Summary – Long-form content is a good strategy to drive conversations and engagement with customers. These benefits will prompt you to incorporate such content in your marketing plan.
Reading time – 5-6 mins
Who is it for – content marketing agencies, content writing agencies, online business owners
Long-form content is often perceived as a tiring task upon the reader and widely misunderstood for ‘shallow content’. But the truth is far from it. There is a subtle yet colossal difference between the two. While shallow content doesn’t serve any purpose to the reader, long-form content contains a rich source of in-depth information meant to help readers with their specific problems.
Whether it’s a story, a press bit or even a customer review, long form relevant content is proven to be more palatable and profitable for content marketers. Here are a few benefits to show why long content weighs more than short formats.
1 – Improved Rankings
First off, anything that’s longer than 2,000 words qualifies as long-form content and such content undoubtedly improves your website rankings. The Serpiq study across 20000+ keywords clearly shows why lengthy content is preferred by Google. The chart shows the average content length for top 10 search results as below –
No. 1 – 2456 words in content
No. 10 – 2032 words in content
Quality in-depth content explained in elaborate detail is proven to help boost ranking signals
Takeaway: Invest your time on long content for better search engine visibility and rankings.
2 – Industry Authority Perception
A website that has to say more, certainly knows more. Sounds fair, right? A lengthy piece will have more relevant information about the topic. Incidentally, this is what search engines try to provide the user and therefore, long-form content not only gives you more authority of the topic but also improves your search engine rankings further.
It’s also an accepted fact that search engines like Google, factors in the credibility of the content for ranking the website. A well-researched, genuine long content is lower to none and will even be referred by other websites, thereby improving the authority of your website.
Takeaway: Long-form content improves the credibility of the website.
3 – Long-Form Content is Evergreen
Even years after posting, this type of content will continue to drive traffic to the website. A well created lengthy content with strong backlinks and SEO will still be popular among the search engine results as the authenticity of the content is never lost. Also, older domains were found to have more long-form content than short ones.
Takeaway: Your long form content will always have readers.
4 – Long Content Gets Shared More
Contrary to what one might think, long articles get more shares than short ones. It’s not the snippet that people want to share, it’s the in-depth content that relates to the reader, engages them and make them want to share the experience with their others. 2012 was the average word count for New York Times stories that saw the most shares.
Takeaway: Not only search engines love in-depth content. Readers do too.
5 – Long-form content is Sticky
Reading a 500-word article takes only a jiffy when compared to reading a 5000-word one. The more time the reader spends on your website, the more they get to know about your website or business. The brand awareness lets the reader remember your website to read further about the topic in future.
Let’s say your event-planning business website posts great and fun party tricks in lengthy content on your website among many other things. A reader who lands on your webpage for the first time will definitely remember your website the next time he’s in need of a party event organizer.
Also, more dwell-time on the website means the display ads on your website reach more interested and potential customers thereby creating more profit for you.
Takeaway: Long content helps in brand awareness.
To conclude
Long form content developed from professional content writing agencies takes you to the big league and improves your rankings while generating more revenue and brand awareness for your website. These benefits show that lengthy content is valuable for both – search engines as well as readers.
Check out a valuable resource on how to create amazing content.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is investing in long-form content development from professional agencies worthwhile?
Long-form content exceeding 2,000 words significantly boosts search engine visibility and site credibility. Google favours in-depth and quality content. So, yes, your investment in long-form content will be worthwhile. In fact, it will end up enhancing your website’s chances of appearing in the top search results.
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How does long-form content contribute to industry authority perception?
Lengthy content pieces convey expertise. Search engines, like Google, value content credibility, contributing to higher rankings. Additionally, well-researched, genuine, long-form content is often referred to by other websites. This, in turn, strengthens your site and brand’s authority in the industry.
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Is long-form content truly evergreen, and why does it matter?
Yes, long-form content remains evergreen, driving traffic to your website even years after posting. Backed by strong backlinks and SEO, well-crafted, lengthy content retains its relevance. Older domains, particularly those with more long-form content, continue to attract visitors, ensuring sustained readership over time.
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Do longer articles really get more shares?
Surprisingly, yes. Contrary to common belief, in-depth articles resonate more with readers and garner more shares. It’s not just about the snippet; people appreciate and share content that engages them on a deeper level. So, if you want your content shared, go long!
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How does long-form content contribute to brand awareness?
Longer content keeps readers on your site longer, fostering brand awareness. Whether it’s an event-planning business or any other, the more time users spend, the more they remember. This heightened awareness translates to increased potential customer engagement and, subsequently, more profit for your business.
