While you know by now content is king, what you may not know is what is considered enough content?
Is there a point when it gets to be too much?
What length of content is right for blogs, articles, press releases, etc.?
Since we first published this blog post in 2016, the average number of words keeps creeping up even as of 2023.
There could be a number of reasons you are interested in learning about content length, for example, you may have been penalized due to a Google update or simply want to avoid constant link building efforts. You may just be new to writing and have no idea how long posts and content should be.
Regardless of the reason you are interested, there is one fact: the longer the post, the better.
However, just because you are writing more, it does not mean the post or article can be stuffed with “fluff” words that add no value. The entire piece needs to be full of interesting, valuable information and targeted keywords. This is when positive SEO results will be seen.
Helpful Tip: Try to create a content schedule. Plan on several shorter pieces each month or week, along with one or two longer ones. This combination will help achieve the SEO results you desire.
Is Your Site Up to Par?
When the Google Panda update hit, many sites found they were being penalized for publishing farm derived content that had little to no value. Essentially, if this content was on your site, you were fading fast from search results.
But, do you know if your content is valuable? There are certain considerations you can make to determine if you have published content that is SEO friendly:
- Is it error free?
- Does the content seem to come from an expert?
- Is the length sufficient to really teach or tell someone something?
Consider this – the average newspaper article is between 600 and 1500 words, with magazine articles being between 1500 and 3500 words. Detailed research papers or reports usually range between 4000 and 5000 words. These higher word counts allow the full picture to be created, giving readers the entire story.
Google also clearly loves Wikipedia. While the information found here may have to be taken in with a grain of salt, you have to consider the word counts. If you search a general term, such as “online poker” the Wikipedia page for this is going to be on the first page of results, near the top and this is one of the most competitive phrases online. The 500 word length of this page is longer than what is found on most affiliate sites. You have to consider, is it really a coincidence the longer page is ranking better?
Longer Posts are Simply Better
In regard to any metric you may choose to measure, longer posts and articles simply do better. There are two primary reasons longer posts receive more traffic:
- The rank higher in Google search results.
- With more words on the page, there is a higher likelihood for keyword phrase matches.
How many words should your website page content be?
You website should have 200 to 2500 words or more depending on the type of website page. Generally speaking the following word counts should be used for web content, blogs and articles:
- Press Releases: A simple announcement that uses a standard template to communicate in a clean, simple way: 400-700 words
- “Update” Articles: Short blog posts updating readers about a single issue, such as a policy change: 400-600 words
- News Articles: Educational posts that update readers on things like industry news or new developments: 600-1,000 words
- Case Studies: In-depth stories about the successes customers have achieved with the help of your business: 500-1,500 words
- Informational Blogs: The best blogs for SEO, and typically what digital marketers think about when they discuss blogs: 700-1,500 words:
- Guides and How-Tos: Detailed handbooks that establish thought leadership and authority in specific areas: 1,500-2,500 words
- Pillar Pages: Also known as 10x content, these are long-form pages that establish foundational content for your business: 1,500-3,000+ words
- Home Page: It’s hard to get clients and people to have long form content on the home page, but it still wins: 500 – 2,000+ words
Take the time to create quality content that offers value is essential.
Keep in mind, if you have nothing of value to say, wait to create an article or blog post until you do. If you simply ramble or publish low-quality content, chances are the SEO efforts will not be what you hoped for.
