It’s no secret that HubSpot's 2025 State of Blogging Report, featuring insights from over 500 marketers, marks a pivotal moment for The HubSpot Blog team. The revelation of this comprehensive report on the current and future state of blogging brings to light the practices and strategies embraced by content creators. This milestone aims to shed light on blogging’s evolving landscape.
In the words of a well-known proverb, “Planting a tree 20 years ago was ideal, but starting now is the next best choice.” This sentiment resonates as we embark on this journey, tapping into the experiences of marketers from diverse sectors to gauge blogging’s present dynamics and future prospects.
Through this report, we address key aspects featuring:
- Blog content publishing trends
- Motivations behind blogging
- Types of content being created
- Identifying sources of blog traffic
- The transformative role of AI
- Adaptations in the E-E-A-T era
- Future directions of blogging
- And much more
Are Businesses Still Blogging?
A straightforward answer: Yes, they are! And they have compelling reasons, too. The State of Blogging Report reveals that a significant 65% of marketers are with companies that actively run blogs. They are not just dabbling; they’re committed to regular updates. Here’s what our findings show:
- 22% of businesses update their blogs daily.
- 37% post content two to three times weekly.
- 30% have a weekly schedule.
- 7% opt for bi-weekly posts.
- 5% choose to publish monthly.
Blogging holds great importance across these companies. Of those maintaining blogs:
- 47% categorize it as a critical component.
- 46% view it as important.
- 5% regard it neutrally.
- 2% see it as less critical.
This explains why blogging remains crucial in the marketing strategies of many companies. Our findings suggest:
- 24% invest less than 10% of their marketing budget in blogging.
- 31% allocate 11-20% of their budget.
- 25% dedicate between 21-30%.
- 18% invest over 30%.
The ROI from blogging has led many to increase their budgets. Consider these findings:
- 50% noticed a higher ROI in 2024 as compared to 2023.
- 31% reported stable returns year over year.
- 15% observed reduced returns.
However, this also means alterations in investment strategies. Notably:
- 45% plan to spend more on blogs in 2025.
- Only 13% intend to reduce spending.
- 40% will maintain their budget levels.
Exploring the Reasons Behind Company Blogs
The State of Blogging Report makes it clear that blogging offers versatility, helping businesses achieve various marketing objectives. The predominant purpose is to create brand awareness, with the findings showing:
- 66% produce content primarily for visibility.
- 53% aim to engage their audience.
- 49% seek lead generation.
- 34% focus on boosting SEO.
- 26% strive to demonstrate thought leadership.
Aligning these objectives with blog KPIs underscores the focus on brand visibility. According to the study:
- 54% use pageviews as a measure of success.
- 53% track social shares.
- 46% gauge the conversion rate.
- 45% consider time on page.
- 22% focus on backlinks.
Essentially, a company blog serves multiple promotional roles. Many companies use it more for broader brand exposure and less for immediate conversions, leveraging various content types for these ends.
What Content Do Blogs Feature?
The versatility of blogs is exemplified by the diverse content types produced, often balancing timeless information with trendy topics. The State of Blogging Report found that:
- 40% of companies balance content evenly between evergreen and timely updates.
- 24% prioritize evergreen over timely content with a 75% split.
- 18% reverse this priority.
- 7% focus exclusively on evergreen pieces.
- 2% publish only timely content.
Different formats yield varied success, and the report identifies high performers as:
- 51% find success with how-to guides.
- 45% note effective engagement with industry news.
- 42% see positive returns on case studies.
- 34% favor encyclopedic content relevant to their fields.
- 23% highlight product listicles.
Yet, producing quality content is only half the battle, achieving broad distribution is vital for success.
Uncovering Sources of Blog Traffic
Drawing in engaged readers is challenging yet crucial, and maintaining diversified distribution channels is increasingly important. The surveyed marketers echo this sentiment, revealing that:
- 83% use social media to distribute blog posts.
- 47% employ email newsletters.
- 47% utilize paid advertising.
- 36% leverage organic search.
