![\"Short-form](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Long-VS-Short.png\")
<\/p>\nShort-form or long-form content \u2014 which one is better?<\/p>\n
Long-form content is often considered the gold standard by SEO experts. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you should churn out 5,000-word articles\u00a0every. single. time.<\/p>\n
In some cases, short-form content performs better at accomplishing marketing goals and\u00a0ranking pages.\u00a0To help you decide which content you should create, continue reading this guide on short-form versus long-form content.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
No specific word count determines whether a piece of content is short-form or long-form.\u00a0Some sources peg short-form content at around 1,000 words. Others say short-form articles are below 1,200 words, while everything above is long-form content by default.<\/p>\n
The truth is, there\u2019s more to it than just the content\u2019s\u00a0average length.\u00a0To understand this, here\u2019s a quick review of what long-form and short-form content mean.<\/p>\n
Write-ups with\u00a01,200 words or more<\/a>\u00a0are considered long-form content by some marketers.\u00a0But with too much focus on\u00a0word counts, most marketers overlook the more glaring characteristic of long-form content: the\u00a0format.<\/p>\n White papers, ebooks, case studies, and \u201cultimate\u201d guides are the typical content formats used in a long-form content strategy. They can be anywhere from 1,000 to 20,000 words (or more) in length.<\/p>\n Long-form content is used in advanced strategies like creating\u00a0skyscraper content\u00a0and building a\u00a0content pillar page. These content types exhaustively discuss the topic, covering every detail and answering every question.<\/p>\n As a result, long-form content projects rack up higher\u00a0word counts\u00a0than short-form content. But that doesn\u2019t set a hard rule on how long should long-form content be.<\/p>\n Write-ups with 1,000 words or less are generally considered short-form content.<\/p>\n It’s not a hard rule, of course, since the average length isn’t the only marker to consider whether to use short- or long-form content.<\/p>\n Short-form content includes quick blog updates, social media posts, emails, and infographics.\u00a0Unlike long-form content, short-form content is designed for speedy interactions with the target audience. They can be consumed from start to finish in just a few minutes.<\/p>\n So, what is better between short-form and long-form content?\u00a0Let\u2019s take a look at their benefits.<\/p>\n Due to their sheer length, long-form content is ideal for sharing exhaustive information with your readers.<\/p>\n Comprehensive articles are helpful in guiding leads through a brand\u2019s\u00a0marketing funnel<\/a>, making them advantageous if your SEO end goal is to generate conversions.<\/p>\n Also, most long-form content generally ranks better on search engines than short-form content.<\/p>\n According to an\u00a0Ahrefs study<\/a>, longer content also naturally\u00a0acquires more backlinks\u00a0than short-form articles. This can be attributed to the amount of link-worthy information content marketers can pack in a single long-form piece.<\/p>\n Image Source: Ahrefs.com<\/em><\/p>\n Apart from backlinks, well-written long-form articles tend to perform better on several metrics \u2014 some of which directly impact search engine rankings:<\/p>\n Lastly, periodically publishing long-form content helps establish brand authority.<\/p>\n Long-form content with original data, such as surveys, case studies, and white papers, helps brands showcase their expertise to the online community. In-depth guides that include verifiable data and valuable insights can also be used to the same effect.<\/p>\n Check out some real-world examples of great long-form content:<\/p>\n Articles that thoroughly explore a topic \u2014 sprinkled with internal links to relevant pages \u2014 are the most common type of long-form content.\u00a0In the article above, we made sure readers fully understand the uses, benefits, and advantages of the\u00a0different types of marketing.<\/p>\n The piece also finished strong with actionable tips on how readers can put what they just learned into action.<\/p>\n Image Source:\u00a0MarketingProfs.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Industry reports contain original data acquired by the brands that publish them. MarketingProfs took it to the next level by finding facts about a topic that no one else talks about: The happiness of marketers.<\/p>\n The report included data you can\u2019t find anywhere else, like the reading habits of marketers and how they handle criticism. And since it\u2019s the only reference available about those subjects, other brands that mention those facts will link to it.<\/p>\n Image Source:\u00a0IBM.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n White papers are powerful B2B marketing tools that bolster a brand\u2019s authority and accelerate lead generation. It\u2019s built around a crucial issue, highlights the problems it causes, and shares the brand\u2019s expert insights.<\/p>\n Some white papers are intended to promote the brand\u2019s products as the best solutions for readers.<\/p>\n IBM\u2019s white paper on cyber threat<\/a> hunting, for instance, mentions their products like the Security QRadar and i2 Enterprise Insight Analysis.<\/p>\n Although long-form content\u00a0generally\u00a0performs better when it comes to SEO and lead generation, short-form content has its advantages.<\/p>\n For one, short-form content is much easier and faster to create.<\/p>\n Creating long-form content can take up to a week \u2014 sometimes more. That\u2019s not accounting for the time you spend on content ideation, research, and optimization.<\/p>\n But with short-form content, the final draft can be completed within hours.