how long does it take to write a blog article

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How to Write a Good Blog Post: A Complete Step-by-Step Process

You pull up a blank document, ready to write a blog post, but the white emptiness stares back. How do you begin?

We’ve all been there, staring into that vast white space, wondering where to start. I’ve felt that subtle anxiety too. Yet, with the right approach, that daunting task can turn into a delightful journey. With an established process, writing becomes less about filling the space and more about connecting deeply with your readers.

Dive into the steps in this post and uncover the secrets to crafting a blog post that truly engages and resonates with your audience.

Table of Contents

How long does it take to write a great blog post?

Step 1: identify your topic, original research, topical research, competitive research, how-to guide, feature article, product review or comparison, link/article roundup, expert roundup, step 4: create an outline, introduction, body content, step 6: pen a headline, step 7: edit and proofread your content, step 8: add your meta data, step 9: publish your post, it’s all about practice.

As you get into writing blog posts, you might wonder how long you should take to write a good one. Are you taking too long? Should you spend more time?

Orbit Media Studios found that bloggers take an average of four hours and one minute to complete a blog post in their 2022 survey . For reference, these folks wrote an average of 1,416 words per blog post.

But think of this number as an estimate. It takes everyone a different amount of time to write a blog post based on factors like:

• Personal writing speed: All bloggers write at a different pace, and they’re all valid.
• Subject matter knowledge : It’s faster to write about a subject you know over one you don’t.
• Topic complexity: Most people will need more time to write about piezoelectric ceramics than how to blow a bubble with gum.
• Research requirements : It’ll take longer to put together a blog post that weaves together original interviews than one with a few online sources.

Plus, Orbit Media Studios discovered that bloggers who spend more time on their blog posts get more success. Thirty-three percent of respondents who spent six or more hours per blog post reported “strong results.” Compare that number to the 22% benchmark.

You’ll see that the first steps to writing a blog post involve careful preparation. Start by choosing a topic to write about.

Get as specific as possible when you pick your subject. Specificity lets you differentiate your content from blog posts on similar topics and helps you cover an idea in-depth. Let’s say you want to write about how to cook a steak — you could narrow that down to how to cook a T-bone steak on a grill.

After you decide on a topic, establish the angle you want to take. Going back to our example of how to cook a T-bone steak on a grill, you could come from a scientific angle. For your blog post, you could consult a scientist on why certain techniques make a better steak.

Step 2: Do your research

Now that you know what you want to write about, you can research your topic . Blog post research falls into three categories:

Original research comes from data you generate yourself by consulting other people. Not every blog post needs to have original research to have high-quality content, but it can contribute to truly unique writing.

Try these tactics to get one-of-a-kind sources for your post:

• Surveys: Use a free tool like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to ask people questions on a large scale. Find people who know about your topic at your organization, subscribed to your mailing list on the subject, or in an online community.
• Polls: Polls work well for asking a broad audience a single question. Many social media and communication apps have built-in poll features, such as Twitter and Slack.
• Interviews: Ask experts on your subject for an interview over email, on a video call, or in person. Reach out to your colleagues and network to see if they know anyone. You can also use a service like Help a Reporter Out to get expert quotes.

Topical research is the research you conduct around the internet. Use your preferred search engine to find online sources with these traits:

• Authoritative: The author or website should have plenty of experience or credentials on the topic. When applicable, they should use solid research to back up their claims.
• Recent: Aim for resources written three or fewer years ago when possible.
• Helpful: When your reader clicks through to your source, they should get value out of it and understand how it connects to your article.

This type of research often flies under the radar for newer blog post writers. Competitive research involves evaluating other articles on your subject. By understanding the other content out there on your topic, you can find ways to improve upon it.

Don’t just look for what ideas the other blog posts include. Instead, think about what they’re missing. Maybe they don’t cover a point you feel is important, or you could format your content more clearly than them.

Step 3: Choose the type of blog post you’ll write

With knowledge of your topic on hand, it’s time to decide how you’ll present it. Some popular blog post genres include:

List blog posts organize information into a list with headings naming each item. They often come in the form of numbered lists with a title featuring the number of items, such as “5 Ways to Fold a Towel.”

When you write a list blog post, you don’t have to make your list the only content. HelpScout’s 13 Best Practices for Improving Online Customer Service introduces online customer service, then digs into its items.

A checklist blog post provides a checklist for readers to follow to perform a task.

These posts often provide a simplified checklist to follow and then provide more details for each item, like our blog post checklist .

A how-to guide walks the reader through the steps it takes to perform an action.

These blog posts rely heavily on lists and images to help readers understand each part of the process. Melly Sews’s how-to guide to sewing a flat-felled seam uses both.

An interview blog post showcases an interview the author has with someone who has insights to share about the article topic.

You can go about one of these blog posts in two ways. Either list out your questions and answers in a Q&A format or use your interview answers to tell a story. Notion did the latter in Three-time YC founder and first-time mom finds flow in Notion .

A feature article brings together original research and interviews to explore a subject. Since features often involve interviews, they can overlap with interview blog posts.

Some blogs take a feature-first approach to posting, such as Microsoft’s Unlocked blog. One example of one of their features is Can an alphabet save a culture?

In the context of blog posts, an essay presents the author’s argument or opinion. The writer uses research and evidence to back up their points.

Media Strategies Aren’t as Crazy as They Seem from the Animalz blog features real-life examples that back up a unique perspective.

News posts share news from your community or company.

On business blogs, a lot of news posts relate to company and product updates, like SparkToro Now Has 50% More Podcasts from SparkToro.

A case study tells a success story about a product or service. It generally focuses on one event or customer.

This type of blog post requires original interviews with the customer involved so you can get their perspective on your work. With some products, you can share the results of how you helped the customer. Take Buffer, a social media scheduling tool, sharing posts from its customer in this case study as an example.

Product reviews and comparisons evaluate the usefulness of products for the reader. Reviews focus on a single product, while comparisons compare the features of multiple products.

Some of these product posts come in the form of a list ranking the best products in a category, like Zapier’s email newsletter software roundup .

Link and article roundups bring together links to online resources or articles on a specific subject.

Some of these roundups are more purchase-focused, such as Good On You’s roundup of eco-friendly fashion deals .

Expert roundup blog posts present opinions on a topic from multiple subject matter experts.

This format can overlap with other formats, like in Databox’s blog posts that synthesize expert opinions into lists. The Heroes of Business Transparency is one example.

Many people skip or rush through this step even though it’s just as important as the actual writing. A detailed blog post outline gives your article structure and lets you evaluate your overall argument before you write out the full post.

It also helps combat writer’s block. At the outline stage, you only have to get a basic idea down, taking off the pressure of writing a complete idea. Then, when you get to the writing stage, you’ll have your outline to reference when you don’t know what sentence to write next.

Follow these steps to write an outline:

• List each section and subsection of your blog post. Each section could cover a list item, a point in your argument, a step in a process, etc.
• Add up to three main points per section. Here’s where you’ll start forming the ideas you’ll cover. As you practice making outlines, you might find it helpful to get even more detailed at this stage.
• Include any links and examples you want to include for your points. Place your sources where you plan to reference them so you can add them easily in the writing stage.

Here’s a hypothetical outline for a blog post by my cat on why I should feed her a second dinner:

You can go more in-depth with your points in your outline, but here’s how the formatting should look.

I recommend writing your outline in a separate document and copying any headers and links over to your draft document. It can be tempting to write your outline and fill out your draft from there, but your document will get disorganized quickly with this approach.

Step 5: Write your post

Onto the writing itself!

Make sure to follow web writing best practices when you write your content.

People read 25% slower onscreen, and they skim rather than read. Web text should be short, scannable, and structured as linked, topical pages. Nielsen Norman Group

Shortening or “chunking” your content helps readers skim, so try to keep your sentences to 25 words or fewer and paragraphs to three sentences or fewer. Make sure to follow the style guide for your blog if you have one as well.

A blog post consists of three main sections that require different approaches:

Integrate your blog post’s angle and an emotional hook into your introduction. This technique establishes what makes your post unique from the start and draws in the reader.

For example, in this blog post, I’m trying to provide a comprehensive process so you never feel lost when writing. I explained that angle in the second paragraph of my intro.

As for the emotional hook, try putting yourself in the reader’s shoes or telling a story. I used the example of staring at a blank page wondering what to do next because I’ve been there and know others have, too.

You could also use the Animalz technique of using an unexpected hook and referencing it throughout your blog post. This method takes practice and careful thought, but that hard work really pays off.

Whichever hook you use, keep your introduction concise — about three paragraphs or fewer. An intro that goes on too long can lose the reader’s interest.

A quick side note: You don’t have to write your introduction first if it comes easier to you after you write the rest of your post. Mark it for later and revisit it when you have more context to work with.

Your body content consists of all the words between the introduction and conclusion.

As you write this part of your post, try to cover all the information important for your reader to know. If you have a word limit to stay within, consider linking out to resources on complicated sub-topics.

Speaking of linking, include links to other posts on your blog and trusted sources throughout your body content. Search engines prioritize websites that link relevant pages to each other. Plus, it works as a way to cite your sources when you use outside information.

Just make sure that any site you link to is relevant to your post. Adding links for linking’s sake will make it harder to establish authority and search engine performance.

Lastly, make sure your writing is crisp, clear, and concise by keeping paragraphs three sentences or less, and each sentence 25 words or less .

Here’s an example of a well-structured post’s body content.

Time for the grand finale. You have multiple ways to go about writing a conclusion, such as:

• A summary: Summarize the key points you covered in your post.
• A takeaway: Provide a takeaway from the ideas you presented in your post. You could go back to the angle you established at the beginning, for example.
• A redirection: Connect your blog post to another post on your blog and direct your reader there for further reading.
• A bonus tip: Offer one final tip for the reader to use as they apply the knowledge in your post.

When it feels appropriate, you can also add a call to action to subscribe to your newsletter, try your product, or perform another transactional action. Connect your call to action back to the rest of your conclusion so it doesn’t feel pigeonholed.

After you finish writing your first draft, give it a headline . You can write the headline before your post if you like — there’s no hard and fast rule. For this blog post, we’re writing the headline after the content so you have your draft on hand to inspire your headline.

Follow these steps to craft a top-notch headline for your article:

• If you write blog posts with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind, grab the top keyword for your article. This keyword should have a direct relation to your subject.
• Write down 25 versions of your headline to give yourself plenty of choices to consider. Make sure your keyword feels like a natural part of each headline if you include it.
• Narrow those 25 options to your five favorites.
• Choose a “winner” from your five finalists.

CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer Studio can help you identify what headlines will hook readers and work for SEO. It has a Google Chrome extension and WordPress plugin. If you don’t have a plan that supports plugins, the extension provides a prompt alongside your WordPress headline.

Every blog post needs editing to shine, no matter how talented the writer is. Give your content plenty of this TLC to create quality results.

Start with a basic spelling and grammar check using your word processor’s tools. Then, you can use a tool like Grammarly or Hemingway for more in-depth fixes. While Grammarly performs an advanced spelling and grammar scan, Hemingway checks sentence structure, like so:

After you perform these checks, you should still read through your writing manually. Your human eyes will catch mistakes the computer misses. Plus, your editing should focus as much on the quality of your ideas as it does on your spelling and grammar.

We provided some tips to make the manual editing and proofreading process easier in an earlier WordPress blog post. I also suggest asking yourself these questions as you go through your content:

• Do my logic and arguments make sense?
• Did I use my SEO keywords? Did I insert them naturally?
• Do I notice any words being used frequently that I can mix up with adjectives?
• Did I vary my sentence structure for more dynamic reading?
• Will my blog post be readable for my average reader?
• Did I follow my blog’s style throughout the post?

Your blog post’s title tag, meta description, and URL all influence how people find and understand it.

The title tag and meta description are the title and description you see for a page in search results. By default, WordPress uses your headline as the title tag and your excerpt as the meta description. But, if they aren’t the proper length for search results, they can get cut off.

It’s best practice to write a separate title tag and meta description so you know they’ll look good. In WordPress, you can edit this data by changing your post’s code or using a plugin .

Yoast and All in One SEO are two popular plugin options. These plugins add a box below your content in the WordPress editor where you can manage your title tag and meta description. They also guide you through writing those search specs well.

Your URL slug is the unique string of words that appears at the end of your URL.

For example, this blog post’s URL is:

Its slug is:

That’s the part of the URL that’s different for each blog post.

WordPress pulls your URL slug from your headline, but that slug usually isn’t optimized for search results. According to Ahrefs , a good slug follows keywords and summarizes the essence of the blog post.

No need for a plugin or fancy coding to edit your URL slug. Go to the Block tab in the right-hand menu, then edit your URL using the URL option. Save your draft or update your blog post to save your new slug.

Now that you have your meta data set up, you can finalize your content for publishing. Copy and paste your blog post from your word processor to your WordPress post. The formatting will carry over to the block editor.

Or, you may have written your blog post within the blog post editor. I generally don’t recommend this approach in case you accidentally click “Publish,” but I know some writers get by just fine doing it. You do you.

If you paste your content from a Google Doc or another online text editor, go through your post and re-upload your images from your computer. The images you paste from another source are kept on your editor’s website, and you’ll want them on your WordPress site for safekeeping.

Once you establish a solid process for writing your blog posts, the next step to mastery is practice. As you adjust your system to your workflow, you’ll know what to do next instead of hoping words will magically appear on your blank page. And we’ll be with you as you practice. Just use this guide to help keep you on track.

Pair your airtight writing process with a good topic generation system , and you’ll become an unstoppable blogger. We can’t wait to see what you write!

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About the author, melissa king.

Melissa King writes actionable blog posts about content, marketing, and productivity for tech companies. Find more of her work at melissakingfreelance.com.

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How Long Should It Take to Write a Blog Post on Average?

The average length of a good blog post seems to be increasing every year.

Back in 2011, when Google released Panda and changed content marketing forever, blog posts ranged from 300 words to maybe 1,000 from a particularly ambitious marketer.

Panda made those 1,000-word posts the baseline, and now a mediocre-to-good post is around 1,500. I, personally, aim for around 2,000 for everything I write, though I often end up at 2,300 or more.

So how long should it take to write one of these blog posts? Numbers and estimates vary quite a bit, so let's take a look at some data.

Industry Data

Orbit Media has performed an industry survey every year since 2014, asking some common questions about blogging. They send this survey out to bloggers, aggregate the data, and present their findings each year. The most recently published iteration of the survey is the 2022 version, and you can find it here .

They ask some interesting questions. How often do bloggers publish? How many draft headlines do they write? How do they promote their content? It's a fascinating look into other bloggers who have developed their own strategies over the years. Comparing it to your own workflow might be an eye-opening experience.

Among other questions, one they ask every year is "how long does it take to write a blog post?" So what's their data?

That's the data according to the Orbit survey. The number has gone up every year, as well; initially, it was two hours and 24 minutes on average, in 2014. It crossed the three-hour mark in 2016 and is slated to cross the four-hour mark in 2020.

Here's the interesting thing: the amount of time it takes needs context. That context includes, among other things, the length of the average blog post.

If that sounds shockingly short, well, those numbers alone don't necessarily tell the whole story.

Over the last five years, the average length of blog posts has been increasing . In 2014, nearly 20% of those responding to the survey said their blog posts were under 500 words long. Today, that number is only 6%. Meanwhile, in 2014, virtually no one said they wrote posts over 2,000 words long, but today 11% of blog posts – written by the people responding to the survey, anyways – are over 2,000 words long.

Compare this to the time invested in writing those posts. In 2014, around 16% of bloggers took under an hour to write their posts, and under 4% of them took over six hours to write. Today, only 4.6% of bloggers take under an hour, while nearly 20% of bloggers take over six hours.

As posts get longer, the time investment to create them gets longer as well.

There are some other factors that can put this data into perspective as well. For example, the frequency of publication . When you're writing 500-word blog posts, it's easy to publish 2-3 of them per day if you really want to. Spending six hours to write 2,000 words, though, means that you're likely only going to be publishing 1-3 blog posts per week. I know of several big-time bloggers that go even further in that direction, writing 3,000+ word posts and publishing only once every 2-3 weeks, if that.

Now, sure, if you're a relative unknown, it's going to be more difficult to pull off that kind of content production schedule. A site needs to hit a certain threshold of popularity and content archives before it can survive on that little content. That's why I often talk about working to build a site like rolling up a snowball.

Factors Influencing Time to Write a Post

So what goes into writing a blog post that makes it take more time? Or, to put the question a little differently, what can you do to balance blog writing so it isn't a terrible slog?

1. Length. Obviously, one of the largest factors in how long it takes to write a blog post is how long that post is. Some topics you can write about for a lot longer a lot more easily than others, sure, but on average, across all blog posts, the longer the post is, the more time it will take to write. Even if you do all of your preparation beforehand and only count the actual time spent writing, the act of typing a post takes longer the more words you have to type.

2. Depth. The depth of a blog post is a huge factor in how long it takes to write a post. This post you're reading right now, I could have written in half the time it's taken me if I was only being superficial, talking about my own experiences, and giving you platitudes about how writing is an art form and how it varies for everyone. Since I'm looking at actual data and giving you an analysis of various factors that influence the topic, it takes longer to write.

We create blog content that converts - not just for ourselves, but for our clients, too.

We pick blog topics like hedge funds pick stocks. Then, we create articles that are 10x better to earn the top spot.

Content marketing has two ingredients - content and marketing. We've earned our black belts in both.

3. Complexity. The complexity of a topic can dramatically influence how long it takes to write about that topic. Writing a blog post about the average length of blog posts wouldn't take as long as writing this blog post, because this one has more factors and more data to consider. I have to analyze different sets of information and present that information in a consistent, easy to digest way.

4. Familiarity. The more familiar you are with a topic, the easier it will be to write about that topic. I see this often when I'm working on blog posts for clients. I have clients who are in a marketing niche, and since I've written a lot and learned a lot about marketing over the last half a decade or so, it's pretty easy to write a lot of the basis and framework for those posts. Conversely, new clients in niches I don't traditionally write about, like law or medical topics, can take longer. I simply don't have the years worth of accumulated knowledge to draw on for these topics and have to perform significant research first.

5. Original research. Speaking of research, the more research you have to do, the longer it will take to write a post. One thing I wonder about the results of the Orbit survey is how many of those bloggers count things like performing a survey as part of their writing process. I could write up a blog post like the Orbit post in a few hours if I had the data in front of me, but getting that data takes days itself. Do they count that as part of it? I've done a few posts like that myself, doing a lot of data scraping and analysis or sending out interview questions to dozens of marketers and aggregating the results, and those posts take exponentially longer to produce than my average posts.

6. Media creation. This is another factor that doesn't really come up in the Orbit study; the media and other "accessories" for a post.

When they talk about writing a post, do they mean the actual act of writing the post, or do they include things like:

• The keyword research that goes into determining the post subject.
• The iteration and testing of headlines for a post.
• The creation and optimization of meta information like titles, alt text, and descriptions for the post.
• The creation of images or videos that you produce to go along with the post.
• The hunt for social media posts you can embed into your post.

Any of this kind of additional work will add to the overall time it takes to create a post. While the actual act of writing a blog post only takes me 1-2 hours for a 2,000-word post, when you add in the keyword research (which can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours), the formatting, metadata, and embedding (which can be another hour) and the media creation (which takes another hour or so when I do it myself, though I often hire someone to handle it), it expands quite a bit, and I can see the 4-6 hour estimate being quite reasonable.

7. Experience. Experience is one of the biggest factors at play here. When I was just starting out, I might spend two hours writing a 500-word blog post, optimizing every sentence, and getting every piece of data just right. I might have to do things like double-check style guides, verify common facts, and spend time figuring out a blog post structure.

By the time you've spent two, three, five, ten years writing blog posts, a lot of that is internalized. You know the good websites to use as sources, you know the basic facts, you know the formatting, you know what works. Not to mention you internalize the act of writing, so you produce content at a faster rate. The better you are at something, the faster you can produce results and the better those results can be.

8. Environment. To a certain degree, the environment in which you write will have an impact on how quickly you can produce a blog post. I've written some while traveling, and it's harder to focus in an unfamiliar environment. Working from home can be difficult if you have the distraction of kids, pets, household tasks, and so on. If you don't have an office, it's easier for non-office distractions to reach you.

9. Mindset. Sometimes you're in a good frame of mind to write, and sometimes not. I've had times when I can bang out a complex, deep post about a new topic in two hours, and I've had times where it takes me eight hours of stop-and-start work throughout the day to write a post that should be simple and easy to produce. Building the writing habit, working in an office, loading up on caffeine; it can all only do so much.

Balancing the Scales

If a blog post takes 4-6 hours to write, is that a good thing or a bad thing? If you're taking less time to write a post, should you feel bad? If you're taking more time to write one, are you doing something wrong?

Blog writing is, at its core, a very personalized task. Every person has their own process and their own skillset. Some people type extremely quickly and can put ideas to paper in a fraction of the time others can. Some people can write quickly but need frequent edits and structural changes. Some people write slowly but rarely ever need more than a quick pass for basic copy-edits.

The key is to balance out all of the various factors to make sure you're able to keep up with your blogging. If it's taking you 8+ hours to write a blog post, even if those blog posts are great, you might benefit from dialing it back a little so you don't burn out. Burnout is the biggest threat, because not only does it make you less enthused about blogging, it makes it even harder and take even longer to do. It spirals, and it's no wonder that bloggers who burn out often abandon their blogs and leave them filled with outdated articles .

It really depends on your results. Are your blog posts getting links, traffic, shares, exposure, sales? Are they getting the results you want and making your business money? If they are, well, keep doing what you're doing. If not, you might consider making a change.

If they're working, the biggest choice you have to make is this. Do you invest more in making individual blog posts better, or do you invest in writing more blog posts? If you increase your publication schedule and maintain that same level of quality, you could conceivably get more sales, traffic, and growth.

Conversely, putting more time and effort into your existing process might leave you with posts that perform exponentially better on an individual level. Going from average-to-good blog posts to great blog posts can have a dramatic effect if you can pull it off.

Where do you stack up? How do you want to adjust your own blogging habits? Let's have a discussion below!

James Parsons is the founder and CEO of Content Powered, a premier content marketing agency that leverages nearly two decades of his experience in content marketing to drive business growth. Renowned for founding and scaling multi-million dollar eCommerce businesses through strategic content marketing, James has become a trusted voice in the industry, sharing his insights in Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, and other leading publications. His background encompasses key roles across various agencies, contributing to the content strategies of major brands like eBay and Expedia. James's expertise spans SEO, conversion rate optimization, and effective content strategies, making him a pivotal figure in the industry.

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January 15, 2021 at 4:47 am

It takes me forever to think of blogs topics. How do you come up with yours? Thanks in advance

January 15, 2021 at 11:39 pm

Hey, that just means you're doing it properly. Proper topic research should take a long time - sometimes it takes longer than the actual post you're writing.

It's better to measure three times and cut once. Nothing is worse than investing a bunch of time into a post only to end up deleting it later because it wasn't thought through very well.

I think you'd find this post of ours helpful: https://www.contentpowered.com/blog/wrong-topic-blog-post/

This is a useful technique that I use sometimes too: https://www.contentpowered.com/blog/find-competitors-ranking-keywords/

I like coming up with a bunch of topics in advance and dedicated at least 1-2 days per week to topic research. Some days are easier than others, which is why I like having a list filled with ideas that I can research and narrow down.

Hope this helps you!

March 10, 2021 at 7:45 am

Very helpful. I find these take me far longer than 3 hours, but I can see how for a seasoned writer these become a bit easier over time.

March 12, 2021 at 1:34 pm

I wrote a follow-up piece to this on how to write blog posts faster without affecting blog post quality: https://www.contentpowered.com/blog/write-blog-posts-faster/

Seems like it will be very helpful for you, please let me know what you think 🙂

October 06, 2022 at 8:00 pm

On average, I think I clock in around 4 hours which is good enough for me.

October 07, 2022 at 7:42 pm

Hey Judith! Not bad! How many words can you write in that time?

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The question “How long does it take to write a blog post?” is frequently asked by beginner and experienced content creators. Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer, understanding key factors that impact writing time and mastering several tips to scale up productivity can significantly improve your blogging endeavors. In this comprehensive article, we will dive into those aspects and harness the power of artificial intelligence and SEO tools to optimize your process and create quality content more efficiently.

What is a Blog Post?

A blog post is an integral component of digital content marketing, traditionally housed in a website’s dedicated blog section or used as guest posts on other websites for outreach purposes. These engaging pieces serve as valuable resources for readers, boosting traffic , establishing authority within a niche, and nurturing relationships with clients or potential customers.

Characterized by their informative nature, they convey the author’s knowledge or perspectives on various topics that interest the target audience. Whether you want to share personal stories or provide professional insights, creating qualitative and well-crafted blog posts is essential in today’s competitive online environment.

Here are some common elements that make up a good blog post:

• Engaging blog headings :  Grabs the reader’s attention.
• Introduction:  Provides context or sets up expectations.
• Subheadings:  Divide the content into digestible sections for easy navigation.
• Body paragraphs:  Elaborate on key points related to the topic.
• Internal links :  Connects relevant articles or external sources for additional insights.
• Media elements:  Images or videos to create visual appeal and enhance comprehension.
• Conclusion:  Wraps up the discussion with actionable advice, enticing readers for further interaction.

Understanding what constitutes a great blog post lays the foundation for exploring how long it takes to produce such captivating content while optimizing our writing efficiency with proven techniques and tools discussed later in this article.

How Long Does it Take the Average Person to Write a Typical Blog Post?

The time it takes for an average person to write a blog post can vary significantly, depending on several factors. While there is no universal answer, we can consider some general estimates based on research and experience.

Typically, the writing process for a blog post comprises researching, outlining, drafting, editing, formatting, and optimizing. For an average writer with blogging experience, this process may take around 3-5 hours for a well-researched 1,000-word article that includes images and proper SEO optimization. However, these numbers differ depending on topic complexity and individual skills.

Here is a rough breakdown of how much time each phase of writing might consume:

• Research : 30 minutes – 2 hours
• Outlining : 15 – 45 minutes
• Drafting : 1 – 4 hours (depending on word count)
• Editing : 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Adding images & formatting : 15 – 45 minutes
• Optimizing for SEO : 15 – 45 minutes

If we consider other variations like longer articles (e.g., how long does it take to write a blog post of about  2k words ), the average time required may increase proportionately or even more depending on-depth coverage needed.

Beginners who have limited experience in writing blogs or are just starting their content journey online should anticipate allocating additional time for learning and experimentation.

Though it’s important to acknowledge that every writer works at their own pace, disparities in workflow are inevitable when addressing questions like “How long does it take to write an article?”. Nonetheless, through practice and the application of practical techniques tailored to your unique strengths and weaknesses as a blogger or content creator, you can optimize your speed and quality.

Statistics on How Long It Takes to Write a Blog Post

It takes an average of four hours and 10 minutes to write a blog post in 2022. 36% of bloggers who spend more than 6 hours on writing a post report “strong results.” ( Orbit Media , 2022)

Factors Affecting the Time it Takes to Write a Blog Post

The time it takes to write an engaging and informative blog post may vary depending on several factors. Understanding these aspects can give you a better idea of how long you should allocate when planning your content creation process. The following sections discuss some essential factors that influence the average length of time it takes to write a blog post.

Length of the Blog Post

Naturally, one of the most significant factors affecting how long it takes to write a blog post is its length. For instance, writing a 500-word article takes less time than composing a 2000-word piece. However, this also depends on other variables, such as the topic’s complexity and the research required.

Research Required

Another contributing factor to how long it takes to write an engaging blog post is the amount of research needed for each topic. Detailed articles will likely need more background information, statistics, or expert opinions from various sources. On the other hand, writing about well-known subjects or your personal experiences may require less in-depth research, thereby reducing writing time.

Scope of Coverage

The scope of coverage can also impact how long it takes to write an article. Deciding whether an essay should be comprehensive – covering multiple subtopics or points – or focused on a specific aspect will play a role in determining the amount of research needed and writing involved in creating quality content. Consequently, wider-scope articles may take considerably longer than narrowly-focused pieces.

The Complexity of the Topic

In addition to the scope and length factors mentioned previously, discussing complex topics can dramatically add to extra hours in drafting your blog post. Striking a balance between technical accuracy and easier readability requires extensive knowledge about your subject matter and an exceptional language skillset working symbiotically together. Tailoring complex information for beginners’ absorption inevitably multiplies researching and processing times.

Media Creation

Content success often depends on media inclusion, such as relevant images, infographics, or videos to enhance the blog post’s aesthetic and value. Crafting high-quality photos, diagrams, or visual aids that perfectly correspond with your written content can be time-consuming. Remember to account for how long media creation takes when estimating how long it will take you to complete a blog post.

A thorough understanding of these critical factors plays an essential role in crafting engaging and informative articles while streamlining your content production process. By considering factors like the average word count, research needs, the scope of coverage, topic complexity, and appropriate media assets incorporation, you’ll better grasp the time it takes to create captivating blog posts consistently .

How to Write a Blog Post Quickly

Writing a high-quality blog post takes time and limited resources, but with the right approach and techniques, you can speed up the process and write content without compromising quality. This section review seven steps to help you write an engaging blog post efficiently.

Brainstorming & Research

• Jot down any ideas that come to mind.
• Validate your ideas by conducting keyword research .
• Investigate other sources like competitors’ blogs or industry-related forums for inspiration.
• Collect information from reputable resources to support your points.

A well-researched blog post will likely engage more readers, and improve its search visibility. Therefore, it’s essential to dedicate sufficient time to brainstorming and research.

SEO Strategizing

• Focus on one primary keyword throughout the article (e.g., “How long does it take to write a blog post”).
• Find related keywords clustered by similarity (e.g., “How long should it take to write a blog post”).
• 3-5 relevant keyword phrases per section. Make sure they sound natural when used.

By incorporating SEO best practices into your content creation process, you enhance the chances of driving organic traffic from search engines to your website while maintaining an enjoyable reading experience for the user.

Blog Post Outline

Creating an outline before diving into writing ensures all key points are covered while preventing redundant information or disorganized thoughts within the article.

• Begin with an introductory paragraph explaining the main topic.
• Add subheadings to segment different aspects of the topic logically.
• With each section, aim to expand upon—rather than repeat—the existing content.

Writing the First Draft

Keep sentences short and easy to read through:

• Maximum 15-word sentence limit.
• Use active voice predominantly
• Add logical transitional phrases, e.g.,”  Between acquiring knowledge and expressing it, _.”
• Make ideas conversational yet professional.
• Aim for a readability score of grade level 9 or below (check Hemingway Editor).

Adhering to these guidelines makes your content readable and engaging to the target audience.

Editing and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading enable you to improve upon the initial draft by ensuring grammatical accuracy and coherence, ultimately delivering a polished and well-rounded article.

• Focus on eliminating repetition, redundancies, or filler words.
• Verify proper Tenses & Forms in verbs usage
• Validate clarity in article structure.

Creating Images and Formatting

An attractive layout with visual enhancements increases reader comprehension and overall engagement. After all, blog content should be as enjoyable to look at as it is to read.

• Add relevant images to support your points or break up long sections.
• Format headers/subheaders systematically.
• Utilize bullet points/ordered lists when appropriate.

Grammar and Plagiarism Check

Before publishing a single post, double-check grammar and plagiarism. It safeguards your reputation and ensures the credibility of the information provided to readers.

• Use grammar-checking tools like Grammarly.
• Verify originality through plagiarism checkers such as Copyscape or Turnitin.

