How Often Should You Publish Blog Posts to Boost Traffic?

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The purpose of any public blog is to get traffic, but how many posts should you be publishing each week? The thing to keep in mind is that Google loves consistency. So, a routine amount of content is ideal for search. How much content is that, exactly?

The TL;DR of it all is that the number of posts you should publish depends on your goals and the capabilities of producing high-quality content. You don’t want to publish a storm of blog posts that are deemed as weak by the algorithm.

That would have an adverse effect, actually.

In reality, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. That’s mostly because people view “success” differently and are incapable of sustaining certain levels of publishing. And that’s OK. You can still build a great blog even if you only publish one post per week.

Table of Contents

What Affects a Schedule for Publishing Blog Posts?

As I said, there’s no one answer for when you should publish content. Too many variables come into play that will dictate how often you post stuff on your blog. What works for one person may not work for another.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that will greatly impact your content production.

Available Time

Not everyone has the time to push out tons of content each week. That’s why a lot of companies and professionals pay writers for content. It’s how I began my career as a ghostwriter on Textbroker, actually.

It takes time to write a high-quality piece of content. So, the amount of time you’re willing to dedicate to writing will be a major factor in publishing blog posts. If you can write more, that’s great. If not, then make sure every word counts in the topic you’re covering.

Content Depth

The deeper you dive into any particular topic, the better. There’s a reason why most of the number one spots in a Google search are over 2200 words. It means more valuable information and search terms.

Of course, you don’t want to just fill the post with filler and fluff to meet a certain word count. Some pieces of content are going to perform exceptionally well with fewer words. For instance, about seven of my top 10 articles on this site are less than 2000 words in total.

Traffic and Monetary Goals

If you’re not interested in building a powerhouse of a website or making tons of money from ad revenue or affiliates, you don’t need a lot of content. I know a lot of people who simply like the idea of interacting with an audience from a personal blog.

However, if you’re keen on driving traffic and making money, it’s going to take a lot of high-quality content. This means diving into every topic that centers around your site’s niche. And that will take some time, as I mentioned earlier.

Your Specific Target Audience

Are you trying to attract folks for a specific purpose? Who is your target audience for the content? Answering these questions helps you build a content strategy, which contributes to how often you’re publishing posts on your blog.

Some audience types are happy with a single post per week, while others are more drawn to daily updates. Watch the data of your posts and interactions to see what people are clicking and reading. This will be a big help in determining a good publishing schedule.

Purpose of the Blog

I touched on this idea somewhat, but the overall purpose of your blog is vital for developing a content strategy. Are you trying to help and teach others, or are you just sharing your experiences traveling? Do you need greater conformity to a schedule, or is your blog more haphazard?

Most of my blogs center around helping others, which usually comes in the form of tips, tutorials, and reviews. So, I would rather have a set schedule that followers and subscribers can rely upon.

Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of my blog?”

Training the Google Algorithm

Google loves consistency. In fact, maintaining a specific publishing schedule essentially trains the algorithm when to crawl your site for content. The end result is having your posts indexed sooner and available on a search results page.

This process may take some time, but it’s worth maintaining that schedule if it means more people see the content sooner from searching. In this instance, it comes down to producing quality content, whether it’s once per week or once per day.

Your Typing and Research Speed

Lastly, how long it takes you to type a blog post and research the topics will affect how often you publish content. If you need help, I have a list of free typing assistance sites that are easy to use and quite fun.

As for speeding up your research, that’s going to take time. You’ll need to practice and find methods that help you quickly skim through the materials.

Both of these aspects come down to consistent practice. Over time, you’ll be able to whip out a 2,000-word blog post before lunch.

The More Topics You Cover, the Better

As I pointed out earlier, covering a variety of topics in your niche is always the best idea. It expands what you deliver for people searching for that information while solidifying yourself as an expert. Not to mention how it keeps your regular readers engaged.

For instance, I cover three primary elements of writing: freelancing, blogging, and self-publishing. Then, I try to flesh out each of those aspects with something new that I haven’t published yet. I might do tutorials on certain writing apps or publish a review on a new tool.

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The point is that the more content you have, the more traffic you’ll potentially generate. I say “potentially” because you can’t force someone to read your blog post. Plus, Google gets the last say when it comes to deeming something as worthy to be on the front page.

All you can really do is provide the best informational posts you can regarding the specific topics you’re publishing on your blog. Just make sure you’re exploring every avenue of your niche and delivering what people want to read.

Knowing what your intended audience wants is part of developing a great content strategy. And the more you focus on your readers, the more likely they’ll come back to read some more while sharing with their networks of people.

Once you have ideas of what to write, that will influence your publishing schedule for blog posts. This is especially true if you have a lot of content to cover and have big plans for driving a lot of traffic.

Using Blog Data for Publishing Posts

Never underestimate the power of collecting data from your blog. Tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, Jetpack, and a slew of WordPress plugins can provide all kinds of insights about who is reading your content.

Data from Search Console of Blog Post Searched Queries

But it’s not just the total number of views that you should be watching. What time of the day do people read your blog most? What day is the most popular for your audience? Are there trending topics that you can expand upon?

All of these questions contribute to developing a decent publishing schedule for your blog posts.

If you’re merely interested in sharing your experiences or writing about your day, such as a public journal, then those data points might not mean much to you, and that’s OK.

Keep in mind that every blog is unique and will draw a specific audience type. Your audience might not care about the time of day or the depth of your experiences.

Nonetheless, data is quite a valuable tool for those looking to score well in Google while keeping their regular readers happy.

So, How Often Should You Publish a Post?

As there are so many variables at play for building a successful, high-trafficked website, there is no absolute answer to how much content to publish every week. Blogs that publish highly in-depth articles once per week can drive a massive audience, while others may rely on daily schedules.

When it comes to making humans and search engines happy, it’s more about publishing high-quality blog posts consistently. That’s true in just about any online activity. Consistent interaction and engagement are what power the Internet.

If you need a quantifiable number, though, a small blog should publish one to three posts per week, depending on goals. This tells search engines that your site is still active while delivering content to your followers or subscribers.

If you’re running a business or are trying to get people to buy goods from your online store, perhaps five or more posts per week can help draw potential customers. Reviews, tutorials, comparisons, and insights of the products you sell will be key factors of success.

In my case, I aim to publish three posts per week for WriterSanctuary while only once per week for my personal author blog. One site has far more readers because of the nature of the content, while the other merely provides updates regarding my content-creator experiences.

One of my clients publishes once per day, highlighting industry information while providing tutorials on the tools that are supported. Another publishes twice per week, focusing on insurance information for local consumers.

All of these examples demonstrate how they all have different goals, content strategies, and audiences.

Success Is Determined By Your Needs and Wants

When creating a blog, making a content strategy comes in quite handy. It’ll help with determining the type of content you want to create, understanding your target audience, and help with a publishing schedule for your blog posts.

These kinds of strategies include things like your wants and needs from your blog.

However, the thing that will probably have the greatest influence on the success of your site is time. We live in an ultra-fast-paced world, and you want to get out a certain level of content to make your readers and algorithms happy.

Determine the purpose, goals, and type of content you want to create from day one. It will help you stay motivated and focused.