Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
According to many experts, writing more than 2000 words is an ideal length for any blog post. On average, an article between 2100 and 2400 is often seen at the top positions of Google. But how long does it take to write this “long-form” content?
For me, it can take about 2 hours. Of course, this greatly depends on the topic and what is needed to finish the post. I’ve had some long-form articles that took less than an hour to put together.
The important thing to remember is that experts take these numbers from an “average” of posts for certain search criteria.
Why 2000 Words is an Ideal Length for a Blog Post
For some, writing more than 2000 words sounds like a daunting task. But in reality, longer blog content can lead to a slew of benefits for your website. Especially if you’re addressing the needs of searchers.
However, long-form content doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll perform well in search. In fact, you could write an entire eBook’s worth of content in a single post and still not have any visitors.
Nonetheless, there is no denying why writing more than 2000 words is beneficial overall.
Gives Meat for Google to Crawl
One of the biggest reasons why longer blog posts do well is because of Google. The algorithm for the search engine is constantly looking for the best content available. And a longer blog post gives the Google crawler more to index.
Case in point, I’ve seen 1200-word articles rank for a handful of keyphrases, according to Ahrefs. After simply adding 400 words to the piece to expand what it offers, that same article grew to include a much wider range of keywords by addressing other topic-related questions.
This was an article that grew by 8,000% in terms of traffic over six months. We’re talking thousands of visits, here.
It’s all about providing the best and most helpful content possible for people searching for your topic. If Google thinks you provide the best information, it’ll put your post in front of more people.
Usually Goes Deeper Into the Topic
Writing a 2000-word post as opposed to 300 usually involves going much deeper into details. This goes along the lines of giving more to Google to crawl. But it goes further than just appeasing the algorithm.
Most people want to know as much as possible when searching for any particular topic. It’s all about whether your visitors are feeling fulfilled after reading your post.
Sure, quick posts can deliver enough information to get a point across. But it’s the deeper dives that wind up doing the best when it comes to search and accumulating an audience.
For example, you could easily write a 700-word tutorial for installing a WordPress plugin for a certain task. It may bring in a lot of visitors, but you could take it a step further to increase the article’s helpfulness.
Why not add a short list after the tutorial of plugins the reader might want to try for the same effect? Can you answer a few questions from the “People also ask” section of Google for your keyphrase?
Now, you don’t necessarily need to write an entire book in a blog post. But diving a bit deeper into the topic can work wonders for attracting both humans and bots to go over your content.
More Visitors, More Money
Giving Google more text to crawl and giving more information to visitors to read often leads to an increase in traffic. If you have methods to monetize the blog, more visitors equates to making more money.
This is completely dependent on the topic and interest, though. As I said, you can’t just slap 2000 words on a blog post and expect visitors to come flocking to your page.
That’s when you rely on a good keyword strategy and understand search intent.
The bottom line is that the more detailed, accurate, helpful, and informative the article is, the greater your chances of making more money from your blog.
What Affects How Long 2000 Words Take to Write?
The most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone is unique. Some of us are more apt to cranking out large volumes of decent content without much of a hiccup.
This means you should take time frames from experts with a grain of salt. They can give you a guideline, but your productivity is still based on your abilities.
So, what are some things that can slow you down when hammering out that masterpiece blog post?
Typing Speed to Reach 2000 Words
First, how fast you type will impact how long it takes to write any piece of content. This is a skill that will develop over time as you continue to write for virtually any purpose.
Of course, this is true whether you’re hammering out a blog post or writing a book. Your typing proficiency is quite important if you’re keeping track of time.
If you want to hone your skills, though, you can do so by trying out some free typing sites on the Internet. Some of them are actually quite fun.
Knowledge of the Material
It is far easier to write a blog post if it’s based on something you know quite well. This will reduce the amount of time you spend researching the topic as well as improve typing speed.
That’s because you are better equipped to write a post based on personal knowledge. You’ll spend less time trying to think of how to convey your message while letting your fingers span across the keyboard.
For example, it’s far easier for me to write about something WordPress-related simply because that’s what I do all day for clients. And a post such as this one comes naturally for much the same reason.
However, I find it best to always research every topic even if I know it front and back. Remember, you want to provide the most accurate information possible. The last thing you want is to share something that is obsolete.
Researching Your Content
Speaking of research, your strategy to look up details to accentuate your point also plays a role in how long it takes to write 2000 words. This includes methods for searching, online apps you might want to use, or even setting up a second monitor on your computer.
