How often should you post to your blog? What is the ideal blog post frequency to do well in the search engines?

If you’re trying to rank in Google, get noticed and build traffic, does the frequency of your blog posts matter?

I’ve gotten asked this question so many times that I’ve long stopped counting. So, I wanted to definitely answer the question here on the blog this way I can refer to it whenever asked.

There is some seriously bad advice out there on this topic. The problem is that people are giving their opinions and then stating them as simple facts. And that doesn’t work for YOU.

I’ve seen some people definitely say that you should post multiple times per day. Others say once per day. These kinds of arguments lack any kind of holistic viewpoint and here’s why…

If all you ever want to do is blog your face off, then knock yourself out. But, that doesn’t build a business. Unless you are in a news-oriented niche (like technology, politics, celebrity, etc.), it makes essentially no sense to blog that often. You need the time to work on the things that build true leverage in your growing business. And blogging isn’t one of those things.

So, here’s the truth…

There is no such thing as an ideal blog post frequency. And people giving you one are full of crap.

The ideal posting frequency is dependent on one thing: YOU.

People like to think there is some external thing that determines what you should be doing. Even funnier is that they think it changes all the time. Like what worked in 2017 was different in 2018… and changed in 2019, etc. It just doesn’t work like that.

So, let’s state 3 simple facts here…

Fact #1: Yes, Blog Post Frequency Can Effect Your SEO

Google likes fresh, updated, authoritative content that effectively answers the things people are searching for. Fresh content is obviously better than old, stale content.

Also, when Google sees more frequent updates, it will begin to index your site more often. With some news-oriented sites, you can sometimes see it indexed by Google literally within minutes of being published. This happens because Google knows that that topic is more time-driven and that that site updates very often.

That said, this does NOT mean that there is a universal rule here that higher content frequency leads to more Google love. And that’s because…

Quality matters more than quantity.

If you post sh*t and do it often, you’re still not going to rank very well. So, you would do far better slowing that hamster wheel down substantially and posting things that actually matter.

Fact #2: New Posts Aren’t The Only Way To Go

Most blog owners make the mistake of publishing a blog post and then… forgetting about it. Trust me, I’ve done it far too often. 😉

It sits there fresh for awhile. Then, it goes down the list and disappears into the archives never to be touched again.

That creates a pretty outdated overall footprint for your blog in the eyes of Google.

This means you would be VERY well served by making regular content updates to EXISTING blog posts. I call this The Redwood Strategy.

The updates you make don’t even need to be substantial each time. But, done repeatedly, it means you can create a truly GREAT resource for your readers. And it sends a message to Google that you actually do maintain your content.

Fact #3: You Have Other Things To Do Besides Blog

Let’s just put aside the fact that you might actually have a life. 🙂

Even when it comes to your online activities, you have other things to do besides just blog. Important things.

Most blog owners spend so much time blogging their face off and/or messing with social media that they have no time for anything else. But, the 80/20 rule being what it is, the REAL results happen with those other things.

Blog Post Frequency - 80/20 Rule

You must build real LEVERAGE if you want to turn your blog into a real, sustainable business. Constantly churning out new blog posts is very poor leverage. Instead, your leverage is built by:

  • Building and engaging with your email list
  • Creating offers that can generate revenue for you (which, in turn, could be used to fuel your own growth)
  • Delivering to paying customers (who, in turn, could become your biggest advocates)
  • Building relationships with others (competitors, JVs, customers, etc.)

These things don’t get seen by Google. They won’t directly assist with your SEO. But, they all do FAR more to grow your business and give you massive staying power than writing that next blog post.

Instead of spending 80% of your time blogging and 20% on the rest of it, flip it. Spend no more than 20% of your time blogging… and spend 80% of your time building your business.

And you let THAT determine the right blog post frequency for you.

Trust me, I have seen my share of businesses that are doing quite well for themselves… yet their blog sucks and they barely ever post to it.

For My Final Words, It Comes Down To This…

Blogging and content creation is not a goal. It is a means of achieving a goal.

So, the question is: What is YOUR goal?

If your goal is traffic just for the sake of traffic and you are willing to do whatever it takes to get there, then you’re probably going to need to post pretty frequently. Unless you have help, prepare to experience some burnout.

However, if your goal is more business-oriented, then your blogging and your content strategy should be way more strategic. You don’t need raw numbers. You need the right kinds of people.

So, in that case, feel free to slow that post frequency down. When you publish a new post, make it count. Ensure that the Redwood Strategy is part of your game plan because it is like an overdrive gear for your blog.

When you choose to create content, do it with a strategy. You know WHO you are trying to attract. You know what keywords you’re going for. You have a plan for that post. And that plan goes way beyond the act of hitting the publish button.

Then, you spend way more time doing the things which will actually build leverage and grow your business.

There is no “one size fits all” answer to how often you should post to your blog.

The correct blog post frequency depends on what works for you, your schedule and your goals.

Before you move on, remember you can grab your copy of the Blog Post Preparation Checklist, or what I call the Pre-Publish checklist. It is one of the free resources available inside the Vault and it will help you get the most “bang” for each blog post you put out there.


Got A Question? Need Some Assistance?

Have a question about this article? Need some help with this topic (or anything else)? Send it in and I’ll get back to you personally. If you’re OK with it, I might even use it as the basis of future content so I can make this site most useful.

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