When you’re running an online business, it’s good to have a content strategy. Part of that strategy is knowing the best time to post a blog to maximize results.
When Is the Best Time to Post a Blog?
Blogs have remained a prominent fixture throughout the course of the Internet. While personal blogs still exist today, the blogosphere has mostly been overtaken by e-commerce websites. This comes as no surprise considering the role content plays in Google search rankings.
As a website owner yourself, increasing traffic is naturally a primary objective. But, aside from publishing high-quality content, the time you publish content can also affect your website’s success. So, when is the best time to post a blog article?
In general, the best time to publish content is between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays. Traffic tends to peak between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., so it’s a good idea to aim for this window.
Morning traffic on the Internet makes sense because most users tend to read blogs during this time. People start their day off by reading through their emails, going through the latest news, and planning their activities for the day.
And while weekday mornings are generally the best time for blog posts, time can be refined even further depending on your goal – be it traffic or engagement.
Best Times to Post a Blog for Higher Traffic
If you’re aiming for higher traffic, the overall best time to post content is on a Monday. Mondays tend to see the highest number of pageviews. This is perhaps because people want to start their week by reading content.
Best Times to Publish a Blog for More Social Shares
If you want to increase your social shares, Tuesdays and Sundays are the best. These two days see the most activity in terms of social shares. Tuesdays are particularly good if you want to publish content on Facebook and Twitter. But, for LinkedIn and Pinterest, Mondays usually work better.
Best Time to Post a Blog for More Backlinks
Backlinks help promote the credibility of your website. They signal to Google that you are a reliable source of information and have something valuable to offer.
If you want to get more backlinks, consider posting on Mondays and Thursdays. Mornings are usually when you have a higher chance of generating inbound links.
Best Time to Publish a Blog Post for More Comments
Comments are a form of social proof. They not only allow you to better understand what your readers want to see, but they are also good for search engine optimization.
If you want to get more comments on your blog, the best time to post is on Saturdays at around 9 a.m. This makes sense as people usually have more time to gather their thoughts and write a reply on the weekend.
How to Test the Best Time to Post a Blog
While the above times give you a good starting point, it is important to remember that they are just benchmarks. This data is the result of multiple studies conducted in different years. Some of them may be outdated, and others may be specific to a particular industry.
The ideal time to post content will depend on your particular website. As such, your content marketing strategy should include testing out the optimal times to post. But, how do you test the best time to post an article?
It will take some elbow grease. You have to monitor which days and times give your website the most traffic and the most engagement.
If you publish content through WordPress, you can use a plugin tool that collects important insights. Find a tool that lets you set up custom dimensions and allows you to track post types, popular authors, best categories, and the like. A tool that links to Google Analytics is preferred.
The tool should produce both real-time and overall reports that let you understand your content’s performance at a glance. The reports should show you the best publishing time by monitoring when most users are active. Make sure you go through these reports at different times of the day and week – and over the course of several weeks, too.
Considerations When Starting a Blog
All of the above information only applies when you already have an up-and-running website. But, what about if you’re just starting out? What if you haven’t even published your blog yet?
If you plan to publish a blog, make sure it has at least three to five pieces of content already. Don’t make your blog public with only a single piece of content. Having a few in there will make your blog seem less empty and more established.
The best time to publish a blog follows the general rule: Monday mornings are best.
Determining Blog Post Frequency
This is a problem that many new blog owners encounter. Because you have a new blog, it can be hard to determine the right blogging frequency. Even websites with long-established blogs have difficulty with this.
So, how often should you post? Generally, the more often you post, the better your chance of getting good results. Google likes it when you post a lot of high-quality content – emphasis on high-quality. Don’t just publish a bunch of content that doesn’t add value. A single, high-quality blog post easily beats 10 poor blog posts.
If you have a new blog, publishing more often also helps you get your blog going. It helps increase website traffic, grow your subscriber base, increase engagement, and move users through the sales funnel more quickly.
A Jumping-Off Point for Online Businesses
Maintaining a blog is a tried-and-tested content strategy that gets good results. But, it’s not always easy to come up with a strategy that works for your website. Apart from determining the right content to post, you also have to identify the best time to post a blog. Hopefully, this guide can help you get started.
Tanner Grey offers digital marketing and web design services to online businesses. We can help come up with a content marketing strategy that works for you. Call us today at 844.500.1339 or contact us online to get a free estimate.
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