Are you thinking about writing a blog post? Congratulations! Writing can be incredibly rewarding- it’s enjoyable, therapeutic, and when done right, it can bring significant benefits to you and your business.

I’m speaking from experience, having written my fair share of blog posts. Some even garner tens of thousands of monthly readers (if I may say so myself). My point isn’t to brag, but to assure you I’m well-equipped to advise you on the ideal length for your blog post.

Looking for the quick answer? Like most things in life, it depends.

I know, I’m not a fan of that answer either. However, it’s the truth. Once you have a firm understanding of your specific situation and combine that with the principles I’m about to share, you’ll have a solid grasp on the perfect length for your blog post.

Since we’re dedicated to helping businesses thrive through effective digital marketing, we’ll approach this discussion from that perspective: a marketer or business owner using blogging as part of a larger content strategy to increase traffic, generate leads, and boost revenue.

Even if that doesn’t describe you, this post likely still holds value.

How Long Should a Blog Post Be? Insights from Data

Searching for an answer to this question probably left you with conflicting information. Top results offer a range of answers:

• 1,500-2,000 words
• 3,000+ words
• 2,100-2,400 words
• 300-600 words

The internet’s consensus? A good blog post falls somewhere between 300 and 3,000+ words. Not exactly helpful.

For a more data-driven range, we analyzed our top 10 performing blog posts from the past year and the past three years. We discovered that our most successful blog posts average between 2,700 and 3,000 words.

This provides more specific guidance, but it doesn’t consider various factors that should influence your blog post length. That’s where the following rules come in…

3 Rules for Determining the Ideal Length of Your Blog Post

Follow these three essential rules to craft a blog post that brings well-deserved attention and recognition to your business.

Rule #1: When Unsure, Go Long

Remember this: length isn’t the only factor. We’ll delve into why length isn’t everything in the upcoming sections. Generally, however, readers favor in-depth, long-form content.

Why? Because length often equates to value. And–remember this next part–search engines care most about the value readers gain from your blog post.

If you’re like marketing expert Seth Godin, with millions of subscribers to your concise newsletter, or you’re planning to repurpose your blog post on LinkedIn, keep it brief and to the point.

However, if your aim is to reach the top of Google’s search results and attract a large audience to your website, then you need to delve deeper into your subject matter.

This isn’t about adding unnecessary words just to make your post longer. It’s about providing practical examples, explaining concepts thoroughly, and addressing your topic in a way that leaves readers impressed by its comprehensiveness.

If you’ve already written extensive content for your website, you might be thinking: I haven’t explored many of these topics in enough detail. That’s alright. You already have the foundation for an excellent blog post; you just need to expand on it.

Here’s a helpful tip: Reputable SEO software (like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz) offers audit tools that highlight thin content. Thin content lacks sufficient depth to demonstrate true expertise on a topic.

These reports can guide you on where to elaborate further. Alternatively, you can manually review your existing content and ask yourself: am I truly providing in-depth information on topics my readers or customers care about?

Free guide >> 25 Ways to Get More Traffic to Your Website

Rule #2: Prioritize Value Above All Else

This could have been our first rule, given its significance. However, discussing value through the lens of length makes sense, as length is crucial for SEO-driven content marketing.

That said, remember what I mentioned earlier: length isn’t everything. When length falls short, it’s often due to a lack of value.

Here’s why: Google and Microsoft consider hundreds of factors when determining content ranking, referred to as ranking signals.

Notice the large red section? That’s page engagement. When Google evaluates the value of your blog post, it mainly focuses on how effectively it engages readers.

Dwell time is the key metric here. The average time a user spends on your page is a strong indicator of whether your blog post provides value.

While dwell time isn’t directly shown in Google Analytics reports, Average Session Duration is, and it helps you track how long readers stay on your blog posts. If you’re using Google Analytics 4, you can utilize Average Engagement Time.

Other engagement metrics like Engaged Sessions (sessions lasting over 10 seconds, having a conversion event, or at least 2 screen/page views) and Engagement Rate (Engaged Sessions divided by total sessions) are strong indicators of traffic quality and accessible in GA4.

How can you increase dwell time? Logically, a higher word count should result in readers spending more time on the page. However, if your lengthy blog post lacks substance, you’ll struggle to outrank competitors, even if they wrote 500 words and you wrote 1,500.

Consider how images, videos, infographics, and other visuals enhance your reading experience and influence the time you spend on a blog post. In-depth concepts increase dwell time by requiring readers to reflect on and apply the information. It’s not just about aesthetics.

Combine insightful concepts with engaging visuals that provide context and enhance reader value, and you’re on the path to success.

Rule #3: Conduct Thorough Research

It’s entirely possible that each of these rules holds equal importance! You can’t effectively implement the first two without considering rule #3.

Let’s revisit the importance of context: understanding your specific situation, your niche, your competition, and most importantly, your blog post’s objective.

78% of marketers consider keyword research highly effective in driving traffic.

Keyword research serves a greater purpose than just optimizing your headings. To determine the ideal length for your blog post, examine the keyword you’re targeting.

Let’s look at an example. Imagine you own a roofing company. You’ve been using search ads targeting potential customers seeking roofing services, but now you want to attract organic traffic from those in the “consideration” stage of the buying process.

You turn to your preferred keyword research tool and discover that “how to install metal roofing over shingles” has decent search volume. This aligns perfectly with your goal: the searcher is likely contemplating a DIY approach, but with the right information (provided by your blog post), you can convince them that metal roofing is best left to professionals.

How long should your blog post be? You could simply search the query on Google, copy the text from the top three ranking blog posts into a word counter, calculate the average, and aim to exceed that word count. Alternatively, use your preferred SEO tool (I recommend Ahrefs) to obtain this information instantly.

As you can see, the top-ranking post for this query boasts an impressive 4,205 words. However, even if you’re aiming for a top 10 ranking, a minimum of 1,500 words seems necessary based on the other posts on this SERP (Search Engine Results Page).

This overview of the SERP is valuable for determining blog post length, and not just for word count. You might wonder, How is the 7th-ranked post, with only 1,357 words, outranking the 9th-ranked post with 3,555 words?

The 7th-ranked post likely has a higher Domain Authority and more backlinks, two other crucial ranking factors.

Don’t be discouraged if your website or business is relatively new or you’re still building topical authority. Consider the 6th-ranked post: it has the lowest Domain Authority, word count, and backlink profile, yet it still performs well. How?

That’s the power of rule #2 in action. Creating a blog post that genuinely informs and engages your readers significantly increases your chances of ranking and driving traffic, regardless of other factors.

Quality blog content is just one way to get seen on search engines. Get more in our free guide >> 10 Ways to Get on the First Page of Google

Aim for Length, Value, and Thorough Research!

There you have it! While numerous factors influence blog post length, focusing on these three will serve you well:

1. When unsure, go long
2. Deliver value
3. Do your research!

By outperforming your competitors, delivering exceptional value, and adopting a research-driven approach, your blog post will resonate with readers and gain traction.