Debunking SEO Myths: How Many Words Does Your Blog Post Need to Rank on Google?

Determining the ideal length for SEO content to rank well on Google can be a real challenge for anyone investing in optimized content that brings in organic traffic. This issue is shrouded in myths that confuse users and businesses aiming to climb the Google rankings. Is there a minimum word count for SEO? What’s the shortest a text can be? How many words should a blog post have? Let’s clear up some of these doubts.

How Many Words Does Your Post Need to Succeed on Google?

After reading this post, you’ll know how long a blog article should be to rank on Google. Even better, you’ll be well aware of all the myths that try to dictate the ideal word count for a search term. Ready to dive in?

What’s the Ideal Length for an SEO Post to Rank?

Let’s tackle the million-dollar question: how many words does a text need to rank in the SERPs? To answer this, let’s look at several recent reports:

1. 1. Yoast SEO: Yoast suggests that longer content tends to perform better in search engine rankings, mainly because it allows for more comprehensive coverage of a topic, providing depth and increasing the chances of covering relevant keywords. However, Yoast also emphasizes the importance of content readability and user experience, advising that any piece of content should be broken up into headings, bullet points, and images to maintain reader engagement.
      
      

      2. SERP IQ: A study conducted by SERP IQ found that the average content length of the top 10 results on search engines like Google is over 2,000 words. The latter supports the idea that long-form content performs better, likely due to the increased opportunity to address various aspects of a topic thoroughly.
      
      

      3. HubSpot: HubSpot’s research indicates that blog posts with an average word count of 2,100-2,400 words tend to perform best in terms of SEO. Their analysis also highlights the importance of aligning content length with the topic’s complexity and the audience’s intent.
      
      

      4. Moz: Moz’s research emphasizes the significance of content depth and comprehensiveness over sheer length. While longer content often ranks better, Moz points out that the key is how well the content satisfies the user’s search intent. They also stress the importance of backlinks and social shares.
      
      

      5. Google’s Guidelines: While Google doesn’t prescribe a target word count for ranking, its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines stress the importance of “E-A-T” (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). They recommend that fresh content be as long as necessary to meet the needs of the user queries, emphasizing the quality and accuracy of the information provided.
      
      These studies show there is no simple answer to the question of ideal text length regarding the ranking factor. The perfect length varies depending on the specific situation.

Why Is Text Length Important for SEO Ranking?

The length of your text is an essential factor for several reasons:

• • It enhances the semantic richness of the content, improving user experience and SEO.

• • If you need help integrating relevant keywords naturally, a longer text can help you do more organically.

• • It allows for including long-tail keywords (check out our post to learn how many words a long-tail keyword typically has).

That said, direct questions require direct answers. Beating around the bush won’t help you climb the SERPs.

How to Decide the Length of an SEO Text?

Let’s be clear: there’s no hard-and-fast rule for how long an SEO text should be. Google is clear on this: the “right” length is the one that provides user satisfaction. So, it’s evident that “the more words, the better” isn’t always the best approach.

Sometimes, a user needs a concise answer and wants to spend only a short time reading a post. Other times, they need an in-depth article on a topic, and that’s where longer texts come into play.

As you can see, the user’s needs (search intent) dictate the appropriate length of SEO content for ranking. Google doesn’t reward wordiness for its own sake. For example, a 500-word text might be too much for a product description but too little for a blog post on a complex topic.

How do you create an SEO text that meets user search intent?

Search intent in SEO is a user’s goal when typing a search query. This goal can be navigational, informational, commercial, or transactional. Forget optimal word counts for a search term; give the reader what they want (no more, no less).

• • Analyze the searches. The keywords users type reveal how long or short your response should be. Even within the same search intent (e.g., navigational), it’s clear that queries like “How long does a butterfly live?” and “What to see in Buenos Aires?” require different text lengths.

• • Look at the pages ranking at the top of the SERPs for those target keywords. What’s the length of their content? Is it enough to satisfy the user’s search query, or could it benefit from more detail?

• • There’s a perfect word count that meets the reader’s expectations—use it and avoid filler content.

• • Avoid copying content; it won’t add value for the user and will upset Google.

• • Content structure and external and internal linking also play a role in satisfying search intent.

How do you write SEO texts that rank on Google?

Planning is your best friend when publishing online content, and creating an editorial calendar is crucial to making it happen.

Organic ranking is natural. Whether it’s about the length of the SEO text or keyword integration, focus on the user, not Google’s bots.

Your posting schedule should be consistent and regular. If you can’t keep up, you can always buy SEO texts.

In SEO, high-quality content always trumps quantity, so focus on providing value. For example, the usefulness of a 500-word text is measured not by its length but by what it offers the reader.

Myths About the Ideal Length of SEO Texts

Plenty of gurus are pushing supposedly infallible rules about SEO text length. Blindly following their advice will do more harm than good regarding your organic ranking. Is it time to ignore them?

Long content ranks better on Google

• • Throughout the post, we’ve said that long-form content doesn’t rank because of its length; it ranks because it gives the reader what they need. If 400 words are enough to satisfy the user’s search intent, don’t give them 4,500.

• • Thin content pieces are one of SEO’s most significant issues, so Google hates them. Texts under 300 words are considered thin content.

• • Thin content pieces are one of SEO’s most significant issues, so Google hates them. A common mistake is to equate poor content quality with brevity. In reality, even very long types of content for users can be thin if it’s full of fluff. Who wants to waste time reading something that says nothing?

The more long-tail keywords a text has, the easier to rank.

We all know that long-tail keywords are more accessible to rank because they have less competition and better align with user search intent. However, that doesn’t mean you should use them indiscriminately in every post, as they can make your content pieces seem unnatural.

Conclusions

There’s no universal measure for the ideal length of SEO texts. The right size for ranking content must meet the user’s search intent. What’s appropriate for one type of content may not be for another.

Neither long texts rank by default, nor is every short-form content thin.

And no, keyword stuffing your text won’t make the search ranking factor easier. Achieving the right quality and length of SEO text to rank on Google can be challenging. Hiring professional content writers to create valuable content for you (SEO articles, social posts, blog content, white papers) can give you an edge in organic search.