Is Blogging Dead? – (2021) The Surprising Answer

Updated on August 9th, 2022

wasteland scene - Is Blogging Dead?

Is blogging dead? With the rise of social media and YouTube, this is a question that many of us are now considering. As YouTube has now overtaken Google as the biggest search engine, is it still worth trying to get a blog post to rank in Google search results? These are some of the questions that we are going to consider in this article.

Blogging isn’t dead.  While there may be some decline in lifestyle blogs, the increase in niche-specific blogs has only increased. This type of blogging targets keywords and it is only expected to increase. This is due to the number of technical advantages of websites over other media including SEO and the ability to directly link to marketing offers.

In order to answer the question, is blogging dead? in detail, we are going to draw two classifications in this article:  Lifestyle/experiential blogs and keyword-targeted blogs.

Lifestyle / Experiential Blogs – Growth is Flattening 

The birthplace of blogging, lifestyle blogs were for many years a wonderful alternative to books, magazines and TV.  You could consider a lifestyle blog to encompass general creative writing on a topic.  Topics covered often include travel, food, parenting, renovation and health.

man taking photos of balloons - travel

It’s not that people aren’t interested in these topics.

It’s that people are finding more of this information on YouTube and social media than in the past. 

Many of us have become time-poor. So we like to consume our audio and visual content on the go.

So traffic to lifestyle blogs has flattened and it doesn’t look like changing.  Having said this, some lifestyle websites in this category continue to do well e.g. Mamamia.

Mamamia - popular blog

Improvements in technology and its speed of delivery have meant that more people are tuning into video and social media channels for lifestyle content.

Keyword-Focused blogs – is blogging dead?

Keyword focused blogs are of the type where you are intentionally structuring an article to rank in search results for a particular term. These websites tend to be more commercially focused than lifestyle, art and academic blogs.

Why are they still so popular? Well it’s because Google (or Bing) is the place that most people still head to help them make a buying decision. YouTube has gained some ground in this market but Google search is still the most trusted source.

Keywords are a driver of SEO

Many big companies have also tuned in to the benefits of blogging. They’ve found the benefits of directing a new source of organic traffic to their website and online store.

Is Blogging Dead? – A Brand Always needs a Home

Many people ask if a website or blog is still needed if you’ve got a large social media account –  let’s say on Instagram?

The answer is that yes, you do need a website as it is the central axle of your brand or business.  Facebook or Instagram can’t display your policies, FAQ, testimonials, e-stores or photo galleries.

Arrows pointing to website - is blogging dead

So a website is necessary to become the central hub for your organisation. 

All of your social media channels are thus joined through the central hub of your website. This enables you to cross-promote your activities.

For example, many brands promote their website on their Instagram or TikTok bio page.

You Can’t Sell a Product directly from Social Media

What most people don’t realise is that most social media channels block sales offers.

This is where your website comes in. It can provide a bridge between social media and your sales offer.

How a bridge page works - is blogging dead

The bridge might be in the form of a blog article. For example you might have a Pinterest pin linking to a Shopify theme review article on your website.

The blog post can then link directly to The Shopify theme that you’re selling or or an affiliate offer.

Social media also isn’t as searchable, hence it’s not a place where people go when they’re looking to buy something.

Your Blog can’t be Taken Away from You

Many people are building businesses on Instagram or TikTok these days. While this certainly can be profitable, people forget one thing.

You can easily lose your social account. It happens all the time. You might get inadvertently banned or the platform might lose popularity.  

Social Media Cancelled - is blogging dead

You are at the mercy of the platform.  Most platforms don’t have anyone that you can call unless you are a top creator.

Having your own self hosted blog your platform can never be taken away.

Blogs are Saleable Assets

There’s value to be found in blogs.  

Keyword focused blogs are continuing to grow and be sold for huge sums. For example TechCrunch started from zero in 2005 and sold for $30 million in 2010.

 

Techcrunch - popular blog site

These web assets can continue to generate income month on month over time with little effort. Hence potential purchasers can be willing to pay big sums for the promise of future passive income flows.

Blogs can Live on for Years

Once a blog reaches momentum, it can deliver value for years without much work.

Evergreen content achieves this particularly well.

Consider this post from Pagely which continues to deliver value to WordPress users year after year.

Evergreen post from Pagely

The upshot is that useful writing lives on and gets the best page rankings.

Summary – Is Blogging Dead? 

Whilst the early boom days of blogging have well and truly passed, there is still a niche which blogs serve particularly well.

This is the keyword-focussed niche.  These types of blogs will continue to perform irrespective of the growth of other mediums.

Blogs just have so many advantages including the benefits of SEO which you just don’t get with other forms of media.

Frequently Asked Questions – is blogging dead?

Is a website still needed in the age of social media?

Yes, because there’s many things that you can’t share on social media. Your website can host all of the requisite information to be the central home for your company or brand.  You also can’t do SEO on social media.

Has YouTube replaced blogging?

YouTube can be seen as a complement to blogging. Video is certainly powerful but many people prefer to read for their information. This doesn’t look like changing any time soon. The beauty of text is that users can consume it in silence and directly link to offers within the text of the article.

What is the Advantage of Blogging?

Your website is your own platform which stays with you and is totally under your control.  It can grow in value and be adapted to suit your needs.  If you publish content on other sites your are totally at their whim.  They can be shut down, merged or become less popular.

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