If you’re here, you’ve finally decided to overcome the article-blog confusion ruling over the content industry. Almost everyone mistakes one for the other. But as a writer, you do not want to be one of them.
The number of LinkedIn posts using blogs where articles should be has finally convinced me to clear the difference between an article and a blog. Yes, blogs and articles are different in every sense.
To know what makes them different, let’s see what creates confusion among these two.
Difference between articles and blogs (What causes the confusion?)
You’re not alone if you don’t know what differentiates a blog from an article. English is notoriously famous for having multiple words with the same meaning. But thinking every word means the same without the slightest nuanced difference is a rookie mistake.
To be precise, marketers often refer to articles as blogs, which have blurred the distinction. And chances are you got into writing, thinking blogs and articles mean the same.
The reason can be simple: SEO and content marketing are associated with blogs, as blogging is the top content marketing priority, according to 53% of marketers. Blogs are also easy to write and cost less, making them famous even when the correct content type you need is articles.
Businesses and marketers give blog briefs and often call the published content a blog when it is an article.
If everyone’s calling it a blog, why care to differentiate?
Let me give you the reason.
What is a blog?
Simply put, a blog is a weekly letter to your friend. You share your updates and information with that friend by adding anecdotes and writing in a casual tone.
Blogs are the letters your readers receive that tell them more about your business or your niche without making it sound like a boring lecture.
You tell a continuous story that unfolds in each blog. With time, you gain their trust and become the person they think of when in need.
What is an article?
On the other hand, an article is technical, like a letter you write to your school’s principal, if you will.
Its job is to provide information with a polished touch. It is well-researched and follows a logical flow.
The purpose of an article is to make logical points and justify them with research and evidence—like a case study.
The Importance: Does It Matter If You Call It a Blog or an Article?
While businesses and agencies might get away with it, calling them the same can be the writer’s loss. When you don’t know the difference, you charge the same rate for both and work more for less pay.
7 significant differences between an article and a blog
Now that we’ve seen the definitions, let’s look at what makes them different.
Writing Style and Tone
Blogs are made for brevity. They embrace subheadings, bullet points, and brief paragraphs.
The writing style emphasizes white space to capture the audience’s short attention span.
You’ll find blogs written from a first-person point of view. Blogs are an expression of the author’s knowledge on the subject. As you speak with the audience, it advances the storyline.
In addition, the writing style is informal, helpful, and educational. We don’t want readers with short attention spans to become disinterested in long, dull texts.
Articles are written from the third person point of view except for a few exceptions, which use the collective pronoun “we.” Articles don’t share a personal experience. They present the content from a neutral standpoint and display objectivity.
They can use jargon whenever required and might not prioritize conversational language. The goal is to get the information across.
Content Length and Depth
There’s no strict rule for the content length as it depends on the SEO factors to determine the length of each blog. Ideally, limiting the blog length to the word count is not a good practice. But usually, blogs range in between 1000-1500 words. Some blogs also have as few as 300 words.
Articles can go beyond 2000 words and sometimes even reach 5000 words. Their sole purpose is to offer well-researched and thorough information, so word count is often not a deciding factor. It clearly shows that articles are not meant for casual reading.
Audience engagement
Blogs are interactive playgrounds that welcome comments and discussions. You’ll also see blogs experiencing good social media shares. Their short, crisp, and punchy nature contributes to their interactivity.
Articles are not meant for casual places like social media. The discussions on articles will come from subject matter experts who can dedicate enough time to go through the plethora of information and dissect it.
Here’s an example of how Backlinko’s audience interact with the blog:
SEO
SEO practices remain similar for blogs and articles. What differs is the linking strategy.
Blogs follow a continuous narrative through different posts. Multiple posts relate to a similar topic broken down into multiple target keywords. Internal linking does the magic of elevating the topic clusters and increasing discoverability.
Articles focus on external citations and backlinks as they need authority building by connecting with reputable sources and references. High-quality articles also receive decent backlinks, as many other websites cite the articles.
Publication Platforms
Blogs find their home in Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress and Blogger, offering an accessible and user-friendly space for creators.
Articles find a place among journals like Forbes, platforms like Medium, or scholarly collections.
Frequency of Publishing
Blog posts are often published more frequently, sometimes multiple times a week. The emphasis is on regular updates and maintaining a dynamic, active online presence. Blog posts may be time-sensitive and may cover recent events or trends.
Articles may be published less frequently, and more time and research may be invested in each piece.
