Short-Form vs. Long-Form Content: What Do Search Engines Want?

Which is better for ranking in search engines, long or short content? If you’ve been in the search game for more than a minute, you’ll have encountered that question. 

Seasoned search engine optimizers (SEOs) would be forgiven for rolling their eyes at this point. It’s a debate that’s raged almost since the advent of search engines like Google. 

It would be easy for us here at BrightEdge to give a short answer and declare “case closed.” But we think that the reality is more complex. In fact, we believe that marketers are asking the wrong question. 

We’ll explain why thinking in terms of “short vs. long” is misleading. We’ll also show you how to determine the ideal content length for achieving the best possible rankings. 

What Is Short Content?

“Short content” typically refers to landing pages, articles and blog posts under 500 words or thereabouts. “Long-form content” is anything above. These parameters aren’t exact or official but are generally recognized as benchmarks by SEOs. 

In the past, SEOs have favored long content because it appears to do better in search engines. A handful of studies, many conducted several years ago and with narrow data sets, support this premise. 

Examples of long-form content are in-depth how-to articles, editorials, and statistical breakdowns. Short-form content includes recipes, question-and-answer (Q&A) style content, and reviews. Dictionary entries might be thought of as the shortest of short-form content. 

Why Longer vs. Shorter Is the Wrong Debate

SEOs tend to favor long-form content because it has statistically performed well in the past and it’s conceived to give you more runway and put in more optimized keywords.

Conclusions about the success of long content are far from definite. But the traditional way of thinking also points toward a deeper misconception about content length—that it’s still a significant ranking factor. 

What is certain is that search engines are prioritizing user experience irrespective of content length. Google’s well-known E-A-T criteria (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust), taken from Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, don’t mention length. 

And the recent “helpful content” update actively devalues long content in certain circumstances. The documentation states: “Are you writing to a particular word count because you've heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don't).”

Instead, content length should be determined after evaluating searcher intent. Specifically, there are four factors to consider when deciding on the length of content: the medium of communication (written, video, visual assets, etc.), keyword intent, possible formats for content, and the complexity and depth of the subject being discussed. Let’s take a look at each of these in turn. 

1. Don’t Think Exclusively in Terms of Written Content

Before deciding a keyword is best targeted through written content, it’s good practice to consider other potential formats. 

Text-based web pages aren’t the only type that ranks well in Google and other search engines. Nor are they always the best way to communicate every kind of information. Google ranks many forms of content, often in conjunction with text-based pages. 

Here’s an overview of the main formats, all of which can rank well in search engines:

• Videos and video shorts
• Infographics
• Glossary entries
• White papers
• Reviews
• Graphs and tables
• Webinars 
• Case studies
• Checklists
• Research reports
• News reports and press releases

Top content producers typically make use of most of these formats. As a result, they’re able to target customers’ needs directly and flexibly, often seeing rankings right across the board, not just for long-form written content. 

BrightEdge’s universal listing tools can be used to monitor a variety of search engine results page (SERP) listings, including featured snippets, videos, images, and news stories. The functionality tracks performance across many content types and helps to create a multifaceted content strategy. 

2. Understand Keyword Intent

You should always evaluate keywords through the lens of user intent. If keyword intent mapping isn’t already a part of your content ideation process, you’re almost certainly missing out on the opportunity to provide what your audience is looking for, increasing relevance.

There are three questions to ask to effectively discern intent:

• Which intent category does a keyword fall into? Generally speaking, a keyword phrase will fit into one of three categories: “learn and understand,” “browse and consider,” or “buy and convert.” There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. 
• How does your existing content perform? Content on your site that garners high levels of engagement can be useful for determining the intent behind similar keywords to those the content targets.
• What kinds of content already rank well? Existing rankings of competitor sites, when viewed in conjunction with other factors, can be valuable indicators of what search engines value. They provide pointers about which formats to consider and whether or not to create long or short written content. 

Understanding intent can significantly affect decisions about length. Individuals searching for recipes, for example, will typically want a straightforward and concise piece of content. Those searching for in-depth how-to guides with accompanying statistical analysis…well, the ideal length of the content should be fairly self-evident. 

