The Top 20 Writing Blogs of 2021

We’ve ranked the Top 20 Writing Blogs according to site ranking, traffic, social engagement and a number of other analytical statistics. The ranking formula itself is complex and results are based only on our interpretation of the same.  

We visited over 65 blogs and gathered as much data as possible for our analysis. Ranking points were allocated to each of the blogs and aggregate totals calculated. The blogs were then ranked and a countdown of the Top 20 Writing Blogs was compiled.

Here are the results:-

20. The Creative Penn

Joanna Penn is based in Bath, England and is a best selling author of both novels and non-fiction books. The Creative Penn offers information and inspiration on writing, self-publishing, book marketing and how to make a living with your writing through articles, podcast episodes, video, books and courses. The Creative Penn blog features many posts featuring interviews with specialists in the writing profession. It is a valuable resource for writers in many walks of business and life. The Creative Penn earned 48 ranking points in our analysis.

The post with the most: The AI-Augmented Author. Writing With GPT-3 With Paul Bellow

19. Men with Pens

Expert copywriter and web designer, James Chartrand, used her pseudonym to break into a male-dominated profession nearly two decades ago. She rose through the ranks, founding two world-recognized businesses from scratch. Men with Pens’ blog is kept current and features an occasional guest writer. It deals with all things copywriting and has gained a reputation for quality content among copywriters worldwide. Men with Pens scored 50 points in our analysis.

The post with the most: How To Spot, Fix and Eliminate Passive Voice In Everything You Write

18. BuzzSumo

Millions of marketers rely on BuzzSumo to reveal the truth about what content works and what sinks without a trace. The site consists of four sections: discovery, research, influence and monitoring. With numerous contributors, the BuzzSumo blog is a valuable resource for content and influencer marketers, whilst also catering for digital PR and video marketing. BuzzSumo scored 57 analysis points.

The post with the most: 6 Tips On How To Use Customer Question Research To Improve Content

17. Ben Settle

Ben Settle describes himself as an email supremacist, book & newsletter publisher, pulp novelist, software investor and alt-copywriter. His blog posts are opinion-based, first person dialogues designed to grasp his readers’ attention and not let go. Ben Settle’s blog achieved 59 ranking points in our analysis.

The post with the most: Why the Headline is No Longer 90% of the Battle in Copywriting

16. Grammarly

Grammarly’s blog provides an array of writing tips that can assist writers from all sectors of the writing industry. The blog is generally up-to-date, with the last post about a month old at present. It makes use of a number of contributors and some enlightening articles can be found with minimal navigation. Grammarly scored 60 points in our analysis.

The post with the most:  Punctuation: Everything You Need to Know

15. Sprout Blog

Sprout Social is a leader in social usability, ROI and user adoption. The site’s blog, Sprout Blog, is rooted in social media strategy and management, with a variety of tips and tricks to help to make the most of your social marketing efforts. Sprout Blog is always up-to-date, and features a number of contributors. It received 60 ranking points in our analysis.

The post with the most: Hear me out… Social isn’t about innovation, it’s about who can do it best

14. Success Works

Success Works is the brainchild of Heather Lloyd Martin, described by Forbes as “the pioneer of SEO copywriting”. She is a consultant and educator who “loves helping writers understand the art and science of SEO writing”. Her frequently-updated blog, unsurprisingly, focuses on SEO copywriting and contains a massive amount of information on the subject. Success Works also earned 60 points in our analysis.

The post with the most: How to Write Powerful FAQ Pages That Grab Great Search Positions

13. Seth’s Blog

Esteemed author, entrepreneur and speaker Seth Godin has written 19 best sellers, delivered over 1000 speeches and completed upwards of 7500 blog posts. His blog is up-to-date, and his posts, while short, are thought-provoking and inspirational. Seth’s Blog scored 64 analysis ranking points.

The post with the most: “You’re not that good”

12. WritetoDone

WritetoDone’s blog targets writers in general. It includes a number of tips and tricks to keep writers, whether fiction or nonfiction, on their toes. The majority of their recent posts are guest-written, containing lots of well-written evergreen content. WritetoDone’s blog picked up 66 points in our analysis.

The post with the most: Persuasive Writing Techniques: A Step-by-Step Approach

11. CXL

CXL was founded in 2011 by Peep Laja, the #1 most influential conversion rate optimization expert in the world, and Viljo Vabrit. It has fast become one of the most sought-after destinations for digital marketing courses worldwide. The CXL Conversion Optimization & Marketing Blog features a number of categories, with its copywriting section visited by multitudes of copywriters and content strategists on a daily basis. Although posts to this section don’t appear weekly or even monthly, it contains a vast amount of valuable evergreen content. The blog, on a whole, is frequently updated. CXL earned a total of 67 ranking points.

