What is the ideal blog length for SEO? 

Generally, and what Google says, as long as you answer the question. 

There is no set word length for a post, blogs, or articles.

Even John Mueller, a trends analyst from Google, echoes the same.

Let’s dig deeper if we can answer this question in the most detailed way.

Does blog length for SEO matter?

Going back to John Mueller from Google, he says the following:

Having the same word-count as a top-ranking article isn’t going to make your pages rank first, just like having a bunch of USB chargers isn’t going to get you to the moon. But I’m still tempted to buy some of those USB chargers…

[source: John Mueller on Twitter]

Essentially, John means to stop obsessing over word count, and having more word count than the top-ranking page won’t win you first place. 

The obsession of blog length for SEO

There are many studies done that there is a direct correlation between SERP position and word count. 

Also, Brian Dean, the guy who invented the “skyscraper technique,” literally says the longer the post, the better it will do in search.

But, the word count is just one of the Google metrics use. 

Many are using content marketing who are obsessed with word counts. Heck, I sometimes do.

I used to add or should I say, repeat what I say over and over again just to reach 2000 words.  But, I learned this is not the case.

The main topic should be related to your subtopics.

Going back to Brian Dean’s skyscraper technique, all the articles are all connected if you read his blogs. 

Brian doesn’t talk about eating ice cream, and then halfway down the page, he moves on to talking about his tax. Complete opposite. 

Or some bloggers repeat the same thing over and over again for each blog. 

If you find yourself talking about the same thing for every article you write. Try consolidating those articles into one.

The words you add should be relevant to the main topic. Otherwise, your reader will hate you. 

If your blog aims to reach a fixed word count, you could be wasting your time. And time is precious. Instead, answer the question in the most detailed way possible without going off-topic too much. 

It’s ok to sprinkle your life story now and then. Just try to be brief or not dull. People don’t’ give a donkey’s balls about your life. But, it can separate you from the rest. You have to find the perfect balance.

The verdict on blog length for SEO

As John Mueller says, having a bunch of USB chargers won’t get you to the moon. 

Your blog’s word count doesn’t matter if the back button is clicked on when a reader visits your article.

Just put yourself in their situation. Would you keep reading a whole page of someone’s life story or just want the answer? 

My advice is to answer the query as much as you can in the simplest way possible. That way, you can satisfy both the user and Google bot. 

And that is the answer really to the blog length for SEO. Word count doesn’t matter, and many other metrics determine your position in SERP. 

Follow the leaders in the space but don’t blindly follow. Do your due diligence. Do your research. You’ll find that many SEO advice does not agree with each other. 

Who do you know to trust? Well, you don’t. 

I suggest listening to the Google Office Hours on Youtube. Click through to their channel and learn more about SEO from people who work at Google. 

I think they are more informed than others who are likely to be regurgitating what others are saying. 

But, I know it can be boring to listen to SEO gibberish for an hour. I have friends who have fallen asleep while listening to John Mueller speak. 

However, I find it very interesting. I guess you have to love it to keep tuning in every other week to the show. 

John is not exactly gifted with the gab like most Youtube influencers. And SEO is not an entertaining subject. Even the other hosts, except the Japanese hosts, can take you to zZz land in a couple of minutes. But they are a direct source and know what they are talking about.

I can suggest a few who you can follow that are more “fun,” so to speak, to learn about SEO. 

AHREF’s host is excellent to watch, and he has a team behind him who are SEO experts as well.

Neil Patel can be boring at times, but he drops a ton of value for free without the SEO jargon. Even though he doesn’t smile as much, he is a valuable source of SEO marketing knowledge.

And a blog that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about word count and still rank high on SERP is Seroundtable. 

Do you want to make money online doing what you love? Start reading this article, how to start a blog and make money on autopilot.

What do you think? Does blog length matter for SEO? Comment below.