What is the ideal content length in SEO? How long should an article or blog post perform well on the search engine page results? Does long-form content help you rank better on Google? These are some of the questions that come across most content writers and digital marketers.
Well, the truth is many factors come into consideration while optimizing content for SEO ranking. And optimal content length is one such factor that you need to consider. Content length is often considered by content writers and webmasters while creating content. Content length has to be one of the most common discussions in the SEO world. And many have different points of view regarding it.
Notably, word count is also considered as a crucial ranking factor the SEO community, with many suggesting search engines looks at higher word count as a signal of higher authority. So it is good to make sure the optimal content length provides your site authority on the topic you write on.
This article dives deep into the connection between content length and SEO, helping you understand how longer content can improve rankings, enhance user experience, and ultimately boost your site’s authority. So let’s start and discuss further this decade-old debate.
What is Content Length?
Content length refers to the total number of words, images, videos, or other media elements on a specific webpage. It could range from short blog posts 300-500 words, to long-form articles exceeding 2,000 words. However, word count is the most commonly measured aspect when considering content length.
The Evolution of SEO and Content Length
As search engines like Google advanced their algorithms, the quality and depth of content gained prominence. Genuine practices like adding keyword in url gained the ground.
Today, Google’s algorithms such as BERT and RankBrain prioritize user intent and context, rewarding sites with content that fully answers search queries. This has shifted focus from sheer keyword usage to comprehensive, in-depth content, often resulting in longer articles that address topics thoroughly.
How Word Count Affects the Content Length in SEO?
While creating content it is crucial to set a specific word count depending upon the topic, as it allows the writer to keep their focus on the topic. Make sure you do not over-elaborate and make it boring for the readers. While also making sure it is not very short, where readers are unable to find the information.
So, SEO writers need to plan and keep a word count before writing the content . It allows the writers to include all of the important information while remaining relevant to the topic.
Does Content Length Actually Matter in Blog Posts?
Yes, content length does matter when it comes to writing blog posts. But that does not mean longer posts or long-form content always ranks better on the SERPs. Ideally, the content length should depend upon your topic research and the search intent.
This is to say, the ideal content length should be something that best serves your viewers and provides them with the information they are looking for.
Ideally, your goal should be to provide answers to the queries of the target audience. So ideally you need to do proper research, look into topics and sub-topics you can add to the content, and provide valuable information.
What is the Ideal Content Length for SEO?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the perfect content length. Different niches, user intent, and competition levels play a role in determining the ideal length. Benchmarks for blog posts is minimum 800 – 1,000 to 1800 – 2,000 max words.
Ultimately, content should be as long as necessary to answer the user’s query thoroughly. Don’t stretch content beyond its natural limits just for the sake of length.
Why is Long-Form Content Performs Better on the SERPs?
Here are some of the possible reasons why longer content tends to perform better on search engine page results.
- Enhanced User Engagement Metrics
User engagement signals—like time on site, bounce rate, and pages per session—are crucial for SEO, and longer content often performs better in these metrics. Longer articles, when are engaging, keep users on a webpage for more time. The more time a visitor spends on your site, the more search engines interprets your content as valuable. High-quality internally linked long-form content can answer a wide range of queries, making users less likely to leave your site after visiting a single page. This reduces the bounce rate, which positively impacts SEO. - Relevance: This is one of the major reasons why longer content performs better on search engines. Since longer content tends to cover wider topics in detail which make it more significant. As we know Google prefers content that is relevant to the search queries of the users, which also results in lower bounce rates and higher ranking.
- More Backlinks and Social Shares: Long-form content generally garners more backlinks and social shares, which are both key factors in improving domain authority and rankings. Longer content often provides unique insights, detailed information, and serves as a reference point for other writers and bloggers. This makes it more likely to be linked to by other sites. To ensure your article maintains credibility and ranks well, make sure to check for spelling mistakes before publishing.
- Search Intent: Also, longer content tends to serve the search intent of the users better than shorter ones. For example, if a user wants to go to Dubai, long-form content that covers details about the itinerary, places to visit, expenses, how to plan the trip, things to do there, and more will serve the search intent of the users better than the short-form content.
- Improved Topical Authority
Content length allows writers to cover a subject in great detail, touching on multiple aspects of a topic. This comprehensive approach signals to search engines that the site is authoritative on the subject, improving its topical relevance. The more thorough your content, the higher the chances that search engines will regard your site as a credible source of information. Longer content also gives room to target multiple related keywords and semantic variations.
How to Check Content Length ?
The optimal content length depends upon several factors as mentioned above. However, while writing content on a particular topic it is important to analyze the subject and check the content length of the top 5-6 page results. This will help you get an idea of the optimal content length for the given topic. To check the ideal content length you can simply use an tool like DefiniteSEO. It is a powerful tool that allows you to check several SEO factors that determine the ranking of the web page.
Step: 1 Definite SEO is very easy to use, all you need to do is simply add the web page URL for which you want to check the content length. Click on the ‘Analyze’ button and the tool will run a complete website analysis.
Step: 2 Next, under the On-Page SEO, you can find the Content Factor option. Here you can find the content length for the particular web page URL you have entered. The tool will also provide your suggestion if the content length is not optimal.
- This way you can analyze the content length for different web pages, and also use it to determine the content length you would want to keep for the content you are about to write.
Conclusion
To rank content on the search engines it is important to provide the necessary information, while also keeping up with the optimal content length. Although several factors determine the ideal content length, you can use SEO tools like DefiniteSEO to analyze different web pages and come up with the average content length you would want to keep while writing content.
The best thing is to keep the content as long as it should be. Simply make sure to provide valuable information and avoid repetitive content. Also, make sure the content you provide meets up the search intent of your target audience.
Hopefully, after reading this article you can find the optimal content length for creating a piece of content.