Does my post really need to be 1,500+ words to rank?

Does my post really need to be 1,500+ words to rank?

Q: Everyone says posts under 1,500 words won't rank. Do I have to pad mine out?

A: Short answer: no, and padding actively hurts you. Longer answer: word count was never a ranking factor — it's a correlation people mistook for a cause. Pages that fully answer a query tend to be longer, so someone noticed "long = ranks" and turned it into a rule. But a 600-word post that nails the intent beats a 2,000-word one stuffed with fluff intros and "in this article we'll cover" filler. Match the length to the question. A "what time does X open" query needs 80 words. A "how to do X" guide might need 2,000. Let the searcher's need set the count, never a quota.

Anyone want me to go deeper on this? React 👍