You may have heard a few blog posts or articles talking about how many words you really need for a blog post. Well, while you are free to write just about anything online you want and make it however long you want, if you really want it to stand out and stick around, the longer the better.
"But who has time to read that much? I certainly don't - don't people get bored and move on?"
Yes. But the longer the post is, the better it's laid out, and the more exhaustive in its information and authority, the more Google will find value in it and rank it well. Then when people come to the page, they can pick and choose what they want to read about and move on. But the next person may choose something else in the article to stop and ponder while the next person may actually read every word.
"So every blog post needs to be at least 2000 words? I don't have that much time!"
No... and yes. Well, let me explain. It depends on what you want to write about and what you want to actually stick. Whether you're on ActiveRain, RealTown, or your own website, you can write 10 times a week if you want about anything and everything but once in a while you have that killer, knock-em-down, solid post that may even have started off as a quick thought and the more you thought about it the more you wrote until, low and behold, you have a good 2000+ words on your hand. Sometimes, the words just flow and you need to say it all! That's great! THAT'S the post you monetize and share over and over again. 
It's okay to have a few short posts, especially if they are about events, local news, market reports, etc.. but then there are those posts that you feel should win an award! Wow, you've never written so well and so in-depth in your life! Maybe you've set out to write this epic post or maybe it just happens and you realize it's been 3 hours since you've looked up from your computer screen. You're on fire! Those are the posts that carry the weight.
"So what about all the others? Are they useless?"
No. But here is what I would suggest - and again, this is my suggestion because, hey, you have a life, right? You don't want to be spinning your wheels writing useless posts.
Think before you post. Don't write every day just because you set a goal to write every day. That's a waste of time if you're just writing to write. (I mean, unless you just love it and it's therapy) but if you have better things to do than try and get in the post every day, don't do it. Wait. Wait until you have a killer subject. If you still feel you need to write every day, start writing about that one amazing topic. Then write MORE the next day on the same topic. You can publish or not publish it (I would personally wait until it's the way I want it before publishing it). But take the time, a week or more, to write an amazing post. And before you know it, it's 2000+ words and you're now the expert on whatever topic it was about.
Now, add in amazing photos, custom photos, personal diagrams, and images. Add in lots of links to related posts, yours and others, and add headings so people can skim the content and find and read what they really want to know about. Take the time to read it again and again, correcting errors, fixing or adding information. THEN - don't let it end there. Maybe in a month or two or six, you have more information to add to it! This is where the real weight of the post gets meaty. You're not just writing an amazing post and letting it float out in the Interwebs. You've made a mental or physical note of that post and got back and add to it to really enhance the information for the reader.
Then share it and share it again. Ask peers to share it or link to it from their related posts. Treat this post like your prized baby. Share it on social media then next week, share it again with a different tagline. If you are really proud of it, ask newspapers and local companies to share it themselves or link to it.
"So what if I have nothing to write about?"
I think that if you're stuck the best way to jump-start your blogging is by coming up with lists. If you give yourself a list, it may be easier to come up with that many items, and people love lists anyway! They may not read everything in the article, but they'll read the headers to each point. And to make it long, give yourself a long list like "30 tips all new home buyers should know" "30 relocation tips for an easy move" "15 items you should never take with you when you move" - and even if you regurgitate information that's already out there, adding your own points, spin, and opinion to them, it will make it your own. Maybe you'll think of another 10 things before you finish the post! GREAT! Add them on. Continue to develop and mold this amazing post into a masterpiece!
Take the images and put your logo on them, use Canva.com to make the images custom, add to the post, make the post several pages so readers have to click on additional pages - like this - and it's okay to continue to add too great posts to make them even greater! - Read more: Why you should update old posts and pages
"So, why 2000 words?"
Well, it's authority. Google knows just about anyone can throw out a couple hundred words. If you took the time to create a post with at least 2000 words, they assume it's not garbage and they might rank it. If it turns out to be fluff and garbage, they will slowly start to de-value it. But if it's NOT garbage and people actually like it, read it, stay on the site and page longer and comment on it, Google will assume it's good information AND that the information in the post is ACTUALLY what the title and metadata say it's about (no click-bait here). The more you promote it and talk about it and link to it and share it, the more important it will be.
So, do you want to spend an hour a week throwing out 200 words that are here today and NOWHERE tomorrow, or do you want to take that hour maybe two or three and start to comprise an amazing piece that will continue to evolve and change and develop? (Hint - do #2)
There are also great sites that help you with your own monitoring and auditing - https://personalseo.com/free-site-audit/ is a good one to get an idea of how a page stacks up. And yes, they are looking for 2000+ words.
Take your time and make it a good one!
More Tips for the Weekly Blogger:
What to use instead of "Contact Me"
Google Wants Content but People Get Bored
Online Marketing Tips that Actually Work
How to Optimize for Voice Search
How to Keep People on your Website Longer
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