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One Long Page, or Split Pages up?

by MapleGuy
8 replies
I have a topic on my website I am doing an article on. The problem is, the article "could" be split into various sub-topics. Would you keep everything on a single page with maybe 1500-2000 words, or split into 300-400 word pages. I'll use H1 for the main keyword, and H2's for the other possible search terms.

Any ideas?
#long #page #pages #split
  • Profile picture of the author Sherry Han
    I believe 500-800 word articles are your best bet. A 1500-2000 word article is too long. People don't want to read that much. Plus, it'll be difficult for readers to find exactly what they're looking for. By separating your content into subtopics, a visitor can go to the area(s) that interests them without having to go through the rest.

    A 500-800 word article is a lot more manageable. Nearly everyone can read through it without getting bored. Search engines prefer content pieces to be in this range too.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Sherry Han View Post

      A 1500-2000 word article is too long. People don't want to read that much.
      Many people don't, it's true. But the people likely to become your best customers typically do.

      It's very striking how, in every discussion of article length in this forum over the last couple of years, the most experienced people whose article marketing I judge to be among the most successful, are endorsing much longer articles than the other posters.

      For myself, I invariably do far better with a 1,500-word article than I do with two 750-word ones. Far more traffic and even far more backlinks from syndication, too.

      I find 500-800 word articles far less valuable.

      Originally Posted by Sherry Han View Post

      Search engines prefer content pieces to be in this range too.
      Any evidence for this very remarkable assertion? :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author chuckharris
    Originally Posted by MapleGuy View Post

    I have a topic on my website I am doing an article on. The problem is, the article "could" be split into various sub-topics. Would you keep everything on a single page with maybe 1500-2000 words, or split into 300-400 word pages. I'll use H1 for the main keyword, and H2's for the other possible search terms.

    Any ideas?
    300 - 400 actually sounds good to me. I like it short and sweet and from an SEO perspective you should be fine.
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  • Profile picture of the author MapleGuy
    Thanks guys. I know this topic is a tough one, I have always read that 1000+ word articles do very well in search engines because of the wealth of information.

    Since this "article" will be a page on my site and not a post, I am stuck if I should create subpages below this one making the information even deeper..
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  • Profile picture of the author TrumpiaTim
    Split pages up, nothing I hate more than a forever scrolling page of content lol
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Curtis
      There is no "one size fits all" answer to this question.

      The way to think about it, though, is to use your judgment about what is required to fully cover the topic.

      If someone wants to know the average temperature in Billings in February, or how many legs does a squid have, then they don't need 2,000 words. They are looking for bullets.

      On the other hand, if someone wants to know the best way to engage an audience during a technical presentation, or how to reinforce a house foundation that is sinking, and you are able to present useful information, they will read a very long page.

      Now, there are some subjects for which short pages are ideal. You might have a fool-proof recipe for cooking rice, for example, where a short paragraph and a photo on each page is ideal. People will glady click through such a presentation.

      But unless there is a compelling reason to make a new page, then it is probably not wise. If someone does not want to scroll to see more, why would they want to click to see more?

      In any event, you will be more successful if you attempt to write the finest page on the internet for your subject. If you do that it is much more likely to be found. Cream rises.

      The evidence that long articles succeed? Look no further than the Warrior Forum. There are some very long posts that provide real details, and they get tens or hundreds of "thanks" and are read again and again.
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  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    you really should be running your own tests to determine which works best in your situation , this isn't really a question that can be answered without testing and determining for yourself.
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  • Profile picture of the author humbledmarket
    Banned
    Originally Posted by MapleGuy View Post

    I have a topic on my website I am doing an article on. The problem is, the article "could" be split into various sub-topics. Would you keep everything on a single page with maybe 1500-2000 words, or split into 300-400 word pages. I'll use H1 for the main keyword, and H2's for the other possible search terms.

    Any ideas?
    Highly recommend splitting the pages as mentioned...this way you can ensure your pages are more targeted to the audience. People don't want to have to waste time looking for the content they want...they simply move on to another site.

    Contrary to the SEO believe you need 500+ word content to rank well; this is really situational. Having multiple pages also allow you to SEO more delicately to rank more keywords...easier to target effectively a broad base of keywords than trying to do so all on one page.
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