A blog post should be as long as the question needs and not a line longer. A quick answer can be short, a full guide will run long, and the right length is whatever it takes to leave the reader with nothing left to ask.
I get asked this more than almost anything else about blogging, and I always give the same answer: stop counting words and start counting questions. If your reader arrives with one small question, a short post that answers it cleanly is a better post than a long one that makes them scroll past three introductions. If they arrive with a big, messy problem, a short post leaves them stranded and they'll go and find someone who finishes the job.
Length isn't a target. It's a side effect of doing the job well. The trouble starts when people pick a length first and then fill it, because that's how you end up with posts that say the same thing four ways and still don't answer the question.
Match the length to the job the post is doing
Every post has a job. Work out which job yours has before you write a word, and the length mostly takes care of itself. Here's how I'd think about the common ones.
| Post job | Length feel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quick answer | Short | The reader wants one fact or one decision. Give it in the first lines, add the context that stops them getting it wrong, then stop. |
| How-to | Medium | It needs every step, plus the bits where people usually get stuck. Missing a step costs more than adding a paragraph. |
| Comparison | Medium to long | You're helping someone choose, so each option needs the same fair treatment and a clear verdict at the end. |
| Opinion | Short to medium | An opinion lands harder when it's tight. Make the case, deal with the obvious objection, and leave. |
| Pillar guide | Long | It's meant to be the page someone bookmarks. It covers a whole topic and links out to deeper posts on each part. |
Say you're writing about choosing a domain name. If the post is a quick answer to whether the name should match your business, short wins. If it's a full walk-through of picking, checking and registering one, it'll be longer, and that's fine because every section earns its place. If you're mapping out a whole new site, it probably belongs inside a bigger piece like my guide to starting a blog rather than standing on its own.
The padding test
Once you've got a draft, read it with one question in mind: would the reader miss this if it vanished? Run each section through this checklist and be ruthless.
- Does the opening get to the point, or does it warm up for a few paragraphs first?
- Is any section repeating something you've already said with different words?
- Have you defined something your reader obviously already knows?
- Is there a list that exists because lists look busy rather than because the points belong together?
- Would a reader who only read the headings still get the gist?
- Does the ending add a decision or a next step, or does it just summarise?
If you answer badly on more than one of those, the post's too long for what it's saying. That's a good problem, because cutting is easier than inventing. It's also the fastest way to get the kind of quick wins that improve a blog without writing a single new post.
Signs a post is too short instead
Short isn't automatically good either. A post is too thin when the reader finishes it and still has to search for the next obvious thing. Imagine a post on how to pitch a podcast that tells you to send a short, friendly email and ends there. Who do you email? What goes in the first line? What happens if they don't reply? Each of those is a question the reader now has to take somewhere else.
Look at what a good blog post should always include and check yours against it. If the answer, the reasoning, a worked example and a next step aren't all there, the post needs more, not less.
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How to cut or extend a draft
Cutting
- Delete your first paragraph and see if the post still makes sense. It usually does, and it's usually better.
- Merge any two sections that are making the same point.
- Replace long explanations with one clear example. An example does the work of three paragraphs of theory.
- Cut every sentence that starts by telling the reader what you're about to tell them.
Extending
- List the questions a reader would ask straight after finishing. Answer the ones that belong on this page.
- Add the mistake people make most often and how to avoid it.
- Add a worked example built around a reader in a believable situation.
- Add a clear verdict if you've been sitting on the fence.
Notice that every extension adds something the reader needs. None of them is more words for the sake of it. That's the difference between depth and padding, and it's also the heart of writing content that ranks and reads well: the page that answers the question best tends to be the page people stay on.
My verdict on blog post length
Write the post the question deserves. If it's a small question, be brave enough to publish something short and sharp. If it's a big one, don't flinch from going long, as long as every section passes the padding test. And if you're ever unsure, read it out loud. Your ear will tell you where you're repeating yourself long before a word count will.
The writers I rate most aren't the ones who write the most. They're the ones who know exactly when to stop.
Quick answers
Do longer blog posts rank better?
Not because they're long. A longer post can do well when the topic needs that depth, but a padded post that buries the answer gives readers a reason to leave.
Should every post on my blog be the same length?
No. Different questions need different lengths, so a blog full of identical-length posts usually means some are padded and some are cut short.
Is a short blog post worth publishing?
Yes, if it answers one clear question completely. Short and useful beats long and vague every time.
How do I know when a post is finished?
When the reader has their answer, knows why, and knows what to do next. Anything after that's padding.