By following this framework in writing blog posts quickly without compromising quality, you can efficiently produce high-performing articles while maintaining a reliable content schedule – giving you and your audience something valuable each time they visit your website!

Tips to Write Blog Posts Faster

Efficiency is key. The faster you can produce great blog posts, the better your results will be. In this section, I’ll share some useful tips on creating more blog posts, more quickly without compromising quality.

Create Templates for Different Content Types

One way to speed up the writing process is by creating templates for different types of content. This can help streamline your workflow and save time when starting a new post. Some standard templates might include the following:

• How-to guides
• Product reviews
• Interviews or expert roundups
• Case studies

For each type of content, develop a standard format with headings and subheadings that allow you to fill in the information quickly while maintaining a consistent structure.

Learn From Your Competitors

Analyzing what works for your competitors can help inform your content strategy and inspire new ideas. Explore their most popular posts, note their formatting and headline style, and observe what engages their audience. By incorporating successful tactics from other blogs into your work, you may achieve similar results more efficiently.

Write Drunk, Edit Sober

Many renowned writers have written positively about adopting Hemingway’s famous advice: “Write drunk; edit sober.” The idea behind this approach is to unleash creativity during the drafting phase by silencing inner critics, which often hinder progress. Remember that it’s not about being intoxicated. It’s more about allowing yourself to write freely and passionately before returning later with a fresh perspective to refine and polish your work.

Have a Clear Objective for Every Article

Before beginning the first page of any article, establish its purpose – educating readers about a particular topic, promoting a product or service, or offering actionable tips based on personal experiences. Having clear objectives ensures that every paragraph contributes towards a cohesive message which helps maintain focus throughout the writing.

Create an Outline of Your Article

Outlining your article before you start writing can save you significant time. A content outline serves as a roadmap for your post, helping to organize thoughts and ensure that the content flows logically from one point to another. Break your article into sections using headings and subheadings, then make bullet points or summaries for each subsection.

Get Rid of All the Distractions and Follow a Schedule

Distractions can hinder the progress of even the most experienced writers. To maintain focus while working on blog posts, eliminate common distractions like social media notifications, emails, or phone calls. Designating specific hours for writing each day or following techniques like the Pomodoro Technique can help improve productivity by limiting procrastination.

Write Regularly

Finally, practice makes perfect. Writing regularly helps sharpen skills and increase familiarity with personal strengths and weaknesses within the craft. The more one writes, the faster it becomes second nature, ultimately improving efficiency when producing high-quality individual blog posts and content.

Remember that how long it takes to write a blog post varies depending on factors like length, complexity, and how much research is required. By employing these tips for writing blog posts faste r, you’ll streamline your workflow and produce quality content more efficiently and quickly!

Quality vs. Quantity

When it comes to producing content, the debate between quality and quantity is a common one. Striking the right balance between producing high-quality blog posts and maintaining a consistent posting schedule will significantly influence your success in attracting readers and search ranking. The key is to understand that quality and quantity contribute to the effectiveness of your blogging strategy .

Importance of Quality Content

High-quality content provides value to readers by addressing their needs, answering their questions, or relieving their pain points. It’s essential to build brand credibility, establish yourself as an industry authority, and keep your audience engaged on your platform.

Some benefits of creating quality blog posts include the following:

• Retaining reader interest: Engaging content keeps readers coming back for more.
• Better search engine rankings: Quality posts are more likely to rank higher on Google due to being deemed valuable resources.
• Increased social media shares: Compelling content will likely be shared on social platforms, resulting in greater reach and visibility for your brand.
• Improved conversion rates: By providing meaningful information that resonates with readers, you establish trust leading to better conversions from potential customers.

Significance of Posting Frequency

While emphasizing quality is crucial in attracting readership and generating favorable results, maintaining a regular posting schedule enhances these benefits significantly:

• Constant engagement with your audience keeps them connected with your brand.
• Regular publishing of blog posts signals search engines that your site is active, enhancing its discoverability.
• Scheduled postings train readers when they can expect new material from you; consistency boosts anticipation.

Considering these aspects, we need to find an optimal strategy balancing post quality and frequency.

Striking the Right Balance

To maximize the impact of blogging efforts while combining both elements efficiently:

• Establish realistic goals for post frequency based on available resources (time & budget) without compromising overall quality.
• Begin by prioritizing well-researched, well-written content and consistently monitor engagement metrics (shares, comments, bounce rates) to evaluate its success.
• Examine industry trends and your competitors’ performance regarding the frequency and quality of their blog posts.
• Use data analysis tools to identify which posting schedules work best for your target audience.
• Make adjustments based on feedback and observations as you gain more experience.

Remember that quality should never be sacrificed solely to achieve higher post frequencies. This may backfire by turning readers away. At the same time, infrequent posting might make it challenging for readers to sustain interest in your brand. Finding an equilibrium between quality and quantity ensures sustainable growth while maintaining reader satisfaction.

How Long Does it Take to Write an Average Blog Post with AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has been making its way into content creation and blogging, thus raising the question: how long does it take to write a blog post utilizing AI? The answer can vary depending on the tools and software, subject matter expertise, and individual workflow. However, there’s no denying that AI can significantly reduce the time spent on the actual writing of a blog post.

Some primary factors impacting AI-powered writing time include:

• AI Tool Selection : Many AI-driven content generation tools are available today. Choosing an effective one that aligns with your writing goals and style is crucial for faster results.
• Subject Matter Expertise : Even though AI assists with generating text, human input is still required to ensure that the content is relevant, coherent, and engaging. A firm grasp of the topic will speed up this process considerably.
• Individual Workflow : An essential aspect of working with AI tools is integrating them seamlessly into your existing workflow. Streamlining communication between you and the tool ensures efficiency throughout the writing process.

Advantages of Writing Blog Posts with AI

With these factors in mind, let’s take a look at some advantages of incorporating AI into your writing routine:

• Generate Content Faster : Utilizing AI algorithms can result in quicker research and drafting stages by automatically generating short pieces or even full-length articles within seconds.
• Improve Efficiency : By handling repetitive tasks like keyword and content optimization or sentence rephrasing, AI allows you to focus more on creativity and higher-level strategy.
• Keep Tone and Style Consistent : Advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques often enable consistency in maintaining your desired voice throughout multiple pieces of content.
• Leverage Prompts for Inspiration : For writers experiencing writer’s block, many modern-day AI platforms offer tailored suggestions and ideas to kick-start your creativity.

While AI technology can be incredibly helpful in cutting down the time it takes to write, revise, and optimize a blog post, it’s still not entirely autonomous. Combining the strengths of human expertise with AI-driven technology can lead to more efficient writing sessions and consistently high-quality content.

Combining the benefits of both human experience and advanced algorithms may significantly reduce the time spent writing while ensuring robust and engaging content authentic to your target audience.

How Long Does It Take to Write a Blog Post with SEOwind?

SEOwind is an advanced content optimization and analysis tool designed to streamline the process of creating high-quality, search-engine-optimized blog posts. Reducing the time spent on research, content planning, and providing in-depth keyword suggestions can significantly reduce the duration needed to write a well-optimized blog post.

You can write AI Blog Post with more than 2000 words within 30 minutes, including research. Exciting, right?

To understand how long it takes to write a blog post using SEOwind effectively, let’s break down the steps involved:

Content Analysis, Keyword & Topic Research & Content Outline

SEOwind is a SERP and SEO Content Analyzer. It analysis top-performing content and collects all the data needed for crafting unique content:

• Competitive Analysis with organic keywords top SERPs are ranking for
• Competitor Outlines
• Questions to Answer
• Content recommendations on content length, number of headings, and images
• Secondary keywords clustered semantically

Content Outline and Optimization Suggestions

SEOwind AI allows you to create a comprehensive outline based on SEO and SERP data with one 1-click. It also helps you with writing titles and descriptions.

This step allows you to create comprehensive outlines for your blog posts within just 15 minutes instead of spending several hours gathering data manually.

AI Blog Post Writing

Once you have the outline ready, you can generate a blog post with AI. It usually takes up to 15 minutes to have it ready. From our experience those articles and long-form content with 2000 words and more.

Proofreading and editing

You need to make this step on your own. This is the part where you put an additional value on top and take care of the tone of voice , language, and branding.

FAQs on Writing a Blog Post

How long does it take to write a 1,000-word blog post.

Determining how long it takes to write a 1,000-word blog post can vary depending on several factors, such as the writer’s experience, research requirements, and the complexity of the topic. On average, it may take an experienced writer about one to three hours to complete a well-researched and articulate 1,000-word blog post. For beginners or less-experienced individuals, this process could take up to four or five hours.

It’s important to note that these estimates do not account for additional time needed for tasks like brainstorming ideas or creating accompanying visual content. To improve your writing speed:

• Conduct thorough research before starting
• Create an outline to guide your writing
• Minimize distractions and stay focused on the task at hand.

How long does it take to write a 500-word blog post?

Writing a 500-word blog post typically takes less time than writing a lengthy one. Still, it is subject to similar variables, such as research needs and writing expertise. An experienced freelance writer often can complete a quality 500-word article in under an hour if minimal research is required. However, if extensive investigation is necessary, the time spent could increase accordingly.

Completing a well-constructed 500-word piece may take two or even three hours for those new to content writing or tackling intricate subjects. Tips for increasing efficiency include:

• Streamlining your research process by bookmarking reliable sources
• Utilizing templates for different content types
• Practicing regularly to develop and hone your skills

How long does it take to write a 700-word blog post?

Estimating the time required for crafting a high-quality 700-word blog post depends upon various factors, such as existing knowledge of the subject matter and overall skill level in writing. A seasoned author with ample experience might only require around 90 minutes to create a brief and engaging article.

On the other hand, a less proficient writer or someone exploring an unfamiliar topic may need up to three or four hours to develop their thoughts and construct a polished piece fully. To expedite the writing process:

• Engage in thoughtful planning before beginning
• Set clear objectives for each article’s purpose
• Follow an outline to maintain the structure

Kate Kandefer

Entrepreneur passionate about scaling SaaS companies on a global B2B stage. My expertise in AI, SEO, and Content Marketing is my toolkit for driving tangible results. I'm a hands-on executor guided by results, deeply passionate about marketing, and skilled at aligning business objectives with people's needs and motivations. With a pragmatic mindset. My approach is all about clarity, efficiency, and open dialogue.

Table of Contents

• 1 What is a Blog Post?
• 2 How Long Does it Take the Average Person to Write a Typical Blog Post?
• 3 Statistics on How Long It Takes to Write a Blog Post
• 4 Factors Affecting the Time it Takes to Write a Blog Post
• 5 How to Write a Blog Post Quickly
• 6 Tips to Write Blog Posts Faster
• 7 Quality vs. Quantity
• 8 How Long Does it Take to Write an Average Blog Post with AI?
• 9 How Long Does It Take to Write a Blog Post with SEOwind?
• 10 FAQs on Writing a Blog Post

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How to write a blog post: A step-by-step guide from preparation to publication

Writing a successful blog post all comes down to the proper preparations. It starts before you even begin writing: what do you want to say and to whom do you want to say it? You might want to get going right away but remember: writing takes some time. And once you’ve written an awesome blog post, you’ll need to invest time in promoting it and keeping the content up to date. Today, we’ll cover all you need to do to write a successful blog post, from the first inception, to long after publication. So let’s dive right in!

Before we get going with our step by step guide, have a quick look at this image that depicts the three phases of a proper writing process: 

In total, there are 6 steps you should take when writing and publishing a blog post. Does this sound a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry, at the end of this post, you’ll find a practical (and downloadable) checklist with an overview of these steps!

What is the purpose of your post?

What is the main message of your post, who are your readers, what information do you need.

• What's the best way to structure your text?

Step 2: Write your blog post!

Optimize your post for the search engines, don’t forget to add images, add categories and tags, optimize for social media, share your post on social media, internal linking to a new post from other posts, include posts in the newsletter, repost on social media.

• Analyze the post's performance

Optimize where necessary

More internal linking, practical checklist, step 1: preparation.

Let’s say you’ve taken a good look at your keyword research and decided upon a topic for your next blog post. Don’t start typing just yet. First, it’s time to prepare the post! That means you have to answer a few questions. And trust me, answering these questions will definitely help you write a great blog. So, let’s have a look at the questions you should ask yourself:

Before you start writing, you should first take some time to think about why you’re writing and what you want to achieve with this specific article. Articles can have different purposes:

• You can write because you want to persuade people. You want to convince them to buy your product or adopt your ideas. 
• The aim of your article could also be to entertain and amuse people. A column is a good example of an entertaining text. 
• Your blog or article could also be informative . In this case, you want to share knowledge about a certain topic. 

Different articles on your website can have different purposes. A blog can be informative as well as entertaining. In any case, it’s important to think about the purpose of your article because it will give you a direction to follow. An article that intends to persuade people should be written differently than an article with a solely informative or amusing function. 

Read more: Why the purpose of your text is important for SEO »

You should also think about what you want your readers to know or take away after they’ve read your text. We refer to this as the message of your text.

For example

If you want to write a post about the importance of well-structured texts, the central question of the post could be: ‘Why is it important to write well-structured blog posts?’

The message of a post about the importance of well-structured texts could be: ‘It is important to write a well-structured text because it will allow people to understand your text better, it will lead to higher conversions and higher rankings.’

In order to formulate your message, you could try to phrase a question which your text should answer. We refer to such a question as the central question of a text. And the text you write should give an answer to your central question. So make sure that your central question is clear. Try to come up with a summarized answer to your central question in one or two sentences. This summarized answer is the message of your article. 

We usually put the message in the introduction of the post (where you tell readers what the post is about) as well as in the conclusion of the piece. Making your message explicit is, in our opinion, especially important in web texts. It helps readers to instantly grasp the message of your article and increases the likelihood people will keep reading.

Ideally, you already thought about the kind of audience you want to reach when you started your website. But it never hurts to remind yourself before writing your text. So, take some time to think about the people you are writing for. Make sure you adapt your text to them and adjust the difficulty level of the information in your article as well as the difficulty of your style (use of jargon, long sentences etc.). A good rule of thumb is to keep things readable and accessible to reach a wider audience .

In some cases, all the information you need to write your text is already in your head. For example, if the chef of a local Italian restaurant wants to write a blog post about the types and uses of pasta, they probably don’t need to open any books. But if they want to write an elaborate culinary history about 500 years of Italian cuisine, they might need some other sources. So, determine whether you need sources (the internet, books, newspapers) to get the information you need for your text. 

You should take the central question of your piece and come up with a number of sub-questions you want to answer. Find and formulate answers to all your sub-questions using your sources (books, the internet, scientific articles, etc.). This will provide you with the basis of your post or article.

After this phase, you might want to make some adjustments to the (central) message of your article. Take some time to phrase or rephrase your message (the summarized answer to your central question) to make it entirely clear.

What’s the best way to structure your text?

The final step in the preparation process is the most important one. You have to decide how you’ll structure the information you want to communicate to your readers. If you don’t think about this beforehand, odds are your text will lack a logical order and will be hard to follow for your audience. A proper text structure is also important for SEO . Not sure how to begin? This post offers practical tips to create a decent structure .

At this point, you’ll have all the information you need and an outline of the subjects you want to discuss in your blog post. And yes, this means it’s finally time to start writing. So get going! And don’t worry, your text doesn’t have to be perfect yet. You can edit things later on.

Try to stick to the structure you decided on and make sure your tone and style are in line with the audience you want to reach. Also, you don’t have to write your blog post from start to end. Feel free to switch between paragraphs, and skip hard bits to get back to later on. Whatever feels most natural to you!

Keep reading: SEO Copywriting: The ultimate guide »

Step 3: Correcting, editing and optimizing

Once you’ve put everything on (digital) paper, it’s time for the editing phase. Now, you should look more closely at your text and smooth out weird sentences and errors. This means checking for mistakes on a sentence and paragraph level, and also evaluating whether the structure of your blog post actually makes sense. If you’re not an experienced writer, it can be very helpful to use online spell checks or to ask someone you know to read your text. Another pair of eyes has a fresh perspective on your text and can, therefore, spot mistakes much more easily.

Optimizing for search engines should, of course, be a big part of preparing your post for publication. For example, it’s important to check the distribution of your keywords, meta description and the readability of your text. As you know, the Yoast plugin offers a lot of help with this step! Check out the SEO analysis tool , and our post on how to optimize your blog post .

Step 4: Practicalities before publishing

Before you send your new masterpiece into the world, there are a few more things to do to improve your post’s chances to do well: 

Images are an invaluable addition to (almost) every blog post. So before publishing your post, you need to add at least one quality image and make sure your images are optimized . Some bloggers prefer to create photos and images before they start writing their texts. Others prefer to first write and then find the correct images. Whether you use stock photos or create your own graphics, make sure you have at least a header image that can also be shared on social media. In Yoast SEO Premium, there is a social preview where you can see what it looks like when your post is shared on Facebook or Twitter. Here, you can also set a different social image if desired.

Categories and tags provide an extra layer of structure for your site, so you really need to give some thought to how you use those. As you’re preparing your blog post, it’s easy to forget to add the right taxonomies. So check whether you’ve done that before you hit the publish button!

Not only can you set your own social image in Yoast SEO Premium, you can also write a different description for Facebook and Twitter than for Google. People who find you through Facebook often have a different connection with you than those who find you through Google. Make sure the description resembles that! 

If Pinterest is a platform that’s relevant to your blog, you should design a Pinterest image before you launch your post. This image should have a ratio of 2:3, which means it’s vertical. Good to know: Pinterest has a scheduling feature, which means you can schedule your pin before publishing the post. Just make sure you put the correct publishing URL in!

Read on: 10 tips to streamline your blog content workflow »

Step 5: After publishing your post

After publishing your blog post, you can either sit back and hope people will pick up your newest masterpiece or you can take action to draw attention to your new post. It’s time to make some noise and get the story out there!

Although social media are designed to keep users on their platforms, your followers love hearing from you. Especially if you write for your social audience, it’s important to post your blog posts on your social media accounts. There are plugins that push your blog posts to social media as soon as you hit publish, but you could also do this yourself.

And although Pinterest isn’t a social medium but a visual search engine, we’ll discuss it here as well. While Google finds out about your new blog post through crawling and sitemaps, Pinterest doesn’t. So, if you want your content on Pinterest, you need to actually tell Pinterest you have a new post by posting to the platform. So if you have not used the scheduler or want to place your pins on more boards, now is the time to do so!

Are you aware of the importance of site structure? To improve your post’s chances to rank, you should add internal links. Int e rnal links are links that are in your text, which tell Google all about context. It’s important to link to your blog post. While writing your post, you most likely already linked to other posts you’ve written. After publishing, make sure you check which blog posts could have a link to your new post and add those links immediately. 

Step 6: A while after publishing your blog post

To make sure your blog posts don’t disappear in the large sea of content out there, it’s important to keep working on promoting and improving them even after they’ve been published for a while. 

A lot of businesses maintain a newsletter. If you send out a newsletter, you have to decide if you are going to share all your recent blog posts, or will only share your funniest or most informative ones. You can share your newest blog post in today’s newsletter. And if it’s still relevant six months from now, or you’re doing a themed newsletter, you can include it again. The bottom line is: If the content is still relevant, it won’t matter if the article is one week or one month old.

You shared your blog post on social media right after you published it, but that doesn’t mean you cannot republish it again after a few months! The same goes for the newsletter. Of course, don’t overdo it, but you can certainly reshare something 6 months after you first shared it. You can even decide to use another social image or another introduction text to give the social media post a different look.

Analyze the post’s performance

After a month or so, you can start to analyze your post’s performance. This is something you need to do regularly, for instance, every three months. You should look at Google Analytics and check Google Search Console to see how people find your blog post, but also whether you’re ranking for the keywords you want to rank for and if you should create more posts surrounding the subject or make the blog post even more in-depth. 

SEO is an ongoing process. One month, you may rank #1 for a keyword, while the next month your competitor has created a better piece and starts ranking first. And did you know that search intent for a keyword can change over time? In short, you should periodically revisit your blog post with the data you have collected, then optimize where necessary. 

Check what your competition does better than you and decide whether you want to optimize. Do you feel it’s worth your time to improve a post if you dropped from first to second place? Optimizing could mean you need to focus more on things like link building , or Schema . Check what your competitors do that you don’t. Don’t copy, but learn from them.

While updating and optimizing your content, it might be a good idea to work from a copy of the original post. This makes it possible to work on your update without bothering visitors with work that’s half-done. By using the Yoast Duplicate Post plugin , you can clone the original post. Simply edit this clone to your heart’s content, then copy the content over to the original post once you are done.

Ideally, you already worked on your internal linking when you just published your post. If you did and kept an eye on it over time, then you can skip this step. If not, you probably need to work on your internal linking again! Use the orphaned content filter in Yoast SEO Premium to see which articles need some attention regarding internal linking.

To keep track of what you need to do to write and publish a perfect blog post, we created a checklist. You can print it out and keep it with you as a cheat sheet when you’re preparing, writing, and fine-tuning your text. We even added some empty checkboxes so you can add extra steps if we didn’t cover something you consider absolutely necessary! Download the free checklist here!

Writing a blog post can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. You need to invest time in preparing and writing your blog post. And once it’s written, it’s important that you make sure it gets the attention it deserves by sharing and improving your text. This might seem like a lot, but in the end, you’ll see your content consistently perform well. And trust us, it will be worth it!

Keep on reading: SEO copywriting: The ultimate guide »

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Marieke was Head of Strategy and former CEO at Yoast. During her time at our company she wrote a lot. Topics that she loves writing about include SEO copywriting, site structure and readability.

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How Long Should Blog Posts Be in 2021? [New Data]

Updated: August 25, 2021

Published: March 02, 2020

If you're a blogger, you've probably asked your editor "how long should this blog post be" more times than you'd care to admit.

And most of the time, you'll hear an answer that sounds something like this: "However long it needs to be."

There's certainly a nugget of truth in there — you shouldn't beholden yourself to a character count that's either too low or too high. However, any experienced blogger will tell you that there is an ideal length or range for how long your blog posts should be, especially when you take certain criteria into account like your audience, the topic, the structure of the post, and what your main promotional channel is.

We've published thousands of blog posts here at HubSpot, and we analyzed our top-performing ones to see how blog post length impacts success in all of these areas.

Read on to see how long your blog posts should be in 2020.

Ideal Blog Post Length for SEO 2021

For SEO, the ideal blog post length should be 2,100-2,400 words, according to HubSpot data. We averaged the length of our 50 most-read blog posts in 2019, which yielded an average word count of 2,330. Individual blog post lengths ranged from 333 to 5,581 words, with a median length of 2,164 words.

But before you go writing your 2,300 word blog post, keep in mind that not all blog posts need to be super long — in fact, 16 of our top 50 read posts (or about one-third) were under 1,500 words, so there's still plenty of opportunity to get your posts ranking even with a lower word count.

This can be accomplished by following SEO best practices, including:

• Proper backlinking.
• Attempting to capture Google's featured snippet .
• Adding alt-text.
• Going after the right keywords.
• Achieving domain and topic authority.
• Incorporating media-rich content in your post body (videos, social media embeds, etc.).

For an overview of everything that goes into getting a blog post to rank on Google outside of word length, check out this blog post .

Ideal Blog Post Length for Lead Generation

Unfortunately, there's often a disconnect between the posts that generate traffic and those that generate leads or new contacts for your business.

Typically, posts that get more traffic do so because they're searched for by a wider audience, which sometimes means the topic you've written about is more generic and doesn't align closely with your business.

To speak to this gap, we looked at the 50 posts that brought in the most net new leads for HubSpot in 2019 to see if there was a difference in average length, and to see if writers should adjust post length for posts written to generate leads.

Spoiler alert: there was, and they should .

Based on HubSpot's data, the ideal length of a blog post intended to generate leads is 2,500 words. The 50 posts that generated the most leads in 2019 were an average of 2,569 words long and had a median length of 2,529 words, which is approximately 250 and 400 words longer than the average and median lengths of the most-read blog posts. The longest post in this cohort was 8,197 words, or approximately 2,500 words longer than the longest most-read post.

So, for a blog post intended to build your contact database, writing longer content definitely works in your favor. Longer content reinforces your knowledge and authority on a subject — particularly if it's a keyword or a topic for a very specific audience. When your coverage is more in-depth for these ideas, you increase your chances of ranking better — and while your audience might be smaller, your chances of converting readers into leads are far greater.

Ideal Blog Post Lengths for Different Blog Post Types

We didn't stop there: there are different types and formats of blog posts, so we wanted to see how blog post length impacted the performance of these different post structures.

You can use these six free blog post templates  to build out the perfect length post for your subject for each of the blog types listed below. 

Download Now

How long should pillar pages be?

Pillar pages should be around 4,000 words, since they are supposed to cover significantly more content than an average blog post.

A pillar page is your attempt at being the all-encompassing guide to any given subject available on the Internet as a blog post. These posts serve as the "pillar" to a cluster of blog posts, all of which relate to the topic explained in the pillar. You can learn more about pillar pages by watching the video below.

To arrive at the suggested 4,000 word blog post length, we averaged the lengths of our most-read pillar pages in 2019 and found an average of 4,048 words and a median length of 3,639 words. Word lengths for these pillar pages ranged from 2,137 to 10,939 words.

That amount of words might seem scary, but keep in mind how extensive the work that goes into pillar pages — and the content that they cover — should be. Pillar pages should take several days to write, cite multiple sources, and link out to all of your related blog posts on the subject. The work will pay off, however, and you'll likely see more traffic to the pillar post and the supporting cluster content.

Need help getting started with writing pillar pages? Try using our free blog post templates for organizing and writing your pillar pages.

How long should listicles be?

Listicles, or list blog posts, should be 2,300-2,600 words.

List blog posts are probably the most approachable blog post format for new bloggers. Anyone can make a blog post just by listing off and explaining a few examples, tools, resources, or ideas for a given topic. When it comes to the length of these blog posts, it seems that the rule of thumb is: the more examples, the better .

HubSpot's most-read listicles in 2019 were an average of 2,574 words and had a median length of 2,332 words. They ranged between 1,040 and 5,581 words in length. All of these numbers are either around the same or higher than the lengths for the average blog post, suggesting that list blog posts perform better when they are longer.

And if you think about it, this makes total sense. When you search for a list of ideas or examples, would you rather see a list of five or a list of fifty? This post format demands plenty of list entries -- preferably with images, explanations, and links to their original sources -- so put in the effort to build an authoritative and complete list for your readers.

You can use these free listicle blog post templates to get started writing your list posts today.

How long should "how-to" blog posts be?

How-to blog posts should be between 1,700 and 2,100 words.

Because how-to posts describe, well, how to do something, the ideal length of the blog post depends on how difficult it is to do what you're explaining how to do. For example, this blog post on how to type the shrug emoji is just over 300 words, while this blog post on how to start a business contains more than 8,000.

For our top-read how-to blog posts, we saw an average length of 2,151 words and a median of 1,669 words. While this a rather large range, it shouldn't be too surprising, since readers don't need too much -- or worse -- too little information on how to accomplish their desired task.

Writing a how-to blog post for the first time? Remember that they should be concise and clear, contain section headers, and leave little or nothing to the imagination. Readers are coming to you for instruction, not inspiration, so ensure the post succinctly covers your chosen topic. You can also use this how-to blog post template if you need help organizing and writing the post.

How long should "what is" blog posts be?

"What is" posts, or blog posts that answer a question (such as the one you're reading right now), should be between 1,300 and 1,700 words (which this one is!).

This type of post is definitely the poster child for making blog posts "as long as they need to be." When readers search for what, who, or when something is, they typically want a quick answer or explanation. Based on our data, bogging readers down with too much unnecessary information doesn't always equate to more views -- 30% of the HubSpot's most-read "what is" posts are less than 1,000 words.

If you need help structuring these posts and keeping them short, try using these blog post templates .

Minimum Blog Post Length

Technically, there is no official minimum for blog post length, though Yoast recommends at least 300 words. That said, HubSpot data suggests writing longer posts should be the rule rather than the exception for your blog. This practice will help your website build authority in the eyes of search engines, which can help shorter blog posts rank better.

" Generally , it's easier for longer content to rank," says Aja Frost , HubSpot's Head of Content SEO. "But unless you're publishing hundreds of [blog] pages with less than 100 words, you won't get dinged for thin content."

While longer blog posts tend to perform the best, that's not to say that every single blog post you publish must be more than 2,000 words. If you feel you've covered your topic well enough in 300, 800, or 1,000 words, then so be it.

Getting Started With Your Blog Posts

Now that you know how long your blog posts should be, it's time to start writing! We've compiled a list of resources you can start utilizing today to make your blog more successful.

• A Guide on How to Start a Blog
• A Blog Post on How to Write a Blog (Please forgive us for being so meta)
• A Collection of Free Blog Post Templates [Download Now]
• CMS Software to Host Your Blog Content
• Marketing Analytics Software to Measure Blog Post Performance

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How Long Should Your Blog Post Be? A Writer’s Guide

by Joe Bunting | 118 comments

I was at a meetup with a group of bloggers recently when someone turned to me and asked, “What do you think is the ideal blog post length? How long should my blog posts be?”

It's an important question, because when it comes to our writing, like all of us you probably want  more.

• More readers
• More comments
• More backlinks for SEO
• And of course, more traffic (search traffic, social media traffic, organic traffic)

For writers who are trying to build their audience online , it’s essential to learn how to write great blog posts .

However, even if you’ve been blogging for a long time, it’s difficult to figure out what your audience really wants, especially in terms of the perfect blog post length.

If content is king, then what is the perfect length that will help us get more people to read (and share!) our blog content?

My Story: How I Discovered the Ideal Word Count for Blog Posts

If we haven't met, hi! My name is Joe Bunting. I'm a WSJ Best-selling ghostwriter and author of the memoir Crowdsourcing Paris, and I've been writing blog posts for a long time.

Here are a few things you might not know about me:

• Blogging transformed my writing career, helping me go from someone who wanted to be a writer and studied writing in college to a professional author read by millions of readers.
• I got my start on a Blogspot blog in 2008 (does anyone remember that blogging platform?)
• My first paid writing job was writing online music reviews and news pieces for a local magazine
• I was a travel writer for a year as I visited 15 countries
• I started The Write Practice in 2011 and it eventually helped me become a full-time blogger/teacher for the most amazing writing community in the world!

In that time, I've written many different content types with many different average word counts, and so I can definitively say this: post length matters.

Why does it matter though? And how do you find the perfect length for your posts? In this guide, I'll share all my best content length tips that I've learned writing and teaching writing online over 10+ years.

But first, let's dispel a common myth.

Myth: “When it comes to blog posts, shorter posts are better.”

Many “expert” bloggers perpetuate the myth that “shorter is better,” that blog posts should never be more than 600 words long.

They explain that online readers have short attention spans and don’t want to read long articles.

The only way you can get more blog readers, they say, is to write posts that are short and sweet.

Don’t listen to them.

Honestly, early in my writing career, I subscribed to this myth.

However, as I’ve learned more about what makes people read your blog posts, I realized that more often than not the opposite is true: the longer, the better. In fact, some of my best-read blog posts have been over 2,000 words long.

3 Perfect Lengths for Blog Posts

So then what’s the perfect length?

The quick answer: it depends.

As I’ve experimented with different lengths, from 100 word mini-posts to 2,000+ word encyclopedia entries, I've found that each has different advantages depending on what you want to get out of your blog.

Don’t believe me? Here’s the data .

With that in mind, let me ask you three questions about what you’re trying to accomplish with your blog.

Do you want more comments on your blog?

If you want content that spurs online conversation, shorter is usually better, especially if your post is focused on asking your readers’ questions and generating discussion.

