Why I Don’t Write Long Content

It’s pretty rare that I write long content for my website, or when I write for any of my client’s websites.

I have, but it’s rare.

Why?

Because most people will never read it all.

We live in a hit-and-run world now.

What about search engine optimization (SEO)?

“But Chris, I heard Google likes and gives preference to long content!”

“But Chris, I read online that Google wants to see 2000 to 3000 words.”

Bullsh*t.

This is a misleading statement that I hear all the time. It is simply NOT TRUE.

Ok, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, comparing the length of your content to a competitors content may have a SMALL ranking factor benefit at Google – I’m talking about a 1 out of 10 factor, very small.

But in the world of search engine optimization (SEO) things are NEVER, repeat NEVER, equal when Google compares and ranks websites.

What does Google want to see?

Google primarily ranks what it thinks is (1) the most relevant content (relative to the search performed), (2) trusted content (what Google believes can be trusted), and websites with authority (what Google believes is authority).

I call these three factors “Google Love.”

Relevancy
Trust
Authority

Relevancy, trust, and authority are created by applying search engine optimization BEST PRACTICES to your content.

How many words does it take to create RELEVANCY for Google?

Probably between 250-400, assuming it is properly written.

Here’s what I recommend.

Create High-Quality Content (and don’t focus on creating long content)

Don’t put up content for the sake of trying to get top-ranked at Google. Put up content that is valuable to your reader.

My general rule-of-thumb is that after reading your content the reader is likely to say: “That’s great information and helped me understand something I wanted to know…”

This also creates authority and trust.

Don’t Overwhelm Yourself Creating Long Content

Most people won’t take the time to read your long content. People are more likely to read 200-400 words. Remember, attention spans are at an all-time low. Plus, it’s not unlikely people are reading your content from their smartphones.

Be Consistent

Create a content calendar and stick to it. Every audience is different and most businesses have limited resources. I recommend you write in your blog at LEAST once a month.

If you’re trying to catch up with the competition, create more authority with your readers (and Google), get more visibility at Google, and drive more traffic to your website you’ll want to write something weekly.

Optimize Your Content for Search

Understanding SEO BEST PRACTICES is critical to getting your content and website top ranked with Google.

Take the time to learn basic SEO or hire an SEO expert to help you, or maybe as a coach.

Putting content online that is not optimized for search engines is poor Internet marketing and, frankly, a waste of time.

Don’t believe me? Here are Google’s guidelines, directly from Google, and I don’t see ANYTHING about word count.

https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2019/08/core-updates.html

** This blog post is 450 words!