Michael Epps Utley {kind=image/jpg}
In marketing, variety is essential. Variety spices things up and creates a sense of anticipation. No brand ever became a household name by sinking everything into direct mail. Just as there should be variety in your marketing channels and tactics, there should be variety in your marketing content.
A variety of long and short-form formats is what spices up your strategy, and your SEO, too. Short-form content (usually between 300 and 1,000 words) attracts attention, helps with brand awareness, and is best suited to top-of-funnel audiences. Long-form content (typically 1,500+ words) explores and explains a topic more thoroughly, leads to longer audience engagement, and is ideal for nurturing audiences through the lower phase of the funnel. Plus, Google loves long-form articles, with their search intent focus and all their backlinks. This has long been the case, and in the age of AI Overviews and AI Mode, quality long-form content has only become more valuable for marketers.
So, both short- and long-form content have their places in SEO marketing. Let’s take a look at the advantages long-form vs short-form content offers, which works best for SEO in a given situation, and why variety is the best policy.
Long-Form Content—Going Deep
Long-form content is in-depth content that provides thorough explanations, simplifies complex topics, and gives the reader a clear understanding of a subject or product. From how-to guides to expert analyses, comprehensive tutorials, whitepapers, case studies, and evergreen blog posts, this format is the one to choose when you’re targeting audiences looking for answers and distinguishing between options so they can make a purchase decision.
This level of detail also helps with SEO. Long-form content is more apt to rank higher in the SERPs because search engines reward high-quality content that helps users find the information they’re looking for. It also gives you the space to demonstrate your authority and credibility, two more key factors that search engines like Google reward. AI Overviews favor in-depth content because it provides more context and provides more meaningful answers for a range of queries (both broad and specific).
A study by Semrush comparing long-form vs. short-form reveals blog posts over 3,000 words generate 4.5x the traffic posts between 500 – 1,000 words do, and 3.5x the amount of backlinks.
When to Use Long-Form Content
Long-form content works best when:
You’re targeting high-competition keywords.
You want to build authority on a topic.
Your goal is to educate by providing detailed analysis and actionable insights.
You need evergreen material that will earn more backlinks over time.
Regardless of length, try to be as succinct as possible with your content. As Tim Soulo, CMO of Ahrefs says, “Nobody likes to read. They just want the information. If they could download it to their brain, they would.” Long-form content works best when it’s well-structured so the reader (and search engine or LLM) can quickly scan headings, subheadings, and lists to find exactly what they’re looking for.
The Advantages of Short-Form Content
Not everyone wants to dive into a 2,000-word article. Sometimes, they’re simply looking for a quick, clear, snackable answer to something, and this is what short-form content achieves.
While short-form content is easy to digest, it’s also more mobile-friendly. It captures and engages attention, aiding in brand awareness and introducing audiences to shortlist options, making it perfect for top-of-funnel tactics. It can also outperform long-form content on social platforms due to its quick-hit nature. This is the stuff of memes, let’s not forget.
When you’re targeting audiences skimming for immediate answers to specific questions, a shorter post is what audiences are most likely to engage in.
When to Use Short-Form Content
When the search intent is navigational (news updates, product descriptions, quick tips) or transactional (ad copy, landing pages with signup forms), short-form content is your go-to choice.
Use short-form content when:
You’re targeting long-tail or question-based keywords.
You’re targeting audiences that want fast, concise answers.
You’re sharing bite-sized insights.
You want to build brand awareness or spark engagement.
What’s Better for SEO: Short-Form vs. Long-Form Content
For SEO, your format choice must align with your goals and your audience’s search intent. Google’s job is to deliver the most useful result—not the longest or shortest one. Think about who you’re writing for, what they’re actively looking to resolve, and whether they’d benefit more from a shorter piece of content or a comprehensive post, article, or study.
Long-Form Content:
Covers multiple keyword variations naturally.
Increases dwell time.
Encourages internal linking
Attracts more backlinks.
Builds authority.
Short-Form Content:
Provides better engagement for new products, brand messages, and updates.
Builds excitement over announcements.
Highlights your product or service’s key features and benefits.
Answers low-complexity queries (e.g., “what’s CTR?”).
Long-form content is known for being the most referenced and shared, but it’s the short-form content that can take off for its simplicity, original commentary, and sheer engagement value.
Why a Blended Strategy Works Best
Long-form vs. short-form content isn’t an either-or decision. It’s a both/and situation. The strongest SEO strategies use both formats judiciously through the marketing funnel. By combining long and short-form formats, you create a versatile and powerful content strategy that positions your brand as the best in its category.
Making the best of both:
Set clear goals for each piece.
Let short-form content drive audiences toward more in-depth materials.
Repurpose long-form content into short-form assets (e.g., break up longer materials into several shorter blog posts, social media features, etc.)
Build long-form content from short-form queries so readers get in-depth guidance and snackable answers on a single page (e.g., add an FAQ section to the bottom of a longer blog post).
Track performance and adjust based on audience behavior.
The Long and Short of It All
If you’re wondering whether long-form content is better for SEO than short-form content, the answer is that there’s really no one-size-fits-all approach. The best format is the one that satisfies search intent and meets your audience’s needs. Remember: at the end of the day, the content you create should be helpful and built on your brand authority. If a short piece of content gets your message across and answers an important customer question, go for it—if a long piece of content will serve as a valuable resource to attract leads, inform customers, and bolster brand authority, press on. Either way, search engines will reward you, so long as the content is authoritative, accurate, trustworthy, and aligned with your message.
Having trouble formulating content that boosts visibility and drives more traffic? Get in touch with the team at GoEpps. Our writers, digital marketing strategists, and SEO specialists take the guesswork out of content planning to build tailored, targeted strategies that perform. Book a free strategy call today.