Content length tip: Want more comments on your blog? Try writing short-form, discussion-based content no longer than 275 words long.

Keep in mind, short posts rarely get shared widely on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. They also have a tough time ranking on search engines and are bad for SEO. If you’re trying to build an audience, I wouldn’t recommend focusing solely on short posts.

However, if you’re trying to create more engagement with your readers, try posting something short.

Here are a few examples of short-form content generating a lot of conversation:

• What Are You Struggling With In Your Writing?
• You Must Remember Every Scar
• Which Famous Classic Writer Are You?

Do you want more social media shares?

When I first started my blog The Write Practice, I was ecstatic if my posts got more than ten social shares. Now, I’m disappointed if our posts don’t get more than 100 social media shares.

I’ve found that how many shares you get on social media is influenced by several things, including your topic, the post's quality, and, of course, the size of your existing audience. What effect does length have on social shares?

Content length  tip : Want more shares on social media? Aim for medium length blog posts between 600 to 1500 words. ( Share that on Twitter ?)

This is the length I usually shoot for. Medium-form is also fairly good for content for SEO and for generating discussion.

Of course, you still have to write high quality content with a great headline and a compelling premise that solves your readers’ problem.

Here are some types of content that are a good fit for this length:

• How-to Blog Posts
• List Blog Posts
• Interview and Profile Blog Posts
• In-Depth Guides and Lessons
• Personal Narrative Posts

For more on how to write this type of helpful content, check out my guide on the three most effective blog post templates .

Here are a few examples of medium-form content generating a lot of social shares:

• How to Write a Short Story: 5 Major Steps from Start to Finish
• 3 Tips to “Show Don't Tell” Emotions and Other Moods
• JK Rowling’s Writing Process: 9 Principles You Can Use From Rowling’s Philosophy of Writing

Do you want more traffic from Google for your blog?

Who doesn’t want more organic traffic from Google? One month, many years ago, I went from getting just a trickle of new visitors from Google to getting over 1,000 new readers per day. I was ecstatic!

Since then, I optimized the post to better fit my target audience and it still generates thousands of new visits per month. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is complicated, and a much larger subject matter than we can cover here (and typically involve a keyword tool like Ahrefs for SEO analysis).

However, for our purposes, what is the optimal blog post length for getting search traffic from Google and other search engines?

Content length  tip : Want more traffic from Google? Write longer, heavily researched posts 2,450+ words long.

Search engines love long-form, authoritative, in-depth guides, especially when they’re focused on solving a pressing problem for readers. Longer posts might not get a lot of comments, and they might even be shared slightly less than average on social media, but if you can wait until Google takes notice, you might just get lucky and see a huge bump in organic search traffic.

Here are a few examples of long-form blog posts generating high amounts of search traffic:

• Point of View Guide
• How to Write a Novel Without Fail: 20-Step Guide
• How to Write a Book: The Complete Guide

Key Takeaways: How Long Do You Want Your Blog Article to Be?

To sum up, here’s a list of common blog posts lengths to help you find your own ideal length:

• Micro content: 75-300 words . Super-short posts are best for generating discussion . They rarely get many shares on social media, and they’re horrible for SEO, but if you want a lot of comments, write short posts!
• Short Form content: 300-600 words . This is the standard blogging length, recommended by many “expert” bloggers. Shorter blog posts are a good middle-ground for social shares and comments, but are too short to gain much authority or search traffic.
• News Article length content: 750 words . This is the standard length for professional journalism, especially newspapers. I find that it’s pretty good for getting links from other bloggers and shares on social media.
• Mid-form content: 1000-1500 words . You’ll get fewer comments at this length but a lot more shares on social media, especially if you’ve followed the advice above and written a piece of content that actually solves someone’s problem. That being said, I’ve written posts this long and gotten 100+ comments, so it really depends on the topic and your audience.
• Long-form Content: 2,450 words and longer . The highest ranking articles on Google are most often 2,450 or more average word count. If you want to have a top-ranking posts that can become evergreen on search engines (and thus get thousands of new readers per month, year after year), this is the best length to write. However, make sure you do your keyword analysis to write about a topic that people are actually searching for (I use Ahrefs for this). It would be a shame to write a book-length long-form post on a topic no one ever searches for!

To paraphrase up : longer is usually better for social shares and SEO whereas shorter is usually better for getting more comments.

Best Blogging Platforms for YOUR Content

Even if you write the “perfect” length, if you’re on an amateurish blog platform like Blogger, WordPress.com, or Wix, you’ll still lose visitors and engagement.

One of the best things you can do to feature your content well is host your blog on a professional platform. After blogging professionally for nearly a decade there are two platforms that I’ve found to be the best:

• Self-hosted WordPress with Divi theme . WordPress is an amazing blogging tool, is built for strong SEO, and has a huge, vibrant community of developers creating free and paid plugins. Divi is a paid drag-and-drop theme that runs on WordPress and makes it easy to create a beautiful website. We use WordPress with Divi here at the Write Practice. You can see my full review to build your author website with them here, or get started now with WordPress on Bluehost here and then download Divi here .
• Squarespace . Squarespace allows you to create beautiful websites fairly easily. It’s slightly more expensive than WordPress through Bluehost and it gives you much less control over the design and function of the site, BUT it’s a little easier to figure out. Get started with Squarespace here .

You can learn more about the best blogging platforms for your content on my full guide, Building an Author Website here .

Write the Length You Want

If the muse moves you, don’t be afraid to write original content that is 2,000 words or more. At the same time, don’t feel bad if you want to write a post that’s just 200 words long from time to time. An average post across the web is going to vary widely by topic and audience.

Keep in mind what audience that post length will likely bring to your blog, and vary your lengths so you can best serve your readers. But most of all, remember to have fun!

What about you? How long are your blog posts usually? Share in the comments.  

Today, try writing a short discussion based blog post, no more than 275 words. Then, after you publish it, why don’t you share the link in the comments section . If you want to workshop it before you post the link, post in our Pro Practice Workshop here and comment on a few other writer's posts as well. 

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

118 Comments

My posts are between about 800 and 1300, lavishly illustrated. I’ve been blogging three years – never solving readers problems, but writing sometimes humorous essays on unexpected parenthood, books, social issues, aging, and general musings. I used to write weekly, then cut to biweekly, then to monthly (because of the demands of my novel.) I write the blog to have consistent writing practice and the discipline of a deadline.

Love your posts Grandma. Will you tell us about your novel?

Thank you Avril! The novel is my fourth (still working on publishing the first three) and has been “in progress” over four years, with a great deal of floundering and altering of who and what it’s about. I’ve finally settled that, and am now grinding out yet another first draft – my least favorite stage. I LOVE revision and do it with confidence, but I hate the void when nothing exists yet.

Hi Grandma, We grandmas should form our own group. I tried to connect to your blog, but was unable. I, too, have written three novels which are unpublished, but not for lack of trying. Right now I’m concentrading on stories.

Hi Adelaide. I just can’t do stories – only did about a dozen, none very satisfactory, though one was published. My blog is at thefeministgrandma.typepad.com

Hi Liz, I just read a few of your posts on your blog. It is colorful with all the pictures. I am not tech savy and have a very plain blog for my writing. I enjoyed your posts, found them entertaining and can relate to some of what you write, especially about aging and forgetting.

I just published a discussion post about keeping a writer’s notebook. I’d love to see you all contribute! http://thecollegenovelista.blogspot.com/2014/08/discussion-do-you-keep-writers-notebook.html

I checked out your discussion. I am so stoked! You are quoting Joan Didion, a writer I have greatly admired for decades (I’m old). I do keep notebooks. Have kept them forever. All of that material is busting out now!

Keeping a notebook is essential for me. I left a reply on your blog.

I liked this.

Hi guys, I keep a popular science blog and would love to know your thoughts on conservation. http://frogological.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/what-is-your-motivation-for-conservation/ Thanks!

Hi there I’ve just started a new blog. I’m tweaking things as I go. I wanted something elegant and minimalist without all the bells and whistles. I am a lover of writing and I’m on a new journey of writing with the aim to publishing.

This is my new blog I’d love to hear what you think. http://www.dawncaval.com/so-here-we-are/#more-134

And this is my old blog that I’m leaving behind. Although I may re-do some of the posts for my new blog. Perhaps you’d like to have a look at it also. It offers some insight to my first novel writing journey. http://www.dawnyspace.blogspot.com.au/

Kind Regards Dawn

Hi Joe. This is a fantastic post by the way. Really useful, enlightening and encouraging. Much appreciated. Regards Dawn

The last post I put on my blog, The Six Word Story, is about 350 words. The previous post, on writing dialogue, was nearly 800. I don’t try for any set word count, but write until I’ve said what I want to say. Maybe that’s my mistake as I get no comments and very view page views. http://www.adelaidewritewritewrite.blogspot.com

I tried to comment on your webpage, but it wouldn’t accept my website to confirm authorization. :/ I liked your post though. It was cute.

Here’s my attempt though: “Lauren Bacall on writing: The most complete experience I’ve ever had” Lauren Bacall: Writes completely. Feels complete.

Sorry you couldn’t post your comment on my blog. How did you try to post your comment? Google, Live journal, WordPress, TypePad, AIm, OpenID

Which one did you use to sign in? I’ll have to see what i can find out with Google .

I tried Word Press I think and it didn’t accept my webpage.

Well here’s mine. I made a post out of my own frustration. http://writeitonmywall.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/how-do-you-get-past-writing-bumps/

What a great, well-rounded article. I was afraid by the headline that you were going to say 600 words. I am an editor for an online magazine, and we are finding the same thing you have shared. There’s no need to fear the longer posts. They just accomplish different things. Thanks so much.

I have read and enjoyed long blog posts. It does not deter me if it is long if I am interested.

Hey Joe – this post reminds of the age-old question, “How long should my book be?”

Answer: “As long as it takes.” 🙂

I REALLY liked your breakdown of the different blog lengths, and the typical responses them. I’m going to save this baby for future referent. THANKS!

Adelaide, your blog wouldn’t accept my comment either: “your Open id credentials could not be verified” – here’s what I TRIED to post: “Adelaide – gotta go, but just read this and I look forward to reading more of your blog. Interesting idea for jumpstarting a story. Thanks.”

I used to aim for a maximum of 600 words. Now that I’m blogging less frequently, I pay less attention to blog length. When I edit, I still aim to reduce by 10%, but I’m not concerned with overall length.

I will say that READING longer blog posts can be a chore if they aren’t broken up into proper paragraphs. I hate reading giant walls of text.

Joe, nice topic. I love the way you’ve outlined it, and I agree with all your above points.

I’d also like to add that the perfect length also depends on your topic. Can you cover it in 600 words? Will aiming for 2,000 words overdo it? Is 100 words enough to let you say what you want to say?

Thanx very much – Inspiring. I think I relate most to the idea of “It depends . . . ” Just getting started with W.P posts [tanck23] n have about 15 posts including a couple of re-blogs. Thinking today that it is time to get back to that. This article is of real help to me.

Great Post!

Well,this type of post should remain for a long time.Because it includes all that necessary aspects which actually a reader want about the topic.So good work.Doing well,keep posting new information…

Regards Kathy

Thanks for such superb descriptive article. When I started blogging , first I was writing short articles then I read everywhere that blog post should be long around 1000 words, so I started making article lengthy unnecessarily. But this article helped me a lot to understand about length of article. Thank you.

thanks for this blog post, I am just starting to blog and I was wondering if my posts were too long, because I do have a tendency of writing a lot, now I feel better about them and I won’t be afraid to make them long but I will practice on writing shorter ones. I tried to sub but I haven’t gotten the email to confirm. Hopefully i’ll get it soon.

Hi, actually the word count bothered me , I am pleased to state that after reading this some of my points are cleared. thanks I have a blog the link is, gauravgoswami0412.blogspot.in please do visit.f

Hi , I’m very new to writing but i have a great passion for it and i believe that people like you will help me greatly along my journey . This post was very informative and I thank you.

I’m new to blogging and love the technical aspects of it. Thanks for your research and writing. Here’s my very first post, written today: https://playoutsideproject.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/im-not-falling-for-it-kids-play-outside/

Hey hi I want to write a blog. Can you suggest me how many words and keywords should i used in blog?

I’m a blogger myself. You can write as long as you want but it depends on the type of post. The main important is thay you’re able to achieve the goal of the post. If you can achieve your point by discussing it in 300 words, that’s it. Or if it needs 3,000 words for that, then go! 🙂

Thanks so much for your reply, i am working as SEO analyst and want to do blog submission for that purpose i need to write blog. Do you have any idea regarding how to get lead for our website means more traffic or is there any online tool to increase website traffic. Thanks so much again!

Personally, there are social media apps out to help you out and engage audience. I use Hootsuite and Buffer at the same time. But that won’t promise you triple results if you have shitty content. I really believe to Bill Gates’ belief “Content is king.”

I have the content which is much to the point(about 500 words) but at the same time If I need google’s love what should i do ? Last posted http://waytohunt.org/best-android-emulators-for-pc-windows/

This is an AMAZING post, thanks for putting me at ease and helping me realize that I don’t have to meet a certain post length in order to achieve success as a blogger. As long as I’m providing content my readers enjoy.

Great tips about blog length. I find that breaking up the text with graphics, headings, subheadings and color makes a difference too.

Thanks so much for the breakdown on length and content direction. Conversation or research oriented . I just started a blog of my own and have been struggling with the word count, wanting to keep it to 350 or less. Thanks for some freedom. I’m still not sure how it’s going to go, time will tell. Thanks again for the advice and suggestions. Here is the link to my blog posts. https://hiscarpentryblog.wordpress.com

I agree that it would be a shame two right something that no won red. 😉

I think you MEANT “It would be a shame TO write a book-length blog post on a topic no one ever searches for!” 🙂

This is really helpful, I was just discussing this with a few blogging friends yesterday. I can see what you mean, I have been opting for longer posts lately and they are the ones I get more traffic from search. Thanks for sharing.

This is a very helpful article!

What if your blog is about tourism and your main quality is amazing photos? Could you write less? I already have a blog about Madrid that works great, but I’m about to start one about Spain with emphasis on lists of places with photos. I’m not sure on how to focus this.

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great article,, I am starting a blog at the moment,, and some of my posts are mini tutorials and some are in the 3000 words,,, is that way too long,, I haven’t published them yet in case I need to shorten them,, what are your thoughts??

Not that I’m any sort of expert. but I would write as much as you feel is needed to express what you have to say – no more, no less. I don’t believe there should be a maximum length rule. The quality of the writing is more important, as people will give up reading if they’re not interested in the subject or if the writing doesn’t hold their attention. Best of luck!

great article! i was thinking my 1,600 word blog was a bad thing. I have to seek a good proof reading program or service. iIhave the ideas, but didn’t pay too much attention when it came to learning how to properly structure your writing when in school. My web site is HospitalitymeetUp.com. Thanks for any feed back.

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Writing a blog post isn’t as good enough as publicizing it to the right reader/audience.

Thats the main reason scheduling its a very good idea to try and schedule down posts with time so that you can have more leisure time to spread out and gain a wider audience reach with the previously published posts.

Although I blog and write my post myself but most time I just hire someone to do the hard writing work for me at http://goo.gl/16Yzn0 while I work on publicizing the posts myself, it really has been saving me a lot of stress lately because this guys is just so fast and generic, he come up with great blog post in no time and they are always well proofreaded and optimized.

Thanks Joe. I read this 6 months ago and it persuaded me to just write whatever length seems appropriate for the subject. So far my shortest is 675 words, longest 4800 words! 600 words is fine for a restaurant review but in depth subjects need more time, especially as I’m trying to describe new ideas. And isn’t there some stat showing most posts get shared by people who only read the summary anyway?

The six posts so far have taken longer to write than I expected though. http://www.theideastring.com

Although I’m not artistic I made time to add graphics for each article. Getting OpenGraph data to work properly can be a bit painful, but I reckon graphics are essential to get posts noticed in our highly visual culture.

Thanks again from UK Joe 🙂

I’ve also added a brief list of ten (free) plugins for WordPress, as WordPress lacks many basic features ‘out of the box’.

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Great article and full of information for new blog writers, like myself.

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This is really helpful, I was just discussing this with a few blogging friends yesterday. I can see what you mean, I have been opting for longer posts lately and they are the ones I get more traffic from search. UK Writing by Peak Dissertation on to click attachment!

Thanks for this informative post. Are you sure that posts for SEO must be so long? I’ve seen results and serps in Google.it queries that “make no sense” and don’t respect this rule, maybe because it’s not updated like Google

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Guess I am so new to blogging that I never even considered having a template. But the template here is similar to writing an advertisement based on my ad agency background. When I thought about following the template, I wondered if i could do all the 5 steps in a short blog. Here is the result. All feedback welcome. You will find the post at http://www.ladyroselives.com

Is some of this impacted by the fact that people are consuming so much of our content on a smaller form factor, their smart phones? With such a small viewing area many people perceive a post to be much longer than it actual is due to the fact that they have to scroll so much. Images which add layout context to a post (great on destop or tablet) now adds to the scrolling. I write a variety of posts and have tried out different layouts and I totally agree that “it depends”. It’s definitely not an exact science. Thanks for the great post it was very encouraging to me!

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This really helps a lot Joe for a beginner like me. I am just thinking of the topic to be blogged that I can comfortably write and since I’m a songwriter, do you think music is a good topic? Thanks!

You’re definitely right about writing your blog post short. For me, I enjoy a short blog post, but hands down to those bloggers that catch my attention with their long blogs. Now that I’ve read your guide expect me to apply it to my blogs. Heading off to share this awesome guide.

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Hey, I know I’m a bit late jumping on this, but just wanted to say a quick thank you for writing this article. I keep being told my posts are too long and won’t get much engagement (I get very carried away when I start writing and want to share everything!) so it’s good to know that this isn’t necessarily the case. Will definitely be bookmarking this post so I can check back in future to keep my post-lengths appropriate for the topic I’m writing about. Currently weighing up for my next post whether to do one long one, or separate them into shorter pieces. I’m a new writer (only on blog #5), so perhaps getting some comments / shares wouldn’t be a bad thing. Any tips?

Hi Joe, You’re definitely right about writing your blog post short. For me, I enjoy a short blog post, but hands down to those bloggers that catch my attention with their long blogs. Now that I’ve read your guide expect me to apply it to my blogs. Heading off to share this awesome guide.

Hi Joe, great article. I write blog posts for both of my sites!. http://adjade.com http://arcadecharm.com

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I’m a visual artist. I sell images. If I was a writer I would sell words. Words are however what bots and spiders read. Any post about any item I put up is at best 100 words. Words are hard. How do I get bots and spiders to SEE my stuff ? 🙂 Hmmmm?

Thanks for this! So informative 🙂

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I wrote for 2 years on my 2 different blogs(both offline now). Rule was 600>content>300 . This year, this particular month I came to know about the fact that all the “expert” bloggers were wrong. I changed my way and now I am going with 1,100+ word to begin with. Thanks Joe, for this awesome post. It’s neat, it’s clean, it’s direct and it’s very informative. Thanks again. Shekhar Here is my Blog. http://www.freshpud.com

Love this, Joe! I do write all lengths and you have summed up perfectly how each length is suited for specific goals. I have two blogs I primarily write to. My conversational blog is my .com and my other blog is more professional and the posts are longer. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to split them up, but I’m still new at the professional side of blogging.

I’d like to write a blog post from 800 to 1000 words.I think this length is suitable for reading. Replica Rolex

This post is just what I needed to read. Thank you very much. Sharing the Link to my blog- https://discovertorediscover.com/

Nice post darren I think that blog post must be long enough where It can explain the topic very well, there is not point in strecting the length of the post if it doen’t makes sense and it’s not related to the topic.

Hey Joe, I’m starting my blog right now, and I found your blog post on the ideal blog post length. It has inspired me to write blog posts that are a lot longer than I had expected. I was aiming for 400 words, but my latest blog post is coming in at 1400 words! Would appreciate your comments here: https://www.graduateinvestor.com/is-it-worthwhile-for-you-to-buy-a-car

Thanks and continuing pumping out great content!

Great article Joe. Especially the summary makes it worth the read. Many other blogs answer the questions with a 2000 word article and at the end say : It does nog matter what length as long as the content is right.. So yeah, you learn nothing. This article is great. Thanks a lot.

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Thanks for a thorough review! It was very helpful

Thanks Joe,! This article help me a lot. I’m just starting my own blog and well I’m having trouble trying to figure out what audience to target?

When asked how many words an assignment should be a former English teacher of mine used to say, “…like a woman’s bathing suit; long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep it interesting.” I clearly went to high school a thousand years ago but I think the principal applies.

This is my new blog I’d love to hear what you thinkw http://www.orcofficial.com/2017/05/seven-tricks-to-help-improve-memorys.html

Thanks for the informative post. I just started out as a blogger and learning as I go. I like to keep my posts to about 300-400 words. I think I can express my ideas better with this length. SEO might be bad but I’ll keep on posting and hit longer posts eventually. Thanks!

Loved this. Super helpful and I just appreciate that there’s no perfect answer. It’s hard in the blogging world when “perfect” answers come up and you feel like you’re doing it wrong. I tend to take on a longer approach to articles that are more self-growth oriented, and a short approach to travel or food blogs. THANKS for the tips and data.

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But some other bloggers had written for 300 -400 words to getting better ranking. how it is impossible but they possible to rank on google. My site is http://www.classmate9.in

What an excellent and informative post! Love it!

I’m just beginning the process of starting a blog and this has helped a lot. For the various posts that I’ve written, I’ve discovered that I tend to be a bit ‘wordy’ and I was concerned because I couldn’t keep to a 600 word guideline, and 300! Well that’s not happening unless I’m just saying hello to someone! So thanks Joe.

This was very helpful. I searched on this topic because I started a “travel” blog 3 months ago, not for money, but to encourage folks to plan their own travel, take some chances, dare to be changed by the experience. Most of my posts have ranged from 700 to 1800 words. Most are travel stories, mostly essays, looking back on travel, rather than “I am here now” posts. I am now planning a series of posts, more like chapters in a long saga of working in a factory from 1977-1982. I consider it “travel” according to my definition, so I want to give it the treatment this life changing event deserves. Is a series a no-go in the blogosphere, or should I go with something like Medium? Intersperse it with other topics and guest bloggers? https:// carolcwhite.wordpress.com.

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Hey There!!! This is an informative article. Thanks for sharing it with all… Also readers can read https://www.mindstick.com/Articles/12505/seo-how-long-should-content-be

HI, I am overhauling my website for better SEO. I am working to generate authoritative, relevant content to my field. This article was very helpful. Thanks for sharing. Please check my page when you get a chance: http://www.austinbrewerytours.com

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well this seems subjective. What if i want to create sub pages / niche pages for each of query?

Incredible article, it helped me a lot, amazing blog

Incredible article, it helped a lot and I’m sure it helps other people, thanks for sharing

800 to 1200 is enough or not for playwithhealth.com

Thanks for the article. I find “the longer the better” works for SEO but I would not extend an article just to meet that criteria.

I WANT to hear that “300 words is enough” – but that’s just me being lazy. It’s not enough in my opinion.

On my newest blog, http://workableweightloss.com/ , I’m shooting for over 1000 words per post.

Thanks again – you have a new reader!

Got a new business with web site… now I need to write a blog.. Right then this should be about what we do as company or can it be about anything as long as it grasps their attention?

But some official websites not ranking for google. What is the reason?? like http://www.intradote.co.in

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Thank you for such a nice write up, it really cleared a lot of doubts in my mind. Have started a blog few days ago. Other community people please let me know about your views. here is the link : http://www.faqlabs.com/2017/10/amazing-facts-about-mumbai.html

Well everybody has its own writing strategies but all ends on the ideas you want to deliver to your users. If you have best ideas you will get more users. Don’t care about length of article. If you want to get ideas of blog posts get here: http://techmag.us/blog-posting-blog-post-ideas/

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Hi Joe, glad I found your site. I’m always wondering if my articles are too long or too short, but now I have a better idea on that subject. Most of my pieces are around 1k words, but I’m planning one for 3k, I’ll see how that works out. My blog is new, so only have about 50 articles so far. http://www.frugalzilla.com/2017/07/should-i-buy-ready-made-website-from.html#more

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Hi, Joe Bunting! I liked your information. I recently moved to the US and plan to write my blog. Now I spend a lot of time studying all aspects of the writing profession. I spend a lot of time to write at least a small post. I like the article Neil Patel – https://neilpatel.com/blog/how-to-write-a-2000-word-article-in-2-hours . She teaches you to write fast big articles. But his recommendations are difficult for a beginner. In school, my classmates were looking for help with their essay at the writing services – https://writemypaper.io . They asked me “how do I write my essay?”. I shared my experience with them. But now it is very difficult for me to find topics for blogs. How often do you write your posts? Where are you looking for topics for them? I will be happy to read your recommendations for the beginner. Thank you!

I’ve read everywhere that one should aim to write long form content because it tends to get shared more on social media besides getting traffic from search engines because it ranks higher.

Sometimes it became a struggle to write long posts for my blog.

But, I never looked at short posts from the point of generating comments. This enlightenment made my blogging life a bit easier!

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How to write a blog post: a step-by-step guide

• Cecilia Lazzaro Blasbalg
• 14 min read

Get started by: Creating a website → | Getting a domain →

When you create a blog , you have the opportunity to dive deep into your favorite topics, highlight your expertise and build a community of readers interested in your work. Whether you want to learn how to make a website and blog from scratch, or make blogging part of your business strategy, publishing content online is an effective way to share your knowledge and ideas with the world.

That said, composing a winning entry takes practice. In this A-to-Z guide, you’ll learn how to write the perfect blog post—from choosing the right blog topics and picking the proper format for your articles, to selecting strategic images that generate interest and engagement. By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll have a clear idea of how to create strong blog content that effectively communicates your ideas and stands out from other articles on the web, other types of websites and within the blogosphere .

Ready to get blogging? Get started with Wix today.

What is a blog post?

A blog post is a piece of content published on a blog, typically consisting of text, images, videos or other multimedia elements. Blog posts cover a wide range of topics and can vary in length and format. They are often informal, conversational and engaging, providing information, insights, opinions or entertainment to the blog's audience. Blog posts can serve various purposes, including educating, entertaining, inspiring or promoting discussion.

How to write a blog post in 13 steps

Brainstorm blog topics

Refine your topic with keyword research

Define your audience

Create an organized outline

Write engaging content

Craft an irresistible headline

Choose a blog template

Select a blog domain name

Pick relevant images

Implement calls-to-action

Optimize for SEO

Edit and publish your blog post

Promote the final article

01. Brainstorm blog topics

When writing a blog post, whether you're guest posting for someone else or writing for your own blog, you’ll want to cover topics that bring value to your readers and fall in line with their interests, as well as your own. Rather than trying to find the perfect topic right away, start by jotting down different ideas that come to mind.

There are several places you can look to spark new topic ideas:

Browse other blogs within your niche with competitor analysis . If you’re starting a travel blog , for example, simply Google “travel blog” to see what your competitors are writing about.

Use AI tools at your disposal to generate topic ideas

Use Google Trends to find out which topics are trending.

Look for current events and recent news stories related to your field.

Find out what people enjoy learning about by browsing online courses on Udemy , Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning .

Once you find some interesting ideas online, think about the unique ways you can approach those topics. Consider the various ways you can play around with topic ideas to come up with something that isn’t only trendy and relevant, but that’s also original and fresh. You'll also need to consider making sure your blog post is up to date and this will mean including relevant data and statistics related to the topic.

Let’s say, for instance, that you want to write about chocolate chip cookies. There are a few different angles you might consider taking here based on your target audience and potential for website traffic :

A how-to post that instructs readers how to do something with clearly ordered steps (e.g., “How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch”)

A curated list that offers a set of recommendations for your readers (e.g., “The Top Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes”)

A tips and advice post that provides expert guidance and resources. (e.g., “Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Extra Gooey”)

A definition-based blog post that helps explain the meaning of a term or topic (e.g., “What Are No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies?”)

A top trends article that highlights what’s currently popular (e.g., “The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes From This Year”)

A personal or business update that lets you unveil something fresh or recently unknown (e.g., “My New Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Revealed”)

Get brainstorming with these best blog ideas , and check out our professional guide on how to start a blog for more helpful tips. You can also consider those close to you for feedback on your ideas, or branch out to a wider audience and get their thoughts.

02. Refine your topic with keyword research

Part of writing a blog post involves keyword research. This crucial SEO practice is used as a marker to see which terms you can potentially rank high for in certain online searches.

Once you’ve chosen a direction for your blog post, and before you get started with the writing process, you’ll need to figure out the chances of its success on search engine result pages—which ultimately means getting more eyes on your content. In order to succeed, conduct keyword research to find the most relevant queries for your topic.

You can find keywords for your own articles by using various keyword research tools. If you’re new to blogging, you’ll probably want to start with free tools such as Ubersuggest and Google Keyword Planner . Afterwards, you may want to upgrade to more advanced tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs .

While conducting keyword research, keep in mind that the more specific the phrase, the more closely it will match your audience’s intent. On the other hand, broader keywords tend to have higher search volumes—meaning more people are searching for them each month.

Think about the benefits of opting for a broader phrase, like “chocolate chip cookies,” over a more precise phrase, like “how to make chocolate chip cookies.” Choosing the right keywords means striking a balance between high search volume and high intent.

Once you’ve selected your keywords, you can use them to shape the structure of your content. Google those phrases to find out which articles have successfully targeted those same keywords, and spend some time browsing their content. This will give you inspiration for your own article in terms of what to include and how to structure it. Don't forget to also tap into your own experience as an entrepreneur or writer, when choosing what to write about.

03. Define your audience

Now that you know what you’ll be writing about , you need to find out who you’re writing for . Anticipating the kinds of people who will be reading your posts will help you create content that is interesting, engaging, full of relevance and shareable.

Of course, your audience largely depends on your type of blog . If you run a baking blog, you’ll probably be writing for an audience of people who love baking and are seeking recipe inspiration. Even more specifically, if you run a healthy baking blog, you’ll be writing for people who similarly love baking but who want to make their culinary creations healthier. It’s important to keep these nuances in mind when crafting your content, since your goal is to write articles that resonate strongly with readers.

So, how do you figure out your audience in the first place? Start by taking another look at the other blogs in your field. Consider who they seem to be writing for, and the kinds of assumptions they’re making about their readers’ interests and lifestyles. For example, you might find that most of the blogs address a particular gender or age group.

You can also use online forums to find the main questions asked by your audience, or visit Facebook groups to read what topics they like or talk about. This will help you create content that piques their interest, sparks their curiosity and answers their questions.

Whether you're starting a book blog , a fashion blog, travel blog or something else—defining your audience should come first.

04. Create an organized outline

The key to learning how to write a blog post is doing thorough research and planning before you create the article itself. After deciding on the topic and blog format , you’ll need to build the mold for your content. Creating an outline is critical, as it ensures your article will have a strong foundation that you can build on as you write your blog post.

Start by creating subheadings, which are the backbone of an organized outline, under which your paragraphs of text will sit. These small but mighty pieces of content help you break down your article into bite-sized sections, making it easier for you to write and more digestible for people to read.

If it’s a step-by-step guide or a list of tips, start building your outline by listing out all the main points clearly, as in the example below:

Outline: How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

1. Gather your ingredients

2. Mix and knead the dough

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

4. Scoop mounds of dough onto baking sheet

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Add bulleted notes within your introduction and under each of your subheadings. This will help you formulate your main points.

If you find yourself getting stuck, use one of these blog post templates to guide you through the outline process.

