{"id":137871,"date":"2022-01-19T17:00:20","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T22:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=137871"},"modified":"2024-10-17T11:16:58","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T16:16:58","slug":"short-form-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/short-form-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Short-Form vs. Long-Form Content: Which Is Better for&nbsp;SEO?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Long-form content isn\u2019t necessarily better for SEO than short-form content. As with many things in SEO, it depends.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, long-form content is overkill and a waste of resources. Other times, it\u2019s necessary to stand the best chance of ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, you\u2019ll learn a simple way to figure out how much to write on a topic-by-topic basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But first, let\u2019s get our definitions straight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#1-what-is-short-form-content\">What short-form content is<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2-what-is-long-form-content\">What long-form content is<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3-short-vs-long\">Short-form vs. long-form content<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is short-form content?\" data-section=\"1-what-is-short-form-content\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is short-form content?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Short-form content is roughly anything under 1,000 words. This is how we choose to define it, but definitions vary. You may only consider something under 500 words to be short-form content, and that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is long-form content?\" data-section=\"2-what-is-long-form-content\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is long-form content?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Long-form content is roughly anything over 1,000 words. Again, this is how <em>we<\/em>&nbsp;choose to define it. You may disagree and only see something as long-form content if it\u2019s over 2,000 words. It\u2019s up to&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Should I write short-form or long-form content?\" data-section=\"3-short-vs-long\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should I write short-form or long-form content?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re asking this question in the context of SEO, then what you\u2019re probably asking is, \u201cDo I need to write thousands of words to rank for this keyword? Or can I write something shorter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fair question. But you shouldn\u2019t decide this by setting an arbitrary word&nbsp;count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, ask yourself, \u201cHow much do I need to write to satisfy searchers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a straightforward way to answer that question in five&nbsp;steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Look at what\u2019s ranking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pull up the search results for your target keyword. You can do this in a couple of&nbsp;ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re an Ahrefs user, use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>&nbsp;and scroll down to the SERP overview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1-keywords-explorer-serp-overview.jpg\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;ecommerce seo&quot;\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not an Ahrefs user, search on Google in an incognito tab and use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>&nbsp;to view results for your target location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2-ecommerce-seo-serp-ahrefs-seo-toolbar.jpg\" alt=\"Google search results for &quot;ecommerce seo&quot;\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Pick a content format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your content is unlikely to rank unless it aligns with what searchers want, regardless of how much you write. This is why it\u2019s usually best to choose a content format that is already ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few popular content formats to look out&nbsp;for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guides<\/li>\n<li>Listicles<\/li>\n<li>How-tos<\/li>\n<li>Tutorials<\/li>\n<li>Reviews<\/li>\n<li>Definitions<\/li>\n<li>\u201cVs.\u201d posts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if we look at the blog posts ranking for \u201cecommerce seo,\u201d they\u2019re pretty much all guides\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3-ecommerce-seo-guides-in-serp.jpg\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;ecommerce seo&quot;\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026 so it\u2019s clear that we should also write a&nbsp;guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we look at the posts ranking for \u201ckeyword cannibalization,\u201d we see a mix of definitions and how-tos:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4-keyword-cannibalization-guides-and-definitions-serp.jpg\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;keyword cannibalization&quot;\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is known as a mixed intent keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With mixed intent keywords, it\u2019s up to you which format to create. Just keep in mind that some content formats will give you a better opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/advertise-your-business\/\">promote your business<\/a> than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, since you\u2019re able to find keyword cannibalization issues using our tool, it makes more sense to write a how-to than a definition post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Create a search-focused outline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A search-focused outline is a barebones plan for your content that takes inspiration from similar top-ranking content. The logic here is&nbsp;that similar top-ranking content is clearly satisfying searchers, so analyzing it can help you understand what they&nbsp;want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best starting point for a search-focused outline is <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-gap-analysis\/\">a content gap analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say we want to create a guide targeting the keyword \u201cpour over coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we take the top-ranking <strong>guides <\/strong>and plug their URLs into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-gap\">Content