How Long Does it Take to Write a Blog Post?

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Whenever I share about how many posts I write in a week, the most common comment is “how do you write so fast??”

It got me thinking: how long does it take most bloggers to write a blog post?

I decided to poll my audience on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see the average time it takes to write a blog post.

Keep in mind, this is just the writing. We’re not including pre-research, formatting, uploading, and promoting on social media.

Not only am I gonna share the average times, but I’m also gonna share my tips to speed up your writing practice so the next time I tweet that I’ve written 14 blog posts in a week, you can go “pshh, that’s nothing! I’ve done 20!”

How Long it Takes to Write a Post on Average

I ran a poll across my Instagram, Facebook group, and Twitter to find out how long on average it takes bloggers of any niche to write a post without AI. We set the “average” post at about 2,000 words, although that will vary by niche.

Bar graph showing the average time it takes to write a blog post.
49 people chose less than 1 hour.
127 people chose 2 hours.
206 people chose 3-4 hours.
258 people chose 5-6 hours.

Based on 640 responses, on average it takes most blogger 5-6 hours to write a blog post.

Across every platform, 5-6 hours had the most votes:

Twitter (347 votes):

Result	% of Votes
Under 1 hour	8.9%
2 hours	23.9%
3-4 hours	33.4%
5-6 hours	33.7%

Facebook (232 votes):

Result	% of Votes
Under 1 hour	5%
2 hours	13%
3-4 hours	31%
5-6 hours	51%

Instagram (61 votes):

Result	% of Votes
Under 1 hour	9.8%
2 hours	23.0%
3-4 hours	29.5%
5-6 hours	37.7%

The people who voted that it takes less than 1 hour tended to be more experienced bloggers, or bloggers who write for other traffic sources, like Pinterest or Facebook traffic.

Some, like me, are just naturally faster writers.

And many people noted their longest time ever, with one being over 30 hours!

Tweet from @livelovelajolla that says "it's taken me 30+ before..."

We also had someone else, like me, who has written a post that took 2 weeks:

Tweet from @gabs_explores that says "2 weeks [laughing emoji]"

In fact, an SEO powerhouse even said 2-5 hours is the norm for him:

What if I Take Longer/Short to Write?

That’s ok!

This was a poll taken of people at every stage of their blogging journey. And of course, every post is going to take a different amount of time.

My SEO Dictionary post took me 15 days to accumulate all the terms and their definitions, before I even started formatting!

But my Internal Linking Between Categories post only took me 45 minutes because I know the topic so well and it was so easy for me to answer.

Affiliate posts always take me longer than informational posts cause I need to verify so much data and I feel more pressure to get the wording exactly right.

One of the reasons I wanted to run the poll was to show people that my timing isn’t the norm at all! I know I’m a bit of a freak with my writing speeds, and that most people will take a few hours to get the words on the page, especially without AI.

Does Writing Speed Matter?

Largely, no it doesn’t. If it takes you a bit longer to do something and you have the time, that’s fine!

But most of us don’t really have time to spare, especially if you’re still working a full time job on top of blogging.

Or if you’re desperate for your blog to start making an income.

If every post is taking you 10+ hours to write – before you even consider researching and formatting – then you’re gonna want to speed things up.

Back when I first started blogging, that was a reality for me. Blog posts took a few days to get written because I didn’t know what I was doing yet, and I was really uncomfortable transitioning from novel writing to blog writing.

But you’ll get there! And I’ve got some tips to help you with that.

How to Write Blog Posts Faster

1. Be an Expert

This is the most important tip on this list. If you don’t know the topic you’re talking about, you’re never going to be fast at writing about it.

You’ll constantly be double checking what the heck a term means or if you used the word right.

When I was a freelancer, I used to write for a plumbing blog. I don’t know shit about plumbing. So that job was one of the worst paid when I worked out how much I made hourly, because I spent eons researching what every term meant and how to talk about snaking a drain (I think that’s a term?).

But with SEO, I can write on it super easily because I know what I’m talking about.

This post took me 1 hour and 15 minutes (yes I timed it and came back to note this), because I know these tips inside and out.

Expert posts still take time, but really knowing your niche and living it will help massively with speeding up your writing.

2. Research Research Research

Do you research first.

