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For years, marketers, businesses, and would-be online entrepreneurs have been asking the same question: is blogging dead?
The answer is no, blogging is still as relevant as ever – but it’s very different now than it was a decade ago. The days where anyone with some spare time and a good idea could throw up a basic website, publish a handful of blog posts, and get a ton of traffic are long behind us.
These days, successfully growing and monetizing a blog requires time, effort, and a well-thought-out content strategy.
And to help inform your strategy, I’ve pulled together this list of the latest blogging statistics you need to know.
These stats will tell you more about:
- The state of blogging this year
- Industry benchmarks
- Blogging revenue figures
- The most popular blogging platforms
- Blog content tips and best practices
- The ways in which audiences interact with blogs
- Recent and future trends
And much more! Ready? Let’s get started!
General blogging statistics
First, let’s take a look at some general blogging statistics that provide an overview of the size of the blogging industry.
1. There are more than 600 million blogs on the internet
People often say that blogging is dead, but this is far from the truth. According to figures posted on Hosting Tribunal, there are at least 600 million blogs in total online. In all likelihood, there is actually a lot more than this, but it can be difficult to calculate an exact figure.
Source: Hosting Tribunal
2. Over 2 million blog posts are published on a daily basis
Although blogs regularly become inactive, there’s still a good portion of sites that upload regularly. According to Hosting Tribunal, at least 2 million new blog posts are published every day.
Source: Hosting Tribunal
3. There are 31.7 million bloggers in the US alone
The number of bloggers worldwide can be difficult to calculate exactly. However, statistics published by Statista show that there are at least 31.7 million bloggers in the US alone.
Source: Statista1
4. 77 % of internet users read blogs
Blogs are a vital source of information for many people. They provide in-depth detail that ads and social media content can’t. This makes them extremely popular with consumers and internet users. According to LinkedIn, over ¾ of all internet users read blogs regularly.
Source: LinkedIn
5. Internet users leave around 77 million comments per month on blog posts
Blog posts are also great for driving engagement and customer interactions on your site. According to WordPress, readers leave around 77 million comments per month on blogs posts, and this is just on WordPress sites alone.
Source: WordPress
6. 409 million people view WordPress.com blog pages every month
WordPress.com is the managed hosting version of WordPress. According to official stats, around 409 million people read blog posts on WordPress.com every month. This is a huge number and only accounts for a small percentage of all the blogs on the internet.
Source: WordPress
7. It takes around 3 hours 55 minutes to write a blog post on average
One of the main complaints content marketers have about blogging is that it is too time-consuming. According to Orbit Media, it takes around 3 hours and 55 minutes to complete a blog post. This goes some way to explain why many marketers prefer to make quick social media posts than invest in blogging.
Source: Orbit Media
8. 2164 words is the median length of blog posts in 2021
Wordcount has a big effect on ranking power when it comes to blogging and SEOs are constantly trying to figure out the ideal length of a blog post. By the look of things, most people have decided that 2000+ is the sweet spot, as the average length of a post in 2021 is 2164.
Source: Hubspot1
9. At least 54% of Fortune 500 companies have public-facing blogs
Blogs are becoming a standard feature of most business websites, and many large companies agree that they’re a good use of time and marketing spend. As we can see from this statistic, over half of all the Fortune 500 companies agree that public-facing blogs are the way forward in 2021.
Source: Umass Dartmouth
10. Almost half of all internet users take the opinions of bloggers and vloggers into account
If you want to build a strong community that can be guided and influenced when making purchasing decisions, blogging is the way to go. Around 46% of people report taking advice or recommendations from bloggers or vloggers.
Source: Blue Orchid Marketing
Blogging platform statistics
Next, let’s take a look at some blogging statistics that tell us more about the platforms bloggers are using.
11. Tumblr is the most used blogging platform with over 495 million blogs
Although it’s not the most obvious choice for website building, Tumblr is still the front runner when it comes to blogging. Tumblr is the OG platform for blogging, and many bloggers still choose it over other options like WordPress and Wix. As a result, Tumblr is home to over 450 million blogs.
Source: Statista2
12. There are 60 million blogs powered by WordPress
WordPress is the front runner in the content management space, but it lags behind Tumblr significantly when it comes to the number of blogs hosted on the platform. WordPress is home to around 60 million blogs, and this number is growing year on year.
Source: Hosting Tribunal
13. Wix has over 2 million users worldwide
Another popular platform for bloggers is Wix. Although Wix is still battling with WordPress for its place in the limelight, the platform is increasing in popularity. The platform has over 2 million users currently and is particularly popular with beginners. The drag and drop web design features make it easy for beginner bloggers to create professional-looking websites.
Source: Wix
14. Medium has over 60 million monthly readers
Medium is an emerging publishing platform that is popular with businesses and thought leaders. According to an article published in 2017, the platform had around 60 million monthly readers back then, and around 7.5 million posts were published in 2017 alone. Medium has continued to grow as a go-to blogging platform, so it’s likely these figures are much higher now, but this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
Source: Business Insider
15. The most used languages on WordPress are English, Spanish and Indonesian
WordPress is a blogging platform that is used worldwide by speakers of many different languages. However, the most common are English and Spanish. Surprisingly though, the third most popular is Indonesian.