Gap tool<\/a>, we see all the keywords that one or more of those pages rank for in the top 10. By eyeballing these keywords, we can start to pluck out subtopics that&nbsp;we can include in our outline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5-subtopics-content-gap.png\" alt=\"List of keywords in Content Gap results\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6-initial-content-outline.png\" alt=\"Initial outline for &quot;pour-over coffee&quot; article \"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need more inspiration for your outline, visit the pages themselves and eyeball their subheadings. This will also help you better understand how to structure your content and may unveil subtopics you missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if we open two top-ranking guides for \u201cpour over coffee\u201d and use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>&nbsp;to view the subheadings, we see they both&nbsp;talk about equipment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7-subtopic-equipment.png\" alt=\"List of subtopics\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8-subtopic-equipment.png\" alt=\"List of subtopics \"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is likely an important thing to include.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can also see that both guides start with a definition. This makes total sense and is probably the best starting point for any guide to pour-over coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what our final search-focused outline may look like for this&nbsp;topic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/9-pour-over-coffee-outline.png\" alt=\"Revised outline for &quot;pour-over coffee&quot; article\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Start writing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s finally time to put pen to paper and transform your outline into \u201ccontent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where you get to unleash your creativity and share your knowledge with the world. Just remember not to stray too far from your outline, as it\u2019s there to ensure you cover what is needed to satisfy searchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t worry about word count or length at this stage. Just focus on getting your thoughts down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few useful tips if you\u2019re struggling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Freewrite <\/strong>\u2013 This is where you write and don\u2019t stop. No backspacing to correct spelling mistakes. No rewriting sentences. Just write. You\u2019ll probably find that your content flows better if you can master this.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use the Pomodoro technique <\/strong>\u2013 This is where you write for 25 minutes before taking a five-minute break. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to get your content done. (<a href=\"https:\/\/pomofocus.io\/\">Here\u2019s a free Pomodoro timer<\/a>.)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use a distraction-free writing tool <\/strong>\u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/bear.app\/\">Bear<\/a>&nbsp;is my favorite, but there are a few similar apps.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Whichever app you use, I don\u2019t recommend using one that shows the word count as you type. It\u2019s too distracting and may cause you to slip into thinking, \u201cHey, this is getting long\u201d or \u201cHey, this seems too&nbsp;short.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the kind of thinking you want to avoid. You just want to write as much as you need and no more. Don\u2019t even look at the word&nbsp;count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Trim the&nbsp;fluff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of whether your content ends up being short-form or long-form, <strong>your first draft will always be way too long<\/strong>. It\u2019ll have run-on sentences, points that nobody cares about, and overly long paragraphs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That may seem bad, but it\u2019s <em>exactly<\/em>&nbsp;what a first draft should look like. You\u2019ll find it much easier to trim and refine your ideas once they\u2019re down on paper than to obsess over them as you&nbsp;go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do that in three&nbsp;steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The first step <\/strong>is self-editing. This is where you go through your first draft and cut any unnecessary fluff. You should also rewrite any meandering sentences and make sure things are as concise as possible. Tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/hemingwayapp.com\/\">Hemingway<\/a>&nbsp;and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarly.com\/\">Grammarly<\/a>&nbsp;can help with&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10-long-winded-to-concise.jpg\" alt=\"Longer paragraph next to a more concise version \"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The second step<\/strong>&nbsp;is to get a friend or colleague to provide feedback. This can be a tricky one, as most people won\u2019t want to hurt your feelings. I recommend explicitly asking them for feedback on things you can cut or shorten. This should make their feedback more focused and reduce their anxiety about offending you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The third and final step<\/strong>&nbsp;is a round of self-edits based on your friend\u2019s or colleague\u2019s feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your word count is now, that\u2019s how long your content needs to be. Maybe it\u2019s long-form; maybe it\u2019s short-form. It doesn\u2019t matter. What matters is you\u2019ve written what is required to meet searchers\u2019 expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is it really this simple?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kind of\u2014although there are a few other factors to keep in mind that may influence your decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You shouldn\u2019t repeat yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you\u2019re researching subtopics for a content piece and find one that you\u2019ve already covered on your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">our beginner\u2019s guide to link building<\/a>&nbsp;primarily targets the keyword \u201clink building.