How Long Should an SEO Text Be? SEO-optimized Texts Explained

Search engine optimization is an incredibly effective marketing method when done correctly. SEO consists of many different components and it is important to work with a comprehensive strategy to succeed.

One of the most central parts of SEO is text. Text is the primary content element that Google uses when they analyze the quality of the content, and it is therefore of the utmost importance that you produce unique, high-quality, and valuable text content. This includes everything from product descriptions to your “about us” page, all of your articles on your blog, and much more.

But a common question that people often ask when they work with writing SEO-adapted texts is: How long should an SEO text be? Is there a golden rule that search engines recommend for content to perform as well as possible in search engines? Is there an exact number of words you should always exceed?

Of course, the answer to the question is much more multifaceted than an exact number of words, but we will take a closer look at this question and discuss the role of text length in SEO.

The Basic Elements of SEO Text

Before we delve into the discussion of the ideal text length for an SEO-optimized copy it is important to understand the basic elements that make up an effective SEO copy. A well-optimized SEO text does not only have to do with the length of the text but consists of many well-thought-out components that together create a well-optimized SEO text that both search engines and users like.

Keywords and Keyphrases

In order to be able to rank for the keywords you want, these naturally need to be in the text. This is part of making sure that search engines understand what your text is about and for which search terms your page may be relevant to appear in search results. The inclusion of these words in the text signals to search engines that the content is relevant to the search query. That being said, you need to do a keyword analysis to identify relevant keywords and then incorporate them in a natural way into your text – without over-optimizing and making the text feel unnatural and creating a bad user experience.

Unique and Valuable Content

In order to rank well in search engines, you need to produce high-quality texts that provide value to readers. It can be information, solutions to problems, or entertainment. Search engines value high-quality content, and this directly affects the site’s ranking. Avoid duplicate text on several pages as search engines have a tendency to only display one of the pages in the search results as there is no point in displaying several pages with the same content.

Structured and easy-to-read text

A cornerstone of search engine optimization is user experience. Search engines place a lot of importance on the user experience and therefore they reward the pages with better rankings in the search results. Having said that, it is important to write text that is well-structured and easy to read. Avoid too long paragraphs (go for a maximum of 5 lines) and break up the text with images, videos, bullet points, and lists to make the text more appealing. Make it easy for users to find the information they are looking for as it contributes to a better user experience.

Relevant Metadata

A small detail that can have a big impact on how well your text ranks in search engines is metadata. This includes meta titles and meta descriptions. These short descriptions give search engines and users a preview of what the content is about and influence click-through rates. A higher click-through rate shows that users are interested in your page, which can contribute to better rankings in search engines.

Internal and External links

Last but not least, we have internal and external links which are often the last step to SEO-optimize a text before you press “publish”.

Including links both internally (within the same site) and externally (to trusted sources) strengthens the site’s credibility and provides additional context to search engines.

Search Engines View of Text Length

Now to the most important question: how long should an SEO text be?

Text length can actually play quite an important role in successful SEO and understanding how popular search engines, especially giants like Google, handle and value the length of an SEO text is very helpful in shaping an effective content strategy.

The short answer is that there is no exact number of words that are ideal for maximum SEO results. This is due to the fact that topics vary and the type of page also affects the need for word count. Remember that the goal is to give the user answers to all their questions and if it is a straight and simple question such as what are your opening hours, there is no point in having a 4000 word text just to describe your business opening hours.

However, there are several studies that have been done to analyze the text length of different pages and their correlation with search engine rankings. In 2021, the data analytics company Databox did a study on just this and identified these numbers depending on the type of page:

• Landing pages (landing pages: 300 to 600 words
• Evergreen content (eg service pages/”about us” pages): 500 to 800 words
• Shareable articles for social media: 300 to 600 words
• Blog posts or regular web pages: 1,000 to 2,000 words
• In-depth articles: 2,000 words
• Comprehensive guides: 4,000 words

That said, these text lengths aren’t hard and fast rules, but more of a guideline for what you should be aiming for. In some cases, a topic requires more text to be answered in detail, and sometimes a few hundred words are enough. For example, when writing a blog article or other informative guide, we usually say that at least 1000 words is a good rule of thumb for the page to have enough information. A couple of hundred words usually does not give much information unless it is a very simple informative page such as your company’s opening hours.

In fact, you will get different answers depending on who you ask so you should only use these numbers as a guide. For example, Hook Agency did a study that found that the best text length for SEO is between 1,760 and 2,400 words.

