Many webmasters come across one common dilemma: is it worth focusing efforts on one huge brilliant copy or is it wiser to split it into several related copies.
Like with many topics we discuss here, there is no definitive answer to that. I’ve compiled all pros and cons in one table for us to consider:
| One Long Copy | Several Short Copies |
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Allow to optimize for more keyword (long-tail) phrases. |
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Is easier for link building, as all links should point to one page. |
(With smart internal link structure) can get enough link juice to rank for long-tail. |
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Is more likely to be a success at social media and link baiting campaigns (people tend to love and link to all-in-one huge well-structured guides). |
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Are better for both contextual advertising (better targeting and more relevant ads) and CPM Ad Driven Websites (allows for more page views). |
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Saves the user from extra clicks (the disputable one as many people – me being one of them – prefer short concise articles). |
Offer the user more focused information. |
Of course, each case is unique and as you can see it also depends on your initial goals and content type. Besides, it’s the matter of your individual style preferences – what can you do better?
WebmasterWorld thread also lists some more points to consider before making any decision:
- make sure you have enough content and unique original ideas for several copies;
- make sure your content “naturally” falls into several related subcategories;
- think what’s better for your visitors;
- think how difficult the internal architecture will be managed with multiple related copies (make sure to interlink your copies effectively);
- make sure to avoid duplicate content issue with several closely related pages.
