Yes, your website has a specific word count for SEO posts. However, length is not the principal factor you should be taking into consideration.
The aspects that matter the most are the ones given by the content strategy you want to follow. And yes, search engine optimization (SEO) is a content strategy in itself. What we are trying to say is that the goals you are aiming for should be the ones determining what you do with your SEO planning.
A goal for you could be just wanting to rank higher and focusing less on conversions at the moment. Well, then is when the blog length becomes crucial.
How Long Should a Blog Post Be?
Google has a certain content length that it likes. Or so the writers like to explain. The thing is that this is not a complete lie, nor entirely true. As we stated, there is a set of “rules” for each result you are expecting.
We have statistics about how many words rank higher in the said search engine. The numbers change a little from one source to another, but we have already digested them to make them easier for you:
- Some say their ideal length lies between 200 to 500 words.
And this might come as a result of readers wanting shorter articles due to the reduction of the attention span some people are mentioning throughout the internet.
- Some others say the word count that shows most effective goes from 1.500 to 2.400.
These numbers have a closer link to the algorithm than to anything else. Although we won’t deny the fact that people that are comfortable reading longer pieces exist, a longer copy delivers the numbers because of the time spent on your blog.
Time on Site
Time on Site is a metric Google takes into consideration when deciding whether your content is likable or not. On what does it base this result?
Well, on the idea that if your audience stays on your site during the whole read, then the text must be valuable for them.
Are Long Blog Posts Better for SEO?
Back to the big question of this article (What’s The Ideal Word Count for SEO Blogs?), we’d like to talk about some aspects that affect the ranking of your web.
For a post to work in the eyes of Google, the time spent on the site matters, yes. But so does the content in itself.
We have the factor of SEO. This means that your content seems to gather enough information about one topic to be relevant for the people searching for it. How do they (Google) know?
Based on the linking involved, the choice of words (keywords) and how many of them your text includes, and a few other details, a larger text (or one compelling enough to make people stay) that also includes the right keywords and internal linking is the likely winner.
How to Write a Compelling SEO Article?
Following all of the tips we have dropped so far is a yes. But we want to offer more important tricks. Writing is an art, and technique plays a great part in it.
And when you write in a medium controlled by technologies and A.I., you ought to mind your technique more than ever.
Keyword research is a must, irrevocably. We will address this matter in a sec. The way you apply these keywords to your copy is one of the details that creates a valuable piece.
You have to avoid sounding like a robot at all costs, as much as you need to avoid boring your audience. So you have to elaborate an article that can meet your readers’ demand (What is SEO? for example) and that also distributes the correct amount of keywords and trends.
And we shall add the linking factor. There are links that redirect to your own site blogs and links that redirect to external websites.
What’s More Important Than Content Length?
For a higher ranking, turn to your content strategy. Marketers are very familiar with cluster posts and pillar content strategy these days.
What makes these types of articles matter is their ability to bear a wide variety of information about the same topic. The famous Wikipedia is a great example of this practice.
They have a clear target persona which is people searching for educational content. The search intent for their website is, then, educational.
They offer us, readers, basic definitions that can then turn into complex investigations depending on the subject matter you are digging into. How so?
You google “butterflies,” and a Wikipedia article pops in. Then you learn about the scientific name of butterflies, the species they belong to, and their most characteristic qualities. But while reading, you encounter a lot of terms new to you, and you realize you need to learn their definition so you can grasp a much better idea about butterflies.
So the page leads you to another article linked right there on the same page you are reading about other insects or even plants or countries. And so it goes on.
So yes, the content was very relevant, and you ended up reading three or four different pieces from the same website.
And it wasn’t some kind of trick or a waste of your time. Wikipedia always ranks high because its content is top-notch for its readers. And this exact-same principle can be applied to your website. Why not?
Factors That Affect Blog Post SEO
We think is necessary to address a few more tech-related tips. Technology is a friend and is your medium to get to an end. Keep that in mind while creating content for SEO.