05. Write engaging content

Turning something you love and know a lot about into blog posts is a great strategy to attract readers: they’ll come for the knowledge, but they’ll stay for your authentic outlook and first-hand experiences.

Hanna Kimelblat , Blogger and Growth Marketing Expert at Wix

Now that you’ve sketched out the blog post, you can begin typing away (or, use AI to write your blog posts ). Keep in mind that blog posts, like many other types of writing, typically include three main elements: an introduction, the body text and a conclusion.

Let’s start with the introduction. In the first few sentences of your article, you should already grab your readers’ attention. Begin with a relevant quote or statistic, tell a short story, or share an interesting fact. Then, set the tone for the article by sharing a brief summary of what you’re going to talk about in the body text. This gives your readers a reason to keep going.

Next, fill in the body text. In your outline, these are the bullet points beneath each subheading. This is the meat of your blog post, so it should be clear and compelling. Avoid fluff and repetition, and instead offer deep value by sharing your knowledge, research, and insights.

A concluding section isn’t always necessary—in fact, our blog rarely uses one—but it can be useful in the case of storytelling or when wrapping up a very extensive article. You can tie your main points together using a short bulleted list, or by sharing some closing thoughts in a few sentences. No matter the case, you’ll want to end on an engaging note.

At this stage you'll also want to consider your writing style, this is usually determined by your blog audience. If you're targeting a professional business crowd so you might want to consider adopting a more formal writing style; if you're writing for bakers, something more light and fun might be the best style. Within this consider your tone too, blogs, even formal business ones, are meant to open up communication and inspire conversation. Make sure your tone is relevant to your writing style and audience, but also use welcoming and inspiring language where possible.

Other important concepts to consider in your content creation process are:

Viscosity : essentially the ease with which a reader can understand and flow through a piece of text. It is akin to the "fluidity" of the writing and how smoothly the ideas and information are conveyed to the reader. High viscosity in writing implies that the text is dense, complicated, and difficult to read, while low viscosity indicates that the writing is clear, concise, and easy to comprehend.

Rhythm: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, sentence structures, and the flow of words that create a musical or harmonious quality in the text. It's the cadence and beat that give the writing a sense of movement and can make the language more engaging and memorable.

Creativity : the ability to express oneself imaginatively and inventively through the written word. It involves using one's unique perspective, original ideas, emotion, pathos and artistic flair to craft compelling stories, poems, essays, or any form of written content. Creative writing allows writers to explore their thoughts, emotions, and observations in an innovative and expressive manner. Storytelling is a huge part of writing a blog post and shouldn't be neglected.

Sentence and clause structure: fundamental elements of grammar that govern how sentences are constructed in the English language. They determine the arrangement of words (verbs, adjectives), phrases, and clauses to convey meaning and ensure clarity in communication. Understanding sentence and clause structure is crucial for effective writing and communication.

06. Craft an irresistible headline

When writing a blog post, you don’t only need strong content; you’ll also want a powerful headline . A great headline entices readers and enhances your blog design , ensuring that they actually click on your article in the first place.

Learning how to write a catchy blog title doesn’t have to be hard. All you need to do is keep the following points in mind: clarity, specificity and offering an answer or solution.

Writing a good headline also depends on how well you put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Use the title to promise readers that your blog post will provide valuable insight that will benefit them in some way, whether by satisfying their intellectual curiosity, teaching them something new or helping them solve a problem. This will increase the chances that they’ll click on your article and read it. Just don't go over board and remember to avoid clickbait, which is writing a hyperbole headline just to get clicks through to an article.

Here are some examples of headlines that we are quite proud of, to give you a general idea for your own content:

Create a Powerful Free Landing Page in Under an Hour

20 Best Time Management Apps to Organize Your Life

How to Design an A+ School Website (With Examples)

Make a Change: Using Photography as a Tool to Raise Awareness

If you're looking for inspiration to get started, try out this blog post title generator .

07. Choose a blog template

Writing your blog post may be your first priority, but you’ll also want to package it in an appealing way. Having an article with strong visual appeal is crucial for striking the right chord with your readers. The best way to customize your blog's design is by starting with a free blog template .

Professional designers have created all these blog layouts, and they're fully customizable to reflect your blog's messaging and tone. For inspiration, check out these blog examples to see how others have transformed these templates into beautiful, content-rich powerhouses.

If you’re writing a blog about organic ingredients, for instance, using a natural color palette on your site will set the right tone for the type of topics you’ll be writing about. This same color palette should also be used for your blog logo , as well as on your social media platforms.

08. Select a blog domain name

You should host your well-crafted blog on your domain site address in order for readers to discover it. When it comes to naming your blog , you can gather ideas from a blog name generator and see if the domain name is available.

Spend time thinking about how your blog and domain name fit in with the blog post topics you will cover. Make sure that your name reflects your blog’s persona, topic and niche.

Once you have finalized your name, choose your domain name (also referred to as a URL, for example, www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same as, or at least similar to the name of your blog.

09. Pick relevant images

Likewise, you should also enhance your blog post with a few great images that illustrate your main points. It’s important that your pictures add value to the subject, rather than serving as placeholders. Pay extra attention to your featured image—this will be the main visual below your blog’s title, and it’s what readers will see when they browse your articles from your blog’s homepage. Infographics are also great to insert within blog posts to reinforce key points or ket stats.

Also consider inserting videos into your blog posts, the best ones are those you've created to match the topic and intent of the video, but you can also use those from third parties, to improve the user experience and engagement rates on your articles.

With Wix, you can add a professional photo gallery to individual posts and embed your own pictures within your articles. You can also choose from an array of media content from Wix, Shutterstock and Unsplash directly within your site’s editor.

10. Implement calls-to-action

In the same way a blog is meant to inform people about specific topics, it can also be used as an important tool that motivates readers to take a certain action. This includes everything from subscribing to your blog to making a purchase.

This element is referred to as CTA, or call-to-action, and is presented as an embedded link or button that states your objective in an alluring manner. Some of the most common call-to-action examples for blogs include “Subscribe,” “Download our e-book” or “Sign up.”

Using CTAs can help you transform your website traffic into engagement and, eventually, profit. While your immediate goal is to get more readers, you may eventually want to monetize your blog further down the road.

11. Optimize for SEO

When it comes to SEO for bloggers , a strong SEO plan involves optimizing your content both before and after writing the blog post. Not only does this include doing keyword research prior to the outline phase (mentioned in step 3), but it also includes using those keywords to polish your final piece.

This begins with sprinkling relevant keywords throughout your article. Let’s say you’ve chosen to target the keyword “business strategies.” Use this exact phrase in your headline, throughout the body text and one to two subheadings if it’s a natural fit.

Next, include this keyword in your metadata. This is the preview text you’ll see for every article on Google, and it includes a title (known as the meta title) and short description (the meta description). You’ll also want to add the keywords to the URL of your article, as well as in the alt text of your blog post’s images. Use these SEO features to give your blog an overall performance boost. Lastly, and make sure you know exactly how long a blog post should be to best rank your post.

12. Edit and publish your blog post

With so many common blogging mistakes out there, you’ll need to thoroughly check your article for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, repetition and any other unprofessional content. Furthermore, make sure your ideas flow coherently throughout each section, signaling a clear and purposeful message to readers. You can read about other essential aspects of blogging in this comprehensive blog post checklist .

We recommend asking a friend or colleague to give your blog article a once over before it goes live, as part of your proofreading and fact checking process prior to publishing. Direct them to look for any discrepancies or ambiguity. It’s also important to emphasize quality over quantity in order to keep your readers interested and to establish your credibility. Then, once you’re happy with your written work, it’s time to hit publish.

13. Promote the final article

Once you’ve written and published the blog post, take the necessary steps to make sure it gets read. Two of the most effective ways to promote your blog post and get readers are email marketing and social media marketing.

Email remains one of the most reliable platforms for marketing, as it allows for a direct communication channel between you and your audience. This highly effective digital marketing strategy involves sending out customized emails to prospective users with the aim of converting them into loyal fans. If you’re interested in getting started, this powerful email marketing service can help you send custom newsletters for your blog.

Beyond emails, sharing your article on social media can also go a long way. For example, if you want to accrue a wide audience, promote your blog on Facebook or Instagram, which have one of the largest and most diverse user bases.

Whichever channels you choose, make sure to actively engage with followers on a day-to-day basis. This will ensure that you not only write a great blog post, but that you get people reading your article, too.

Looking to really get your blog off the ground? Take a look at our Build Your Own Blog online course to get you started.

How to structure a blog post checklist

Headline: clear, catchy and relevant, includes keywords where relevant for SEO

Introduction: hooks the reader, answers search intent where relevant, outline's the blogs purpose and main point

Subheadings: organizes content into digestible and readable sections, follows a logical flow

Body: provides valuable information while supporting points with examples, stats and other evidence, conversational tone

Visuals: includes relevant images, infographics or videos that enhance understanding and reader engagement

Engagement: encourages reader interaction (comments, shares)

Editing: checks for grammar and spelling errors, edited for coherence and style, fact checked

SEO: includes relevant keywords naturally, answers search intent

Readability: uses consistent font and formatting, short sentences

Links: includes internal and external links for additional context

Social sharing: includes social sharing buttons and shareable snippets of information

Review: read through the post one last time before publishing and after published

How to write a blog post FAQ

How to write my first blog post.

Writing your first blog post can be an exciting but daunting task. To make it easier follow these basic steps - choose a compelling topic, plan out your post, hook readers with a killer introduction, provide meaningful content, hone your conversational style and include visuals where you can.

What are 5 easy steps to writing a blog post?

How to write a blog post with ai, how to write a blog post as a beginner, what is a blog post example, what is the format of blog writing, related posts.

How to write catchy blog titles: 12 tips and examples

The ultimate blog post checklist

Blogging for beginners: 20+ tips to jumpstart your blog

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How Long Does it Take to Write a Blog Post

• Susan Gunelius
• May 1, 2019

While a quick look online can tell you how many blog posts you should have , how often you should be publishing and how to write a compelling blog post , finding helpful information on how long it takes to write high-quality blog content is another matter altogther.

Well, I’m going to answer that question today and, spoiler alert, it can take a long time!

So, how long does it take to write a blog post?

The average blog post takes slightly longer than 4 hours to write, according to research from Orbit Media . The research also found that, on average, blogs were around 1,400 words long.

Can you believe it? It takes a blogger more than 4 hours to write a typical blog post of around 1,400 words. via @orbiteers

Furthermore, research from Backlinko has found that blog posts in Google top 10 results had an average length of 1,447 words.

However, the reality is that the amount of time that beginners and the inexperienced spend on the writing process is longer than that taken by professional blog writers.

John McDougall of Authority Marketing asked 16 expert bloggers how long it takes them to write a blog post, and a common response was that they’ve gotten faster with more experience.

Prolific blogger Neil Patel has noted that he used to spend four to five hours to write a blog post, but after seven years of blogging, he cut that time down to under two hours to write a 1,000-2,000 word post.

Kevin Lee of Buffer used to spend 8-12 hours per post but has cut that time down significantly. He told John McDougall that it took him an average of 2 hours and 58 minutes to write a blog post.

Belle Beth Cooper of Buffer also reduced the amount of time it takes her to write blog posts over the years.

It used to take her one to two days to write a blog post for the Buffer blog, but she cut her writing time down to 4 hours per post.

This suggests that it takes professional writers around three hours to complete an average blog post.

The bottom-line is that it takes longer than most people think to write a great blog post, and quality matters a lot in content marketing.

Key Factors That Affect Blog Post Writing Time

There are a variety of factors that directly affect how long it takes for a blog post to go from concept to published. In general, the blog writer is responsible for all or most of these factors. Many individual factors decide whether the writer will spend more time writing or not.

Various factors can affect the time bloggers take to write and I’ve listed a few of these below.

1. Blog Length

The time it takes to create content depends heavily on the blog post’s expected length. Writing a blog of more than 2,000 words should, all things be equal, take more time than writing a blog with fewer than 800 words.

The blog post’s length also changes the writing dynamic. Research time increases and structural complexities crop up when a writer aims longer than average articles.

2. Research

In-depth research lays the foundation for crisp, engaging and rich content. Even when a project’s word count is low, quality content will always demand the writer spend more time on hunting for new concepts.

Research involves exploring reliable sources — websites, news channels, research reports, books, etc. — and studying competitors’ websites to gain a better idea of the market.

Keyword research can also affect how long a writer spends on a topic. Keyword research will lead the writer to focus more on substructures in order to add in the required terms naturally.

3. Scope of Coverage

Sketching out the blog post’s content is another key factor that can affect how much time a freelance writer takes to generate content.

After understanding the target audience’s interests, bloggers then need to decide whether they want to dive deeply into a single aspect of topic or whether a broader approach is more appropriate.

As the density and diversity of sub-topics expands, the time spent on writing will also naturally increase.

4. Complexity

A blog post is only likely to engage readers if it contains meaningful content.

Even when a blogger focuses on weaving strings of more complex ideas into a blog post, authenticity cannot be compromised. Therefore, the decision to present complex thoughts will lead to more time being spent on content production.

An article’s complexity can be measured by weighing up how challenging its ideas are and how well these have been woven into a central narrative.

5. Media Creation

In addition to the narrative, readers’ attention can be captured with the graphs, images and videos.

Media creation is an important feature of blog writing and also requires time. Writers have to hunt for things like social media posts, statistics, videos to embed and even the right font!

Bloggers are not just writers but also their own marketing teams and each of the five above factors will affect how the time spent writing articles.

If you’re thinking about writing your own blog posts, make sure you have the time to do them well. If you plan on hiring someone to help you, make sure the fee you pay matches the time it will take to create the post and the quality of the content.

Our Guide to Blog Writing

Here’s our guide on how to approach the blog creation process, whether you’re flying solo or not. This should hopefully help you not only generate great content, but should also cut back on the amount of time and money needed to do so.

1. Come Up With a Good Blog Post Topic

What are you going to write about? If you don’t already have a blog editorial calendar developed, then I highly recommend that you create one now.

It will cut down the amount of time you spend brainstorming blog post topic ideas every time you sit down to write.

Moreover, it can help in determining whether you’ll focus on individual blog posts or a series of articles exploring a theme. This is important for the next step.

2. Determine How Well the Writer Knows the Topic

If the person writing your typical blog post isn’t already an expert with authority on the topic, then it will take him or her longer to write it.

Always factor in the experience level of the writer in terms of the post topic and blog writing in general, because both affect how long it takes to write a blog post.

Ensure your writer has written a few posts for you before assigning them more challenging work.

3. Research the Topic

No matter how well a writer knows a topic, there’s always research time involved before they actually start writing the blog itself.

Whether an expert on the topic searches for competitors’ posts to ensure the post they write is better or the expert looks for current statistics to include in the post, the truth is quality content is seldom written without some type of research.

For beginner bloggers or topic novices, the research time could be hours.

4. Strategize SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is important to every website, and for some, it’s a top priority.

Every individual blog post should be written with SEO in mind, so time is needed to research and select keywords, links, image Alt-Tags, and formatting tactics to ensure Google includes the post in relevant search results.

5. Outline and Write the Post

With all of the prewriting work done, it’s time to outline a structure for your post based on blogging best practices. That means you need to break down the topic into sections and subsections that you can format with H2 and H3 headings. This will decrease the time you take to write a blog.

You need to plan to start your post strong and be concise using short sentences and paragraphs so it’s easy for mobile audiences to read your posts.

Expert bloggers take care of all of this for you in content creation, but if you’re writing your own blog posts, you’ll need to handle all of these elements as you write your blog content.

6. Write the Headline

With the post written, it’s time to write the headline, which is critical to increasing traffic to your post. It’s not unusual for bloggers to go through 10 or 20 headlines before they settle on a final version, and large blogs with big budgets invest in and test dozens of headlines for each post before narrowing them down to the best one.

Don’t underestimate how long it takes to create a great headline .

7. Add Links to Internal and External Resources

For SEO purposes and to provide a great user experience, it’s important to include links to helpful resources in your blog posts.

This includes both links to other content on your own website and links to other websites.

For example, if you mention a research report in your blog post, link to it within the post so people can read more about the study if they’d like to.

If you mention a topic you’ve covered in depth in a previous blog post, link to it.

8. Find, Design and Add Images

Images have become more important in recent years as the web becomes more visual and people actively look for visual content.

Therefore, take the time to find high-quality images that you’re legally allowed to use on your blog or website.

If you’re designing images, make sure they fit your brand image and are consistent with your brand identity in terms of style and colors.

In addition, don’t forget SEO when it comes to images. Add keyword-rich image file names, descriptions, and Alt-Tags to boost search traffic to your posts.

9. Format the Post and Add Tags and Categories

With all of the parts and pieces in place, it’s time to format your post based on blogging best practices.

This includes making sure you use H2 and H3 headings, use bullets and numbered lists, use short paragraphs, and confirm that the post looks good when you preview it.

If your post isn’t aesthetically pleasing on desktop and mobile devices, few people will read it.

10. Proofread the Post

Finally, give your post a final proofread and make sure there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes. We’re all human, so if you don’t have an editor working for you, errors will slip by sometimes. Don’t worry about it. Instead, apologize and fix the error.

Once your post looks great and includes no errors, go ahead and hit the Publish button!

Key Takeaways About Blog Writing

It’s easy to assume that writing a 1,000-word blog post takes less than an hour, but the reality is quite different.

Even the best bloggers writing about topics they know well can take three-four hours to put together great blog posts.

That’s because blog writing isn’t easy — at least not when it’s done well, and publishing well-written, high-quality blog posts is essential to businesses that rely on content to build their brands and increase sales.

Don’t settle for anything less than the best.

Hopefully this article has provided some useful tips on how long it takes to write a blog post as well as the steps you can follow to systematically approach each piece.

Good planning is half the battle, as they say!

Some writers will spend more time focusing on research than actual writing, whereas other bloggers will create content after just an hour of research.

Blog writing is no cakewalk and requires hours of dedication. But the more blog posts you write, the more you’ll figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. Use this experience to hone your writing and research skills. Planning may be half the battle, but it’s still only half!

Related Posts

10 Highly Effective Tricks to Increase Blog Post Engagement

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Complete Guide to Content Marketing ROI

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How to Write a Blog Post in 2024: The Ultimate Guide

by Liz Careathers

on Jan 8, 2024

Freebie: Ultimate Editing Checklist

There are many tutorials that can teach you how to write a blog post.

They can educate you on the mechanics of blogging, what to do, and what not to do.

Read through them and you can learn how to craft a perfectly serviceable blog post. Heck, you might even write something that wins you an adoring fan or two.

But if you dream bigger, if you want to know how to write a successful blog post that cuts through the noise and wins you legions of fans , you need something better than a run-of-the-mill tutorial.

You need an ultimate guide.

In this post — this ultimate, step-by-step guide — we’ll share tips used by professional freelance writers to create spellbinding posts that are adored by thousands. You’ll learn the secrets to crafting irresistible headlines, seducing introductions, captivating advice, and motivational closings.

You’ll even learn how the pros refine and polish their posts once they’re finished writing them.

These are secrets many bloggers would gladly pay real money to learn, but it won’t cost you a thing — other than a few minutes of your time.

Table of Contents

• Craft a Great Headline That Readers Can’t Resist
• Write an Introduction That Grabs and Seduces
• Deliver Advice That’s Easy to Consume and Impossible to Ignore
• Close with a Motivational Bang
• Polish Your Post So It’s Smoother Than a Slip ‘n Slide

Let’s dive in.

1. Craft a Great Headline That Readers Can’t Resist

Want to know one of the biggest mistakes bloggers make?

Writing quality blog posts before the headlines (aka the post title).

Without a headline, they have no roadmap to follow. And so their post goes in multiple directions, leaving readers feeling dizzy, confused and disoriented.

And then they try to create a headline that embraces all that madness. Bloggers, have mercy!

If you want to write a great blog post full of clarity, conciseness, and conviction, spend some time crafting a blog title that sets a clear destination, lures readers in, and leaves them eager for your advice.

Your blog title will be your map, your writing navigation system, letting you know which literary roads to choose and which to avoid so that readers reach the intended destination as easily and efficiently as possible.

Follow these 8 rules to craft your killer headline:

Headline Rule #1. Pick a Mouth-Watering Topic

Want your blog post to get opened?

Then your headline must promise readers the very answer to whatever is tormenting them. The thing that keeps them up at night.

Your headline should not promise them a trip to the moon and back — readers are way too swift for such shenanigans. Keep the benefit specific and narrow, and readers will feel compelled to click and get the solution to what’s bugging them.

How do you find out what’s bugging your readers? How do you know which of your many blog post idea (we know, you have many) should be pursued?

• Review comments on your posts and on posts of other sites in your niche.
• Send your subscribers surveys asking them what their greatest struggles are.
• Use tools like BuzzSumo to find out what the most popular posts in your niche are (which gives insight into your target readers’ needs).
• Read the reviews of books in your niche on Amazon (you’ll find a gold mine of feedback to explore).

You have one responsibility as a blogger — yup, just one. And that is to serve your target audience . The better you know them, the better you serve.

Before you know it, you’ll know them so intimately they’ll feel like you’re reading their minds, and your headlines will reflect that.

Let’s say you’re in the self-improvement space and you wrote the headline below:

How to Create an Amazing Life

This headline is so broad it’s unlikely to draw readers in. No one loses sleep over “wanting to create an amazing life.” They lose sleep over specific aspects of their lives that have left them unfulfilled.

So you are better off narrowing in on something specific that’s bugging your readers, such as:

How to Boldly Pursue Your Dreams Even if You’re Scared and Insecure

Narrowing in on something specific makes readers feel like you have the answers they’re looking for.

Headline Rule #2. Steal from the Pros

Okay, you’ve done your research and you know exactly what your readers need. Now it’s time to turn your topic into a killer headline.

The easiest way to master the art of writing headlines?

Not in the unethical way. In the smart and efficient way.

Decades of copywriting and advertising research have revealed the types of headlines that have proven to be successful. The types of headlines that zap readers out of their info-overload comas and compel them to open. Why mess with that research?

If you want your headlines to grab readers, stick with what works.

No, your headlines don’t need to sound like they came straight from BuzzFeed. They can reflect your voice and style.

But until your writing skills match Jon Morrow’s, let the proven templates be your guide (how do you think he got so good at writing headlines?).

Blogging is hard enough, so if you have templates at your fingertips, why not use them?

The easiest templates to start with? “How to” headlines and list post headlines. They are classics and they work. In fact, 75% of Smart Blogger’s most popular posts use these formats.

Here are a number of Smart Blogger headlines that follow the “how to” and list post templates.

“How to” Headlines:

• How to Start a Blog: Easy, Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
• How to Make Money Writing: 5 Ways to Get Paid to Write in 2024
• How to Make Money Blogging (Free Guide for 2024)

List Post Headlines:

• 21 Dumb Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your First E-book
• The 5 Best Free Blogging Platforms in 2024 (100% Unbiased)
• Writer’s Block: 27 Ways to Overcome It Forever
• 8 Best Free WordPress Themes of 2024 (Chosen by Experts)
• 12 Blogging Tips for Beginners (+ Lots of Free Resources)
• 4 Best Gifts for Writers: Ideas to Fit Any Budget (Even Yours)

Headline Rule #3. Engage Your Senses

Vague headlines leave readers feeling empty. Tangible headlines leave them feeling understood.

How do you create tangible headlines?

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential reader.

How do they feel? What do they see, taste, or smell? What do they hear?

Engage all of your senses by using sensory words . The more your headline gives voice to their exact experience, the more they’ll feel like your quality content was written for them.

Let’s say you blog about health and wellness, and you wrote a headline called:

5 Steps to Take When a Migraine Hits

This headline follows a proven list post formula, and it narrows in on something that’s bugging readers. All in all, it’s not too bad.

But it could be even more concrete.

To step it up a notch, put yourselves in the shoes of your readers. Think about exactly what they’re experiencing.

Perhaps that would lead you to the following:

5 Ways to Soothe Pounding and Blinding Migraines

If you suffer from migraines, there’s no way you could resist clicking such a headline.

Headline Rule #4. Tease, Don’t Satisfy

A common mistake you may not even realize you’re making?

Giving away too much in your headlines.

Your headlines should lure readers in like a literary temptress. They should catch readers’ attention and invoke their curiosity, not give a solution.

Give a solution in your headline and readers feel no need to go any further — they’re bored by the very thought of your post.

When this happens, not only do you lose but your readers lose as well, as they trade the richness of your perfect blog post’s advice for the quick fix offered by the headline.

Let’s say you blog about personal finance and you write the headline below:

How to Save for Retirement by Creating a Monthly Budget

Sadly, readers will see this and think they’ve got all the advice they need — if they want to save for retirement, they must create a monthly budget. No need to read more.

On the other hand, a possible revision could be:

How to Save for Retirement When You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck

For anyone living paycheck to paycheck, this headline would pique their curiosity. Nothing is given away, it speaks to an audience with a very specific problem, and it promises a solution they’d love to get their hands on.

Headline Rule #5. Honor the Headline Commandment

When it comes to headlines, there is only one commandment you can never break:

“Thou shalt not deceive.”

This may seem obvious, but writers inadvertently do it all the time.

They over-promise.

Big no-no. The content of your post must fully deliver on exactly what the headline promises.

If the post only delivers part of the solution, readers will feel misled and lose their trust in you.

Let’s never do that to them, yes?

Let’s say you write a post called:

How to Live a Happy and Peaceful Life

But then the post only talks about following your dreams, which is really only one aspect of living a happy and peaceful life. Even though you didn’t intentionally deceive them, readers will feel shortchanged.

You might as well have written an over-the-top “clickbait” headline — your readers would have been as equally disappointed.

Another example…

Perhaps you write a post called:

5 Killer Ways to Attract New Clients to Your Coaching Business

But then the fifth way contains no useful advice and instead leads to a sales page to get the solution … no bueno.

Headline Rule #6. Trim the Fat

Want to overwhelm readers right from the start?

Fill your headline with weak and flabby words.

What are weak and flabby words? Empty, unnecessary words that add no real value. Instead, they create clunky phrasing and leave readers scratching their heads in confusion.

The mistake many bloggers make is writing headlines the way they speak. While that’s okay when you write the post (to a certain extent), when you write headlines that way, it waters them down.

You want your headlines to be as ruthlessly concise and powerful as possible. So chop out weak words and throw in power words (if appropriate).

Let’s say you draft the following headline:

How to Find It In Your Heart to Forgive Someone Even if They’ve Hurt You Really Badly

There are just so many words! We can cut them down as follows:

How to Forgive Someone Who Hurt You Badly

We can then add some power to it:

How to Forgive a Soul-Crushing Betrayal

Much better.

Another Example:

Here’s a mouthful:

How to Stop Being Overly Doubtful of Yourself So You Can Finally Begin to Pursue Your Wildest Dreams

My head is spinning. This can be cut down to:

How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Pursue Your Wildest Dreams

We could even make it more tangible and powerful:

How to End Paralyzing Doubts and Conquer Your Wildest Dreams

Nice and trim, but packs a punch.

Headline Rule #7. Don’t Be a Smarty-Pants

Your headline should make sense to all readers no matter where they’re coming from or in what context they’re approaching your post.

They shouldn’t have to guess what the benefit is. After all, you’re supposed to be reading their minds, not the other way around.

So you’ll want to avoid using metaphors (unless their meaning is painfully obvious), jargon , rhymes , made-up terms, or anything that tries to be overly clever or complicated when drafting your headlines.

Where to begin with this one:

How to Be Happy Without Acting Sappy

A headline like this tries to be too clever — readers don’t give two hoots about not acting sappy, obviously. Don’t prioritize cute tactics like rhyming (or even alliteration ) over-delivering clear benefits in your headlines.

How to Raise a Child That Is the Apple of Your Eye

A headline like this is also trying to be too clever. “Apple of Your Eye” is a common metaphor readers are likely familiar with, but there’s no concrete benefit being offered here. A headline must always contain a strong benefit, not a cute phrase.

How to Follow the Path of Glory to Your Success

No clue what this means … and I just wrote it. If there isn’t a singular and clear interpretation of what the headline’s benefit is, it’s trying too hard. So save the metaphors for the actual post where they will (hopefully) make more sense.

How to Stop Treating Love Like a Captive Animal

Perhaps you effectively explain in the post how people treat love like a captive animal, and it may make for a great analogy , but readers scanning headlines will have no clue why they should stop to read this, and so they likely won’t.

Headline Rule #8. Rock Your Style

The more consistent you are with your audience, the more trust they’ll feel for you.

If you generally keep your headlines pretty simple and then suddenly write one jam-packed with power words, your readers will feel confused.

The more you write, the more of a writing style you’ll develop. Once you determine what that style is, use it consistently (or make slow and gradual changes to it if necessary) so your audience learns and trusts your brand.

If most of your headlines read like this:

• How to Live With Courage
• How to Overcome Social Anxiety
• How to Confidently Embrace Uncertainty

Then you might not want to suddenly write a headline that reads:

• How to Brazenly Squash the Agonizing Anxiety That Is Plaguing Your Life

Your readers will think your blog got hacked!

How to Write a Headline: Bonus Tip

When writing a headline, try crafting 5–10 different versions of the same headline.

The more you play with the words, the better you will get at creating clear, concise, and curiosity-invoking headlines that readers cannot resist.

Editor’s Note:

I’d be remiss if I didn’t discuss a question we hear often:

“How long/short should my headline be?”

Ever notice how some headlines in SERPs (search engine results pages) are truncated?

It’s based on your headline’s width in pixels (a free tool like SERPsim will show your headline’s width), but as a general rule:

At right around 60 characters, Google will cut off your headline.

Since a truncated headline can result in fewer people clicking your link in SERPs, it’s a common SEO practice to keep your headlines 60 characters or less.

Of course, things are never that easy.

In a recent study , Brian Dean of Backlinko found that longer (14-17 words) headlines generated more shares on social media than shorter headlines.

(76.7% more social shares, to be exact.)

As with all things, your mileage may vary.

2. Write an Introduction That Grabs and Seduces

You’ve lured readers in with your headline. Now you’ve got to keep them.

No easy task, my friend.

Readers are fickle. Known to take a quick glance and then vanish from your online sanctuary, lickety-split!

You must fight to keep them there, and the way you craft your introduction plays a huge role in their browsing commitment.

Follow these rules to craft an introduction that captivates your readers:

Introduction Rule #1. Slip into Their Shoes

A common mistake that reeks of amateur blogging?

Trying to sound too academic in your blog openings.

You know, those posts that start like this:

“Research has proven that 92% of people fail to achieve their goals because they are unable to create and stick to habits that support those goals …”

Don’t get me wrong — as a lawyer, I value solid research. But in the blogging context, this approach bores readers. If you want to captivate instead of bore, you must make readers feel like you’re reading their minds.

A powerful way to achieve this?

Step into the shoes of your target audience and write from their perspective. Show them you understand exactly what they’re going through.

After all, you likely struggled with the very topic you’re writing about and learned how to overcome it. We teach what we most wanted to learn, right?

So show readers that you “get it.” You’re not some corporate slog, you’re in it with them, fighting the good fight and sharing the tools that brought you to the other side.

This introduction is a masterclass in empathy:

Do you feel that? That little tugging sensation on your heart? You’re not sure what, but something is pulling you to change. Not in a confess-your-sins-oh-ye-sinners way, but to shift directions, to embrace your calling, to finally do what you were put here to do: Write. You feel the ideas inside you. You sense them straining to escape. You know your job is to set them free, firing them like a cannon into a world in desperate need of them. But you’re afraid. You’re afraid of quitting your job and living without a safety net. You’re afraid of the concerned, disapproving looks your friends will give you when you tell them you’re giving it all up to write for a living. You’re afraid of not having enough money for food, of the power being cut off, of watching your family shivering and hungry, all because of your “selfishness”. And most of all? You’re afraid you’re wrong about yourself.

