How Long Should a Blog Post Be for SEO? (Tips & Examples to Optimize Your Content!)
Wondering how long a blog post should be for SEO? Learn ideal word counts, when shorter posts work, and how to optimize length for rankings and readers!
If you’ve been blogging for any length of time, you probably already know the importance of SEO, E-E-A-T, and search intent, but you may be wondering, “How long should a blog post be for SEO?”
After writing hundreds of blog posts, I can honestly say that they all vary in length. So, the short answer is that it depends. Luckily, there’s an easy way to determine how long your posts should be to boost SEO and deliver helpful content. I’ll break down how to determine the length of a blog post and why it’s important.
Does Blog Post Length Actually Matter?
Yes, but probably not in the way you may think. Google does not rank content based on the word count alone. Instead, it prioritizes content that is helpful, comprehensive, relevant to each intent, and easy to read and navigate.
Basically, a high-ranking post is helpful, informative, and precise. These qualifications should determine the length of the post.
For example, if you’re writing about the types of olive oil and how to use them, your blog post will likely be fairly long. On the other hand, if you’re writing about a 5-minute tuna salad recipe, you probably don’t need to include a whole lot of info.
That said, multiple industry studies have found that longer content tends to rank higher, because it naturally covers topics in greater depth.
For example:
Backlinko analyzed 11.8 million Google search results and found the average first-page result contains ~1,400-1,800 words.
Longer content earns more backlinks and shares.
In-depth posts increase time on page and engagement signals.
Taking this into consideration, a standard blog post should typically be around 1,000 words. In 2023, the average length of a blog post was 1,427 words. That said, if a concise post of roughly 800 words is enough to take a deep dive into a topic without providing “fluff,” it’s better to keep it short rather than stuff a page with irrelevant content.
To put this into perspective, I have a client who is a nutritionist who does a deep dive on ingredients, providing science-backed information for her audience. These posts can be upwards of 2,000 words, and they still rank well on Google, because all of the content is actually helpful. Meanwhile, another client does product reviews that fall closer to the 800-word mark, because readers are on the page for a quick transaction.
Short Blog Posts vs. Long Blog Posts
In the blogging world, articles are often referred to as short-form or long-form, but what’s the difference?
Short-Form Articles
Short-form articles fall somewhere between a few hundred and up to 1,000 words. They’re best for quick content like product overviews and special announcements, and often aren’t meant to be evergreen posts.
Short articles are less common and don’t often rank highly on Google (though they definitely can), and as a result, don’t often increase blog traffic. As a result, most short-form posts are written for an engaged audience and are best promoted via social media or email marketing.
Long-Form Articles
A long-form article, on the other hand, is usually upwards of 1,000+ words and shares in-depth information about a specific topic. These are more common and are great for how-to guides, itineraries, listicles, and deep dives.
Many people dread writing long-form blog posts, which is where I come in with blog writing offers to take it off their plate. However, there is an easy way to ensure that short attention spans stay engaged and your audience connects with your content.
When writing long-form articles:
Include relevant, helpful information (Skip the fluff)
Use short sentences and frequent paragraph breaks (Make the content easy to skim.)
Include headers and subheaders
Add relevant graphics
Then, make sure to encourage readers to take action at the end of the post by commenting, sharing, or saving your content. If readers stay on the page and engage, you’ll build trust with Google and start to see much better rankings.
How to Determine Your Ideal Blog Post Length
Given that there is no set word count for how long a blog post should be for SEO, it’s important to determine the proper word count for each individual article. To do this, identify a primary keyword, analyze top-ranking articles, understand your audience and what they’ll want, and focus on providing high-quality information.
Let’s break it down!
1. Identify a Primary Keyword
Use your keyword search tool of choice. I use SEMRUsh, but KeySearch is another great option. Look up phrases related to your topic, and use the following factors to determine a target keyword:
Search volume: This indicates how many people are searching for that term.
Keyword difficulty: This indicates how difficult it will be to rank or show up at the top of a Google search for your chosen keyword.
Related keyword variations: Include these naturally within your post to help boost your ranking.
Questions people are asking: Including this can help you rank for your target keyword and will improve overall reader experience, ultimately boosting your post’s ranking.
Keep in mind that if your target keyword is competitive, you’ll likely need a more comprehensive post to be able to compete with the top-ranking articles. Lower-competition keywords may have a higher chance of ranking well with shorter, more focused content.
