It’s the 64,000-word question: how long should my blog post be?

This guide helps asset manager and wealth manager marketing teams answer the ever-present question of length.

When done well, blogs should offer your unique, insightful perspective that challenges conventional thinking and illuminates fresh ideas. Your insight is a key reason why people seek out and read your articles in the first place. You don’t want to give clients and prospects material that they could find from your competitors, or that has been grafted from another industry onto financial services.

A note on terminology in this guide: some of you (and your readers) may call the articles you write and post to your website “blogs,” “blog posts,” “articles,” “insights,” or simply “content.”

We like to call them thought leadership insights, because that’s precisely what they should be. To become a thought leader, lead with what you think.

Why the 2,000-Plus Word Barrier Matters

The average length of asset manager insights articles has steadily increased. Ten years ago, blog posts typically ranged from 700 to 800 words in length. Firms have been moving toward longer, more in-depth articles that deliver value, expertise, and reader engagement.

The typical blog post today is approximately 1,400 to 1,500 words, according to HubSpot.

However, asset managers who regularly publish posts over 2,000 words are far more likely to report greater success in leads, conversations, conversions, and revenue than those who publish shorter articles. Here are six reasons why:

1. Greater authority and trust

Comprehensive content fosters trust among affluent investor clients of wealth managers.

Historically, 57 percent of decision-makers said that they were more likely to trust research-led longer-form content because it conveyed intellectual authority and expertise.

Long posts are most likely to strengthen prospect trust and convert institutional buyers as well. 90 percent of institutional asset owners, when deciding to place a mandate with an asset manager, consider strong expertise through thought leadership to be important to building trust.

2. Higher search rankings

Both Google and AI search engines favor thorough, well-documented long-form articles. On Google, searches that rank highest on the first page are, on average, 1,447 words long; most high-ranking search links are between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length.

When AI search tools like ChatGPT, Grok, or Perplexity cite sources, they frequently pull from comprehensive articles. Why? Because to AI programs, length and depth signal expertise. Your thorough analysis becomes the authoritative source that both algorithms and readers trust.

3. More leads

Longer-form articles have recently generated up to 250 percent more leads than shorter articles of 1,000 words or less. One reason is apparent: the longer your post, the more opportunities you create for headlines, subheads, and keywords to get found through SEO.

But there’s more to it. Blog posts with over 1,500 words are seven times more likely to rank for keywords versus posts of 500 words or less. You’re essentially casting a wider net. More entry points mean more ways for prospects to discover you when searching for answers.

Longer articles have also historically attracted higher organic traffic. Organic traffic refers to visitors who discover your website or blog post independently, typically through a free Google search, rather than through paid advertisements or social media links. Greater organic traffic means more potential clients discovering your expertise exactly when they’re searching for the solutions you provide.

4. More sharing

People who share your blog post on their social media are, in effect, endorsing your expertise to their network. This demonstrates they found it valuable enough to stake their own reputation on recommending it.

However, shorter articles are shared less frequently than longer ones. Articles over 2,000 words are shared 56 percent more frequently on social media than shorter pieces. Why? Because people find them useful enough to share with colleagues and connections. Longer content should inherently have more actionable information.

(Unless, of course, your article got long because you stuffed it with fluff and filler.)

Think about what you share with your network. You may likely pass on new solutions to old problems and pain points. Your readers may do the same, and comprehensive articles give them something substantial worth sharing.

5. Additional conversions

Long-form content has historically increased conversion rates by 37 percent more than shorter pieces. Comprehensive articles, if well done, provide more opportunities to demonstrate thoughtful expertise.

What do we mean by a conversion? A conversion is what happens after someone reads your article. It’s the next step you want them to take, such as downloading a guide, subscribing to your newsletter, or scheduling a consultation. It’s the moment a passive reader transforms into an active lead who has expressed interest in what you offer.

Think about your own behavior. Would you download an investor’s guide or schedule a call after reading a brief 500-word article? Perhaps not. But after reading a thorough 2,000-word analysis that answers your questions and proves the author understands your challenges? That’s when you act.

Depth drives decisions. When you invest in comprehensive articles, your prospects may be more likely to invest back by becoming leads.

6. More links to authoritative domains

A website with high domain authority is one that search engines view as credible and trustworthy based on consistent content. These domains will rank high on search results. A backlink is when another website links to your article. It’s essentially a vote of confidence—other sites are telling their readers, “This content is worth your time.”

According to HubSpot’s analysis of over 6,000 blog posts, articles of 2,500 words or more earned more external links from other websites compared to shorter content.

This means that your comprehensive long blog post may become an authoritative resource that potential prospects will find and want to contact you about.

Three Frequently Asked Questions About Ideal Blog Length

What blog post length is best for wealth manager and asset manager firms?

Industry experts HubSpot, Cerulli, and Accenture all agree that the ideal length for thought leadership educational pieces is approximately 2,000 words, with a range of 1,500 to 2,800 words. All show this range outperforms shorter posts for rankings, engagement, and business impact.

