Can a blog post be too long?!
The other day my client asked me if there was such thing as ‘too long’ when it came to blog posts. And I thought, good question! Because you likely know that blog posts are long-form content - and therefore shouldn’t be short. That’s obvious. But what does this actually mean when it comes to writing a long piece of content? Do you need to draw the line at a certain word count?!
The simple answer: yes. Blog posts can definitely be too long - and lose our audience’s attention and interest if we drone on and on. BUT the simple answer isn’t the whole picture. Because when it comes to writing a blog post — whether it’s 500 words or 5000 words — what is more important is how you present the content to your reader, so it’s easy for them to read and digest. In general, you want your reader to have a really straightforward and positive experience - that way they’ll consume your content, understand your message and feel that you’ve added value to their hectic lives.
Read this blog post to discover:
what is the perfect length for your blog post
what you need to know about SEO and blog word counts
how to enhance readability in long-form content
What is your ideal blog post word count?
I’m sorry to say this but it totally depends. But to answer this start with asking yourself:
Does your audience like long-form content?
Well, I should hope so - because otherwise there’s not much point in blogging. The key here is really how long do they like their blogs? Can you categorise your audience as those who want lots of detail and explanation? Or are they looking for an overview, something they can quickly digest? This will help you determine an ideal word count.
Are you blogging about a very wide subject or a very niche subject?
Your subject will steer your blog post content length too. Honestly, for me, it’s all about authentic writing - and this will vary from subject to subject. I’d even be as crazy (haha) to say ignore your word count and just write what you need to write to cover a subject. More on that below…
Does word count affect SEO?
There are lots of general rules when it comes to SEO. Let’s call them, “best practices”. I love these rules as they give us the basics and help us check things off. However, as with many things in life, we always need to apply a bit of common sense. And what is common sense in this case? It’s thinking about the individual case of your business, your audience - and what is best for them.
“For SEO, the ideal blog post length should be 2,100-2,400 words, according to HubSpot data.” Great! But does that mean stuffing your 1,800-worder with unnecessary rubbish to get it up to that 2,100 limit? Nope. Definitely not.
Remember, these guidelines are averages. What really matters is your audience: the real people searching on Google for answers. They won’t care if you’re only 1,267 words but you cover all the key points! And Google isn’t a simple machine - it knows this! Equally, if you’ve written 3000 words of quality content that is all very important and really helps your audience, wonderful! Again, it’s all about holding the attention and interest of the real people reading your blog post.
5 ways to improve readability in long blog posts
Which is easier to read? The book of 1358 pages or the book of 152 pages? Of course, shorter blogs are always easier to read. But is the book of 152 pages better than the book of 1358 pages? Not necessarily. In fact, the word count has no basis on its quality.
So, what’s my point here? Well, long blog posts need to be easy to read - otherwise, you’ll lose the attention of your audience and they’ll never find out if your blog post was better than the shorter version. It’s simple logic really. If you read a long blog but it’s got lots of small chapters of 3-5 pages, it feels easier doesn’t it? Yep, so same here!
1.Break up into shorter paragraphs
My favourite tip! No one links a big chunk of text, so break it down into bite-size chunks. Not only is this a more pleasant reading experience but it’s easier to skim-read text too.
2. Substitute a really long sentence for two (or three, or four!) shorter sentences
This won’t make your content any shorter. In fact, it might add to your word count. But, it will make things easier to read. If you’ve ever reread a sentence 20 times to try grasp it, you’ll know what I mean.
3. Use bullet points and numbered lists
I bet there are lots of points in your blog copy that you could review and turn into a simple list instead of a long paragraph.
4. Signpost with headings and subheadings
A great one for SEO too. Headings (when tagged up properly) signpost to Google what your content covers. It does exactly the same for your audience - and helps them navigate to the bits of your blog post they want to read (if they aren’t reading it in full, which is very likely.).
5. Insert images to break up your text
It’s amazing what a few images can do to alleviate the intimidation of lots of text. You can even pull out parts of your blog post copy to sit within images or as captions - if it flows right, of course.
It’s not the length of the blog post…
It’s what you do with it (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist). But seriously, how many words you have doesn’t hugely matter. Because blog posts can range hugely in word count. From a succinct 500 words outlining key high-level advice to an in-depth 2500-worder discussion, you will choose blog post topics and write them for your audience’s preferences - and this can alter a word count based on this.
So, ultimately don’t stress about how long (or short) a blog post is. What’s important is that you have quality content that helps your audience. The more useful your content, the more likely they are to enjoy it - and Google knows this. So if you’re wondering about all the tick boxes for SEO, your audience is a huge part of it.
Want help with regular blog writing?
Writing regular blog posts can be a fantastic way to improve your rankings on Google, build relationships with your audience and increase your business’ authority and perceived value. However, great blogs take time - and can often fall down the ‘to-do’ list. If that sounds familiar in your business — but you know blogs are vital to your marketing strategy — get in touch, I’d love to help you realise your blogging potential.
About Zoe
Zoe is an SEO copywriter specialising in blogging and website content. She lives in Northwich, Cheshire and supports clients both locally and further afield. Zoe has a strong content marketing background and has been offering freelance copywriting and content services since 2018.