2. Analyze the Top-Ranking Articles
Once you’ve chosen your desired keyword, look it up in Google, and study the first page results, looking at the top three to three to five posts ranking for that term. Be sure to pay attention to:
Average word count
Headings and sections included in each post, marking commonalities
Questions answered
Depth of information
Media usage (graphics, examples, videos)
This should give a baseline for what Google considers helpful content, making it easy to outline your post. Remember, your goal shouldn’t be to copy your competitors. Instead, aim to cover all the relevant topics while making your post even more useful and complete.
3. Understand Search Intent
You should be able to determine the search intent for your chosen keyword while you analyze the top-ranking posts. Search intent simply refers to what readers are looking to get out of articles when searching for keywords. It also helps determine how much content is necessary.
For instance, I recently wrote a post about Vietnamese pho. When searching for just pho, links for restaurants come up, indicating that readers who search the term are looking for somewhere to eat. However, when I searched pho recipe, I was given various food blogs, meaning readers intended to make the dish at home.
Search intent not only determines what exactly to write about but also how much content is necessary. A recipe post for pho will have a lot more information than, say, a takeout menu with pho included.
When determining search intent, ask yourself:
Does the reader want a quick answer?
Are readers looking for a detailed guide?
Are readers comparing options or making a decision?
For example:
“What is domain authority?” → brief explanation
“How to build domain authority” → in-depth guide
Matching reader intent ensures your content satisfies readers and ranks well. If a reader stumbles on an article that doesn’t match their intent, they’ll click right off, driving up your bounce rates.
4. Know Your Audience
After you’ve determined a keyword, looked at competitors, and narrowed down the search intent, you should have a solid outline. However, before I begin writing, I always take a second to consider the audience and the stage of awareness they’re in.
Beginners will likely need more context and longer articles with definitions and examples. Intermediate readers typically want practical guidance, and experts prefer concise insights.
When in doubt, write for beginners. Too much information is better than not enough. However, if you know that the readers of your article are seasoned pros or will likely be coming from longer, more informative posts on your site thanks to interlinking, you may be better off with a shorter post.
5. Focus on Quality and Completeness
After writing, I actually don’t recommend using a word counter. Instead of aiming for a specific number, ask:
Does this fully answer the reader’s question?
Are there related questions I should include?
Is the content clear and easy to skim?
Have I removed unnecessary filler?
If the answer is yes and you’re happy with your work, the post length will take care of itself. It’s always best to write for your audience first and Google second.
Tips for Increasing Word Count
That said, if all the top-ranking posts are fairly long and yours is short, it’s likely a sign that you need to increase your word count.
If you’ve ever tried to stretch a post just to hit a certain word count, you already know it can make content feel repetitive and exhausting to read. Instead of adding filler, focus on adding value.
Here are a few ways to naturally increase length while improving quality:
Answer related questions. Look at the “People Also Ask” section in Google and address common follow-ups.
Add examples. Real-world scenarios make your content more helpful and easier to understand.
Include step-by-step instructions. Breaking processes into clear steps adds depth and usability.
Expand beginner explanations. Define terms and provide context for readers new to the topic.
Add FAQs. This improves SEO while ensuring you cover related search queries.
Provide tools and resources. Link to helpful guides, templates, or supporting articles. This can also be a great way to boost your income if you have helpful resources!
Include visuals. Screenshots, charts, or graphics improve clarity and time on page.
The goal isn’t to just make the post longer. It’s to make it more complete.
FAQs
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Most SEO-focused blog posts perform best between 1,000 and 2,500 words, depending on competition and topic depth.
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Yes, if the topic requires a quick answer and fully satisfies search intent.
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Pillar content is typically 2,000-4,000+ words and is designed to be a complete resource.
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Excessive length without structure can hurt readability. Use headings, bullets, and spacing to keep content easy to scan.
How Long Should a Blog Post Be for SEO Conclusion
The ideal blog post length ultimately depends on your readers and topic. However, at least 1,000 words is usually best. That said, the most important components in writing blog posts that rank are providing helpful and relevant content, covering a topic completely without unnecessary information.
I hope you found this article helpful! For support with your blog, explore my blog writing offers, or contact me to chat or ask any questions. My blog writing services can help you show up on Google, get more traffic, and increase conversions without adding more work to your plate!
More Helpful Resources
Hi! I’m Shyanne.
I’ve been a content writer for 8 years now. I fell into this filed by accident after applying to a VA position from a nutritionist while in college.
Fast forward a few years later, and I had an English degree with a concentration in Creative Writing and minors in History and Nutrition, and a fledgling business.
