One of the most common questions we hear being asked with regard to SEO content is “is blogging still a thing?” I’m not referring to blogging as a career or side hustle, but as a strategy for improving a website’s appearance in search results.
In this post I’ll explain our current view on blogging for SEO purposes.
Why company websites have blogs
A blog gives companies a space to publish fresh, interesting content that can draw in visitors from search engines, without paying for ads. By covering a range of topics closely related to their industry, companies can help new users discover brands and learn about their products and services. Returning visitors are just as likely to discover the content too.
Blogs also create opportunities to answer common questions, share helpful tips, publish company news, and build authority in a market. Over time, a company blog can become a valuable resource that keeps people returning to the website.
Are blogs still important for SEO?
Yes, blogs remain one of the most effective ways to improve organic search visibility. Why? Well, search engines still favour websites that publish useful, up-to-date content, and blogs provide the perfect platform to sate their appetite.
A well-maintained blog will continually increase the number of indexed pages in the search engines. This, in turn, provides a growing number of entry points to your website for visitors.
As the number of posts on a website grows, they work to collectively raise the website’s overall search profile. Because search engines use hundreds of signals to determine the best search results to show their users, you need new content to keep sending positive signs. Blog posts, then, become greater than the sum of their parts.
Structuring a company blog for SEO success
What is the ideal blog post length for SEO?
Longer, well-structured posts often perform better because they give search engines more context. Aiming for 1,200 to 2,000 words can work well, but the focus should always be on quality and relevance rather than just word count. Posts should be as long as needed to fully cover the topic—without filler. The goal is to leave the reader feeling they’ve found everything they were looking for in one place.
If you chose to use content writing tools to help write your posts for specific keywords, you may notice a repeating strategy. They tend to suggest that because the current top three ranking pages are averaging say 2,000 words, you should too. This is a silly deduction. Search engines are trying to keep users engaged by providing relevant results for a given search. Nothing says content must be a particular length to satisfy that requirement.
There is no way to determine how long your blog post should be without first outlining what you are going to talk about. So, we advise against picking a word count target and then writing towards it. Say what you need to say, then stop.
Can a blog post be too long?
Yes, if a post drags on without adding value, it can lose the reader’s attention. A long post should only be as lengthy as needed to explain the topic thoroughly. If the subject is complex, breaking it into a series of posts can make it easier to digest.
Again, always prioritise clarity and usefulness over hitting a specific word count.
Another consideration is your blog post’s size on disk. By this I mean the number of bytes that your post takes up in storage—thus its download size. This includes any added images, etc. With page speed also being a crucial factor for good SEO, you need to keep filesize in mind.
What is the minimum length for a blog post?
While there’s no strict rule, aiming for at least 300 to 500 words gives enough space to cover a topic meaningfully and be understood by search engines. Very short posts often lack depth and struggle to rank well. However, quality is more important than quantity. A short, highly targeted post can still perform if it’s valuable to the audience.
In most cases, going beyond the bare minimum will give you better results.
Something else to think about is your visible content to code ratio. If the rendering of your post requires a lot more HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. when compared to the actual content, you may not impress the search engines.
How should you structure a blog post for SEO?
Good structure makes it easier for both readers and search engines to understand your content.
Start with a clear headline and an introduction that sets the scene. Break the post into sections with subheadings, keep paragraphs short, and use bullet points where it improves clarity. Include keywords naturally, add relevant internal and external links, and use images with descriptive alt text.
You can add structured data later, but initially you should just focus on using the appropriate HTML markup. Fortunately, most good blogging tools will apply the correct HTML tags automatically. If your blogging system doesn’t, you need to add the code yourself.
In general, follow the same SEO principles that apply to normal pages. If you don’t have the resources within your company to take care of it, consider hiring an SEO agency.
Should you add external links to a blog post?
Yes, linking to credible, relevant sources can improve the quality of your post. It shows that your content is well-researched and helps readers find further information if they want to explore the topic more. Search engines often see outbound links to authoritative sources as a positive signal. Just make sure the links open in a new tab so visitors don’t leave your site completely!
For years many SEO agencies and consultants were afraid to add links to another website. And even when they did, they would add nofollow to those links out of fear of losing link juice. This is not something you need to worry about. The Google Search Central website states that ‘using external links can help establish trustworthiness’. Google goes on to say ‘Link out to external sites when it makes sense, and provide context to your readers about what they can expect.’
Maintaining your blog over time
How do you track blog traffic in Google Search Console?
In Google Search Console, head to the Performance report to see how your posts are performing in search results. There are a set of filters for this report that you can use to drill down into the SEO effectiveness of each blog post. Analysing this data helps you understand which topics are driving the most traffic. From there, you can refine your content strategy and optimise older posts for better performance.
How often should you blog to get more traffic?
The best approach is to publish consistently rather than trying to post as often as possible. For many companies, producing one to four quality posts a month works well for building momentum. Consistency sends a signal to search engines that your site is active, which can help rankings. It also keeps your audience engaged, gives them a reason to return and they might even link to your website themselves.
Should you delete old blog posts?
You don’t have to delete old posts just because they’re old. If they’re outdated, irrelevant, or bring no value, it may be worth removing or updating them. Often, refreshing a post with new information is more beneficial than starting from scratch. And yes, updated content can regain rankings and bring in new traffic.
If you still think deleting is the right choice, make one last check to see if the post is still getting visits or has backlinks that could benefit your site. Google Search Console can show you this too.
Are pages or posts better for SEO?
Pages and posts both contribute to SEO but in different ways.
Pages are ideal for long-term, static information such as product or service descriptions or company details.
Posts are better for timely updates, insights, and in-depth discussions. They also give you the chance to target specific keyword opportunities that might not fit naturally into your main pages.
A healthy SEO strategy usually includes both useful pages and informative blog posts, working together to cover a wide range of search intent. If you are only relying on a limited number of pages, no amount of technical SEO tweaking will help you outrank competitors with ever growing, ever changing websites.