3. Work Within Existing Structures

There is a general awareness among searchers of different content frameworks—”how to” articles, opinion pieces, glossary entries, etc. As a result, people often look for specific types of articles and web pages. Sometimes, certain keywords will be included in search queries to indicate this. 

A robust understanding of different formats is valuable for both meeting intent and determining what the length of a piece of content should be. 

For example, opinion pieces usually occupy a middle ground of between 600 and 800 words. Any more, and you run the risk of losing readers’ interest. A recipe, on the other hand, can easily be less than 200 words while fulfilling its function perfectly. 

Ensure that your content team is familiar with the following content types:

• Opinion pieces
• News pieces
• Product landing pages
• How to guides
• List-based posts (or listicles)
• Reviews
• Comparison articles (like Pixel vs. iPhone)
• Recipes 
• Definitions and glossary entries
• Graphs and visual content

This isn’t an exhaustive list but should provide a basis for thinking about what users are looking for. Ensuring proficiency with different frameworks in your content team is one of the surest ways to guarantee that length doesn’t become an arbitrary SEO target.

More organizations are adopting a democratized SEO model, in which previously siloed departments are expected to collaborate to meet key performance indicators (KPIs). The SEO/Growth team should consider working with content creators to establish an understanding of the different content types outlined above to find the appropriate way to work optimization into the fold.

4. Leverage Long-Form Content for Complex Topics

It’s worth stating in strong terms that long content is not bad. That isn’t the message that we’re trying to put across. It’s simply a weapon that needs to be wielded intelligently.

In particular, there is a lingering myth in the SEO industry that creating dedicated pages for keywords increases the likelihood of ranking for them. 

This isn’t the case, particularly with Google’s on-site Chrome highlighting function (Quick Focus Highlight), along with featured snippets, that take searchers directly to the relevant section of a web page. 

Data from BrightEdge suggests it is better to use sub-keywords intelligently as part of a longer piece of content than to create lots of shorter articles. Determine whether or not keywords should form a separate page or a subsection of a longer one by a detailed evaluation of both user intent and the performance of your existing web pages. 

Ultimately, you should structure long-form content with coherent headlines that match searcher questions, include media and space to break up walls of text, thereby improving readability, and be sure to match the length of what you think would be appropriate for a reader to digest.

 

Conclusion

The long vs. short debate is the wrong paradigm through which to look at content. Instead, SEOs should focus on user intent and an impartial analysis of text-based web pages that already perform well.

For example, if you want to buy Nike shoes, you don’t need a 2,000-word block of text that explains the features and history of your preferred pair. Similarly, if you are researching fishing rods, you might require some FAQ guidance and reviews to help guide you, but will likely avoid overly long pages. 

It is clear that search engines like Google don’t equate length with quality. Before you start making word requirements for your content creation process, think about what your audience is looking to do with that content and make sure you match their intent.

More Resources

What is Keyword Search Intent?

The Democratization of SEO: A Practical Guide

9 Tips for Bulletproof SEO: Algorithm-Proof Your SEO Strategy

Optimizing for intent leads to increased performance across the board, whether measured in terms of content engagement, rankings, or conversions. It’s a core part of a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. 

However, many companies adopt a faulty approach when it comes to understanding intent. They fail to look beyond the surface meaning of keywords and determine why searchers use them in a fuller and more nuanced way. 

This post outlines practical steps for understanding and leveraging searcher intent. You’ll learn how to work from a complete knowledge of keyword intent rather than a partial one, as is often the case with SEOs. 

1. Create Content Based on Intent and Not Keywords

Before you dig into the specific intent behind a keyword that’s lined up for an article or landing page, it’s important to understand a key principle: content should always cater to the aims of searchers and shouldn’t focus exclusively on sets of keywords or other technical ranking factors. 

This can be a subtle distinction from an SEO perspective. For example, when a searcher enters the phrase, “How to bake an apple pie,” they are likely looking for a short, visually informative and straightforward recipe, rather than a long page of content that includes every possible keyword iteration. 

In this case, length and keyword density are seemingly at odds with a more traditional SEO approach. However, search engines are increasingly devaluing ranking factors like these.

For example, Google states the following in the webmaster guidelines for its recent “helpful content” update: “Are you writing to a particular word count because you've heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don't).”