Does a high word count guarantee great SEO?

No—what matters most is completeness and value for the specific reader. According to Google, word count isn’t a ranking factor. The important thing is to cover what the user cares about. Longer posts succeed if they answer all the reader’s questions and provide genuine value. Shorter posts rarely match the authority and completeness needed for complex asset management keywords.

Should post length change based on audience and objective?

Absolutely. Cerulli’s segmentation data and Accenture’s asset manager research both advise using longer content (2,000+ words) for institutional and affluent audiences wanting thorough explanations, while using shorter formats (700–1,200 words) for quick news, updates, or recurring FAQs.

Length Isn’t the Only Factor in Blog Success

Here are other things to consider beyond blog post length:

Relevance. The success of your blog posts depends on how well you address your audience’s needs and pain points. Your posts must solve problems regardless of length. You build trust and authority when you focus on what your readers need. A 500-word post that gets to the heart of the matter may likely outperform a 2,000-word post that misses the mark.

Readability. Is your blog post easy to read and easy on the eyes? It should be. Poor design or difficult readability will cause 38 percent of readers to stop reading and leave your website, even if your lengthy post contains valuable information.

Well-structured content, complete with subheadings, white space, images, and clear calls to action, enhances engagement and keeps readers on your page. You need to break up text into scannable chunks, use bullet points strategically, and ensure your content looks great on smartphones.

Discovery. Great blogs need to be discovered. If it’s not discovered, it’s not great. Without promotion, even your best work will remain invisible, reaching no one and generating zero business impact. Success requires effective digital distribution through SEO optimization, social media promotion, email marketing, and audience engagement. A shorter post with strong promotion will outperform a lengthy article that remains undiscovered.

Optimal Lengths for Asset Manager Content

Blog posts are not the only way to effectively communicate your message. The length of your content also depends on what you want to achieve and the format you choose. Some content types should be longer than a typical blog post, while others, like social media, should be considerably shorter. Here are typical content types and optimal lengths:

Long-length (1,500–3,000+ words)

White papers (3,000+ words). White papers are typically the longest of the long-form content that financial services firms create. An asset manager might publish a white paper on the essentials of managing portfolio risk in institutional portfolios. A wealth manager might create an original research paper on the tax implications of legacy planning for ultra-high-net-worth investors.

Guides (2,500+ words). Investor guides typically take a deep dive into a single subject, and are often presented as “how-to” resources. They’re typically less formal than white papers in both writing style and design, but should be equally as comprehensive. Length matters here because you’re walking readers through detailed, step-by-step processes. 

Medium-length (1,000–1,499 words)

Market updates (1,000–1,499 words). Many investors love the timely quarterly and annual market and performance updates written by investment managers. These reports should reinforce your expertise during both stable and volatile periods.

Case studies (1,000–1,200 words). Case studies show investors how you solved a real-world problem. You describe the challenge, explain the solution, and offer up the results. Charts, tables, graphs, and images can work just as well as words. Case studies don’t have to be long to build credibility.

Short-length (10–999 words)

The shortest content types are like bite-sized snacks; they give you just what you need to fill you up. Images, not word count, drive interest.

Press releases. (500–999 words). A press release is one of the most basic content pieces. Have you reached a new milestone, introduced a new product, added a new senior executive, portfolio manager, or team? A medium-length press release can amplify your message.

Questionnaires (400–800 words). Because of their interactive nature, many questionnaires, like their cousins the FAQ and the quiz, are a popular way to gather feedback and get customer insight.

Checklists (300–600 words). Checklists help clients and prospects understand what they need to do and when.

Videos (150-250 words). Video content can educate, inform, and entertain, often with few words. A typical two-minute video might be based on a script of only 150 to 250 words.

Social media posts (10–50 words). Be concise with social media posts. Spark interest, spread news, link to great content, and boom goes the dynamite.

Metrics to Track Performance

Now that you’ve determined the correct length for your blog posts, how do you measure their success, or lack thereof, on factors other than length? The third-party analytical tools below reveal how people read your posts, where they scroll to, how long they stay, which links they click, and where they drop off.

The Final Word on Blog Post Length

A 2,000-word article takes approximately seven minutes to read. That’s quite a commitment for today’s readers. When read, this extended engagement time signals to your audience and to search engines that you’re delivering trustworthy, meaningful ideas.

By the way, this blog post is approximately 2,100 words. Word count counts, but thoughtful long-form content helps you stand apart.

Asset managers who master blog post authorship will lead the pack. You will gain trust and authority, have higher search rankings, and get more leads, conversations, and conversions than those who publish less robust posts.

Schedule a complimentary strategy session with Dan Sondhelm, CEO of Sondhelm Partners, to learn more about how timely and authoritative content can support your marketing and sales growth plans.

Frank Serebrin is the Content Marketing Director for Sondhelm Partners. He leads strategic and creative content and marketing services for our asset management and wealth management clients.