Helping Small and Medium Businesses Achieve Their Full Marketing Potential | Digital Marketing Expert
Should You Still Be Writing Long-Form Content?
Here’s All the GOOD Bits:
- Blogs haven’t lost their importance – Quickfire social posts grab attention, but long-form content is where trust, depth, and search visibility are won.
- Evergreen content keeps on giving – A single in-depth guide can drive traffic and leads for years, unlike a post that disappears in a week.
- AI reinforces long-form value – Generative Engine Optimisation means detailed blogs are more valuable than ever as source material for AI answers.
- Short and long work better together – Social channels spark curiosity, but blogs deliver the answers. A dual-channel strategy maximises reach and results.
Short, catchy posts take the crown if you scroll through your social media feeds today. TikTok trends, Instagram Reels, and those never-ending carousel posts are everywhere, grabbing our attention. Toss in a sprinkle of artificial intelligence, and the internet starts to feel like a factory of manufactured snippets popping up in no time.
With all this going on, it’s no surprise that small business owners and even experienced marketers are wondering: Is the effort required for long-form blogging still worth it?
The answer? Absolutely. Long-form content remains one of the most powerful tools for establishing authority, upping visibility in search engines, and cultivating genuine customer trust.
Here’s why blogs continue to be as relevant now as in the early 2000s.
The World of Content Is Changing
Now and then, long-form content has its thing; its latest fad. There was once a time when keyword stuffing would place a blog post on the front page of Google. Times have certainly changed.
Search engines, especially Google, have continually refined their algorithms to prefer substantive, trustworthy, long content. In the meantime, audiences have become smarter. People know when they are being exploited and when content is shallow.
Short-form content (think social media posts) is great at grabbing someone’s attention quickly. But when a person’s looking to learn, compare, or decide, they don’t usually accept a 15-second video. They’re after something a bit more substantial. And this is where long-form blogs still offer value.
The Role of SEO Content Writing
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is the art and science of making your business appear when people search for something you can provide. Blogs have always been at the forefront of SEO strategies since they allow a website to concentrate on the questions, problems, and queries consumers type into Google.
SEO content writing has some noteworthy advantages:
- Keyword coverage: A high-quality blog will naturally cover related terms and questions without including them.
- Time on page: Well-researched content compels people to spend more time on the page, which Google sees as an indication of value.
- Backlinks: Sites are likelier to point to and link from larger pieces of content, increasing authority.
According to a HubSpot State of Marketing Report, blog articles remain among the top three types of content that deliver results. SEMrush and Ahrefs data also illustrate that longer articles always amass more backlinks than brief articles. These are not old trends but consistent patterns that continue in current search conditions.
Generative Engine Optimisation & Long-form Content
More recently announced is the advent of Generative Engine Optimisation, which can be described as a method of optimising content for search engines like Google and AI-based tools that provide answers to users. Think ChatGPT from OpenAI or the Search Generative Experience from Google.
This can be intimidating for small businesses, but the concept is hardly new. Just as search engine optimisation demands making content accessible to Google, GEO demands creating content that AI systems can draw on to generate answers. The more complete, concise, and organised your content, the greater your chances of inclusion in AI summaries.
It doesn’t mean abandoning blogs. Quite the opposite, it reinforces their value. Short social posts won’t have enough structured depth to be readable by AI. With their descriptions, subtitles, and supporting data, long blogs are the kind of content generative systems draw upon.
Evergreen Content & The Long Game
The strongest argument for long blog posts is evergreen content. Evergreen content remains timely for months or years, rather than seasonal blogs or reactive social updates.
For example, your social media New Year’s sale ads and posts will have disappeared by February, but that blog post will have search traffic year-round. Update it now and then with freshness, and it’ll become an always-on marketing tool.
For small businesses with limited resources, evergreen content is particularly valuable. A single well-written guide can outrank dozens of momentary posts, conserve time, and offer sustained visibility.
Short-Form and Long-Form Work Better Together
The question shouldn’t be, ‘Blogs or social media?’ but, ‘How do they best complement each other?’
That’s where a two-channel strategy works wonders. Social media marketing creates buzz, builds community, and encourages instant action. Blogs, however, are where the meat is. A business can use social snippets like a quote from a blog article or a statistic to encourage people to click through..
By unifying short and long form, marketers can create synergy across marketing efforts: social media generates traffic to the blog, and the blog provides the detailed content that builds trust and contributes to SEO.
They don’t replace each other; they support each other.
What the Numbers Say About Blog Posts
Some might argue that people no longer have the attention span to read long pieces. However, the numbers tell a different story.
- On average, companies that publish blogs see 67% more monthly leads than those that don’t. (HubSpot)
- Over 70% of marketers still use blogs in their content strategy, and long-form content is cited as highly effective in lead generation. (Content Marketing Institute)
- Ahrefs’ 2025 analysis shows that long-form content ranks well, not solely due to length but because it delivers structure, relevance, and valuable backlinks. (Ahrefs)
- Google itself emphasises ‘helpful content written for people’ as its number one rank signal. (Google)
In addition to industry reports, consumer attitude also speaks volumes. Consumers don’t seek half-baked solutions when considering whether to purchase or learn about something. They crave depth and solid sources, and blogs give them that.
The Benefits of Long-Form Content
Long-form blogs survived because they meet three enduring human needs:
- Depth of information: People want completeness when it comes to decision-making.
- Trust: Comprehensive guides convey the message of expertise, persuading prospective customers.
- Visibility: Today, search engines and generative AI tools prioritise content that provides structured, valuable answers.
There’s no doubt that short-form formats can dominate feeds, but they often fail to match a blog’s authority-establishing capability. Companies abandoning long-form content are gambling on platforms they don’t control, with visibility at the mercy of unpredictable algorithms.
The Verdict: Long Live Long-Form!
Blogs have stood the test of time. They’re live assets that remain central to any digital marketing strategy. They support SEO, attain credence in an AI-optimised search environment, and provide evergreen points of messaging that assist companies for years, rather than weeks.
The evidence is there: lengthy blog entries still draw traffic, generate leads, and build authority. Social media trends will fade, algorithms will shift, and AI will continue to alter search. However, the requirement for reliable, in-depth, and relevant content remains. And that’s why blogs remain a pillar of content marketing today.
Small to medium-sized business owners deciding where to allocate valuable time and budget should invest in long-form blogs. They’re not only worth it; they’re necessary.
So, are you ready to take your content marketing strategy beyond quick wins? Get in touch with The Good Marketer today!