How Long Should a Blog Post Be? What Google Actually Says

There's no ideal length for a blog post. Google states that it has no preferred word count, so a post should be as long as it needs to be to fully answer the reader's question, and no longer. A quick answer might need 600 words. A detailed how-to guide might need 2,500. Search intent decides, not a target number.

That answer frustrates people who want a figure to aim for, and plenty of SEO advice still offers one: "write 2,000 words", "posts over 1,500 words rank better". The trouble is that length is a result of good coverage, not a cause of rankings. This guide explains what Google has actually said, why long posts sometimes rank well anyway, and how to decide the right length for the post you're writing.

To check a draft's length, average sentence length and most-repeated words, paste it into our free word counter. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

What Google says about word count

Google's guide to creating helpful, reliable, people-first content includes a list of warning signs for content written mainly for search engines. One of the questions is:

"Are you writing to a particular word count because you've heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don't.)"

That's as direct as Google gets. Writing to hit a number is listed alongside other "search engine-first" habits, such as summarising what others say without adding much value.

Googlers have repeated the point publicly. John Mueller has said word count isn't a ranking factor, and Google's Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, has told site owners to write as long or short as needed for the people reading. The documented position, in Google's own guidance, is the one quoted above.

Why long posts often rank anyway

If word count doesn't matter, why do so many top results look long? A few reasons:

• Some queries need depth. "How to set up DMARC" has several steps, record syntax and common errors. A thorough answer is naturally long.
• Comprehensive posts answer more related questions. A guide that covers the main question and the obvious follow-ups can be relevant to many search variations.
• Detailed resources attract links. People link to the definitive guide, not the thin one.
• Correlation isn't causation. Studies that find long content ranks well are measuring posts that are long because they're thorough. Padding a short post to the same length doesn't copy that thoroughness.

So the useful lesson isn't "write longer". It's "cover the topic properly", which sometimes means long and sometimes doesn't.

How long should a blog post be? Use search intent

Search intent is what the person typing a query is trying to achieve. Matching it is the most reliable way to decide length.

These ranges are practical rules of thumb from writing and editing, not limits. If you can answer a how-to properly in 900 words, stop at 900. If a comparison needs a long table and three worked examples, let it run.

Check what already ranks, for depth not word count

Search your target query in a private window and open the top results. Ask:

1. What format are they? Lists, step-by-step guides, calculators, product pages or videos? If the results are all tools, a 3,000-word essay is the wrong format.
2. What subtopics do they all cover? These are what searchers expect.
3. What do they miss? Local or country-specific details, current prices, worked examples, mistakes to avoid. Gaps are where you add value.
4. How quickly do they answer? If the best results answer in the first paragraph, yours should too.

You're looking for the depth people expect. Copying the word count of the top result tells you nothing about whether you've helped anyone.

Signs your post is too short

• The reader has to search again to finish the task.
• You've skipped steps because they seemed obvious to you.
• There are no examples, numbers or specifics, only general advice.
• Obvious follow-up questions go unanswered. People Also Ask boxes on the results page are a good guide to what those are.
• The post covers several topics thinly instead of one properly.

Signs your post is too long

• The answer is buried under a long introduction about why the topic matters.
• Sections repeat the same point in different words.
• You've added a history section, a definition everyone knows or "ultimate guide" filler to reach a target.
• Readers would need to scroll a long way to find the bit relevant to them, and there are no headings to help.
• Two distinct intents are crammed into one post. If "what is SPF" and "SPF too many DNS lookups" are both in it, consider splitting them. Our guide to keyword cannibalisation explains why separate pages for separate intents often work better.

Making long posts easy to read

If a topic genuinely needs 2,500 words, structure makes the difference between a resource and a wall of text:

1. Answer first. Open with a direct answer in two or three sentences, then expand.
2. Use descriptive headings. Someone skimming the H2s should understand the post's shape.
3. Add tables and numbered lists for comparisons and steps.
4. Keep sentences short. Our readability checker flags long sentences and gives a Flesch Reading Ease score. See our guide to the Flesch Reading Ease score for what the number means.
5. Link out to detail rather than repeating it. If you've already written about canonical tags, link to that post instead of re-explaining them. Good internal linking keeps each post focused.
6. End with something useful, such as a checklist, an FAQ or a clear next step, not a summary of what they've just read.

What matters more than length

If word count isn't the lever, these are:

• First-hand experience. Google's guidance asks whether content shows first-hand expertise, such as having actually used a product or visited a place. A plumber explaining why boilers lose pressure from real call-outs beats a generic rewrite.
• Accuracy and freshness. Prices, rules and tools change. A short, current post can outperform a long, out-of-date one.
• A clear title and description. They decide whether people click at all. See our guide to title tags and meta descriptions.
• A page Google can crawl and index. No length helps a page that isn't indexed. Check important posts with URL Inspection in Search Console after publishing.

A practical length checklist

Before you publish, run through this:

1. Write down the one question the post answers.
2. Check the top results for format and subtopics.
3. Draft with the answer in the first paragraph.
4. Cover each subtopic searchers expect, plus at least one thing the others missed.
5. Cut anything that doesn't help the reader act or decide.
6. Paste it into the word counter and look at sentence length and repeated phrases, not just the total.
7. Read the opening and headings only. If that skim doesn't make sense, restructure.

If your team writes regularly and struggles with briefs, reviews and publishing, that's a workflow problem as much as a writing one. Make It Flow helps marketing agencies and in-house teams set up brief-to-publish processes where people still make the editorial calls. You'll also find a set of free tools for bloggers and publishers.

FAQ

What is the ideal blog post length for SEO?

There isn't one. Google says it doesn't have a preferred word count, and writing to a target is listed in its guidance as a sign of content made for search engines rather than people. The right length is whatever it takes to fully answer the search query, which might be 700 words or 3,000.

Is word count a Google ranking factor?

No. Google's helpful content guidance says it has no preferred word count, and Googlers including John Mueller have said word count isn't a ranking factor. Long content can rank well when it's thorough, but the thoroughness is what helps. Adding words without adding value doesn't improve rankings.

Do longer blog posts get more traffic?

Sometimes, because thorough posts can answer more related searches and attract more links. But a long post that pads a simple answer can perform worse than a short one that answers quickly. Match the depth to what searchers need, and judge success by whether readers complete their task.

How long should a blog post be for a small business?

Start with what your customers ask. A post answering "how much does a boiler service cost in Leeds" might need 800 to 1,500 words with prices and what affects them. A full guide to choosing a solicitor might need 2,000 or more. Write to cover the question properly, then stop.

Is 500 words too short for a blog post?

Not if 500 words fully answers the question. A news update, a short definition or a quick tip can be complete at that length. It's too short if readers need to search again to finish the task, or if the post skips the specifics and examples the topic needs.

Should I make old short posts longer?

Only if they're missing something. Look at what the post ranks for in Search Console and whether it fully answers those queries. Add missing steps, examples, current figures or answers to follow-up questions. If a short post is already complete and current, adding words for their own sake won't help.