\u00a0Short-form content also ranks well in certain search queries, particularly those that look for specific answers.<\/p>\n Not all users are looking for \u201cdefinitive guides\u201d or \u201cstep-by-step tutorials.\u201d Some have\u00a0short attention spans\u00a0that search for simple, to-the-point articles.<\/p>\n Other types of short-form content are also essential to a well-rounded digital marketing strategy, even if they\u2019re not directly beneficial to SEO.<\/p>\n This includes social media posts, emails, and short-form videos.<\/p>\n Below are some of the best examples of short-form content:<\/p>\n Image Source:\u00a0StealthOptional.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Despite having only around 400 words, the post above by Stealth Optional ranks first for the keyword \u201cwhen will metaverse launch.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the main reasons for the post\u2019s position is its alignment with search intent.<\/p>\n With the keyword \u201cwhen will metaverse launch,\u201d it\u2019s clear that users are looking for a specific answer \u2014 not a \u201chow-to\u201d guide or an ebook. The short-form post satisfies their intent while keeping the experience short.<\/p>\n Image Source: Email from Semrush.com<\/em><\/p>\n Email is the short-form content that every marketer needs in their arsenal.<\/p>\n Emails are easy to create, impactful, and deliverable to a specific group of engaged audiences. They can also be automated with the right\u00a0emailmarketing tools<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 streamlining user interactions while you focus on other aspects of your marketing.<\/p>\n The example above is from Semrush, which talks about their free social tracker tool. It\u2019s only around 170 words long, but it does the job of promoting the platform\u2019s new feature.<\/p>\n Image Source:\u00a0Instagram.com<\/a>, @baignbaigum<\/em><\/p>\n Like the post above by Baig & Baigum, social media content caters to users looking for bite-sized content experiences.\u00a0The short-form video gets straight to the point and explains the benefits of three online courses \u2014 all in a 54-second video.<\/p>\n Other than videos, other types of short-form content on social media include status updates, tweets, image quotes, and data visualizations.<\/p>\n A successful SEO and digital marketing strategy use both long-form and short-form content. It depends on what you need to accomplish and what other competitors are doing.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you want to rank for the keyword \u201chow to get out of debt.\u201d First, run a Google search and get the average word count of the top 10 results.<\/p>\n Image Source: Google.com<\/em><\/p>\n Second, analyze how these websites structure their content.\u00a0What content type did they use (listicle, infographic, etc.)?<\/p>\n What subtopics do they cover?<\/p>\n Answering these questions helps you determine if you need long-form content to outrank competitors \u2014 or if short-form content will be enough.\u00a0Alternatively, use a content optimization tool like\u00a0SurferSEO<\/a>\u00a0to get instant content length recommendations.<\/p>\n It analyzes the top results for your target keyword to get the recommended word count, keywords, headings, and more.<\/p>\n Image Source: Docs.Google.com with SurferSEO extension<\/em><\/p>\n Your target content length depends on multiple factors, like your target keyword and marketing goal. But rather than focusing on word count,\u00a0understand your audience\u00a0and think of the best content type that will address their needs.<\/p>\n Short-form content may not be as effective as long-form content in most situations if you want to rank better on the search engines. But there are tons of search queries where short-form content can be enough to secure high rankings.<\/p>\n Some users prefer short-form content because they\u2019re\u00a0quick and easy\u00a0to consume. They may also prefer direct answers rather than digging up relevant information from a long-form guide.<\/p>\n Skyscraper content is content created using the Skyscraper Technique, which involves three steps:<\/p>\nWhat is short-form content?<\/h3>\n
![\"Benefits](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Benefits-Of-long-Blog-Post.png\")
<\/p>\nBenefits of long-form content<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPost-SS1.png\")
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![\"Talk](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ClearVoice_Inline-Ad_1.png\")
<\/p>\nLong-form content examples<\/h2>\n
1. Content, Inbound, and Digital Marketing: What\u2019s the Difference? – ClearVoice<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS2.png\")
<\/p>\n2. 2019 Marketer Happiness Report – MarketingProfs<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS3.png\")
<\/p>\n3. The Awakening of Cyber Threat Hunting – IBM<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS4.png\")
<\/p>\nBenefits of short-form content<\/h2>\n
Short-form content examples<\/h2>\n
1. Metaverse Release Date – Stealth Optional<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS5.png\")
<\/p>\n2. The Perfect Companion to Trends – Semrush<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS6.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Three Certifications on Coursera – Baig & Baigum<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS7.png\")
<\/p>\nShould you go long-form or short-form?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS8.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LongVsShortPostSS9.png\")
<\/p>\nShort-Form vs. Long-Form Content: FAQs<\/h2>\n
1. How many words should an article have?<\/h3>\n
2. Is short-form content bad for SEO?<\/h3>\n
3. Why do people prefer shorter content?<\/h3>\n
4. What is skyscraper content?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/High-Performing-Content.png\")
<\/p>\n