Crack Long-Form Blogs: Complete Guide & Experts' Insights

Here’s the irony: I’m writing a long-form blog on how to write a long-form blog.

Jokes aside, if you’ve been getting pressured by the marketers on LinkedIn to publish long-form blogs, you’re not alone.

Truth is — long-form blogs deliver results (will prove).

But where do you even begin? So many questions flood in, right?

I’ve got your back.

I’ll cover:

• Are long-form blogs worth your time?
• Step-by-step guide to nail long-form blogs
• Best writers on what makes long-form blogs stand out
• FAQs (frequently asked questions)

The Power & Benefits of Long-form Blogs

Let’s start with why you should even bother.

Coming up with a crisp, long-form blog that helps the reader with all the information they might need is not easy.

But it’s worth it. In fact, Backlinko and Ahrefs found that the average Google first-page result has 1,447 words.

That said, here are more reasons you should go for it.

1. Prove Your Authority

If you do a random Google search like “B2B content marketing”, you’ll notice that the top results have long-form blogs.

And brands like Semrush, WordStream, Neil Patel, Backlinko, and HubSpot dominate.

However, here’s something interesting. Out of these, HubSpot has the meatiest blog — 6400+ words.

Whereas Backlinko has 2500+, Neil Patel has 2000+, WordStream has 3400, and Semrush reaches 2800+ words.

Now, although HubSpot doesn’t show up on the top, it has the most visitors and backlinks, according to UberSuggest.

Check HubSpot:

Check WordStream which is on the top:

Of course, there are other factors involved when it comes to SEO. But people seem to love the everything-at-one-place solution.

2. Search Engines Crave Long-form Content

Let’s start with backlinks.

When an authoritative website links back to you — you receive some of the authority or SEO juice back.

In 2019, Backlinko and BuzzSumo's study found that longer blog posts (over 3,000 words) receive 77.2% more backlinks.

While articles between 1,000 and 2,000 words get 56.1% more social shares on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Pinterest.

It’s not just backlinks. Long-form blogs are opportunities for SEO goldmines.

For example, more length means more scope for keyword structure, link-building ecosystem, and personalized graphics.

The obvious — you’ll be ranking for more keywords.

Heck, you get to showcase your expertise by going deep into the nitty-gritty. Sprinkling your years of expertise on a niche topic is what readers and search engines long for.

Positioning you as a thought leader and a trusted source — more SEO goodies.

3. Create More Content

Imagine you run a YouTube channel, various social media platforms, a podcast, a blog, and a newsletter.

It’s going to be extremely hard to come up with different content ideas for each platform.

But if you have already published a 4000-word blog on “LinkedIn personal branding,” you can repurpose the hell out of it.

You can generate tons of content ideas that will last you weeks.

4. Readers Stay on Your Website

It’s simple enough. If your content genuinely helps the reader, they would love to hang around more.

Not to mention, they’ll have more links, CTAs, and pages to discover.

This increases engagement and decreases the bounce rate.

Also, when we spend more time with someone, our trust in them grows. Be it a person or your website.

5. Long-form = More Conversions

As I mentioned, long-form content will offer in-depth insights into your topic — captivating the readers to not switch between the websites.

…Encouraging them to take more action.

For example, there’s a popular case study about how Moz edited its pro membership landing page. The revamped version was 7 times longer and provided more in-depth information.

This change boosted a whopping 51% increase in sales which made them $1 million in revenue. Not bad for adding more content!

Another similar example is Crazy Egg, which experienced a 363% increase in conversion rate.

Their visitors were initially unsure about how the heat maps functioned and what reports to anticipate.

To address this, they added twenty times more content to the homepage, effectively clearing up all the doubts.

How to Write a PERFECT Long-form Blog

Producing a shiny, long-form blog can be overwhelming. Follow these steps to navigate.

1. Do You Need a Long-form Blog?

Before you start typing those beautiful words, ensure your topic is suitable for a long-form blog.

There’s a thing called search intent. Let’s say a user searched for “how to change LinkedIn profile picture”.

In this case, they expect quick and specific steps to achieve that.

Imagine someone slapped them with a “complete guide to LinkedIn optimization for beginners.”

The reader would rather throw away their computer than scan through a 4500-word guide to learn how to change the profile picture.

