Long-form content is no longer just for academic papers and books. It is a powerful marketing tool that can boost return traffic, brand searches and user engagement.
Complete guides and in-depth articles that teach a new skill or explain a topic in detail demonstrate your expertise and build trust. They can also attract other brands to backlink.
1. It’s Longer
Many marketers may be nervous about making long-form content a core part of their strategy because of the attention spans of modern audiences. Those worries are legitimate, but it’s important to remember that long-form doesn’t have to be a standalone piece of content. In fact, you can take one epic blog post and use it as the raw material for multiple pieces of content, thereby getting more value out of your time and resources.
For example, you could turn your 7-,500-word article on how to run a SaaS startup into an audio podcast, a SlideShare presentation, and a webinar, just to name a few possibilities. That way, you’ll reach a wider audience with your message and position yourself as an authority on the subject.
There’s also a perception that long-form content has more credibility than short pieces. That’s because longer posts typically feature more in-depth research and thorough analysis, which are qualities that search engines look for in high-quality, authoritative content.
In addition, the amount of information you provide has a direct impact on how long people spend on your site and the likelihood that they will return in the future. This is known as dwell time and it is another factor that influences organic ranking on Google.
Of course, this is only true if your long-form content truly provides value. If it’s a rambling flufff piece that does nothing to add to the discussion, it’ll be ignored by both readers and search engines alike. That’s why it’s essential to focus on creating high-quality, comprehensive content that will answer your audience’s questions and inspire them to keep reading. By doing so, you’ll set yourself up for success in the long-term.
2. It’s More In-Depth
Long form content has a tendency to be more in-depth and comprehensive. This means that you can cover a topic in greater detail, making it more likely to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). This is especially true if you have a thorough keyword research strategy, which includes finding long tail keywords. It also helps if you add visuals to your long-form posts. People tend to respond to visuals more than they do to words alone. So don’t be afraid to break your articles up with some photos, illustrations, and videos.
This type of content is also more likely to get quality backlinks from authoritative sites, which will improve your domain authority over time. Long-form articles also have a tendency to have lower bounce rates, which is another factor that can help you improve your ranking on SERPs.
When it comes to creating long-form content, the key is to focus on serving your readers and providing them with value. If your content doesn’t offer value or solve a problem, you will not be able to capture reader attention and keep them on your site.
For example, if your blog post is about how to start a business but fails to offer any valuable information, then you will not be able to keep readers interested. On the other hand, if your article is a comprehensive guide on how to start a business, it will be much more helpful and will keep readers engaged.
When it comes to long-form content, the best thing you can do is make sure that your content is organized and has a logical flow. It’s also important to avoid keyword stuffing, which can make your article look spammy and reduce its SEO value. Instead, try to incorporate your target keyword naturally throughout the piece and use it in a way that will be beneficial to your audience.
3. It’s More Comprehensive
Long-form content makes good SEO sense as it gives you the opportunity to include multiple keywords across an entire topic. This allows you to target a wider range of search intents and attract more relevant traffic, increasing your organic rankings over time. This kind of content also gives you the chance to demonstrate your expertise in a field and build trust with your audience, resulting in more conversions and sales down the line. You can opt to reach out to an SEO agency in Sydney to help you start out strong.
However, before you start drafting a lengthy post, it’s important to do your research. Find out what’s currently ranking for your chosen keyword and how much competition there is. This will give you a good idea of how long an article you should aim for, and whether you should include any supplemental or supporting content to make it as comprehensive as possible.
When it comes to creating long-form content, the most important thing is to focus on the needs of your audience. This means adding value to the industry by presenting new ideas, clarifying complex concepts and making life easier for your reader.
Additionally, you should ensure that your content is easy to read and digest by including visuals wherever possible. This can be done through photos, infographics or even video. Humans are drawn to visuals and tend to lose interest if paragraphs of text are all they see. Try to break up the text into smaller chunks by using sub-headings and incorporating a table of contents at the beginning.
If you want to capture leads, it may be worth creating a gated version of your content, such as an eBook or whitepaper, which requires a visitor to provide their email address before they can access it. This will allow you to collect qualified leads and follow them down your marketing funnel.
4. It’s More Actionable
If you write a long piece of content that is truly valuable and informative, then readers will naturally spend time on it. And when they do, it’s likely that your website will rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). That’s because Google takes into account factors like “time on site” when ranking websites – and long articles often have high “time on site” metrics.
In addition, if you create high-quality long-form content that answers a specific question, then you can often rank for featured snippets in SERPs. These are the articles that appear at the top of the page when someone searches a particular query. These are coveted positions because they drive more clicks and can increase the visibility of your website.
To increase the chance of your content ranking for a specific query, do some keyword research ahead of time and focus on finding low-competition keywords that are relevant to your topic. Then, throughout your article, try to incorporate those keywords in the natural flow of the content. If possible, make them part of the title and subheadings, too.
It’s also important to include a table of contents at the beginning of your long-form content so that readers can easily find the section they need to read. And remember to use images in your posts – these can improve readability and add visual interest to your content.
Finally, it’s a good idea to promote your long-form content on social media before it goes live. You can also offer gated versions of the content that require an email address or login to view. This can help you get more leads and build trust with your audience.
5. It’s More Accessible
Long-form content does well for SEO because it provides value to the reader. This value is largely in the form of information and knowledge, but can also be an emotional connection or even a sense of accomplishment. When you produce valuable content, readers will reward you by sharing the content with their networks — and this is another great way to drive traffic to your site.
To make sure that your long-form content delivers value, start by identifying the search intent of the topic you are covering. This will help you create an outline and ensure that your content is structured in a way that makes it easy for users to understand. The best way to do this is by using headings, paragraphs, and sections. You should also include visuals when possible to break up large blocks of text and make your content more digestible.
A great example of long-form content is this comprehensive guide on social media marketing from HubSpot. This post is well organized with each section covering a different aspect of social media marketing and has an easy-to-read format. It is also highly actionable and includes plenty of helpful tips that any marketer can implement right away.
Additionally, the article is optimized for search by including the correct keywords and by utilizing an informative title and snippet. This ensures that the article will be shown in the SERPs for relevant searches, which is important for any piece of content.
To create your own long-form content, first research your competitors and identify what type of content is performing best. Then, figure out what your audience wants to know about the topic and structure your content accordingly. Also, be sure to use a variety of promotion strategies to reach out to your target audience and encourage them to read the content.