Sometimes, our Houston SEO professionals discover a conversion optimization statistic that even we find surprising. One revelation we recently came across came from the SEO webinar provider serpIQ. It reported that the highest ranking web pages (pages that rank in the top 10 results for any keyword on Google) contain at least 2,000 words. In fact, their findings state, “The higher up you go on the search listings page, the more content each web page has.”
This may sound unbelievable to those who ascribe to the “less is more” school of SEO thought, but their data may be convincing. Consider this graph, which shows the correlation between the length of content and the position that the page achieved on Google.
The graph illustrates that the more words the pages featured, the better the rankings. As you can see, first position pages contained an average of 2,450 words; second position pages (sometimes considered to be more desirable to readers than first position pages) actually feature slightly more words. It also shows that on average, 10th position pages have 400 fewer words than first position pages. This is an important point for anyone concerned about website conversion optimization. Now, a few disclaimers:
- The graph does not segment the pages into any further categories. It analyzed the search engine results pages chose by researchers, with length being the only apparent qualifier.
- The content length data on the graph does not include any html, CSS or javascript.
- The graph does contain the text found in sidebars; this could moderately inflate the data.
We know that Google does, in fact, index sidebar data. That not only means that you should definitely attempt to optimize the sidebar text if you want to increase conversion rates; it also means that if you fall short on hitting a word count goal in your main body of text, you can include the word count on your sidebars to move closer to a higher overall word count.
Applying Conversion Optimization Standards To Your Content
Should every page of content be at least 2,000 words? No one is saying that; often, that just isn’t practical. But what it does make clear is that anyone serious about website conversion optimization should focus on lengthening text in order to improve conversion rate, at least on some key pages throughout the website. Here are some other areas of the website that can contribute to the length of your text.
Form fields: Granted, not every page can have a form field. But this makes the case for including a contact form on other pages besides the Contact page, and for creating other forms that may be relevant.
Infographics: Creating unique infographics (not copying someone else’s) can increase the content on your page and give it more authority, particularly after the page is shared on social media. Infographics are highly sharable, so they can help you achieve two goals at once.
Product descriptions: If you have a main body of text that explains your product category, be sure to make the product descriptions that accompany it high quality. They should contain the keyword for each product/page and other relevant information about each product.
Length may not be the only key to conversion optimization, but it is likely one of the most overlooked. Consider increasing your page length on some of the most important pages on your site – and if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask a professional. The Houston SEO team at Crest Media will be glad to provide a free website consultation.
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