Most law firm blog posts should run between 1,000 and 1,800 words. That range gives Google enough substance to understand what the page covers and gives readers enough detail to trust the answer, without padding the post to hit an arbitrary number. Some topics need less. A quick explainer on filing deadlines might only need 600 words. A guide comparing custody arrangements across a dozen scenarios might justify 2,500. At Peak Marketing, we set word count as a byproduct of the question being answered, not as a fixed target applied to every post on a law firm’s site.
Word count gets treated like a magic number in a lot of SEO advice, and that’s part of the problem. Search engines don’t score a page higher because it crossed 1,500 words. They rank pages that fully resolve what someone typed into the search bar. Length only matters to the extent that the topic actually requires that much explanation.
Why Length Isn’t the Real Metric
Google’s own guidance on helpful content focuses on whether a page satisfies the searcher, not how many words it contains. A page that answers “what happens if I miss a car accident settlement deadline in New Jersey” in 700 clear words will outperform a 2,000-word post that circles the question with generic advice and never states the actual deadline.
Law firm content carries extra weight here because it falls under what Google calls YMYL: Your Money or Your Life. Medical, financial, and legal topics get more scrutiny in ranking systems because bad information can cause real harm. A vague or padded post on a legal topic doesn’t just underperform, it can actively damage a firm’s credibility with both readers and search algorithms that are tuned to detect thin or evasive content.
What Actually Determines the Right Length
A few factors decide how long a given post should be, and they have nothing to do with search engine preference:
- Search intent complexity. “How much does an uncontested divorce cost in New York” is a narrower question than “what should I know before filing for divorce in New York.” The second topic naturally supports more subheadings and more depth.
- Competitive landscape. If the firms currently ranking on page one have covered a topic in 400 words, a 2,000-word post isn’t required to compete. If they’ve built out detailed guides with statutory citations and FAQs, matching that depth is worth doing.
- Practice area and jurisdiction. Criminal defense content explaining plea options often needs more room than a straightforward personal injury FAQ, simply because there are more variables to walk through.
- Existing content on the site. A blog post doesn’t have to cover everything. If the firm already has a detailed page on child support calculations, a blog post on custody modifications can link to it instead of re-explaining the math.
A Practical Approach to Setting Length
Rather than assigning a word count before writing, we start by outlining every question a reader in that situation would actually want answered. A post about DUI penalties in Tennessee needs to cover first-offense versus repeat-offense consequences, license suspension timelines, and when a case might qualify for diversion. Once those questions are laid out, the word count is whatever it takes to answer them clearly.
This is where the BLUF approach matters. Putting the direct answer in the first 100 to 150 words means a reader gets value immediately, and it gives search engines and AI answer tools a clean, quotable summary near the top of the page. Everything after that opening should add specificity, not repeat it in different words.
Where Law Firms Get This Wrong
The most common mistake is treating every blog post the same, regardless of topic. A firm publishing weekly content under pressure to hit a word count often ends up restating the same point three different ways to reach 1,200 words, which reads as filler to both users and to increasingly sophisticated ranking systems. The opposite mistake is just as damaging: publishing 400-word posts on topics that genuinely require nuance, like explaining how alimony calculations differ across income brackets.
A useful gut check before publishing: could a reader take action or make a decision based on this post alone? If the answer is no, the post is either too short to be useful or too vague to be trustworthy, regardless of its length.
Structuring Longer Posts So They Actually Get Read
When a topic does call for 1,500-plus words, structure matters more than at shorter lengths. Break the content into sections that stand on their own, so a reader scanning for one specific answer, like “what documents do I need for an uncontested divorce,” can find it under a clear subheading without reading the whole post. Short paragraphs, direct sentences, and headings that mirror actual questions people search for all make longer content easier to use rather than harder.
Bullet points help when comparing distinct items, like documents needed or filing steps, but they shouldn’t replace explanation. A list of five bullet points with no context around them tells a reader less than three well-written sentences.
Getting Length Right Without Guessing
Figuring out the right length for a given legal topic, on a given jurisdiction, in a competitive market, isn’t something firms have to work out alone. Peak Marketing builds content briefs around search intent first and word count second, so every post a law firm publishes is long enough to be authoritative and short enough to stay useful. If your firm’s blog is either padded with filler or too thin to rank, that’s usually a sign the content strategy needs a second look before the next post goes live.