We said quality is paramount, and this affirmation extends to the tech-like details of your site.
Your page needs to be friendly in the eyes of your reader; it has to work with no faults, at least regarding its loading.
Check Your HTML Coding
For this purpose, it is mandatory that you supervise the coding very carefully. When we are presented with the word coding, one might get terrified. But there is no need for that because we are talking of simple HTML codes.
You can even rely on tools for this matter, though it is always recommendable to know what you are doing.
Checking your HTML ends will contribute to making your page faster. The texts, the images. It will also make it easier to read by the algorithms. So it’s a win-win practice.
Keep Your Content Updated
Just as editorials and authors do with the books they publish, we would advise that you revise and refresh whatever content is posted on your site.
This is especially important if you have a website that has been running for some years now. Because yes, formats, trends, and facts change, but it is not the only reason why you should give a chance to this strategy.
We bring a piece of important information to you: the search engine’s A.I. loses interest in your old blog posts. Basically, because they are old and there is so much new stuff, it needs to cover and index every day that old pieces get behind.
Here’s how you can take a step ahead of it: by checking your old posts and finding ways to update them with a little drop of change. The algorithm will receive them as brand new and give them the relevance they deserve once again.
Smartphones Matter
With a smartphone in our hands at almost all times, we do not need to reach for a PC when wanting to google something. We have all the information we can wish for literally in the palm of our hand.
And not every website is prepared for this reality check. Sometimes we build our pages thinking about how efficient they seem on a computer’s interface. They may look even better.
But what cannot happen is that they perform poorly on either of the platforms. If anything, you should even bet for better mobile performance. At least if you are thinking from a customer perspective.
Work on a good mobile receptivity for your business if you want your blogs to get to the Google SEO spotlight.
Back Your Blogs With Reliable External Sources
We know the competition can be fearsome and even feel like it is impossible to ever get to the first page of a search engine, and it’s not all in your mind, but neither is it as hard as it may seem at the beginning.
Making a way through your audience’s trust is vital. So you have to choose who your competitors are and who is a “friend” to link to. Remember, links are important for your site.
Try this: when giving data about one of your topics, mention a reliable source that can confirm or back what you are saying, and add a link to their page.
This will make you seem transparent to your readers, and the algorithm will recognize how your website is related to the content on that other page.
Extra Tips to Optimize Your SEO Blog
Creating a blog has multiple angles. We have talked about the blog length, the linking, the loading, and the looks. The readers’ experience is paramount at all times.
We want to share two more trips related to the experience your audience is expecting when clicking on your blog.
Add Various Types of Content
The first will be to use different forms of content throughout your text. Using only written content is more likely to bore your readers.
That’s why adding some form of multimedia is so recommendable. Inserting images, videos, or even ads related to the blog topic can lighten the appearance of a long text. But it can also give extra information without making your content too time-consuming.
Our special recommendation: make sure you give proper credit to the multimedia content you use, or simply use free or unlicensed graphics.
Make Your Titles Clear and Enticing
Titles have a big part of any text, and the internet is not an exception. The main title you give to your piece is supposed to reveal its contents. Your titles have to be clear but also attractive.
You can create catchy H1, H2, or H3 (marketers’ names for titles) following these simple steps:
- Include words that signal your readers’ intent:
- If your article is conceived to sell something directly, it needs different keywords than if your reader is expecting to learn about a specific topic.
- Be familiar but innovative:
- You can never let your creativity stand in the way between you and your target personas. Know their words and use them, and then let your particular points sparkle.
Stay Informed
Continuously check and investigate for new trends or changes there may be going on in your industry. And make it a habit.
For your findings, rely on experts; they will always be the best source.
If you like a blog and think it is useful for your business, dig into it and check what it has to say.
What happens when you have more concrete individual questions? You can always contact us, and our team will surely help.
Marketing agencies are designed to reunite professionals that can all work together in the many facets of your business. That’s what we are.