Source: WordPress
Blogging content statistics
What makes a great blog post? The stats below should shed some light on that question and reveal data-backed tips and best practices that’ll help you to produce the best possible blog content for your readers.
16. Blogs are the 2nd most common form of media used in content marketing
Blogging continues to be a popular form of media amongst marketers. According to the HubSpot State of marketing report, blogging is the 2nd most common form of media used in content marketing. Blogging is second only to video content, which increased in popularity in the last couple of years.
Source: Hubspot1
17. 89% of marketers used blogs in their content strategy in 2020
Blogs often make up part or all of a business content marketing strategy. Some marketers will choose to blog as well as using other techniques like social media and email marketing. However, many businesses keep it simple and simply run blogs that generate traffic from organic search. Only 11% of marketers didn’t include blogging in their content strategy in 2020.
Source: Content Marketing Institute1
18. Blogs that are 3000-10,000 words long get the most shares
When it comes to writing blogs, the key is to keep things concise. However, it’s important to include all relevant information to make them interesting enough that your readers will want to share what they have learned. According to Moz, the most shareable posts range from 3000 to 10,000 words.
Source: Moz
19. 30% of blog readers prefer blog headlines that include a number
When writing blogs, getting the headline write is essential if your want to optimize the number of clicks the post gets. Thankfully, CXL studies which headlines work best and found that 30% of readers prefer blog posts with numbers in the headline. Usually, the list takes the form of list posts like ‘10 reasons to…’ or ‘37 latest blogging statistics…’.
Source: CXL
20. 21% prefer blog headlines that address them
Another popular headline feature is including words that address the readers. So, instead of writing ‘10 places to visit in Italy’ you should opt for ‘10 places you need to visit on your next Italy vacation’. This personal and direct headline format is popular with 21% of readers.
Source: CXL
21. Articles that include visuals get 94% more views than those without
Visual elements like images and videos are a great way to make your blog posts more readable and shareable. You can also use visuals to add valuable information to your post. According to B2B marketing, posts with visual elements are viewed 94% more than those without.
Source: B2B Marketing
22. Articles with 1 or more lists drive 2X more traffic
Lists can also help to make blog posts more digestible and clickable for readers. According to a study carried out by SEMrush about the anatomy of blog posts, articles including at least one list drive 2X more traffic than those that don’t.
Source: SEMrush
23. Articles including H1, H2 or H3 headers have a higher performance
The same study by SEMrush also found that using header tags like H1, 2, and 3 improved the overall performance of blog posts. Using header tags can help to improve the layout of a post to make it easier for readers to find the information they are looking for more quickly.
Source: SEMrush
24. 64% of blogs are viewed on Chrome browser
When it comes to optimizing your blog posts, it’s a good idea to double-check how the post looks for users on different browsers and devices. According to statistics published by GS Statcounter, the majority of users access blogs using Chrome browser. Therefore you might want to preview your posts in Chrome before they go live.
Source: GS Statcounter
Blogging revenue and effectiveness statistics
Next, we’ll look at some stats that tell us more about the kind of revenue figures blogs can generate, and what kind of returns on investment businesses and marketers can expect.
25. 70% of consumers prefer blog posts to ads
Blog posts are an organic way to advertise to your target audience without them feeling like they’re being aggressively marketed to. According to Ledgeview Partners, 70% of consumers prefer blog posts to ads, but they can be equally as effective when it comes to driving sales and lead generation.
Source: Ledgeview Partners
26. Blogging can help your website get up to 55% more visitors
Many businesses may feel as though a blog is not a necessary part of their marketing strategy. However, any business that is looking to drive traffic to their website should consider it. A study conducted by HubSpot showed that blogging can boost website visitors by more than 55%.
Source: Hubspot2
27. Having a blog can increase your ranking potential by 434%
Publishing blog content on your business website makes it easier to rank for lots of keywords that are relevant to your business. This results in more organic traffic and leads.
Source: Hubspot2
28. 92% of marketers consider written content like blogs to be worth the investment
Blogging is a forever favorite for marketers the world over, and almost all marketers that use blogging as part of their strategy report that it offers good ROI.
Source: Content Marketing Institute2
29. The average base pay for a blogger is $52K per year
According to Glassdoor, bloggers earn an average base age of $52K. However, many independent blog owners earn much more than this, with many reporting yearly earnings of 6 figures or more.
Source: Glassdoor
30. Food and personal finance blogs make around $9K per month on average
This makes them the top two highest-earning blog categories. Why are these specific niches so profitable? Well, it probably has something to do with the fact that they’re both popular topics that are easy to monetize.
Food bloggers make most of their money (44%) by monetizing their traffic with ads. However, they also earn via online courses, sponsored posts, and promoting affiliate links for cooking utensils, home delivery kits, and other food-related products.
