Here's How to Write Your Long-Form Blogs The Right Way

How I Created Engaging, Informative Blogs for Driftwood Home Remodelers (With Examples)

Long-form blogs take a lot of flack—and it’s understandable.

Let’s be honest: who wants to read through 2,000 words of dribble? And this is the problem. A lot of long-form blogs are boring, unimaginative, not engaging, and not helpful to the reader. Some of them are so focused on SEO, Google rankings, or conversions that they fail to meet the reader’s expectations or fulfill the purpose for which they were (or at least should be) created. 

As a result, all that effort put into SEO and Google Rankings is undermined by high bounce rates and low clickthrough rates. Nobody wants to read the blog.

It explains why you're SEO strategy may not be working no matter how many words you're pouring into your blog. It's also why I once avoided writing long-form articles for several years. I never saw the point in creating content that people would never read.

However, I’ve since changed my mind. It turns out that people DO want to read long-form content. What they DON’T want is to waste their time with content that is inconsequential, uninformative, and doesn’t matter.

Before we get into the details, let’s first define long-form blogs.

Here’s how I use the term:

A long-form blog post exceeds 1,000 words and dives deeply into a topic. It provides comprehensive information and analysis. Long-form blogs offer more value by covering a subject in great detail.

A lot of experts provide different guidelines for suggested word count. My recommendation is a blog post that contains 1,500 to 3,000 words. Anything shorter than that doesn’t allow a writer to go in-depth into almost any topic. Anything longer than 3,000 words leaves you open to fluff. You may also lose the reader.

When written the right way, long-form content is powerful and highly effective.

As a rule, I’m against making SEO or Google rankings the primary reasons for writing long blogs. However, it’s still a good reason. Look at these statistics:

• Backlinks: Long-form content generates approximately 77.2% more backlinks than shorter articles, enhancing domain authority and search rankings.
• Social shares: Articles exceeding 2,500 words receive more social media shares, amplifying reach and engagement.
• Search rankings: The average length of top-ranking Google content is around 1,447 words, indicating a preference for in-depth material.
• Lead generation: Long-form blog posts generate seven times more leads than short-form posts, underscoring their effectiveness in conversion strategies.

Your audience has grown tired of searching for answers and being bombarded by top-ranking web pages that tell them nothing. They want blogs and articles that are valuable and authoritative. Informative long-form articles give you an opportunity to build trust and credibility with content that keeps readers coming back time and gain.

• Deep expertise: You can provide in-depth insights, detailed analysis, and comprehensive solutions. Addressing complex topics thoroughly positions your business as a reliable source of advanced knowledge.
• Trust through Value: You’re doing more than just showing off. Instead, you use words and concepts to empower your audience. As a result, your brand becomes a go-to resource every time someone needs an answer.
• Thought leadership: Your company is a leader in driving conversations and innovation within your industry. It reinforces your reputation as a trusted authority.

Long blog posts receive 56% more social media shares than content less than 1,000 words. Focusing on long-form content is one of the main reasons that my blog's traffic grew so quickly in its early days.

Long-form blogs also give you more opportunities to create anchor texts and internal links, which can increase click-through rates or reduce your bounce rates. You can link to main pages, service pages, pillar pages, or other blogs. You’ll discover that more people are going to more pages on your website because you’ve created interest and authority.

Your email campaigns are more likely to drive people to your blogs when they trust that when they get on the page, they’ll actually read something valuable. Simply create a highly effective email, add your links, and create calls to action that get people on the page.

The bottom line is that a well-written long blog gets people excited about your business, your products, and your website.

1. Create a clear structure and break up your paragraphs with other elements.
2. Include current, accurate, helpful information with data and examples.
3. Use relevant keywords naturally, include meta descriptions, and add alt text to images.
4. Address your audience’s pain points or questions and offer actionable insights.
5. Incorporate images, charts, videos, and infographics to complement your text.

1. Waste your words with fluff. Every idea and paragraph contribute to the blog’s main goal.
2. Don’t neglect proofreading and editing or refining your work.
3. Overload with keywords, which makes your content unreadable and hurts your rankings.
4. Use long blocks of text. Break up content into shorter paragraphs with simple language.
5. Don’t skip a call-to-action (CTA). Always guide your readers to the next step.

Driftwood Builds is a reputable home improvement and deck building company located in Hartland, Wisconsin. They needed a writer for their website content.

I recently worked with Driftwood to create long-form, informative blogs based on Marcus Sheriadan’s ‘They Ask, You Answer’ approach to building credibility and authority online.

The objective was to write blogs based on common questions readers were asking. The idea here is to go beyond just answering the question in each blog and, instead, use the question as the basis for a highly informative article that a reader will benefit from on many levels.

Title:

Do You Need a Permit To Build a Deck In Hartland, Wisconsin?

Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oz3npzJVaB72sceE46zpGcaWftubGocp2KD0DOlEUX8/edit?tab=t.0

Published Page:

https://www.driftwoodbuilds.com/do-you-need-a-permit-to-build-a-deck-in-hartland-wisconsin/

Summary:

This is a common question that homeowners ask about a topic that is misunderstood. Most homeowners do not know that a permit is required for a deck. My purpose was threefold. 

First, I wanted to create a localized SEO strategy for Hartland. Next, I added local information. Finally, I created a geo-centered keyword strategy and added external links to local government agencies to build authority.

Title:

Cost To Build A Roof Over Your Deck in Hartland, WI

Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cvOhW1PSCpVnvy3weQ49mXyJfnD-OPFHTT9wEc6YAfA/edit?tab=t.0

Published Page:

https://www.driftwoodbuilds.com/cost-to-build-roof-over-deck-in-hartland-wi/

Summary:

Cost is a common concern for homeowners and something they search for all the time on the Internet. It’s also an elusive topic that is almost impossible to pin down due to changing markets. Providing numerical data is always good for building credibility and optimizing a page. In this blog, I left no stone unturned and broke down the costs so that a homeowner knows what to expect.

Title:

How Long Does It Take to Build a Deck?

Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uKRR-f_TzbMrhwHLE9Nw6B09hJr-Pq6qrY2BBMs1J0s/edit?tab=t.0

Published Page:

https://www.driftwoodbuilds.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-deck-in-hartland-wi/

Summary:

I tackled a common question that homeowners care about. Providing a deck-building timeline allows them to schedule the project at the right time. I broke down the timeline into different phases of the project and discussed factors that impact how long it takes to build a deck. Again, I optimized it using a wide range of content and SEO elements. The reader should leave with a full understanding of how long their project should take.

Long-form blogs give me more opportunities to optimize the content by including more elements and more instances of each element. Here’s what I included in the blogs:

• Metadata
• Primary, secondary, and long-tail keywords
• Subheadings based on common questions and keywords
• Internal and external links
• Bulleted lists and tables
• Graphics (created in Canva)
• Images with alt text
• Well-organized, readable content that guides the reader
• Call to action

If you’re tired of boring, run-of-the-mill blogs, imagine how your audience must feel. I write content people care about. I can reignite interest in your company, products or services, and your platform. Contact me today and tell me what you have in mind.