SEO changes drastically each year, and with technology becoming increasingly advanced, these changes are only likely to get larger and come faster. Blogging is a great way for all businesses to drive valuable, targeted traffic through to their landing pages. Not only does SEO provide content that can be used for social media marketing, but it can improve your Google search standings in 2019—and increase organic web traffic. To target visitors who are already searching for a solution to their problems, you have to ensure that your 2019 best practices for blog length apply to the most consumers possible.
So then, what is the best length for blog posts in 2019?
By taking the time to rank your blog posts, and catering your posts to find the best blog post length, your SEO and SEM interactions will increase. In years past, some recommended incredibly short posts of 300 to 500 words. Today, the average blog post length appears to be much longer. But does length really play a large role in post ranking? And if so, what’s the ideal length for these blogs?
Does SEO Blog Length Really Matter?
Blog post length matters because it correlates strongly to higher rankings in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This correlation has existed for years, but 2019 best practice evidence suggests that longer posts are becoming increasingly important for ranking. In fact, The average word count for top-10 ranked Google posts has risen to 1,140 to 1285 words since 2017.
Google algorithms rank the highest-quality content at the top of their lists because they want to give searchers the best results. They made the logical conclusion that longer content is more thorough—and therefore is more likely to be of use to a targeted audience.
Blog Post Length in Years Past & How 2019 Will Be Different
In previous years, the recommended post length of 500 words was often thrown around—but in 2019 that’s near the minimum anyone would consider. The reason for this is simple: Google was primitive (comparatively) only half a decade ago. Their algorithm wasn’t particularly good at understanding the content on a page, making it incredibly reliant on links. This meant that SEO experts could more easily manipulate SERPs—and there was little need to create longer content with the intent of putting forth something new. But times have changed, and 2019’s leading search engines are poised to reward creators of longer, detailed content that’s useful to consumers.
Although 2019 previews are showing that SEO trends are leaning favorably towards longer posts, evidence also suggests that readers don’t typically want to read posts this long. This means that Google is still failing to give people the best results—as their algorithm is using post length as a major factor to decide where pages should rank in results. But with a move to a mobile index, blogging in 2019 may see drastic changes.
Should Keywords Determine Your Post Length?
Shouldn’t the optimal length for blog posts be based on the keywords that you’re targeting? There are two elements to this. First, if the average post for the keyword is only 200 words, there’s no need to write 2,000 words just to fill the space. Secondly, the intent of the searcher should dictate what you create. Presuming that the goal of your campaign is to generate profit (whether that profit is reached through increased traffic, clicks, or conversions), you aren’t going to waste money by creating unnecessarily lengthy blog posts. If the average post within your niche is only 200 words, odds are you will rank pretty high with a 1,000-word post.
So, just because proof shows that 2,000-word posts rank well, that doesn’t mean that your posts need to be that length or longer. Some searchers aren’t looking for long content, and often, it’s just not needed. If a searcher asks Google how to cook a chicken breast using the keywords ‘how hot should I cook a chicken breast’ they probably aren’t seeking a 2,000-word blog post outlining how to cook the best chicken dinner ever. Rather, they probably only need a hundred words telling them how hot to set the oven. More isn’t always better.
Tackle SEO with Confidence in 2019
In conclusion, while there might not be an easy way to identify the ‘best’ post length in 2019, that’s okay! The most important thing you need to know is that pages which are longer will tend to rank higher for SEO in 2019, unless those posts don’t bring value to the reader. Know your audience, play to your strengths, and remember that Google is continuously developing their algorithm—and changes will continue to drive fluctuations in the ideal blog post length.
Have other questions about SEO best practices or how to make your blog content as successful as possible? Then be sure to reach out to us today. We’re always here to help.