Whether you want to start a blog for your business or improve your current blog’s performance, one of the key things to consider is how long a blog post should be.
Business blogs can help you improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) metrics while also helping you build a core and dedicated following of customers. However, it’s important that you think carefully about how long each of your blog posts will be.
Blog post length can affect bounce rates, reader engagement, and SEO. But since every blog is different, your optimal blog post length may not be the same as other blogs.
Keep reading for a guide on how long a blog post should be.
What we’ll discuss:
- Why focusing on blog post length matters
- What the statistics say on blog post length
- How to determine the ideal length for posts when you start a blog
- The advantages and disadvantages of long-form content
- How to start a blog by choosing a blogging platform to support you
Why Blog Post Length Matters
Choosing an optimal blog post length comes with several benefits for your blog and your website.
One of the main reasons businesses begin blogs is to improve their performance on search engines by optimizing their website for Google’s algorithm. This process is called SEO, or search engine optimization.
Marketers tend to focus on keyword research and backlinks when it comes to SEO, but content length can also play a big part in signaling to Google that your blog post is better than the competition.
While SEO is an important part of blogging, a great blog will take its readership into consideration. Customers also care about blog post length.
Creating incredibly short posts may turn off readers who want a more in-depth exploration of the topic. On the other hand, posts that ramble on for thousands of words can become repetitive, dull, and unclear.
Because of how much your content length is tied to both SEO and reader satisfaction, it’s vital that you think carefully about the length of your posts when you start a blog.
The Ideal Length for a Blog Post
Unfortunately, there is not one ideal length for blog posts — if there were, every post would be exactly the same word count. Different blogs and different topics require different post lengths.
Nevertheless, a few studies have shown that there is an average word count that tends to get organic traffic results for most blogs.
According to a 2020 study from Backlinko, the sweet spot for the ideal length of a blog post tends to sit around 1,447 words. In its study, the company found that the top position on the average Google search results page (SERP) generally featured posts with roughly this number of words.
Other similar studies have found the following word counts to be ideal for SEO purposes:
- Buffer: 1,600
- Search Engine Journal: 1,900
- WESFED: 1,600
Content marketing has become one of the most widely used forms of digital marketing. If you want your blog posts to appear in every Google search to boost organic traffic from your target audience, a word count of between 1,450 and 2,000 words is a good jumping-off point.
But let’s get into a little more detail. Most blog owners — especially those who are new to the game or who want to start a blog from scratch — may have other concerns than simply hitting the number one position.
What other things should you consider when determining how long a blog post should be?
What Is the Goal of Your Blog Posts?
Your specific goals may mean that your ideal blog post length is different than the average we discussed.
How long a blog post should be if your goal is to engage with readers and create content that they will want to read:
According to Medium, a blog’s success shouldn’t be based on the number of times a blog post is visited but rather on how long readers stick around to consume the content.
If your blog is more focused on building a strong community and a better relationship with your clients, user engagement will likely be your focus, too.
Medium found that the ideal post should take roughly seven minutes to read. For most people, this will come to around 1,600 words.
How long a blog post should be if your goal is to create shareable content to improve your social media performance:
A blog can be a wonderful way to create buzz around your social media accounts and improve your digital presence as a brand. For some digital marketers, this may be the main reason to start a blog.
According to a Moz study, posts that range from 3,000-10,000 words in length tend to get the most shares, particularly on Facebook.
What Is the Style of Your Blog?
According to SEO expert Neil Patel, longer posts of over 1,000 words have become the standard for most bloggers. While bloggers in the past used to frequently write posts of around 500 words, this has become less common.
Shorter posts may suit your needs and your subject matter better than longer articles. There are plenty of blog styles out there. If you write lighthearted personal posts, for instance, your word length might sometimes be much shorter than the “ideal” length we mentioned above.
Nevertheless, be sure to avoid posts that are less than 300 words, as this is considered “thin content.”
What Is the Standard in Your Industry?
Every industry is different, so the answer to “How long should a blog post be?” may vary for you.
In some industries, longer articles may be the norm, while other professions may thrive on shorter posts. This is usually because the complexity of the subject matter and the habits of readers can change from niche to niche.
As Neil Patel further notes, the business with the highest ideal word count is the sales industry, which generally prefers posts of 2,500-2,700 words. Blogs related to gadgets, on the other hand, tend to thrive with posts of just 300-500 words.
For most industries, however, the ideal blog post length tends to sit between 1,500 and 2,000 words.
Be sure to research your industry to ensure you’re following the relevant trends within it.
Writing High-Quality Blog Posts That Fit the Ideal Word Length
Unless you work in a specific industry, chances are, the ideal blog post length for you is between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Blog posts of this length are usually considered long articles. Many people in the digital marketing industry might refer to articles of this length as “long-form.”
What Is Long Form Content?
Long-form content is typically at least 700 to 2,000 words — but it can be much, much longer. Unlike shorter posts, long posts give bloggers the chance to delve more deeply into a topic.
Not only do long-form posts promise to improve your SEO, but they also give you the opportunity to expand on your topic and offer quality as well as quantity to your readers.
What Are the Benefits of Long Form Blog Posts?
Besides the SEO benefits, long-form blog posts can:
- Keep your readers on your website for longer
- Encourage social sharing
- Start conversations
- Improve your chances of building backlinks
- Give your brand a more distinct voice
Best Blogging Platforms for You
Do you want to start a blog? Here are two popular platforms that make it easy to publish high-quality blog content without any coding knowledge.
- WordPress is one of the best blogging platforms available. With Bluehost, this platform comes with 24/7 support, professional themes, and help with useful plugins to optimize your blog.
- HubSpot has a blog tool that makes it easy to start a blog or multiple blogs on one subdomain.
The answer to “how long should a blog post be?” isn’t always an easy one. The ideal post length can depend on a number of factors, including your business goals and your industry.
For SEO purposes, we recommend sticking with posts that fall somewhere between 1,600 and 2,000 words.
At Bluehost, we offer high-quality professional marketing services so you can get your website or blog up and running in no time. We will help you install, run, and monitor it. All you need to think about is producing brilliant content.
Discover our full-service package to start a blog today.