Another well-known example are Google’s EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust) criteria, which are designed to evaluate how well content satisfies the specific searcher needs behind the keywords, both in terms of information and format. 

2. Understand the Loose Categories of Keyword Intent

It’s important to understand the well-known categories of intent. However, keep in mind that these are just general frameworks. The nuance of the meaning behind a keyword is determined by evaluating a range of factors—existing results, seasonality, location—that we’ll look at later on.

Keyword intent usually falls into one of the following categories:

• Learn and Understand: Queries for educational content. Informational phrases can range from one-sentence definitions to in-depth academic papers. “How To” articles fall into this category. 
• Browse and Consider: Queries that form part of a research process prior to purchase. Product reviews are an example of the content that caters to this intent. “Best microwaves 2022” and “Reviews of laptops” are typical phrases. 
• Buy and Convert: Queries from searchers that wish to make a definite purchase. They are sometimes called “transactional” keywords. “Macbook Air 2022” and “Latest Stephen King novel” are both examples. 
• Navigational: Queries designed to return specific site links, such as “Wikipedia” or “Facebook.” Users want to “navigate” to a particular site. 

It is helpful to know these categories because it helps orient you when digging deeper. If you know the general intent of a keyword phrase, you can work within an established framework to add more detail and subtlety. 

BrightEdge’s Data Cube can help SEOs and digital marketers connect intent with keyword research. Start with a keyword such as ‘mens’ shoes” and see tens of thousands of searches related to that term.  Layer on the Universal Results filters, and users can isolate those keywords where Google is showing Universal Results that correspond to “learn and understand” signals. From there, SEO teams can create a new keyword group to track and measure progress for that audience. Repeat this exercise for other Universal Results that correspond to the intents you are targeting for a holistic strategy that matches all stages of the customer funnel.

3. Create Processes to Discover Deeper Intent

Understanding keywords in terms of the categories described above (“learn and understand,” “browse and consider,” “buy and convert,” and “navigational”) is the beginning.

After this initial stage, you should broaden your approach to gain a more comprehensive, precise understanding of why searchers are using a particular query. 

Evaluate the following factors to gauge the deeper intent of keywords:

• Competitor pages: Which competitor content performs well for your chosen keywords? High-performing content is often (but not always) an indicator of what search engines value. However, keep in mind that competitor content is best seen as a reliable guide only when it doesn’t conflict with other factors. Sometimes, content of a certain type may rank highly because better alternatives have not yet been created.  Brightedge’s Share of Voice provides a clear view on the competitive landscape, allowing visibility into who your true competitors are. When keywords are mapped to intent, Share of Voice will demonstrate how the competition is faring throughout the purchase journey, to see where you are winning or falling behind. 
• High-performing content on your site: Which content on your site has high levels of engagement and conversions and ranks well? Most importantly, can top-performing content be linked to specific keyword sets? Looking at your web pages is preferable to evaluating those of competitors exclusively because you can verify they rank well and meet intent signals like time on page, low bounce rate, conversions, etc. 
• Location: Are your chosen keywords tied to geography? If a searcher is looking for a local organization, information about nearby events or other geographically-tied results, creating generic content will not meet a keyword’s intent. Some keyword phrases, like “how to learn football,” may have partial geographical intent. Learning to play football in the United Kingdom will likely be a different process, in part, from learning in the US. 
• Seasonality: Does a particular query have a seasonal dimension? It’s important to evaluate intent within the broader context of country-wide or even global events that may contribute to the reason a searcher is using a set of keywords. Often this approach can elucidate seemingly meaningless phrases. For example, the terms “game time” and “team odds” make more sense if you also know that the Superbowl is upcoming. 
• Channels: Which media formats—articles, videos, images—are most popular for a keyword? The means of communication is often just as important as what is being communicated when it comes to intent. Current rankings are a useful, if not infallible, guide. 

4. Match Intent With the Different Stages of the Buyer’s Journey

Understanding the intent behind keywords clarifies aspects of your customer journey and enables you to match content with the different stages of the purchasing funnel.

Keyword intent categories (“learn and understand,” “browse and consider,” and “buy and convert”) can also be understood as stages. When you see keyword phrases as signifying different degrees of buyer interest and motivation, you can provide searchers with exactly the kinds of information, lead magnets and purchase opportunities required to move them through your sales funnel. The SEO department should map its strategy against your company’s sales funnel if it doesn’t already.

