Most effective SEO blog posts land between 1,200 and 2,500 words because that range gives you enough room to satisfy search intent, incorporate semantic keywords naturally, and demonstrate expertise without padding. Posts under 800 words rarely rank unless targeting ultra-specific long-tail queries with minimal competition. Posts over 4,000 words can perform exceptionally well for comprehensive guides or pillar content, but only if every section adds value—bloat kills engagement metrics, which tanks rankings. The real question isn't word count, it's intent coverage. A post targeting "how to change a tire" might only need 1,000 words with clear steps and photos. A post on "complete guide to technical SEO" might require 4,500 words to cover crawl budget, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, and XML sitemaps properly. We analyze the top 10 results for target keywords and typically aim to match or exceed the median depth while improving structure and readability. Three factors override arbitrary word counts: - Search intent completeness: Does the post answer the query and logical follow-up questions without requiring another search? - Engagement signals: If users bounce after 30 seconds, length won't save you. Break up text with subheadings, bullet points, and examples. - Topical authority: A 1,500-word post from a site with 40 related articles often outranks a 3,000-word standalone from a thin site. At Ottawa SEO, we typically publish 1,800–2,200 words for service pages and standard blog posts, then go deeper (3,000+) for pillar content that targets high-volume head terms. We've seen 900-word posts rank first page when they're the most direct answer, and 5,000-word posts stuck on page three because they meandered. Write to the intent, cut ruthlessly, and let competitors waste time hitting arbitrary minimums. If you're covering Canadian tax implications or CRA guidelines, add the detail those require—don't artificially inflate posts about simpler topics just to hit a number.