Study Finds Blog Posts Occupy Significant Position at Top of Google Search Rankings

Danny Goodwin of Search Engine Land reports on a recent study by BrightEdge, an enterprise SEO platform, finding blog posts occupy a significant position in Google Search rankings. Specifically, blogs appear 23% of the time in the top 5 search positions, making them the most common content type to do so.

The data is indicative of the continued importance of blog content, even in an age when other media, including video content is surging in popularity.

Noted also is a HubSpot survey that 54% of people read a blog post at least once a week, highlighting blogs’ enduring popularity.

Key findings of the report

• Blogs appear 23% of the time in Google’s top 5 search results, and 8% of the time in the top 3 results.
• Out of 23,785 pages analyzed in the top 10 search positions, 3,254 were blogs, excluding homepages.
• Around 69% to 74% of organic clicks go to the top 5 positions on Google Search, underscoring the value of ranking highly.

Importance of blogging strategy

While the study highlights the prominence of blogs in search results, it also cautions that achieving high visibility requires a solid content strategy. Merely blogging without providing value to the searchers will not suffice.

Law firms should take particular note here. Law firms are apt to have general topic blogs, mirroring their practice groups, rather than a strategic focus, such as a business opportunity without competition.

Blend of lawyers and AI in future blogging

The day of blogging arising out of a conversation between AI and the blogging lawyer, with AI being the assistant, is upon us.

BrightEdge founder and executive chairman Jim Yu notes that the future of content creation will require a blend of AI-driven insights and human expertise. Successful blogging strategies will leverage both to create content that resonates with the target audience.