Does Word Count Matter for SEO | What Google Says?

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Saturday, 9 April 2022

If you are familiar with SEO, you must be wondering how many words are just right for your blog posts to rank better in Google and other search engines. Everyone on the internet seems to talk about the correct length of blogs. 

Although digital marketing gurus and SEO experts have tried to answer this differently. As a result, people are still struggling to find the correct answer. In this article, we will discuss how word count can affect SEO. Furthermore, we will also see what Google says in this regard.

If you search the above same question in Google, you will see the top result from Yoast. It says that if a blog post has a thousand or more words, its chances of higher rankings increase. It further talks about the minimum word count which should be around 300 words for regular posts.

Varying Opinions of experts

According to John Mueller, Google’s webmaster analyst, the length of a blog post doesn’t matter when it comes to talking about search rankings. 

On the other hand, some of the most credible SEO institutions see text length as a significant factor in improving search rankings. Yoast recommends a blog post to be at least 1000 words. The Search Engine Journal considers a 2500-word piece of text as an ideal blog post. Backlinko has recommended a blog post to be at least 1,447 words.

Standing on this side of the pole, we must consider the word and character length of our write-ups. Staying right within the confines of limit restrictions can higher our chances to rank better. The best that can be done is using an online word counter that comes in pretty handy. This online counting tool is specially designed to precisely count the exact word and character length of any write-up. it doesn't charge you any price, and you can use it without any installation, sign-up, or account creation. Keeping one such credible word counter can be of great help for sure. 

Due to so many speculations, there’s no exact answer on the best word count from the SEO perspective.

Many bloggers and SEO experts are still under the impression that longer blog posts are likely to gain better rankings in search engines. However, many people do not believe in this myth. Instead, they think that quality blog posts with less word count will likely gain better traction than long blog posts containing poor content.

What Google updates opine in this regard

According to the latest updates, Google focuses on user-friendly and high-quality content. The more you write to address search queries, the more likely you will gain traction. The latest updates are based on artificial intelligence. Google’s algorithms analyze millions of pages on the internet and show the best matching text to answer users’ queries.

If you search for something specific, you will see a snippet of text answering your question in the best possible way. That’s how advanced algorithms have become in today’s era. It is expected that more AI updates will come down the road and refine search results.

So, if you want your text to rank better, you have to make it worthy. Make sure it covers the topic under discussion in an inclusive manner. If you are going to talk about a particular disease, try to cover all the possible aspects. If someone searches for symptoms of a disease, Google should find the best matching answer from your blog post. It is only possible when you cover symptoms alongside other important aspects.

Opinions on ideal content length

According to joint research conducted by BuzzSumo and Backlinko, long-form content potentially generates far more backlinks than a short post. It means the more you write, the better you get at searches.

No matter what your niche is, keep in mind that Google’s core purpose is to provide users with the most relevant search results. The world’s tech giant is user-focused. They are working hard to serve users around the globe.

Key factors of ranking strategy

It’s good to develop a good understanding of how Google works. However, you won’t have to struggle a lot if you keep focusing on user-oriented content. Try to provide the best value through your content, and you will never fall short of rankings. Whenever your team writes to publish online, never forget about the user intent. Try to think from a user’s point of view if you want to write better.

Instead of focusing on the word count, try to make sure that your writing covers the topic in all aspects. It doesn’t matter if it gets covered in 500 words or 10,000. Your main concern should be to cover the subject under discussion.

If we talk about the best practices, it is advisable to keep your blog post length at a minimum of 750 words. This word limit provides you with sufficient room to describe everything in detail without missing out on essential points.

However, never rush to complete your blog. If it requires more text, go the extra mile. Keep writing until you feel that the topic has been justified without sacrificing crucial details. Make sure your write-up covers the subject from all angles so that the reader doesn’t have to go elsewhere to find the extra information.

On-page SEO Factors

Aside from the length of blog posts, you also need to check the on-page SEO factors such as meta title and meta description. Ideally, the meta title of your blog post should begin with the focus keyword and shouldn’t exceed the prescribed limit, i.e., 60 characters. If you write more than that, Google will truncate the extra text. 

As far as the meta description is concerned, it should be the summary of your entire blog post. Make sure the length doesn’t exceed 160 characters. Keeping in mind character limits for these on-page SEO factors will help you perform well in terms of Search Engine Optimization.