If I were to ask you a question, how many words should a blog post be to rank well on Google?

There is no magic word count that will deliver higher rankings, but a good blog post will always answer the question, provide value, and thoroughly cover the topic.

On the other hand, determining how long to make a blog post helps you ensure quality while avoiding word inflation (lengthening a post needlessly).

Does Word Length Guarantee Higher Rankings?

Word length by itself will not determine if your blog post is ranked #1 on Google.

Sure, a 3,000-word post will likely outrank an 800-word post, but only if the content satisfies the searcher.

Some people search and are immediately satisfied by a 500-word blog post, whereas others do not see an in-depth guide until they reach 5,000 words. You should not lengthen a blog post needlessly; only provide enough to satisfy the reader.

How Long Should a Blog Post Ideal Word Count Be?

There is no ideal blog post word count for every article.

Depending on the topic and the research, there could be between 500–3,000+ words needed for a thorough resource.

Instead of wondering how long a post should be, we can reverse engineer the process.

Ask yourself:

• What question(s) is the reader hoping to answer?

• Do I have enough information about this topic?

• Do I have anything else the reader might need?

• Can I explain my point well enough?

• Did I completely cover this area?

As soon as you answer these questions, you will not only know how long your post should be, but you will be more satisfied with the result.

I do not consider this process to be a word count guide because we are not estimating the number of words you should write — instead, we are estimating the content that should go into your post.

Nevertheless, both short and long blog posts can be good depending on the topic and intent.

Short Blog Posts vs Long Blog Posts

Both long and short blog posts can perform well in search engines.

Sometimes a short blog post is the best option, especially on a topic that does not warrant a lengthy manuscript.

Common short blog posts include:

• Definition

• Tip

• Tutorial

• Q&A

• Explanation

• News

No matter what the word count, it will never be worth it to thoroughly explain a short blog post if there is not enough to talk about.

Long blog posts tend to be most useful when covering topics that are more in-depth, such as:

• Complete Guide

• Tutorial

• Guide

• Comparison

• Beginner's Guide

• How To

A long blog post is also good for providing enough detail to explain various areas and related subjects of your main one.

Focus on Searcher Intent

One of the most important parts of SEO is understanding what a searcher is looking for — their search intent.

For instance, someone searching "how to start a blog" is probably in search of how to start a blog, whereas someone searching "what is SEO" does not want an extended course on search engine optimization.

Any well-written blog post should address the search intent. If a shorter post will suffice for the search intent, there is no need to artificially extend a post just to satisfy a word count requirement.

In many cases, shorter posts will deliver greater results since Google typically prefers quality content over quantity.

How to Know When to Stop Writing

One of the ways to determine length is by knowing when to stop.

Before publishing, double-check that:

• Your article fully explains your topic.

• Important concepts and ideas were explained clearly.

• Examples were included if they would have been helpful.

• Sub-topics are explained to the best of your ability.

• There are no unnecessary repetitions.

• Your post has a satisfactory conclusion or ending.

By focusing on these concepts, you'll find not only do you answer the most important questions about your topic, but you will also find it much easier to decide how long a post should be once it is finished.

Don't Add Meaningless Information Just for Word Count

Never inflate your post by adding meaningless information that will just push the word count higher without delivering any substance or value.

Adding this sort of useless material will only dilute the importance of the real content on your page.

For instance, by talking endlessly about the same exact idea, you are not giving your audience more information; you are just increasing the number of words on the page.

To make the most of your word count, dedicate the extra space to include value-added content, such as an example or explanation that helps make your point.

How to Know the Word Count of a Blog Post

Before you publish a blog post, it can be useful to know the length.

You can copy your article and use TakueWordCount to quickly analyze your text.

Your word count provides you with your:

• Words

• Phrases

• Characters (letters)

• Spaces

• Paragraphs

• Lines

👉 Check your blog post word count with TakueWordCount:
TakueWordCount

This is a great way to analyze your blog post before publishing your article.

What Else Is More Important Than Word Count?

While word count is undoubtedly an SEO consideration, it is equally as important to keep in mind the following:

Content Quality

We should always strive to provide value in our blog post rather than artificially expanding our articles for the sake of increasing word count.

Content Readability

Always break up your content into easy-to-read sections. Use short paragraphs, headings, lists, and easy-to-understand language in your blog post.

Content Coverage

When you write a blog post, answer the important questions on that topic.

Originality

Always strive not simply to restate commonly known items, but to deliver something unique and valuable to your audience.

User Experience

Your article should be easy-to-scan and easy to read on both mobile and desktop devices.

An Ideal Word Count Blog Post Word Count

There are no hard and fast SEO rules on how many words a post should include, but good guidelines are as follows:

• 300–500 words – Very short topics and answers

• 500–1,000 words – General informational or blog posts

• 1,000–1,500 words – More substantial informational blog posts

• 1,500–2,500 words – Comprehensive guides and in-depth posts

• 2,500+ words – Very detailed guides and articles

These are general recommendations for word count, but only you will know how much content your audience expects when they arrive on your page.

Should I Always Do Long Blog Posts for SEO?

No.

Lengthy blog posts are not always the answer to better SEO.

If we can provide a short blog post that delivers a satisfactory answer, we are better off providing a short blog post.

After all, who wants to scroll down 5,000 words just to find the answer to a simple question?

As always, provide as much as necessary to answer a question, and nothing more.

Final Thoughts

There is no single word count that can guarantee rankings on Google.

We should strive to answer the reader's question, thoroughly cover the topic, and deliver quality content regardless of length.

Once we finish writing, we can always take a word count analysis, checking our words, phrases, characters, spaces, paragraphs, and lines.

👉 Check your article here:
TakueWordCount Free Tool