One of the best performing content types, especially over time, is what is called long content. However, as the name implies, it is slightly longer than the average content that may put some people off. Instead of indulging in any form of word intimidation, today we wanted to share our quality creation keys long content. As a top web development company, we understand the value of good content and consider it a shame not to use a particular type due to a lack of awareness of the trial.
What is Long-Form Content?
The definition may vary, but generally long-form content is defined as articles longer than 1200 words. Some may apply the same label for slightly shorter or longer content, it is something that certainly makes more sense the longer it is.
Traditionally longer content has been the main standard for media such as newspapers and magazines. Meatier items, with multiple reference points and in-depth coverage, were the acceptable standard. As the internet has evolved and the attention span has shrunk, the general idea was to also trim the content to digestible as soon as possible. That’s why you see so many articles in the range of 500-900 words and 200-300 words.
Realistically, the idea of long form should focus more on the quality and depth of the content rather than just categorizing it based on length.
Why is long-form content important for a website?
There are many reasons why a site can take advantage of long content
Authority – Long content is a great way to show authority on a topic. Longer, deeper articles on a topic that falls into your niche allow enough ability to discuss and share information, anecdotes, etc. that are not easily found in shorter, more superficial articles. Not everyone will have the experience or expertise to provide this level of substantive depth.
Time on page – It should make sense that longer articles need more time on the page to review. The time on page statistics is important the longer someone is with you site, the more likely they are to convert.
SEO – Long content tends to score very well. There have been studies to support this, along with the main person in the room, Google, and then said because 10% or more of their search audience wants to learn more than a snippet – search results also help users find in-depth articles. This is usually a content type who can also earn more backlinks due to their in-depth and authoritative nature.
This article contains links to 10 great examples of long-form content that shows good authority and ranking. There are a few brands that specialize in the product of this type of content and have made a name for it by creating large libraries of useful information.
Keys to creating long content
Content Calendar – Using a content calendar is an important part of the content creation process. When you start creating long-term content as part of your coverall content plan, the calendar becomes more critical as this content type requires more planning. Here’s a great article on creating a content calendar.
Planning – Planning is the most important aspect of this content type. Longer items simply take longer to develop, from the initial sketch to the finish project. The sketch is the first step in bringing ideas together. You can then add a few hours or days to the outline to help work out a more detailed outline which then becomes the blueprint for the whole piece.
Topic Focus – It’s important to remember that this content type only works if you have a focused topic that you can say a lot about. Ideally, it is something that you are interested in or passionate because it makes it much easier to dive in, research and then produce. The piece should remain tight and focused then roam around.
Using Research – Even if you don’t use all the data you directly collected, it indirectly gives you a better knowledge base to speak about the topic. You should try to collect data, surveys, etc. not only to provide support, but also to help you draw your own conclusions.
Start Writing – “The thousand-mile journey begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu. Writing an article is not as difficult as walking a thousand miles in sixth place century BC, it can seem very daunting. The most difficult thing is often to take that first step. The best advice for this part of the process is to sit down with you sketch and just start unsubscribing. This often leads to some creativity. Keep taking steps and soon enough the journey is complete.
Editing and Reviewing – Many writers skip the editing part of content creation, but that can be a mistake, especially if the content is made longer. Edit and Revising your work is one of the best ways to improve it, from finding simple spelling or grammatical mistakes to creating a more logical path for the discussion. The biggest key to remember is to look for information that doesn’t belong there. Remember that you want an extremely focused topic and if you keep stepping outside of the topic readers may not linger.
Image Selection – Whenever an image or images accompany an article, they should make sense and help support, or make the point of the content. This is doubly true when the content length increases. Take the time to find images that contribute to the overall message of your content and / or call to action if you wish performs well.
The bottom line:
The bottom line is that long form content is a very useful type of content that many websites can take advantage of. The approach needed to create this kind of content is a bit different compared to shorter content pieces, but our keys to creating quality content can be a nice foundation for anyone who wants to start producing.
