The SEO Contradiction Is This:
Research indicates that long posts generate the highest SEO rankings, but we know people often read only the first 1 to 3 sentences before leaving content.
So, What’s A Person S’posed Ta Do? 
Know your purpose and learn the trends (that keep changing).
You Don’t Need to Know About SEO If You Don’t Know How to Use A Computer!
If You Need to Learn the Basics First, I Can Help You
Scroll to the End for Details About My Computer and Business Classes for Beginners.
Now, Back to the SEO Discussion
Before we show recent trends, let’s define SEO for novices and then discuss composing blogs, articles, and other web content to attract readers customers, and public recognition.
Scroll past this section if you already know the deal.
Search Engine and SEO DEFINED
If you are running a business or looking for people to support your project, for example, you want to maximize the number of people who will see and respond to your online posts (blogs, articles, etc.) Your objective is to have your content rank high in “search engine” findings so it can be seen instantly, rather than at the end of a few million alternative links.
Search Engine
When you look for information, using Google, Microsoft’s Bing, DuckDuckGo, or other sources, you are using a “search engine.” It is:
-
a program that searches for and identifies items in a database that correspond to keywords or characters specified by the user, used especially for finding particular sites on the World Wide Web.
~ Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languagessearch en·gine ~ /ˈsərCH ˌenjən/ ~ noun ~ COMPUTING
Search Engine Optimization
S.E.O. stands for Search Engine Optimization. That means bringing content options to people who are searching the web for a topic or a website when they insert words into a search field and is the process used to optimize a website’s technical configuration, content relevance and link popularity so its pages can become easily findable, more relevant and popular towards user search queries, and as a consequence, search engines rank them better. ~ MailChimp
People Looking for Information Use These Search Engines Most
According to Caroline Forsey, of Hubspot, the most used and popular search engines (as of June 2023) are:
Bing
Yahoo!
Yandex
DuckDuckGo
Baidu
Ask.com
Naver
Ecosia
AOL
Internet Archive
Let’s Look At a Few Quotes
About Blog Posts and Content-Length Statistics
Yes, Some Are Contradictory
- The average 1st result on Google has a blog length of 1,500 words. Source: Backlinko
- Content with >7,000 words gets more than 3x the number of shares and links. Source: MarketingCharts
- Blog posts are getting longer: the average blog post length is now over 1,400 words long. Source: OrbitMedia
- When it comes to the first five positions in Google, shorter length appears to have a higher correlation to first-page rankings. Source: CognitiveSEO
- Longer posts (2,000 words+) tend to rank higher and more readily appear in the top 10. Source: CapsicumMediaworks
- Longer content (>10,000 words) can actually hurt your rankings, especially when content is not “on point” and fails to nail search intent for users. Source: SurferSEO
- 75% of content on the internet is never shared, referenced, or linked to. Source: Moz
Note: Longer is Better only if and when the content is substantive and not what people think is “padding,” “fluff,” irrelevant, and too insubstantial to bother reading. Source: Me.
How Long Your Post Is May Depend On Your Purpose In Sharing It
Let’s refer to the popular WIX website builder and blogger for suggestions. It summarizes, “The ideal blog post length is between 1,500 – 2,500 words, with a sweet spot right at 2,450.” Does that surprise you? I suggest you go to the link for details about the purpose or use for a blog as that relates to the number of words used. Here is a paraphrased synopsis of their points.
-
Less than 300 words: This length is not good for SEO or social media shares.
-
300 – 600 words: What used to be typical, now is too short to show that you are an authority of sufficient substance to have the post rank high in SEO.
-
600 – 800 words: This range is most common in professional journalism, product descriptions, and encyclopedia entries. These articles can begin to get you some shares and backlinks.
-
1,300 – 1,700 words: This content is more likely to generate social media shares and usually contains links for additional information, products, or services.
-
1,700 – 2,100 words: If you write “How to” articles, you can use this content length to stimulate leads and organic traffic.
-
2,300 – 2,500 words: A common blog post format seen here is detailed and educational listicles. Listicles are types of content presented wholly or partly in the form of a list. Wix uses the example of a BuzzFeed listicle, called “21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity,” which attracted over 13 million views” They have a chance of ranking highly on search engines. This may enable you to attract prospects and convert visitors into leads.
-
4,000 words: Pillar pages and thorough guides are the most common types of articles written using 4,000 or more words. These posts are all-encompassing articles that cover a topic in extreme detail to build authority.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, OR ARE YOU A BEGINNER?
If You Need to Learn the Basics, I Can Help You
There still are many people who have been too afraid of computers to try using them. Just the word, “computer” gives them goosebumps.
Some think it’s too hard to learn or that, every time they try, something goes cuckoo. It makes them want to punch the computer in the nose and never go back.
It’s not a sin to be scared of computers. But, it does restrict your ability to do a lot of things with a lot of people who do “everything” online.
These folks (and maybe YOU) miss out on being able to “talk” and share photos or videos with distant friends and family. It hampers efficiency in conducting business, whether that is personal or for a company.
There are lots of reasons to learn basic computer use. You don’t have to learn a lot to do well with a little. You don’t even have to know how to type (although it helps). Guess what! You can use the one-finger “hunt and peck” method if you need to.
- People may want to write their memoirs for their descendants or in the hope of becoming famous.
- Some may need to contest a bill or invite people to an event.
- Certain folks don’t like crossword puzzles or want to learn a new language at this stage in life. But, they do want to learn something new to keep the brain cells working well as age progresses.
- Budding entrepreneurs might even want to start a business!
Are You Ready to Try?
It seems like it is time to teach folks about Basic Computer Use. I can do that. Click Here for more details. I prefer to teach one-on-one in these classes. However, if you or your group want to learn more first, we can schedule a FREE Sip & Share Session on Zoom to discuss your needs and a few options.
Either you or someone who is helping you can email me at MyPersuasivePresentations@gmail.com and put (Request Sip & Share re Computer Classes) in the subject line. We’ll arrange a mutually convenient time to talk. I’ll send you an invitation, and all you have to do is click on it (or have someone help you click on it) so we can meet remotely. I can send the link to a family member or friend if you need someone to help you do this.
My Computer Classes are Not About Just SEO
I decided to offer classes in Basic Computer Use and some other basic business classes to those who are beginners. Together, we also can
- create PowerPoint presentations and convert them into videos (with or without narration or music)
- generate social media pages for personal or business use.
- learn how to type in Word processing, so letters and documents can be sent through the Internet.
I hope this information is helpful to you. I’ll be glad to answer any questions. I’m not scary! Contact me!
