Is Word Count Important for SEO?

When you’re trying to improve your dental SEO, it’s no secret that content is king. Having original, informative, and engaging content for your readers is one of the most important factors Google considers when ranking your website. 

But what about content length? Does the number of words you write help or hinder your ranking? Are you wasting your time writing lengthy blogs or pages for your website?

It turns out the answer is more complicated than you might think.

Quality Over Quantity

While most studies show better rankings for longer content, it is also still proven that the quality of your content matters more than the length. The truth is that higher-quality content with more depth generally tends to be longer, hence the better ranking for longer content. 

Here’s what to think about when planning your content to ensure a high level of quality:

• Depth: Make sure your content covers relevant topics, and include as many as you can. For example, when you’re talking about dental implants, relevant topics to discuss are tooth loss, tooth replacement, mini implants, porcelain crowns and implant-supported dentures.
• Comprehensiveness: Discuss and use keywords from other related topics, such as bone grafting and sinus lifts. 
• Focus: The content should focus on the primary keyword you’re hoping to rank for. Use variations of your keyword in creative ways. You might even include it in your title, such as ‘5 Things You Need to Know About Dental Implants.’

Give Your Readers Some Value

The fact is longer content may or may not be ranked higher based on the value it provides for its readers. This is where the importance of original content also comes into play. Google rewards original content with better rankings.

Understanding what your readers are looking for helps you provide valuable content and is likely to get you shares and backlinks, which can also help your ranking with Google.

Use correct grammar and spelling throughout your content. Both your readers and Google will be unimpressed if your spelling and grammar are poor. Tools like Grammarly offer free versions that can help with this. 

Consider using photos, graphics or videos to enhance the user experience on your website. Photos and videos make your content more attractive and appealing, which again may promote linking. 

Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to optimise your content with keywords. You should have one or two specific keywords your content focuses on, but using related keywords also improves ranking. You may also use geo-modifiers with your keywords like ‘family dentist in West Perth’, for example. 

Final Thoughts on Content Length

While you may find that the studies show longer content produces better rankings, we can’t stress enough the importance of delivering original content that is high-quality and valuable to your patients. 

At Great Dental Websites, we currently follow these content rules of thumb: 450 to 500 words for website services pages and 300+ words for blog content. You can always add more information as you progress, but this will give you a starting point to shoot for so you can begin to see positive changes in your organic ranking.