Why is content getting longer?

[SEOhughesm]

I find it odd that with the way life is today -- the gotta-have-it-now, instant gratification, can't hold someone's attention span for longer than 3 seconds -- why Google is wanting content to be REALLY long?? I've read articles saying content should be as long as 2,000 words per page. This just seems nuts to me. No one wants to read anymore. Look at how short Twitter posts are and how videos are so prevalent now. Any thoughts?

[SEOhughesm]

Yes I realize tweets cannot be compared to blogs. I was just trying to point out how people love short content.

[KevinBudzynski]

I hate averages! A landing page should always be dedicated to fulfilling the needs of the visitors. If the visitor requires more information, add it in via inverted pyramid.

[TheZenAgency]

Content should be as long or short as it needs to be. Don't limit yourself by trying to hit a specific number of words.

[BradsDeals]

I think all of that research should be taken with a grain of salt since it's talking in averages while what works is going to vary from one industry or niche to the next. That said, though, if your content is well-researched, well-written and thorough, length will often come naturally. Your readers are going to get pulled in (instant gratification culture be damned) and Google's quality algos are going to understand that you really know what you're talking about, and that's a powerful combo.

[UmarKhan]

Hey Deedra,

Google doesn't want content to be long.. It just wants fresh, unique and meaningful content.

As far as the content length is concerned, I think it depends on the industry mainly. Like in Finance and legal industries, the average content length is around 1000+ words because of the need. If you want someone to read your content is because you're offering something that they need. If you can sum up all your thoughts and findings in less content with the aid of graphics and videos, go ahead! You don't need to write 2000 words.

As per the SEO perspective, it's been observed that people most likely link long posts as they reflects the in-depthness and authority.

By the way, you cannot compare 140 words tweet with blogs

Umar