Word count doesn’t matter when talking about how high you can rank on Google. The important thing is to meet user intent.
Many bloggers will tell you that you need 1000 or 2000 words to be even considered by Google and to be ranked really high in the search results. That is simply not true.
Here is a conversation between Martin Splitt (Developer Advocate, Google) and Lily Ray (SEO Director, Path Interactive) published on the Google Search Central Channel. Click play at minute 8:06 to hear Lily asking Marin this exact question and listed to Martin’s reply
The key takeaway here is that blog articles should only be as long as they need to be. Some posts can get their message across in 300 words or even 50 words.
It’s important to understand the search intent. If someone is searching for the answer for 2+2, they are not looking for an essay, they are looking for 4. Overly simplified to prove the point.
Important Takeaways
- A blog post should be well over the minimum of 300 words
- Target at least 1,000 words in order to cover the topic adequately.
- Posts need to contain actionable information that will help their readers solve problems.
- Split up the text in smaller, scannable chunks— with attention-grabbing subheadings, visuals and bullet points.
- Group short questions and answers related to the same topic into a page to provide more value to the user.
- Blog post length isn’t the only factor that helps your blog move up in the search engine ranks.
- To rank well, you must solve problems. Users should find the answer they are looking for on your page.
How to write shareable posts
Meet Reader’s Needs
- People aren’t reading your blog posts for fun, they are looking for answers, they are trying to solve problems.
- Start with your customers’ needs, likes, pain points and goals.
- Create blog posts that address those needs.
Make posts more readable
- Break up the text into smaller, scannable chunks.
- Readers today have a short attention span.
- Start with your subheadings.
- Title each section clearly.
- Keep each section relatively short — less than 350 words if possible.
- Use bullet points to draw your readers’ eyes to lists.
- Use simpler, shorter words to get your point across.
- Consolidate relevant information
Resources
If you are new to blogging or website development, read out Easy SEO Guide that will introduce you to the most basic concepts of SEO. You’ll also find a variety of resources to help you in your learning journey.