They are often seen as more substantial, evergreen content. Articles may cover timeless topics or delve into subjects that don’t require immediate updates.
Monetization opportunities
The rates for blogs are lower compared to articles. The reason is the time invested in each content type.
As articles are heavier in research and content length and take the writer more time to complete with precision, their rates are higher. Often, the article writer is a subject matter expert. So, the rates also increase with the writer’s authority.
Whereas blogs are easy to write, and any good writer can delve deep enough to write a decent blog, the rates are low.
Examples of Successful Blogs and Articles
Here are some of the most successful blogs and articles you must be reading every day:
Blogs:
- Ahrefs: Hardly can any other blog hold Ahrefs’s hand when it comes to SEO. Their blogs perfectly exemplify how simplicity meets clarity to educate the audience.
- HubSpot: HubSpot covers marketing, sales, and customer service topics. It provides valuable insights and is engaging to read. The publication has mastered the art of simplifying complex topics in a conversational and informative manner.
- Buffer: Buffer is a social media management platform. It has an informative blog covering social media trends, tips, and case studies. The blog shares insights into their company culture, remote work practices, and lessons learned, fostering a strong connection with their audience.
- Neil Patel: Neil is a well-known authority on digital marketing and maintains a comprehensive blog about entrepreneurship, SEO, and content marketing. The blog is easy and engaging, with multiple case studies from Neil, making it a go-to resource in the community.
Articles:
- Healthline: The site’s articles cover everything from medical conditions and treatments to wellness and lifestyle, catering to a diverse audience seeking reliable health information.
- Forbes: Forbes leverages articles contributed by industry experts, thought leaders, and journalists to provide diverse perspectives and insights on various subjects like business, entrepreneurship, technology, and lifestyle.
- Wired: The publication is renowned for its in-depth innovation, science, and technology pieces. The articles explore the intersection of technology and culture.
- The New York Times: They cover various topics, from current events and politics to lifestyle and culture.
Blog-article convergence
You can publish an article on a blog even though they are separate. A blog-article convergence only helps create authority for your website and offers an SEO boost.
Thought leadership articles help businesses establish themselves as industry experts, add credibility, and build trust on top of attracting leads.
But these content pieces cannot be simply dismissed as blogs. They need more than what blogs offer.
With long-form articles, businesses can leverage case studies and showcase innovative ideas and knowledge. It ultimately leads to customer trust and increases monetization of the blog, i.e., an increase in leads.
Not just that, articles can serve as anchor pieces, providing substance and depth to content pillars. These anchor pieces then help create topic clusters that support content marketing strategies.
The benefits of blog-article convergence don’t stop here!
SEO benefits of Articles
With long-form content comes the use of long-tail keywords. An in-depth article gives you opportunities to incorporate relevant keywords naturally and helps rank for them all.
Articles can easily incorporate Google’s new Helpful content update and E-E-A-T guidelines. You stand a better chance of ranking higher thanks to the informative and engaging articles.
It’s already known that rich visual content, such as images, infographics, videos, charts, etc., attract more backlinks and social shares. Also, expert citations and valuable insights draw links from other reputable websites. As you get a vote of confidence with backlinks, it positively impacts your ranking.
A single article covering multiple topics and keywords creates a well-structured internal linking system that helps increase the authority of individual pages.
If you want to know more about the SEO factors for blogging, check out this article.
What should writers know?
Finally, the distinction is nuanced. However, writers should know when the content strategy demands a blog or an article.
While onboarding new clients or interviewing for a new job, you might be able to write only one form of content. Knowing what to charge depending on the work requirement becomes crucial.
Knowing the difference and striking the right balance will help both you and your clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you know if a website is a blog or article?
A website is likely a blog if it publishes updated content regularly from a first-person point of view. If the website has content written by industry experts, journalists, or thought leaders focused on diverse subjects, it’s an article.
2. Is there a difference in tone or voice between an article and a blog post?
Yes. Typically, blog posts have a casual, friendly, and conversational tone, reflecting the blogger’s personality. In contrast, articles present information objectively without any personalization.
3. How many articles should I write before starting my blog?
It depends on your content strategy and goals. A few well-researched articles can set a strong foundation for your blog if you’re trying to establish an authoritative web presence. A few in-depth articles are better than multiple generic ones.
4. How many blog posts do you write for a new blog in a year?
The frequency of your blog posts depends on your content strategy and resources. A new blog should focus on quality over quantity. Your blog’s frequency can increase as it gains traction if you write well-crafted posts consistently.
