Blog Post Length and How Long Your Posts Should Be

You finished a 700 word post, then read somewhere that anything under 2,000 words will never rank, and now you are staring at the draft wondering what to pad it with. Blog post length is one of the most argued about topics in blogging, and most of the advice comes from studies of huge sites that have little in common with a small blog. The better answer is that the right length depends on the question you are answering, and you can work it out for each post in about ten minutes.

Here is how I decide on length for my own posts and for the blogs I help run, with real numbers and a test you can repeat.

What the word count studies actually show

You have probably seen charts claiming the average first page result is 1,400 to 2,000 words. Those numbers are real, but they describe correlation, not cause. Long posts tend to rank because they cover a topic completely, attract more links and come from established sites. A 2,500 word post that rambles does not inherit any of that.

Search engines have said repeatedly that word count is not a ranking factor. What matters is whether the page satisfies the search. For "how to add a favicon in Blogger," that might take 500 words and four screenshots. For "how to start a recipe blog," it might take 2,500.

How to choose the right blog post length for each topic

Instead of a fixed target, I run a quick check before writing. It takes about ten minutes per post.

1. Search your main keyword in a private browser window.
2. Open the top five results that are actual blog posts, ignoring forums and videos.
3. Estimate their length. Paste the main text into any word counter, or scroll and count headings as a rough guide.
4. Note what they cover. List the subtopics each one answers.
5. Aim for the middle of the range, plus whatever useful point they all missed.

If the top results range from 900 to 1,500 words, plan for about 1,200 and one section the others skipped. That is far more useful than a blanket rule. If every top result is a short video or a forum thread, that tells you something too: searchers may want a quick, direct answer, so keep your post tight. If you want to get the keyword part right first, the guide to free keyword research for bloggers starting from zero walks through it without paid tools.

Typical lengths by post type

These ranges are where most well performing posts on small blogs land. Treat them as a starting point, then adjust with the check above.

Notice that none of these says "always write 2,000 words." A recipe blog, a tech tips blog and a travel diary all need different shapes.

A real example from a Blogger tips site I worked on: a 650 word post on changing the date format in a template outranked three competitors with 1,800 words or more. It answered the question in the second paragraph, showed the exact code to paste, and covered the two errors people hit afterward. The longer posts spent their first 400 words explaining what a template is. Readers who search a narrow fix already know that part, and they rewarded the post that respected their time.

Why longer posts are not always better

A popular piece of advice says to make every post the longest on the topic. I think it does more harm than good for small blogs, for three reasons.

First, it burns time. If a 2,000 word post takes you six hours and a 1,000 word post takes three, you publish half as often. On a new blog, publishing steadily for the first year matters more than any single post. The article on what successful blogs do differently before year two shows how consistency outweighs volume early on.

Second, padding hurts readers. Long intros, repeated summaries and filler sections push the actual answer down the page. People scroll, give up and leave. That is the opposite of what you want.

Third, padded posts are harder to update. When something changes, you have to dig through extra paragraphs to find what needs fixing, and stale details hide more easily in a wall of text.

The better rule is to write until the question is fully answered, then stop. If that takes 600 words, publish 600 words.

How to make a long post easy to read

When a topic genuinely needs 2,000 words or more, structure does most of the work.

• Answer the main question in the first 100 words so skimmers get value immediately.
• Use a descriptive subheading every 200 to 300 words.
• Keep paragraphs to two to four sentences on mobile.
• Use numbered lists for steps and tables for comparisons.
• Add a short FAQ at the end for related questions.

Planning helps too. If you outline before writing, you can see whether a post needs eight sections or three. The guide on how to outline a blog post before you start writing covers a simple method.

Check how your current posts perform

Your own data beats any study. In Search Console, open the Performance report and sort pages by clicks. Then note the word count of your top ten posts and your bottom ten. On most small blogs I have reviewed, the pattern is not "long wins." It is "complete and specific wins." Short posts that answer one narrow question often do very well.

Also check average engagement time in your analytics. If a 2,500 word post holds readers for 40 seconds, it is probably too long or poorly organised. If a 900 word post holds them for three minutes, it is doing its job.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a blog post be for SEO?

There is no fixed number. Look at what currently ranks for your keyword and aim to cover the topic at least as completely, usually in the same general length range. Covering the question well matters far more than hitting a word count.

Is 500 words enough for a blog post?

Yes, for narrow questions that have a short answer, such as a single setting or quick fix. It is usually too short for tutorials, comparisons or beginner guides. If readers need to ask a follow-up question, the post is probably too thin.

Do longer blog posts get more traffic?

On average they do, because they tend to cover more search queries and earn more links. But a long post only performs well when every section is useful. Padding a post to reach a length target rarely improves traffic.