Writing FAQ
Grammar, style, structure, and getting more words on the page.
Most writing questions with a numeric answer have the same real answer: it depends on the format and the reader, and the number people quote is a median rather than a rule. A 600-word post can outrank a 3,000-word one when the query wants a quick answer; a 3,000-word one wins when the query wants a decision.
The answers below give the medians that are actually defensible, plus the context that decides when to ignore them.
What is the ideal blog post length for SEO?
For most informational queries, top-ranking blog posts cluster between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Pillar pages run 3,000–5,000. The right length is the depth your top-ranking competitor uses, plus 10–20% on undercovered angles. Length isn't a ranking factor by itself — but length correlates with topical depth, which is.
Use our word counter to track your draft against the target.
How long does it take to write 1,000 words?
An experienced writer working from a clear outline produces 500–800 words per hour of focused writing. Most drafts therefore take 1.5–2 hours per 1,000 words, plus separate time for revision. New or struggling writers may take 2–3× longer; pros with a clear topic and outline can hit 1,200+ words per hour.
Use the Pomodoro timer to structure focused writing sprints — typical output is one section per 25-minute Pomodoro.
Should I use active or passive voice?
Default to active voice — the subject performs the action. Active sentences are shorter, clearer, and easier to parse. Use passive voice deliberately when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or you want to emphasise the object.
- Active: "The team shipped the feature."
- Passive: "The feature was shipped by the team."
Most readability formulas penalise passive voice indirectly — passive constructions tend to be longer, which raises sentence-length scores. See How to improve your readability score.