- 33% engage influencers.
- 23% invest in paid search.
Furthermore, our research shows an interesting split in how businesses source traffic, balancing organic and paid strategies:
- 38% draw traffic mainly through organic means.
- 21% favor paid avenues.
- 36% blend both strategies.
AI’s Emerging Role in Content Strategy
The incorporation of AI, especially generative AI, is a prominent factor influencing today’s content marketing landscape. Bloggers are wisely integrating AI to enhance content creation, shown by our survey findings:
- Only 4% do not use AI tools.
- 21% leverage AI for less than a quarter of their content.
- 37% use AI in 25-50% of their content creation.
- 19% incorporate AI into 51-75% of their output.
- 16% depend on AI for over 75% of content production.
The application of AI spans varied stages of content development:
- 43% utilize AI in editing and proofreading.
- 38% use it to create outlines.
- 37% apply AI in drafting initial content versions.
- 31% produce images with AI.
- 30% perform topic research using AI.
- 26% generate meta-descriptions via AI.
Popular AI tools include:
- ChatGPT, used by 68% of respondents.
- Google Gemini at 50%.
- Copy.ai with 13%.
- Claude at 12%.
- Jasper with 11%.
- HubGPT at 8%.
- Other tools account for 5% usage.
The major advantage of embracing AI involves heightened content production, as evidenced by the survey where:
- 19% saw a significant increase post-AI adoption.
- 48% noticed moderate growth in output.
- 17% experienced unchanged volumes.
- 9% recorded moderate decreases.
- 3% observed a significant drop.
How Blogs Are Adapting to E-E-A-T Standards
The introduction of Google’s E-E-A-T criteria has pushed many blogs to adjust their content strategies accordingly. Establishing author credibility is crucial. Our participants reported implementing several strategies:
- 43% validate author expertise with published references and citations.
- 42% offer detailed author bios including credentials.
- 40% link to professional profiles.
- 27% highlight industry certifications.
- 8% are uncertain of their approach.
Utilizing data also boosts E-E-A-T, which our findings highlight:
- 8% feature data in up to 20% of posts.
- 23% include data in 21-40% of content.
- 28% use data in 41-60% of their articles.
- 26% utilize data in 61-80% of posts.
- 13% incorporate it in 81-100% of their content.
- 3% were unsure.
First-hand experiences have become crucial for standing out in the SERPs under E-E-A-T guidelines. According to the State of Blogging Report:
- 45% of companies share personal experiences from team members.
- 36% obtain quotas from subject matter experts.
- 35% reference real client case studies.
- 33% conduct expert interviews.
- 25% present product testing results.
- 10% don’t explicitly document experience.
- 6% are unsure of their strategy.
Adapting to E-E-A-T requires expansive changes in blog strategies. Key adjustments observed include:
- 39% increased primary source citations.
- 34% instituted expert review processes.
- 36% added original research and data.
- 31% developed advanced fact-checking procedures.
- 20% incorporated author credentials and bios.
- A notable 12% made no significant shifts, and 7% were uncertain.
The Future of Blogging
In spite of evolving dynamics, confidence abounds in blogging’s continued relevance. The State of Blogging Report reveals:
- 56% predict an expanding role for blogs in content marketing strategies.
- 32% expect their blog strategies to remain stable.
- 7% plan on reducing their blog focus.
- 5% remain uncertain about future plans.
Acknowledging content marketing’s evolving nature, businesses are diversifying with other formats. Plans include:
- 81% investing in video content.
- 53% exploring podcasts.
- 46% advancing email newsletters.
- 39% deploying webinars.
- 20% constructing ebooks.
What’s the State of Blogging in 2025?
Ultimately, the State of Blogging Report underscores that blogging remains a cornerstone in successful marketing strategies. Despite transformative shifts like AI’s rise and E-E-A-T standards, businesses are adapting effectively. Blogging is still a solid, dynamic practice that meets varied marketing goals—achieving brand awareness and generating leads effectively. Continual investment in blogs signifies its ongoing relevance and versatility.
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