Google said that “word count is not indicative of quality” and urged brands to focus on content that is “very important” and “relevant” to search queries when pursuing SEO.
In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Google’s John Mueller responded to a user who asked whether de-indexing shorter articles may be beneficial by saying that he often sees pages that “have a lot of words that say nothing.”
While more comprehensive blogs and articles often deliver more relevant and engaging messages to audiences, Mueller stated that a piece being short does not mean it’s not useful by default. This is because a few words can be highly relevant to a search query a user has made.
A report released by Clutch earlier this week found that search engines play a crucial role in the content consumption habits of B2B audiences. About 87% said they use Google and other platforms to find business content, highlighting the need to be visible in SERPs to drive awareness and traffic.
“SEO remains an important way for B2B audiences to find content,” Kim Moustos, Content Marketing Institute vice president, said. “Don’t forget, though, that it involves optimizing content not just for search engines, but also for the people behind the queries.”
According to the study, blogs and articles are the best formats for B2B audiences, especially those that provide additional insight about a line of products or services. End users are also more likely to read these formats during the “awareness” stage of the sales cycle. In contrast, product descriptions are more popular during the “interest” stage.