As writers, we all share the deep longing to embrace our calling and express our ideas, but we also share the fears that so often sabotage those longings — the fear that we don’t have what it takes, that we’ll crash and burn, and that our dreams are just that — dreams.

In his introduction, Jon addresses all those longings and fears and immediately makes you feel like he gets you so intimately, it’s almost creepy.

Creepy, but effective.

Introduction Rule #2. Get into Character

If you want to captivate readers, you must trigger their emotions.

So as you sit down to write, think of the feelings you want them to experience:

Fear, anger, sadness, hope, joy, disgust, shame, comfort, love, courage, and so on.

Then get into character and feel them yourself as you write, and your words will read with undeniable authenticity.

When Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the heartbreaking lyrics in Hamilton that have left tears on the faces of millions, it was his eyes that first shed tears as he put his pen to paper.

So play with your emotions. Map out the emotional journey you’re taking readers on, and infuse those feelings into your writing. Feel what you want your audience to feel and your words will exude those emotions.

This tip applies to your whole post, but in no place is triggering your audience’s emotions more important than your introduction.

You feel me? 🙂

I once wrote an emotional post about my two little girls which addressed how delicate their emotions are, as well as my own vulnerabilities and my longing to give them the patience, presence, and love they deserve.

Here’s a portion of it:

I told my three-year old daughter as we stood outside the car in her school parking lot, the rain pouring down on us as she sobbed breathlessly in my arms. She didn’t want to go in the car. She just wanted me to stand there, holding her. And I didn’t want to rush her, or tell her to stop crying. “I’ll hold you for as long as it takes.”

I felt that longing intensely and definitely shed some tears as I wrote the introduction. The feedback I got from readers was that they felt the same intensity, and even cried as well.

When we write, our feelings seep into our words.

Introduction Rule #3. Lure Readers Down the Page

Want readers to commit to your post?

Accelerate their experience. Lure them down the page.

The faster they get pulled down, the more committed they’ll feel.

Too many bumps in the road early on, and off track they go, never to return.

Here are three writing tips to use in your intros to lure readers down the page:

#1. Open With a Short Sentence or Question

Kind of like how I opened this section. 🙂

This is how all of Smart Blogger’s posts open, and for good reason. It’s a copywriting technique proven to pull readers in.

Start a post with a long clunky paragraph and they’ll feel exhausted just looking at it.

#2. Take a Knife to Your Words

Slash as many words as possible.

If the first draft of your introduction is 200 words, try cutting it down to 100. The more you practice this, the more efficient your blog writing process becomes.

And when you write efficiently, your words have power. That power will grab your readers.

#3. Set the Rhythm

All writing has a pace and rhythm.

You want your introduction’s pace and beat to be somewhat quick. You can slow things down later.

How do you achieve this?

• Use short sentences. Even sentence fragments (totally okay).
• Make your paragraphs no more than one to three sentences long.
• Use delayed transitions to weave sentences together.
• Make each sentence and paragraph lure readers into the one that follows.
• Read the post out loud to check the flow. Are things moving forward smoothly or stalling?

The best writers, like the best music composers, take readers on a journey. Fast and slow, loud and soft, urgency and ease.

The more you pay attention to this, the more rhythm you’ll infuse into your words.

Shane Arthur sends readers’ eyes flying down the page by using crisp sentences and short paragraphs to create a fast rhythm:

You’re not stupid. You know what writing is truly about. It’s a never-ending battle for your readers’ attention. Every sentence is a link in a taut chain that connects your headline to your conclusion. And you are just one weak sentence away from losing your reader forever.

He then appropriately slows things down in the section that follows with longer sentences. A masterful composition!

Introduction Rule #4. Make Them Beg

Want readers begging for your solutions?

Add a little fear to your opening.

What are readers worried about? Do they know what will happen if they don’t solve the problem the post is addressing? What is the worst-case scenario?

Bring those fears to the surface. Expose them.

By doing so, not only will readers feel a camaraderie with you (because you understand their fears, so clearly you’ve tip-toed through the dark side yourself), but they’ll feel more eager than ever for the solution you present.

We all have fears. We think we need to hide them, but the more we give voice to them, the easier they are to set free.

Do that for your readers.

In his introduction, Glen Long brilliantly taps into the fear of failure all writers experience by addressing the dream of making a living as a writer and then quickly smothering that dream with the doubts that creep up at the mere thought of it:

So, who knows? Maybe the doubters are right. Maybe you are naive to think you could earn a living doing something you love, instead of something you just tolerate.

The fear of failure is painful, yes. But giving voice to it is validating and makes readers eager for the solutions that will set that fear free.

Introduction Rule #5. Hint at the Promised Land

Finally, as you wrap up your intro, hint at the promised land.

The place readers will get to when they master your methods. The destination your post promises to take them.

But whatever you do, do not give it all away. Just one sentence that says too much satisfies your readers enough to send them clicking away.

Because readers bore easily. You must keep them on their toes.

And the key point of an introduction is not to give answers, it’s to set the stage for all the hearty advice your post will provide.

In the introduction to Meera Kothand’s post, she addressed a problem all new bloggers face: How do you get to know your audience when you don’t have one yet ?

She goes on to talk about the big mistake many of them make (making assumptions) and why that’s ineffective. Then, she uses the simplest phrase to hint at a solution:

That kind of guessing is like throwing darts blindfolded and hoping you hit the bull’s eye. Sometimes it works. Usually, it doesn’t. Fortunately, there’s another way…

How could anyone not want to keep reading?

How to Write an Introduction: Bonus Tip

When writing an introduction, try drafting two completely different versions approached from different angles and triggering different emotions.

Doing so will highlight the techniques and emotions that work best for both your audience and the content of your post.

A word of caution:

No matter how eloquent your words…

No matter how powerful your prose…

If your introduction doesn’t satisfy search intent, readers will click the “back” button and never return.

What’s search intent?

It’s the purpose behind the Google search.

If someone searches for “how to lose weight” in Google, they’re expecting search results that will help them lose weight.

If they click a headline that reads “7 Easy Tips For Losing Weight Fast”, and the post begins with an amusing Nicolas Cage anecdote, there’s a good chance they will leave — never getting to read the rest of the post, which is filled with weight loss wisdom.

And when they leave, what they’re essentially telling Google is this:

“At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

And Google will respond by ranking your post lower in its search results.

Search intent is a big part of SEO (search engine optimization). When we do keyword research here at Smart Blogger, figuring out the relevant keyword phrase’s intent is one of the first things we do. It shapes our headline, meta description , introduction, word count, and more.

The ins and outs of mastering it would be an article all by itself, so we’ll simply say this:

Taking the time to analyze the results in Google so you have a solid handle on why people enter the particular query your blog post will be targeting is time well spent. Figure out the intent, and then make sure your intro matches it.

3. Deliver Advice That’s Easy to Consume and Impossible to Ignore

Okay, you’re doing great.

You got readers to click on your headline, you lured them down the page with your intro, and now it’s time to deliver on all that you’ve promised.

If you want readers to love you and look forward to every good blog post you write, you’ll over-deliver.

If you want them to take a quick look and vanish for good, you’ll under-deliver.

The choice is yours.

Use the guide below to deliver valuable and easy-to-consume advice:

Content Rule #1. Add Pitstops

Subheads — use them.

Why? Because readers are scanners.

They have no choice. There’s a behemoth amount of content at their fingertips, and not all of it is good.

And so they scan (as do you, I’m sure).

Subheadings are your chance to prove to readers that you have valuable content. To keep luring them back into your post, when their instinct is to leave.

Blogging is a battle, remember?

Keep these four tips in mind when drafting your subheads:

#1. Add a Subhead Every Few Paragraphs

Sprinkle subheaders throughout your post.

Why? Because they gently guide readers along the route your post is heading, making their experience feel clear, easy and enjoyable.

And never forget, your blog posts are all about your readers’ experience.

If readers see too much text when they’re scanning without enough pit stops, they’ll feel overwhelmed. It’s like getting on a bus tour and being told there will be no bathroom breaks … oh, the anxiety!

Every single post on Smart Blogger.

That’s how important this is.

#2. Avoid the 3 Subhead Blunders That Make Readers Bounce

Subheads have the same function as headlines; they must make readers curious so they keep reading. So you should follow similar rules when drafting them and avoid the following common blunders :

• The Plain Label Subhead:  In case it bears repeating, never bore your readers. Labels are boring. Treat your subheads like mini-headlines and make sure they invoke curiosity.
• The Spoiler Subhead: Don’t give away too much in your subhead. If you do, readers will feel no compulsion to read the rest of your text.
• The Cryptic Subhead: Don’t try to be too clever. Readers don’t like to play guessing games. Adding curiosity should never come at the expense of clarity.

Let’s say you’re writing a post about the impact sleep has on anxiety levels and you include the following subheads:

• The Importance of Sleep
• Creating a Steady Sleeping Routine Will Reduce Anxiety
• Refuse the Roast and Catch More Z’s

See how the first subhead is way too plain, the second gives too much away, and the third, well, it probably made no sense to you, right?

The subheads below would do a better job at grabbing readers:

• The Easiest Way to Reduce Daily Anxiety
• How to Beat Anxiety Without Resorting to Medication
• The One Thing You Must Avoid to Sleep Better

#3. Compare Each Subhead to Your Main Headline

Each subhead should clearly deliver on the overall headline of your post.

Again, if you’re viewing subheads as pit stops, they must all lead to the ultimate destination — what was promised by your headline.

If the subheads get off track and move away from that destination, readers are left feeling lost and confused.

In that case, either the subheads need to change or the headline needs rethinking.

Say you’re writing a post called “How to Silence Your Nagging Inner Critic” and you include the following subheads:

• Observe Your Thoughts
• Prove Yourself Wrong
• Ask Yourself This Powerful Question
• Bravely Quit Your Day Job

The fourth subhead’s sudden twist in topic is jarring. It does not deliver on the overall headline, which had nothing to do with your day job.

Perhaps you intended all along for the post to be about not letting doubts stop you from following your dreams and quitting your day job, but readers scanning subheads will not understand that.

They will simply feel confused.

#4. Follow a Format

If you are listing various “ways,” “steps,” “methods,” “signs,” etc., to achieve what the headline of the post promises, keep the format consistent.

If you don’t, the post comes across as unpolished. Bloggers overlook this all the time, but it’s easy to fix once you’re aware of it.

If you separate your subheads from the post and list them back to back, you can see if any stray from the course.

Say your post is called “12 Ways to Cure Insomnia” and you have a subhead for each of the 12 ways. You’ll want those subheads to follow a consistent format.

Let’s say your first few subheads read as follows:

• Exercise Every Morning
• Avoid Caffeine Like the Plague
• Wake Up at the Same Time Everyday
• There is Nothing More Sleep-Inducing Than Nighttime Meditation

Something there feel a little off?

The first three subheads start with an action verb instructing readers what to do. They are also fairly consistent in length.

But then the fourth subhead suddenly changes the format and breaks the flow. It doesn’t start with a verb and it’s much longer than the others.

This inconsistency may seem fairly innocent, but it’s distracting to readers.

Content Rule #2. Unleash the Unexpected

Let’s face it, readers today are info-holics. We all are.

So tired old advice isn’t going to cut it. Your post must be unique, bold, and eye-opening.

My advice? List each main point and see if you can add a unique perspective, experience, or twist to them. Something readers aren’t expecting.

What belief systems have you learned to challenge? What do you know that most people don’t? How can you shed new light on an old problem? What methods do you use that others won’t know about?

You don’t want to go overboard just for the sake of adding shock value. Your advice must be authentic and truly helpful. But regurgitating old advice doesn’t challenge you as a writer, nor does it enlighten your audience.

So pour your readers a little espresso for their info-hangover by delivering the unexpected.

Countless articles have been written about blogging, but how many have called you out for being dumb or told you to replace your friends?!

Jon does just that by knocking you over the head with some hard truth bombs about what it takes to make it as a blogger .

Content Rule #3. Follow a Formula

Notice how this post follows a pretty consistent formula?

Each section is relatively similar in length. Every subhead follows a pattern. Each section ends with an example.

The more consistency you weave into your posts, the better the reader’s experience.

Let’s say you write a list post covering five steps to achieve something. If the first step is 500 words, the second and third steps are 100 words, the fourth step is 200 words and the fifth step is 400 words, it looks sloppy. As though you didn’t bother to proofread it before hitting publish.

Your readers deserve the best, and minor details like this matter as they affect the fluidity of their experience.

Want to go even more pro? Look at the beginning, middle, and end of each section you write, and create a guiding formula. Perhaps you start each section with a bold statement or personal experience. Then you flesh out your advice in the middle. And then you end each section with a one-sentence call to action.

The more formulas you add to your posts, the easier they are to write and the more they look like polished works of art.

In his post on getting traffic from Twitter , Brian Honigman uses hashtags for each subhead, each section is consistent in length, and each includes a graphic.

Readers know exactly what to expect from each section, making for a fluid reading experience.

Content Rule #4. Be Ridiculously Generous

Many bloggers worry about giving away too much in their posts. After all, they want readers to sign up for their paid coaching calls or products.

So they hold back, barely skimming the surface of their advice.

Truthfully, if you’re not generous with your readers in your posts, they won’t get a good impression of your paid products.

Don’t hold back on your readers.

Fully work through the problem with them. Give them complete solutions and powerful advice. Wow them with your generosity and they will stick around as loyal readers and customers.

Want to learn everything there is to know about affiliate marketing ?

Holy smokes. At 10,000 words, that insanely generous post by Leanne Regalla is basically a textbook on the subject, and reader comments praise it as such. (Let’s all bookmark this one, yes?)

A post of this magnitude is quite an undertaking, but don’t let it scare you. You can also wow your audience with your generosity and thoughtfulness in a 1,000-word post.

Content Rule #5. Start and End Strong

Just as your introduction and conclusion should grab readers, you want the main body of your post to start and end strong as well.

Of course, every section should have great content , but if you’re offering five ways to achieve something, save your absolute best tips for the first and fifth ways. The first way will grab your readers’ attention, and the fifth way will leave them feeling fully satisfied.

On the other hand, if each tip successively decreases in value, readers will feel like your post is deflating. And their excitement will deflate with it.

Let’s leave readers feeling pumped when they finish your post.

Linda Formichelli gives ten crafty ways to write 1,000 words per hour .

While all ten ways are excellent, I’d argue that the first (about writing under the pressure of a full bladder) and last (about gambling with your reputation) are the most bold and attention-grabbing (bathroom break, anyone?).

Writing a Blog Post: Bonus Tip

Before writing the main sections of your post, flesh out a blog post outline to nail each key point.

The clearer and more simplified your blog post outline is, the more clarity and conviction your post will have.

4. Close with a Motivational Bang

We’re almost at the finish line! It’s time to close your post with a bang.

This is where you rally behind your readers. Show them that you believe in them.

Make them believe they can achieve the goal promised by your headline (because after reading your generous advice, they certainly can).

Follow these rules when crafting your motivational conclusion:

Conclusion Rule #1. Give Your Readers a Pep Talk

Motivate your readers.

Show them how far they’ve come, what they’re capable of, and what life will look like once they’ve implemented your advice.

Give them the pep talk you longed for when you were struggling with the topic your post presents.

Empower them by raising your expectations of them. They can’t just read your post and pretend it never happened — they must take action. Immediately.

Make them see that no matter what they’ve experienced or how hard they’ve struggled, their time is now.

In this post’s conclusion , Jon uses all he’s had to overcome in life to show readers that they have no excuses: no matter hard things get, they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

He encourages readers by letting them know that he believes in them and then he raises his expectations of them by telling them they need to get started … “right freaking now.”

By the time you’re done reading the conclusion, you feel like you can conquer just about anything!

Conclusion Rule #2. Avoid New Information

A common mistake many bloggers make?

Suddenly inserting new information or tips in their conclusions.

It’s like reaching the last ten minutes of a spellbinding movie. You’re on pins and needles waiting to see how it ends, and suddenly a new character is introduced. What the … ?!

It’s jarring. Don’t do that to your readers.

In his conclusion, Robert van Tongeren motivates you to repurpose old blog posts by comparing them to epic musical classics; if they disappeared into obscurity simply because they’re old, we’d all be at a great loss.

Imagine if in the midst of such a conclusion, Robert quickly threw in one more way to repurpose content, or one small caveat to his post’s advice, or one more general tip to keep in mind?

It would throw the whole closing off and leave readers feeling ruffled instead of jamming to Bohemian Rhapsody.

How to Write a Conclusion: Bonus Tip

When writing your conclusion, put yourself back in the shoes of your readers.

What will their lives be like if they accomplish the advice in your post? How will they feel?

The more you can hone in on your readers’ point of view, the more you can motivate them to take action.

Too many bloggers put too little thought into their closings.

That’s a shame.

Let’s face it…

Most people don’t read 100% of our posts. Heck, most people don’t even read half .

So how do we reward the precious few who read and absorbed the words we poured our heart and soul into?

With a closing we whipped together in 20 seconds.

Someone who makes it to the end of your post is primed.

They trust you. They like you. They want you to tell them what to do next.

So tell them.

Don’t waste this opportunity.

5. Polish Your Post So It’s Smoother Than a Slip ‘n Slide

Phew! You’ve written your post . Next up?

Take a well-deserved break. Step away for a day or more so you can come back to it with fresh eyes.

Once you’re ready, it’s time to do some editing. I know, the mind reels that there’s more work to do!

But editing your post is essential. If your post doesn’t provide a smooth reading experience, your reader will lose attention and bail.

Use this checklist when you’re ready to edit your post:

• Take a Knife to It. Slash all unnecessary words, sentences, paragraphs, stories, etc. Include only what is absolutely essential to convey your message. Nothing more.
• Motivate, Don’t Lecture. Tweak any statements that hint of being the condescending professor. Make readers feel like you’re on their side and dedicated to their success (because you are).
• Add Emotion. Infuse your writing with passion , energy, and enthusiasm. If you’re bored by your blog topic, readers will be too.
• Make it Easy on the Eye. Break up any large paragraphs (2–5 sentences maximum is your goal) and run-on sentences.
• Break it Down. Clarify overly complicated wording. If you can’t say it simply, don’t write it. You don’t want to confuse your readers.
• Speak Their Language. Add examples or metaphors to make complex ideas feel more tangible and easier to digest.
• Check Yourself. Remove any contradictory statements or repetitive ideas (trust me, they’re there).
• Don’t Yo-Yo. Ensure each sentence, paragraph and section drives the post forward toward the destination promised by the headline (no side routes or backtracking).
• Be Smooth. Make each sentence and paragraph flow seamlessly into the next. Each sentence should be completely dependent on the ones before and after it or the transitions will feel choppy.
• Avoid Sharp Turns. Adjust any abrupt changes in topic. They’re jarring to readers.
• Keep It Real. Don’t mimic styles that don’t come naturally to you. The more you write, the more you’ll find your authentic writing voice.
• Add Highlights. Use bold and italics to add stress where appropriate (but do so sparingly).
• Shoot Bullets. Use bullet points to group related topic ideas and make them more digestible.
• Spark the Senses. Be specific and concrete (describe things readers can see, feel, hear, smell or taste). Avoid abstract statements.
• Be Firm. Avoid words like “might,” “may,” “possibly” and “perhaps” when delivering your advice.
• Give Some Eye Candy. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Add relevant images, screenshots, and infographics to your blog content.
• Respect Nature. Put things in their natural order (e.g., past to present, young to old, small to large, breakfast to dinner, etc.).
• Be Consistent. Make sure all points in a list belong to the same category; a list of steps should only list steps, a list of things should only list things, etc. This might sound like common sense, but this rule gets broken often.
• Don’t Be Lazy. Ensure all the necessary information is contained within the post itself. (External links should only provide supplemental information. A reader shouldn’t have to click a link to comprehend your post.)
• Kill the Weak. Eliminate weak and flabby words. Replace weak verbs (e.g., “she went”) with more concrete, visceral verbs (“she walked”), replace passive voice (e.g., “he was pushing”) with active voice (e.g., “he pushed”) and replace weak adjectives (e.g., “good”) with strong adjectives (e.g., “wonderful”).
• Feel the Beat. Be mindful of the pace and rhythm of each section. Speed things up or add some punch with crisp, short sentences. Slow things down with longer explanations. Good writing uses both .
• Do the Obvious. Fix any typos, spelling mistakes, or grammar mistakes (you can use grammar checkers like Grammarly and Hemingway App ).
• Be Honest. Give credit where due.

How to Edit a Blog Post: Bonus Tip

A great way to self-edit your posts is to read them out loud.

Doing so will help you catch many of the issues listed above, particularly things like overly complicated wording, run-on sentences and choppy rhythm.

Win the Battle for Your Reader’s Attention

Blogging is a battle.

A war to get your ideas the attention they deserve.

Your enemy? The dizzying array of online distractions that devour your readers.

This battle is not for the faint of heart.

There are so many learning curves. Blogging platforms and plugins you’ll need to install. Social networks you’ll need to employ. Content marketing techniques you’ll need to try.

But none of that stuff matters if you’re drowning your ideas in amateur writing. You might as well lay your sword down in defeat. Readers don’t have time for amateurs.

So before you venture any further down the blogging rabbit hole, you better make sure you know how to write a blog post like a pro.

Skip that step, and nothing can save you. Your battle is lost.

The good news is, writing good blog posts is a skill you can learn. And it’s one you must learn.

You have powerful words and ideas that can transform readers’ lives. Those ideas are worth fighting for.

So when you’re ready to enter the arena, arm yourself with this ultimate guide and fight the good fight.

Your readers are counting on you.

Content Marketing

Liz Careathers

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Written by Liz Careathers

182 thoughts on “how to write a blog post in 2024: the ultimate guide”.

I must say, I am totally convinced to read the complete article. I have completed the step 1 but will complete the other soon. The main things most of the beginner bloggers think that topic is already covered by leaders, how i compete with them?

So this guide will help them to find the answer.

Good Read 🙂

Thanks Kuldeep, I’m glad you found this helpful!

Liz, I have benefitted from your blogging wisdom as your student. This is a wonderful summary of things you have taught me — things we need to be reminded of. Thanks to you and to Jon for this post.

Also, if you chose the photo of Ste. Chapelle as the background to your “over deliver” statement — it’s the perfect illustration — did you know that? The French King who built that chapel had those walls of light created to meet the greatest challenge of Gothic architecture — to construct the highest possible walls of stained glass that could be created without crumbling. It has no rivals on that score.

This is one of the best architectural illustrations of your point you could have chosen. Well written and well done!

Thank you so much, Kim! I learn so much from you as well!

The credit for that photo choice goes all to Heather on Jon’s team, she knows what she’s doing! 🙂

So glad to see your post on here. It turned out amazing. My favorite points are tied to the idea of stealing and being simple. The number one mistake I see writers make is trying to be original, witty, and intelligent. People who think they’re above having to learn first principles always fail.

Kudos on using lickety-split in your post too. haha.

Off to share!

Thank you so much, Ayo! You have me cracking up. Thank you for noticing I used lickety-split, I was quite proud of that word choice 🙂

Wow!! Amazing guide… Thank you for putting it together! I’ll be sure to follow all these steps every time start writing my articles!!

Off to share right away!

Thank you Nadeem, so glad you found it useful!

Fantastic post!

We have a website/blog and our way of motivating is by providing samples of Truth and Beauty. We do this through images, words, music, movies and wine! We blog every day so we try to keep it fairly succinct.

Although our structure is a little different, I find this post to be extremely helpful and look forward to future posts. Thank You!

–Shawn

Thanks, Shawn! So glad you found this useful

That was a great article. I will go back to it again. In fact, I’m going back to edit a post I thought was perfect…until I read yours. Glad I hadn’t published it quite yet. 🙂 Jan

Thanks, Jan! Glad you can refer to this when you write!

Some great stuff in here! I resonated a lot with Avoid New Information – I’m always doing that with my blog posts. Too many great statistics to pack in!

What made you decide to format this as a long-form document rather than separate posts? I would be concerned about people seeing the length of this bad boy and being put off!

Ha, yes, you might be right Jack! This bad boy was quite a writing project all on its own. But since it’s an “ultimate guide” I just couldn’t leave anything out 🙂

Thank you for this incredible guide! As a new blogger, I have learned so much in this generous post. And now I’m itching to write using the steps that you’ve outlined above! I have bookmarked this post and will be returning to this guide often.

Thanks so much, Kat! So glad this guide will be helpful to you as you write 🙂

You’re very welcome 🙂

Thank you Liz for this overwhelmingly important information. This is really called “ultimate” for a reason. 🙂

Thanks so much, Mikel 🙂

Hey Liz, wonderful to read your post again. This article is an awesome checklist and will save us the trouble of Checking out the Blog Launch Formula video where Glen gave a kick ass presentation on the same topic. This is also a great resource for training new writers. Bookmarking this.

Thanks Peter! I know you know most of these tricks already! I haven’t seen that video but everything I know I’ve learned from Glen 🙂

Hi, Liz. I´ve been reading Jon´s posts for a while now. Yep, he´s the master of empathy. Undoubtedly. And I found my courage from his articles to start blogging again.

But as a loyal follower I read all the Smartblogger´s blog posts and you know what I´ve noticed? Jon has an incredibly sharp eye to choose his co-writers. Cause´ they are as talented and skillful as he is.

In fact, your guide, Liz, has triggered me to write this comment. Which, by the way, is my first one not only here, but ever :).

I know well how much time and effort it took to put this guide together. It seems so smooth, playful and professional, but in reality there`s loads of work hidden under the playfulness.

So I simply say: thank you, Liz!

I now bo back to my blog posts and work harder to be worthy of this guide, some day 🙂

Cheers, Sigrid

Thank you so much for these kind words, Sigrid! I can see just from your comment that you are a talented writer 🙂 And you are right about the amount of work that underlies the playfulness! Your words are very much appreciated!

Ups, I left my photo behind, that´s fixed now 🙂

Hey Liz, what can I say except… Boom! You nailed it. Your post is an amazing and generous resource for bloggers. Every blogger should bookmark this goldmine of advice. I’ll stop there before Jon deletes it 😉

Thanks so much, Miranda! 🙂

Wow amazing post with tons of actionable advice that will help us become better writers. I definitely took away a lot of gold nuggets just from reading it.

I definitely need help crafting better headlines. This is something that I’ve been working on to get people to my blog. I’m going to check out the 52 Headline hacks to see what else I can learn.

Also, love the tip of closing with a motivational bang. Definitely, makes a lot of sense and will make your reader feel better.

Thanks again Liz for these useful tips. I’ve bookmarked this page so I can refer to it when I write my next blog post.

Have a great day!

– Susan

Thank you Susan! You will love Jon’s Headline Hacks!

Even as someone who has written 100’s of blog posts over the years I found the suggestion and tips here great. I know for sure my headlines leave room for improvement!

Keep up the good work.

Thanks Bradley! So glad this was helpful to you!

This is a very informative article. Great hints. Bookmarking it. Thanks for sharing this information.

You’re very welcome, John!

This much too long piece (especially in 2017) seems to be aimed at persons who have no writing experience. I have been a freelance and full-time journalist for more than 20 years. I have written/edited a wide variety of things, such as news stories, articles, newsletter copy, blog/web site copy, captions, subheads, and headlines. I have learned that conciseness, especially now, is very important since many persons now have very short attention spans. This piece needs a lot of editing. I probably could reduce the piece by at least 25%.

The people who are passionate about your topic (i.e. your ideal audience) will happily sit down and read an in-depth guide like this, as the other comments here demonstrate. This is not meant as a read-it-and-leave-it fluff piece. This is a resource for people to bookmark and use when they sit down to write their posts. The audience we’re targeting will appreciate it. But to each their own.

Hey Robert I agree with you. This is not just a short ordinary blog but an in-depth guide. Maybe Paris Wyome didn’t have her reading glasses on!

I think Liz has done an excellent job. All new and seasoned writers need constant reminders on best practices when it comes to blogging.

I’m a newbie to blogging so I’m lapping all the information up. You can never be complacent in life about anything. Learning news skills and picking up great information helps you move forward.

So many thanks to Liz for her time and expertise.

I have been a subscriber to Jon Morrow’s blog and there is no denying that he is treasure trove when it comes to blogging and I admire his writing style. He hs this flair to combine words into a sort of music. And he uses simple, easy to understand words.

But what confuses me is that, while you guys are always talking about the short attention spans of people, your articles practically guarantee that when a reader gets to the last sentence, I’ll be damned if he can remember the first.

They’re just way too long. Maybe you should not describe the flower too superfluously.

Great tips, whenever i need to find a topic i research it on buzzsumo to see which one has potential to go viral.

Thanks Tony. Yes, BuzzSumo is a great tool!

Just a few thoughts about post length.

Yep, it´s likely possible to cut down all the Smartblogger`s posts (including this one), let´s say, into bullet-pointed lists. Or shorten them in some other way. So that people can just quickly jump in, get an answer and jump out. Within seconds.

But I`ve got a question.

Have you noticed one single ordinary-length post here in Smartblogger? I certainly haven´t. Why? Cause´ these articles here are not meant for ordinary people. They are not meant for get-my-results-quick-and-easy kind of people.

They are meant for people who actually want to study, who are willing to put as much time and effort into reading these posts as the author put into creating. Moreover, they are meant for people who enjoy this particular writing style.

This article´s headline says Ultimate Guide. Headlines are supposed to deliver, right? And this one really does it by having a length of a mini course. Yet it´s not just the competition of who-can-write-longer-posts going on here, this is about actionable information. Yep, the competition is called who-can-write-most-actionable-and-thorough-posts.

That´s the reason I´m Smartblogger`s reader. Whatever question I might have about blogging, they provide me an answer. Thorough and actionable. With style 🙂

So I`ll take my time, make myself a nice cup of tea and start to read AND enjoy the posts.

Just like a good book.

So beautifully put, Sigrid! I cannot imagine a better description of Smart Blogger’s posts and audience. Thank you for sharing such an insightful and positive perspective!

Seriously..!! Unbelievable.. I never ever read this type of articles in my 3-year career. I m glad that I found this blog from online Junk. I started my profession as a writer but later I started online blogging. Now, I started my own blog as I recently quit my job. I purchased a Domain and WordPress hosting scottadlhochwriter.com and started making changes. I am really inspired by your blog @Liz and this blog is really helpful for me.

Thanks so much, Scott! And that’s very exciting, I wish you the absolute best with your new blog 🙂

I was wondering how to find and omit grammatical mistakes from articles. As a non-native English speaker, it’s hard to grab those bugs.

Grammarly and other proofreaders are ok but don’t give deep insights. So, the bugs remain.

Is there any alternative tool that does the job you know of? Or some guide you’ll like to suggest so I can brush up on my grammars?

I meant, the free version of those tools don’t give a deep insight. And I’m unable to get the paid version for some reason.

I personally only know of Grammarly and Hemingway App. But I did find this article which lists a couple of other options you could check out – thewritelife.com/automatic-editing-tools/. If you read the comments section, readers also mention additional options and insights.

I hope that helps!

Gotta say that this post delivers on what it says. “The Ultimate Guide to writing a blogpost”. Wow. I’ve only been blogging for ~4 months and the difference between the post I wrote after reading this and before is almost staggering. This is what I produced based off of this post. http://many-wounds.com/how-to-change-my-life/ and before this http://many-wounds.com/genetics-luck-propaganda-youve-systematically-brainwashed-helpless/ . Like I said, difference is staggering.

