Here’s The BIG Problem I Have With Yearly Blogging Trend Reports

Do you constantly feel guilty thinking that you should do more with your SEO content campaign?

This question popped into my brain while I was scanning the latest Orbit Media 2023 Blogging Statistics: 10 Years of Trends and Insights from 1000+ Bloggers.

It’s a great read.

I have bunches of respect for Orbit Media and their surveys. I love reading their stuff. So, this rant has nothing to do with the data…

…and everything to do with how the data may be interpreted.

What do I mean?

Within the article, I read bloggers who report “strong results”

• Publish posts over 2,000 words.
• Publish more than weekly.
• Spend 6+ hours on every post.
• Add video and 7+ images.

My first thought was, “No duh. Of course you’re going to see better results if you have the time and resources to write 2,000-word blog posts, source multiple graphics, and create videos — and do that on a daily basis.”

That’s a lot.

Maybe a solo blogger could do it if they were super-motivated and incredibly organized. I’ve seen people create incredible amounts of work in a short period of time.

You should see what I can do after a chai tea latte and a donut.

But creating that amount of content all the time is…hard.

Unless you work as part of a larger team.

The challenge kicks in when people think they should do more — simply because they read a report.

Here’s what typically happens.

• They start cranking out more low-quality content (maybe even using ChatGPT) because they want to get their word count up.
• They spend hours creating videos without writing a script, coming up with a strategy, or — more importantly — understanding if their target market wants to watch a video.
• They focus on quantity rather than content quality.

Sure, the strategy may work short-term. There may be enough success to think, “Wow, I’m onto something.”

Until everything crashes down, people burn out, and you go from publishing five times a week to once a quarter — max.

I’ve seen it happen so many times. I even talked about it last year.

Maxing out your content strategy isn’t sustainable long-term.

It’s easier to have a sustainable content strategy than to create a living content hell that’s doomed to fail.

So, should you ignore blogging trend reports?

No, not at all.

I think of blogging trend reports like fitness influencers. Could I look like that if I cut out carbs, lifted heavy every day, and managed my macros?

Sure, I could have that six-pack and bulging biceps…but I don’t want to work that hard. Instead, I see fitness influencers as inspirational — but not necessarily aspirational. I don’t want their lives, but I am open to learning from them.

It’s the same with blogging trend reports. I don’t want to hire staff to kick out high-word-count articles, and I’m sure as hell not going to write 6,000+ words every week….plus create video content.

Nope.

But do reports like this give me a little nudge and remind me of ways that I can up my game?

You bet.

For instance, I could add more images to my blog posts. I’m so much of a writer that I don’t even think about images unless my designer suggests them. (Thank you, Rochelle.) But I know other people process information differently, and images are always a cool way to reinforce the content.

And I know I could add more videos. Filming video is…clunky…for me. At the same time, I’m adding more videos every year. They drive traffic. The process (while still clunky) is slightly easier.

That motivational nudge that comes from trend reports is nice.

So, yes, enjoy the inspirational buzz trend reports provide. Roll around in the content possibilities and think about different processes.

Just know that the best SEO content strategy is the one that works best for you and your team. One you can maintain throughout the year.

I’ve talked about sustainable content strategies before.

Quality and consistency beat quantity every time.

🤯 What do you think?

Did the Orbit Media report give you any new content ideas? Leave a comment and let me know!