30+ Business Blogging Statistics to Power Your Strategy

Blogging is a content marketing tactic that helps business websites gain online visibility to increase brand awareness, website traffic, and sales. To help you blog more effectively, we compiled a list of over 30 business blogging statistics. The blog statistics below will not only open your eyes as to the potential return on investment (ROI) of blogging, but will also give you the insights needed to build and launch a successful blog.

Here are the business blogging statistics you need to know, including how a blog can help you grow your business more quickly. You can also download an infographic of all these statistics for easy reference—no email sign-up required.

General Business Blogging Statistics

1. 81% of consumers trust blog content

Trust in public information sources is at an all-time low in many categories (13% for government, 10% for media reports, and just 8% for advertisements), but blogs are still a trusted source of information. In fact, based on blogging statistics by BlogHer, 81% of U.S. consumers say they trust the information and advice they read on blogs.

2. 90% of businesses use some kind of content marketing

Blogging statistics published on HubSpot show that of the 90% of businesses engaged in content marketing, blogging is the third-most popular tactic being used. The other top tactics include creating videos and e-books. It’s worth noting that blogging is arguably easier to execute than video and e-books as well since both can be significantly more costly in terms of both time and money.

3. Nearly 80% of businesses use blogs for marketing

A total of 78.9% of bloggers report that their blog delivers marketing results. The biggest response was “some” results (54.2%), followed by “strong” results (24.7%). These blogging stats tell us that blogging is an effective way of growing your business and that it is not difficult to make your blog produce results.

4. 77% of Fortune 500 companies have blogs

Blogging statistics demonstrate that smaller companies can benefit from using a blog to drive web traffic and establish themselves as industry experts. But how about large and established companies? Before 2019, about half of the top 200 Fortune 500 companies had a blog. As of 2020, the number of Fortune 500 companies with blogs increased to 77%. Even when you’re already at the top, stats show that blogging is an essential marketing tool.

5. 62% of companies outsource content marketing

Producing content is not a universal skill, even for marketers. Sixty-two percent of companies outsource content marketing. This includes content writing and applies to things like social media marketing, email marketing, graphic design, search engine optimization (SEO), and content planning.

In small businesses, marketers, and sometimes even the business owner, have to wear all these hats in addition to others. Even on a small budget, you can get help with your blog and content marketing efforts. Turn to Fiverr to find affordable freelance professionals skilled in one or multiple aspects of small business content marketing, with per-project pricing from $5.

ROI of Business Blogging Statistics

6. Business blogs can increase web traffic by 55%

Companies that use blogs have 55% more website visitors and get 97% more inbound links. These blog statistics are based on a study conducted among 1,531 HubSpot customers (mostly small- and medium-sized businesses). Getting more visitors to your website is more beneficial to you since it means more people to convert to leads and sales.

7. A blog can increase your conversion rate by 6x

Blogging is the cornerstone of a search engine optimized content marketing plan. Businesses that don’t have a blog can expect their standard website conversion rate (purchases compared to site visits) to be about 0.5%. With a blog, statistics show that your conversion rate is likely to rise to around 2.9% on average.

8. Content marketing generates 3x the return of traditional tactics

Business blogging statistics aside—wondering if the time and money needed to succeed with a blog are worth it? Overall, content marketing costs 62% less than other forms of marketing and produces three times the return on investment for every dollar spent.

9. Content increases brand affinity among eight out of 10 consumers

Eighty-one percent of consumers said they felt more positive about a business as a result of reading a brand’s custom content online, and 70% said they felt closer to the brand. Blog content is an ideal way to offer expert advice and even assistance (such as “how to” articles) to your target audience, in turn building trust and making your brand their preferred resource.

Business Blogging Statistics About Blog Content

10. Bloggers who spend 6+ hours writing a post report 31% better results

The better the content is, the better your results are likely to be. But is there a point of diminishing returns? Not according to Orbit Media Studios—at least, not below the benchmark of 6-plus hours. Most bloggers spend about four hours on average writing posts, but bloggers who spend six or more hours writing a post report 31% better results.

Readers are looking for high-quality content, and Google prioritizes search results based on quality content and the user experience. That means the bar keeps getting higher for content creators who want to be competitive in this space.

11. Top-earning bloggers are 6x more likely to do their own research

Bloggers who make over $50,000 a year are 5.8 times more likely to conduct independent research and publish case studies than less successful bloggers. They are also five times as likely to have a podcast, 4.5 times as likely to publish videos, and 3.7 times as likely to publish interviews.

12. Most people read blog articles to learn something new

A leader in the world of content marketing, HubSpot research found that 33% of people read blog posts to learn something new, 20% do so to be entertained, 12% are looking for news or trends in their industry, and 9% want all three. What does this blogging statistic mean for you?

The content on your blog needs to be developed with these motivations in mind. First and foremost, don’t write an article just because you want to rank for a keyword. Your article needs to say something that isn’t already well-covered in related articles online to deserve space on the internet. If the information isn’t new, how can you present it in a new light or from a fresh perspective?

