When you’re looking to write content for your website, you’re effectively starting with a blank canvas. It can be difficult, therefore, to know quite where to start – or indeed, where to finish.
Content that is too brief can end up getting filtered out through Google’s vast sieve. On the other hand, reams of text akin to a Russian novel can leave visitors with glazed eyes and a wandering mind. Unless, of course, they’re as passionate about what you have to say as you are.
So, is there an ideal length for a web page? Depending on the page itself (whether it’s a description of your services or a “Meet the Team” biography of Nigel from Accounts), this can be like asking “how long is a piece of string”. However, there are some basic rules that can, and should, be applied.
Is there a minimum word count?
Perhaps an easier question to answer is: what’s the bare minimum word count I should be including on my web pages?
While there isn’t a definitive answer here, Google may classify anything with a very low word count – for example, anything less than 200 words – as “low quality” or “thin”.
When putting this into the context of Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) guidelines, it makes sense. If a user is typing a question into the search engine (for example, “what should my word count be?”), Google will want to provide them with the most information-rich answer possible.
Of course, an exception to this rule is the Contact page. There’s really not much to say here, other than to encourage your visitors to get in touch – and this can usually be done in a paragraph or two. As long as it’s clear how your visitors can reach you, there should be no negative implication on your SEO.
Is there a maximum word count?
According to recent findings:
“The average Google first page result contains 1,447 words”
Does this mean you should shoot for this figure when writing your own content?
Realistically, no. If trying to hit a word count of 1,500 words means that you’re going to be trying to fluff up your content with “filler words”, or repetitive phrases that provide little to no value, then this could spell trouble for your rankings. Your content should be streamlined, specific and helpful; anything less will cause your reader to click away from the site, leading to a higher bounce rate – which Google will pick up on.
If you’re looking to optimise your SEO and get your web pages noticed on Google, why not check out our digital marketing services?
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