Moreover, if the topics you talk about look like a short-form article (under 1200 words), you don’t need a long-form blog.

If that’s not the case — scroll further.

2. Worry About Quality; Not Size

Don’t invest in a long-form blog just because I gave you 5 reasons they are worth it.

Offer value, provide resources, and answer questions. Your blog should be really good — better than your competitors.

So if you feel like you need to produce a 7000-word long pillar content — because your readers badly need it — because nobody else created something like that. Then don’t be afraid of the length.

Readers take time to digest; they will keep the tab live for days, and they might take notes.

Remember, millions of people watch Joe Rogan’s hours of podcasts. Take care of the quality, and your readers will stay.

3. Your Topic and Keyword

Don’t panic. You don’t need to be an SEO ninja.

Chances are, you already have a keyword in mind. If you want to look at what people are searching for related to that. Type it in the Google search bar and wait for the auto-suggestion magic.

This will help you connect some dots. Make sure you are also checking out the “related searches”.

The “related searches” section can have many use cases.

• You can use these keywords as subheadings in your blog.
• You might discover an opportunity to build an entirely new blog from one of these keywords.
• Sometimes, just answering these queries can help you secure a featured snippet.

Apart from Google, if you want to dig deeper, feel free to use SEO tools like UberSuggest, Semrush, or Ahrefs.

For instance, put the "saas growth" keyword into Ubersuggest. Here, you'll see the search volume for this specific keyword and understand the level of competition for Google ranking.

You can make better decisions with this information.

See, the SEO part wasn’t that hard!

4. Research Doesn't Have To Be Painful

Research takes a lot of time. It can be frustrating and overwhelming without systems in place.

Start with what the top pages on SERPs are saying. See if they are missing an important insight/ angle — you can include that.

Spend some time developing E-E-A-T content — Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Google judges the quality of your content based on these guidelines.

Let’s understand each.

Experience: Say you worked as a product manager. Now if you write an article on “how to become a product manager” you will most likely include insights, personal opinions, personal images/videos, etc that display your experience.

Expertise: The author or the website should have topical knowledge and credentials they are talking about.

Authoritativeness: What is the overall reputation of the content creator in the industry? Do they have a strong personal brand? Are they well-known by experts and influencers in their industry?

Trustworthiness: Your website, content, and writer are all accounted for. Moreover, to build trust, you need to have Experience, Expertise, and Authority.

Crux: make sure to include expert-driven and community-led content.

For example, I tapped into top content writers through my LinkedIn network, fishing for their ultimate tips to ace long-form blogs. (Check out these gems at the bottom.)

Another important segment for your research is quoting the right sources.

The best in-depth blogs have their case studies, statistics, research papers, social media posts, graphs, and data quoted from the original source.

For example, if you’re going to have a particular POV, make sure you back it up.

You can also scout for more stories from industry newsletters and forums like Reddit & Quora or conduct expert interviews.

…Now take a deep breath.

You’ve done an amazing job collecting all the information. But how do you effectively manage it and make it useful?

5. Making Sense of Everything — Outline

During the research part of this blog, I opened a fresh Google Doc and started piling all the ideas.

This doesn't have to be perfect. It's a prior step before you flesh out your draft.

For example, this is what my rough research/ notes looked like:

See, it doesn't have to be neat. Yours can look entirely different.

Now, let's talk about the outline.

Here’s something controversial: you don’t always need an outline. You can work with the rough notes you collected.

However, especially in the case of a long-form blog, it really helps. But again, it’s subjective.

To create the outline, start arranging headings and subheadings. Under each, you should have a general idea of what to include.

Remember that your outline doesn't need to be set in stone. Keep making tweaks as your article grows.

6. Before You Write Your First Draft

I know — finally coming to the writing part might seem daunting. But I think everything is already under control. You got your notes, research, and the outline.

Now, I want you to follow some writing guidelines before you weave your rough draft.

A. Keep Your Writing Simple

Make sure your sentences are shorter. They should contain pitstops. Your goal is to give the reader time and space to grasp your words.

Change your paragraphs often as well. Have you ever read any of Neil Patel’s blogs? They are extremely easy to digest.

Have a look:

Don’t flaunt your fancy vocabulary. Ignore jargon or technical words. Keep in mind that people have shorter attention spans.