For example, the term “best leather handbags” is best understood as a “browse and consider” keyword with medium “buy and convert” intent. As such, it sits somewhere in the middle of the sales funnel of a typical online store, between “consider” and “purchase.” Once this is understood, lead magnets and promotional materials can be added to content accordingly to encourage the visitor to make a purchase.

5. Use Intent to Shape the Structure of Content

The structure of web pages is just as important as content when it comes to satisfying intent. An understanding of a page’s primary keyword intent can determine the ways you use a whole host of on-page elements, including headers, images, videos, bullet points, lists, schema markup, and so on. 

For example, informational content with high “browse and consider” intent should account for featured snippets and make liberal use of short answers, bullet points, numbered lists, and so on. It is also essential to incorporate the correct use of structured data so as to increase visibility in search engines. 

A well-structured web page guides users through relevant content, satisfying their needs and effectively meeting intent. The upshot is that they are much more likely to move into a subsequent stage of their journey, such as from “browse and consider” to “buy and convert.” In this way, “cold” visitors are more likely to sign up for a demo, consultation, or make a purchase.

Commercial content, in particular, should make use of structured data to communicate important information about reviews and product features like pricing. And this applies just as much to university courses as to hair products. Structured data is instrumental in moving people from the informational phase to conversion.

Conclusion

Google and other search engines are increasingly moving towards a model that prioritizes searchers’ intent. The success of zero-position snippets is testament to this, along with a host of recent algorithm changes such as the “helpful content” update and a series of adjustments rolled out this year that target low-quality reviews. 

Understanding what information your potential customers want and how they want to consume it is an ongoing process that should draw from various disciplines like analytics and user experience (UX).

As SEO departments move towards a democratized model, previously separate disciplines can be accessed to generate new insights and ideas, all of which can help SEOs understand and leverage keyword intent. 

More Resources

9 Tips for Bulletproof SEO: Algorithm-Proof Your SEO Strategy

The Democratization of SEO: A Practical Guide

How to Optimize for Featured Snippets and Position Zero

11 SEO Myths That Will Damage Your Rankings in 2022

Effective SEO Writing: 5 Steps

Mobile SEO: Why It’s Important and How to Optimize Your Site in 2022

 

Believe it or not, website accessibility is often overlooked when it comes to strategic planning and SEO basics. According to World Bank, 15% of people across the world are living with a disability. Websites like Domino’s had to pay out big bucks for accessibility issues due to their site being incompatible with screen readers, leaving visually impaired people unable to navigate their site. Website accessibility ensures that your site and content are optimized and usable for everyone, with consideration for disabilities. 

Accessible websites allow users to find, understand, navigate and interact with content seamlessly, regardless of their disability. This includes auditory, cognitive, physical, neurological, and visual impairments. It also includes temporary impairments, for example, if someone is recovering from surgery and has a cast on their arm. It pertains to situational instances, such as having a limited Internet connection or accessing the site on a smaller screen, and environmental factors, like being in a public place and unable to use sound at a given moment in time. 

Accessibility impacts both your business and your brand’s reputation. An accessible site will deliver a positive user experience, and promote brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. In addition to serving your visitors' needs, making your website accessible can improve your website’s organic search rankings. After all, accounting for good UX is a core tenant of Google’s Page Experience ranking factors.

Read on to learn more about the importance of website accessibility, how it works hand in hand with SEO, and tips to incorporate into your strategy to ensure your visitors and customers are able to easily access your website. 

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment, software, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, and improve the functional capabilities of learning, working, and daily living for persons with disabilities. Web accessibility is the process of designing and developing websites, tools, and technologies so that people with disabilities can access them. As mentioned above, an accessible website is a key to guaranteeing that disabled folks can access and navigate your site. 

Taking that a level higher, accessible sites also ensure that assistive technology is able to determine the context of what is being crawled, as it relies on the signals within the site’s code. 

Examples of Assistive Technology

Screen Readers

Screen Readers read the text on the screen aloud, using a speech synthesizer. A speech synthesizer is a computer-generated simulation of human speech. It is used to translate written information into aural information. 

