I hear you. I’ve felt the exact same way.
A lot of writers (maybe even you) are squirming in frustration. They’re trying to magically transform a 500-word article into 2,000 words because “it’s what Google needs.”
Their writing is suffering because of it.
Here’s my advice: ignore the “expert” advice on word count and do your own thing (with testing, of course.)
Here’s why.
The “real deal” with expert studies
It’s true that the “word count experts” don’t pull their stats out of the air. For instance, Steve Rayson of BuzzSumo (who supports the “long posts are good” camp) combs through thousands of data points before he comes to his conclusions.
But here’s the thing: a long word count doesn’t work every time for every industry.
In fact, Leslie To from 3Q Digital found pages between 500 and 600 words had the best rankings… but this number varies by industry.
Even Steve Rayson, during an SEO Copywriting Certification training, said the best word count depends on the vertical.
So, the answer to “how many words should your blog posts be” is a big “it depends on YOUR data.”
What does this mean to you?
This is where things get tricky…
Because even though WE know the best word count may vary, our clients or boss may dictate everything MUST be X words.
Try this:
If you work in-house…
Check Google Analytics and see how your current blog posts are positioning. Then, check the word count of your top-positioned posts.
What’s the average word count? 500 words? 1,000? Do you notice any other trends – for instance, does a certain word count range tend to boost engagement, too?
Look for the sweet spot.
This way, you’re using real data to dictate the best word count range. Not something your boss read in a blog post somewhere.
If you freelance…
Consider offering new blogging clients an introductory package where you write blog posts of varying lengths and check the results.
For instance, if you blogged weekly, you could write one 500 word post, one that’s 750 words, one that’s 1,000 words and one in-depth post that weighs in at 1,500 words or more.
If you keep this publication schedule for three months, you should know what Google (and, more importantly, your readers) wants to see.
It’s your turn!
How do you handle weird word count requests? Was this advice helpful, or did you need a little more? Comment and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
