How Long Should a Blog Post Be for Good SEO?

The short answer: longer is often better for SEO

If you're asking whether there's a magic number for blog post length, there isn't. But here's what the evidence suggests: posts between 1,500 and 3,000 words tend to rank better in Google than shorter posts.

That said, if you've seen successful ranking posts at 800 words or 5,000 words, you're right—both exist. So why the range? Because Google actually cares about something more important than word count.

What Google really wants

Google's algorithm is trying to answer one question: does this article properly solve the reader's problem?

A beginner's guide to choosing accounting software probably needs 2,500 words to cover everything fairly. A post titled "What colour should my business cards be?" might do the job in 600 words.

Length matters, but only because thorough answers to difficult questions tend to be longer. Google has noticed that longer content usually means more helpful content.

The real ranking factors (that you can control)

• Answering the full question—covering what your reader actually needs to know, not just the basics
• Using your target keywords naturally—mentioning the phrase people search for, without forcing it
• Proper structure—using headings, lists and paragraphs so it's easy to scan
• Keeping readers on the page—if people bounce away in 10 seconds, Google notices
• Getting backlinks—when other websites link to your post (this matters far more than word count)

Practical advice for your small business blog

Start with your reader's question

Before you write, ask yourself: what does someone searching for this phrase actually need to know?

If you're writing "How to claim R&D tax relief," you'll need to cover eligibility, what counts, how to calculate it, common mistakes, and next steps. That's naturally a 2,000+ word post.

If you're writing "Why your website needs HTTPS," you might cover: what it is, why it matters, how it affects SEO, and how to set it up. That could work at 1,200 words.

The question decides the length, not the other way around.

Aim for 1,500+ words as your baseline

For a typical small business blog post targeting a competitive keyword, 1,500 words is a sensible starting point. It gives you:

• Room to fully explain your topic
• Space for 2-3 subheadings (which Google likes)
• Enough content that you can naturally include your target keyword a few times
• Better chance of ranking than a 500-word post on the same topic

Don't pad. Ever.

Adding 500 words of fluff to reach 2,000 words won't help. It'll actually hurt you because:

• Readers will leave halfway through
• Google's AI is good at spotting waffle (padding, repetition, unnecessary examples)
• Your bounce rate goes up, which signals to Google that your content isn't good

If you've answered the question thoroughly in 1,200 words, publish it at 1,200 words. Don't add filler.

Break it up properly

A solid structure helps both readers and Google:

1. Write a compelling opening paragraph (2-3 sentences)
2. Use descriptive h2 headings that match what people search for
3. Keep paragraphs to 3-4 sentences maximum
4. Use bullet points and numbered lists (like this one)
5. Include a brief summary or next steps at the end

The realistic timeline and effort

A decent 1,500-word blog post takes time to research and write properly. You should budget:

• Research: 30 minutes to 1 hour (if you know your topic) or 2-3 hours (if you're learning)
• Writing: 1 to 2 hours for a 1,500-word post
• Editing and formatting: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Total: 2-4 hours depending on your expertise and process.

What matters more than length

If you're squeezed for time, focus on these instead of hitting a word count:

• Publishing consistently—monthly or fortnightly is better than sporadic long posts
• Answering real questions—topics your customers actually ask about
• Getting backlinks—even one link from a respected industry site beats extra words
• Writing well—clear, honest writing that people actually want to read

The honest truth

Longer posts do tend to rank better. But that's because they're usually better posts—more thorough, better researched, and more useful.

If your 800-word post completely solves someone's problem and they don't need more, that's fine. But if you're competing against established sites for keywords, you'll probably need 1,500+ words to earn the ranking.

Start with 1,500 words as your target, write to answer the question fully (not to hit a number), and publish with honest, useful content. That's the sustainable approach that actually works.