Byword lets you customize how long your generated articles should be, helping you create content that matches your SEO strategy and audience needs.

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Setting your target word count

You can set a target word count for your Byword articles between 500 and 3,000 words. Byword’s algorithms will work to achieve your specified length while maintaining quality and relevance.

The default article length for new accounts is set to 1,500 words, which provides a good balance between comprehensiveness and quality.

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How to adjust article length

You can change your article length setting on your domain settings page.

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Length limitations

While Byword will aim to hit your target word count, it’s important to understand:

  • Word count targets are not guaranteed.
    • Byword will err on the side of overshooting your length target, as a safety measure. Byword articles typically come out with a length that’s 5-10% longer than your requested article length.
  • Some topics naturally have length limitations based on available information.

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Length, quality, and SEO

There’s a common misconception that longer articles always perform better for SEO. While length can be beneficial in some cases, quality and relevance are far more important factors.

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What research shows

  • Content should be comprehensive enough to satisfy user intent
  • After 500-1,000 words, additional length doesn’t automatically improve rankings
  • Extremely long content can reduce engagement if it introduces irrelevance
  • Google prioritizes quality and relevance over raw word count

Match your article length to your topic and audience needs. Technical guides might benefit from 2,000+ words, while simple how-to content might be more effective at 800-1,000 words.

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Optimizing your word count strategy

Consider these factors when determining your ideal article length:

  • Topic complexity: More complex topics may require longer articles
  • User intent: Informational queries often need more depth than transactional ones
  • Competitive landscape: Check the average length of top-ranking articles for your keywords
  • Content quality: A focused 800-word article is better than a 2,000-word article with filler
  • Reader experience: Consider how willing your audience is to read longer content

Byword tends to produce higher quality output at moderate lengths, which is why we recommend starting with the default 1,500-word setting and adjusting based on your specific needs.

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