You’re in search of this text since you assume long-form content material works proper? Or not less than that’s what you’ve heard from many entrepreneurs.
You may even have seen it for your self. You’re making an attempt to make a easy pasta dish (like aglio e olio) however you need to scroll via a chunk that’s hundreds of phrases lengthy, answering questions you didn’t want:
Even after I ran my AMA on LinkedIn to have a good time my milestone of writing 100 weblog posts for the Ahrefs weblog, a typical query was “What’s the size?”
That query reveals one thing vital. As entrepreneurs, we don’t simply imagine that long-form content material works; we imagine size is the purpose it does.
However what if we’re complicated what’s working… with why it’s working?
It’s not as a result of somebody mentioned it as soon as in a viral podcast episode. There are deeper causes as to why SEOs and entrepreneurs love long-form content material:
1. Lengthy-form content material appears like a tangible, repeatable technique
In an trade filled with ambiguity and platitudes (“make useful content material”, “supply worth”), long-form content material provides entrepreneurs one thing concrete to chase.
It’s simpler to say “write not less than 2,000 phrases” than it’s to say “perceive your viewers on a human degree, determine what they’re scuffling with, and ship an answer in the simplest format.”
One is an easy metric; the opposite requires precise ability and funding. So we default to what feels simple, even when it’s not “proper”.
2. It’s simpler to dump concepts than to edit
It’s simpler to dump all the pieces into one place than to make use of judgment and purpose and be selective about what to incorporate.
I see this on a regular basis. I wished to discover ways to prepare dinner a tuna aglio e olio final month and the primary article I discovered coated:
- What’s aglio e olio?
- The place does aglio e olio come from?
- What’s aglio e olio sauce made from?
- What’s the distinction between aglio e olio and carbonara?
- What’s the Feast of the Seven Fishes?
The final one was actually a ???. Have a look at how far I needed to scroll to truly get to the recipe.
The toughest a part of content material creation isn’t writing. It’s enhancing. It’s having the self-discipline to say: “That is fascinating however not important for the reader proper now.” That form of curation takes confidence and a deep understanding of your viewers, which is tougher than including one other subheading.
3. Google appears to reward it
We see long-form content material rating, so we expect that should be one of many explanation why it’s rating. I imply, even a easy question like “tips on how to clear espresso machine” has articles with phrase counts >1,000.
Sounds bonkers, nevertheless it works, proper? So we copy.
However that’s like copying Invoice Gates’ morning routine to change into wealthy. Certain, it’s what we will see and comply with, nevertheless it’s not the explanation why he grew to become a billionaire.
Correlation just isn’t causation. Size might be an element, however we don’t know 100%. Is it rating as a result of it’s lengthy… or is it rating as a result of it’s high-quality, satisfies search intent, and has tons of backlinks?
Size might merely be a byproduct of high quality, not the driving force. But, as SEOs, we copy the format, not the worth.
By the best way, you possibly can rank with a brief article too. Meta, however this text rating for my goal key phrase has solely 837 phrases:
However this additionally contains all of the miscellaneous phrases on that web page, just like the header and footer. If we take the precise article and paste it into Phrase Counter, it’s solely 253 phrases:
4. Lengthy-form content material is “data-backed”
You might need seen these stats from different information research:
- “The typical Google first web page consequence accommodates 1,447 phrases.”
- “The bloggers who write 2000+ phrases on common are much more more likely to report ‘robust outcomes.’”
Many entrepreneurs take this to say “long-form content material works”. However this can be a traditional case of survivorship bias.
We see the profitable long-form content material that made it to the highest. However we don’t see the 90% of long-form posts that sank into the void.
In actual fact, if I do an empty search in Content material Explorer and filter for pages which might be greater than 1,000 phrases and have 0 visitors, there are over one billion pages:
Simply because some prolonged articles rank excessive doesn’t imply all of them rank excessive. If we solely have a look at the winners, we get a warped view of actuality.
5. Lengthy-form content material alerts authority
There’s this “size is energy” heuristic baked into our brains:
- If it’s lengthy, it should be detailed.
- If it’s detailed, it should be sensible.
- Subsequently, lengthy = sensible.
However you possibly can write 3,000 phrases and say completely nothing. Simply have a look at all of the books on the enterprise shelf in your native bookstore.
Lengthy content material isn’t mechanically priceless. Funnily sufficient, the other is true. Ask any author they usually’ll let you know that making one thing shorter and easier is tougher than creating one thing lengthy. You possibly can pad phrases, nevertheless it takes laborious considering to cut back one thing to its essence.
As Einstein as soon as mentioned, “If you happen to can’t clarify it merely, you don’t perceive it effectively sufficient.”
Let’s be clear: I’m not right here to trash long-form content material.
There are causes to go lengthy:
- Complicated, high-stakes matters like finance, well being, and regulation
- Analysis-heavy items
- Foundational guides or tutorials
- Evergreen “pillar” content material that should cowl a number of use instances
Some topics merely can’t be summarized in a couple of paragraphs with out doing a disservice to the reader. However even then, the size isn’t the purpose; it’s the results of doing the subject justice.
