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How long should a blog post be?
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4 Answers
I agree with Matt and Rebecca and would add that size matters, but only in context, not comparison to others. The only way to answer the question accurately is to ask your readers. You don't need to ask them outright - just pay attention to which posts seem to gain the most traction and then see if you can spot any length-related trends.
I strongly agree with the need to make blog posts scannable. Smart use of headlines and subheads can help to pull a reader through longer posts.
The quality and relevance of the content also has a huge impact on whether or not longer posts will be tolerated/consumed by your audience. If a post is poorly written, disorganized, or talking on a topic that doesn't matter to the reader, they will bail on you before they hit the third paragraph. Give them well written, easy-to-consume, highly relevant content, however, and they will stick with you to the end, even if the post runs a little long.
I don't think there's a single best answer to this. Most SEO experts will tell you 300-500 words (with 4-6% keyword density, yada yada). I think anything longer than 1,000 words is pushing it.
In general, I think a good blog post makes a point that's clearly longer than a tweet but faster/shorter than a long-form magazine column. Some will debate the high-end of that, and it's clearly a fuzzy line.
Just think about your readers. Do they want to read in-depth stuff? Are they in a hurry and just want the gist?
You can also organize blog posts for both. Have a one-paragraph "gist of it" summary at the top, then explain yourself underneath for those who want more.
Or, write content with bullet points and sub-headers so scanners can still read through really quickly if they don't want all the detail.
Food for thought...
Matt I agree. There is no magic answer. Some topics require much more content than others, so you have to balance length with value to your reader.
I would recommend:
1. At least four paragraphs
2. Subheaders and bullets if a long post
3. Always include an introduction paragraph and a close paragraph
And always include your name as the author and a short bio and photo is possible. Blogging is about being human, so make sure your readers know who you are and what you're about.
Wendy...great answers by all, but here is what I tell any content creator on a piece of content.
How long should my article/post be?
Answer: As long as it needs to be.
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