By Dan Duke — Thoughtful long-form content can, and probably should, be an integral part of your content marketing strategy.‍

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It is especially useful for providing detailed, well-researched, in-depth analysis and insights on a topic. It can be heavy, like "the impact of artificial intelligence on the search marketing industry." And it can be fun, like a look at "how to keep our canine companions healthy in the winter" — including a video with happy puppies playing in the snow. The important thing is to take advantage of that longer word count to establish authority and expertise on the subject.

What is long-form content?

Long-form content generally ranges from about 1,000 words to 10,000 words. It comes in a wide range of formats, including:

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• Blog posts.
• Evergreen informational pages.
• Pillar pages.
• Guides and tutorials.
• Whitepapers, e-books, and gated premium content.
• Webinars and virtual events.

What is short-form content?

In contrast to the main subject of this article, short-form content is brief and concise. It's typically written in fewer than 1,000 words. The goal of short-form content is to convey information quickly and effectively to capture the attention of the audience. It tends to be more mobile-friendly than long-form content and is particularly effective when used strategically on social media platforms. Examples include:

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• Blog posts.
• Videos.
• News articles.
• Infographics.
• Social content.
• Sales and marketing emails.

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Short-form content has its place in marketing, especially when it comes to storytelling, promotion, and brand awareness. Some markets or specific sectors also may be a better fit for short-form content, such as gaming, entertainment, and news.

Why you should focus on long-form content

When it comes to longevity and versatility, long-form content is an excellent asset. It's fuller, richer and more generous than shorter, "thinner" content could possibly be. And it's wise to understand the long-term benefits and value of rich vs. thin content as you develop your content marketing strategies.

SEO and search rankings

Long-form content can present many of the qualities that help web pages rank well in organic search. Content creators can satisfy search intent by using keyword research to find the best topics to cover. The content also provides ample opportunities to use content optimization techniques to earn the appreciation of both readers and search engine bots.

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Google wants to make every user experience satisfying by providing exactly what a searcher wants as quickly as possible. Part of how it achieves that is an emphasis on what it calls E-E-A-T — experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Composing quality content that answers readers' search intent clearly and authoritatively is at the heart of long-form content as well as SEO.

More backlinks

Long-form content typically earns more backlinks than shorter pieces of content. Building quality backlinks to your web pages can boost your site’s domain authority, SERP rankings and traffic and, in turn, generate more leads. Be selective about your backlinks, though. Irrelevant backlinks generally won’t help, and may even hurt search rankings. Strategic use of high-quality links from credible websites will help develop trust. You’ll see increased traffic from both search engine bots and humans.

Thought leadership

In the current digital era, where the competition is fierce, long-form content can make a significant difference in your content marketing strategy. Long-form content can help position you as a thought leader in your space and a strong voice in your industry. Your target audience will naturally see you as a market leader if you regularly produce written content that educates them and helps them make good decisions. By looking at the big picture and providing depth, you can produce evergreen content that will draw readers and benefit your website for many months, and possibly for years.

Conversion, engagement, and bounce rates

The conversion rate of long-form content is typically higher than that of short-form, largely due to the attention given by a reader and the intent of their visit. When you provide comprehensive and insightful information, your readers perceive you as an authoritative source of knowledge. This makes them more likely to respond to your call to action, whether that's social shares, signing up for a newsletter (providing lead information), or conversions. High-quality, long-form content can boost your site's engagement rate by holding readers' attention for long periods of time. It also can improve your bounce rate by motivating them to click into other pages on your website to learn more.

It's dynamic

Long-form content is not just for blogging. Once you have a piece of quality work, it can be repurposed into various formats. Creative content distribution gives you more bang for your buck. For example, an e-book can be broken down into several blog posts, infographics, podcasts or even videos. A 1,200-word article can be summarized and repurposed into infographic posts across social media. Repurposing content not only saves time and resources, but also helps you maintain consistent messaging across multiple channels.

How do you write long-form content?

Successful long-form content that will connect with readers and deliver content marketers tremendous results isn’t that different from your typical high school English essay. Here are a few tips and steps to get you started in the content creation process.

1. Start with a focus keyword

This keyword or phrase is a cornerstone when you create content of any length. Research your focus keyword and see what others have written about your topic. You want to pick a focus keyword that has a relatively large search volume, with low competition from websites that have high domain authority. Often, you’ll have more success using a specific phrase — a long-tail keyword — than one word to draw in your target audience. For example, “dogs playing in the snow” as your keyword rather than “dogs."

2. Add a strong topic sentence

The article should immediately tell readers what the article will focus on and how this knowledge might improve their lives — or at least how the information will satisfy someone’s search intent. Does it entertain, inform, or compel us to make a purchasing decision or other transaction? Create a great first impression and catch the reader's attention by showing them how the article will answer their questions and help to solve problems.

