How long should a blog post be for SEO?

[LenaVlogs]

I've heard everything from 300 words minimum to 3000+ words is ideal. What's the actual optimal blog post length for ranking in google?

my posts are currently around 800-1000 words. Is that enough or should I be writing longer content?

[SocialBee]

longer content generally ranks better, but there's nuance to this

my testing across 200+ blog posts:

• under 1000 words: rarely rank on page 1
• 1000-1500 words: can rank for low competition keywords
• 1500-2500 words: sweet spot for most topics
• 2500-4000 words: best for competitive keywords
• over 4000 words: only if topic requires it, can hurt readability

why longer content performs better:

• covers topics more comprehensively
• naturally includes more related keywords
• keeps users on page longer (engagement signal)
• more likely to get backlinks

but don't just add fluff to hit word count! google is smart enough to detect that

how to determine ideal length for your post:

1. google your target keyword
2. check top 10 results
3. see how long their content is
4. aim to be at least as comprehensive as the average

for most blog posts, 1500-2500 words is the sweet spot. comprehensive enough to rank well, not so long people won't read it

your 800-1000 word posts are probably too short to compete for anything except very low competition keywords

[SarahVlogs]

word count doesn't matter. search intent does

i've had 600-word posts outrank 3000-word posts because they better matched what the searcher wanted

different search intents need different lengths:

quick answer queries: 300-800 words

• "how to hard boil eggs"
• "what does SEO stand for"
• "how to screenshot on mac"

comparison posts: 1500-2000 words

• "wordpress vs wix"
• "best protein powder for weight loss"

comprehensive guides: 2500-5000 words

• "complete guide to content marketing"
• "how to start a blog step by step"

writing 3000 words when the user just wants a quick answer is bad SEO. they'll leave to find a faster answer

my process:

1. google the keyword
2. look at what type of content ranks
3. determine what the user actually wants
4. write exactly that, no more no less

sometimes that's 500 words. sometimes it's 3000 words. match the intent, not an arbitrary word count

quality and relevance beat length every time