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Did you know that SurgeGraph’s Longform AI can also generate shorter articles with hundreds instead of thousands of words?
Not everyone enjoys reading an ocean of endless text, especially with the information overload these days. So sometimes, you might wish to publish shorter articles that are straight to the point and resonate better with your audience.
In this post, we’ll be going over some tips on how to generate a shorter article length using SurgeGraph.
Note: These tips are effective in reducing word count, but results may vary depending on various factors like the outline and topic.
1. Choose a Focused Target Keyword
First of all, it’s best to focus on choosing a highly specific target keyword.
This means using long-tail keywords, which are longer, more specific keyword phrases.
Short-tail keywords are often too broad and lead the AI to cover many topics, inflating word count.
On the other hand, using a more specific keyword helps narrow the focus so the AI can write more succinctly.
For example, instead of using the target keyword “gardening,” which is very broad, you can use “urban gardening guide”, or “low-maintenance plants for gardening beginners”.
2. Craft a Clear Content Goal
The content goal is an effective way to make sure the final output matches your requirements and expectations better.
In this case, try to include some length-specific instructions in the content goal field.
Here are some ways you can do this:
Emphasize conciseness: Encourage the AI to prioritize succinctness and avoid unnecessary repetition, wordiness, or tangential discussions.
Focus on key points: Provide a list of key points or main ideas that the content should cover.
3. Choose the Shortest Word Count Setting
Select the lowest word count setting, which is the 1,500-2,500 word range.
Do note that while the AI will try to adhere to this, the final output will ultimately depend on your outline, the SERP, and the broadness/difficulty of the topic.
4. Use A Custom Outline
Instead of using SurgeGraph’s outline, consider inserting your own outline.
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Avoid these AI words to make your content sound more human
Doing this can ensure the AI doesn’t add irrelevant, unnecessary, or repetitive headings and topics in your outline.
5. Exclude High Word Count SERP Pages
SurgeGraph content is influenced by top-ranking SERP pages, so to control content length, remove pages that could influence your content’s length:
To do that:
1. Click on SERP settings during the Generate Outline stage
2. Look at the listed pages’ word counts
3. Toggle off pages with word counts exceeding your desired range.
6. Remove Extra Items Before Generating the Outline
Toggle off as many items as you can before generating your outline.
This ensures your outline is kept simple and prevents the AI from including extra information in your content.
7. Disable H3 Auto Generation
While editing your outline, toggle off the global H3 Auto Generation at the top.
This keeps the final content structure simpler, with only H2s and no H3s.
8. Remove Headings
Make sure to review your outline and remove unnecessary or repetitive headings.
A lower number of headings helps reduce the final word count.
9. Adjust Tone of Voice and Creativity and Readability Levels
For tone of voice, consider choosing an informative or formal tone, as these tend to have a lower word count compared to others. They prioritize conveying information concisely and efficiently, without embellishments or extensive elaboration.
FREE GUIDE
Avoid these AI words to make your content sound more human
Set the creativity level to the lowest setting to ensure the AI uses simpler language, straightforward sentence structures, and fewer embellishments or variations in expression.
Similarly, lowering readability levels will encourage the AI to use shorter sentences, reduce complexity, and minimize wordiness, all of which contribute to an overall lower word count.
Note on readability score: You may notice a higher readability score than initially selected after generating your content. This is normal! While the AI strives to use your chosen level, it also considers:
SERP Readability: Content is influenced by top-ranking pages, which might have varying readability levels.
Topic Complexity: Some topics inherently require more complex language for accurate explanation.
10. Fine-Tune Your Content
The most effective way to significantly reduce word count is through manual editing after content generation.
Simply skim through your content and identify sections that can be simplified.
You can highlight the text and hit “simplify” or use Expert Command for more specific instructions.
SurgeGraph: Your Tool for Short & Long-Form Content
SurgeGraph is a highly flexible and dynamic writing tool.
Even though we highly specialize in crafting long-form content, our in-depth customization features can definitely produce more succinct forms of content if that’s your preference!
1. Does shorter content affect my ranking potential?
While Google officially states that word count isn’t a direct ranking factor, more comprehensive content often signals depth and value to search engines. Aiming for a similar word count as top-ranking pages (or slightly exceeding it) can give you a competitive edge.
2. What’s the shortest content SurgeGraph can generate?
There’s no set minimum word count due to various factors influencing the output. However, if you end up with longer content than desired, manual editing after generation allows you to easily reduce the word count and tailor it to your needs.
Eli lives and breathes digital marketing and AI. He always seeks new ways to combine AI with marketing strategies for more effective and efficient campaign executions. When he’s not tinkering with AI tools, Eli spends his free time playing games on his computer.
