reading your post. This is especially helpful if you’re answering common questions or covering a frequently asked topic.
From an SEO standpoint, it is a good idea to create longer posts on occasion. The reason for this is that it gives search engine bots a bigger picture of what your site is about and how the content you’re offering can benefit someone looking for answers on the internet. While the process is a little more technical, the most important thing to remember is that content is digital real estate. The more overall posts you have, or the larger the quantity of text you have, the higher the chance of a favorable ranking.
Since there are no set rules about how long a blog post needs to be, it is essential to remember that you’re the one who decides what content needs to look like. As long as you’re providing informative and engaging content, there’s no reason to stress over the exact length of the post.
That said, there comes the point when you lose reader attention simply because there is too much text on a page. That’s when it becomes important to decide whether you need to trim it down or publish the post as a series.
Yes, that’s right. You can carve up an extra-long blog post and make it a series of posts! This is a great way to keep reader interest and still get out all of the information that you want them to know. Just remember to link between the posts and be clear in your text that it is part of a series. Post them all at once, space them out a few days, or share them a week at a time.
At ZGM, our team of content writers and search engine optimizations experts is here to help you find the sweet spot when it comes to post length. Please get in touch with us today to discuss your digital marketing goals further.