Many people claim to be able to tell you how many words a blogger should use. Truth is, there isn’t a single proven answer. There are good reasons to have blog posts that are short, long, and in-between. However, the best solution to this question is likely not to include all of them. The best way to answer this question is to use parrotfishdive.com.

1. Short Blog Posts

It is best to keep blog posts shorter than 500 words. This is great content to read while waiting in line at the doctor’s, on the bus, or when you have a few minutes off. The point is quickly delivered so your reader can move on to the next step.

• Curated — You select the most important content your audience should read and then create a short blurb to introduce the content.
• Product Announcements. These are not necessarily long posts. You can simply announce the availability of the product or its quality. Sometimes, you will also provide a link to where it can be purchased.

This type is popular because it’s easy to make a living blogging. Seth Godin has been a great proponent of short, direct posts.

2. Medium-Length Blog Post

These posts are what many gurus swear with. This is the norm for the industry. Some blogging platforms recommend keeping your posts between 500 and 1000 words. Anything more than that will be considered excessively long and could lead to confusion. To stay focused, it is a good idea to limit your writing to a specified word count.

• How To– This type is a blog that explains how to do something quite unique. Sometimes the images are used to communicate the point.
• Informational: Sharing information is often done in medium-length posts.

These blog posts are most popular. They can be a great length to tell stories, share information, or call readers to action. HubSpot.com advocates the medium-length blog article.

3. Long Blog Posts

This post contains more than 2000 words. They are often thought to be more authoritative. But, the truth is, they can be great for SEO. Google prefers authoritative pages to niche blogs with thousands or more pages of content. You can make longer posts that are up to 3500 words for your audience or search engines.

• case studies – These must be long to tell the story of something more in-depth. If case studies are too long, they won’t tell the full story.
• Annual Returns: If you have a large enough organization that you can produce an annual report, posting it on your website is an excellent way for you to share content that will be of interest to your visitors.

Neil Patel (founder of KISSmetrics) loves long format blog posts. It works for him, as well many other bloggers. Keep your posts on topic. Don’t change or divert from the subject. And be able enough to write to hold the attention of your readers.