Please stop passing misinformation like this around. Let’s talk for a second about why this isn’t true — and why the converse isn’t either. 
First, what are we defining as “effective?”
Ranks better? Longer dwell time? More leads generated? Scroll depth? Links earned? They’ve utterly failed to define their succsss criteria, and here’s the tricky part:
A piece can crush it on one success criteria and fail on another.
Ranks better? Longer dwell time? More leads generated? Scroll depth? Links earned? They’ve utterly failed to define their succsss criteria, and here’s the tricky part:
A piece can crush it on one success criteria and fail on another.
The whole “long vs short content” debate has become a clown car where those with the loudest voices and a modicum of data “win.”
But here’s why the Big Deal Neils of the world can’t tell you definitively whether long or short is better:
It’s 100% contextual.
But here’s why the Big Deal Neils of the world can’t tell you definitively whether long or short is better:
It’s 100% contextual.
E.g: a long piece of content acting as an ultimate guide might earn a ton of links.
But if you sent that same guide to a highly aware lead to try and upsell them, or a “dead” lead to try and reactivate them, it might fail miserably because their awareness level is different.
But if you sent that same guide to a highly aware lead to try and upsell them, or a “dead” lead to try and reactivate them, it might fail miserably because their awareness level is different.
A long form sales page might crush it for leads buying an expensive product where they need a ton of hand holding.
But I’ve seen for myself that even when a lead is making very personal and involved decisions like which doctor to see, short form content can destroy a long page!
But I’ve seen for myself that even when a lead is making very personal and involved decisions like which doctor to see, short form content can destroy a long page!
When you focus on length, what you MISS is your audience.
What do they need to know? What do they respond to? How much do they already know?
And maybe most important: why are they reading in the first place? What was their goal coming in?
What do they need to know? What do they respond to? How much do they already know?
And maybe most important: why are they reading in the first place? What was their goal coming in?
Case in point: 3,000 character LinkedIn posts regularly drive more engagement/inquiries/business outcomes than some large posts I’ve invested hours into.
And some of my teeny tiny posts have earned more links than my big fat guides.
Stop thinking length. Start thinking utility.
And some of my teeny tiny posts have earned more links than my big fat guides.
Stop thinking length. Start thinking utility.