Now, I help food bloggers, fitness experts, and health professionals with done-for-you blog writing and done-for-you email writing services!
Growing up, I always loved food and cooking, and writing was my first passion. Later, I discovered fitness and nutrition, and pursued personal training before really leaning into my writing career. Now, getting to marry all of my passions while helping others achieve their own goals truly feels like a dream.
I love all aspects of writing and am trained in SEO and copywriting. If you’re interested in hiring a content writer to handle your needs, I promise you’ll be in good hands!
Hey there — I’m Shyanne
Your new go-to SEO specialist and content writer for all things blogging and email.
If you’re a food blogger, fitness expert, or health professional who landed on this page, chances are you’re crazy good at what you do. But copy? SEO?
Not your thing.
Through research-backed SEO, content mapping, and human-driven copy, I help creators and entrepreneurs drive traffic to their brand and build deeper connections to foster community and boost sales — without the need to show up on socials every damn day.
If you’re ready to take your copy strategy to the next level, I’m ready to help!
What Is Domain Authority (And How Do You Actually Build It)?
What is domain authority? Find the answer, why it matters, and how to improve it on your site to improve your rankings!
What is domain authority? Domain authority is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz Domain using various ranking factors to determine the authority of a website, largely based on its backlinks.
In my 8+ years of freelance blog writing, I've developed a few tips and tricks to boost domain authority and have even uncovered common mistakes I see among bloggers trying to boost their authority.
Let's break everything down, covering the definition of domain authority, how to improve it, and what to avoid to boost your website's authority and rank higher on search engines!
What is Domain Authority?
Domain authority, often referred to as DA, is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz. It predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs), ranging from 1 to 100. Higher domain authority tells search engines that a site is more authoritative with a better backlink profile, making it more likely to rank for keywords.
When it comes to authority domain, remember:
It's conditional: Domain authority compares your website against others, meaning it's most useful for tracking your performance within your specific industry.
It's calculated using backlink data: Domain authority is based on data from a variety of factors. However, the quality and quantity of backlinks heavily influence a site's DA.
It fluctuates: Domain authority isn't static. Search engines put out frequent updates, and websites evolve and change. As a result, domain authority often fluctuates. Don't stress about it too much!
Domain Authority vs Page Authority vs Domain Rating
It’s easy to confuse domain authority with other similar SEO metrics. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Domain Authority (DA - Moz): Measures the strength of your entire website
Page Authority (PA - Moz): Measures the ranking strength of a single page
Domain Rating (DR - Ahrefs): Focuses heavily on backlink strength
Authority Score (SEMrush): Combines backlinks, traffic, and spam signals
While these metrics are similar, they are calculated differently and should be used as relative benchmarks, not absolute truth.
Why is Domain Authority Important for SEO?
As mentioned, knowing your website's domain authority allows you to more easily predict its ability to rank in search results and gauge ranking potential against competitors.
For instance, if I'm writing a post for a lasagna recipe, I can look at the keyword difficulty, which shows that it's very hard to rank for in Google. Therefore, I know that a site with a low domain authority will have little to no chance of ranking for that word.
Lasagna recipe has a high search volume and keyword difficulty of 68, meaning it’s extremely difficult to rank for, especially if I have a low domain authority.
So, I target easier keywords, such as vegetable lasagna recipe or lasagna with meat and sauce. Targeting these keywords will not only improve site rankings but will also boost domain authority so that the site can eventually begin targeting more difficult keywords.
Vegetable lasagna has a keyword difficulty of 52 and lasagna with meat sauce has a keyword difficulty of 47, which are much easier to rank for.
In short, domain authority:
Allows for competitive benchmarking: Knowing your DA allows you to compare your site to other competitors in your industry or niche. If a competitor has a significantly higher DA, you know you'll need better content and a strong link-building strategy to be able to outrank them for any given keyword.
Predicts a site's rank search capability: The higher a site's DA score, the higher the authority SEO and the easier it will be to rank for any given keyword. Put simply, a higher domain authority means your site has established trust in the eyes of search engines (and often readers).
How is Domain Authority Calculated?
It's important to note that, according to an interview conducted by Kristi Hines at Search Engine Journal, it has been confirmed that Google does not factor domain authority into its rankings.
It is a rank search engine created by an outside party. Here’s how Moz Domain Authority is described:
“…the calculation of a domain’s DA score comes from a machine learning algorithm’s predictions about how often Google is using that domain in its search results. If domain A is more likely to appear in a Google SERP than domain B is, then we would expect domain A’s DA to be higher than domain B’s DA.”
