Everyone knows what a blog is.
But when it comes to defining what makes it good or bad, only some experts are experts. Still, in this highly competitive field, understanding the difference between what works and what doesn’t is critical.
Luckily we have the answer.
Differences between good blog and bad blog
In short, the main differences between a good blog and a bad blog are logical blog post structure, catchy headlines, high-quality content, a solid SEO strategy, frequent posting, knowing your audience, attractive blog design, and compelling CTAs.
Here is a brief overview of the most important differences:
| Good blog | Bad blog | |
| Blog post structure | Content is presented in a logical and engaging manner. | Thoughts are loosely connected and have no clear purpose. |
| Headlines | A good headline is insightful and fascinating at the same time. | If you want to lose clicks, keep your headlines short and vague. |
| Content quality | High-quality content offers readers added value. | Bad content is a waste of time, but not in a fun way. |
| SEO strategy | Keywords, metatext and high-quality links increase visibility. | Google doesn’t like blogs that are difficult to read. |
| Blogging frequency | Good bloggers maintain a consistent publishing schedule. | Posting occasionally shows a lack of commitment. |
| Target group targeting | A blog is only as good as its audience targeting strategy. | Bad blogs don’t think about their readers or know them. |
| Blog design | Good design is readable, eye-catching and interactive. | Poor blog design appears sloppy, chaotic, and confusing. |
| CTAs | An effective CTA must tell the reader what to do next. | Missing or complicated CTAs are common in bad blogs. |
Feel free to take a closer look at how these elements compare:
Blog post structure
Good blogs have well-structured posts. The perfect blog post structure uses different elements to convey a message. These elements must ensure that your content is crystal clear, easy to scan, visually appealing and engaging.
A blog post is not a stream of consciousness or a collection of random thoughts with no logical structure. If the order is completely wrong and the ideas are chaotic, your blog post structure will be terrible.
Headlines
A good headline doesn’t require clicks. Instead, it grabs attention by using words that resonate with the reader. It is concise but rich in information, relatable but fascinating.
If you want a blog with no readers, use harsh language for your headlines. Make it short and simple without even suggesting what the post is about.
Here is the one Cheat sheet You can use these to come up with headline ideas.
Content quality
Compelling, engaging, coherent, relevant, timely, always up-to-date, helpful, reliable, data-rich, well-researched and quotable – blog content needs to be all of these.
In other words, content is the soul of every blog. This is why uncreative, uninformed, and overly promotional content that serves no purpose is an instant blog killer.
SEO strategy
Did you know that you also need to structure your blog posts for SEO? Good blogs have a focus keyword, meta text, high-quality links and images in addition to the head, body and end.
If no one can see your blog on Google, yours is SEO strategy doesn’t work. Maybe you’re ranking for the wrong keywords or Google doesn’t think you’re relevant or user-friendly enough.
Blogging frequency
Successful bloggers publish new content two to four times a week. This frequency may vary, but what’s important is that you stick to the schedule and respect your readers’ time.
Conversely, publishing a new post every two months reveals two things about you as a blogger: 1. You’re not very passionate about it, and 2. You don’t care if your content is outdated and irrelevant.
Target group targeting
To target the right audience, you need to find a subset of people who will respond to your opinions, ideas, and products. This requires thorough and continuous research, but without it a good blog cannot be created.
Believe it or not, you can be a great blogger even with a mediocre blog. There’s no point in doing everything right if you’re doing it for the wrong audience. Know your readers inside and out.
Blog design
A good blog design puts the focus on the content and makes it easier to read and navigate. With on-brand graphics and media, the visual appearance must be pleasant and professional.
But blog design isn’t just about aesthetics. Poor design is a major turn-off because it feels sloppy. Messy navigation is confusing and leads to nothing but a high bounce rate.
CTAs
A potential buyer has read your post. What now? If you don’t tell your new readers what you want from them with a clever CTA (call-to-action), you’re unlikely to see them again.
Examples could include sharing your post on social media, commenting, or subscribing to your blog.
“Click here for more”, “Let’s stay in touch”, “Subscribe now”, “Tweet this” – an effective CTA must clearly express its intent, be straight to the point and be easy to implement.
Here’s an example of a CTA we use in our popular guide, How to Start a Blog. We offer all subscribers to download an e-book:
Diploma
There is a rumor that 80% of blogs will fail by the end of 2023.
Do you want to know why? This is because most bloggers don’t know what makes a good blog. If you want to start a blog that your audience will enjoy, take some time to learn the craft.