Introduction

AI search does not care how long your page is. Both short and long content can show up if they answer the question clearly.

What's the problem it solves?

People are giving bad advice about word counts for AI search. Some say you need huge guides. Others say only short posts work. This study shows neither is true.

Quick Summary

Many claim AI search prefers very long content or very short content. Ahrefs studied 174,000 pages that AI Overviews actually cite. The result is clear: word count barely matters. Short pages, long guides and everything in between can get cited.

More than half of all cited pages have under 1,000 words. Very long guides do not get any special boost. Short content also shows up in the top spots of AI Overviews. AI is not scoring you based on word count. It is scoring you on how well you answer the query.

Across all page types, most content sits under 1,000 words anyway. Articles and podcast transcripts tend to be longer, but even they do not show a clear link between size and citation. What matters most is clear writing, strong structure and giving people the answer fast.

Key Takeaways

• Word count has almost no link to getting cited in AI Overviews.
• 53.4 percent of cited pages are under 1,000 words.
• Only 16 percent of cited pages are over 2,000 words.
• Short pages rank in top positions just as often as long ones.
• Most page types have a median under 1,000 words.
• Length should fit the topic, not a made up SEO rule.

What to do

• Write only as much as needed to answer the question well.
• Put the main answer at the top.
• Use clear headings and simple structure.
• Cut fluff and keep each point sharp.
• Match length to format. Guides can be longer. Tools and product pages can stay short.
• Stop chasing word counts. Focus on helping the reader.

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