So many people who answered the poll said that they research as they write. That’s crazy to me! With my ADHD I’d be off on a Wiki rabbit hole about the first woman submarine captain or something.

I find it better to batch my work. So I do one task, then the next. That means I research for posts before I write them – sometimes with a week in between.

I keep the notes in Google Docs for each post, since that’s where I usually write or where I consolidate my AI writing.

So once I’m writing, I’ve already got an idea of what the heck I’m gonna talk about and I have most of the facts/figures I’ll need to get it done.

Bouncing back and forth between the analytics of research and the creativity of writing is going to slow you down. You’re switching between two different sides of your brain to do it.

3. Start with an SEO Optimized Outline

After I do my research day, I do an outlining day where I’ll outline content before I write it.

I don’t outline too far in advance because then the competitors can change. Max I’d say is 1 month out, but usually I don’t write an outline more than a week before I write the post.

When I wrote novels I would have laughed in your face if you suggested an outline. I just wanted to write what I wanted, let my characters appear to me, and then go on a random adventure with them.

That led to a LOT of editing that I don’t want to do with a blog post.

It’s the same as a trip: going off unplanned sounds fun until you’re stuck on the side of a highway at 2am with no idea where to stay next and a bus schedule from 2 years ago.

It may be slightly less fun to have an itinerary, even a vague one, but it’ll keep you safer in the long run and save you time Googling hostels at 4am (happened to a friend of mine. I’ve never been that go with the flow).

4. Write First, Edit Second

Writing needs to flow. That means you shouldn’t edit yourself as you write.

If you’re backtracking to adjust every word you write, you’ll never move forward.

I recommend brain dumping your thoughts on the page, then coming back to them later to edit. Sometimes even giving it a day or two, so you’re not as close to the content.

When I write, I just go for it. Sure, I’ll fix up a typo or two, or might redo a sentence if it’s really blocking me. But I don’t go for perfection.

And you’d be surprised how often I don’t need to do major edits from that.

Blog writing especially is supposed to sound conversational.

It doesn’t need to be strict or academic. In fact, that’ll hurt you.

So being chatty and talking as you’d talk to a friend helps. That’s what most of my first drafts look like.

But with a few placeholders like [time open here] or [find better way to say this?].

5. Know Your Audience

You should know who the heck you’re talking to before writing.

Technically, I’d put this before the other tips since you should do this the second you start your blog, but it can also vary per post.

I create a customer or audience avatar for every single one of my sites. I know them so well I could sit and have a coffee with them on my couch.

That allows me to create content tailored to them, and to know the type of language/references they understand.

But there are minor variations between them.

For example, let’s say I have someone named Lyla for She Knows SEO. She might be an intermediate blogger who knows what DA stands for, but some of my more beginner posts might need a more beginner avatar. That’s where her sister Violet comes in.

Lyla is trying to get her set up with her first blog and is sharing resources. So the post is still technically for Lyla, but in a different way.

However, I know the age range of both of them and that influences the language I use.

If I was targeting Boomers, I probably wouldn’t use emojis. And I’d never reference mental health issues the way that I do.

If I was targeting Gen Z, I’d also use differently language and maybe try to find out what “rizz” actually means.

6. Set Timers

A lot of people love this method, but it doesn’t work as well for me for long form content. Give it a try though!

Essentially what you do is block off certain times of the day to do a task. You can even do this by saying “I have 1 hour to write this blog post. Whatever is done at the end of that is getting published”.

Often that means you end up staying more focused for the time period, or cranking out a really good piece of content in the last 15 minutes.

You can select any length of time for this. If you know it takes you 5 hours on average to write a blog post, challenge yourself to do it in 4.5.

My friend Jessie Festa uses this method but for a few hours at a time to batch work on different things.

7. Use an AI Writer

Y’all knew I was gonna mention AI somewhere, didn’t ya?

I polled people for time without AI writers cause I know many people aren’t on board with AI. That’s ok!

But I love AI writers.

Not only do they speed up my writing process, but they also help me write when my brain is just mush.

Sometimes you know what you want to say but you can’t see to get it sounding right on paper. Cue ChatGPT and you’ve got a blog post in 30 mins!

