SEO Content Length: Why Longer Content Isn’t Always Better

“More content equals better SEO” is a trap. Period. And unfortunately, it’s one that many innocent websites fall victim to. 

If you’re churning out endless blog posts, stretching every sentence to hit an arbitrary SEO content length, hoping to appease the almighty Google, you know exactly what I mean. 

But a recent Google Core Update has only confirmed what many smart SEOs already suspected – that it isn’t just about quantity (or really about some magical SEO content length at all), it’s about quality.  

Google wants to see content that’s genuinely helpful, informative, and engaging for users, not just a jumble of words designed to game the system. 

So, what’s a marketer to do? That’s where we come in. In this post, we to debunk the myth of “more is better” and help give you a more nuanced understanding of SEO content length.

Google’s Official Stance on SEO Content Length

The message is loud and clear: Google doesn’t have a magic minimum or maximum word count.  

Alongside their Helpful Content update, Google released the following key recommendations on creating what it considers Helpful Content:

• Avoid search engine-first content. Don’t just write for algorithms. Write for people.
• Focus on value. Create content that genuinely helps, informs, or entertains your audience.
• Don’t chase trends. Write about topics you’re knowledgeable about and that resonate with your existing audience.

Notice what’s missing? Any mention of specific word counts or some minimum SEO content length.  

In fact, the documentation specifically says that “Answering yes to [this] question below is a warning sign that you should reevaluate how you’re creating content”: 

Are you writing to a particular word count because you’ve heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don’t.)

Even Google’s own Search Quality Rater Guidelines, the once-secret playbook that Google staff and contractors used to evaluate web pages, don’t explicitly mention content length. Instead, they focus on substance and value. 

According to these guidelines, high-quality content often requires “significant effort, originality, and talent or skill.” It might involve in-depth analysis, comprehensive coverage, or expert insights.  

And yes, that might naturally lead to longer content, especially for complex topics.  

But it’s not about length for length’s sake; it’s about achieving your purpose and demonstrating expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). 

Don’t chase SEO content length or arbitrary word counts. Chase quality.

What Data and Studies on SEO Content Length Reveal

We know what Google says about word count, but we know Google isn’t always an open book when it comes to their search algorithm. Quite the opposite, in fact. So, we can’t just take the above at face value. 

The good news is that third-party research does back up what Google has told us when it comes to SEO word count. 

Backlinko, in collaboration with industry giants Semrush and Ahrefs,  analyzed millions of Google search results and found that word count was fairly evenly distributed among the top 10 results, with an average of around 1,447 words. 

Another Backlinko study found that long-form content tends to attract significantly more backlinks and social shares than shorter articles. That means longer content can help you build authority and visibility, which indirectly boosts your SEO. 

However, there’s a catch. Backlinko also found that the benefits of long-form content start to plateau after the 2,000-word mark. So, while longer content can be valuable, there’s a point of diminishing returns.

Arefs’ own study of nearly a billion web pages also found a moderate positive correlation between content length and organic traffic — but only up to 2,000 words. Beyond that, the correlation turned negative, suggesting that excessively long posts might hurt your SEO (more on why that might be later). 

Longer content can be beneficial, but it’s not a magic bullet.  

The key is to find the sweet spot where your content is comprehensive enough to provide value and attract backlinks, but not so long that it overwhelms or bores your audience.

Analyzing Our Own Blog Data

At TrafficSoda, we’re all about putting theories to the test. So, we took a deep dive into our own blog data to see how content length correlates with SEO performance. 

Looking at our top 15 blog posts for organic traffic over the past year, we found that the average word count was a respectable 2,016 words. On the flip side, our bottom 15 performers averaged a mere 949 words. 

But hold on, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. There are a few caveats to consider. 

1. Time relevance is playing a role. When we first started out, we aimed for shorter blog posts, so many of our older articles naturally fall into that category. These older articles aren’t all as relevant as they once were, and this is influencing their performance.
2. Our longer posts tend to delve deeper into topics, offering more detailed information and analysis. We’re not just adding fluff to reach a certain SEO word count, we’re providing genuine value.

This reinforces the idea that longer content isn’t inherently better. While longer posts can perform well, it’s not a guarantee. The real key is to create content that’s comprehensive, informative, and engaging, regardless of its length. 

When Longer Content Can Hurt SEO

While longer content can help, there are several scenarios where excessive length can hurt your SEO efforts instead.

1. User Experience and Engagement

No one likes landing on a webpage that’s a never-ending wall of text. It’s overwhelming, right? It causes cognitive overload.  

When users are bombarded with too much information without any visual breaks or clear organization, it becomes difficult to process and retain anything.  

This leads to frustration, a quick exit from the page, and a potential ding to your SEO.

2. Dilution of Key Information

Longer content also runs the risk of burying important points or answers to specific user queries.  

If your readers must scroll endlessly or struggle to locate the information they’re looking for, they’re likely to abandon your page and seek a more concise and user-friendly source. 

This can also impact how search engines understand your content. If your core message or purpose gets lost in a sea of words, search engines might struggle to identify the main topic and relevance to user queries, potentially hurting your rankings.

3. Technical Issues

Let’s not forget about the technical side of things. Extremely long content, especially if it’s loaded with images or videos, can slow down your page load times. And nobody likes a slow website, especially Google. 

Plus, long content tends not to be optimized for mobile devices, leading to a poor user experience on smaller screens. With more and more people searching on their phones, this can significantly impact your SEO. 

Finally, there’s the risk of keyword stuffing and thin content. To reach a high word count, some creators resort to tactics that can actually hurt their rankings. Quantity over quality is always a mistake. 

So, before you start churning out those 5,000-word blog posts, take a step back and consider the potential downsides. Longer isn’t always better.

Key Takeaways

1. Forget about chasing arbitrary word counts or SEO content length. Instead, focus on creating content that genuinely addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Do your research, offer valuable insights, and present your information in a clear and engaging way. It’s not about how much you say, but how well you say it.
2. Match your content length to the specific purpose and user intent. A simple “how-to” guide might only require a few hundred words, while a comprehensive white paper on a complex topic could easily run into the thousands. If you can answer a question concisely, do it. If you need more space to explore a topic in depth, take it.
3. Break up your content with clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points. Use visuals like images, infographics, and videos to enhance engagement and make your content more digestible. And don’t forget about page load times and mobile friendliness. A slow or clunky website can send users running, regardless of how great your content is.

Your audience craves content that’s informative, engaging, and genuinely helpful. Search engines reward content that demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. 

So, as stated earlier, stop chasing an arbitrary SEO content length and start chasing value. Craft content that resonates with your readers, answers their questions, and solves their problems. That’s the key to SEO success in today’s digital landscape. 

Need help developing a content strategy that delivers results? Our team of SEO experts is here to guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you achieve your online goals.