In SEO, word count is the total number of words in a piece of content like a blog post or webpage. It matters because search engines like Google often favour longer articles that give more detailed information. While there’s no set rule for how long something should be, pieces over 1,000 words usually perform better. However, it’s crucial to keep the content valuable and engaging (just filling space with fluff won’t help you rank higher). So aim for quality and length to get the best results.