There is a careful balance of dozens of variables that must be considered when producing content for a web-based audience. The right emotion, the right venue, the right format and the right core content are all elements that must be evaluated before considering any particular delivery to a given audience. Search engine algorithms and audience demands alike have made content creators increasingly consider how overall word count can factor in to optimal content distribution, reception and performance. Below, we’ll discuss what you’ll want to consider when evaluating this important concept.

Knowing the Audience

As with most elements regarding content creation, it is important to understand the overall sentiments of the audience when factoring in how long a given piece of content should be. Compared to traditional forms of information absorption, it has been determined that people tend to read less – at least, within the confines of a single piece of content – on the web. If you create content that is too long, then you may end up pinging noise to readers and failing to please them. If, however, your audience is highly-specialized and desiring detailed information, then a piece of content that fails to take this into account may be perceived as too generalized, and can fail to resonate. Ultimately, understanding the intelligence level and demographics of an audience is essential in determining overall word count.

Understanding Search Demands

Search engines have a history with word counts, which is one of the main reasons why writers and content creators want to be sure to get this dynamic right. Study after study has shown that blog posts and pages with more words tend to perform better in search, which gives many writers and bloggers incentive to deliver bigger posts and articles. This largely relates to the concept that longer content is usually better content. However, merely increasing word count on a page or post in order to please search engines is not a viable strategy. More detailed blog posts and pages can help individuals find the information they need, which in turn sends indicators to Google and others that the page is relevant. This, inevitably, is what allows for larger pages to do better in search. However, some brands will not be in such a category where long articles are ideal for their audiences.

What Is Most Important

At the end of the day, bloggers and content creators must consider word count, but it shouldn’t overshadow other important elements. Above all else, content should be easy to read and digest. This allows users to enjoy what you’re saying and learn from it. In addition, making content easier to absorb by separating it into sections is ideal; a large number of paragraphs without sub-headings will not perform well. Be sure to provide summaries that help individuals quickly determine what the gist of each section is. Last but not least, always be sure to deliver the most important explanations without repeating yourself over and over. These all will balance out any word count considerations.