What Is Long-Form Content?
Long-form content is articles, blog posts, or pieces of content that are significantly longer and more detailed than typical short articles or posts.
Usually upwards of 2000 words, long-form is great for going into topics, in a place of more depth.
But the real benefit...?
And, it converts more, within business.
Long-form content, leads to more clients and conversion, that short-form content. Let me show you why.
Written by Claudia Lee | Founder of Nexus Gecko
The Usual Events
I often find when people first begin article writing, they settle at the 1000-1500 word mark.
They think they've done 'enough'. They've spent an hour doing a quick Google search, and now they think, they're well on their way.
The truth is most articles, are not good. They don't rank well, cause they aren't written in a way, Google would enjoy suggesting them. They aren't clear and intriguing, and provide valuable information.
Why is that an issue? Well...
1. Engagement is better and more tailored, when there are a higher number of words and information.
The less you do, the less they care. Simple as that.
On average, long-form content receives about 77.2% more external links than shorter pieces. This is because comprehensive content is more valuable and shareable, leading to higher link acquisition.
2. SEO ranking is considerably more likely, when there are more words.
This will make your life a hell of a lot easier in the long run.
Long-form content significantly impacts SEO rankings. Articles with word counts between 2,250 and 2,500 tend to earn the most organic traffic. Moreover, longer reads of over 3,000 words receive three times more traffic than average-length articles (901-1200 words)
Well what do I do, then?
Well it means more writing. It means more words, more work and more damn time.
Sort of.
It actually just takes more practise, so you can become more efficient.
Let me show you how in 3 simple steps...
This is taken from our full article 'How To Not Flop: Marketing Success Guide'
The 3 Simple Steps
Start Simple
Go to Google, and type in a question your niche is wanting to explore. Just use intellect for this, it doesn't have to be perfect.
If a customer was looking for you, what would they search for, as a question.
Here's some examples...
CBD Beverage: Is it legal to drink CBD drinks in France?
High-end Real Estate: Where in London, does properties hold their value best?
Organic Clothing Brand: How can a t-shirt be organic?
You get the idea. Then...
...take note, as to what comes up. Google is literally showing you, what other people are looking for, that relates to this.
Copy and paste these into a word document, and save them all. Try many different searches and compile them up. Aim to answer 3-5 questions, per article.
Or more, if you feel like it.
Alt-Text: The Actual Holy Grail Of SEO
Not only, are images super helpful for retention but also, when done correctly, very helpful in SEO.
By adding images to your articles, you literally make your life 100X easier as a marketer. Here's why.
Why does Alt-Text help SEO
Alt text, short for alternative text, is super useful for a couple of really important reasons.
First off, imagine if you couldn't see a picture on a website. How would you know what's there? Alt text is like a helper that tells people who can't see the image. It's really useful for everyone, even those who are visually impaired, to understand your article.
Secondly, alt text to computers and the internet, especially for search engines like Google, basically screams out, "hey, this is what my picture is about!"
So when people search for something on the internet that's in your alt text, Google knows and says, "I’ve got a picture for that!" and shows them your image.
It's a bit like giving your picture a name tag at a big party, so it doesn't get lost in the crowd.
So How Do I Write Good Alt-Text?
Writing good alt text is like creating an inventory of a picture. Here's how you can write good alt text, with or without AI:
Without AI:
Just Describe What You See: Look at the picture and describe the important parts. If it's a photo of a dog playing fetch, your alt text could be "A happy golden retriever fetching a red ball in the park."
Keep it Short and Sweet: Alt text should be brief but descriptive. Around 125 characters is usually enough to give a good description without being too long.
Use Keywords Wisely: If your picture is on a website, think about what words people might use to find that image. Include those words in your alt text, but make sure they match what’s in the picture.
Skip "Image of..." or "Picture of...": Screen readers usually say this already, so you don’t need to repeat it. Just dive straight into the description.
Think About Context: What's the picture for? If you're writing an article about space and have a picture of the moon, your alt text could be "Full moon lighting up the night sky," because it's more poetic and fits the story you're telling.
With AI:
Give Clear Instructions: If you're using an AI tool like ChatGPT, you need to tell it exactly what to do. Say something like, "Write alt text for an image showing kids playing soccer in a field on a sunny day."
Ask for Keywords: If you want your picture to show up in searches, ask the AI to include specific keywords. There might be things you want to make sure it adds.
Review and Tweak: AI can be a great starting point, but it's not perfect. Always check what it writes and make sure it fits your picture just right.
Cut It Down: Remember about 125 characters is best. Make sure to cut it down and keep it concise. Not like the example above. However, let it give you a long example, and take only what you need from it.
Meta-Tags & Descriptions: The Final Hurdle
Now when you're ready to launch, and you're about to throw it out there. Make sure people can see what it's about. Just like alt-text we need a description for the search engines.
Simply do like it says below, and ask AI to write your descriptions. Here's the key points...
The way I remember it, is the acronym STAR.
S - Shock - Give them something to latch on to.
T - Topic - Give the content of the topic, and what it's about.
A - Authority - How you, and just you, have solved this problem and how you can help others fix it. Or perhaps, what you have discovered, or worked out. Whatever it may be given the context.
R - Reason - Why they should click highlighted one last time.
Here's a great example:
'Your articles don't get readers! But... we have solved this for our clients, and now we're giving you the blueprint. You're crazy, if you don't save this...'
So there you have it. Get writing!
There's the blueprint.
Be sure to check out some of our other resources here, to help you with your writing.
And if you want an entire year of content, delivered to you, by us experts, in just only 30 days. Take a look here, and get in touch.
