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In a world dominated by short-form social media posts and quick soundbites, long-form content might seem like a relic of the past and not worth all the effort. But the truth is, it is still a powerful tool for businesses looking to grow their organic traffic and build authority.
So, let’s explore why long-form content is still relevant today and how you can capitalize on it!
Why Long-Form Content Still Works
Here are some reasons long-form content works wonders:
It Helps Build Authority & Trust
- In-depth coverage: Long-form content allows you to delve deeper into a topic, providing a comprehensive overview to demonstrate your expertise. For example, instead of writing a 500-word blog post about the benefits of social media marketing, you could write a 2,000-word post that covers everything from creating a social media strategy to analyzing your results. This in-depth coverage will show your readers that you know what you’re talking about and are committed to providing valuable information.
- Thought leadership: When you share valuable insights and original ideas, you establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. This can help you attract new customers and build relationships with other industry experts. For example, you could write a blog post about the future of mobile marketing, or you could share your personal experiences with using mobile marketing to grow your business.
- Trustworthiness: Readers are more likely to trust a brand that offers in-depth, informative content. When you provide long-form content, you’re showing your readers that you’re not just trying to sell them something. You’re actually trying to help them. This can build trust and loyalty with your audience, which can lead to increased sales and customer satisfaction.
It Is Good for SEO
- Keyword optimization: Longer articles provide more opportunities to incorporate relevant keywords naturally. This can help your content rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). For example, if you’re writing a blog post about the best video marketing tools, you could include keywords like “video marketing,” “tools,” “best,” and “free.”
- Increased dwell time: Readers who spend more time on your site send a positive signal to search engines. This is because it shows that your content is relevant and engaging. When you create long-form content, you’re more likely to keep readers on your site for longer periods of time.
- Backlinks: High-quality, informative content is more likely to attract backlinks, which can boost your search engine ranking. Backlinks are essentially votes of confidence from other websites. When other websites link to your content, it tells Google that your content is valuable and relevant.
- Semantic SEO: Long-form content provides a valuable opportunity to enhance semantic SEO efforts. By focusing on in-depth topic coverage, natural keyword integration, creating topic clusters, rich contextual information, and backlinks, you effectively help the search engine read and understand your content. It can improve your content’s visibility, relevance, and authority in search engine results.
It Builds Readership
- Storytelling: Long-form content allows you to tell stories, which can be more engaging than short, factual posts. People are more likely to remember information presented in a story format. For example, you could write a blog post about how your business overcame a major challenge. This will be more engaging than a simple list of benefits.
- Emotional connection: When you connect with your audience emotionally, you create a stronger bond. This can lead to increased loyalty and customer satisfaction. For example, you could write a blog post about the personal impact of your business. This will help your readers connect with you on a deeper level.
- Customer satisfaction: Providing valuable, in-depth information can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. When your customers feel like they’re getting their money’s worth, they’re more likely to become repeat customers and refer their friends and family to your business.
Further Benefits of Long-Form Content
- Increased conversions: By providing more information and addressing potential objections, long-form content can lead to more conversions. For example, if you’re trying to sell a product or service, you could write a long-form blog post that explains the benefits of your product or service in detail. This can help potential customers make a decision and take action.
- Improved social media engagement: Longer content allows you to offer more value and share it on social media. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase your brand awareness. For example, you could write a blog post about a controversial topic in your industry. This will be more likely to spark discussion and engagement on social media.
- Generate leads: Long-form content can attract qualified leads who are interested in your industry. This can help you grow your email list and generate more sales. For example, you could offer a free ebook or whitepaper in exchange for email addresses.
How to Write Long-Form Content for SEO and Your Audience
Here are some tips to help you get started with long-format content:
Choose a Compelling Topic
Start by researching your target audience. Understand their needs, wants, and pain points. Then, choose a topic that they will find valuable. You must also have the right expertise to write about that topic, as it will make the writing more enjoyable and authentic.
You must also identify relevant keywords for SEO. Use keyword research tools to find popular search terms related to your topic. Do not overstuff your content with keywords. Instead, try inserting them in the content organically.
