What is a good length for a blog post?

What is a good length for a blog post?

The general consensus among content writers and bloggers is that a blog post should contain at minimum 300 words and at maximum of about 1000 words. Not everyone can write 1000+ words on a topic and still keep the reader engaged.  Sometimes finding inspiration for content can be difficult. In today’s high speed, quick read environment, sometimes less may actually be better.

Google wants you to stretch your legs and write!

Google likes to snack on content and the bigger the snack the better. If you write a detailed and lengthy post, Google can take its time to find the purpose of the post.

• You can address multiple issues/topics
• There is more time and space for keywords to be added
• The post can be made more robust with images and layout designs

Make sure more is indeed better, and not just more. Google will frown upon poorly written content if all you are doing is making it longer.  More importantly, your readers will not stay around long enough to finish it either. That could hurt your website, rankings, and reputation as a resource.

Shorter blog posts are easier to create.

At Put Another Way, we blog for numerous clients across various industries. Understanding both the company (our client) and their customers and prospects drives the decision on the length of a post. Blogs for medical and legal professionals can be a little more extensive because the topic requires a longer length. Whimsical, trendy, or quickly learned topics are well said and more importantly, best digested in smaller posts of between 400-600 words.

Shorter blog posts allow for:

• Regular activity. Large topics can be broken down into bite sized posts allowing for greater frequency.
• Better engagement. Depending on your business, you may be posting to share a tip or a “How to…” Lists are very common in short posts and are thought to have strong engagement.

Take action and write a post!

You know your business, and better yet, you know your market. Let’s do it the old fashioned way. Take out a piece of paper and a pencil. Write down three questions you are most frequently asked by your customers. There are your first three posts. Short and sweet. Write the blog as if the customer is sitting there, waiting for your answer.

Feeling a little unsure? Tell you what. Send your blog post to us and we will take a look and give you some friendly advice. If you are just having none of it, we can write them for you. That’s what we do.  We help you Find your Voice.

(This post is 421 words.)