Inevitably, every year at this time, we get the rash of “is blogging dead” posts.
Blogging isn’t dead — but it has changed.
A lot.
Back in 2009, when I started Location Rebel, it was a lot easier to stand out. There was less competition, fewer distractions, and you could rank blog posts on Google in a matter of weeks.
- AI summaries increasingly dominate Google results.
- Social platforms are noisier than ever.
- Readers have endless options for where to spend their attention….not to mention, a much shorter attention span.
In this post, I’ll share five strategies that are working right now to grow your blog in 2026 — and set you up for long-term success.
I was also hanging out with my good friend, Corbett Barr, and we had a little chat about whether blogging is dead. And he brought up a couple of very good points:
How to Grow Your Blog in 2026
Before we go into all the details of how to grow a blog, it’s important to make sure you have a blog. And the best way to do that is to get a site up and running.
Don’t worry if you don’t have one yet; it’s incredibly easy to get going, and we created an in-depth tutorial that walks you through exactly how to do it.
Check out: How to Start a Blog in 2024 (Step by Step)
1) Embrace At Least One Other Platform
The reality is, people aren’t hanging out on blogs quite like they used to. Across the board, people have seen traffic stagnate or decline. This could be due to any number of reasons, but a big part of it is that readers are spending their time elsewhere.
Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others have increased in popularity to the point where a user can spend time on one of those platforms, and see content from all of their favorite bloggers.
Often, the content is similar (or even better) to what you find on the blog itself, so it makes sense.
- YouTube Shorts and long-form videos for tutorials and storytelling.
- LinkedIn for building credibility and attracting B2B clients.
- TikTok if your content is visual, lifestyle-focused, or niche-driven.
- Podcasts if your audience prefers audio learning.
In 2026, you can’t just expect people to find you easily the way they might have in the past. You have to make yourself stand out, which is hard when you’re first getting started.
But, by devoting just as much time to at least one other medium, as you do your blog, you’ll see traffic, income, and loyalty increase in the process.
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2) Invest in More Video Content to Complement Your Blog
Video is blowing up in popularity online.
Why?
Well for one, it’s gotten so much easier to do over the last few years.
I mean, look at Instagram Stories for instance. People have built entire brands simply around their daily stories.
So why do I personally think video is so important?
Hint: It’s not for fame, subscribers, or traffic.
Then what is it?
It all comes down to a single word:
Trust.
It’s one thing for you to read my blog, or get an email from me – but it doesn’t really give you a sense of exactly who I am, what my personality is like, and frankly if I’m someone you like or trust.
In an AI-driven world, readers crave authenticity. They want to know there’s a real person behind the words. Video builds trust faster than a written post ever can.
Whether you’re recording YouTube videos, embedding quick Loom walk-throughs, or publishing Instagram Reels, video gives your audience a chance to see you, hear you, and decide if they trust you.
Some people won’t resonate with your style or personality, but what’s most important is that others will.
It allows you to find your true fans, build trust with them, and give them another way to digest content from you.
So whether you do this with a social media platform, on YouTube, or simply with self-hosted videos on your site, the more you embrace video, the easier blogging will become.
Debating about a blog vs vlog content strategy? Check out this post.
Starting a vlog is also an excellent way to get in the habit of producing more video. This video OLD, but it’s still just as relevant today as it was when I shot it years ago:
3) Build and Nurture an Email List
Whether we like it or not, the most effective medium we still have for actually building a real business around a blog is an email list.
That’s the best way to monetize a site, provide value that gets seen on a regular basis, and build trust is email.
Google algorithms can change, Twitter (ahem, X) can implode, but an email list? You control it. If everything else in your business disappears, if you have you list you can quickly rebuild.
- Turn casual readers into loyal fans.
- Promote products and services directly.
- Create recurring income without depending on outside platforms.
When people ask me how I’ve sustained Location Rebel for over 15 years, my answer is simple: the blog brings people in, but email is what keeps them around.
If you haven’t set up a system yet, tools like Kit (formerly ConvertKit) make it simple to start growing your list today.
4) Become a Better Copywriter
The single most valuable skill you can learn in business, and possibly in life is copywriting.
If you can be persuasive with your words, then you’ll never hurt for money again.
- You’ll be able to write compelling sales pages.
- Do reviews for affiliate products.
- Send emails that get opened and get the responses you want.
- Write blog headlines that make people click.
You get the idea.
Spending time learning copywriting has been the best investment I’ve made in myself, and it’s why I spend so much time talking about it.
And one of the best ways to learn copywriting? CopyHour. It’s a little bit unconventional, but it works. Check out my review of it here.
Looking for a little boost right away? Try these copywriting exercises:
5) Build Topical Authority (Not Just Random Posts)
This is where most writers go wrong. They publish a bunch of random posts on different topics and wonder why nothing takes off.
In 2026, the way to grow your blog is to go deep, not wide. Google has put increased emphasis on rewarding expertise and topical authority. With AI generating mountains of generic content, both readers and search engines are rewarding writers who can show they truly know their subject.
That means focusing your site around a specific niche or style of writing and build depth.
- If you want to land insurance writing clients, build a content library around insurance topics: guides, explainers, and case studies that prove you understand the industry.
- If your specialty is LinkedIn ghostwriting, create posts about personal branding, LinkedIn algorithms, post frameworks, and client success stories.
- If you’re aiming at video scriptwriting, publish articles about pacing, storytelling techniques, and examples of high-performing scripts.
This shows Google you really know what you’re talking about and you’re an expert. That helps build trust and authority — exactly what you need to help protect yourself from AI.
So, Is Blogging Dead? No. It’s Just Evolved.
In the end, blogging isn’t dead. While it’s harder than it once was, there are so many benefits to starting one, that I still think it’s a great first step for most people.
And if you embrace the 5 things we talked about in this post, you’re going to be ahead of 99% of bloggers. You’ll see growth well into 2024 and beyond, and have a fantastic brand and business that can give you more freedom than you ever expected.
Want to get going on your own lifestyle business? Awesome, let’s do it.
Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle is the Founder of Location Rebel where he has spent the last 12+ years teaching people how to build online businesses that give them the freedom to do more of the things they like to do in life. When he's not in the coffee shops of Portland, or the beaches of Bali, he's probably sneaking into some other high-class establishment where he most certainly doesn't belong.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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Thank you so much. I feel the one mistake most bloggers make is they don’t embrace one other platform. Pinterest is a good platform to drive traffic to your blog and it’s definitely worth focusing on when you just starting your blog. Also, one thing I would like to add is doing proper keyword research before starting your blog so you don’t spend time writing content nobody is going to find.
Hey, great article. All very solid points. People who are thinking to start a blog should consider giving this a read as well as people who are struggling to get somewhere with blogging. I’ll definitely share it with a few colleagues. Cheers!
thanks for growing my blog posts …