What Is the Optimal Length for a Blog Post regarding SEO?
Are you starting a blog and wondering what the optimal length for a blog post is? While many blogs claim that the ideal length is between 1,500 and 2,500 words, we’re sorry to inform you that this isn’t necessarily true. What Google values and prioritizes when it comes to ranking changes rapidly, and although the American company once favored lengthy articles, that word count can sometimes be the worst choice today.
In this article, we’ll explain what Google values and how long your articles should really be.
Does Length Matter (for Google)?
Not long ago, one of the main strategies for ranking a post was to write lengthy articles packed with keywords and, somehow, this mindset about creating content has lingered in many people’s minds. However, that’s no longer how things work today.
Yes, it’s true that, in the beginning, Google favored blog posts so long you’d need a free day to read them. But things have changed for the better. Nowadays, instead of prioritizing 3,000-word blog posts, Google values lengthy content only when it’s truly valuable.
When we talk about valuable content, we recommend skipping the thin, filler material that you might have added in the past just to reach 2,000 words or cram in as many keywords as possible.
So, does length matter? Not exactly. However, it can matter if the information you share is relevant and useful to the user. You need to keep in mind that Google improves its algorithms based on search behavior. This means the most important thing is to understand search intent and create a blog post that directly answers that intent, helping users find what they’re looking for—whether it’s a question or detailed information on a subject.
Google. What's the optimal length for a blog post article
That’s why this question is quite tricky. While Google states that the length of the content doesn’t matter anymore, your users might have different expectations. They may want in-depth information about a subject, requiring thoughtful explanations and context, or, conversely, a simple answer in just a few lines. In that way, length matters depending on the topic.
Is There an Optimal Length for a Blog Post?
As we just mentioned, less is often more—depending on the context. So, is there an ideal length for a blog post? The short answer is no, there’s no one-size-fits-all optimal length. However, it’s important to note that there are limits to how short a post can be. For example, if you’re writing an article on “What’s the optimal length for a blog post?” you can’t simply write, “There’s no optimal length for a blog post,” and publish it. That wouldn’t provide valuable content.
What Is a Good Length for a Blog Post?
We know we’ve told you to be concise when writing articles, but we’ve also said you can’t write an 8-word article. The reason is simple: there’s no one-size-fits-all optimal length for a blog post, like “1,000 to 1,500 words,” because, as we’ve emphasized repeatedly, IT DEPENDS ON THE TOPIC. However, there are certain things you should avoid, like writing a 3,000-word article to answer a simple question or creating an 8-word article that will leave your reader with the same question.
That’s why instead of telling you the exact optimal length for a blog post, we’re going to provide some tips on how to create VALUABLE content that your visitors will love.
Tips to Write Valuable Content
Let’s skip the part where we tell you to research the topic before writing and get straight to the key tips. Some of them might seem obvious, but it’s good to remind you of them:
- Don’t obsess over the ideal length for your blog post, as Google will never provide a definitive answer. Instead, focus on your readers and what you would want to find if you had the same inquiry.
- After researching and determining what information is valuable, structure the content by placing the main question at the beginning, followed by more specific details about the topic.
- ALWAYS USE SCHEMA MARKUP!!!
- If your article ends up being too long, consider using a table of contents with links to each section, or think about dividing the content into a couple of articles—always keeping in mind the keywords and potential keyword cannibalization.
- Always use relevant sources and cite them to enhance the reliability of your content and ensure the information is accurate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all optimal length for a blog post. However, there are limits—creating excessively short or overly long content can affect your content. The key is to create content that truly addresses the user’s needs. Think like a user: if you were searching for an answer, what would you find most helpful? Avoid thin content and focus on providing real value. Instead of obsessing over what Google wants or following the advice of AI, prioritize your audience’s experience, and deliver quality content that genuinely answers their questions.