Human attention span has decreased dramatically over the past few decades, from about two and a half minutes to just 45 seconds. The overabundance of information and the instant gratification of platforms like TikTok have transformed the way we consume content. Today, users are looking for short, rewarding experiences, challenging the idea that long-form content is always better.
Given this context, it is worth asking: are 5,000-word articles still ideal when 2,000 would have been enough? Is even less than 1,000 words, as recommended, a good bet in this day and age? In this sense, it is recommended that all content not only be a read, but an experience. In other words, it is key to keep readers entertained by providing them with content such as interactive infographics, photo galleries, explanatory graphics, among other alternatives. Neil Patel conducted an analysis of more than 6.3 million posts on social networks, and among the types of content with the greatest interaction, he highlights “How-to” (Do it yourself), and “Listicles” which are articles that are displayed as lists.
Preferred format for content
Source: Neil Patel
If you create content, you should understand that people can still concentrate turkey mobile numbers for longer periods of time, as long as you can keep them engaged. People will engage with topics they are passionate about. So if you need a 5,000-word article to fulfill a topic you are addressing and satisfy your audience's questions, don't be afraid to do so. That is, as long as you offer value and use the resources we mentioned to get your website visitors interested.
It's key not to focus on the number of words, but rather on why you're trying to write this content - that's when you'll be able to understand what your goal is.
Shift towards concepts and contexts
SEO has evolved beyond keyword density. It is now about focusing on concepts and contexts rather than keywords . Google now values unique and fresh content that offers relevant information and personal experiences.
It's worth noting that longer content isn't necessarily better. It simply provides more opportunities to talk more about concepts and provide additional context to go deeper, which allows such content to be more valuable and achieve its ranking. Additionally, this naturally incorporates the keywords that users connect with their searches, and Google connects to your articles. However, there may also be long texts that don't meet these requirements.
Deeper content also allows us to be better at getting references and citations on the web, which gives us backlinks , but also more social engagement.