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🔢Importance of Word Count
🔢Importance of Word Count
Nikki Martinez avatar
Written by Nikki Martinez
Updated over a week ago

So, you wanted a blog post between 2,000 and 3,000 words but CaS created an article with 1,642 words.

There may be several reasons (other than the AI ignoring your request) for this.

Let's look at them, but first, let's talk about post length.

How long should a blog post be?

It's not about creating lengthy content, but focusing on what your audience needs.

Search intent is key. Not just word count or keyword stuffing.

The "Google sweet spot" can be different depending on the nature of the keyword. In other words, it depends on the user's intent.

Your aim should be to answer user queries comprehensively and effectively.

Research suggests that in-depth articles of 3,000+ words tend to attract more organic traffic. They offer comprehensive insights and answer reader queries extensively.

But you've probably seen posts under 2k words on top of search engine results. Why is this?

Because they provide comprehensive coverage on specific topics with fewer words.

Search Intent and Blog Post Length

The four primary types of search intent include:

  • informational

  • navigational

  • commercial

  • transactional

The type of search intent can greatly influence the ideal blog post length.

For instance, Orbit Media suggests that longer blog posts tend to perform better for informational keywords as they provide comprehensive insights into a particular topic. An average length for such a post might be around 1,500 words or more.

Navigational queries usually require shorter posts since users typically already know where they want to go—they're merely seeking direction. A succinct guide or brief overview would suffice in this case—a word count between 300-700 words could be considered optimal.

For commercial keywords—where users are comparing products or services before making a purchase decision—longer articles often prove beneficial as well. These allow you to go deep into comparisons and reviews that potential customers find valuable when deciding on their best option—an average length here may range from 1,000-2,000 words.

Transactional searches involve consumers who have made up their minds to make a purchase but need final convincing details like pricing information or customer testimonials – here again shorter blogs work well due to the specific nature of these queries - somewhere around 500-800 words should hit the mark perfectly.

Word Count in Content at Scale

The default word count for the generated content is "Determined by AI (highly recommended)". This means that the AI determines the number of words required for the article. Setting the default word count has several advantages, primarily due to the AI's advanced understanding of content requirements and optimization techniques.

This approach allows the AI to tailor article lengths based on the complexity of the topic and the necessary depth, providing coverage for subjects that require extensive discussion for thorough coverage. This results in improved reader engagement through comprehensive information.

But don't worry, you can specify the word count when creating an article.

But sometimes, the article has a different word count than you intended.

Here are some reasons.

1. The ranking articles for that keyword have a lower word count

Sometimes, the typical content that is ranking for the keyword you used is less than the word count you specified.

For example, top results may average 1,300 words, but you specify 2,000 words. The AI will produce an article under 2,000 words to stay competitive but higher than the average to meet your requirements.

Basically, the AI is going to consider:

  • The length you specified

  • The length required to rank for that keyword

  • And it will try to write about everything you told it to (context)

So be sure to research the length of the top-ranking articles for your keywords when choosing word count.

2. The keyword has a different search intent

Because CaS was built to help you rank, the AI obeys the keyword intent.

And sometimes the keyword you choose doesn't require 3,000 words or more. For example, you input a commercial or transactional keyword and tell the AI to write a very long article.

The AI will obey the search intent and create a shorter article.

Make sure you match the article length to the keyword intent.

3. Too many headers for the word count

Content is too thin?

Yes, sometimes, you'll see an article with just a couple of sentences or one paragraph per section or heading.

One possible reason is that there are too many headers, which reduces the word count per section.

For example, if you leave the default word count of 2,000+ words, but create an article with 16 headings, the AI will produce about 125-187 words per heading, minus the introduction and conclusion.

So, to get more content per section, you could increase the word count, decrease the heading count, or both.


If you have additional questions, need more resources, or would like to provide valuable feedback, don't hesitate to reach out to our dedicated Support team.

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