The length of a blog post is dependent on several factors and there isn’t a straight answer.
With that in mind, I want to give you a guide that you can use, so that YOU know exactly how long each blog post on your site should be.
I’m not going to sit here and say a thousand words is how long every blog post should be.
Or, three thousand words is how you rank in Google.
That’s not how it works and you shouldn’t ever follow a specific number when creating content for your site.
There are so many answers that bloggers give each other and it does nothing but confuse everyone.
By following this simple guide, you will rank where you deserve to be ranked.
So let’s not complicate things and let me show you exactly how long each blog post you create should be.
Who Are You Blogging For?
This is the first thing you need to ask yourself and really understand.
Sure you want to be on Google’s good side because they hold the key to where your post will rank.
That does not mean you need to create your content around them.
ALWAYS create content for your readers.
They are the ones who will be reading the information you provide, so they are the ones you need to put your focus on.
All that other SEO nonsense is needed but as long as you know the basics, you will get ranked where you should be ranked.
What is Your Competition like?
This is one thing you need to factor in when it comes to the length of your blog post.
If you have a hundred sites all writing on the same topic, you can bet that the longer blog posts will get ranked higher.
As long as you provide the information necessary, you can outrank other sites that have a lower word count than you.
Now if you see that there is almost no competition for that specific keyword, you can definitely get away with a solid thousand word article.
What Kind of Post Are You Writing?
If you are familiar with evergreen content or cornerstone content, you will know that this is the kind of stuff that isn’t going anywhere.
You will also know that the competition is usually going to be up there.
These kinds of posts will always require you to get in-depth and give useful information.
Now if you are doing something like a review, you will be fine with 1500 words.
Do use competition when considering the type of post you are writing as well as that will also play a factor on how long your blog post should be.
How Many Words Are Needed?
Sometimes, the answer to a question only requires a few words, and a lot of the time, the responses to them are way too long.
What ends up happening is you start repeating yourself, and it leads to thin content.
Don’t do that.
And if you think that 500 words are all you need, you might not really be into the niche you just chose.
Then again, you might just have blogger’s block.
Whatever the case may be, don’t write something that you just wrote, and don’t start talking about unrelated topics just to fill space.
You know what is needed, so do what you have to do to get the information out to your readers.
Rules of Thumb
At the very least, you want each blog post to be at least a thousand words.
Every now and then, you can throw in the occasional 700 worder but just don’t get into a habit of doing it.
It will only make you lazy, and you will find yourself struggling to write a thousand words for your next post.
Always write for your readers, and never sacrifice quality for quantity.
If your post only calls for so many words, don’t go trying to content that isn’t necessary.
In most cases, if your post only calls for a thousand words, the chances are high that there isn’t much competition.
Use Good Judgment
Although there is no right or wrong answer on how many words you should use for a blog post, you need to consider everything mentioned in this post.
If you know you are competing against some really good blogs, you know word count is going to matter.
Now, if you’re doing a review on a product that isn’t so popular, you can definitely get away with a thousand-word post.
Do keep in mind that if something does happen to gain popularity, the competition will sneak up on you and take over.
Regardless of anything, you always want your content to be the best that it could possibly be.
Even if it is only a thousand words.
Don’t think you will keep any rankings if you aren’t consistent and updating your blog regularly either.
It does not work that way.
Lastly, do not ever let any blog scare you from creating a post.
As long as you’re confident in your work, you will outrank a lot of people, even with minimal effort.
I once used to get intimidated by them until I saw my posts outranking the best of them.
Don’t get complacent, though, because that’s how you let others jump ahead of you.
Conclusion – Blog Your Butt Off
Be consistent, and don’t let your foot off the gas pedal.
Do that and follow everything mentioned in this post, and you will know the ideal blog length for each post you create.
Starting a blog is only the beginning.
Continue to publish content regularly, stay away from blackhat SEO, and do not ever stop blogging.
I don’t care if you are getting thousands of visitors or only a handful.
There is no reason as to why you should stop blogging.
I hope I have helped you understand how long a blog post should be, so please go about things the right way.
Focus on your readers, and everything else will fall into place.