One of the most common questions from SEO content newbies has to do with word count.
“What is the best word count for SEO?”
fair question Search engines care about a number of factors when determining what content is ranked. Why wouldn’t word count be one of them?
As such, content creators care about the length of their content. “Is 1,000 words enough to rank?” they wonder “Should I always look for the same amount of words in each piece?”
But the thing is…
The word count is no a ranking factor.
It doesn’t matter how many words your content is. Google said so.
Why is this the case? And what matters more than word count? let’s talk about it
Why there is no such thing as the best word count for SEO
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to word count that will make your pages more likely to automatically rank.
this too it means that longer is not always better.
It’s just not that simple.
For example, let’s say you create a blog post that targets a keyword…but it’s not a ranking.
Would lengthening this page with more relevant content help it climb to the top of Google?
No, because adding more words doesn’t necessarily make it better. Adding more words just makes it longer.
Length ≠ quality.
So what would make your blog better besides more word count?
Make sure the content is targeted to the user intent of the keyword. What kind of information is the searcher looking for when they type the keyword into the search bar? Provide it.
Ensure content is of high quality. Is it well written? Useful? Original? Valuable? Educate, inform or entertain?
Make sure the content is readable. Is it well formatted? Is it scannable? Are descriptive headings that organize the content into sections included?
Make sure the content is comprehensive. Is your content missing key data or providing just the right amount that will satisfy a searcher?
All of these factors matter more than word count.
And, if you edit your content in light of these factors, you might notice your content getting longer. But that’s just a byproduct of producing useful content for a particular search query.
The number of words does not matter. What matters is the relevance of those words to the searcher’s needs.
Sometimes you need more words to be relevant.
Sometimes you need fewer words.
This is why there is no perfect word count for SEO.
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How to determine the best word count for a blog or article
Now that we’ve established that there is no such thing as the best word count for SEO, we can move on to determining the right word count on a case-by-case basis.
Each piece of content you produce for SEO will have different needs depending on the topic you’re writing about.
Figuring out a general word count to shoot for each time will help you produce content that is satisfying and covers all the important points.
Here are some strategies for determining the word count for each blog you create:
1. Look at the competition
First, look at what is already ranking on Google for your keyword (your top competitors) and study the length and word count of those articles.
The logic is, since the search engine is ranking these pieces of content highly, that means they meet their criteria. Its depth and usefulness makes sense for search intent.
This also means that their overall word count is a good benchmark for what your word count should be.
But don’t just look at the word count. Check out other things like:
The number of main sections (H2) in each blog and what they cover. How deeply each facet of the subject is explained. Which parts are left out or skimmed.
All of these things will determine the length of the content. Remember, don’t just try to match the best results, but create something better.
2. Study the search intent of the topic/keyword
In addition to checking the competition, you should also study the search intent of your keyword: find out what searchers want to know or discover when they type that keyword into a search engine.
What are they looking for and how much information will they need to be satisfied?
To do this, study the same results. The first page of Google will give you tons of advice on what searchers need and want from a specific keyword search.
For example, for a keyword like “How far away is the moon,” the first page shows you a featured snippet with the exact answer. You have to scroll halfway down the page before you even see a normal result.
And if you click on the featured snippet result, you’ll discover that the content is only 156 words long.
Searchers don’t want to read an entire article when they search for that term. They just want a simple answer (informational intent). The SERP (search engine results page) reflects this.
3. Deepen your expert knowledge of the subject
Sometimes Google doesn’t know everything.
Let’s assume you are the expert on the topic/keyword you are researching. You see gaping holes in the knowledge presented in the main content (things searchers will need/want to know). This is your cue to fill those holes with your article.
This is one case where your word count will deviate from what’s already there, especially if a lot of crucial information is missing from the top of Google on the topic.
But this is also your chance to differentiate yourself. If the topic calls for more breadth than the SERP shows, feel free to dive in and give it, even if your blog will be much longer than average.
Why long-form content tends to rank better than short-form content
We know word count isn’t everything. So why does long-form content (anything over 1,000 words) tend to rank better than short-form content?
Long content tends to be full compared to thin. Longer content is usually more in-depth than shorter content. It covers more facets of a topic, provides more explanation, and generally goes deeper. Since longer content is usually not thin, this means it has a better potential to rank, but only if the keyword requires long content.
Naturally, it includes more keywords and keyword opportunities. More words = more natural keyword placements (especially related terms and synonyms). It’s that simple. Of course, if long content is full of keywords, it is an exception to ranking well.
Long content is better for demonstrating your expertise and authority. Longform content gives you more time and space to really prove yourself, so to speak. You stand a better chance of giving a reader the value they’re looking for through your expert knowledge with more paragraphs to do so. Of course, if your long-form content is full of fluff, you’ll do the opposite: drive readers away.
Best ways to improve your on-page SEO other than word count
Since longer doesn’t always mean better, what are some other ways to improve your content besides adding a bunch of extra words?
Page structure
The structure of your page (headings, sections, and their order/format) gives Google important clues about your content and whether it’s relevant to the search query. Structure also helps readers interact with your content and find the information they need.
Ignoring page structure, not adding headers, and not organizing your content will hinder readability, and readers and search engines don’t like that.
For this reason, always organize your page into sections with useful descriptions headings, and format them to be readable. A well-structured page with great content has the potential to outperform a poorly structured page, even if good content is hidden there.
relevance
Even if your content is great, if it’s not relevant to the search query and the intent behind that query, it won’t rank well.
This means you shouldn’t add extra content to an irrelevant page in the hope that longer content will increase results (it won’t). Instead, figure out how to make this page more relevant to search engines with smart edits.
For example, you may have included subtopics in your blog but not focused on the right ones (eg, in a blog about building a doghouse, you veered off to talk about the different types of doghouses dogs out there, when readers just want to know how to build a simple, classic structure).
Or maybe your blog is generally good when you stick to the topic, but you’ve also inserted long sections about your company’s services that have nothing to do with that topic. In this case, removing these sales pitches will greatly improve your content.
Another example: You’ve created a relevant blog, but your headings aren’t descriptive and don’t accurately label each section. Editing your headings would make your blog easier to read and more relevant to both search engines and Google.
This last point relates to the next strategy for improving your content.
Content quality and readability
You can create the longest blog in the world, but if it’s poorly written or unreadable, it won’t matter.
If a blog doesn’t rank, take a long look at the quality of the piece.
Is the writing clear and attractive? Is it easy to follow? Is the blog organized? Does it follow a logical order? Is the content original? Does it present the topic without copying or repeating what has already been said? Is it built for users? Does it speak to a specific audience? Is it useful to them? Are the claims and statistics supported by credible sources? Are the links high quality and relevant to the text?
Next, consider readability. Is your content well-formatted and organized so that users can easily read, scan, or search for specific information?
(This is tied to the structure of the page, by the way, but it also has to do with the clarity of the writing and the organization of all ideas and thoughts.)
Finally, ask yourself and answer honestly: Does the content add value? does it successfully teach, inform or entertain the reader?
All of these things are more important than word count, and tweaking or improving them will also do more to improve your content’s potential for real results.
Forget word count for SEO and focus on relevance, quality and optimization
Dwelling on word count when creating SEO content is a recipe for failure.
Adding 200 more words won’t help you rank. Nor will they add 500 or 1,000.
It’s not the number of words that matters, but the relevance, quality and optimization of your content.
So, make your content more relevant to the person looking for answers. Make it higher quality so they get more value out of it. Optimize it well so it has the best chance of ranking in search engines.
Do all that and your content will be the right length.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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