Wow, what a way to put things into action, Abhinav! And yes what a difference in the two posts! Excellent job.

Such a beauty! In a world where information is turning on us and has become toxic, it’s refreshing to read advice that offers clear, actionable steps.

Find out what your audience actually wants! Sounds obvious and yet so many of us just write about what we think is interesting.

Cheers Liz.

Thanks Drew! So glad you found the advice here to be clear and actionable.

So much so that I wrote an article yesterday and applied the points with a microscope. When it’s published I’ll share.

I think this is the best article i have come across for writing a blog post…you have really gave some useful tips to write some amazing blog post title…next time i am surely follow all these tips…thank you very very much Liz…this article has made my day..!!

So glad to hear that, Arvind!

The title is the most important phase of a post and should be powerful and clear enough to attract visitors and bring traffic.

Hi Liz, Thanks for the article. You are always informative to read. Always found something useful from your side since years.

I Appreciate you for this post. All These Five Steps in a Guide for writing a blog post helped me a lot to write an effective and unique content for posting. Keep Posting this type of informative blogs for learning.

Thanks David!

Nice article, you have almost covered all the points that have to be considered while blogging. Thanks for sharing.

Thank for this post Liz, what an amazing resource!

It’s funny you mention giving too much away with this post that gives so much away – but it is so valuable, it only sparks my curiosity to read more from the site 🙂

Loved the part about making your subheads uniform with the theme of the post. Especially the part about not introducing new ideas in the conclusion. I’ve definitely been guilty of that.

So happy you feel that way, Blake! This site is a treasure trove of blogging wisdom 🙂

Great blog my friend 🙂

Awesome tips Liz! I have been a blogger for several years but I always have new things to learn! Lots of learning here in your article! I was wondering, how often should we publish new content?

Thanks Emmerey! Everyone has different opinions on how often to publish, I would suggest picking a schedule (whether weekly, monthly, etc.) and just trying to be consistent with that schedule so your audience knows what to expect.

Hi Liz! Thank you for responding and for the tips! 🙂

Oh, how I wish I found this blog post when I first started writing, haha! I spent so many hours trying (and failing) to create good blog posts – I’m sure this will help so many new bloggers. I found that the subhead of my posts made the biggest difference so I can definitely vouch for you on that one.

Great post 🙂

Thank you Elise!

I loved your comprehensive post, which would have come in handy when I started blogging in 2008.

Headlines and subheads are important, but I can get stuck in my head and over analyze them (use the headline analyzer from Advanced Marketing Institute) for emotional value. Oh well. I guess that’s the accountant in me. 🙂

Thanks again for the post! I always refer people to the website because of the value the writers provide. The courses are great, too.

Thanks Amandah! Yes Jon’s site and courses are amazing 🙂

Fantastic article, I’ve been writing my own articles for about two months now. Before that, I had zero experience in blogging and writing. I read blogs how to guides online and tried my best.

I’ve improved quite a lot, I still need more experience and reading your article has given me more confidence in my writing. Thank you.

So glad to hear that, Giovanni!

Great article! I’m working on an putting together an ultimate guide post, and this sparked some ideas.

We know very well, every post start with a powerful headline, it is the mainthing which have potential to engage audience for maximum time on post. Here you have shown amazing way to craft a powerful headline for a superb post.

These are really great points and need to implement before crafting a headline for post. A perfect headline needs lot of research to make it outstanding to crawl on internet. Eventually, thanks for sharing your valuable tips with us.

With best wishes,

Thank you for this article, this is what i needed and was searching for. I would like to start writing next summer and need tips like this. 🙂 Hope I will build a content that I will be later proud of.

This article is very amazing since i am a new blog writer it helped me a lot. Your article was a real learning exercise to me and also its giving me lot of boosts to write more.

Excellent read, your dedication shows in your content indeed. Great job! Quite a lot to take in, but most certainly worth applying. Learning to write high quality blog posts have a flip side to the coin, as online writing jobs become quite a favorite.

That’s a great point, Deon!

Nice read, it was a worth to read full article. It really represents the completeness of information that you have presented for every newbie blogger. Thanks for sharing such a nice topic.

Thanks for reading, Anveksha!

Writing a blog post that gets a real audience attention is a challenge, finding a mouth-watering topic is a real plus in writing a blog post. So I ‘ll give a +1 to the point choosing a good topic.

Hi Liz, great stuff, my favorite part of this post is selecting a mouth-watering topic, proper topic selection helps you to engage more traffic.We should alway provide unique information to the reader of which they haven’t heard about it ever before.

Agreed Bhavesh! Thanks for reading.

Hey Liz, you wrote an incredibly detailed post on a familiar topic in a splendid manner. I like the fact that you have offered plenty of advice that’s either new to me or breaks the norm. I agree with you that headlines that have numbers in them perform better than non-numeric headlines. I read a recent post by Neil Patel in a similar vein and he has tons of research that proves the same.

Additionally, the approach of making the benefit clear right at the outset is beneficial for the CTR. However further reading and engagement would depend on whether the author actually delivers the promised goods.

I hope to read more of you in the coming months. Keep up the great work!

Thanks so much, Amanda!

Thanks for the article Liz, it will really help me to write down an article, although my english is not good and i am learning it through online portals and hopefully soon i will be able to write some good articles.

Hi Liz, This is the longest posting i ever read. Full of useful points i need to apply on my blog and certainly need a lot of practice to master it. I usually run out of ideas after 700 words, always stops around that number. Great post.

Glad you enjoyed it, Yunar!

I have been trying but no traffic so which is the main issue , what do you suggest to get traffic for free and organic not long term

This article is an awesome checklist and will save us the trouble of Checking out the Blog Launch Formula video where Glen gave a kick ass presentation on the same topic. This is also a great resource for training new writers. Bookmarking this.

I will keep in mind next time while i will write a blog.

Wonderful post, you are going to be the next Neil Patel. Have you written on ” Site traffic”. I mean I have awful traffic on my blog. How can that be improved. Anyways, I am going to implement your tips on writing from next time.

Thank you for this beautiful post. Your post will be helpful for us in writing an effective blog post on our site.

Great post Liz! Thank you for sharing these tips on how to write a good blog post.

I have a lot to learn creating blog posts. Hopefully the tips on this page will help me to create something I’m proud to post online. I have many posts I’ve started but never feel they are ready. I best dust them off (update them) and get them posted. 🙂

I really appreciate your way of expressing all the points. It will really help me to write an awesome blog post. So thank you so much for providing this gem to us. Keep posting these type of articles. Thanks.

This was a great article. I will definitely apply these methods in my blog posts. Still, have a long way to go. Thanks a lot!

You mentioned each and everything a writer should follow. I have read hundreds of post related to content writing, and this is one of the best instruction posts for writers. I appreciate your hard work. 🙂

Thank you very much for this informative post. Really comprehensive. I am going to use these step which you have mentioned.

Liz Longacre, one of the best articles I have read on blogging. This has covered all the basic tips and tells you not to write mediocre blogs. Catchy headlines and emotional connection are two major factors in a post that you have to practice. I like how you have meticulously discussed about blogging here. Amazing article and thanks a ton.

I love adding inspirational bits in the end. I agree that blogposts should be written to change people’s lives.

Always go back to edit. No one writes perfectly in one go. Don’t be afraid to edit.

Really appreciated how you walked us through the process of writing a great blog post. Loved point #3 about “engaging the senses” I am using this point to make a previously dry review about small business startups more engaging to my readers

Really great blog post. I’ve been an SEO for nearly 6 years now and I’m very good at keyword focus, coming up with topics, and writing and executing. That being said, design is one area that I find escapes me the most.

I really enjoy the boxes you use to break up the text in the post, with the “examples” sections. How do you achieve this effect? It reminds me a lot of other nice blogs I see like Brian Dean’s and how he uses on-page elements to keep people on.

I have really enjoyed this piece and others and look forward to using your tips to improve my own site and grow! Thanks

Fantastic article! So much great data!

Thanks so much, Chris!

What a great and very in-depth article to improve our blogs! The examples of decent headlines and sub-headings versus exceptional headlines and subs are very helpful. We can clearly see the huge difference side by side and using your tips can now create better headlines ourselves. Obviously, it will take a little practice and some revisits to these tips, but I am looking forward to writing better blog posts and website pages. Thanks for all the help and advice.

So glad you found it helpful DJ Emir!

Hi, Thanks for your fresh post. Here I have a question for you. If I am starting with blogger is there any problem with this? I am here that after sometime google will disable account? So which platform is better for me? Thanks

I personally wouldn’t recommend starting with Blogger. Jon actually has a great article on this topic: https://smartblogger.com/how-to-start-a-blog/

Best of luck!

Nice post on how to write blog 2019, You really nailed it. Am impressed. Keep it up!

Thanks so much, Charles!

Hey Liz, Thanks for the wonderful post. Few questions: 1) How important is the questionable headline (nowadays every other articles headlines with how/what..?) 2) How important is the length of the content, 1500 or more as most of the top bloggers suggest? 3) If anyone decides to write an article of 1500 or more words. Is it good to break it down into sub-headers or paragraphs will do the same as sub-headers? Would be curious to know your thoughts! Thanks,

Hi Kuldeep, I might experiment with different types of headlines to see what works best for your audience but as mentioned in this post, ‘how to’ headlines are a great one to start with. In depth articles are good for SEO and perceived value but you can experiment with shorter articles as well if you like. For posts over 1,500 words, yes I would recommend breaking things up with subheads. My best advice is the more you write, the more you learn what works best for your audience so just keep writing 🙂

Hi Liz, Thanks for your feedback. So its more about diving deep into your own data to see what works & action accordingly.

Hi Liz, Thank you for sharing this informative article. I learned new things from you. It helped me a lot and I hope that it will also help others. I appreciate your efforts. Have a good day ahead.

Thanks Vicky, so glad this was helpful to you.

Hi Liz, Thank you for sharing this informative article. I learned new things from you

You’ve very welcome, Mirza!

Great, great article! I’m a total beginner, in fact i still have to write my first full post. And I have been very nervous lately because I had no idea how to develop it. This guide helped me so much to point me in the right direction and cleared my thoughts. Thanks!!

So glad to hear it, Alberto! Congrats on your first post!

Very useful tips on how to make money from blogging. What a great post, the information is well organized and very comprehensive. I can imagine the effort you put into this and especially appreciate you sharing it.

Thanks so much Adam.

Hi Liz, I am so grateful to have found your article. I’m an artist, and have finally gotten to a place where I am able to concentrate more on my art and to have an actual web page, (thanks to the help of my daughter) and to begin blogging.( I know that it is essential in today’s world for artists.) I’ve done a lot of research, as well as have a background in writing. You’re article is clear and informative, and I can’t wait to get started. Thank you!

So glad to hear it, Susan! Best of luck with your blogging & artistic endeavors!

Hi Liz, I have read it four times. Every time I got something new from the same source. The is an example of evergreen content.

Following your guideline, I have published a post today. I myself understand it become better than Else more posts in my blog.

“Without a headline, they have no roadmap to follow. And so their post goes in multiple directions, leaving readers feeling dizzy, confused and disoriented.”

This quote helps me a lot. Thanks for your efforts and generosity to us.

So glad this was helpful to you, Hasan!

Got briefly explained within you post “How to Write a Blog Post in 2019: The Ultimate Guide” love it. I’ll try in my blog techrecur. Appreciate your work, Thank you.

You’re most welcome!

I’ve noticed a lot of the examples of blogs used in the advice of Smartblogger articles always assumes the writer intends to write a “How To” blog, especially so in this article, particularly the section about motivation and advice the person can’t ignore.

What if someone actually wants write a blog to entertain and enlighten people, or change minds, or share thoughts, or do something other than cater to the endless deluge of problems people have and their need for self-help? For example, I might like to write articles analyzing the philosophical themes or real world accuracy in fiction, or give my thoughts on controversial social issues, or some other kind of article focused purely on engaging discussion and analysis.

This article’s focus seems too narrow and ill-equipped to give advice on such article topics.

Hi Jonathan, this post is meant to be a guide for beginner writers but by no means is it meant to cage you in. Please feel free to be as creative in your writing as you like!

I agree with your thoughts as you said that catchy title is a necessity of a perfect article. It should be like this if someone read this then he/she should click on the title to read the article. I have work experience on Uc news with 30+ million impressions on my article. In the start, I used to write the simple title with all details in title due to this CTR was so much low but when I start using curiosity in my title then my CTR increase like 5times to 7 times.

That’s great, Aaron! Thanks for reading!

Great Post. It’s by far the best guide for blogs I have read. I really liked how you said all the things in a not so boring way. In total Agreement with the thought of the catchy title. Keep writing such amazing blogs.

Thanks so much for your kind words, Oshin! So glad this was helpful.

Thanks for sharing this helpful & wonderful post. i really appreciate your hard work. this is very useful & informative for me.

thanks for sharing with us. thanks a lot.

Regards FutureTricks

You’re most welcome & thanks for reading!

Liz this is truly fantastic. As someone who with a team of 14 blog writers I loved this. You took a huge topic and made it manageable. What I really loved was this was all about SEO, keywords, meta tags, blah, blah. It was about creating damn good writing. Take good care of your girls.

Hugh, I so appreciate this. Thank you so much for these kind words.

Really great blog post. I’ve been an SEO for nearly 6 years now and I’m very good at keyword focus, coming up with topics, and writing and executing. That being said, design is one area that I find escapes me the most.

I really enjoy the boxes you use to break up the text in the post, with the “examples” sections. How do you achieve this effect? It reminds me a lot of other nice blogs I see like Brian Dean’s and how he uses on-page elements to keep people on.

Hi there, thanks so much! As far as the design here goes, I’m not quite sure, Jon’s team actually took care of that.

I agree with Step #5. Gone are the days that we write with a very formal and serious tone. The goal of a blog post is to entertain and that’s what I’m doing with my blog right now. I’d like to entertain as well as educate my readers. Thanks for this comprehensive blog post.

Regards, Valerie

Thanks for reading, Valerie!

very useful tips on how to make money from blogging. What a great post, the information is well organized and very comprehensive

This is probably the most comprehensive guide to writing a blog post I’ve seen yet and I’ve read a lot of them. I’m a freelance writer in my real life so I thought writing amazing blog posts in my blogging life would be super easy — but not so much. I’m really struggling to create killer headlines that grab attention. That’s a great tip on comparing subheads to your headline to make sure they match, and that they don’t give too little or too much away.

Thanks so much, Rebecca! I can imagine how different it must feel to jump from freelance writing to blogging!

A Very Very Comprehensive article for copywriters like me for building content especially for small business blogs.Thanks for the Share Liz..

Thanks Prasad!

This is a really comprehensive and well-explained article. Great work !!!

Thanks for sharing this inspiring article which can help many to decide on the choices they make for a better blog writing experience.

Thank you Liz for this wonderful writeup. I’m not a very good writer but your article has helped improve my skills. Thanks for your help

Hey Liz Thanks a lot for your helpful article. I always try to write about somethin. But i can not write. Because i had not any writing skill and i do not khow how to write a proper article. After reading this helpful article, i think that i have learnt something and which help me to increase my writing skill. Thanks Liz

I learned so much! It was a lot of information but your format helped so much. It made note-taking so much easier! Thanks for a great article!

Hi, Liz, nice article. These tips will definitely improve anyones blogging skills. Thanks for sharing.

Hello Liz, What a masterpiece and an insightful guide! I wish I discovered this guide before I started my blog. Noted that I have been doing things wrongly, but I am glad that someone has opened my eyes. Thanks, Liz for this

hey Liz, I am to this, thats why i was confused how to start blogging. But after ready you guide, i found my lost confidence. Thanks a lot for sharing.

I was actually looking for the format of a blog but this is very helpful and I will keep this in mind.

Liz, I used to think I was good at writing until I started blogging. Now I realize how bad at this I am. Your guide is a great roadmap. Thanks

I totally agree with you that creating clear, concise and curiosity-invoking headlines makes a blog post more interesting!

Agreed with you Liz. Amazing information you have shared with us. Everyone should read this.

Well, like you said, give credit where its due. I believe this is one of the few articles that read from top to bottom. I was researching tips on how to write articles and blog posts that will engage your audience and I found your blog post. I already sent this article to my content team and advise them on reading through your article from top to bottom, because there is value to this. Thank you LIZ.

Liz – I just bookmarked this article (and I NEVER bookmark blog articles). My favourite is “quality over quantity”

Hi Liz, thanks for the article I must say I learnt something new today

Attention grabbing headlines and data driven posts are a way to go. You also want to include influencers in your post so as to help later when you start promoting. Thanks for sharing 🙂

Hello Liz Most of post that i read in past one thing is common that is user intent. It is the base of any article and post the intent is most useful thing. When you write something the basic information as writer is intent.Thanks for great work & good to know some more information Cheers !

Your step by step guide will help me to write well optimized the blog posts for my site. Thanks for sharing this with us.

A very good guide. Content is King and every blogger knows that. Writing a Quality blog post is very important in blogging. You have crafted some amazing tips to write a good blog post. Keep Going.

very informative guide on Writing a Blog Post, i will use your tips for my blog, i want to increase my user engagement by writing google quality article, now i know how to do this, thanks for sharing this guide

Dear Liz, I don’t know which words used to tell you that this guide is the richest complete article I have ever found on the web. I read this article for at least 4 hours line by line to make sure I didn’t miss even one line.

I congratulate you deeply. I love all the sincere advice you share in the article, especially when you say you have to be generous and leave advice that is hard to forget. Share everything with the reader, it’s like attracting him to register or buy services. Without lying to you, the character you talk about in the conclusion is me. ahahah.

I am the one who always concludes the articles and I throw a new tips or advice in the conclusions. I learned a lot. Sincerely, thank you and I would not hesitate to recommend this guide to other friends even if they are more French-speaking.

Most alluring articles I have read in recent days. The hardest part is to articulate the strategies that would understand people with ease. You are a girl boss in articulating strategies. I am going to work out this strategy in my upcoming articles. Keep posting interesting ones.

I have recently started writing blogs for a company that I work for called Job Vacancy Result. I am also planning to start with my own blog page. This content was surely insightful. Helped me understand the nitty-gritty of Blog writing. Thank you!

This is something perfect. I was looking for this guide for so long. finally! I would like to implement it on my blog as well. Thank you.

Hello Liz, thank you for the extensive instructions! That saved me some beginner mistakes. I only recently started my own blog (on finance and saving money) and have been on your side ever since when I want to know something about WordPress and the like.

Best regards, Fadila

Hey Liz, Thanks a lot for bringing this entire information in one post. This is really helpful. I would definitely get back with the results after implementing them.

Fantastic! Your step by step guide will help me to write well optimized the blog posts for my site. Thanks for sharing this with us.

This a fantastic post. Your subheading is so accurate and intriguing, which made me read the complete content. The checklist is definitely handy.

Thanks, Abhisek

Your blog is a great resource for me as I am building my own. I think I’m going to learn a lot from you.

Excellent post. Wanna thank you so much for bringing this such an informative article to us. It really gonna helps many of us.

Thankyou again Best Regards 🙂

Very good article. Thanks for sharing such an informative blog. 🙂

I always wonder, why my blog post doesn’t outrank my competitors. Then I Google it to find how to write a great blog post, thankfully I reached here. I got the answer and am ready to craft a blog post that fulfills users’ intent along with search engines. Thank you, Liz.

Hi Liz. This is an amazing post with so many good tips and most importantly examples which make it so much easier to put it into practice. Also the checklist at the end is a great tool. Thanks so much. Best, Babett

Thanks for sharing such a important information for the prospective beginners to start there carrier in blogging.

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16 experts answer: How long should it take to write a blog post?

April 7, 2016 by John McDougall

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could consistently write posts in one or two hours? Or should you spend longer to write deeper content?

According HubSpot’s survey of 4,000 marketers, most marketers spend 1-2 hours writing a 500-word blog post.

But for many, that is not what it feels like when we are faced with the task and we need re-assurance we’re not crazy or stupid for taking longer.

Another study by Andy Crestodina from Orbit Media Studios asked 1,074 bloggers the same 11 questions:

Key Findings:

• “In 2014, we found 54% of bloggers spending 2 hours or less per post. This year, it’s down to 48%.
• A small but growing number of bloggers spend much more time on each post. 16% of bloggers spend more than four hours per post (up from 13%). 6% of bloggers spend more than six hours on a typical blog post.
• Time spent writing the typical blog post has increased 8% to more than 2.5 hours per post.”

There’s a lot of contradictory information about how long it takes to write a blog post and blogging in general but the following 16 experts should help put things in perspective.

• Neil Patel – Quick Sprout , Kiss Metrics and Crazy Egg

Here is a bit more information from blog comments where Neil discusses his blog writing process:

• Michael Hyatt – michaelhyatt.com

• Jeff Bullas – jeffbullas.com

• Chris Brogan –   chrisbrogan.com

“I keep little text edit files open all over the place. I use Evernote a lot, too. I keep post titles in all of these places, so that when I have a moment or two (it takes me, on average, about 10-15 minutes to write a blog post), I’ll get another one done and schedule it via the editorial calendar plug-in. It might take you twice or three times as long to get out a post. That’s great. Here’s where I’m finding the time:

• I don’t watch TV.
• I don’t read blogs endlessly.
• I don’t wait in lines without doing two things at a time.
• I get up before my kids (if I can help it), and write while they’re at school.
• I don’t do phone calls or meetings if I can help it. If I have to, I keep them VERY brief.
• I’m trying out Dragon Dictate for the Mac (no review yet).
• I can type really really fast.” Source
• Kevin Lee – Buffer

Here is how he breaks out each activity in terms of time spent:

Kevin also points out:

And Jon Morrow of Boost Blog Traffic has spent entire days just coming up with headlines. So some of this is all relative.

• Belle Beth Cooper – Buffer

After reworking her routine, Belle Beth was able to cut her writing time from 2 days to 4 hours and reports that:

• Jon Morrow – smartblogger.com

Here is the post:

How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World

Jon also says:

• Ramsay Taplin – The Blog Tyrant

• Krisiti Hines – kikolani.com and kristihines.com

• Ginny Soskey – Hubspot

• Meghan Keaney Anderson – HubSpot

• Joel Klettke – businesscasualcopywriting.com

• Brian Dean – backlinko.com

• Vitaly Friedman – smashingmagazine.com

• Seth Godin – sethgodin.com

While he didn’t exactly answer how long it takes him to write a blog post, it sounds like he spends most of his time researching and when he sits down to write it comes out in an absolute burst of a water hose in 15 minutes.

Seth writes daily and his posts are some of the shortest in the industry but also some of the most read. His writing feels more like looking at a Van Gogh painting, whereas most outstanding posts are like looking at a beautifully painted Victorian house.

There is no exact formula for how to write a blog post or precisely how many hours it takes.

Different people have different styles but you can learn to work more efficiently. In fact you must work in a more streamlined way, so you can spend more time promoting.

You also need to factor in your goals.

If your goal is to write a piece of epic content to get links, social shares and PR buzz or your first guest post on a top site, then you will likely be spending 10 hours or more, whereas your “regular” posts might be done in as little as 1-2 hours.

And hey, if you are Seth Godin or Chris Brogan you might be able to whip of some of the most read posts in the world in just 15 minutes!

If SEO is your goal, then you should also be aware that according to Searchmetrics, the average word count for a top 10 ranking page is 1,285 words, up from 975 words in 2014. So busting out daily 500 word quickie content stuffed with keywords, might not do as much as you think.

Regardless of how long it takes, learn from the best and be sure to develop your own God given voice.

Once you find your voice and can work “smarter not harder”, you will be well on your way to reaping the magnificent rewards that blogging and building authority can bring.

How long does it take you or your team members to write a 500 word or 1,000+ word blog post?

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How Long Does It Take To Write a Blog Post? The Writer’s Process

by Outranking

Table of Contents

For freelance writers, time is money. The more quickly you can produce quality content, the more clients you can serve and the more money you can make. That’s why it’s important to know how long it takes to write a blog post that will both engage your readers and reflect well on your skills as a writer. In this article, we’ll take a look at the process of writing a blog post and how long each step usually takes. We’ll also share some tips for speeding things up without sacrificing quality. So, read on to learn how long it really takes to write a blog post!

How long does it take to write a blog post on average?

When it comes to how long it takes to write a blog post, many factors come into play. The length of the article, the research, and the level of detail all affect how long it will take to write a piece.

However, how long does it take to write a blog post on average?

We’ve found that articles of between 1000 and 1500 words in length take at least 4 hours to research, write and optimize for SEO.

Check out how a user of outranking.io is able to generate a fully SEO- optimized long-form piece of content that is longer than 3000 words in just under 2 hours :

How long does it take to write 1000 words?

It can take from 2 to 4 hours to write 1000 words, depending on the writer’s speed, how well they know the topic, and how much research needs to be done. For an article of 1000 to 1500 words, this might take 2 to 6 hours.

Research takes up the most time because you have to read through a lot of information, take notes, and then verify that the information is accurate and factual.

Once you have all of the information, it’s time to start writing. Some people prefer to write in long blocks of uninterrupted time, while others find that they work better in shorter bursts with breaks in between. It’s up to the individual to decide how they work best.

The most important thing is to be consistent. This means not rushing through the process and taking the time to make sure your article is well-written, researched, and informative.

Factors that can affect how long it takes to write a blog post

How long it takes to write a blog post can be affected by several factors, such as the amount of content that the user has to write, the size of the blog post, and the type of content.

Here are some of the most common:

• The length of the post
• How well you know the topic
• How much research you have to do
• The quality of your writing
• Editing and proofreading time

The writing process: How to get started?

There are 2 processes to writing content: manual or with AI SEO content generator like Outranking.io

For manual processes, the first step is to come up with an idea or a keyword. What are you passionate about? What topics do you know a lot about? Once you have an idea, it’s time to start drafting your post.

– Write down your main points. It can be helpful to write out the introduction, body, and conclusion of your post before starting to write. This will help keep you organized and on track.

– Start writing! Once you have your main points down, start writing your post. Don’t worry about making it perfect—just get your thoughts down on paper.

– Edit and revise. After you’ve finished writing, take some time to edit and revise your work. Make sure it’s clear, concise, and error-free.

– Optimize for SEO. Add image Alt tags, make sure H2’s and H3’s are correct, add examples and screenshots.

– Publish it! Once you’re happy with your post, hit “publish” and share it with the world.

It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to write a blog post, depending on the length and complexity of the article. By following these steps, you can create high-quality content that will engage your readers and help grow your business.

Check out how easy it is to create factual auto-generated content with AI using Outranking:

How long should blog posts be for SEO?

Blog posts that are around 1500 words or longer tend to rank higher in Google search results than shorter posts. This is because they provide more value and are better for users.

There are a few things to keep in mind when writing blog posts:

• Write for your specific audience. Who is your ideal reader profile?
• Provide value. Offer insights and information that are unique and useful.
• Make it easy to read. Break up your content with headings, lists, and subheadings. Use short paragraphs and clear language.
• Optimize for SEO. Include keywords throughout your post and use them in the title and meta description.

It takes time to write quality blog posts that will resonate with your audience. But if you follow these tips, you’ll be on the right track!

How long should a blog post be in 2022?

A good rule of thumb is that blog posts should be around 1500 words for the best results with SEO. This will allow you to provide enough information and detail for your readers while also giving you the opportunity to rank well in search engine results pages.

Blog posts should be long enough to provide value to your readers. Longer blog posts will help you to get more views and traffic and to rank higher in the SERPs.

Many factors go into how long it takes to write a blog post. The most important thing is to make sure the content is of high quality and provides value to the reader. Here are some tips on how to write an effective blog post:

• Start with a catchy headline
• Write in a clear and concise manner
• Use short paragraphs and bullet points where possible
• Stick to the point—don’t meander off-topic
• Make sure the content is well-researched and accurate
• Proofread your work before publishing

Why is my blog not showing up on Google?

Posts that are around 1500 words or longer tend to rank higher than shorter posts.

Your blog needs to be indexed by Google and other search engines to be found. If you have not been able to get your blog indexed by Google, then you should request manual indexing in Google Search Console .

Google favors long, highly researched posts that are well written and provide value to the reader. You can help your blog rank higher by using keywords throughout your post, including them in the title and meta description, and making sure your content is of the highest quality.

How long does it take for a blog to show up on Google?

It takes anywhere from one day to six weeks to show up in SERP, depending on how long it takes for Google to index your new articles.

However, in general, you can expect your blog to start appearing in Google search results within 1–6 weeks of launching it.

Tips to make the writing process easier and faster

When it comes to writing, there are a few things you can do to make the process easier and faster. 

Check out this video to see how you can research, write, and optimize long-form content for the best ranking opportunities with the SEO writing checker tool Outranking:

Proofreading and publishing your blog post

Go through what you wrote and correct any grammar, spelling, or formatting mistakes before publishing your blog post. You can also use a tool like Grammarly to help you with this.

After all, a well-written and useful blog post can communicate your story and help build the user experience of your website.

The goal is always quality over quantity when producing content for a blog. It takes time and effort to produce high-quality posts that will be appreciated by both readers and search engines.

Final thoughts

Every year it takes increasingly longer to research, write, and SEO optimize a post. That’s why SEO AI tools are important . An AI research, writing and optimization tool like Outranking empowers writers to create content that ranks higher in search engines and drives more traffic to their blogs. Check out the comparison matrix and see why Outranking’s AI blog post generator is the most advanced AI tool compared to its competitors Frase vs Surfer SEO .

If you want to learn how Outranking can help streamline your content production process, request a trial account here: www.outranking.io.

10x your content production

Empowering writers, not replacing them.

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How Long Does It Take You To Write A 500 Word Article?

Writing content shouldn’t take a lot of time.

Table of Contents

But writing GREAT content does take a lot of time.

According to a study by OrbitMedia, bloggers are taking more time than ever to write a blog post.

If you’re wondering about the length of the content that takes so much time, the study answers that as well.

So on average bloggers are publishing 1200+ words per blog post and consuming more than 3 hours to write them.

Quite understandable considering the fact that thin and low-quality content that used to wor a few years ago won’t get you anywhere in 2020.

In order to compete, you have to produce engaging and in-depth content.

However, the numbers shown in this study represent the overall average trend.

How much time does it take me to write content since I’ve been in this business for more than 10 years now?

This is what I’ll discuss in this article along with a few actionable tips to help you speed up your writing process.

Let’s dive in.

How much time it should take you to write an article?

There are two different camps here that people fall into.

They either take too long or finish too fast.

Both are bad, but it’s worse to finish too fast.

It’s not a good thing to pump out articles quickly

This is something I didn’t really understand when I was still a beginner. I would crank out 10 to 20 articles per day.

Each one would be roughly 300 to 500 words long, and was very low quality writing. Each one only took about a half an hour to write.

Yes, I could have taken longer, but I didn’t want to.

I was focusing on quantity over quality. Because they were rushed, they weren’t in-depth, they had grammatical errors, they contained few sources, and the overall writing wasn’t great.

This was a huge mistake. Because my content was so short and low-quality, it would never rank in the search engines.

It would never pick up any backlinks or social shares. And most importantly, it would decrease the value/quality of my entire blog and nobody would be interested in subscribing to it.

It took me a while to finally realize that what I was doing was preventing me from ever growing a successful blog .

Content Quality Always Trumps Quantity

Think about it this way: Each article you write will only need to be written once. Once it’s published, it has the potential to drive traffic forever.

For example, there are some articles I wrote years ago that still drive thousands of visitors to my blogs.