P.S. “Writing simple” doesn't mean boring. Be emphatic, engaging, entertaining, and passionate. Tell a story and use examples often.

B. Keep it Conversational

It’s very important to drop your professional tone and switch to a personal tone. Meaning: write as if you're explaining the topic to your buddy. Use “You” and “I”.

• Use contractions:

• It’s also okay to start a sentence with a “conjunction” since they help you write shorter sentences:

7. Start Writing…

Prepare a steamy cup of your favorite coffee and keep reading.

Here’s the kicker: it’s called first draft for a reason. Do not aim for PERFECTION. Your only concern right now should be to write like a drunk person (not literally. Don’t get drunk).

Point in case: you'll never complete the draft if you keep rewriting, editing, and proofreading continuously.

Don't fret over spelling, grammar, or anything that can be posted in the first draft.

Right now, just follow your outline so that everything falls under a structure and your writing has a flow.

The same rule goes for the title. Currently, it should depict what you're writing about, but it's open for modification based on SEO best practices later.

8. Sprinkle Visual Elements

Add videos, images, gifs, memes, and screenshots. Whatever is relevant. The media you’ll add will be of two kinds:

1. Memes and gifs: This will add an element of humor and personality. Making it entertaining for your reader. Make sure the humor aligns with your brand's tone of voice.

2. Educational media: This type of graphic will add relevance to your claims. For example, if you're discussing specific statistics, consider including a bar graph image to illustrate your point.

Make sure to mention the original source if you’re using images/ screenshots from other websites.

If you want to use copyright-free images, you can use websites like Unsplash and Pixabay.

Congrats, your blog looks polished and professional. Plus, your readers will not die out of boredom.

9. Headlines Entice Readers

Any visitor will first read your blog titles and then decide if they are interested in reading more.

The headline has to be attention-grabbing but not clickbait.

The best way to get started is to get inspiration from other articles related to your topic.

You might find this useful:

10. Edit and Proofread Sober

Remember how Neil Patel wrote? You’ve to match that simplicity. Short sentences & paragraphs, simple vocabulary, and conversational tone.

• Use bullets

1. numbered lists

- bold, and italics to break complex chunks of text into easy-to-digest content.

Keep your structure tight. Everything should flow under a proper hierarchy of header tags.

For example, your first main header after the title will be “H2” and if you want to add another subheading under that — use “H3” and so on. Most likely, you’ll only need till “H4”.

To name your headers in Google Docs, select your heading, go-to style, and choose H1, H2, H3, etc.

If a sentence doesn't sound punchy — or feels complicated, rewrite it. You can use tools like ChatGPT. Make sure not to overuse it.

ChatGPT is not bad for such prompts, but you can’t rely on it to write complete paragraphs.

Use Grammarly to correct spelling and grammar.

Edit and proofread a couple of times. Consider asking a friend for help. Since you’ve been immersed in your own content — it will be easier for someone else to catch what you might have missed.

Or, leave your draft for some time, come back, and have a fresh look.

11. Put It On Your Website

This part might seem a bit technical — you can always check a YouTube tutorial. For example, if you’re using WordPress, a video will help you to navigate easily.

No matter the content management system (CMS) you're using, you'll need to follow the steps I'm about to outline.

What we are going to do here is called “on-page SEO.” Basically, we make sure that our content has keywords, optimized links & images, and some basic SEO hygiene.

Trust me, it sounds like black magic, but it’s simple, and you don’t need to sacrifice anything.

Here we go.

Step 1: Table of Contents

This is not really SEO, but it will help you improve overall readability, which is indirectly SEO.

Think about it. Your long-form is like a book and without a table of contents, your reader will be lost. Not to mention, people like to scan first and then read.

You have two options: you can manually write a table of contents similar to a book or use a plugin.

The plugin automatically generates links for your headers, allowing users to navigate directly to various sections.

Like this:

Step 2: Keywords

What most people get wrong about keyword placement is that they think they have to somehow force it.

I wrote blogs three years ago without any keyword strategy, and they still rank in the top five.

Point being: it's extremely hard not to include the keyword.

For example, if you are writing a blog on “long-form blog,” you’ll naturally mention that on your:

• Title

• Headings and subheadings

• Page URL/link

• Body Content

That’s it. Focus on providing unique content, and don’t worry so much about keyword placement.