So, right here’s the reality: long-form is a container, not a method.
You don’t intention to make long-form content material. You intention to make helpful, complete, in-depth content material. Typically that requires a protracted reply; typically a brief one suffices.
Occupied with the phrase depend earlier than you kind a single phrase is the fallacious strategy. The size of the article must be earned, not decided.
Have a look at search intent
To provide your reader precisely what they want, you want to know why they’re trying to find that matter. That’ll additionally let you know in the event that they’re rookies or already know quite a bit concerning the matter.
How do you determine search intent?
First, you want to be sure you’re focusing on a subject individuals are trying to find. In any other case, you possibly can’t determine why they’re trying to find it.
To do that, enter your goal matter into Key phrases Explorer:
It’s begin: “tips on how to create content material” has 500 searches a month. So, individuals are trying to find it. Nevertheless, you’ll discover that the Mother or father Subject (“content material creation”) is completely different. Mother or father Subject determines in the event you can rank on your goal key phrase whereas focusing on a extra normal matter in your web page as an alternative.
What this tells us is that “tips on how to create content material” is definitely a sub-topic; the principle matter is “content material creation”. So we must always goal “content material creation” as an alternative.
As soon as we’ve discovered that’s truly our goal key phrase, we will have a look at the top-ranking pages for that key phrase to determine search intent. Scroll right down to the SERP Overview and click on on Establish intents:
So, it’s doubtless that folks trying to find this matter are full rookies and need assistance getting began.
Be as clear and full as wanted
Since we all know that folks trying to find “content material creation” are rookies, we have to match their degree of sophistication.
The massive mistake right here—that a whole lot of entrepreneurs do—is cramming all the pieces potential concerning the matter into an article. All of these 5,000-word-long newbie’s guides are for search engine marketing, not for readers.
As a result of in the event you’ve ever been a noob at one thing, being given a firehose price of knowledge just isn’t truly helpful. It’s overwhelming. You’re extra more likely to give up than proceed.
It is advisable to give readers sufficient to really feel supported and wish to study extra, however not a lot that they really feel overloaded. Be as clear and full as wanted.
How have you learnt what you want to embody or exclude? The plain reply is to make use of your experience. One other approach is to enter your key phrase into AI Content material Helper, and it’ll recommend vital subtopics to cowl. For instance, right here’s what it suggests for “content material creation”:
- What’s content material creation
- AI in content material creation
- Steps concerned in creating content material (e.g., ideation, planning, creation, and many others.)
- Content material efficiency analytics
- Function of search engine marketing in content material creation
- Content material technique
- Forms of content material
- Content material creation instruments
These are what you want to embody to make your article complete and useful.
Construction for skimmers and deep readers
The key to creating content material work, whether or not lengthy or quick, is construction.
Individuals don’t learn weblog posts high to backside like novels. They skim and scan. They search for solutions and bounce in the event that they don’t discover them quick.
So give the solutions to them early.
Use the Inverted Pyramid mannequin. Begin with the tl;dr and reply the core query. Then dive into the small print.
The golden baby of this format is Wirecutter. They’ll at all times let you know their high picks first earlier than going into the meticulous specifics about why and the way they selected them.
Suppose in layers, not size
Not each reader needs the identical degree of depth. So why drive everybody via the identical expertise?
Take into account occupied with content material in layers as an alternative:
- Brief-form: Teasers or summaries that create curiosity (posts on X or LinkedIn, quick movies like TikTok or reels)
- Mid-form: Content material that dives straight into the essence (playbooks, newbie’s guides)
- Lengthy-form: Deep dives for individuals who actually wish to go down the rabbit gap
For instance, Joe Ng, the founding father of Shift Trend Group, does teardowns (sure, literal ones) of in style clothes manufacturers. He posts the short variations of it on TikTok and Instagram, answering an important query: is it price it?
You possibly can stroll away from this quick video realizing you’ll or gained’t purchase any of those manufacturers. However if you wish to see why and watch him tear the piece little by little, you possibly can watch it on his YouTube channel:
Pondering of content material like that is useful as a result of it helps you construct an ecosystem. You don’t need to create one-size-fits-all content material items on a regular basis. Break them up and serve them to completely different audiences.
That approach, the long-form model turns into a vacation spot for the nerds and energy customers, not a compulsory step for everybody.
Closing ideas
Sure, I do know it’s ironic that I simply wrote a long-form piece for the subject of “long-form content material”. Or maybe it’s intentional?
Nicely, I believe it deserved the remedy and earned the size.
If you happen to’re severe about content material that works, you need to transfer past the phantasm. Lengthy-form just isn’t a method. It’s only a format.
The true technique is realizing what your viewers wants, giving it to them quick, going deep when it issues, and eradicating all the pieces else.
Earn the size. Or don’t hassle at all.
