{"id":7105,"date":"2022-11-30T12:13:27","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T12:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/"},"modified":"2022-11-30T12:13:27","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T12:13:27","slug":"how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/","title":{"rendered":"How to create long-form content that ranks, gets read and converts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are many questions about content length in SEO and what ranks the best.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While Google says there\u2019s no specific word count they recommend, some studies have shown that long-form content tends to rank higher than short-form.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in writing long-form content, you probably want to make sure it\u2019s going to rank, get read, and convert so you create an ROI for your effort.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#What_is_long-form_content\" >What is long-form content?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#What_should_you_include_in_long-form_content\" >What should you include in long-form content?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#Where_do_you_start_when_creating_long-form_content_to_rank_get_read_and_convert\" >Where do you start when creating long-form content to rank, get read and convert?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#How_do_you_make_sure_your_long-form_content_ranks\" >How do you make sure your long-form content ranks?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#Make_sure_theres_interest_in_your_topic\" >Make sure there\u2019s interest in your topic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#Research_keywords\" >Research keywords<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#Choose_your_keywords\" >Choose your keywords<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#How_to_make_sure_your_content_gets_read\" >How to make sure your content gets read<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#Your_final_step_is_to_optimize_your_content_piece\" >Your final step is to optimize your content piece<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/30\/how-to-create-long-form-content-that-ranks-gets-read-and-converts\/#Done_right_long-form_content_is_worth_the_investment\" >Done right, long-form content is worth the investment<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_long-form_content\"><\/span>What is long-form content?\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most consider long-form content to be over 1,000 words. It\u2019s a content piece that goes in-depth, offers extra value for the reader and includes more research, insights, and information than a quick read.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Long-form content should leave the reader feeling comfortable with the subject and as if their questions have been answered and they know what to do with the information or how it applies to them.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_you_include_in_long-form_content\"><\/span>What should you include in long-form content?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You want to create content that helps your reader. Think about them and what they need or want to learn from this piece. What questions do they have?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s your responsibility to anticipate their questions and answer them in your work. If you\u2019re unsure what questions they have, then think about what you want to ensure they know.<\/p>\n<p>Use the following guide questions to identify which information is most important to help them get to the next stage:<\/p>\n<p>What do they need to know?Why do they need to know it?What can they do with the information?What baseline information should they know to make this make more sense?What if they don\u2019t have that baseline knowledge already?How does this information impact them?What\u2019s their next step?<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t write a bunch of unnecessary fluff to try to hit some word count.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You must ensure you\u2019re providing value and helping your ideal customer so they want to consume more of your content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you get them to the site but find nothing of value, they\u2019ll be less likely to stay or return another time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Write to tell a story and provide value rather than writing to an arbitrary word count. Your content will be better in the long run.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_do_you_start_when_creating_long-form_content_to_rank_get_read_and_convert\"><\/span>Where do you start when creating long-form content to rank, get read and convert?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To start, make sure there\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/customer-journey-guide-seo-387107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conversion path<\/a> for your reader. Your content pieces need to tie to your products or services to drive revenue and conversions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re answering questions for your potential customer and providing helpful information, they\u2019re more likely to convert if you offer a solution to their issues. Be helpful, and link to additional information that might help them move to the next step.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you have an opt-in that ties to this content piece and is the next step for them, offer it in your work. You\u2019re helping them and building your email list at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>If you want your content to convert, you need to make sure there\u2019s a conversion path. Everything you write needs to somehow tie to your core products and services.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I teach my students to choose content pillars that link to their products and services and write about topics related to those subjects.<\/p>\n<p>Creating a long-form content piece and ranking at the top of Google is great, but if it drives irrelevant traffic, it won\u2019t convert, and that\u2019s a waste of your efforts.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_make_sure_your_long-form_content_ranks\"><\/span>How do you make sure your long-form content ranks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We all know we have no control over the Google ranking algorithm, but we also know how it works and what\u2019s most important from an optimization standpoint.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>First, verify there\u2019s search demand for your topic idea, choose a keyword (or keywords) you can rank for, write for your audience, and finally, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/create-captivating-compelling-optimized-content-385534\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">optimize your content piece<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Make_sure_theres_interest_in_your_topic\"><\/span>Make sure there\u2019s interest in your topic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Start by making sure there\u2019s an audience for your content piece.