Why write short articles for your blog?

In the field of SEO, it is common practice to increase the length of articles in order to improve search engine rankings. While it is not impossible to achieve a top position on Google with short articles, it is generally more challenging. However, continuously writing long articles can be difficult for bloggers and site writers. It is important to find a balance between long and short articles and know when it is beneficial to produce shorter content for your blog.

Let's explore the reasons why writing short articles for your blog can be advantageous.

What is considered a short article?

First, let's define what we mean by a short article. Typically, a short article consists of 300 to 500 words, while a long article is often more than 1500 words, or even 2000 words according to a study on top-ranking content on Google. More than 50% of these top-ranking articles exceeded 2000 words.

300 to 500 words roughly equate to 1800 to 3000 characters, using journalistic terminology. On the other hand, a medium-length article would be around 800 to 1000 words. It is important to vary the length of the posts published on your blog and determine when it is appropriate to write and share a short article.

The Benefits of Writing Short Blog Posts

Now, let's discuss the advantages of writing short content, also known as "snacking" content, for your blog. Snacking content refers to easily consumable content, similar to a quick snack.

Save time: Writing short content saves time. It requires fewer sources and usually only requires one or two paragraphs for formatting. The time saved can be used to write multiple short articles in succession or to divide a topic into several parts.
Create Tips Sets: Instead of creating a single article with a list of tips, you can write multiple short articles, each focusing on a specific tip. This allows for better retention and engagement, as readers can choose to read only the tips that interest them. Additionally, you can create a summary with links to each tip, making it easier for readers to navigate the series of articles. Proper indexing can also improve the discoverability of these short articles on search engines.
Reach a specific audience: Short-form content appeals to those who prefer quick consumption. By analyzing the connection times on your Google Analytics, you can identify periods with fewer connections, such as morning and evening transport hours. Publishing articles during these time slots can help attract readers who have time constraints. You can also schedule regular appointments with your audience to deliver specific short content, allowing you to develop a dedicated audience during slower periods. Regularly reviewing your Google Analytics will provide insights into the effectiveness of these strategies.
Meet your readers' expectations: To better meet your readers' expectations, consider conducting a small survey via your social networks. Offer different choices and let your audience choose the types of content, days, and times of publication. Based on the survey results, propose the most relevant solutions. This approach not only helps you create a connection with your community but also encourages engagement and idea-sharing for future articles.
Work on your internal network with short articles: Short articles can be used to support longer articles for SEO purposes. If your site follows a semantic cocoon architecture, consider short articles as child articles that can boost parent articles. These short articles can cover specific topics related to a broader theme, which can be further explored in a long-form article.
Create an online dictionary or index: To explain terms and words specific to your niche, consider creating an online dictionary or index. Short content works well for providing definitions and allows you to incorporate relevant links to more in-depth content on your blog.

There are undoubtedly other benefits and advantages to developing short content on your blog. It is important to explore these possibilities and gather insights from your community.

The Disadvantages of Short-Form Content

While there are advantages to producing short content, there are also some disadvantages to consider. One of the main challenges is achieving good search engine rankings, although it is not impossible. By adopting a semantic cocoon structure and optimizing the content, short articles can still rank well. However, it can be difficult to condense information when you are accustomed to writing longer articles. Writing long-form content comes more naturally to many writers, so it may require some practice to become proficient in writing shorter posts. Additionally, one obvious disadvantage is the inability to delve deeply into a topic. In such cases, consider dividing the topic into multiple parts and create several short contents. Providing a summary can help compensate for the brevity of each individual post.