The post with the most: A Copy Testing Methodology for the Digital Age

10. The Convince & Convert Blog

The Convince & Convert Blog primarily targets content and digital strategists and, while not entirely focused on writing, contains enough relevant content to assist content and copywriters in their fields of expertise. The blog has a number of contributors and is very relevant in today’s age. 67 points were scored by The Convince & Convert Blog in our analysis.

The post with the most: How to Boost the Performance of Every Blog Article You Write

09. Smart Blogger

Smart Blogger was created by popular blogger, Jon Morrow, in 2012. It currently has an audience of over 100,000 email subscribers and has created a business of over $100,000 monthly by teaching people to write and blog. As such, the blog’s posts are mainly centred around those topics. The blog is always current with tons of readable content. Smart Blogger earned 68 analysis points.

The post with the most: How to Become a Copywriter & Earn Six Figures (2021 Guide)

08. AWAI Writer’s Blog

The blog for the American Writers & Artists Institute is packed with tips and tricks for freelance writers, copywriters and practically any other type of writers too. With multiple contributors it has loads of content and is kept updated with regular posts. The AWAI Writer’s Blog earned 69 points in our analysis.

The post with the most: Launch Your Freelance Copywriting Business in 21 Days

07. Goins, Writer

Jeff Goins is the best-selling author of 5 books, including The Art of Work and Real Artists Don’t Starve. His blog includes numerous writing and product tips, and interviews with a number of professionals in their chosen fields. The Goins, Writer blog achieved 70 analysis ranking points.

The post with the most: 3 Kinds of Creators: Which One Are You?

06. Bob Bly’s Blog

Bob Bly has over 40 years of experience in the copywriting industry. He is the author of over 100 published books including the acclaimed Digital Marketing Handbook and The Copywriter’s Handbook. His blog contains a wealth of information on copywriting, branding, blogging, advertising, and digital writing among others. Although the blog has been dormant since 2018, it remains a wealth of valuable information in the industry. Bob Bly’s Blog picked up 74 points in our analysis.

The post with the most: The #1 success factor (hint: it’s not passion)

05. Make A Living Writing

Make A Living Writing is a website that assists freelance writers with every facet of succeeding in a competitive market. The blog, although not active, is extensive, with over 1200 accessible posts. The advice given is predominantly evergreen, and numerous visitors’ comments add to the already-massive amount of content included. Make A Living Writing’s blog scored 75 ranking points.

The post with the most: The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Freelance Writer: How To Get Started Without Credentials

04. The Content Strategist

Contently’s The Content Strategist blog is an up-to-date page of links to numerous posts dealing with content strategy, content marketing and social media. It is resource-filled, including studies and research which will be useful to many in the industry. The Content Strategist scored 76 points in our blog analysis.

The post with the most: Empathy Mapping: The Secret Ingredient of Content Strategy You Can’t Overlook

03. The Hubspot Marketing Blog

Hubspot is another site that isn’t all about writing, but a number of relevant posts that appeal to content writers means that it makes our list after analysis. Primarily a marketing blog, The Hubspot Marketing Blog is full of tips and other content that will keep writers busy and happy. It scores 77 points in our analysis.

The post with the most: 4 Content Types That Get Non-Organic Traffic, According to Content Strategists

02. Copyhackers

Canada-based copywriting business, Copyhackers, was founded by Joanna Wiebe in 2011. Specializing in assisting businesses with connecting products to their customers, Joanna’s expertise with anything copy-related has thrust Copyhackers to the forefront of the copywriting industry. The blog features a number of articles by Joanna herself, along with contributions by guests including the likes of the acclaimed Aaron Orendorff. It deals with subject matter which include copywriting, growth marketing and freelancing. Copyhackers also picked up a creditable 77 analysis points.

The post with the most: 29 Quotes That Perfectly Explain What Copywriting Means

And the winning blog is…

We’ve completed 19 of the Top 20 Writing Blogs which, I’m sure you’ll agree, include a variety of different genres within the field of writing. The #1 blog in our countdown was founded by Brian Clark in 2006. Since then it has become the leader in content marketing blogging, whilst also catering for copywriting and design readers. Its name is, of course, Copyblogger.

01. Copyblogger

Early in April 2021, Brian Clark announced on the blog that he was stepping down as CEO of the company in order to concentrate on his other ventures – Further, a popular personal growth newsletter, and Unemployable, which is a resource offering smart strategies for freelancers and entrepreneurs. Although Clark has departed as day-to-day manager of the company, Copyblogger will continue under the guidance of his partner, Tim Stoddart. Copyblogger is entering a new era and, with a massive 84 points in our analysis, begins its new journey as ContentBot’s no.1 blog in the list of the Top 20 Writing Blogs.

The post with the most: Did Alanis Morissette Get Irony Right?

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