This is a question I get asked a lot and honestly, it’s a tough one to answer. But, if someone forced me to give one definitive reply to how long a business blog post should be, I’d have to say between 1,000 and 2,000 words. But the truth is it depends on what you want to achieve, what you’re writing about and who you are writing for.

One thing I would always implore people not to do is try to pad out a blog post just to hit a higher word count. Readers will notice the jarring nature of this forced text, and it won’t serve you in getting better SEO results.

Google and AI searches don’t reward word count alone either. Can you imagine if they did?! We’d never make it through the top results! Instead, search engines reward useful content that genuinely answers a query. Which is why longer posts over the 1,000 word count, that really delve into a subject and offer useful advice or information, tend to do so well.

When should a business blog post be shorter?

Let’s deal with the exceptions to the rule of longer blog posts first.

Some companies use their blog page as a destination for their company press releases and news pieces as well as more traditional blog posts with useful advice and how-to guides. Other businesses keep the two things separate with a page specifically for blog posts and a page dedicated to company news.

If your company news is on your blog page, these posts are likely to be shorter than 1,000 words and that’s OK. Readers don’t expect an announcement about a new factory or product launch to be pages long and probably wouldn’t read every word if it was.

In addition to company news or quick business announcements, sometimes a 4–500-word blog post is all you need to answer a question. Some topics just don’t need the same expansive exploration as others, and if they don’t, it shouldn’t be forced. In these instances, shorter posts are fine, as long as they do the job.

When should a business blog post be longer?

As I said above, shorter blog posts are the exception to the rule, so for anything other than a quick company announcement, or a concise answer to a simple question, longer blog posts are your best option.

Again, this isn’t just to prove that you can write a long post, or because search engines are hungry for lots of words. Longer posts are more successful because most topics need explanation. Opinions or points of view need to be explored, existing research talked about, pros and cons given and conclusions drawn. All of this takes time (and words). It’s about being thorough with a topic and covering all angles, rather than leaving readers looking for more.

For example, in one of my previous blogs, ‘How to write a blog that people want to read’, I gave some context to the piece by giving a very short history of blogs. I then quoted a couple of pieces of research that highlighted why blogs are important, underlining the credibility of the topic, and then I covered a range of practical tips to help people write even better blogs.

The more comprehensive my post, the less likely readers are to wander on to another copywriter’s site looking for additional information. I want to answer all of their questions, pre-empt their next questions and direct them to the answers in other comprehensive blog posts.

Pros and cons of short and long business blog posts

Mailchimp has written a fantastic article on how long a blog post should be and helpfully includes some pros and cons of both long and short posts. To quote just a couple here, some pros of shorter posts are that they are easier to read and are perhaps less daunting to write, while they claim the cons of shorter pieces are that they include less detail and may not rank as well on search engines.

When it comes to the pros of longer pieces, Mailchimp says they are more detailed and in-depth and are likely to perform better in SEO but warn that the cons are potential reader fatigue and the fact that they are harder to write.

Factors for success when writing a long business blog post

Mailchimp’s pros and cons raise a good point. It’s not all about length. A blog post consisting of between 1,000 and 2,000 words can’t just be a wall of text and still be successful.

For readability and to prevent reader fatigue with longer posts, there should be sub-headings, bullet points if appropriate, easily digestible chunks of information that people or AI search bots can skim through and digest in depth when they find the section they are looking for.

Following on from this, as well as providing small, manageable amounts of information to make it easier for readers to navigate their way through your article, it is also helpful to keep paragraphs short. If you think about visitors reading your 2,000-word blog post on their mobile phone, you don’t want them to be scrolling for too long before a break in the text. Make it easy for them.

For the best search engine results, you need to make sure your posts are full of valuable content from start to finish. Keep in mind the specific question you are answering and delve deep into every aspect of that topic. It is this detail that will prove to search engines and readers alike, that you are an authority on the topic.

And finally, to make sure your longer blog posts are successful, they should be aimed at your target audience. You know your audience best. What do they need to know and how would they like it presented to them? Your blog post doesn’t need to explore a topic with the purpose of educating everyone on the planet, or even everyone in your industry. It needs to speak directly to its intended audience.

Valuable content over word count

Blogs are a fantastic way of generating and publishing fresh content on a regular basis. An up-to-date blog helps your business look fresh and current and can be a genuinely valuable resource for clients and prospects.

Fresh, relevant content is also a great way to drive organic traffic to your website, but it needs some consideration to make it a success. Don’t just churn out blog after blog that barely scratches the surface of a topic. By all means post some shorter pieces to update your audience about your company, but when exploring a topic, take the time to research properly and make it a genuinely useful resource.

And if that sounds like too much work, employ someone to manage your blog for you. I help companies come up with topics for future blogs, I take the initiative to find the information I need each month to write the blogs I’m commissioned to write, I research the latest news, reports and opinions on a topic, and then I write and edit a set number of blogs every month (sometimes just one, sometimes more) for a set fee.

If you would like some back up with your business blog, drop me an e-mail at [email protected]

About Blog Write Ltd

Writer of smart, engaging copy for businesses that understand the importance of great copy, but struggle to find the time to give it the attention it needs. I offer a proactive approach to deliver fresh content.