If blog posts are a part of your marketing strategy (and, ahem, they better be), then you’ve probably wondered at some point how long they should be. After all, you want to make sure your blogs are actually working for you — not rotting in the internet atmosphere. That’s a place, right?

Anyway, in case you didn’t know, the length of your blog posts is an important quality that Google looks for in content. Why? Let’s get into it!

So, how long should a blog post be?

According to HubSpot and Yoast, here’s what the numbers look like:

At least: 300 words

Ideal: 1,000 – 2,600 words

The most: However long you want it to be

At a glance, the recommendations for blog posts are…kind of all over the place. According to Yoast, higher-quality blog posts with 1,000 words have a better chance of ranking in search results. 

Meanwhile, Hubspot conducted some research on its own blogs and determined that optimal word count depends on the type of content you’re writing. For SEO rankings, it’s between 2,100 and 2,400 words. For leads, it’s a little more than 2,500 words. 

So, based on all of that information, the sweet spot for blog length is 1,000 to 2,600 words.

Why does word count matter?

The short explanation? The longer the content, the higher the chances of it ranking well.

The longer explanation? The more content you have, the more content search engines have to analyze to determine whether it’s worthy of ranking. Then, the rest of the equation/domino effect goes something like this:

• Higher site rankings = more visibility
• More visibility = more site traffic
• More site traffic = more chances of new leads, opt-ins, and conversions

If your blogs are done really well — meaning they’re informative, original, relevant, and optimized for SEO — the better your chances of boosting rankings. That’s because Google isn’t just looking for word count; it also places value on high-quality content. More on that later.

Other benefits of longer-form blog posts

If you’re still not sold on the idea of longer-form blog posts, there are lots of other benefits to creating this type of content. 

More time spent on site

If your content takes longer to read, audiences will spend more time on your site. Websites with higher TOS numbers typically see more engagement across the board. Which we absolutely love to see.

It builds more trust and authority 

If you can showcase that you really know your shit, others will believe that you really know your shit. As a result, they’ll build more trust in your brand and consider you a voice of authority. We not only love that for brand awareness — Google really loves these qualities, too. 

You get to educate and inform others

As content creators and strategists, we’d be remiss not to remind you of one of the best benefits of long-form content (or any content, really): educating and informing others! Most people turn to the internet when they’re searching for answers, and how cool is it that you have an opportunity to help them out?

Tips for creating longer (and higher-quality) blog posts

We’ll be completely honest here: We know first-hand how daunting longer-form content can sometimes feel. Staring down a blank document knowing you have to crank out thousands of words can be best described as…woof. BUT! We promise it’s not all bad, and the results and benefits from it are totally worth it. 

Here are some helpful ways to crank out longer blog posts (that are also high-quality):

• Do your research. The key to writing a lot about something? Knowing a lot about something. Do research to support your topics, so you come off knowledgeable AF. (Even if that’s not always the case. We promise we won’t tell.)
  
• Create outlines. Building a comprehensive outline can help keep you on track, get all your points across, and make the flow of your blogs more seamless. It also helps you chunk out your paragraphs, so your writing feels more manageable.
  
• Make it readable. Follow SEO best practices (using this Uncanny Content guide) to make your blogs easily readable and scannable. Use headers, shorter paragraphs, and bulleted lists to make them more digestible for audiences (and yourself!). 
  
• Hire a writer. If you don’t have the time (or patience) to craft longer-form content, hire someone who does! Bonus points if they actually know their shit.
  
• Revamp and refresh older blog posts. That way, you don’t have to start from scratch! Search engines really like this practice, too.
  
• Create more evergreen content. Content that’s always fresh and relevant can help boost rankings and generate more site traffic. Check out our tips for creating evergreen content. 

• Use the YOAST SEO plugin (for WordPress sites). This helpful tool provides guidance and recommendations to optimize your content for search engines. 

Don’t forget: quality > quantity

Bottom line: The length of your blog posts is one of several things Google looks for in quality content. It’s important, yes, but don’t let word count become the most important aspect. Why?

Quality content will always outperform longer content. Trust us; you can write 3,000 words of complete crap that never sees the light of day. Or, you can write a high-quality, 500-word blog post that climbs the rankings and drives continuous traffic to your site.  We’ve seen both happen.

So, in the wise words of Ron Swanson: 

Never half-ass two things — those things being quality and quantity. If you’re gonna whole-ass one thing, let it be the quality of your content.