\u201d If we plug two top-ranking guides for this keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-gap\">Content Gap tool<\/a>, we see that searchers want to know about link building strategies and techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11-link-building-subtopics-content-gap.png\" alt=\"List of keywords in Content Gap results \"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But here\u2019s the thing: We\u2019ve already published dedicated guides about most of these strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/skyscraper-technique\/\">Skyscraper Technique<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/guest-blogging\/\">Guest Blogging<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/resource-page-link-building\/\">Resource Page Link Building<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/broken-link-building\/\">Broken Link Building<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/unlinked-mentions\/\">Unlinked Brand Mentions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For that reason, we decided not to regurgitate everything in this guide and make it unnecessarily long. Instead, we chose to keep things brief and link to our guides on each tactic in case the reader wants to learn&nbsp;more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12-excerpt-from-article.png\" alt=\"Excerpt of blog post showing list of links\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then in each \u201csub-post\u201d about an individual tactic, we added a link back to our link building guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13-hub-link.png\" alt=\"Excerpt of blog post showing link to guide\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is known as a topic cluster or content hub, and there are <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-hub\/\">a few reasons why it can be beneficial to SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You can write multiple posts targeting multiple intents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a keyword like \u201cguest blogging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you look at the SERP, it\u2019s a mix of definitions and guides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14-multiple-intent-serp.jpg\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;guest blogging&quot;\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The definitions are generally short-form, and the guides are long-form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although you could pick one format to create here, you might also want to consider creating multiple posts in different formats to try to win multiple rankings. In this case, that would mean creating a short-form definition-type post and a long-form guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yoast did this successfully for the keyword, \u201ccanonical URL\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15-two-results-in-serp.png\" alt=\"Google search result for &quot;canonical url&quot; showing Yoast's article first\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You may want to approach competitive keywords differently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say that you\u2019re targeting a super competitive keyword like \u201cSEO.\u201d We see a mix of definitions and guides in the SERP, but pretty much all of them have backlinks from thousands of websites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/16-competitive-keyword-seo.jpg\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;seo&quot;\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of these pages are old, have accumulated their backlinks over many years, and continue to earn backlinks thanks to the vicious cycle of&nbsp;SEO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17-vicious-circle-of-seo.png\" alt=\"SEO cycle: People search &amp; read #1 result, then link to that result on own site, then these new links cause #1 page to stay on top\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bottom line: If you want to rank for this keyword, you\u2019re going to need <em>a ton<\/em>&nbsp;of backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, you\u2019ll probably struggle to do that by following the crowd with a search-focused piece of content. You\u2019ll stand a better chance of attracting the links you need by publishing something interesting or innovative (and ideally then doing <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/email-outreach\/\">outreach<\/a>&nbsp;for links).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that this doesn\u2019t mean you need to publish long-form content. Long-form guides can be link magnets, but so can short-form pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, take Aleyda\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/learningseo.io\/\">LearningSEO.io<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18-learning-seo-aleyda.png\" alt=\"Roadmap with links to free resources\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210221192908\/https:\/\/learningseo.io\/\">original version of this<\/a>&nbsp;(pictured above) was published in February 2021 with just 114 words on the page. Yet it\u2019s managed to attract links from over 560 referring domains in only nine months:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/19-referring-domains-growth.png\" alt=\"Graph showing increasing number of referring domains over 9 months\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My guess is that Aleyda isn\u2019t trying to rank for anything here (especially not \u201cSEO\u201d) and simply created this to give back to the community. But the point remains: If you want links, it\u2019s not about short-form vs. long-form. It\u2019s about creating something that resonates with people and putting it in front of&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus on satisfying searchers, not hitting some arbitrary word&nbsp;count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re working with freelancers and need to give them a ballpark figure because you\u2019re paying by the word, let your search-focused outline guide you. If there\u2019s not much ground to cover, tell them to keep it short and sweet. If there\u2019s a lot to cover, give them a rough limit and have them tell you if the content needs to be longer. Giving a bit of flexibility is key&nbsp;here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Disagree? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick?lang=en-GB\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes, long-form content is overkill and a waste of resources. Other times, it\u2019s necessary to stand the best chance of ranking. In this guide, you\u2019ll learn a simple way to figure out how much to write on a topic-by-topic basis.<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":137873,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-137871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Short-Form vs. Long-Form Content: Which Is Better for SEO?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Short-form content isn&#039;t necessarily better than long-form content for SEO. 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