Depending on the query that you want to rank for, you should aim for a maximum of 3,000 words for a blog post. It is much easier to add more words than to subtract them, so more content is better in terms of SEO. The longer the blog post is, the more likely it will rank well on Google.
Long-form content
Until recently, the average blog post was 500 to 800 words long. Today, however, a post that includes information, research, and examples is more likely to rank well on Google than a short-form post. As a result, long-form content is the new standard and there are several studies proving this.
As with most things on the internet, the length of a blog post is important. The golden rule for a blog post is around 2,300 to 2,500 words long. While it can be tempting to whittle words or lengthen a blog post, you need to remember that quality is more important than quantity. A blog post that contains more content is more likely to rank well in Google and attract more visitors and leads.
Blog post length depends on the topic you’re covering. Some topics require 4,000 words or more to explain in depth. For example, a post about veganism would have a much longer length than a post about hostels. Some niches may be easier to cover than others. The goal is to establish yourself as an authority on the topic. A long-form post will position you as an expert, give your readers real value, and encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter.
Some articles are too long. For example, if you’re writing a guide to a new topic, it might be more appropriate to write a short article. This way, you can provide information that’s relevant to the topic without weighing down the reader’s attention with too much information. Moreover, a shorter article is easier to read and will satisfy a user’s query more effectively.
Your audience’s preferences may play a big role in determining the length of a blog post. You can determine the ideal blog post length based on the type of content they are interested in and how they engage with it. While there’s no “magic number” for a blog post, the ideal length is the one that resonates with your audience.
In general, longer blog posts get shared more on social media than shorter ones. In fact, posts with more than 1,500 words receive more than double the number of tweets and Facebook likes, compared to those that contain less than this.
Keeping your audience in mind
When writing a blog post, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. Think about their age, location, profession, and other factors. Then, think about their needs and wants. For example, they might be looking for help solving a problem, learning something new, or making an informed purchasing decision. It’s also important to think about what level of expertise they have and what problems they may have in common with others.
Keeping your audience in mind when writing i s critical to your blog’s success. The best blog posts will engage and educate their audience. But even the most basic errors can impact their comprehension of the content. This is why you need to proofread your articles before publishing them. One of the best tools to use for this is Grammarly.
Next, you should structure your blog post so that it’s easy to understand. Avoid long and wordy sentences that don’t make sense. People prefer short, digestible content. Try to keep the average reading level for your blog posts under the 12th grade. It’s also wise to start your posts with an introduction. It should clearly state what the article is about and entice the reader to read the rest of the article.
Another way to determine your target audience is to create a poll. Polls can be done on Twitter and can reveal common themes that people are interested in. A survey can also be created based on your email list to understand common topics and pain points. It will give you an idea of the kinds of topics you should write about.
A good blog post should be engaging and offer actionable steps to the reader. A strong hook can be eye-catching, provocative, or even a question that will keep the reader interested. The hook should draw the reader into the post and engage them throughout. When the audience is engaged, they will be more likely to stay and read further.
Another tip to keep in mind when writing a blog post is to organize the content. Blog posts can become overwhelming if there’s too much content. To keep your audience in mind, you can organize the content into sections and subsections. Using a listicle format, for example, allows you to organize the content into an easy-to-read format.
Optimal word count
Optimal word count for a blog article varies depending on what the post is about. Home and garden articles are more visual-centric, while DIY articles are detailed and provide instructions for a project. Articles from HGTV, for instance, are usually 2,000 words long.
Whether to write a short blog post or a long one depends on your audience, content, and reading style. For example, if you’re writing a recipe blog, you may not want to write a long post, but you might want to keep it around two thousand words to make it easy for readers to scan the article.
Keeping your SEO in mind
One of the most important aspects of SEO is to include relevant links. Links are the currency of the web, and Google takes this into account when ranking websites. There are two types of links: internal links that go to pages within a website, and external links that go outside. Links can be placed around words or phrases, or around the page’s URL.
Adding images to your blog post is also a great way to support your content. Moreover, search engines look for images with alt text, which tells them what the image is about. This is important, because search engines can’t see images like humans can. By using alt text, your images will appear higher in search results.
Aside from using SEO-friendly titles and meta descriptions, you should also include a relevant meta description. This is the portion of your post that Google will read first. It should contain one or two keywords related to your content. Using a keyword research tool to find related keywords is also a great idea. Long-tail keywords are more likely to get your post picked up by search engines and receive more social media mentions. Ultimately, quality content is the best way to boost your blog’s SEO.
A blog post should be at least 300 words long. Longer articles are good for SEO, but they might scare off your users. It’s important to be able to write a well-crafted, engaging article that will draw users to read the entire piece. Don’t forget to use your focus keyphrase throughout the post.
It is essential to make your content user-friendly and SEO-friendly. A well-written title provides Search Engines with a valuable hint about the content of the page. A good title is between 55-60 characters long. It’s also important to keep the title interesting enough to encourage users to click on it.
SEO is integral to every step of small business blogging, from the initial setup to the post-publish follow-up. Using a sitemap to create a hierarchy and organization of your website is another way to optimize your content. A sitemap enables search engines to find and index your pages faster and easier.