Create a Strong Outline
With longer formats, it’s easier to lose the plot along the way. So, you will find it helpful to start with an introduction. Grab the reader’s attention and answer the topic question.
Then, organize your thoughts by dividing the content into sections for better SEO and readability. Your audience should be able to skim through the content to get a basic understanding of the topic.
Lastly, focus on the conclusion. Summarize your main points and end with a final call to action that helps you fulfill your marketing goal.
Use Subheadings
Subheadings will effectively break up your content into smaller sections. This will make your content more visually appealing and easier to read.
However, you must use informative and engaging subheaders to keep the reader hooked. Also, use relevant keywords in these subheadings to help your content rank higher in search engine results pages.
Add Supporting Visuals
If you are not careful, long-form content can tire the eyes. To keep the reader hooked, add high-quality, supporting visuals. You can use relevant images that add value to the text.
Videos and infographics are also always a welcome break when reading longer content, as they can break the monotony and make your content more engaging.
Write for Your Audience
Consider the expectations and pain points of your target audience. What information are they looking for? What problems are they trying to solve? Address them all in your content.
Use a conversational tone to make the content more readable. Also, use shorter sentences and paragraphs to make your writing mobile-friendly.
Don’t forget to add a personal touch by sharing a case study, anecdote, testimonials, or anything else that will make the content more relatable to your audience.
Optimize for SEO
While writing for your audience should definitely be your priority, you also cannot ignore SEO. Use relevant keywords naturally throughout the content and in some headings. Use them in your title and meta tags. Also, name your images properly for SEO.
Add internal links to other high-quality blogs on your website. Also, create high-quality backlinks to your content through white hat link building. You can do this by guest posting on other websites, reaching out to influencers, and creating shareable content.
Edit and Proofread Carefully
Lastly, you must ensure your content is free of errors. After all, typos and grammatical mistakes can make your content look unprofessional.
Also, use clear and concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon. It will help you keep your content readable and skimmable.
To avoid missing any errors, get a fresh pair of eyes to proofread your writing. Then, publish your content and share it across social media and forums!
Creating top-quality, long-form content takes time and effort, but the rewards can be significant. So, use these tips to craft content that will help you rank higher in search engine results pages, attract new customers, and build your brand authority.
What Is Google’s E-E-A-T Preference?
Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) guidelines play a significant role in search engine rankings. Long-form content can help you demonstrate E-E-A-T by:
- Providing in-depth information: This shows that you have a deep understanding of the topic.
- Citing credible sources: Back up your claims with evidence from reputable sources.
- Building a strong author profile: Establish yourself as an expert in your field.
What Is the Ideal Length of a Blog Post That Ranks High on Google
While there’s no definitive answer, longer posts tend to rank higher on search engines because they have more room to offer quality content. However, a good rule of thumb is to focus more on quality than quantity.
Create valuable, informative content that covers the topic sufficiently. Determine the length by focusing on the subject length and the search intent of your chosen keyword. This way, you can offer the right information to your reader while maintaining the ideal length for your subject matter.
Moreover, the ideal length of a blog post varies from industry to industry. For example, technical topics may require longer posts to explain complex concepts, while lifestyle blogs may be able to get away with shorter pieces.
That said, longer content does deliver better SEO results, according to Semrush’s research:
Here are some general guidelines:
- B2B: 2,000-3,000 words
- B2C: 1,000-2,000 words
- Blog posts: 1,000-2,500 words
- Articles: 2,000-3,000 words
- Guides: 3,000+ words
That said, these are merely guidelines. The vital thing is to create content your audience finds valuable and that helps you achieve your marketing goals.
What Is the Verdict?
To sum it up, long-form content is still an effective way to attract and engage your target audience. While short-form content has its place, there’s value in providing in-depth, informative content that demonstrates your expertise and builds trust.
By creating high-quality, insightful, comprehensive content, you can drive more organic traffic to your website and keep your readers engaged.
However, you will need to upload fresh content to your website consistently. If you don’t have the resources to create well-researched, readable, and in-depth content regularly, we can help.
2020 Vision Digital offers tailored content marketing services that will help you achieve your content goals and grow your business’s digital footprint.