Second, write conversationally and with engagement in mind. Be thought-provoking and passionate about your topic or point of view. If you can, be funny—especially when stating the obvious. Not everyone can write like a stand-up comedian, but bloggers have to be successful in delivering information in an entertaining way, free of jargon and technicalities.

Lastly, think outside of the box of your brand and its products and services. How can you educate your reader about your industry on new developments and trends (including trends that just happen to point to your business as a great solution?)

13. Seven out of 10 people prefer articles to ads

Ads probably won’t ever go away, but they are a lot less important for customers than content. Seventy percent of customers say they prefer to learn about a company through an article rather than an ad.

Consumers like to feel like they understand what they are getting and have a relationship with the company they are buying from, and blog content does this for you. Eighty-two percent of customers find that reading custom content makes them feel more positive about the company, and 90% of customers feel that custom content is useful.

These business blogging statistics show that blogs don’t just help you show up on Google. They also make you more interesting and useful to your customers.

14. Visuals produce 94% more views

Incorporating relevant visuals can increase views of your content by 94%. Images are a staggeringly effective tool in boosting engagement with campaigns on nearly every digital marketing channel. Visual content also helps you get clicks and shares on social media, and can make your content easier to understand.

15. Top-performing posts have more than 7 images

Articles with more than seven images generate 116% more organic traffic than those with none, based on the State of Content Marketing 2022 Global Report of Semrush. Nor does it have to be hard (or expensive) to come up with many high-quality, relevant images for your blog posts. For example, you can subscribe to Envato Elements for $16.50 a month and get unlimited downloads of images, videos, and graphics for your blog.

Even more affordable, you can access thousands of free images and edit them to perfection on sites like VistaCreate and Canva. Both platforms also allow you to upload your logo, custom fonts, and choose default colors to make designing images for your website and blog a breeze.

16. Articles with videos get 83% more traffic

As far as business blogging statistics, the Semrush report cited above also shows that articles with videos get 83% more traffic than those without. This blog statistic is based on a study conducted by Semrush on 500,000 top-performing articles. Want to get starting with a video blog? Our comprehensive guide can help you start a vlog (video blog) in eight steps.

17. Listicles get shared 2x as much

Listicles (articles of lists, like statistics articles, examples articles, and tip lists) are shared twice as frequently as other blog post formats. Listicles break information down into small, easy-to-digest bites, and keep readers’ attention by giving a lot of helpful information in a concentrated format.

If you’re looking for content ideas based on proven business blogging statistics, listicles are a great place to start. Plus, should you need help coming up with content ideas, you can turn to the HubSpot blog ideas generator for inspiration.

18. 59% will share an article without even reading it

People share content on social media for many reasons: to entertain or educate others, to define themselves, to build relationships, and to spark engagement, to name a few. But of all the blogging statistics you read here, this one might surprise you: 59% of people will share an article link on social media without having read the article beforehand (or reading it afterward).

The takeaway? Make sure you are hitting search intent on the head with your title, URL, and optimization, so that your articles get found when people are looking for something helpful to share online. And join the 69% of bloggers who have social share buttons on their site to make it even easier for their content to go viral.

Business Blog Statistics on How Often to Blog

19. Blogging 4 times a week drives 3.5x more traffic

Posting regularly is important based on several business blogging statistics. If you’re wondering how many blogs per week to post, you should know that blogs that post four times or more per week get three-and-a-half times more traffic than blogs that only post once per week. If four (or more) seems daunting, aim for two to four posts per week, per Rock Content.

For small business owners and one-person marketing teams, writing even one blog post a week can be a challenge time-wise. In this case, the best option to grow your business through blogging could be to hire a freelance search engine optimization (SEO) copywriter through Fiverr.

For as little as $5 to $25 per article, you can get blog content written by professional writers with expertise in your industry and target audience. Even if you are already blogging, this can be a great way to supplement your efforts and increase your blog posting frequency.

20. Blogging statistics show that daily posting is still the best

Four times per week is much better than once per week, but if you can manage to publish every day, you should. According to this business blogging statistic, blogs that publish every day have a 128% increase in the likelihood of reporting “strong success” in their outcomes.

21. 7 a.m. is the best time to post blog articles

This may be one of the business blogging statistics you hadn’t considered before. A study of 170,000 blog posts showed that the time of day people are most likely to read blog posts is between 7 and 10 in the morning. If you schedule your posts to go live just before that window, they are more likely to show up fresh in people’s feeds at the right time.

22. 70% of successful bloggers promote their content

It’s getting harder to get clicks from social media—even through Google search. According to blog statistics, 50% of bloggers say it has gotten harder to get traffic from Facebook. Nearly 20% say it has also gotten harder to get traffic from Google.

One thing that sets successful bloggers apart is that they promote their blogs proactively. Seventy percent of bloggers who make over $50,000 a year off from blogging actively promote their blogs, while only 14% of bloggers who make less money make the effort to self-promote.

