Writing a big post vs a blast of small posts.

13 replies
Hi guys,

About my thread title what do you think is best posting 1-3 small articles per day, lets say around 500 words vs 1 weekly article with 2000 up 10000 words highly researched.

I mean having a website starting with 3-4 articles in a month seems short, but if the quality its a premium what do you think that will bring more leads, traffic and is SEO friendly?

Because i see so many crap outhere....

I am asking because i building my new blog even being is a foreign language i am starting to have few articles but big in length. Right now they are between 2500 to 5000 words each but it takes me a lot of time produce each one but i am feeling happy with it because i feel that i am providing value to the visitor.

But i am always thinking the vs small articles that are very superficial.
#big #blast #post #posts #small #writing
  • Profile picture of the author answergal
    I have a very high ranked blog with tons of engagement and I have never done more than one blog post per week. I think doing lots of tiny posts is okay if you're niche is tech or some hot news trendy things that are quick, consumable and then they're over.

    I blog mostly about blogging and IM so it's pretty evergreen stuff. No need for "hot off the press" kind of 500 word posts to get you the latest and greatest info.

    Do good blog posts, well researched as you say, with screen caps, videos etc. for variety and also for SEO, of course.

    Another problem with short posts multiple times is that you WILL get tired of keeping up that pace and then you'll lack the consistency that is key to keep and audience, and stay in good graces with the Googles of the world.

    Don't forget too, that you can use Warrior Forum blogs to promote your own blog and get some extra eyeballs (although I've never done it, others have and tell me it works nicely)... if only I had time to do all the things I know are a good idea to do
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  • Profile picture of the author webmarke
    Tiny post work best because most people on the internet do not like reading long content.

    A good idea is to use each short article as a teaser for your next one. You can give them part of the content and tell them that you will have more content about the subject coming soon.

    This will keep them coming back to your site as well as keep them engaged.
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    • Profile picture of the author morg2k2
      Originally Posted by webmarke View Post

      Tiny post work best because most people on the internet do not like reading long content.

      A good idea is to use each short article as a teaser for your next one. You can give them part of the content and tell them that you will have more content about the subject coming soon.

      This will keep them coming back to your site as well as keep them engaged.
      that´s right and very valid point i must admit, but on the other face of the coin is the lack of information, for example if you want to learn something deeply then you small post probably will say what you will find everywhere using some different words on it....
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  • Profile picture of the author sweetcrabhoney18
    Aim for a set mixture to reach both types of readers. Making a schedule of 1 long posting a month and then the remaining daily/3 times a week postings are short and to the point. Allow your readers to want to follow you by providing great content that meets all their needs
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by sweetcrabhoney18 View Post

      Aim for a set mixture to reach both types of readers. Making a schedule of 1 long posting a month and then the remaining daily/3 times a week postings are short and to the point. Allow your readers to want to follow you by providing great content that meets all their needs
      Agree.

      Aim for a mixture of content, with the length matched to the objective of the post.

      Make your long posts, to use an overused term, epic. Those long, in depth posts will become your flagship content. They become the foundation of your orientation series for new visitors, your initial email series, even a collection of them for a book.

      One of the dangers of posting too frequently is that your posts get pushed down before people get a chance to find them. Once your posts disappear into your archives, most visitors are not going to hunt for them.

      A good use for some of the smaller posts is to build relationships. Answer visitor questions, link to other bloggers' posts and other resources, even editorialize so people start to know you and form a connection to you.
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      • Profile picture of the author anayb
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Agree.
        One of the dangers of posting too frequently is that your posts get pushed down before people get a chance to find them. Once your posts disappear into your archives, most visitors are not going to hunt for them.
        eHow and livestrong.com once published some 10,000 articles per day for several months before they saw a great deal of traction. I don't think they produced that amount of content, costing millions of dollars, for the sole purpose of archiving and people never viewing them again.
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  • Profile picture of the author essmeier
    As a rule, I'd say write longer, but...
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  • Profile picture of the author essmeier
    There's something seriously wrong with this new format. Where's the edit feature? I've found that longer posts tend to work better, but not for all sites.
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  • Hi,

    In my opinion, I think it has something to do with the niche you are writing about. Some technical/tutorial niches need longer articles in order for audiences to fully grasp the essence of the instructions. However, there are also some niches like gadgets and products that require only short content so as not to bore readers.

    I think one of the effective ways to write content is to place it more in bullet form. This goes out for both long and short-content posts. After all it is better and easy on the eyes to read 2 sentences than trying to take in an entire paragraph of stuffs, works good for scanning too.
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  • Profile picture of the author ozki
    If I were you, I wouldn't focus on length but on EXPERIENCE
    Do your visitors feel ENLIGHTENED when they read your content?
    You want them to view you as a CREDIBLE AUTHORITY.... otherwise, you'd have to invest more in content. It can be quite a money pit...
    Believe it or not, one of the easiest ways to build credibility is through INFOGRAPHICS mixed in with high-demand content.
    There are lots of tools that will help you get a proper mix going.
    Old school text-only sites are on the way out.....
    Seriously.
    People are looking to be INFORMED and ENTERTAINED all at the same time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ralph83
    One thing I keep noticing is that people bother less and less to properly read something. Which is why a modern front page only has a few (key)words on it, trying to explain a product with as few words as possible. And which also explains why a funny picture or video, goes viral more easily than a funny/good story.

    Anyway, I think it depends on your target audience... are they into your topic enough to read long articles about it. And are they people who actually like to read.

    Also, note that mobile internet is hugely popular now. And I think that reading a long article on a small screen is not something many people like.

    If writing long articles makes you happy, you might consider the following:

    - Mix up 500 words and 2000 words articles.

    Or:

    - Use 500 words articles as free content and longer articles as premium content.

    Why stick to only short or long aricles if you can do both, right?

    Finally, ask yourself if you're able/willing to keep producing long aricles for years to come. At some point writing only 500 words, might feel as a relieve.
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  • Profile picture of the author Collins Browne
    I would tend to agree with Ralph here. Depending on your target audience they will be unlikely to read 5000 words unless they are extremely interested in it.

    Of course some ideas take longer to get across but if you are properly keyword rich, not overdone with value more blog posts of lesser words seem to rank better and get more traffic.

    Good images go a long way and tend to get shared more than a long wordy piece.

    Creating your own image such as a cartoon or an edited image to make a point does very well. The point is to keep your readers engaged not give a dissertation.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by anayb View Post

    eHow and livestrong.com once published some 10,000 articles per day for several months before they saw a great deal of traction. I don't think they produced that amount of content, costing millions of dollars, for the sole purpose of archiving and people never viewing them again.
    No one produces content for the purpose of filling an archive that's never viewed. But that is the typical result for most bloggers.

    Besides, even if posting 10k articles per day still worked, how many solo bloggers are capable of that kind of volume?
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