For personal finance bloggers, affiliate programs for investment apps, survey sites, and other programs and apps designed to help consumers make/save money tend to be very lucrative.
Source: Rankiq
31. Lifestyle and ‘mommy’ blogs are the 3rd and 4th highest-earning blog niches
After food and personal finance, lifestyle and ‘mommy’ blogs are next on the list. These types of blogs earn around $5174 per month, on average.
Lifestyle blogs are blogs that publish content inspired by the bloggers’ own lifestyle (their interests and daily activities), whereas ‘mommy’ blogs usually focus on topics like parenting and childcare and cater primarily to an audience of mothers.
Source: Rankiq
32. Pro bloggers get around 42% of their income from affiliates
Food bloggers may earn most of their revenue through ads, but the same can’t be said for blogs in other niches.
In fact, food blogs are very much the exception to the rule, as the vast majority of blogs that make over $7,500/month across all niches earn most of their cash through affiliate programs.
Typical affiliate programs pay commissions between 1% and 10% of the order value to valid referrers. This means that to earn $2,000/month from affiliate sales, you’d have to sell $20-$200k’s worth of products through your referral links. It’s no easy feat, but it can be done.
Source: Rankiq
33. … and around 33% from ads
Ad networks like Google Adsense will pay you money for your ad space. The idea is to allow ads to be listed on your website, and get paid every time one of your website viewers views (or more often, clicks) those ads.
Adsense doesn’t pay as much as you might think, so you typically need a very high volume of blog traffic to make a living from ad revenue alone.
Source: Rankiq
Blogging growth and trends statistics
Finally, let’s take a look at some recent blogging trends and find out where the industry might be heading.
34. Blog posts are getting longer
One clear trend we’ve seen over the years is the gradual increase in the median length of blog posts. Between 2013 and 2019, the median length of blog posts increased by 53%, and this upward trajectory looks set to continue into the future.
Some bloggers and marketers are already recommending prioritizing super-long-form, in-depth pieces of 3,000 words+. The reason for the increase in blog post length ties in with the Google algorithm – longer posts often seem to rank better.
This is because, while the length of a post isn’t a direct ranking factor, blog posts that are longer tend to command more topical authority and better satisfy search intent than thin content.
Source: Neil Patel
35. More bloggers are turning to affiliate marketing
Another trend is the increasing reliance on affiliate programs as a revenue source for blogs. According to a recent report, blogs are responsible for around 40% of all publisher commissions in the US.
Including affiliate links within your blog content can be a great monetization strategy. Just remember that competition in the affiliate space is fierce and make sure to choose your affiliate partners carefully.
Source: Awin
36. More bloggers are carrying out original research than ever
In the past, the vast majority of blogs published were based on data gathered from other sources (like other blogs). Very few bloggers had the resources or the time to gather their own data via primary research. However, this seems to be changing.
Over the last few years, there’s been a rise in the number of bloggers that create and publish original research. In 2018, only 25% of bloggers published their own original research. By 2020, that figure had risen to 42%.
It’s also worth noting that bloggers who do their own original research are 32% more likely to report ‘strong results’ from their efforts.
Source: Orbit Media
37. Including original graphics in blog posts is becoming more popular
Thanks to easy access to professional design templates and tools like Canva, it’s easier than ever before to create your own graphics that can take your blog posts to the next level – and many bloggers are doing just that.
In the past, bloggers would have mostly relied on basic stock images to add visual elements to their blog posts. These days, they’re more likely to create an original infographic or other illustration.
Source: Venngage
What percentage of blogs are successful?
According to a study by Orbit Media, around 75% of bloggers feel that their blogs are successful. By this, they mean that their blog delivered some results or strong marketing results which could include monetary gain or other marketing goals.
What are good blog stats?
This really depends on the goal of your blog. However, it’s fair to say that a blog that ranks on Google and drives traffic is a good blog. Good blog stats to track include page views and unique visitors. More than 10,000 monthly unique visitors is a good benchmark to aim for. With over 100k per month unique visitors, you could potentially earn a full-time income from affiliate marketing and ads.
How many blogs are there?
At the time of writing, there are more than 600 million blogs in total on the internet. This number is constantly increasing and is set to continue growing well into the future.
Infographic: 101+ blogging statistics
Looking for more blogging statistics? Here are 100+ stats condensed into a shareable infographic.
Note: Want to republish this infographic on your own blog? You are welcome to do so. Be sure to save the infographic to your computer first, then upload to your website and include a credit link back to this post.
Click here to view the infographic full size.
Blogging statistics sources
Final thoughts
Alright, those are all the blogging statistics we have to share with you today. Hopefully, the stats above will help you to write better blog posts and drive more traffic to your website!
For more blogging advice, check out our big guide to blog promotion. Or, if you’re a complete beginner, check out our guide on how to start a blog from scratch. Good luck!
If you’re interested in reading more useful information just like this (or bookmarking for later), I recommend these:
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