How Long Should a Blog Post Be? Find the Ideal Length to Boost SEO

How long should a blog post be? It’s a reasonable question for any content writer to ask. 

Most experts agree that 1,500 and 2,500 words are the optimal length for ranking content that generates shares and backlinks. Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal answer to this question.

That’s because different types of posts are written with different purposes, and require varying depth. A brief news article shouldn’t be the same length as a website pillar page. 

So, how do you determine how many words to include in your blog post?

Read on to find out.

Blog Posts Length [Key Takeaways]

• Aim for blog posts to be around 1,500 to 2,500 words for better engagement and SEO performance.
• Shorter posts (300-600 words) may work for quick updates or news, but longer posts tend to provide more value.
• Focus on delivering high-quality content that answers readers’ questions rather than strictly adhering to word count.
• Longer posts often rank better in search engines, as they are more likely to cover topics in depth and include relevant keywords.
• Tailor the length of your posts to your target audience’s preferences and reading habits.

How Many Words Should a Blog Post Be? The Data

First, it’s important to note there’s no one-size-fits-all length for the ideal blog post. Writing a 2,000-word post won’t guarantee you more engagement or shares, just as writing a 4,000-word post won’t ensure you reach the top of the search results.

But what does the data have to say?

Countless website leaders and marketing experts have conducted studies into the right length for a blog post. Unfortunately, everyone seems to come up with different results:

• Wix says the ideal blog post is between 1,500 and 2,500 words, with posts on the longer side generally producing better search engine results.
• HubSpot says the ideal blog length is around 2,100-2,400 words, based on its independent research (updated in 2024) into the engagement rates and results of its own posts.
• According to Buffer, the ideal length for a blog post is a little shorter, usually around 1,600 words.

While the numbers here differ slightly, they do provide a useful insight: the best posts today are generally long-form blog content. In fact, Orbit Media found that the average blog post length has increased from 1,151 words in 2018 to 1,427 in 2023. 

So, does that mean you should start writing long-form blog posts without thinking about your audience? 

Absolutely not. While people do appreciate longer content these days, they also have shorter attention spans and are more discerning about what they choose to read online.

Because of this, the answer to how many words your post should be depends on many factors, including your target audience, the type of content, and your goals.

Wondering what length will work best for your type of content? 

Let’s find out.

The Optimum Length for a Blog Post: Content Type Matters

When determining how long your blog post should be, the first thing you’ll need to think about is what kind of post you’re going to create. There are various forms of posts, including news posts, short-form content, and pillar pages.

So, how long should each type of blog post be?

• Short-form content: Short-form content is less common these days because it has a lower chance of becoming a top-ranking post on search engines. A word count of around 600-750 words is good for releasing short snippets of information, such as updates and news reports. Pro tip: If you know your audience is looking for quick, accessible information, aim for a short post.
• Explanatory content: Explanatory posts are essentially “What is” posts. They answer a specific query, such as “What is SEO?”. These posts don’t have to have a set word count, but they’re usually between around 1,300 and 1,700 words. This gives the writer enough space to cover everything the reader might need to know about the topic. 
• How-to content: How-to content is a different kind of explanatory post, which involves giving step-by-step instructions on how to do something. Once again, the length of these posts can vary depending on how much information you need to cover. However, because they focus more on giving comprehensive, actionable advice, they tend to be a little longer. Most how-to posts are around 1,700 to 2,100 words.
• Listicles: Listicles are one of the most popular forms of content because they require very little effort to consume. Users can also scan through the content to find the specific information they need. To be as comprehensive as possible, a listicle needs to be around 2,300 to 2,600 words and include as much detailed information as you can find. Avoid listicles made up mostly of images, as they can be considered clickbait.
• Pillar pages: Pillar pages are comprehensive blog posts that cover a large topic in depth. Often, they allow you to delve deeper into the various aspects of a topic, while linking to different internal pages on your website. Pillar pages are usually around 4,000 words minimum and can be much longer.