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It may seem like a great idea to you. However, if no one is searching for information on the subject, it\u2019s unlikely that you\u2019ll get much traffic due to low demand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That said, search volume is not the most critical factor in choosing a keyword, and we\u2019ll talk more about that.<\/p>\n<p>Brainstorm the topics you think you want to cover, and then go to Google and see what\u2019s there today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Who\u2019s written on the subject you\u2019re considering using for your content piece?\u00a0Is there already information on the topic?\u00a0Do you have a new angle, new insights, or something more to add to the conversation?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If not, this might not be the best topic. Search the topic and see what shows up in Google Suggested Search.<\/p>\n<p>Is there something closely related to your topic that Google suggests, or are there questions related to it in the People Also Ask section?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you see your topic idea in either of those places, that\u2019s good because it means there\u2019s interest in your potential topic.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Research_keywords\"><\/span>Research keywords<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once you know your topic is viable, use your favorite keyword research tool to identify the keyword or keywords you want to target for this new long-form content piece.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Long-form pieces can rank for multiple keywords a bit easier than short-form pieces just due to the length of the content piece.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Choose your keywords wisely. Look for a primary keyword with good search volume and the ability for your website to rank on Page 1.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Choose_your_keywords\"><\/span>Choose your keywords<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Go to Google and see who\u2019s currently ranking on Page 1 for the keyword you\u2019re considering using as your primary one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Are the websites similar to yours?\u00a0Are they more prominent brands or companies?\u00a0How in-depth are the articles?\u00a0Can you provide additional insight or value (not just more words) than the sites currently ranking?<\/p>\n<p>If you see other websites similar to yours and content pieces that you feel aren\u2019t as in-depth or are missing information on the topic you want to write about, then you\u2019re probably making a good choice in your keyword selection.<\/p>\n<p>Choose the keyword with the highest search volume that your website has the best chance of ranking for and is the word your Ideal Customer uses when searching for information on this subject.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_make_sure_your_content_gets_read\"><\/span>How to make sure your content gets read<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to write. Go back to your brainstorming notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What information do you need to include to answer your readers&#8217; questions? <\/p>\n<p>Be sure you have that information.\u00a0Sort it in a way that it\u2019s easy to follow and understand so your reader wants to continue.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A long-form content piece is a time commitment for someone to read. <\/p>\n<p>Thus, you must provide value, insights, statistics, and things that are unique from something else they might have read on the subject before \u2013 or they won\u2019t continue reading.<\/p>\n<p>Format your piece in a reader-friendly way. This is especially important with longer pieces. Consider:<\/p>\n<p>Using bullets and lists \u2013 white space is your friend.Using headers (suitable for SEO and your reader).\u00a0Breaking your text up into small, easy-to-read chunks.\u00a0Keeping your sentences and paragraphs short.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s better to have many small paragraphs broken up with bullets and numbers than big blocks of text.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>People will shy away from reading a piece if the content isn\u2019t formatted in a reader-friendly way.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Your_final_step_is_to_optimize_your_content_piece\"><\/span>Your final step is to optimize your content piece<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Use your keyword in all of your SEO elements. Make sure it\u2019s in the first paragraph of the copy, which it should be since your keyword is closely tied to your content topic. In most instances, your keyword will be in the title of your piece.<\/p>\n<p>Add your keyword to your URL, image file name, and header tags, and use it throughout your copy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/tips-optimize-content-people-search-engines-388271\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">providing value<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-helpful-content-google-387360\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">being helpful<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/attract-ideal-customers-quality-content-385669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">offering information<\/a> your ideal customer needs rather than how often you use your keyword. You\u2019ll use it naturally by concentrating on your reader.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Done_right_long-form_content_is_worth_the_investment\"><\/span>Done right, long-form content is worth the investment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Long-form content can be a significant time investment. It takes longer to write in-depth pieces than quick bites or short-form.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, the payoffs can be great. Long-form pieces often rank higher in the search results than short pieces.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And if you\u2019re creating content with an audience, you can rank for and tie to your business, bring relevant traffic to your website, and hopefully, get the conversion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s worth testing long-form content if you haven\u2019t done it yet. Not every piece you write has to be long, but those most important to your business should be longer and more in-depth.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/create-long-form-content-389834\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to create long-form content that ranks, gets read and converts<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many questions about content length in SEO and what ranks the best.\u00a0 While Google says there\u2019s no specific word count they recommend, some studies have shown that long-form content tends to rank higher than short-form. If you\u2019re interested in writing long-form content, you probably want to make sure it\u2019s going to rank, get read, and convert so you create an ROI for your effort. What is long-form content?\u00a0 Most consider long-form content to be over 1,000 words. It\u2019s a content piece that goes in-depth, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}