For the past few years, it has been common knowledge that any post you write online, whether on a blog or website, should be “short and sweet.†Recently, however, writers and website managers started to realize that this is not always the answer. While shorter posts will keep the reader’s attention, they don’t have the same results on search engines as long articles. With new search algorithms, you have to find the perfect balance in terms of article length, but luckily it may be easier than you think.
Reasons to Keep It Short
As mentioned, experts used to feel that shorter posts were better. The main reason is that readers have a short attention span, wanting to know an article’s main point within a few hundred words. Short posts are ideal if you don’t have a great deal to say, as no matter the length of your article, its quality is crucial; that means you need to avoid fluff whenever possible.
Defining a Long Article
Whether you are looking at a blog post or article, it proves nearly impossible to define what qualifies as “long.†It will partly depend on the type of content being written. An ad, for example, will become long much sooner than a blog post. For years, it seemed as if most people considered any blog post over 500 words to be long, but that has changed recently as writers and website managers adjust to the changing aspects of Google searches. Now, an article is considered long if it is no longer able to hold the interest of the reader, and that can vary greatly by the audience and topic, requiring you to truly know who you are writing for.
Google Search Rankings
In 2013, Google launched its Hummingbird algorithm, which started to change the game in terms of length by looking for quality content — not just content with keywords. Google has continued to update its algorithms since then, and now its Web crawlers will look for quality articles that include a great deal of detail. There is a clear preference shown by Google for websites that contain valuable information and content as opposed to those with short articles filled with fluff.
Keyword Matching
In addition to the Google algorithms specifically preferring longer articles, writing posts with more words can also help you in terms of keywords. The problem with short articles is that they may seem stuffed if you use more than one keyword. By writing a longer article, you can naturally throw in not only a main keyword, but multiple long-tailed keywords that are simple variations of it. This increases your page’s likeliness of appearing in search results, dramatically increasing your views and clicks. In fact, if you take a look at a set of search results, you will find that the majority (if not all) of the top 10 results are pages with at least 2,000 words.
More Likely to Be Shared
One interesting factor that has increased the popularity of long posts in recent years is their likelihood of being shared. If you write a long post, it will usually be higher quality, meaning that it lasts longer. This will lead to readers viewing you as an authority and either returning to your website in the future or sharing the article with others. People tend to see longer content as increasingly credible and valuable, and that is part of the reason that it is more frequently shared than shorter content. Analytics expert Neil Patel found that blog posts with more than 1,500 words got an average of 23 percent more likes on Facebook and 68 percent more Tweets. Not only will each share or social link of your article attract additional readers, but they also help your search engine results. That is because Google’s Hummingbird algorithm takes these backlinks and social shares into account when ranking pages, placing you closer to the top.
How to Write a Long Post
Despite long posts providing all of the above benefits, that doesn’t always mean that they are the correct choice for a given topic or blog. Remember that in order for your readers to actually read your blog post, regardless of length, it needs to be interesting and get to the point right away. This becomes crucial for longer posts, as you need to catch the reader’s attention and then maintain it. Be sure that the introduction and headlines give a good idea of what will be found in the article and give the impression that the information within it will be new to the reader. If the post is particularly long, consider breaking it up with pictures, videos, or even infographics to keep readers engaged.
Know Your Industry and Readers
Some websites will do better with longer posts, while others should focus on shorter ones. This depends largely on the readers and the industry itself. If you are unsure what is best for your industry and target audience, take a look at the websites of your biggest competition or conduct a survey of your readers. One website found that long copy led to 40 percent more conversions than short copy, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to find a place and time for shorter posts. Just remember that longer posts are best for search engine rankings, but if your audience isn’t willing to read the whole article, you won’t retain readers.