Before we talk about blog length, I have a question for you …
Why are you writing a blog in the first place?
Are you hoping to drive traffic to your website? Are you trying to establish yourself as an expert in the field? Maybe you want to generate discussion on social media. No matter why you are writing, one critical question is “How Long Does My Blog Have to Be?” Not too long ago, just about any SEO expert would have given you the same answer: around 500 words. Today, the answer may be more nuanced. You could probably cover some topics in less than 300 words, while others may need 3,000 words.
The short answer to this question is, it depends. Your blog posts should have enough content to cover your topic but be readable enough to keep your audience coming back for more.
Longer Posts or More Posts?
The word count for your blog affects your publishing schedule. If you write shorter posts, publish more frequently. In any case, don’t overdo it. This will only lead to you getting burnt out and your readers getting overwhelmed.
Three Best Practice Guidelines
Are you ready to get started? Here are three main considerations:
- What Works for Your Topic?
If your blog focuses on in-depth analysis and journalistic style writing, you’ll probably be writing longer posts. If you prefer topics like “Strange Things I Saw on the Way to Work,” you’ll probably be better off with short posts.
- What Works for Your Audience?
Who are your readers? Why are they reading your blog? No matter what the topic is, every good blogger writes for their audience. Write what works for them, and you are more likely to succeed. If you already have many readers, you may consider a reader survey. If you’re not there yet, check out your analytics to see which posts are more popular and get the most comments or shares.
- What Works for You?
What kind of writer are you? Is your style more concise or wordier? If you’ve been struggling to write long posts, maybe you should try your hand at shorter content. If you feel you’re leaving too much left unsaid, why not see how a longer post works?
The best thing about blogging is that you have the freedom to do what you want to do. If you want to write 10,000-word blog posts, you can. If you’d rather post a picture of a kitten with a clever caption, you can. The content you create is completely up to you. Look around and see what other people are doing. Look at your numbers and see what your audience is responding to. In the end, go with what works.
Want more tips and insights from Cuppa SEO?
