The ideal length of a blog post is a question that every small business owner and solopreneur will ask themselves when launching their blog.
And the answer is…
It depends.
Sorry, I know you were hoping for the perfect formula to optimize your blog post for both search engines and create value for readers. But, unless you’re tossing out 100-200 word blog posts into the stratosphere, there is no one-size-fits-all answer I can share. But, a few items contribute to whether your post should be steakhouse-level meaty or a 10-day cleanse light.
Blog Post Topic Length
Yes, the topic is a huge factor in determining how long a blog post should be. If your topic is too broad, you might end up pushing past the 2,000-word mark, which puts you in lead magnet territory, not necessarily blogging territory.
On the other hand, if your topic is too narrow, you might not be able to squeeze out even the 300-word minimum Google likes to see.
So, it would be best to choose a topic you can cover thoroughly to create value for your readers without boring them with unnecessary information (or information that you could use to create a few other related posts).
Blog Topic Purpose
Are you posting a how-to article that instructs your readers on a complicated process, like making a souffle? If so, you’ll naturally write more than you would if you taught them how to make toast.
Are you pulling together a listicle about five ways to avoid getting caught working on your blog posts while at your day job? Then your post might land in the 500-600 word range.
The trick is to ensure that you’ve delivered your promise to your readers and left them with a good taste in their mouths (so don’t let them burn the toast in your how-to).
Reader Blog Post Length Expectations
If you’ve gotten into the habit of consistently publishing a 1,000-word blog post and then drop down to 500 words or less for a few weeks, your readers might wonder if a pod person has replaced you.
When humans become comfortable and trusting when interacting with something, they like for it to remain consistent. This lets them go on autopilot because they’re not trying to rationalize the difference.
One way to keep reader expectations in line is to publish according to a pattern—one short post, then one long post, or long post, short post, long post. You’re presenting your readers with a pattern that will soothe their subconscious.
Blog Budget Considerations
If you’re outsourcing blog content writing to a conversational content writer like myself, obviously, you have a budget in mind for each post or your monthly retainer fee.
I know money is always the elephant in the room, but we have to ride it in this case. A specific word count costs a certain amount. That’s pretty straightforward.
But what happens if you want longer blog posts than you can afford?
You have a couple of options:
- Instead of hiring a conversational content writer to craft all of your posts, consider keeping the shorter ones in-house and outsourcing only the longer ones. The money you’ll save will offset the higher word count.
Pro Tip: If you go this route, ensure you have a good chunk of previous posts for your blog content writer to review so they can nail your style and voice.
- Pay for a content critique and SEO optimization analysis instead of starting from scratch. You provide the words, and your blog content writer will provide recommendations on making your post stronger and ensuring it thrills the search engines and your readers.
Whatever word count you decide to go with, remember the most important thing is that you start publishing now so you can connect with readers and start building trust that could lead to leads.