One of our favorite methods for SEO-friendly copy is to first identify a keyword to write about, such as “How to change a tire.” Once the keyword is identified, a search is performed for this search term and the top 5 results are reviewed. How long is the text on these pages? Is it possible to write a more comprehensive text and include additional elements to make the text more valuable and informative? For example, does result 2 contain aspects that result 4 does not and vice versa? A good way to ensure that your text will be even better and more in-depth to thus increase the chances of ranking better is to rewrite all the points that both of these pages have (and more if relevant) to ensure that the text will be even more comprehensive .

Another aspect is looking at what type of content is ranking for a specific search term. For example, are they lists? More in-depth articles or guides, and so on? Based on this, you can also get a better understanding of the type of text that the search engine focuses on for a specific search term.

Google’s Algorithms and RankBrain

Google is the search engine that is most often talked about given its dominance in search engines. Google uses advanced algorithms to assess the quality of content. RankBrain is part of Google’s algorithm and focuses on understanding user intentions behind searches. The length of a text is considered in connection with how well it fulfills the user’s needs and intentions.

Longer Content and In-Depth Information

According to many SEO experts and surveys, longer content tends to perform better in search results. This is because longer texts have the potential to provide in-depth information and answer users’ questions more comprehensively. A text that is too short does not have the opportunity to go into the depth of a topic, which means that users may leave your page without having received an answer to their question. Since search engines value the user experience highly, the most important thing is to answer all questions that users may have connected to a specific search term – and a text that is too short usually does not have the opportunity to do this.

Having said that, there can of course be limits to how long the text should be. A text of 10,000 words is of course not always better than a text of 1,000 words just because it contains more words. Other aspects such as how informative it is, the type of information it contains, the user experience, and other aspects are of course also very important.

Avoid Unnecessary Repetitive Content

Although longer texts are generally better than short ones, it cannot be said straight up that longer texts are always better for SEO. The most important thing is that your text has substance and actually provides value. Avoid repeating yourself or “word pooping” just to make the text longer. Search engines value variety and prefer content that adds something new or different compared to existing material.

Mobile adaptation and Shorter attention span

A majority of search engine users now use their mobile to search search engines. With this in mind, most people are looking for a quick answer to their question without having to scroll for several minutes. So longer is not always better.

Since more and more people are using mobile phones to search, readability on smaller screens is also important, something that goes hand in hand with the user experience. Shorter attention spans on mobile devices also mean that content should be concise and engaging from the start.

Contextual Relevance

As said, the length of the text is far from everything. Quality is what matters most at the end of the day, although both of these are arguably the most ideal.

Search engines analyze not only the length of the text but also its contextual relevance. It is therefore important to write for the user and ensure that every part of the text is meaningful and relevant to the topic.

Objectives with SEO texts

When writing SEO texts, it is important to have a clear goal with your text. Basically, you want to ensure that the text is informative, provides answers to users’ questions, and provides value in one way or another. The text should also offer a good user experience.

In addition to this, of course, you have specific goals with the text, which means that each phrase should be carefully chosen to achieve specific goals. When writing your SEO texts, there are several goals that they can strive for, and these goals can affect the optimal length of the text:

Inform and Educate

A common objective with SEO texts is to inform and educate readers. By offering detailed and informative content, you can establish yourself or your company as an expert in their field and build trust with readers.

Convert Visitors to Action

In some cases, the main goal of a page is to convert visitors to action, which could be buying a product, filling out a contact form, or subscribing to a newsletter. SEO texts on these sites can be aimed at persuasion and increase conversion rates.

Engage and Entertain

On websites with entertaining or engaging content, the goal may be to keep visitors on the page and increase their interaction. This may require a completely different strategy for text length to attract and retain the attention of a wider audience.

Build Brand Awareness

SEO texts can also be used to build brand awareness and position your company and your company website as a leader in your industry. Longer content can be used to establish yourself as an expert.

Optimization for Specific Search Terms

In some cases, the goal of an SEO text can be very specific, such as ranking high for a particular search term or phrase. This can affect how the text is structured and which terms are included.

The User’s Perspective

As already discussed, good user experience is the foundation of successful SEO. Search engines place a huge emphasis on the user experience, which is influenced by a variety of factors such as the loading speed of your page, the design of your website, and of course much more.

Therefore, it is important to start from the user’s perspective when writing SEO texts. Search engine-optimized content should not only satisfy algorithms but also engage and appeal to the actual human reader. Here are some considerations regarding the length of SEO texts from the user’s perspective:

Readability and Comprehension: Regardless of length, SEO texts must be easy to read and understand. Using simpler words and avoiding complicated sentences is positive both from search engines and users’ perspectives. At the same time, it is important to adapt your text based on your target group. If your target group is children, the text should of course be written in a very simple and easy-to-read manner compared to, for example, writing to academics. Understand your target group and adapt your text accordingly.

