Many website owners wonder if they should target a specific minimum or maximum word count to rank higher on search engines.
While it’s easy to assume that “longer is better,” that’s not entirely accurate. Search engines don’t reward you just for writing more words—they look for high-quality, relevant, and valuable content for your visitors.
Below, we’ll break down everything you need to know about how word count fits into your SEO strategy, based on advice from Google and popular SEO experts like Neil Patel.
In This Article
There’s No Magic Number
- Google’s Take: According to Google’s SEO guidelines, no fixed word count will guarantee improved rankings. It’s more important to use enough words to cover your topic thoroughly and naturally.
- Neil Patel’s Recommendation: Neil Patel suggests that the best content length for SEO often falls between 2,000 and 3,000 words. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule—it’s simply an observation that longer, more in-depth content tends to perform well.
Don’t obsess over hitting a specific word count. Focus on creating content that’s both detailed and engaging. You can write fewer than 2,000 words and still rank well if you provide genuine insight and value.
Focus on Content Quality and Depth
- Depth Matters: Longer content often ranks well because it’s typically more thorough. Search engines want to see if your content addresses the topic comprehensively.
- Relevance Counts: Even if you write many words, it won’t help if those words aren’t relevant to your topic or valuable to your audience.
Instead of padding your posts with fluff, ensure your content is in-depth. Answer common questions, cover related subtopics, and keep your content organized and scannable.
Natural Keyword Usage Is Key
- Keyword Density Isn’t the Only Factor: While keywords are still important, overstuffing them into your content won’t improve your rankings and may even hurt them.
- User-Focused Content: Search engines analyze whether your content is user-friendly. Are you addressing your readers’ needs? Are you genuinely providing helpful information?
Use keywords where they naturally fit—like in your headings and throughout your text—without forcing them. Focus on making your post genuinely helpful.
Provide Value to Your Readers
- Engage Your Audience: Make your content easy to understand by using images, examples, bullet points, and other elements.
- Comprehensive Coverage: When you cover a topic thoroughly, you’re more likely to be seen as an authority, which can boost your credibility (and your SEO).
Write with your audience’s questions and interests in mind. The more value you provide, the more likely you’ll attract and retain visitors—search engines notice that.
Best Practices
- There’s no “official” minimum or maximum word count for SEO success.
- Aim for thorough, user-focused content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords.
- Longer content (around 2,000–3,000 words) often does well, but only if it’s high-quality and comprehensive.
- The key to better rankings is ensuring your content provides value and answers your visitors’ questions.
- Draft your content by focusing on your audience’s pain points and questions.
- Set your target keyword in All in One SEO, and use it organically in your headings, body text, and image alt tags.
- Break up large blocks of text, add headings, and ensure your paragraphs aren’t too long.
- Use All in One SEO’s content analysis tools to check keyword usage, meta descriptions, and other on-page factors that boost your visibility.
- Keep your content fresh by revisiting and updating it whenever new information is needed.
The quality, relevance, and depth of your content can truly impact your SEO. While a specific word count range (2,000–3,000 words) might often rank well, don’t chase that number just for the sake of it.
Always keep your audience in mind, and aim to provide the most helpful, comprehensive content possible.