28 replies to this topic

[Novice user]

I just read an article by Garrett French on the Search Engine Guide web site. One phrase has me concerned:

"Keep your articles short - in the 400 to 600 word range. This is about all that search engine spiders typically document as they index a page. 600 words is at the high end of what your readers are going to make time for."

Do spiders really stop at 600 words and then go on to another page? Or, have I misunderstood what he means?

I've been writing for 20 years for all types of media and know how to write concise, compelling copy. However, many subjects require more than 600 words!

Thanks for sharing your expertise on this!

[Randy]

Do spiders really stop at 600 words and then go on to another page?

Short answer? No they don't stop at 600 words.

[Jill]

Absolutely not!

Your articles should be as long or as short as they need to be, just like your web copy.

IMO, a 400 word articles doesn't generally say much. But on the other hand a 1000 word article can often be edited down to be more focused. I find around 750 words is a good amount for an article, but that's just my personal preference. It also has nothing to do with the search engines, as I don't write articles for search engines, I write them for people!

Jill

[Renagade Master]

Maybe they ment 600 per page? I think that should be a limit, for longer articles they should be spread across several bookmarkable pages so the users can come back at anytime and jump to where they finished. Maybe think bitesized.

Also for long articles that deal with slightly different topics having it spread across several pages allows each page to be targated for the SEs and can have more appropriate advertising etc. IMO.

HTH

[Jill]

I couldn't disagree more about breaking up articles into separate pages.

Nothing annoys me more than that...

[torka]

I think that should be a limit, for longer articles they should be spread across several bookmarkable pages so the users can come back at anytime and jump to where they finished.

I couldn't disagree more about breaking up articles into separate pages.
Nothing annoys me more than that...

... which I guess just goes to show that one of the most important parts of both website design and of copywriting is to know your audience and their preferences! Some might prefer bite-sized chunks, others want to feast on the whole thing at once...

--Torka

[Haystack]

I think the point here is that it takes a certain number of words on a page for a search engine to have a good feel for what the page is about.

From a usability standpoint (our main customers are not search engines), I'd rather have a long 1-page article or at least a way to click to read / print the article from one page rather than multiple pages.

[Jill]

Yes, Ed, it's the printing thing that makes it imperative to have the entire article on one page, imo.

[Haystack]

Some might prefer bite-sized chunks, others want to feast on the whole thing at once...

Excellent use of smilies, Torka.

I would never of using that smilie in that way.

[torka]

--Torka

[Renagade Master]

I also like articles on one page, I like to use <ctrl>+F to find stuff. But sometimes long documents put me off from starting. If I'm reading a document at work I'm usually in a hurry so am more likely to start if it looks small, then return to read page two. I also find it hard to read if the lines are longer than about 60columns.

Having a printer friendly page is essential for usability, I always try to have one and sometimes I read that.

I think it's an option to consider when designing stuff rather than having a hard rule.

[BobetteKyle]

Most of my Website pages have always been longer than conventional wisdom. SEs have never seemed to have a problem with reading the content.

WRT long pages, subheads can help break the text up so people can better skim and comprehend content.

[Scottie]

600 words is at the high end of what your readers are going to make time for."

My articles typically run 1000 words... and sometimes I get e-mails that they are too short!

I'd say it depends on the topic... sometimes 600 words is way more than needed for the subject, sometimes 1200 doesn't do it justice.

[copywriter]

That "standard" came originally from the ezine publishers, not the search engines. Due to space constraints, publishers wanted articles that were between 500-750 words.

For years I've been hearing about Google and other engines supposedly not taking but the first so many words. Don't worry about that. As others have said, write first for your target customers. If a topic takes 2,000 words to write about, then use 2,000 words. If it only takes 400, then write 400.

My articles range anywhere from 450 words to over 2,000 depending on the topic and how much detail the audience wants.

[redbird]

I couldn't disagree more about breaking up articles into separate pages.

Nothing annoys me more than that...

Ditto.

The majority of Internet users like to skim. Obviously a tough thing to do when the article is broken up across five pages.

Personally, with sites breaking their articles, I usually go straight to the "Print This Page" link and read it from there.

Breaking articles across pages makes little usability sense to me. As Bobette mentioned, subheadings will do the job. Maybe a bookmarked table of contents, if necessary.

Unfortunately, breaking makes financial sense, as it can refresh ad copy and increase impression figures.

Jeff Bogumil