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For example, if you’re writing an article about dogs getting exercise in the snow, your intro sentence could be something like: “The temperatures are getting colder, but our favorite furry friends still need their exercise. Let’s look at ways to help them make the most of the season.” This sentence sets an engaging tone and, along with the Meta title and Meta description, tells readers what ground the article will cover. Your audience members know exactly what they're getting into.

3. State your thesis

The thesis crystalizes the point and tells readers what's at the heart of the content. The most important thing here is not sophistication, but clarity. It could be something like:

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“We all need to know how to give our dogs the proper amount of exercise during cold weather — and how to do that safely.”

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That way readers interested in this topic will know the answers are here. And they might even see cute pictures of snow dogs.

4. Provide evidence that supports your thesis

The main thing that will demonstrate authority for your content and your website will be the originality and depth of the information in your content. Generic information rounded up from other sources won't get you far. The more original information you can provide, and the more distinctive your take on the subject is, the more you will impress readers and search engines.

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In addition, links to another well-established source or two will let readers and search engine algorithms know that you know your stuff. Use links to academic studies and statistics from credible sources where it makes sense.‍

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‍You might even want to provide points/counterpoints to let the reader know you’ve explored different options that inform your overall conclusion. Link to helpful information, but not articles that are exactly like yours and not articles on your competitors' sites. And when you choose the words to highlight for your link, make them match as closely as possible the headline of the article you are linking to.

4a. Pick relevant evidence that aligns with the overall article

Choose your statistics wisely. Use respected sources and don’t overwhelm readers with numbers. For the dog article, you could say something along these lines:

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“With an estimated 56% of American dogs considered overweight or obese, it’s important to keep our canine friends active during the winter months.”

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Here, we’re citing the American Kennel Club, an authority on dogs. It's sobering information. If you want to help readers get motivated to trudge out into freezing temperatures for the sake of their dogs, you could tap into their emotions, too. Include more links and information along these lines:‍

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"Your dog will be happy to get outdoors in the cold, and that will make you feel better. Studies show that even looking at photos of dogs can make people smile, so here are some pictures to brighten your day.” This citation also comes from a reputable source, Psychology Today, and aligns with the article goals established by the topic sentence and thesis.

5. Add supporting information and visuals

Obviously, long-form content can accommodate evidence and research to make the reading experience engaging and satisfying. However, because it’s longer and requires more concentration than shorter items, follow SEO best practices to make an article easier to follow and comprehend.

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It can get pretty overwhelming when reading a long-form piece that consists only of black and white print. Add visual content to illustrate ideas and make points efficiently. Charts, tables, and other infographics can vastly improve your readability. They help readers better visualize complex ideas and make sense of things.

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The dog article is a great example of long-form work that can use photos and video content. Articles like this, and the visual content, engage your audience. What’s more, they can help you engage with your audience. For example, you can invite user-generated content, either in a comments section or through social media.

6. Wrap things up

What did you find as a result of your research? A good way to end long-form content is by restating key points:

• “Now you can use our 7 safety tips for exercising dogs in cold weather and snow."
• "Use our template for planning cold-weather outings to keep your furry friends healthy and happy."

Simple recapping statements, and maybe a supporting sentence or two, are all you need to help readers feel good about spending time on your article.

If you have more serious web pages or educational content, you might want to wrap things up with a more sophisticated analysis of the material you’ve presented. 

7. Call to action

Always invite readers to follow up on what they’ve learned. Your content should be part of an overall marketing plan, and the call to action should reflect the goals of the plan. Do you want leads? Ask them to click on a link where they can provide contact information. It might be a link to a white paper, survey, or free assessment. Do you want to move them through the sales funnel? Ask them to follow a link to a product page or a page on your site that describes one of your services.

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For our example, the call to action could be: "If you enjoyed these photos of dogs playing in the snow, post your pet's photo on our Facebook page (with a link to the page). And share this article with your friends so they can benefit, too.”

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For this long-form content article — spoiler alert — the call to action will be to contact Rellify for all of your content marketing needs.

Create the best content for your audience

Rellify upgrades and streamlines every part of content creation, from keyword research to blog introductions to analytics. We can start you off with a content audit, then help you form and execute an effective content strategy.

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With a custom Relliverse™, a company-specific AI subject-matter expert to identify your strategic topics, you're set on the path to better SEO from the very start. In our content management system, AI tools help you create content briefings that lay the foundation for great long-form content. You also can keep track of how well your blog fulfills crucial SEO elements by checking the "R-score" our AI tools provide. Every single part of the Rellify platform is designed to make evergreen content creation simpler and more effective — and that means a higher ROI and more conversions for your blogging efforts.

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Ready to find out more? Contact a Rellify expert today to find out how Rellify can change the way you blog.