And the only way to consistently make this happen over and over again for all your articles is to turn them into extremely in-depth, high-quality article.

Imagine that somebody is searching on Google and lands on your page. You want them to feel fully satisfied with the answer, so that they wouldn’t need to hit the back button and look at other results.

Today, I set articles to a quality standard

“Is this one of the top articles on the web about this given topic?”

And if the answer is YES, I’ll publish it.

If the answer is NO, then I’ll go ahead and make it much more thorough, add in more sub-sections, and do a little more research.

Time To Write An Article – Beginners vs. Experts

If you’re an absolute beginner at this, a 1000 word article should take you about 3 to 4 hours. A 2000 word article should take you about 6 to 8 hours.

The reason it takes so long is because you’re not experienced with writing consistently. Also, you have to add in images, links, structure the URL, etc. All these things take a lot longer when you’re just starting out.

If you’re experienced with writing, it should really only take you about half that time. So a 1000 word article should take you about 1.5 to 2 hours. A 2000 word article should take you about 3 to 4 hours.

When you’re experienced, WordPress tasks like adding in images and links take just a few minutes. It becomes second nature. Therefore, those things don’t take up much time.

How Long Does It Take Me To Write An Article?

Today, it takes me about 1.5 to 2 hours to write a 2000 word article, and about 30 to 45 minutes to write a 1000 word article. I can crank out 500 words in about 15 minutes.

Yes, I’m writing extremely quickly, but that doesn’t mean that my articles are lacking in quality.

The speed is just the result of doing this over and over again consistently for nearly a decade now. I wasn’t always this fast.

And if I tried to be, my writing would suck.

But there are a few tips I can share with you to speed up your writing.

How To Write Faster – 7 Tips To Increase Your Blogging Speed

I’m not a writer per se but I’ve come up with my own list of tricks to speed up online publishing.

Here are my best tips.

1. Create Templates For Different Content Types

When you blog regularly, you know you have to publish different types of content to cover all the topics in your niche.

You’ll write informational content, product reviews, lists, round-ups, interviews, how-tos, ultimate guides, case studies, and several other types of content.

I have templates for each of these types since I’ve been creating content for so long.

If you don’t publish all these content types, create templates for the types you frequently publish.

A content template is a simple blueprint or a fixed structure that you can follow every time you write a certain type of content.

Whether you’re writing the content yourself or outsourcing it to freelancers, templates help you structure your thought process and save you a ton of time.

2. Learn From Your Competitors

One of the hardest things about writing content is actually starting an article.

But why reinvent the wheel when you can simply see what your most successful competitors have done, and adopt a similar approach?

Search for your topic on BuzzSumo and sort the results by most shares 

It shows you the total social shares on different social networks along with the number of backlinks for the top content.

Just browse through the best content, study their structure, and replicate.

3. Write Drunk, Edit Sober

This is one of my favorite writing quotes, “Write Drunk, Edit Sober”

And it has literally saved me hundreds of hours over the years.

When you start writing, just let the words flow from your mind on to your keyboard. Don’t try to edit on the go because it breaks the writing flow.

Once you dump everything from your mind and complete the article, go back and edit it with a fresh mind.

4. Have A Clear Objective For Every Article

This is also very important.

You need to know why you’re writing an article and what you want from the readers. 

Do you want them to click on a CTA button? Do you want them to buy an affiliate product? Do you want them to subscribe to your email list? Anything else?

Whatever it is, you need to be clear about it because knowing your objective helps you streamline your thought process as a result of which you can come up with better content.

5. Create An Outline Of Your Article

When you write an article, don’t immediately start with the introduction.

A big newbie mistake is to come up with heading and sub-sections of an article on the go.

Your article quality will suffer if you do this.

Instead, create the complete outline of your article before starting it.

Identify the main sections of the article and its sub-headings. Then assign an estimated word count to each section so that you give the maximum words to the core sections of your article.

Once you complete the outline, start filling it up with great content.

You’ll be surprised by your writing speed if you follow this approach.

6. Get Rid Of All The Distractions And Follow A Schedule

Close all the irrelevant window tabs, shut down Facebook, close Twitter, get off YouTube, and put your smartphone away before you start writing.

Seriously, if you don’t get rid of these distractions before starting an article, you’ll take twice the time to write it.

I know its hard to do it these days but here’s a tip.

Write in 20-minute sprints and then take a 5-minute break to check your smartphone and just walk around the room to freshen up your mind.

Then get back to 20 minutes of focused work again.

This approach will help you work with a clear mind and make you much more productive.

Plus, if you want to turn blogging into a serious income, please follow a writing schedule. I know it sounds boring but when you work in a fixed time slot, your mind gets programmed for work mode and manages to become much more productive.

Try it before telling me I’m getting old.

7. Write Regularly

As they say, practice makes you perfect.

Don’t stop writing just becuase you’re too slow or not good at it.

Everyone’s like that at the start.

But if you keep writing and try to improve consistently, you’ll become a much better writer and blogger in just a few months.

Remember, getting things done is much more important than being perfect.

Don’t let the perfectionist syndrome stop you from taking action.

Conclusion – Stay Focused And Keep Writing

You’ll naturally get faster over time. That’s just inevitable. Writing is a skill that can be honed and improved with practice.

So you shouldn’t really be thinking about how long it takes you. You should only be focused on making your article a 10/10 article. Remember, your article will only be written once. After that, it’s out on the web for as long as you leave it out there.

It will continue to drive traffic. It will get links and shares. And it will ultimately play a role in how successful your blog becomes.

Think about this for each article you publish, and you’ll be far ahead of the pack.

6 thoughts on “How Long Does It Take You To Write A 500 Word Article?”

Interesting post, but I think the time spent writing an article is highly dependent on the subject matter and circumstance. If I’m writing in an area where I’m a subject matter expert, the written words flow as naturally as conversation. A simple edit is usually all they need. If I’m writing something that requires a lot of fact-checking and research, or if I’m finding the right voice for a specific publication, or the right angle to make a mundane or overdone topic fresh and compelling, I may need to invest a substantial amount of thinking and editing time. When I write an interview article, there is the interview time, often transcription time, and then — since most subjects give me far more information than assigned word counts allow — a good bit of editing. Time also depends on where the manuscript it headed. If I’m writing a personal blog post, I write more quickly. If I’m writing for a client or editor I’m inclined to be a more painstaking. Ad copy and other forms of creative writing are a different problem once again. How long does it take to come up with a good idea? Sometimes a minute, sometimes days. We definitely become more proficient with practice, but we also become more attuned to the subtle aspects of our craft — an article we may have considered ‘finished” earlier in our career would now likely warrant, and receive, more revision.

Hey Caroline – Thanks a lot for sharing this. I fully agree. What I wrote and the time estimates I gave speak more to bloggers, but yes of course how long it actually takes will depend on what you’re writing about and how much research it requires.

I’m a new blogger. I attempted to write 1000 words today but only wrote 375 words. Looks like I need practice.

I agree with both of you. For 2K words blog post it takes about 4-5 hours or roughly two days , that is if you are expert in that niche you are writing about. I was kind of like Chris Lee back 10y ago, I had to write fast and my editors and writers did same because if we put story out before other blogs (and you only have 15-30 minutes) you ought to write up a fast 300 to 400 word blog post. Well with google changing their algorithm now they prefer quality over quantity .

Even as a blogger, I spent 1-2 hours in the research phase. Then I write, and because I’ve only been at it for about 7 months, the writing phase takes me 4 hours for each 800-1600 word blog. I work across industries, so my subjects (and writing tones) vary vastly depending upon my client. If its a subject I know like the back of my hand, I can crank out a 1000-word piece in 3.5 hours. If its niche and unfamiliar – and often it is – it takes longer.

Also, keep in mind, writers need to make sure they are using the correct jargon and keywords specific to the industry or audience they are writing for. If, like me, a writer is producing content for blogs across industries, this can take up more research time than it does when writing for a single industry, because it takes research time to get familiar with the verbiage.

I think a key point here is writing unique, in-depth pieces. I can get on Google, research a topic for 30 minutes, then combine and restructure the content I found from 3 sources to produce a blog – a blog that says more or less the exact thing that was said elsewhere on the internet. But to produce something useful to readers, a writer needs to focus on ideation and research.

Ideation and research take time. Even though I know my writing can improve, and as it does I will be able to accomplish more in shorter periods of time, I nonetheless believe that the ideation phase is an important step in the writing process that tacks on at least an extra hour or two to the time estimates provided here.

This may be especially true for freelancers focused on content writing, and not in-house, content-producing employees who are already 100% familiar with the ins and outs of the industry, and who easily know where the next idea opportunity lies. I imagine as writers become more experienced, they can build a client base that is specific to an industry niche, and expedite their research and idea process out of sheer emersion in their subject matter.

Woah, really appreciate these insights Haydyn! Super helpful tips.

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• Copywriting
• Inbound Marketing
• Growth Content
• Content Metrics & Data

How Long Does It Take To Write A Blog Post? A 2,400-Hour Analysis

by Megan Marling • 3 minute read • September 6, 2017

You know that the more content you have on your blog, the more opportunities you have to attract visitors and turn them into leads. But you’re probably wondering if you even have enough time to dedicate to the blogging thing—and how much time you should actually spend writing a blog post!

We get that—they’re good questions. You need to know whether or not it’ll be worth it, after all, or if you need to consider other options.

To help you out, we pulled data from an 18-month time period to find out how long it takes us to write a blog post—and how those hours are broken down. Every company is different, so your average time per blog may be different. But following this article, you should be able to create a reasonable estimate of how much time it might take you to accomplish the same task.

We analyzed the data and found that during this 18-month time frame….

It took us an average of 4 hours and 24 minutes to complete a blog post, start to finish.

• 23 minutes (9%) was spent on content interviews.
• 2 hours and 55 minutes (66%) was spent on blog writing and research.
• 1 hour and 6 minutes (25%) was spent on editing.

Note: This time average doesn’t include any of the planning that goes in before the article creation phase, including persona development and keyword research, or posting the blogs in HubSpot or Wordpress.

How To Write A Blog Post: The Step-By-Step Breakdown

Content interviews: 23 minutes (9%).

We often tell our clients our lack of insight into their industry is a good thing—and we mean it. Why? Because the ‘beginner’ questions we’re asking are likely the same (or similar) to the ones their ideal customers are asking when they first start looking for a solution to their problem.

It may be tempting to write every blog article based on your own industry knowledge, but we recommend discussing as many article topics as possible with colleagues in and outside of your organization. This process will help you gain insights and perspectives you may not have considered otherwise. If you choose to do this, you may find these do’s & don’ts of subject matter expert interviews to be helpful.

How we conduct a content interview for a blog post:

• Pre-research the topic and create questions to ask the SME.
• Conduct the interview (in person or through online meeting software).

Blog Research & Writing: 2 hours and 55 minutes (66%)

We spend almost exactly two-thirds of our time actually writing a blog post, and we imagine this is where you’ll spend the bulk of your time as well.

There is one thing that sets an inbound marketing blog post apart from every other blog post: Purpose . The goal of an inbound blog is to help the person reading answer a question they have or understand a problem they’re facing. Whether you’re planning to write these blogs yourself, have someone in your company write them, or hire someone outside the organization to write them, this person needs to have a firm grasp on the purpose of the blog. Anything less is a waste of time and money.

How we research and write a blog post:

• Transcribe the recorded interview (if applicable).
• Draft the outline of the article.
• Write and rewrite...and rewrite...and rewrite.
• Create an article title.
• Select an applicable image.
• Tie in a call-to-action.
• Write a meta description.
• Create the corresponding email.

Editing: 1 hour and 6 minutes (25%)

If you think the editing process is solely about grammar, think again. The adage, “Write without fear, edit without mercy” couldn’t be more spot-on. Having an error-free article is critical, but a great editor can sharpen a decent blog into an effective blog by digging into the content.

Our editor Meredith doesn’t just make simple changes to the articles she reviews, she asks questions, calls out discrepancies, and makes us better writers. The screenshot below shows Meredith’s markup on the first few paragraphs of this article. You definitely want a great editor, like Meredith, on your team !

How we edit a blog post:

• Assess the article’s readability and suggest changes.
• Make line edits to correct sentence structure and grammar mistakes.
• Correct any issues with client-specific tone.
• Review client revisions and make requested changes.
• Check the article for search engine optimization (SEO).

Do you have an extra 422 hours a year?

If you want to post eight blogs a month ( which is ideal for solid inbound marketing results ), you’ll spend just over 35 hours a month on blogging—which is over 422 hours in a year.

Here’s another way to look at it: That’s over 52 full 8-hour work days devoted only to blogging! Forget about skill: Can you even devote the time this process needs? If you can, sweet! If you can’t, there are other ways to get the job done. Here are your options:

• Give up. Yes, really. If you can't devote the time and don't have the skill, don't bother blogging. You'll put up a few posts you aren't happy with, and then you'll watch your blog collect dust. If you can't devote time to this, do something else you have the time and skill to do.
• Ask current employees to create your blogs. If you already have a marketing team or have some employees with a natural talent for writing, you may choose this route. It cuts out the hiring process, but it can really cut into these individuals’ day-to-day tasks and put a heavy burden on their workload if you’re not careful.
• Hire an in-house writer and editor. If you want to keep your marketing in-house and your current team doesn’t have the time to take  on blogging, consider hiring a full-time writer and editor.
• Hire a freelancer writer and editor. Another option is to hire freelance writers and editors for your content creation. Sites like Zerys , Scripted , and TextMaster are all good places to start your search. Be sure to test the skills of any freelance writer before you employ them to be certain they can write in the way you need (that is, focused on solving readers’ problems in a compelling, interesting way).
• Hire an inbound agency. If you already have a solid marketing process in place (including driving visitors to your site, turning them into leads, and seeing higher sales results), one of the three options above will probably work for you! But if you aren’t seeing the marketing results you’re looking for, hiring a blogger may be just a band-aid. A better solution is to rework your marketing strategy as a whole—and hire an agency to do that. Agencies can cover every area of your marketing needs—from persona development to keyword research to blog/offer creation and more.

This blog walks through possible costs, benefits, and drawbacks of the options above.

If this all seems a little overwhelming, don’t be discouraged! Remember, these results are specific to us at Nectafy. You can whip up posts a lot faster than this (or considerably slower)—but if you want results, we believe quality is what matters.

If you want a few other perspectives on how long it takes to write a blog post, these articles are interesting:

• How to Write a Blog Post: A Full Breakdown of How We Do it at Buffer
• How Long Should It Take To Write An Epic Post?
• How to Be in the Top 5% of Bloggers: New Research Results

Once you get started, let us know: How long does it take you to write a blog post? Comment below or tweet us @nectafy !

1 - 5 clients + Nectafy. 2 -  10 individuals contribute to the Nectafy blog, but only four write for client blogs. 3 -  Includes content interviews, blog writing and research, and editing.

Ready to Nectafy your business?

I just have a couple of questions….

How long does it take to write a blog post?

The relentlessly helpful® blog by john espirian, 22 september 2022.

📚 This post is part of my business blogging guide .

How much time does it take to write a blog post? Some people seem to rattle off content in minutes. Other people agonise over it for weeks.

So, what’s the truth? How long does writing a blog post take? Let’s look at some stats.

Get to the point .

A 2022 survey of 1016 bloggers shows:

• ⏰ Average time to write a post : 4 hours 10 minutes
• 📏 Average length of a post : 1376 words

Source : Orbit Media Studios

(I usually spend 6–8 hours on my posts, but they’re often 2000–3000 words long and sometimes contain videos, which can take hours to produce.)

• Introduction
• What does it take to create a good blog post?
• How long do others spend on writing blog posts?
• The challenges with writing blog posts
• Let’s wrap up

Introduction .

I don't have time to write a blog.

That’s a common response I hear when I ask people whether they have a plan to create content.

You’ll probably expect me to follow that up with some wondrous stat that it takes only minutes to write a blog post and that therefore it’s really not that hard to run a regular blog on your site.

I’m not going to do that.

Yes, it’s possible to write content quite quickly – perhaps in an hour or so – but that ignores the truth that most such content isn’t very good. And content that’s dashed off in a hurry often doesn’t stand the test of time.

There are around 4 million blog posts published each day. (Source: Worldometers )

Only a tiny proportion of these posts will receive a large number of views, likes, comments and shares. The vast majority of the posts will be seen by almost no one.

Why is that? Why do some posts do much better than others?

Two big factors are quality and consistency .

Quality is a no-brainer here: a well-researched post that is easy to understand, flows well and looks gorgeous has a natural advantage over a wall of text cranked out on an ancient-looking website.

Here’s what SEO company Moz have to say about creating quality content:

Google also points out the importance of good spelling and grammar in your posts.

Google thinks editing matters #whyeditors pic.twitter.com/d1Unc3MX6S — John Espirian (@espirian) June 29, 2017

This is one measure of quality content that’s relatively easy to sort out. See my top 10 tips for proofreading your own work . For content that’s strategically important, consider hiring an editor or proofreader to help you sharpen your message and smooth out mistakes.

So, your aim should not just be to write a blog post but to write a good blog post.

And you don’t want to write only one good blog post: if you’re going to bother with blogging at all, it should be a consistent effort over a long period. That means a commitment to creating lots of good blog posts.

What does it take to create a good blog post ?

Producing good-quality blog content means you need to do at least some of the following:

• Listening : Do you know what your audience wants? Have you talked to them in person, by email or on social media?
• Keyword research : Have you done any searches to see what keywords are relevant to the topic you want to talk about?
• Multimedia : Images, videos and infographics are some of the most time-consuming resources to create. And yet they can give your content a unique visual stamp and make it much more shareable than similar articles that contain text only. Would you be willing to put in the effort needed to create or source your own images?
• Original thought : There’s little in the way of original thought left but you need to do more than copy what others have already written. Can you put your own spin on what’s happening in your industry?
• Editorial : Getting your thoughts down is one thing, but you also need to invest some time in formatting, editing and proofreading your content. Without this, your posts can lose credibility.

And all of that’s without the part where you publish and then promote the content. Yes, blogging well requires a large investment of time.

I’ll often spend 6–8 hours per week on producing my blog content.

That’s 20% of a typical working week. To some people, this sounds like an insane amount of time to spend on content creation.

(In my defence, some of my posts contain videos, and that’s a real time-gobbler. It often takes an hour to produce 1 minute of video.)

I can't do all that. That's way too long.

I get it. It’s a large chunk of time.

But look at the benefits of regularly producing blog content for your business:

• Less need to advertise (and a better long-term method of marketing).
• Improved Google rankings (people find you when they search online).
• More satisfied customers (your content helps them so they stick around).

How long do others spend on writing blog posts ?

I wanted to hear feedback from others, so in 2017 I asked my network on LinkedIn how long they took to write their content.

I also asked them to tell me how many words they typically wrote per post, and what was the biggest challenge they faced when creating content.

Here are the figures they responded with. Remember, this was in 2017:

• ⏰ Average time to write a post : 3 hours 4 minutes
• 📏 Average length of a post : 1113 words

And there was no surprise in the challenges people faced. I’ll get to those in a moment.

Now, the figures above represent a pretty small sample of only 16 people. Hardly enough to draw any firm conclusions, right?

The good news is that Orbit Media Studio’s recent survey of 1000+ bloggers showed that it took their respondents on average 4 hours 10 minutes to write a post.

For comparison, here’s the data from previous Orbit surveys:

The 2022 Orbit survey put the average blog post length at 1376 words . Here’s how things have changed over the years:

Orbit’s figures are more interesting than mine, as they had a much larger sample size:

Orbit’s 2022 sample of 1016 bloggers .

• ⏰ Average time : 4 hours 10 minutes
• 📏 Average length : 1376 words

In terms of article length, the received wisdom is that long articles tend to outperform short ones. There’s plenty more about this in my article about how long blog posts should be .

The challenges with writing blog posts .

The people I spoke to on LinkedIn told me their challenges with blog creation. I’d put these challenges into 3 categories:

1. Audience value .

This challenge is about finding the topics that would be valuable to readers.

Take time to understand your ideal reader by creating a pen portrait .

What real questions are your customers asking you? What content would genuinely help them?

2. Editorial issues .

This challenge is about proofreading the content and sourcing good images.

To sharpen your text, see my top 10 tips for proofreading your own work .

To improve your visuals, check out this great list of 35 free photography sites .

3. Time management .

This challenge is about avoiding distractions and reducing procrastination.

Try closing all of your windows and leaving only one document open – the one in which you write the text of your article.

I write my blog drafts in Byword on my Mac.

As a college professor who is learning to develop a consulting practice, I frequently read John's blog posts to seek ideas and best practices. John helped me understand how to write in a way that resonates with my audience and maximize my value to my audience.

Producing content on the fly is not going to help you excel in business blogging. Instead, you need a solid strategy that helps you generate content that is aligned with your business goals. John teaches you blogging strategies that can bring tangible results.

In the world of business blogging, I trust no one but John. Not only is he full of wisdom, but also he walks the talk. John practises what he preaches.

Do yourself a favour by following John and learning from him. Your business will thank you.

Let’s wrap up .

If you’re going to commit to creating blog posts, expect each post to take around 4 hours to write. And if you want to produce something with real depth and lasting value, prepare for it to take much longer than that – I often take 6–8 hours to put my content together.

Remember that there are a lot of terrible blog posts out there, so don’t add to them by rushing the creation of your own content. Take your time and do it right.

If you can create quality content on a consistent basis, you’ll start to become known as a trusted voice in your industry. And who doesn’t want that?

Continue the business blogging guide

This post is part of my definitive business blogging guide . Previous step ​ Nail your brand values in 5 mins Next step What should you write about? ​

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• Writing a first draft – the why, what and how
• How long should my blog posts be?
• Pen portraits
• Who can make my writing better?
• Top 10 writing tips

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How Long Does It Take to Write a Book? Find Out Now!

• The Speaker Lab
• June 30, 2024

Table of Contents

Dreaming about writing a book is one of the most exciting parts of writing. The writing part? Well, that’s when it gets a little harder. Once you’ve written out the few scenes you had a clear vision for, you inevitably hit writer’s block. Then you can’t help but wonder: how long does it take to write a book anyway? This question is one that haunts every aspiring author. And the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some churn out novels in months; others take years.

The length of time depends on various factors such as genre, word count, personal writing speed, and life circumstances. You might be juggling this with a full-time job or managing family commitments. But don’t worry! Whether you’re aiming for 50k words or an epic saga over 100k words, we have insights that’ll help you map out your journey.

Factors That Affect How Long It Takes to Write a Book

If you’re wondering how long it takes to write a book, the answer is: it depends. Every author’s writing process is unique, and the time it takes to complete a book can vary greatly. However, several key factors influence the average writing time.

Book Length and Genre

The length and complexity of your book will impact how long it takes to write. Novels and non-fiction books that require extensive research generally take longer than shorter works like novellas or memoirs. For example, a fiction book with an 80,000 word count might take 6-8 months, while a 40,000-word self-help book could be completed in just a few months.

Writing Schedule and Consistency

The book-writing timeline differs from author to author. It depends on how much time you can set aside for writing and how many words you’re able to write during each session. Establishing a consistent writing routine can help you make steady progress and write faster.

Experience Level and Writing Skills

General speculation suggests that first-time authors take about 1-2 years to complete a book. Learning curves and the need for extensive rewriting often stretch out timelines for new writers compared to more experienced authors. As you hone your writing skills and develop a more efficient writing process, you’ll likely be able to write subsequent books faster.

Research and Planning

The time it takes to complete a book is influenced by various factors, including the complexity of the subject matter. Books that require extensive research or world-building, such as historical fiction or fantasy epics, may take significantly longer than projects in other genres. Investing time in thorough planning and outlining can help streamline the actual writing process.

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Average Time to Write a Book Based on Word Count

One of the most significant factors influencing how long it takes to write a book is the target word count. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, understanding the average writing time for different word counts can help you set realistic expectations for your own book writing process.

50,000 to 80,000 Words

For a typical novel ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 words, the average time to write a complete first draft is around 3-7 months when writing consistently. In other words, you’d have to write between 400-600 words a day to meet this goal. However, many authors take significantly longer to perfect their manuscripts. The ideal word count for your book depends on your genre and target audience.

80,000 to 100,000 Words

Longer novels between 80,000 to 100,000 words, which are common in genres like fantasy, historical fiction, and literary fiction, often take authors 6 months to a year to draft. The increased word count and plot complexity add to the writing time. Keep in mind that the length of your book will impact not only the writing process but also the editing and publishing stages.

Over 100,000 Words

For books exceeding 100,000 words, such as expansive non-fiction works or epic novels, authors may spend a year or longer just on the first draft. Researching, outlining, and revising these lengthy projects can extend the timeline to several years in some cases. It’s essential to break down the writing process into manageable chunks and set achievable milestones to stay motivated throughout the journey.

Writing Speed and Daily Word Count Goals

Your writing speed and daily word count goals play a significant role in determining how long it takes to write your book. By understanding your own writing habits and setting realistic targets, you can establish a sustainable writing process that helps you complete your book in a timely manner.

Slow and Steady Approach

Authors who prefer a slow and steady approach may set a modest daily word count goal of 500-1,000 words. At this pace, writing a complete draft can take several months to a year, but it allows for a more manageable and less stressful writing process. In fact, renowned author Terry Pratchett set his writing goal at 400 words a day, so don’t be discouraged if you aren’t churning out as much as your writer friends. Consistency is key, so aim to write during your most productive hours each day.

Intensive Writing Sprints

Some authors engage in intensive writing sessions , aiming to write a higher volume of words in a short period. This may involve setting aside dedicated weeks or months to focus solely on the book and striving for 2,000-5,000 words per day. While this approach can lead to a faster first draft, it requires significant discipline and may not be sustainable for all writers. Be sure to balance intensive writing sprints with periods of rest and reflection.

Finding Your Ideal Writing Pace

Ultimately, the ideal writing pace varies from author to author. Some may thrive under the pressure of ambitious daily word counts, while others prefer a more relaxed approach. Experimenting with different writing routines and tracking your progress can help you find a sustainable pace that works for you. Remember, the key is to maintain consistency and make steady progress towards your goal of completing your book.

Famous Authors and Their Book Writing Timelines

Crafting a novel involves extensive research, revisions, and fine-tuning sentences, which can significantly extend the writing process. But what about some of the most famous authors in history? How long did it take them to write their masterpieces?

Stephen King

Known for his prolific output, Stephen King has published over 60 novels and more than 200 short stories. While he’s known for his speedy writing, it still takes him several months to complete a novel.

For example, King wrote the first draft of The Shining in just four months, but spent several more months revising and editing. His novel 11/22/63 took him over two years to research and write.

Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell, author of the classic Gone with the Wind , spent ten years writing her epic novel . She began writing in 1926, but didn’t finish until 1936. Mitchell was a perfectionist and extensively researched the Civil War era to ensure historical accuracy.

William Faulkner

William Faulkner, known for his complex, stream-of-consciousness style, was a relatively fast writer. He wrote As I Lay Dying in just six weeks and The Sound and the Fury in six months. However, he spent years editing and revising his work to achieve his distinctive style.

These famous authors demonstrate that there’s no one “right” timeline for writing a book. Some authors can crank out a draft in a matter of weeks, while others may take years to perfect their prose. The key is finding a writing process that works for you and staying dedicated to your craft.

Tips for Writing Your Book Faster

While writing a book is a time-consuming process, there are strategies you can use to speed things up without sacrificing quality. Below are some tips to help you write your book faster.

Set a Writing Schedule

Establishing a consistent writing schedule is crucial for making steady progress on your book. Block out dedicated writing time in your daily or weekly routine, and treat it as a non-negotiable commitment. Having a set schedule helps you build momentum and keeps your project moving forward.

Break Down Your Writing Goals

Break down your overall book-writing goal into smaller, manageable milestones. Set achievable targets for each writing session , whether it’s a word count or a specific scene or chapter you want to complete. Celebrating these smaller victories can help maintain motivation and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

Minimize Distractions

Eliminate distractions during your designated writing time to maximize productivity. Find a quiet workspace, turn off notifications on your devices, and resist the urge to check social media or emails. Use tools like website blockers or noise-canceling headphones to create a focused environment conducive to writing.

Embrace Imperfection in Your First Draft

Embrace the idea that your first draft will be imperfect. Avoid getting bogged down in constant self-editing or striving for perfection right away. Instead, focus on getting your ideas down on paper and maintaining forward momentum. You can always revise and refine your work during the editing phase.

Remember, the key to writing your book faster is consistency and dedication. By setting a schedule, breaking down your goals, minimizing distractions, and embracing imperfection, you’ll be well on your way to completing your book in record time.

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FAQs on How Long It Takes to Write a Book

How long does it take to write your first book.

First-timers often spend 1-2 years crafting their masterpiece. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, balancing writing with life.

How long does it take the average person to write a book?

On average, it takes about 6 months to a year. Consistency and dedication speed things up or slow them down.

How long does it take to write a 300-page book?

Around 4-8 months if you’re pushing out words daily. The pace varies based on research needs and writing habits.

How long does it take J.K. Rowling to write a book?

J.K. Rowling spent six years from start to finish on “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Writing a book isn’t just about hitting word counts; it’s about consistency and dedication over time. You’ve learned that—whether it’s 3 months or several years—each writer’s timeline is unique.

The key takeaway? Set realistic goals based on your pace and stick with them. Dedicate yourself to writing that book and getting those pages written day by day. Before long, you’ll be holding your book in your hands, knowing it was all worth it.

• Last Updated: June 21, 2024

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Trump has some immunity in D.C. election interference case, Supreme Court rules: Highlights

What to know about the supreme court's ruling on trump's immunity appeal.

• The Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump has some immunity from prosecution in his federal election interference case. The 6-3 decision, which is complex, further delays special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution.
• Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, rejected Trump's broad immunity claims and said Trump has immunity only for his "official" acts as president. The high court did not determine what constitutes an official act in this case, leaving that to the lower court.
• The court's liberal justices issued blistering dissents . In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the ruling "breaks new and dangerous ground."
• President Joe Biden gave brief remarks from the White House this evening on the court's ruling , calling it a "dangerous precedent."

Trump’s Georgia election case gets more complications after immunity decision

Dareh Gregorian

The Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision is expected to add new twists to Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis’ already stalled racketeering case against Trump and his allies.

The Georgia case, which involves some of the same issues in special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump on federal election interference charges, was officially paused last month until at least October, when an appeals court will hear arguments from Trump and some of his co-defendants challenging the presiding judge’s decision not to disqualify Willis as prosecutor.

Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has yet to set a trial date, and one of the motions pending before him is Trump’s bid to get the charges tossed out on presidential immunity grounds.

Read the full story here.

Trump slams Biden after White House remarks on immunity ruling

Katherine Koretski

Trump said tonight that Biden's remarks from the White House were meant to distract from his performance on the campaign trail.

"Another attack by Crooked Joe Biden against his Political Opponent. This is a really bad and incompetent guy. Wanted to deflect from his horrible campaign performance!" Trump said on his social media site, Truth Social.

Special counsel isn't planning to ask the Supreme Court to quickly send Trump case back to lower court

Ken Dilanian

Reporting from Washington

Special counsel Jack Smith is not, as of now, planning to ask the Supreme Court to move more quickly than usual to issue its official judgment based on today’s ruling.

The final judgment is what triggers the process for the case to get back to the district court. As it stands, the Supreme Court’s mandate will not issue for at least 32 days.

It’s unclear why Smith’s office is not asking for this to happen faster. One interpretation is that either way, there won’t be a trial before the election so there is no longer any time pressure.