Step 3: Image Optimization

For Every image you add, make sure you do three things:

1. Rename the image file.

For example, a screenshot stored in your local file manager will have a random naming pattern like “IMG_672908.jpg”.

That’s why we rename it so that search engines can make sense. Describe what’s in the image and use dashes between the words ( - ).

Something like this:

2. Compress your image

Your original image might be 5 – 6 megabytes or more which will make your page slow. You can use different websites like “imgonline” to lose some MBs without losing quality.

3. Alt tags

Alt tags serve as a backup if the image fails to load, displaying this text on the page instead. You can learn more here.

So, just like we rename the images in your local file manager, we also need to describe the image in our CMS, like WordPress.

Here’s how to do it:

All three steps will help your image rank on search engines.

Step 4: Links

Page URL: Before hitting "publish," optimize your blog's URL. For instance, if your blog is about men's shoes...

Bad URL: https://www.menshoes.com/blog5208465527

Good URL: https://www.menshoes.com/history-of-nike-shoes

Internal and external links: Make sure you're linking relevant blogs from your website as well as from other websites.

DONE.

That’s how you write an A+ long-form blog.

Experts on How to Write the Best Long-form Blog

Technically, you can go ahead and hit “publish”. But feel free to explore this section.

As a B2B SaaS writer or just a regular content writer, these were some of the methods that worked for me.

However, in my LinkedIn network, there are some exceptionally talented writers from around the globe.

So I wanted to pick their brains (steal their methods) — snag their thoughts, opinions, and ideas on “how to create long-form blogs”.

Or what makes a long-form blog original and stand out.

Call it a quick interview if you must.

Let's see what my fellow writers have to say…

Dana Nicole

“Address the reader's query right away with long-form content.

The reader landed on your site because they had a question and needed an answer, and it's your job to make it as easy as possible for them to get their answer.

For example, if you're writing a blog post titled "How to teach your dog to stay," dive into the steps right after your intro. That's what the reader wants.

Doing this takes a readers-first approach and ensures your long-form content contributes to an excellent user experience.”

Liz (Herrin) Heflin

“Rely on subject matter experts — Don’t just reword the top results already on Google for your keyword or query. See how you can add new information, insights, or perspective to the existing conversation. Talk to experts. Get quotes.

Follow SEO best practices but not at the expense of user experience — Do I include the target keyword and related variations in my meta title, meta description, H1, and H2? Yes. Don’t overlook SEO basics that signal to the search engines what your article is about. That being said, cramming in an awkward keyword just to include it doesn’t provide any value to your audience.

Grab the featured snippet spot — Google a simple question involving your keyword (“How to…” or “What is…”). See what’s currently holding the featured snippet slot. Figure out how to create something better that will bump it. Include the query as an H2 in your blog, and then succinctly but thoroughly answer that question. You have about 300 characters (or 40 to 50) words to work with.

Don’t neglect the visuals — Blogs are a written medium, but great visuals do a lot to help your rankings. They improve the quality of your piece, they increase audience engagement time, and they provide more opportunities for Google to crawl your piece. Make sure to optimize visuals with SEO-friendly alt text. (Better for ranking purposes, and it makes your work more inclusive!)

Make it scannable — Include lots of headers (appropriately tagged with H1, H2, H3, etc.). Add bulleted lists where it makes sense. Don’t write in massive blocks of text. All these things help make your piece more understandable and scannable—to the human eye and to Google.”

Ankit Vora

“The internet is swarmed with generic content. Just search something like “how to create a content marketing strategy” and you’ll see a lot of generic information from people who don’t even have the actual experience creating a content strategy.

And the funny thing is, these people didn’t even talk to ones who have this kind of experience. They just rewrote what’s on the top 10 results in the SERPs.

So, my take is to talk with people who have the subject-matter experience. Get their thoughts on how to do something in real life. Ask them for real-life examples or results they’ve achieved. And that's how you can make your content stand out.”

Alina Turchenko

“I’m a B2B writer, and our company's primary goal is not just traffic but also conversions. The desired action may vary from piece to piece. It could be encouraging readers to leave their contact details or enticing them to click on a banner that leads to a targeted landing page.

Because our focus is on conversion, we rarely work with high-traffic keywords. Instead, we prioritize keywords with transactional or commercial research intent. It allows us to attract a smaller audience with a higher likelihood of converting into leads. This way, we can connect with individuals actively seeking solutions rather than those seeking only information.