How to Decide on the Ideal Blog Post Length 

The type of blog you’re planning on writing can give you valuable guidance on how long the piece should reasonably be. However, it’s also important to think about other factors, such as your keyword requirements, your goals, and in how much depth you plan to explore your ideas.

Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing the ideal blog post length:

• How comprehensive will the piece be? Depending on the blog topic ideas you choose to write about, readers are likely to expect different levels of comprehensiveness. A listicle about the best hotels worldwide will likely be more in-depth than a blog post about a new feature for your SaaS product blog.
• Who is your target audience? Different audiences have different requirements for online content they read. A B2B buyer searching for information about which product to purchase will likely need a lot more information than someone looking for quick entertainment. Get to know your target audience and put yourself in their shoes. What kind of content do they share and read most often?
• What goals are you trying to achieve? Some blog posts are intended to inform, others to entertain, and others to generate leads. Fitting your blog posts’ length to your goals will help drive traffic to your website.
• How long are the competitors’ blog posts? If you want to boost your SEO rankings and impress your audience, you need to keep up with your competitors. If your customers can already read a much more comprehensive blog post on the same topic from another brand, they’re less likely to visit your website. 
• Which keywords are you targeting? Placing the right keywords in your blog posts helps you rank on search engine result pages. However, your posts can’t simply be cluttered with keywords. You’ll need to do keyword research and distribute them through your post carefully. This will often mean writing a longer post.

How Long Should a Blog Post Be for SEO?

One of the most common reasons why companies agonize over the ideal length for their blog posts is that they know how important length is to ranking online. Ultimately, there’s no specific advice from Google on how long your post needs to be to rank. However, SEO experts like Yoast recommend it should never be any shorter than 300 words.

There are a few reasons for this. 

Many marketing professionals agree that longer blog posts generally have a higher chance of ranking. When your text is longer, it gives Google more information on what it’s about. There are more opportunities to use keywords. And you can include a lot of related and contextual terms too.

A longer blog post makes it easy to distribute SEO strategies throughout your content effectively without detracting from the quality. At the same time, longer posts are generally better at keeping your customers on the page for longer. This increases your engagement rate and reduces bounce rates, which benefits your SEO rankings.

A long post can help you rank for multiple versions of a long-tail keyword and strengthen your chances of connecting with your target audience through engaging insights. You can also use longer posts to link internally to your other content, which further boosts rankings.

More than that, longer posts are often more effective because they demonstrate knowledge and authority. 

I wrote an article about how blogging helps SEO—check it out.

Pros and Cons of Long-Form Content

Research shows that long-form content generates significantly more backlinks (77%) and social shares (56%) compared to shorter posts. Moreover, longer texts often encourage readers to spend more time on your page. Approximately 40% of readers stay longer on pages with long-form content. This shows search engines that your content is valuable and relevant. This makes it particularly good for increasing your SERP rankings and building trust. 

Pros:

• Improves SEO: Longer posts tend to rank higher in search engines due to more keywords and content depth that meets user search intent.
• Better for establishing authority: Longer blog posts allow for a comprehensive exploration of topics, which allows you to display your expertise and explore a niche topic in-depth.
• Shareability: Long-form content is more likely to be shared, increasing visibility.
  

Cons:

• Time-consuming: Researching, writing, and reading longer posts require more time and effort.
• Reader fatigue: Some readers may lose interest halfway through a lengthy post, especially if the content is boring or badly structured.
• Risk of poor quality: Content that is written purely for the length may easily stray off-topic. It’s vital to maintain clarity and relevance. 

Final Thoughts

While there isn’t a definitive answer to what content length is best, research shows that extensive articles are more likely to rank, thanks to their ability to incorporate keywords and other SEO strategies. I’d recommend writing posts of over 1,500 words whenever possible to increase the impact of your content marketing.

However, writing a long post doesn’t guarantee success if your writing doesn’t answer user intent. Ultimately, the key to writing a great blog post is thinking carefully about who you’re writing for, what you want to accomplish, and what value your post will bring to your readers.

Produce valuable, engaging content, optimized for both people and search engines, and you’re more likely to generate results, no matter your word count.