Statistics Show the Relationship of Blogging to SEO

23. Sites with blogs have 4x more indexed pages

Not only does Google like fresh content, it likes sites with growing content. Blogging statistics show that websites with blogs have 434 more indexed pages than their counterparts. All of this content means there are exponentially more ways for customers to become aware of your brand, research your products and services, and decide to choose your business over those of your competitors.

24. Leads gained through inbound SEO close more often

Who doesn’t love a high-performing lead source? According to OptinMonster, search-generated leads have a 14.6% close rate vs just a 1.7% close rate for leads gained through outbound marketing tactics like advertising and direct mail.

25. Content creation is the most effective SEO tactic

We might be stating the obvious here, but to rank in online search, you need content. Content creation is, therefore, the most effective SEO tactic, and 72% of online marketers say it’s the absolute best tactic for SEO.

26. 80% of online searchers ignore paid ads

Up to 80% of people searching online ignore paid ads in search engine searches, instead preferring to scroll down to the organic search results to find what they are looking for. This means that even if your competitors are showing up above you in ad-specified links at the top of search results, you can still get more clicks if you have good organic content with well-researched keywords showing up in their searches.

27. 70% of bloggers recycle aging posts

When it comes to search engine optimization, or SEO dominance, fresh content is king. This is even more true when it comes to people doing buying research. If they click on your blog post and find that it’s more than a couple years, they might just click away.

It might still have great information that is very relevant today, but they don’t know that. As far as they know, based on the date stamp, it’s old news. This is why 70% of bloggers update their old posts regularly. It’s an easy source of content because you already wrote it. All you have to do is check which information is still correct, what is outdated, and which new developments to add.

Updating content is much less work than writing a completely new article from scratch. And for your site visitors, it assures them that they are getting the most up-to-date information. It helps you show up on search engines too, as they tend to prioritize newer information over older ones.

28. Long-form posts perform the best

In the early 2010s and teens, you’d find content writing advice recommending that you aim for several hundred words—enough to give some good information, but not enough to overwhelm readers. In fact, 600 to 800 words was a common number to shoot for with blog posts. Now, longer content performs better. Semrush found that in 2020, blog posts with 7,000 words or more got the most shares and the best SEO performance.

29. However, the average blog post length to aim for is 1,500-2,000 words

The average blog post length has risen considerably over the past five or so years. Long-form posts (2,500 words or more) can be the most useful—and therefore are often the most shared and highest ranking—but not everyone wants to read a super-long blog post. According to BrightEdge, the average blog post should be around 1,500 to 2,000 words.

The best length for your industry or business type could be less or more. A quick way to check top search engine results pages (SERPs) for keywords you want your site to rank for is to use a free keyword research tool like Semrush. It will show you the top 100 sites ranking for a keyword, and you can then check top-ranking articles to see how long they are, how they’re incorporating related keywords, and what type of search intent they are writing to answer.

Statistics on How & Where Blog Articles Are Read

30. More than 4 out of 10 will skim your blog post

Among the business blog stats we learned from HubSpot is that 43% of readers admit they skim blog posts rather than consuming every word. This is one reason bloggers need to master the art of putting the most important information first (in the article, in lead-in paragraphs, and so on) and using callouts and headlines to draw readers to the most critical information.

31. The majority of people will read your blog on Chrome

More than 60% of internet users use Google Chrome worldwide, including 65% of desktop users and over 60% of mobile users, and over 46% of all U.S. internet users. This might look like only a bit over half, but the next runner-up, Safari, only has about 19% of users (Statista).

If you have to choose which browser to optimize your content for first, choose Chrome. The last thing you want is for most of your potential customers to click away because the formatting that shows up on their screens is terrible.

32. More than half of Google searches happen on mobile

Not only do you have to make sure your blog posts format correctly for the top browsers, but they need to provide a good user experience on every device type. Every month there are more than 100 billion searches on Google, and more than half of them happen on mobile devices.

To make sure your content is mobile-viewer-friendly, avoid long paragraphs. Use bullet lists and subheadings to break up and organize your content and take time periodically to view your articles on mobile devices. If you haven’t chosen a blogging platform yet, consider Squarespace. All of its templates are built with white space to break up content blocks, and they are fully mobile-responsive, to ensure your site looks great on any device.

Concerned about how much starting a business blog will cost? Our article detailing the average cost of website design for small businesses shows how any startup, entrepreneur, or small company can build a website, even on a super-tight budget.

Bottom Line

Over and over again, business blogging statistics show that adding a blog to your website can be a huge bonus to your marketing strategy. It’s proven to be more affordable than advertising while reaping the same benefits of increased visibility, awareness, and traffic to your website (or even physical store). Plus, unlike pay-per-click ads, a high-performing blog post can repeatedly attract and convert site visitors, producing a return on investment many times greater than its cost.

You Might Also Like…

• Can’t get enough stats? Check out the business branding statistics you need to know to build a strong brand presence, online and off.
• Need a cheap way to build your website and blog? IONOS is one of the best cheap website builders, with blog plans that include unlimited storage for $5 a month.
• See how to use your blog as part of a lead and sales-producing SEO content marketing plan.