Most of the studies conducted in an effort to determine what makes a blog post great are based on averages, and many folks are taking this data as the “Holy Grail” to establish an ideal word count, but, using the mean is not good enough, and may in fact be a problem for some.
Hi there, and welcome!
In my opinion, the main problem with blindly using the average word count as the optimal number for blog post length, is that inexperienced content marketers are mistakenly putting quantity over quality, which defeats the primary mission of their writing efforts. I don’t want you to make this mistake, so in this article I am pointing out the essential aspect which makes your writing effective.
In my previous article on this subject, I suggested short form, both for newbies and lone entrepreneurs for various reasons, with efficiency at the top of the list. That article ended being much longer than I intended, which gave me the opportunity to extract some of its content to produce this example of a brief post for you.
To read why I believe
short form is the best approach for beginning content marketers…
What is The Research Telling Us?
As I read many articles trying to find a consensus on what the best length for blog posts is, one of the articles I enjoyed, sharing the most relevant studies on this subject, was published on
Torque Magazine (opens in a new tab).
For example, an older study frequently cited, conducted by serpIQ, a keyword research site, indicated the average length of content in the top ten results of search queries was over 2,000 words. More recently other top firms in the industry have confirmed these findings, as well as, other benefits of long form via their own research and studies.
You can read about these in the above mentioned article, or find them all over the web, so I’ll spare you the regurgitated information. Generally speaking, a longer article can potentially contain more relevant information, making it more complete and valuable.
However, it appears too many of the conclusions drawn from these studies are based on averages, which poses a problem because the mean uses all the data values available and is affected by extreme values, like posts of 200 and 5000 words in this case.
No one would argue that awesome content will always get you more conversions; great content is naturally informative and has good length, but, getting your message across using only as many words as necessary is key for your readers’ best experience.
What is Most Important?
Although these studies prove valid points, and those extensive posts at the top of search results are examples of great pieces, average blog post word count is not the ideal, nor the optimal measure for quality content writing by any stretch of the imagination.
It is important to note, the number of words in these is not the deciding factor, the quality is. They naturally spark more discussion, gain more backlinks and are shared more, therefore deserving the sought after top spots.
Writing to meet a prescribed number of words is likely to compromise quality. On the other hand,
If you write providing the answers and solutions your audience are looking for, via articles which result in abundant reader interactions, you will also satisfy search engines, regardless of the number of words used.
For this reason, I am not convinced long form is the definitive answer; for all I know it just might be a trend, and trends change; in fact, one trend bound to continue growing and affecting online business as usual is the continued increase of mobile users, and if they prefer shorter content you can be sure that’s what they will get.
Nevertheless, as mentioned, many studies confirm longer posts rank better in search engines, and stands to reason, since lengthier content provides for ample use of keywords, as well as, more opportunity to address readers’ questions. However, the essential factor is your readers’ satisfaction, and inflated content will most likely scare them away.
If you have been thinking the Average Word Count in Blog Posts at the top of search engines results might be your best bet, I recommend testing both short and long form, and checking your audience response. Then, hone the writing skills that best serve your purpose.
I believe this post accomplishes my original intent of sampling the effectiveness of short form, as I have been advocating for beginners and lone wolves, but, only your feedback will prove this to be correct, so thanks in advance for your comments and shares!
Helping you prosper,
Edwin
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Hi Edwin,
This is a really interesting post. Up until now, I have mainly seen articles which advocate a longer post. However, sometimes I have something to write about and I really don’t want to just be padding it out with lots of words so that I get a greater length.
I am now going to try some shorter posts in my blog where it is appropriate. Hopefully, as you said, this will make it a more useful and interesting read and be of more service to the people who are coming to my blog.
Thanks again
Julia
Glad you think so Julia!
Often times the topic of a post dictates how long it should be. Thanks for visiting, and I invite you to also check out the latest source of income I’ve added to TH$M…
it should be of interest to you!
God bless,
Edwin
Hi,
for individuals like me, this is always a problem. I guess when my site will be established and I get more traffic, I will understand the concept better.
When I do research on a certain topic, I love those sites that answer my questions, and I do not worry how long the articles are. So, it is important to get the message across.
In my business, that is still in the early phases (a little over 6 months old), I still get little traffic, but I do post regularly. Although I have not been able to post as much as I would love to, I think it is better than nothing.
However, I always try to get the message across and give thorough answers. Whenever I get lots of organic traffic, I will be able to see what people are commenting and asking on my site and that will tell me if my articles are long enough.
Thanks so much for reminding me of the importance not to count words, but to help people.
Oscar
Hello Oscar,
glad you found this article useful.
You’re absolutely right, as your audience grows you’ll be able to discern what it is they prefer and adjust accordingly.
I wish you much success with your blog, and if you need a hand with it feel free to contact me, I’d be happy to help.
Blessings,
Edwin