Long-form content has some significant benefits over other types of content or even shorter posts. At anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 words or more, it provides in-depth content for search engines to parse, other websites to link back to, and your potential customers to get answers to all their questions. Adding long-form content to your website can be a great way to improve your SEO and build your brand.
But the standard of quality still applies. 5,000 words of inaccurate and irrelevant content will do nothing for you. Instead, your long-form content needs to be unique and offer value to the reader. Crafting thousands of words of engaging content can be a challenge for even skilled writers, so it can be helpful to plan your piece with some proven strategies.
How to Write Long-Form Web Content
Once you have decided to add long-form content to your website, the next step is to choose what information the content will cover.
- Relates to Your Expertise – As a business owner, you probably have extensive knowledge on topics in your industry. These are the best topics to write about since you can be accurate, go into detail, and they relate to your business.
- Interests Your Audience – You have a lot of knowledge about what you do everyday, but your customer might only care about what your business provides. On the other hand, if your audience is owners of businesses similar to yours, the day to day knowledge might resonate. Identify your audience and choose a topic that will benefit them.
- Works Well as an Article – Some information works better as a video or graphic. For instance, teaching a skill where a visual component is useful or comparing numbers may not be engaging as written content, but will still boost your SEO and backlinks as a video, photo, or other content.
- Offers Unique Information – Taking some time to see what comparable content is already ranking in Google can help you choose your own topic. If there is a topic with little written on it or only short form content, your long-form piece can bring something new.
- Is Possible with Your Resources – Long-form content will take time, effort, and money. You will want to pick a subject that you have the resources to write, whether you are writing it yourself, giving it to an in-house employee, or outsourcing it to a copywriter. Whichever you choose will impact the resources spent on the piece.
We’ve shared many ideas for content in different industries, and some of these may work for a longer piece. Other options include recent news, a report on your industry, a customized guide for your customers, or an in-depth look at your processes. In the end, as long as it meets the standards above, it should work.
With your idea in mind, you can start writing. A bit of pre-planning can help keep your content clear, but cohesive. It also enables you to plan all the different aspects of your topic you can mention. Identifying relevant keywords may also guide your brainstorming.
As you write, break up your content into sections and subsections to help readers navigate your guide. If you have them available, visuals can also help break up text while providing visuals to illustrate your point.
Finally, keep content to the point as you write. You can cover multiple subjects that fall under the same topic, but adding unrelated content or repeating content will make your entire piece less effective.
If you are looking to invest in long-form content for your business website, but you do not have the time or resources to write the piece yourself, our team at Great Leap Studios can help. We write content of any length, tailored specifically to your industry and customer base. With our expertise in content marketing and SEO, we can identify subjects and craft one of a kind long-form guide, report, or other content for your site.
Contact us today to discuss your marketing goals and content ideas to start improving your SEO.
