Tracking various metrics of your WordPress website is a necessity. It lets you know about the progress and also helps you understand the kind and quantity of content needed to make your WordPress website successful. The right content helps you grow the website swiftly and also control the costs, making it easier to remain profitable.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to get word count stats in WordPress. Before we share with you the countless methods to do so, it is time to understand the importance of tracking word count on your WordPress website.
Why Word Count Stats Matter for Your WordPress Site?
There are numerous reasons why it makes sense to get word count stats in WordPress.
Easy to track:
Most people just track the earnings of their website. However, when you track the word count as well, it is easy to understand more about the content cost. When you are aware of the content costs, it becomes easier to calculate the ROI. That way, you can scale up your business since you would be aware of the ROI consistently.
Proper management of multiple authors:
Most websites these days have multiple authors. To pay those authors, the website owner needs to know how many words they are writing. Not only that, you need to be aware of the total word count across the site. The solutions that we will highlight below will allow you to do so.
Optimizing author performance:
All authors must contribute to ensure that your WordPress website functions properly. If a particular author is not contributing according to the goals, you can track that in real-time and alert the author to up their game using word count stats.
Doing so ensures that the author’s performance can be optimized, which will help you grow your website quickly.
Higher valuation:
When selling your website, there are quite a few parameters that a prospective buyer looks at. Of course, they take into account the earnings. However, prospective buyers are ready to pay more for websites that have more good quality content. The only way to prove the quantity of content on your website is to use the word count stats. Since most solutions we will highlight below are highly accurate regarding word count stats, you can easily use them as evidence of the content quantity. Once you do so, the valuation you will get will certainly be higher.
How to Get Word Count Stats in WordPress?
To get word count stats, you can use the WordPress blog editor, WP Word Count, modify code or use word count analysis. Go through the steps below to understand how to use each solution.
The code modification should be used as the last resort when other methods aren’t able to provide accurate word counts.
Method 1: WordPress Block Editor:
The latest Gutenberg editor allows you to view the word count for any post or page. When you open the dialogue box to type content on the page or post, there will be an “i” mark above the box where you type the words. Once you click on it, you can view details like:
- Characters
- Words
- Headings
- Paragraphs
- Blocks
You can view the word count if you’re using the latest editor.
These stats will be updated in real-time as you type. That way, you can monitor everything in real-time without relying on any plugin.
However, if you need to word count according to the type of post, author, and other in-depth analysis for content, try out the method below.
Method 2: WP Word Count:
Step 1: Install and activate the plugin:
WP Word Count needs to be installed from the plugin menu in your WordPress dashboard, just like any other plugin. After installation, click on the activate button.
Step 2: Calculate the Stats:
After activating the plugin, you can view the WP word count button in the sidebar. Click on that, and a drop-down menu will appear. Click on “statistics” in the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Select Content Count Metrics:
After clicking on “statistics,” you will see the “calculate” hyperlink within the single-line text on the page. Click on “calculate,” and then select the content count metrics.
You can choose to count the entire word count or a specific date range.
It is best to select the option “Count all content on this site at one time” and then press the “Calculate word counts” button.
Step 4: Revisit the Statistics Page:
When you revisit the statistics page from the sidebar, you will see the best-performing content and its word count on that page. At the bottom of the page, there will be stats like top content, all content, monthly statistics, author statistics, and reading time. This way, once the calculation is done, you can click on the appropriate tab and get the data you need.
Method 3: Code Modification:
You can also add code to your WordPress website so that every post displays a word count on the “all posts” page of your WordPress website. This is a solution for displaying the word count within the dashboard.
Use the Code Snippets plugin to enter the code below:
Once you save this quote, you can see the word count column when you visit the “all posts” section of your WordPress website.
Method 4: Word Count Analysis:
The plugin we are highlighting now goes a step further. It not only allows you to measure the word count but also lets you know the unique words. It calls the unique words “stop words.” That way, you can know right away how much of your content is repeated in an article and modify your writing accordingly. It will allow you to optimize your articles further, resulting in better rankings.
You need to install this plugin similarly to others. Therefore, there is nothing much to do apart from the installation.
Once you install it, you can view the data by clicking on the plugin name from the sidebar. The simplistic installation procedure works to its advantage.
The best thing about this plugin is that it supports over ten languages and provides an accurate word count for the stop words and the overall word count in all languages. Therefore, even if you’re catering to a foreign audience, there is nothing to worry about.
FAQ:
How do I count words on a website?
Instead of manually looking at the dialogue box of every post by clicking on the title, it is a good idea to use any of the methods that we have highlighted above. Once you do so, getting the overall word count is easy. These plugins also help you monitor the word counts of individual pages and posts.
How do I bulk up the word count?
The best way to bulk up the word count of your page or post is to add new sections to your existing post. However, while doing so, you have to ensure that you aren’t adding any fluff to these posts. The addition of the word count should happen with quality information.
Should your WordPress posts have a high word count?
Yes, WordPress posts should have a higher word count. However, this shouldn’t be at the expense of clarity of content. Search engines like Google do not specify a word count for a post or page. However, the more sections you include, the more keywords you will rank for naturally, and therefore, the traffic you will get will be higher.
Does word count matter when selling a website?
Yes, most prospective buyers will look at the amount of content available on your website when purchasing. While this is not the only factor to be analyzed, it matters a lot. Sites with more valuable content generally fetch a higher value.
Does more word count make a site successful?
A higher word count can undoubtedly increase your website’s chances of success. However, the content shouldn’t be across different niches. It should be focused on a few niches which are closely related to one another. Once you stick to this formula while writing more content for your website, it indeed becomes easier to make it more successful.
Are word count stats extremely accurate?
Yes, most plugins are incredibly accurate. However, always assume a deviation of 1% or 2% to ensure that even if it is slightly off the mark, your decisions based on the word count stats aren’t wrong.
Conclusion:
It is relatively easy to get word count stats in WordPress using the solutions highlighted above. Using plugins rather than modifying the code is always a good idea. When you do so, there is no chance you might end up breaking something. However, if for some reason, you aren’t able to use the plugins, you can use the code-based solution highlighted above.