Why Short Form Content Is Still Relevant in SEO

Content is king. The simple truth of SEO is that if you want to rank high in search engine result pages, then your website needs to have content-rich pieces to not only solidify your expertise in your particular industry but also to garner the trust and loyalty of your web patrons. As with all things SEO related, the industry is having a paradigm shift, this time in the areas of content writing.

Trends are emerging and many companies are shifting the way they write their content. Spurred on by studies indicating long-form content correlates higher with better engagement, rankings and more shares versus the old golden standard, short-form content, websites are beginning to shift away from the 500+ word blogs to ones averaging more than 2000 words.

But longer posts don’t always mean better content. There’s still room on the internet for the short, sweet and powerful 500+ word blogs. Here’s why.

Power of Short Form Content

It should come as no surprise that the average attention span of an internet user has continued to plummet over the years. A recent study by Microsoft Corp and covered in a Time article titled, “You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish”, says that the average attention span of an internet user is about 8 seconds, a full second below that of a Goldfish.

This is a drop from 12 seconds since around the year 2000, or as the article points out, the time when the mobile revolution began. As amusing as the idea may be, it does highlight the point here; short form content, perhaps now more than ever, is still extremely relevant, especially in an increasingly digitized lifestyle. If your content is buried under 1,500 words that may provide additional examples to back up your content but ultimately add nothing new content-wise, then you may be hurting yourself more than helping.

There is a generation of skimmers growing up in the age of tiny attention spans who are looking to find the info they want in a lightning-quick manner or they’re out. Numerous articles and studies support this but take a look at this one as they really summarize it best.

It’s estimated that about only 20% of users will actually read an article word for word until finished. The vast majority are looking for a quick answer. Articles that are too long, poorly laid out or unnavigable, or just too difficult to read or understand are some big reasons why someone may land on your webpage looking for content, but will quickly bounce off ready to look elsewhere. The takeaway? Short form content that is neatly laid out, well crafted, simply written and full of relevant information can be just as valuable if not more valuable than a long-winded essay on a similar topic.  

California Online Marketing

In the spirit of a truly short-form blog, the end is near. For more information on the power of short-form content or other digital marketing needs, contact Performance First Marketing right away.