Word counter

There is no official minimum, but SEO studies indicate that articles between 1,500 and 2,500 words tend to rank better. However, content quality and relevance to search intent matter more than length. For high-competition informational articles, 2,000+ words is often the required threshold.

Google truncates the meta title at around 60 characters and the meta description at around 155–160 characters. Keeping text within these limits ensures it displays in full in search results (SERP).

Estimated reading time is calculated by dividing the word count by the average adult reading speed, approximately 200 words per minute for comprehension reading. For technical or dense content, 150–180 wpm is more realistic. The result is always an approximation.

Since 2017, Twitter (now X) allows up to 280 characters per tweet for most users. Verified X Premium accounts can post tweets of up to 25,000 characters. Characters are counted including spaces and line breaks.

LinkedIn has several limits depending on content type: feed posts allow up to 3,000 characters; long-form articles (LinkedIn Articles) have no practical limit; article titles cap at 220 characters; direct messages allow up to 8,000 characters. For maximum reach, it is recommended that feed posts stay under 1,300 characters (the point where the "see more" button appears), as immediately visible content generates more engagement.

Keyword density is the percentage of times a keyword appears relative to the total words in a text. Historically a 1–2% rate was recommended, but today Google penalises "keyword stuffing" (artificially forcing keywords). What matters most is that the text reads naturally and uses semantically related terms: synonyms, variants and words from the same topic cluster. A density of 0.5–1.5% is reasonable, but should not be pursued as a fixed target.

An average non-fiction book has between 60,000 and 80,000 words; a fiction novel between 80,000 and 100,000. Thrillers and science fiction often exceed 100,000. A short story runs 1,000 to 7,500 words, and a novella between 17,500 and 40,000. In characters (with spaces), multiply words by roughly 5–6 for English. An 80,000-word book is approximately 480,000 characters.

Writers and novelists use it to track their progress and stay within the length limits of competitions and publishing submissions. Journalists and copywriters use it to trim articles and pieces to match the length guidelines set by their outlets or clients. Translators use it to price their work: most charge per word of the source or target text. University students use it to make sure their essays, reports, and dissertations meet the required word count range. Copywriters and SEO specialists use it to ensure their web copy reaches the optimal length for search engine ranking. Community managers and content creators check it before publishing to verify their text fits within platform limits on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or application forms.

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