Even if it still takes you just as long as writing by hand – it did for me the first few times I used Jasper back in October 2021 – it still doesn’t require the mental effort that writing does. That’s why I kept using it when I was working 4 jobs while trying to get my blog off the ground.

If you’re looking to get started with AI, check out this tutorial on using ChatGPT and Jasper. I walk you through both tools to help you figure out which workflow you prefer.

8. Figure Out Your Ideal Writing Space/Time

Figuring out how/where you write best is so important.

A lot of people will tell you it’s all about the right chair or the perfect degree of the sun. That’s all bullshit.

It’s about what works for YOU.

I can tell you what works for me, but it may absolutely suck for you.

So instead I’m gonna tell you how I figured out what works for me.

I started by noting when I felt like writing in a day. I’d let myself do whatever I wanted and see when I kept coming back to my laptop to write, and when I’d stick around the longest.

I’d also notice how long I could usually focus before I got distracted or tired. You can train your focus, but you also need breaks. You’ll usually find your attention drifting at this point or your mouse suddenly clicking over to Facebook every 5 minutes.

Next I noticed the times of day when I really couldn’t/shouldn’t write because I couldn’t focus at all. Those became times for other tasks, like researching and formatting.

I also realized where I was writing best. It’s not always at a desk. Some people work better in a coffee shop, or at a library, or in their living room.

This whole process can take a week, which I know is scary. You don’t want to lose a week of writing, but it’s worth it for the long term efficiency.

Now, not everyone can construct the ideal situation all the time. But doing what you can to mimic those times/areas helps a lot.

If you know you write best full, then snack before you write. Or if you know you need silence, get some noise cancelling headphones. It’ll help turn anywhere you’re writing into your ideal space.

9. Voice to Text

Voice to text is a life saver.

I have so many blog posts and emails I’ve written walking through the snowy golf course behind my old house in Ottawa with my dog, Theo, in the mornings where it randomly goes “Theo leave it!” part way through.

I always feel most creative when I’m walking, so it’s an easy time to work on some content.

Put some keywords or topics in your phone, and then voice to text a note to yourself about it. Talk like you’re talking to a friend about the topic.

Speaking is naturally more melodic than writing. Editing the transcript means you’re starting from a more natural flow.

And it allows you to write even when you’re not at your desk.

10. Get in the Mood to Write

Some people can sit down and immediately feel like writing, then crank out something amazing.

Most people can’t. They need a warm up.

I love used a 5 minute free write as a way to warm up when I’m having a tough time getting into the writing groove.

Set a 5-15 minute timer on your phone and write. It’s best done by hand, but I type due to some mobility issues. The rule is that your pen is never allowed to leave the page. You have to keep writing even if it’s just “I have no idea what to say next” over and over again.

It’s also a great journaling/mindset tool.

After writing nonsense for 5 minutes, or something great stuff, you’ll be ready to keep writing.

It’s kind of like doing a practise lap before a car race.

11. Done is Better Than Good

Most people get slowed down by perfectionism.

One of my uni profs taught me this and it stuck: “done is better than good”.

The true saying is “done is better than perfect”, but I think her version takes more of the stress off.

At a certain point when you need to get something published, you just need to hit publish.

There’s so many extra little tweaks you could do, but you’ll never get a post up if you keep worrying about them all. And you’ll just find yourself back on the post in a year going “wtf was I thinking? This has so many issues!”

This kind of goes back to setting time limits, but setting a “good enough” bar for yourself is important to let yourself walk away from a piece.

So How Long Should it Take You?

There really is no “should”.

If English is your second language, it’ll take you longer. If you’re new to SEO, it’ll take you longer. If you’re more of a visual person and less of a words person, it’ll take you longer.

On average, I can write and format a blog post for publication in less than 3 hours (notice I’m not including research. I spent 90% of my time on research in some shape or form).

But I’ve been blogging since 2018, freelance writing since I was 16, and I’ve been writing novels since I was 11.

That’s a LOT of practice most people don’t have. I’m also naturally a good writer. Try to get me to do basic mental math and we’ll be here for 3 hours!

I recommend speeding up your processes to make them more efficient, but don’t speed them up so much that you sacrifice quality. We want to publish helpful, well written content, even if it takes you a few more hours than most people.

Quality is more important than speed.

Want more tips on writing SEO optimized posts? Check out my content writing workflow here.