The most important factors that determine a site's domain authority include:
Link Profile: The web page's internal and external links. The higher quality links, leading to high-authority or reputable websites, the better your link profile and therefore DA.
Root Domains (Backlinks): When determining a website's rank, Moz looks at the number of unique backlinks. If you have repeated backlinks from the same site, Moz considers it one link. For the best results, put effort into building backlinks across as many high-authority websites as possible. Check out these tips to get better backlinks and build authority SEO.
Spam Score: This is a metric that Moz uses to measure the percentage of sites with similar features to the website in question, used to identify spammy links or websites with thin content, small site size, or low link diversity.
Is Domain Authority a Google Ranking Factor?
No, Google does not use domain authority when ranking content. Instead, it uses its own signals, such as links, content quality, search intent, and E-E-A-T, all of which happen to align with DA rankings. Therefore, by optimizing for DA, you're optimizing for Google and vice versa.
How to Check Domain Authority
You'll need outside tools to check your site's domain authority. Some of my favorites include:
1. Moz Link Explorer
Enter any domain in the explorer, and check its DA score and backlink data, including referring domains and top-linked pages.
This allows you to see exactly where your backlinks are coming from and how strong they are. The free version offers a limited number of searches a month, but I find it's more than enough!
2. MozBar Browser Extension
This extension allows you to see DA scores in your search results, making it easy to compare different pages at a glance. You can also click on a site to see its page authority and link metrics without the need to leave your browser, which comes in particularly handy when conducting research.
3. Free SEO Checker Tools
Some free SEO checker tools display domain authority using Moz data or their own similar calculations.
These reports typically show domain authority, page authority, and basic backlink counts, making them great when you just need a quick overview. Keep in mind that each platform uses a slightly different ranking system. So, the data may differ slightly.
4. SEO Tools and Platforms
Some SEO research tools and platforms, like SEMrush (my go-to for keyword research) and Ahrefs, use similar formulas to Moz to create comparable authority metrics.
Ahrefs uses Domain Rating, which focuses heavily on the strength and quantity of backlinks. Meanwhile, SEMrush uses Authority Score, which blends link data with traffic signals and spam factors, similarly to Moz's domain authority ratings.
Other tools provide similar data, often providing straightforward authority scores, looking at surface-level signals like backlink numbers and quality. They're great for a quick check of a site's DA or a simple comparison, but aren't ideal for in-depth reports.
What is a Good Domain Authority?
Unfortunately, similarly to the question "How long should a blog post be?", there's no concrete answer as to what ranks as a good domain authority. What truly matters is how your site's DA compares to competitors in your niche or industry.
In general, new or small sites typically rank somewhere between 1 and 20, growing to a DA score of 20 to 40 as they grow and gain traction. Scores between 40 and 60 are reserved for well-established sites with lots of backlinks. Scores beyond 60 are difficult to achieve and are only associated with the most well-known brands.
For the best results, I recommend focusing on outranking your top competitors and then improving your DA from there.
How to Increase Domain Authority
The best way to increase your site's DA is to improve its overall SEO health. I use SEMrush to check this for clients, cleaning up broken links, missing meta descriptions, etc. Then, focus on driving high-quality external links pointing people to your site from other sources (backlinks).
Here are some of my tried and tested ways to improve a site's domain authority:
Earn High-Quality Backlinks
To naturally attract backlinks, create helpful, link-worthy content, such as original research, expert guides, and shareable resources that will be helpful to other audiences.
Remove Toxic Backlinks
Use tools like Moz's link explorer to regularly audit your site's link profile and identifya nd remove spammy or harmful links. Remember, not all backlinks are good! Links from shady sites can actually hurt your own, no matter how good the content may be.
Optimize SEO
Make sure to follow best practices, targeting one primary keyword and several secondary keywords, incorporating E-E-A-T, meeting search intent, and optimizing all your blog posts accordingly. The better your on-page SEO, the more likely your blog posts are to show up on Google and the more likely they are to be linked in outside resources.
Improve User Experience
Admittedly, this is not my area of expertise, but the basics are simple! Make sure your site is fast and mobile-friendly with intuitive navigation that makes it easy for users to find what they need. This encourages people to stay longer and engage with your content, which boosts your authority rankings.
Focus on Implementing a Strong Internal Linking Strategy
Use internal links with strong anchor texts in your content to naturally guide users to relevant content within a post, leading to link equity across your site. A clear and well-structured linking strategy improves your site's crawlability and enhances user engagement, keeping them on your site and likely to come back later.
