How Long Should a Blog Post Be?

If you’re wondering how long your blog posts should be, you’ve probably heard lots of different answers from lots of different people. 

The truth is, there is no correct or golden length for a blog post.

And so, our answer is simple:

You should write the number of words it takes to get your message across.

No more, no less.

This goes against the ‘minimum word count’ belief some marketers have, but you’re writing for human beings, and human beings have a very short attention span.

The latest research [published in 2019 by the Technical University of Denmark] suggests the sheer abundance of information available online is narrowing our collective attention span.

So, instead of concentrating on length, focus on what’s important in your writing; substance, style, format, purpose, relevancy; because it’s these factors which contribute toward a blog post that’s going to engage your reader – not the length of your piece.

What about the search engines?

We’re not saying you shouldn’t produce blog posts that are long-form.

In fact, longer articles do perform better with Google, and we recommend longer articles when targeting long-tail and semantically related keyword terms. 

Search Engine Land published a brilliant article in 2015 about the science behind long-form content, and it has stuck, maintaining its relevancy.

What we’re saying instead is you should focus on the quality of your blog post instead of the word count. This is what’s important.  

Besides, topics that need extra information or sections with clarification will naturally be longer anyway.

It’s simply all about finding the right balance.

You might also like to consider the fact shorter articles are easier to read, easier to navigate through, and by their very nature, more concise.

The bottom line …

Your aim should always be to satisfy your audience and this is achieved by writing educational, entertaining, or inspirational content.

Good blogging is all about striking the perfect balance between getting your message across while keeping your audience interested.

If it doesn’t take thousands of words to get your message across, then don’t go overboard. If you do go overboard then you run the risk of losing your reader. 

So, just to recap:

Hope this helps.