By securing a top position on SERPs for these specific keywords, we not only generate a consistent flow of traffic but also establish our brand as an authoritative voice in the niche.

We firmly believe that the quality of our content plays a crucial role in both ranking and conversion. So, we have established several criteria that our long-form blog posts must meet.

Firstly, we aim to share our company's internal expertise in every piece of content we publish, so there’s plenty of interviewing and researching to dig up valuable information for each article.

Besides, each post must target a specific ICP (ideal customer profile) segment, be well-structured, easily skimmable, and include a clear CTA. Collaborating closely with our SEO team, we optimize our content for search engines.

Additionally, we leverage resources such as AnswerThePublic to identify the real questions people have about our topic. These insights often inspire additional subheadings or FAQs that we include at the end of the post.”

Suhail N

“What makes a blog stand out is the quality of the content, which in my opinion, is directly proportional to the research you've done.

Usually, new writers think of Google when writing long-form content. But most blogs on Google that you refer to for content have surface-level information.

The best way is to dig deeper into communities like Reddit, LinkedIn Groups, and Facebook groups. Because this is where actual and relevant conversations happen.

Quora is also a good place, but you need to filter out the bias. My go-to resource is always a subject matter expert.

For example, I've been writing product development-related blogs for a while. I always approach the senior tech leaders in my company to get first-hand information.

This way, you can bring authority to the content and stand out. On a branding level, this way you ensure your messaging is right and on point.”

Emna Baccour

“My best tip for writing long blog posts, is to create an outline before starting the actual writing process. I find it helpful to create two or three different outlines to explore the best approach for delivering high-quality content.

Once I have the outlines, I begin writing the blog post by focusing on one paragraph at a time. This approach allows me to take breaks and reflect on what I have written, ensuring that the content is valuable.

And not something that can be easily found elsewhere. By taking the time to reconsider and refine each paragraph, I can improve the overall quality of the blog post.

This method has proven to be a time-saving technique for me, and it has also helped me produce better blog posts, especially when dealing with longer pieces of content.”

Aida Knežević

“Interviewing subject matter experts is a great way to elevate a piece of content.

But finding SMEs to interview can be tough, especially if you're working on a tight deadline.

In this case, industry podcasts are a great way to get expert insights.”

Frequently Asked Questions

To end the article, I’d love to address some of the related questions people have been asking about writing a long-form blog.

Q 1: What are some of the examples of long-form blogs

A: Here are a few standout long-form blogs I came across.

• The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing in 2023 by HubSpot.

• How to Start a Busienss: A Step-by-Step Guide by Business News Daily

• B2B SaaS marketing: The complete (but simple) guide by marketermilk

Q 2: How long is too long for a blog?

A: Dare I say — “It depends.” However, I think there are different levels.

For example, something around 1000 words is a quick read, around 2500 is the ideal length, and beyond that is a long form. So, even going above 10,000 words works.

Make sure it’s not about the word count but putting the best piece of content out there that aligns with your content marketing strategy.

Q 3: Can I use AI to write a long-form blog?

A: The quick answer is no.

AI is not there yet. It can not generate original stories, insights, and emotions because it’s not sentient like we humans are.

However, you can still use AI to brainstorm, find quick answers, or rephrase something.

Q 4: How to hire a great writer?

A: Talented writers create original content — see if that reflects in their portfolio.

Their blogs are extremely well-researched, every word has a purpose, and the narrative is fresh.

You should get a feel that the content is not just another blog in the abyss but a purpose-driven content piece that drives sales, traffic, conversion, or whatever your marketing goals are.

Finally, it’s worth noting that talented writers are not cheap, so make sure you discuss the rates beforehand.

Wrapping Up

I've spent weeks ensuring this article isn't just another piece lost in the sea of generic advice. That's what truly matters in the end.

Long-form or any other form, make sure you’re sharing the best piece of content that ever existed.

Offer expert-driven insights and make your piece extremely useful.

Remember, simplicity is key. Answer your users' queries in clear, straightforward language. Make your content scannable, and enrich it with engaging visuals.

Let your outline be your guiding star. Take care of the formatting. Keep editing and rewriting each sentence once you’ve finished the first draft.

Need a blog like this? Let’s chat.