Create high-quality content
This is the golden rule of anything SEO-related and should be prioritized over all else. Publishing valuable content that answers reader questions and solves problems is more likely to rank on search engines and keep reader attention, organically driving higher rankings, a more engaged audience, and a higher domain authority.
Mistakes to Avoid
When people start asking, "What is domain authority?", they typically begin to grasp at straws to improve their site. This is unnecessary and often leads to common mistakes, such as:
Buying Backlinks
This can harm your site's credibility and lead to penalties within search engines, ultimately hurting your DA. Focusing on earning high-quality backlinks organically instead.
Over-Optimizing
Avoid outdated keyword stuffing or SEO techniques. These are not only no longer effective for ranking but also reduce the user experience and damage your site's reputation and therefore authority.
Failing to Upkeep Technical SEO
Make sure to monitor your site frequently to prevent a slow or outdated site. Make sure it's mobile-friendly, technical errors are fixed, and everything is easy to navigate.
What is Domain Authority FAQs
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Domain authority increases as your website builds trust and credibility over time. This typically happens when you earn high-quality backlinks from reputable sites, consistently publish valuable, well-optimized content, and maintain strong technical SEO (like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and proper site structure).
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No one directly “manages” your domain authority. It’s a metric created by SEO tools like Moz to estimate how likely your site is to rank in search engines.
That said, you influence it through your SEO strategy with factors like high-quality content creation, link building, and overall site optimization all playing a role.
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A high domain authority score means your website is seen as more trustworthy and authoritative compared to others. This usually translates to a better ability to rank in search results, especially for competitive keywords.
However, domain authority is relative. A “high” score depends on your niche. For example, a DA of 40 might be strong in a smaller niche but low in a highly competitive space like food blogging.
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A drop in domain authority can happen for a few reasons, and it’s not always a bad sign. Common causes include:
Loss of backlinks (sites removing or updating links)
Competitors gaining stronger backlinks faster than you
Updates to the scoring algorithm (especially from tools like Moz)
A slowdown in content publishing or SEO efforts
It’s important to remember that domain authority is a third-party metric, not a direct ranking factor. Focus on building high-quality content and backlinks, and your score will follow!
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Domain authority ranking falls in line with typical SEO rankings, taking anywhere from 6-12 months to take effect. New sites typically require 3-6 months to see any kind of movement. Medium and large, or established sites, see slower gains, typically taking 6-12 months to show improvements.
Keep in mind that plateaus are normal! Focus on continuing to upkeep your site and publish high-quality content that serves your audience, and the rest will fall into place.
In Conclusion
The answer to "What is domain authority?" is that, generally speaking, it's a way of ranking a website's credibility through factors like backlinks and SEO. Originally developed by Moz, it can make it easier to perform keyword research and create content plans to outrank competitors.
That said, domain authority varies from site to site and often fluctuates due to competitor changes and shifting algorithms. The best way to boost a site's domain authority is to focus on keeping technical SEO in tip-top shape, utilizing an internal linking strategy, and publishing regular, high-quality content.
No time to research and publish yourself? That's where I come in! Explore my blog writing services to see how I can help you upkeep your blog with high-quality, SEO-optimized posts that rank in search engines and boost your site's authority.
More Helpful Resources
Hi! I’m Shyanne.
I’ve been a content writer for 8 years now. I fell into this filed by accident after applying to a VA position from a nutritionist while in college.
Fast forward a few years later, and I had an English degree with a concentration in Creative Writing and minors in History and Nutrition, and a fledgling business.
Now, I help food bloggers, fitness experts, and health professionals with done-for-you blog writing and done-for-you email writing services!
Growing up, I always loved food and cooking, and writing was my first passion. Later, I discovered fitness and nutrition, and pursued personal training before really leaning into my writing career. Now, getting to marry all of my passions while helping others achieve their own goals truly feels like a dream.
I love all aspects of writing and am trained in SEO and copywriting. If you’re interested in hiring a content writer to handle your needs, I promise you’ll be in good hands!
Hey there — I’m Shyanne
Your new go-to SEO specialist and content writer for all things blogging and email.
If you’re a food blogger, fitness expert, or health professional who landed on this page, chances are you’re crazy good at what you do. But copy? SEO?
Not your thing.
Through research-backed SEO, content mapping, and human-driven copy, I help creators and entrepreneurs drive traffic to their brand and build deeper connections to foster community and boost sales — without the need to show up on socials every damn day.
If you’re ready to take your copy strategy to the next level, I’m ready to help!