Quick Access to Important Information: When people search for information on search engines, they usually want a quick answer to their question. SEO texts should therefore be structured so that important information is easily accessible, especially at the beginning of the text or under clear headings. You can then elaborate further so that readers can choose for themselves whether they want to continue reading. A page where you are forced to read 1000 words just to get an answer to a simple question will negatively affect the user experience and probably cause people to leave your page to find another one where they get their question answered right away.

Relevance to User Needs: Longer text may be appropriate if it provides in-depth information that matches the user’s needs. However, it is important that the text remains relevant and not filled with unnecessary content. The type of search term affects whether it is relevant and necessary with a long text or not.

Mobile Adaptation: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it is important to consider that people’s attention spans are shorter. For this reason, shorter and more concise texts are often better suited for users browsing on their smartphones. At the very least, you want to make it easy to quickly get an answer to your question and make the text readable on mobile, for example with sufficiently large text and short paragraphs.

Visual Appeal: Including visual elements such as images, charts or videos can break up the text and make it more appealing to users. This is especially important for longer texts. A page with a lot of text should definitely not contain only text.

Customize by Audience: The audience plays an important role in determining the optimal length of an SEO copy. Understanding what the target audience expects and how they consume content helps writers adapt their texts for maximum impact.

Avoid Overoptimizing

A common mistake many people make with SEO texts and their SEO strategy, in general, is to over-optimize in the belief that it gives better results. But over-optimization often leads to a poorer user experience and can also be perceived as manipulative by search engines.

Here are some important points to consider to avoid over-optimization:

Use keywords in a natural way

You of course want to include relevant keywords and search terms in your SEO texts, but it must be done in the right way.

Excessive use of keywords, also known as “keyword stuffing,” can be penalized by search engines. The goal should be to use keywords in a natural way that fits the context and offers value to readers. Using too many keywords and over-optimizing can negatively impact the user experience.

Vary Anchor Text in Links

If a text contains many links, be sure to vary the anchor text to avoid repetition of exact matching phrases. Internal and external linking is fine but it must be done in reasonable quantity and with appropriate anchor texts.

Avoid Unnatural Length

In general, longer text is often better, but of course there are several exceptions when this is not the case.

Striving to achieve a certain text length solely for SEO reasons without adding relevant content can be perceived as unnatural. Above all, it leads to a bad user experience as users do not get any value from the text. The length of the text should be proportional to the search term it focuses on and how in-depth the subject requires one to be.

Excessive Use of Headings and Paragraphs

Another mistake to avoid is to overuse headings and paragraphs in an attempt to include more keywords or create a longer text. The problem with this is that it can destroy the natural flow and readability. Headings should be used organically to organize content.

Diversity in Content Types

As already briefly mentioned, you should not only work with text as a content type. Instead, vary content types by including images, videos and other multimedia elements to create a more varied and engaging experience for users. In recent years, search engines have placed greater emphasis on a wider selection of content, especially images and videos. Above all, it contributes to a better user experience and makes people stay longer on your page, something that search engines like.

Focus on User Experience

Over-optimization can sometimes make the content less user-friendly. It cannot be emphasized enough: always prioritize the user experience by creating relevant, interesting, and well-written content.

Follow Guidelines from Search Engines

Search engines like Google provide guidelines for website owners and writers. Ignoring or violating these guidelines can result in negative consequences for your site’s ranking.

Test and Adjust

The final step in any type of SEO strategy is to measure, evaluate, and adjust. It is only when you know the results of your strategies and how they are performing that you can gain an insight into what is working and what is not.

Here are some steps and considerations to ensure your SEO text strategy remains effective over time:

A/B testing of Headlines and Meta information

A/B tests are incredibly effective for measuring how different designs perform side-by-side and thus being able to determine which one is the best. By performing A/B testing on different headlines and meta information, you can gain insights into what attracts users and search engines most effectively.

Analysis of Conversion Rate

If your goal with your texts is conversion you can use analytics tools to measure conversion rates for different text lengths. This can provide a better understanding of whether longer or shorter content works better to convert visitors.

Monitoring of Bounce Rate and Time on Page

Bounce rate is when visitors come to your page and then leave shortly after. This is a bad sign indicating that users are not finding what they are looking for. Search engines use bounce rates to determine how relevant search results turn out to be and adjust the ranking accordingly. With this said, of course, you want to work to minimize the bounce rate on your website. If a certain length of content results in a high bounce rate or a short time on the page, it may be an indication that adjustments need to be made.

Google Analytics and Search Console

Google Analytics and Google Search Console are two really good tools for monitoring website performance and search queries. Identify which search terms are driving traffic and analyze user interaction to shape your strategy.

Updating Content Over Time

Search engine algorithms change regularly, and user preferences evolve. Because of this, it is important to make regular updates to the content, including text length adjustments that can help keep the page relevant.