In my case, I was able to decrease the amount of time I spent writing content for clients by having the research up on the second monitor while writing on the first. This meant less time flipping through tabs.
My point here is that having a good strategy in place for researching can ultimately reduce the time you spend creating content.
Here’s an example of my day for a specific client. When tasked to plan a rewrite of old blog posts:
- I take a look at how it performs in Ahrefs
- Then, I’ll look at any keyphrases the article is ranking for aside from the primary
- Afterward, I’ll check the actual visit number, on-page time, and bounce rate in Google Analytics
- Finally, I search the top posts in Google and start planning additions based on how others are performing
This is what I do for every post, and it has worked out exceptionally well for myself and my clients for the past four years. It’s a step-by-step process that streamlines my particular job.
Type of Posts You’re Writing
It’s much easier to write certain types of content when planning out a blog post. Yes, types of posts that require a lot of research will slow you down. But it goes further than just getting facts.
For instance, it can take longer to write a tutorial than it does to write a review. Mostly, this is because you’d want to add your own images to demonstrate steps.
Not to mention that in many tutorials, you’ll be hard-pressed to write more than 2000 words. Especially if you want to avoid filler and fluff, which I’ll go over in a moment.
What if you want to write a “best of” list of products or services? It’s going to take you some time to collect enough of that list to make the post worthwhile.
The point here is to not compare the time it takes you to write one type of content with another.
Proofreading and Editing
Proofreading and editing are important steps when publishing blog content. For one thing, it helps you come across as more professional. A lot of people will judge your expertise based on your ability to write grammatically-correct sentences.
The amount of time it takes you to proofread and edit depends on a lot of factors. How fast can you read? Are you able to write in a way that is easy to consume? Are you trying too hard to be perfect?
To cut down on time, I use the Grammarly Chrome extension. It works beautifully in WordPress and helps keep the content clean. But remember, no automatic grammar-checking app is 100% accurate.
Images to Accentuate the Post
Images can play an important role in on-page time from visitors. They can accentuate the content while providing a visual to keep people interested in the topic.
Finding the perfect images for your post can be very time-consuming depending on the post. And keep in mind that unique images often perform the best.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using stock photos. But providing a unique visual that is not seen anywhere else helps your content stand out in search.
Keep in mind, though, that imagery does impact site performance. The more you add, the slower your page loads. As Google puts a lot of emphasis on mobile device speed for page rank, you want to keep the site as fast as possible.
In other words, you need to find the right balance of images to text on a per-topic basis.
Distractions in Your Workspace
Lastly, the sheer amount of distractions you face will affect how long it takes to write 2000 words. If you work from home and have children, these distractions are plentiful.
Social media, email, chores around the house, pets, games…there is a plethora of things that can keep you from writing. While some can be easy to ignore, others will require your immediate attention.
But every minute you’re doing something else is one more that it will take you to finish that blog post. So, it’s vital to your success to find ways to limit those distractions.
Avoiding Filler and Fluff within 2000 Words
One of the biggest mistakes any blogger can make is adding filler and fluff to an article just to reach a certain number of words. This is when you simply add too much content that has no relevance to the primary topic.
Every sentence should have a purpose and directly relate to what you’re trying to convey.
It’s OK to add a few things like an inner monologue, jokes, or life examples. But you don’t want to add too many to the point where Google has no idea what you’re writing about or that visitors get confused.
Your message needs to be clear and concise but doesn’t have to read like an IKEA manual on valium. Add some personality, but don’t be long-winded or repetitive.
Length Doesn’t Always Matter
The important thing to keep in mind is that the best blog posts aren’t always the longest. Sometimes shorter posts are all that’s needed.
For example, my number one performing article on this site is actually less than 2000 words. Another one is slightly over 1300. It all comes down to being able to answer search queries while being succinct.
I’ve even seen articles in the number one spot for search with just over 300 words total. Though, it wasn’t a high-volume search phrase.
My point is that you don’t need to force every article you write to be in excess of 2000 words. This is especially true if you simply cannot think of anything else to add. Remember, you want to stay away from filler and fluff.
Also, don’t forget that there’s nothing wrong with going back and updating an older article if you think of something else of value to add. In fact, updating older articles plays a massive role in my job today with one of my clients.
It’s a viable method to increase traffic.
How Long Does it Take You to Write 2000 Words?
In the end, the amount of time it takes you to write 2000 words is different for every blogger. Everything from how fast you type to how often you’re distracted will play a role.
But overall, longer posts do tend to perform better in the grand scheme of Google.
Coincidentally, this post is 2135 words long and took me 2.25 hours from start to finish.
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