Trump moves to postpone sentencing and set aside hush money verdict

Laura Jarrett

Zoë Richards

Trump's attorneys in his New York hush money case indicated in a letter to the presiding judge that they want him to postpone sentencing and set aside the trial verdict as a result of the Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling.

The lawyers said they want to brief state Judge Juan Merchan on the relevance of the high court's immunity decision and an argument that decision confirmed that the Manhattan district attorney should not have been able to offer evidence at trial about Trump’s official acts.

Trump's attorneys are seeking to throw out his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and postpone next week’s sentencing, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

News of the motion was first reported by The New York Times.

Trump's attorneys pointed to an element of the Supreme Court opinion that limits what evidence can be used at trial. The motion comes 10 days before Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in the New York trial.

The district attorney’s office declined to comment.

‘I dissent’: Biden attacks Supreme Court immunity ruling

Ginger Gibson Senior Washington Editor

Biden tonight called  the Supreme Court decision  on presidential immunity “a terrible disservice to the people of this nation.”

“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States. [With] today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed for all practical purposes,” Biden said.

Biden said the decision means there are now “virtually no limits on what the president can do,” a sentiment that echoed the dissents written by the liberal justices on the court.

“I dissent,” Biden said in concluding his brief remarks from the White House.

Biden says immunity ruling means there are 'virtually no limits' on presidential power

Biden said tonight that the Supreme Court's ruling means there are “virtually no limits” on presidential power.

He said voters deserved to have an answer through the courts before Election Day about what took place on Jan. 6, 2021.

"Now, because of today's decision, that is highly, highly unlikely. It's a terrible disservice to the people of this nation," he said.

Biden added that the high court's ruling means voters in November will be charged with deciding whether they want to elect Trump "now knowing he’ll be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases, whenever he wants to do it."

President Biden speaking about the decision

Biden is beginning to speak in remarks that are expected to be brief and in response to the decision.

Trump hailed the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling, while the White House said that “nobody is above the law” and the country needs leaders like Biden. NBC News’ Hallie Jackson reports.

Biden to deliver remarks tonight on Trump immunity ruling

Tara Prindiville

The White House this evening said that Biden will deliver remarks at 7:45 p.m. about today's presidential immunity ruling.

Biden was initially scheduled to return to the White House from Camp David, Maryland, after 8 p.m.

House Republicans sue Merrick Garland over Biden audiotapes

Across the street from the Supreme Court, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee today sued Attorney General Merrick Garland as part of its effort to obtain audiotapes from special counsel Robert Hur’s interview of Biden tied to his handling of classified documents.

"Garland violated, and continues to violate, his legal obligation by refusing to produce to the Committee the audio recordings of the Special Counsel’s interviews with President Biden and Mark Zwonitzer when those recordings are not covered by executive privilege, and, even if they were, executive privilege has been waived," House atto r neys wr ote .

The panel’s lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Garland to produce the audio recordings of Hur's interviews with Biden and Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter of Biden's 2017 memoir.

The panel had previously issued a subpoena to Garland, and the GOP-controlled House  voted to hold him in contempt  last month for refusing to release the special counsel's recordings. The Justice Department declined to bring contempt charges against Garland.

Biden in May asserted executive privilege  over the recordings with Hur, which were released in transcripts in March.

'Five alarm fire': Immunity ruling raises fears about future lawless presidents

Lawrence Hurley Supreme Court reporter

When President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon in 1974, it was under the assumption that his predecessor could have been prosecuted for his efforts to impede the investigation into the Watergate scandal.

But under the new rule implemented by the Supreme Court today that partially immunized Donald Trump in his election interference case, there may not have been any need for such a pardon.

“Richard Nixon would have had a pass,” John Dean, Nixon’s White House counsel, said on a call with reporters today.

Immunity ruling will delay Trump’s Jan. 6 case until after the election

Ryan J. Reilly

Daniel Barnes is reporting from the federal courthouse.

The Supreme Court’s  presidential immunity decision  will further delay Trump’s Washington  criminal case  related to his  efforts to stop the transfer of power  in the lead-up to the  Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol , virtually guaranteeing that Trump’s trial won’t start before Election Day.

Instead, the high court’s ruling sets the stage for hearings before U.S. District Judge  Tanya Chutkan  on what allegations in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment should be considered official acts and, therefore, potentially immune from prosecution. Her ultimate decisions could then be subjected to further appeal, meaning that a Trump trial is unlikely to happen until well into 2025. If Trump wins in November, a trial is unlikely to happen at all.

Hillary Clinton says she joins Sotomayor in fear for democracy

Daniel Arkin

Hillary Clinton reacted to the Supreme Court's immunity ruling on X, writing that she agreed with the final line of Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissenting opinion: "With fear for our democracy, I dissent."

"It will be up to the American people this November to hold Donald Trump accountable," Clinton said.

Former Capitol Police officer says court 'stripped the guardrails of democracy'

Former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, was outside the Supreme Court for the decision today.

In a statement, he said, "The Supreme Court just further stripped the guardrails of democracy. It’s Absurd and dangerous."

He added: "The GOP and right wing leaning Supreme Court have gone rogue, detached from reality and abandoned the truth. If Biden invokes a mob and sends it to attack the Supreme Court/congress, would the GOP accept that or hold Biden accountable?"

Posting a picture on X of an article with the headline "The President Can Now Assassinate You, Officially," he also said, "The Supreme Court failed to recognize that they themselves could be targeted."

No word from McConnell or Thune today

Frank Thorp V producer and off-air reporter

Neither Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell nor Senate Minority Whip John Thune has issued a statement since the immunity ruling.

But notably, after McConnell voted to acquit Trump in his second impeachment trial, the Senate GOP leader said “former presidents are not immune from being held accountable” in both criminal and civil courts.

"In the language of today, President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen unless the statute of limitations is run, still liable for everything he did while he was in office," he said. "He didn’t get away with anything yet. Yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one."

Durbin says Alito and Thomas should have recused themselves from Trump immunity case

Kathryn Gilroy

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin condemned Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito for not recusing themselves from the Trump immunity case.

"It is disgraceful that Justice Thomas and Alito brazenly refused to recuse themselves from this case," Durbin said. "As I've said before, the appearance of impropriety or partiality require recusal. Until Chief Justice Roberts uses his existing authority to enact an enforceable code of conduct, I will continue to push to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act. "

Democrats had called for Alito to recuse himself from two Trump-related cases over two controversial flags that were flown outside his homes in Virginia and New Jersey. Calls for Thomas to recuse himself from the cases center on trips he took that were paid for by billionaire GOP donor Harlan Crow and that he failed to disclose on his financial forms. Both justices declined to step aside.

Thomas has also for years faced criticism over the political activism of his wife, Ginni Thomas .

Thomas suggests he believes special counsel's appointment was illegal: 'A private citizen cannot criminally prosecute anyone'

In his concurrence, Justice Clarence Thomas weighs in on the question argued before Judge Aileen Cannon the other day: whether Jack Smith’s appointment was legal. Thomas strongly suggested he believes that it was not, in part because no law establishes the current office of special counsel.

"I write separately to highlight another way in which this prosecution may violate our constitutional structure," Thomas wrote. "In this case, the Attorney General purported to appoint a private citizen as Special Counsel to prosecute a former President on behalf of the United States. But, I am not sure that any office for the Special Counsel has been 'established by Law,' as the Constitution requires."

He added that "if there is no law establishing the office that the Special Counsel occupies, then he cannot proceed with this prosecution. A private citizen cannot criminally prosecute anyone, let alone a former President." 

Alina Habba says 'justices made the right decision'

Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba said on Fox News that she thinks "that the justices made the right decision" and that the "American people think that these cases should have never existed."

Citing Nixon v. Fitzgerald, Habba said that "absolute immunity is important for all presidents. I’ve said it time and time again. I’ve argued on immunity for President Trump, and I think they did get right that they recognize absolute immunity exists."

She added: “It is a good day when court rest recognizes constitutional rights of presidents and the executive branch, but we should never have been in this situation to start with. This is a disgrace to America,” and “it’s election interference at its finest.”

Habba also said she doesn't "see how this case could go forward before the election."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she will seek to impeach justices

Elleiana Green Elleiana Green is a Digital Politics intern with NBC News

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a statement posted to X that today's Supreme Court ruling is an "assault on American democracy" and that she intends to file articles of impeachment.

"The Supreme Court has become consumed by a corruption crisis beyond its control," she added.

She did not say which justices she intends to target — six voted with the majority.

The House is controlled by Republicans, meaning her effort is unlikely to get traction.

What the immunity decision would mean for evidence in Trump's federal election interference trial

Today’s decision sets out a lot of rules about what evidence can or cannot be used in Trump’s election interference trial, assuming we ever get there.

As part of today’s ruling, the court held if a certain allegation in the indictment is determined to be an “official act,” prosecutors cannot introduce “testimony or private records of the President probing the official act itself.”

However, the court has left a narrow path for prosecutors to show jurors evidence of official acts if, and only if, that evidence can be found in the public record. 

“But of course the prosecutor may point to the public record to show the fact that the President performed the official act,” Roberts writes. “And the prosecutor may admit evidence of what the President allegedly demanded, received, accepted, or agreed to receive or accept in return for being influenced in the performance of the act.”

So if there is a video of Trump speaking to the media or otherwise discussing any of the acts in the indictment — such as the call pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn Biden's win — those statements could be introduced as evidence.

What prosecutors would not be able to do is put someone like Mark Meadows or another presidential adviser on the witness stand and have them tell jurors about their discussions with Trump. 

Speaker Mike Johnson calls ruling a 'victory'

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, said “today’s ruling by the Court is a victory for former President Trump and all future presidents, and another defeat for President Biden’s weaponized Department of Justice and Jack Smith.”

He adds in a statement: "The Court clearly stated that presidents are entitled to immunity for their official acts. This decision is based on the obviously unique power and position of the presidency, and comports with the Constitution and common sense. As President Trump has repeatedly said, the American people, not President Biden’s bureaucrats, will decide the November 5th election.”

What was it like inside the Supreme Court today?

Gary Grumbach

Rebecca Shabad

When Chief Justice John Roberts announced that he had the opinion in the Trump immunity case, nearly everyone in the courtroom gallery was on the edge of their seats.

All eight present justices (Justice Neil Gorsuch was absent today) were looking ahead into the gallery during the introduction of the opinion.

Roberts ticked through the various official duties of a president, including commanding the nation’s armed forces, to appoint judges — even on this court, he said — and to oversee international diplomacy.

“Not all the actions that the president takes are within the exclusive theater” of official duties, Roberts said, but the ones that are must be protected. “The president must be able to govern” without risk of prosecution or imprisonment, Roberts said. 

“No immunity,” Roberts said, “applies to the president’s unofficial conduct.” That line, however, is clearly where the justices in the majority stopped. “Drawing that decision can be difficult,” he said, lamenting that neither the district court nor appeals court provided guidance on how to distinguish between official and unofficial conduct.

Roberts listed seven reasons why the court made the decision it did, including what he called a lack of precedent, that the “issues are quite difficult,” and that lower courts did not provide the above guidance. 

Roberts then prebutted Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, saying that the minority dissenters believe today’s decision will lead to “dire consequences.” If they did not make the decision they did today, Roberts said that “the end result would be an executive branch that cannibalizes itself.” 

“The president is not above the law,” Roberts said as he wrapped up his majority opinion read.  

During Sotomayor’s dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas seemed to have a hard time keeping his eyes open, and at times was leaning so far back in his chair, it appeared to be testing the limits of the chair’s flexibility. Roberts and Samuel Alito were reading along with Sotomayor, while Alito, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh were looking into and around the gallery.

A “president’s use of any official power for any purpose, even the most corrupt purpose,” is now almost certain to be immune from prosecution, Sotomayor said. “The majority invents immunity through brute force.”

She then took the court through a few examples of actions she believes the president can now take, with this newfound-immunity. Order the Navy Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival? “Immune. He’s the commander-in-chief,” she said with snark.

“With fear for our democracy, I along with the framers, dissent," she said.

Biden campaign fundraises off Supreme Court immunity ruling

Sahil Kapur

In a new fundraising email a few hours after the immunity ruling, the Biden campaign wrote to supporters: "If Trump wins again, he’ll be even more dangerous and unhinged because he knows the courts won’t hold him back."

The campaign wrote that the "Supreme Court just granted Donald Trump breathtaking immunity from prosecution," and added: "We cannot overstate how unprecedented this ruling is. One of the dissenting opinions states if the president '[o]rders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival' they will be 'Immune'" — quoting Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent.

The email encouraged recipients to donate, providing links to do so.

Stefanik says immunity decision is a 'historic victory' for the rule of law

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. and a Trump vice president contender, said the president "must have immunity" in order for a presidency to "function properly" in a statement posted on X.

She added, "Today's Supreme Court decision is a historic victory for President Donald Trump, the Constitution, the rule of law, and the American people."

Hakeem Jeffries says SCOTUS set a "dangerous precedent"

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a press release that "no one, including the twice-impeached former President, should be above the law. The Constitution is sacredly obligatory upon all. That’s what makes America special. "

He adds "Today’s Supreme Court decision to grant legal immunity to a former President for crimes committed using his official power sets a dangerous precedent for the future of our nation. The Framers of the Constitution envisioned a democracy governed by the rule of law and the consent of the American people. They did not intend for our nation to be ruled by a king or monarch who could act with absolute impunity. House Democrats will engage in aggressive oversight and legislative activity with respect to the Supreme Court to ensure that the extreme, far-right justices in the majority are brought into compliance with the Constitution."

Judiciary Committee to "continue to oversee" the judicial system

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on X that "the Judiciary Committee will continue to oversee dangerous lawfare tactics in our judicial system."

He added that "hyper-partisan prosecutors like Jack Smith cannot weaponize the rule of law to go after the Administration's chief political rival, and we hope that the Left will stop its attacks on President Trump and uphold democratic norms."

Pelosi says the Supreme Court has 'gone rogue' in it's immunity decision

In a press release , Rep. Nancy Pelosi said the Supreme Court's credibility has been "further diminished  in the eyes of all those who believe in the rule of law.”

The Supreme Court has "gone rogue" as the "claim of total presidential immunity is an insult to the vision of our founders, who declared independence from a King," she said.

Trump says all criminal and civil cases against him should now be dropped

Basking in a win at the Supreme Court, Trump said all of the cases against him should now be dropped, including a civil case that covered business practices from before he took office.

He continued to assert that Biden is behind the prosecutions he faces, a point he frequently makes with no evidence to back it up.

“Today’s Historic Decision by the Supreme Court should end all of Crooked Joe Biden’s Witch Hunts against me, including the New York Hoaxes — The Manhattan SCAM cooked up by Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, Racist New York Attorney General Tish James’ shameless ATTACK on the amazing business that I have built, and the FAKE Bergdorf’s 'case,'" Trump wrote on his social media page Truth Social, adding in all capital letters: "Proud to be an American."

Trump allies praise immunity decision

Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson responded on X, saying, "Today’s HISTORIC SCOTUS victory on presidential immunity has stopped Biden and the Department of 'Justice' from their attempt to twist the law in order to persecute his political opponents."

He added that "they know they can’t beat him at the ballot box so they tried to tie him up in their campaign of lawfare. Luckily, SCOTUS held the line against tyranny showing that America is still a country that upholds the rule of law.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., posted on X that "the Supreme Court isn't 'protecting Trump.' SCOTUS is simply ensuring the ruthless Biden admin follows the RULE OF LAW!"

Steve Bannon says ‘I’m proud of going to prison’ as he enters lockup

Summer Concepcion

Shortly before reporting to prison on a four-month sentence for defying congressional subpoenas, Bannon said his imprisonment makes him a “political prisoner” of Democrats.

“I’m a political prisoner of Nancy Pelosi. I’m a political prisoner of Merrick Garland. I’m a political prisoner of Joe Biden, the corrupt Biden establishment,” he said in remarks to reporters in front of the prison.

“It’s Nancy Pelosi and Merrick Garland that made me a martyr, right?” he continued. “But martyrs die, and I’m far from dead, baby.”

Bannon said he is “proud" to serve his prison sentence, arguing that he is standing up to “tyranny” by Democrats.

“I am proud to go to prison. If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny, if this is what it takes to stand up to the Garland corrupt criminal DOJ, if this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it,” he said.

Bannon also decried Trump’s sentencing on all 34 courts in his hush money trial in New York on July 11, saying that his own four-month prison sentence is “nothing” compared to Trump’s “very sham trial.”

Sen. Blumenthal calls conservative justices ‘nakedly partisan hacks’ in immunity ruling

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the Supreme Court has “put lawbreaking presidents like Donald Trump above the law” in what he called a “cravenly political decision to shield President Trump” and delay his criminal trial.

In a statement, Blumenthal, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the ruling bestows “an unwise and unjust broad shield for him and other presidents who flout and flagrantly abuse their office.”

“This is a license for authoritarianism,” he said. “My stomach turns with fear and anger that our democracy can be so endangered by an out-of-control Court. The members of Court’s conservative majority will now be rightly perceived by the American people as extreme and nakedly partisan hacks — politicians in robes.”

Sen. Vance says decision may 'destroy all of Jack Smith's case'

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio and a Trump vice president contender, posted on X that the ruling was "a massive win, not just for Trump but the rule of law."

He continued saying, "I'm still digesting but this may well destroy all of Jack Smith's case against the president."

Justice Barrett says Trump still should stand trial

Alana Satlin

Justice Amy Coney Barrett issued a concurring opinion, agreeing with the majority that Trump has some immunity from prosecution but that the decision shouldn't get in the way of his standing trial.

"A President facing prosecution may challenge the constitutionality of a criminal statute as applied to official acts alleged in the indictment,” she said, noting that the court rejected Trump's broader immunity claims. “If that challenge fails, however, he must stand trial."

She also said she agreed with the dissent's opinion that immune conduct should still be allowed to be used as evidence in his trial.

"I appreciate the [majority's] concern that allowing into evidence official acts for which the President cannot be held criminally liable may prejudice the jury," but, "the Constitution does not require blinding juries to the circumstances surrounding conduct for which Presidents can be held liable."

Dissent says the president is 'now a king above the law'

Another scathing line from Sotomayor's dissent:

Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today. Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.

Steve Bannon arrives at Connecticut prison to begin sentence for defying congressional subpoenas

Vaughn Hillyard

Steve Bannon has arrived to report to prison at Danbury, Connecticut. Supporters standing outside of the prison chanted his name upon his arrival.

Bannon, an ally of Trump who has pushed his baseless claims of a rigged 2020 election, was sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee, which requested his testimony in its probe into the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Bannon told NBC News that he is set to be released from prison Oct. 31, the week before the November presidential election.

Schumer says it's a 'sad day for our democracy'

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said "This is a sad day for America and a sad day for our democracy," in a statement posted to X.

A “disgraceful decision” by the Supreme Court, Schumer said the decision will allow the former President to “weaken our democracy by breaking the law.”

Schumer added, "Treason or incitement of an insurrection should not be considered a core constitutional power afforded to a president."

Donald Trump Jr. says ruling was 'solid'

Former President Donald Trumps oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., posted on Truth Social after the Supreme Court ruling.

"Solid SCOTUS ruling today. I'm sure the corrupt prosecutors and Dc judge will work overtime to continue their lawfare. It's all they have left."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says Supreme Court made the 'right decision'

Awaiting Steve Bannon's arrival at federal prison in Danbury, Conn., Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told NBC News that the Supreme Court made the "right decision" in Trump's immunity case. She also said special counsel Jack Smith should be "defunded."

Any official acts can't be used as evidence at trial

In writing his decision, Roberts made clear that anything the lower court determines to be an "official act" cannot be used as evidence in a criminal trial — meaning it's entirely off limits to prosecutors even if it would corroborate evidence deemed unofficial.

"Presidents cannot be indicted based on conduct for which they are immune from prosecution. On remand, the District Court must carefully analyze the indictment’s remaining allegations to determine whether they too involve conduct for which a President must be immune from prosecution," Roberts wrote. "And the parties and the District Court must ensure that sufficient allegations support the indictment’s charges without such conduct. Testimony or private records of the President or his advisers probing such conduct may not be admitted as evidence at trial."

Roberts argues liberal dissenters are having a 'disproportionate' reaction to immunity ruling

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing in his majority opinion, appeared to argue that the liberal justices overreacted to the court’s decision in their dissents.

"As for the dissents, they strike a tone of chilling doom that is wholly disproportionate to what the Court actually does today," Roberts wrote.

The three justices who make up the court's liberal bloc — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson — all dissented from the court's majority opinion and argued that it created a dangerous new precedent for American presidents.

Sotomayor, for example, wrote that she lodged her dissent “with fear for our democracy."

In dissent, Jackson lays out process for determining whether president has immunity

In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared to run through the process by which the U.S. legal system could decide whether a president has immunity, based on the language of the majority opinion in Trump v. U.S.

"From the structure of the paradigm, it appears that the first decision point is whether the alleged criminal conduct involves one of the President’s 'core' powers," Jackson wrote. "If so (and apparently regardless of the degree to which the conduct implicates that core power), the President is absolutely immune from criminal liability for engaging in that criminal conduct. If not, then one must proceed to consider whether the conduct qualifies as an 'official' act or 'unofficial' act of that President."

"If the crime is an official act, the President is presumptively immune from criminal prosecution and punishment," Jackson added. "But even then, immunity still hinges on whether there is any legal or factual basis for concluding that the presumption of immunity has been rebutted. Alternatively, if the charged conduct is an unofficial act (a determination that, incidentally, courts must make without considering the President’s motivations, ante, at 18), the President is not immune."

Jackson argues immunity decision 'breaks new and dangerous ground'

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in her dissent, accused the conservative justices who wrote the majority opinion in Trump v. U.S. of breaking "new and dangerous ground," departing from what she characterized as a tradition of "individual accountability."

"With that understanding of how our system of accountability for criminal acts ordinarily functions, it becomes much easier to see that the majority’s ruling in this case breaks new and dangerous ground," Jackson wrote.

"Departing from the traditional model of individual accountability, the majority has concocted something entirely different: a Presidential accountability model that creates immunity — an exemption from criminal law— applicable only to the most powerful official in our Government," she added.

She goes on later in the dissent to say, "even a hypothetical President who admits to having ordered the assassinations of his political rivals or critics, or one who indisputably instigates an unsuccessful coup, has a fair shot at getting immunity under the majority’s new Presidential accountability model."

Trump praises immunity decision: 'Big win for our Constitution and democracy'

Minutes after the Supreme Court ruled that he has some immunity in his federal election case, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to tout the ruling.

"Big win for our Constitution and democracy. Proud to be an American!" Trump wrote in all caps.

In blistering dissent, Sotomayor says immunity decision 'reshapes' presidency

In an impassioned dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor blasted the court's majority decision in Trump v. U.S., writing in part that the opinion permanently changes the nature of the American presidency.

"Today’s decision to grant former Presidents criminal immunity reshapes the institution of the Presidency," Sotomayor wrote. "It makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of Government, that no man is above the law. Relying on little more than its own misguided wisdom about the need for 'bold and unhesitating action' by the President, ante, at 3, 13, the Court gives former President Trump all the immunity he asked for and more."

"Because our Constitution does not shield a former President from answering for criminal and treasonous acts, I dissent," Sotomayor added.

She added in her opinion, “The indictment paints a stark portrait of a President desperate to stay in power.”

Biden campaign says immunity ruling doesn't change what happened on Jan. 6

Gabe Gutierrez

A senior Biden campaign adviser said that today's ruling "doesn't change the facts" about what happened on Jan. 6, 2021.

"Donald Trump snapped after he lost the 2020 election and encouraged a mob to overthrow the results of a free and fair election," the adviser said. "Trump is already running for president as a convicted felon for the very same reason he sat idly by while the mob violently attacked the Capitol: he thinks he’s above the law and is willing to do anything to gain and hold onto power for himself."

The adviser said that Trump "has only grown more unhinged" since Jan. 6.

“He’s promising to be a dictator ‘on day one,’ calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain power, and promising a “bloodbath” if he loses," the adviser said. "The American people already rejected Donald Trump’s self-obsessed quest for power once — Joe Biden will make sure they reject it for good in November.”

It's a complicated decision

This isn't like some Supreme Court decisions we see come down where it is immediately clear what the outcome will mean.

There will be a lot of reading and explaining before the whole scope of the decision is clear.

Supreme Court rules Trump has some immunity in federal election interference case, further delaying trial

Reporting from the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Donald Trump has immunity for some of his alleged conduct as president in his federal election interference case but maybe not for other actions, adding another obstacle to a trial taking place.

In a novel and potentially consequential case on the limits of presidential power, the justices rejected Trump’s broad claim of immunity, meaning the charges will not be dismissed, but said some actions closely related to his core duties as president are off-limits to prosecutors.

Read more about the decision here.

Roberts wrote the Trump immunity decision

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority decision in the Trump immunity ruling.

It's a complicated ruling — attempting to draw a line between official and unofficial acts.

"This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency? In answering that question, unlike the political branches and the public at large, the Court cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies. Enduring separation of powers principles guide our decision in this case. The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office," Roberts wrote.

Protesters outside Supreme Court

Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court ahead of a decision on Trump’s claim of immunity from criminal prosecution.

Second decision is Moody v. NetChoice

The second decision of the day, announced just after 10:20 a.m. ET, is a ruling in Moody v. NetChoice. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the majority opinion, which was 9-0.

“Our unanimous agreement regarding NetChoice’s failure to show that a sufficient number of its members engage in constitutionally protected expression prevents us from accepting NetChoice’s argument regarding these provisions. In the lower courts, NetChoice did not even try to show how these disclosure provisions chill each platform’s speech," Kagan wrote.

Without explanation, Trump says immunity decision could have a 'bigger impact' on Biden than him

Jake Traylor

In a pretaped interview with radio host John Fredericks that aired this morning, Trump said he thinks the immunity ruling will have "a bigger impact on Joe Biden" than himself.

“You know, the immunity statement that’s coming out, they say on Sunday, on Monday, that is going to be very interesting to see what happens, but I think it has a bigger impact on Joe Biden than it has on me, actually,” Trump said, without explaining. 

Trump has suggested that if he returns to office, he could prosecute Biden or other political foes.

Asked what he thinks will happen at his hush money sentencing hearing next week, Trump said he believes “there should be no sentence.” He was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records and faces a range of possible sentences, including probation, a fine or prison time.

Trump also spoke about Biden staying in the race and said people are saying they “can’t get him out” but could maybe use the 25th amendment if necessary.  

First decision is Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

The first decision released just after 10 a.m. is Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. It's a 6-3 decision written by Justice Barrett.

As expected, there are two boxes of decisions

There are two boxes of decisions in the Supreme Court press room, which was expected.

The Supreme Court’s decision to rule in favor of a Jan. 6 rioter could be seen as a win for former Donald Trump’s base, but it may have the opposite effect on independent voters in battleground states. NBC News’ Kristen Welker and Danny Cevallos analyze the implications on the 2024 election.

Today's decisions expected soon

It's 10 a.m. ET, which means today's Supreme Court rulings will start coming in shortly. We're expecting three decisions today, including an opinion in the high-stakes Trump immunity case.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi urges Supreme Court to rule against Trump in immunity claim

Alexandra Marquez

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said she hoped the court would rule against Trump’s claim of immunity, telling MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, “If the court tomorrow says that the former president is above the law, they will have done a grave disservice to justice in our country.”

She added, “Let us hope that they ... show us some allegiance to their oath of office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and that just because you’re president doesn’t mean you’re immune from prosecution if you break the law.” 

Where does Trump's election interference case stand?

Megan Lebowitz

Trump's election interference trial could be delayed until after the November election, depending on how the justices rule this morning.

The Supreme Court could send the case to a lower court for decisions about which of Trump's actions could be considered official acts, which would further delay the case.

If a trial is delayed until after the election and Trump is re-elected, there are questions about whether he would pardon himself.

How an appeals court ruled on Trump's immunity

A federal appeals court in February ruled against Trump's argument that he was immune from prosecution for alleged acts while president.

The court noted that "former President Trump has become citizen Trump," dismissing Trump's assertion that former presidents have immunity.

"But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution," the appeals court said.

Supreme Court set to rule on Trump immunity in election interference case

The Supreme Court on Monday is expected to issue its long-anticipated ruling on whether former President Donald Trump can claim immunity from prosecution for at least some of his actions in seeking to overturn the 2020 election.

Chief Justice John Roberts announced Friday that Monday would be the last day of rulings in the current nine-month court term, with the Trump case one of four yet to be decided.

The rulings will be issued one by one, starting at 10 a.m., with the Trump case likely to be the last.

The court has already faced fierce criticism from the left — both for hearing the Trump case in the first place, thereby preventing a trial from taking place in March, and for taking so long to decide it, making it difficult if not impossible for a trial to begin before the election.

Trump faces a four-count indictment for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, in which a mob of his supporters sought to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election.

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Cirque du Soleil, Greek Festival, Pete Davidson and more happening this weekend

See a Maine State Ballet performance and get your fill of lobster rolls.

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We know that this weekend’s forecast for the next several days is a bit on the sketchy side, with some rain forecasted.

But will that stop us from getting out there and doing a whole bunch of stuff?

Absolutely not, because it’s still summer in Maine. Plus, we all know that if you want the weather to change here, you just need to give it a minute.

Portland Jazz Orchestra performing with Katie Oberholtzer at Congress Square Park. Photo by Christopher Andrew

Fingers crossed for tonight’s free performance in Congress Square Park from the Portland Jazz Orchestra. The music starts at 6 p.m.

See Portland Jazz Orchestra for free on Thursday

Kal Sugatski, left, and Katherine Liccardo laugh while pausing to remember the next segment of a song while playing their instruments on a forested shoreside trail on Mackworth Island for a portrait. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Vigorous Tenderness immersive performance on Mackworth Island is Friday from 6-7:30 p.m. (Original date was today, change due to weather forecast). Advertisement

Concert series Vigorous Tenderness celebrates the change in seasons and classical music

There’s plenty to eat at the Greek Festival in Portland. Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Thankfully, the Greek Festival in Portland is beneath a gigantic tent. The festival started today and runs through Saturday. It’s also the first entry on our annual list of can’t-miss summer events .  The La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival also starts today and runs through Sunday.

Make it your best summer yet with these 17 events

Sole Pane’s brioche knot on the double burger from Kennebec Meat Co. Courtesy of Kennebec Meat Co.

If Greek food isn’t your thing, maybe a burger is. But not just any burger. The Kennebec Meat Co. in Bath makes a legendary one, and it’s only available on Saturdays.

This Bath butcher shop’s burger is worth planning your Saturday around

The lobster roll at Red’s Eats in Wiscasset. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Still not satisfied? We’ve got two words for you: Lobster rolls! Here are seven places to get a great one, including Red’s Eats in Wiscasset and the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk.

What do you look for in a lobster roll? Here are 7 of Maine’s best, for all different reasons

A scene from Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo show. Photo by Maja Prgomet

Let’s shift from food to Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo show at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Performances start tonight and run through Sunday. Other weekend options include Pete Davidson Friday at Merrill Auditorium and “Dancer’s Choice” tonight and tomorrow at Maine State Ballet.

See Cirque du Soleil, Maine State Ballet and Pete Davidson, all this weekend

Lagers clink at Argenta Brewing. Photo by Amanda Bizzaro

Quench your thirst this weekend (or anytime) with a cold lager. We’ve got several ideas of where to enjoy one including Bissell Brothers, Argenta Brewery and Batson River. Cheers!

Lagers gain in popularity at Maine’s craft breweries. Here’s where to find them.

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