Braille Keyboards

Braille keyboards are specialty keyboards that contain single keys that represent each of the dots in a braille cell along with a spacebar. By utilizing a combination of keys at once, a braille letter is created. There are also standard QWERTY keyboards with Braille letters over top of them. 

Screen Magnifiers

For those who are visually impaired but still have some sight, screen magnifiers can be utilized to help them access and interact with digital content. Screen magnifiers zoom in on the whole screen, or specific parts of a site to enlarge the content. 

Voice Controls

Voice control software tools convert speech to text. Voice controls are typically used in tandem with other assistive technology solutions. 

Accessibility and Legality Go Hand in Hand

In the EU, the European Accessibility Act was introduced in 2019. This act covers products and services such as computers and operating systems, smartphones, and e-commerce platforms. It requires them to be compatible with assistive technology, as well as presented in a format appropriate for all users. 

In the US, website accessibility is covered under the Americans Disability Act (1990), which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Within this act, websites with inaccessible components can be seen as discriminatory and in violation of the Title III of the law. 

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) developed web accessibility along with four principles to follow when creating content in a digital space. If any of the principles are neglected, disabled users will not be able to access the content, thus creating a poor user experience. 

The Four Principles of Accessibility (POUR)

Perceivable: The content must be presented so that users can access it with any one of their senses. 

Examples: 

• A website’s videos must have captions for deaf or hard-of-hearing users 
• Images have alternative text describing images for visually-impaired users

Operable: A user should be able to navigate the site in its entirety, regardless of the device or assistive technologies they are using.

Examples:

• Expandable menus on a site’s homepage to reduce the number of clicks 
• The ability to make selections with just a keyboard

Understandable: The interface and navigation make sense to the user, from language, instructions, etc.

Examples:

• Different links to different areas of the site are clearly labeled 
• Different languages are indexed on the site
• Acronyms and jargon are defined

Robust: The site is crawlable and accessible when accessed on different platforms and technologies, especially assistive technologies. It also keeps up with updates. 

Examples: 

• Expressing that a certain version of a browser must be used to access content 
• Documents formats are made accessible for screen readers, voice readers, etc. 

How SEO Is Influenced by Accessibility 

By now, you can understand that accessibility could play a key role in your SEO strategy since it makes content accessible and crawlable for all. Google has recently shifted focus to rewarding sites that have a positive user experience, hence Core Web Vitals. Mobile-friendliness is one of the key signals of the Google Page Experience update, contributing to a more positive and accessible user experience. BrightEdge’s ContentIQ is a website audit solution designed to resolve site errors so your content outperforms the competition on search engines and ensures your visitors have an optimal user experience.

Accessible Web Design

Website design is a major factor when it comes to both accessibility and SEO. The way page content is organized, along with distinct contrast between text and background colors and more. Optimizing images to reduce loading speed keeps your site organized and your users engaged. Navigation helps keep users on a clear click path, instead of getting lost in your site's content. 

Title Tags

Title tags are visible at the top of your web browser as a tab and on the results page of Google. Title tags are key for differentiating which page a user is on or looking for. Quality title tags are especially crucial for users accessing websites through screen readers, as screen readers kick-off reading a site with the title tag itself. Utilizing top keywords in title tags is important for your site’s ranking in the SERPs, so you are toward the top of page 1. 

Header Hierarchy

Your site’s header tags set the outline for your content. With your H1 being your most sought-after keyword, H2 - H6 is logical in sequence and clearly describes the content below it. Headers help users understand the flow of the context better and can increase your chances of being a featured snippet in the SERPs. 

Links

Both users and crawlers use links to navigate the web on their search journey. Link text is important to your site's accessibility and SEO since links serve as anchors on a page. If someone who is visually impaired isn’t able to differentiate between text vs. linked text, they will miss out on the opportunity to learn more and you will miss out on benefits for your site’s backlinks. Making link text extremely obvious and different from the plain old text as well as obviously calling out where it will take a user once clicked is key. The Recommendations feature in BrightEdge allows you to act on prescriptive SEO tasks to improve organic visibility including notifications about broken or missing links.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to designing your website, one of your top priorities should be accessibility. First and foremost, everyone deserves the same experience when searching. Do your part in maintaining an accessible website by following the POUR principles and broadening your perceptions of those different around you.