How Often Should Beginners Blog? A Realistic Schedule for Busy New Bloggers
If you’re just starting your blogging journey, you’ve probably asked the most common question out there: how often should beginners blog? And friend, I get it. You want to grow your site, gain traction in the search results, and keep your target audience coming back — but you also need enough time to breathe, work, parent, run a business… and maybe even sip your coffee while it’s still warm. Not to mention, at the time I am writing this post, it is the beginning of December, which is my busiest month personally and for Simply Sunni and our sister site, The Free.
The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all “magic number.” But there is a sweet spot, and it’s far more realistic than you’ve been told.
That is why I have decided to break it down in a way that makes sense for busy beginners. Let’s get started.
Why Frequency Matters: New Content, Fresh Content & Search Engines
Search engines love fresh content, right? Every time you publish a new post, you create an opportunity for search engines to crawl your site, rank your blog, and show your work to a wider target audience. The more consistently you publish, the more “trust signals” you send. Trust signals are those subtle cues to search engines that say, “Hey, I’m here, I’m showing up, and I’m adding fresh content your audience actually needs.” They inform Google that your blog is active, helpful, and building authority, which boosts your chances of appearing in the search results. – Wahoo!
And believe me, consistency beats speed every single time.
“Companies that publish 16 or more blog posts per month get almost 3.5 times more traffic than those that publish four or fewer.” — Marketing Insider Group
Now, does this mean you need to publish 16 posts a month as a beginner? Absolutely not. But it does show how powerful consistent new content can be over time. For example, I publish two posts per week on Simply Sunni, which brings in steady organic traffic and feels totally manageable for my schedule. On the other hand, Hannah writes one valuable content post per week for our brand-new site, The Free. As we continue building out more content and settle into a routine over at thefreenow.com, her posting schedule will naturally increase. You see, realistic goals and consistency go hand in hand for beginner bloggers.
According to FirstSiteGuide, “Blogging once per week is enough for beginners to start gaining organic traffic and momentum.”
This gives you the perfect sweet spot to aim for, without burning out before your blog really gets going. And I know I preach this all the time, but that is why creating a simple, sustainable blogging schedule matters so much when you’re a beginner trying to build organic traffic. For more on that, take a look here: 20 Content Planning Basics.
What the Research Actually Says is the Sweet Spot for Beginners
After digging into the top industry sources, Marketing Insider Group, FirstSiteGuide, Quora discussions, and more, one theme comes up again and again:
✨ Beginners do best with 1–2 posts per week.
That’s it.
You do not need daily posts.
You do not need to hustle like a full-time media team.
You just need a plan you can stick to.
Here’s why 1–2 posts a week is the realistic sweet spot:
You generate enough fresh content for search engines to index and recognize your blog as active.
This pace gives you breathing room to focus on content quality instead of rushing through your ideas.
A schedule like this fits easily into real life, especially when paired with a simple content calendar.
Working at this rhythm trains your mind to think strategically and sustainably, rather than scrambling at the last minute.
It also creates space to update old posts, which is one of the most effective search engine optimization boosts you can give your blog.
Like I always say, you don’t need perfection to grow a blog, you truly don’t. What matters is showing up with consistency, even if your posts aren’t flawless or your schedule isn’t picture-perfect every week. Keep going, keep learning, and keep publishing, because those small steps and blog posts stack up faster than you realize.
Creating a Blogging Schedule That Actually Works for Your Busy Life
Let’s talk about your real world for a moment. You’ve got responsibilities, obligations, and goals, and you’re juggling more than people realize. I’ve been in that same place, trying to build something meaningful while also managing a home, a family, and everything life throws in between. You want growth, but you also want balance, and that’s exactly why your blogging schedule has to match the season you’re in.
So when you ask how often should beginners blog, the real question is:
How often can you maintain the pace without giving up?
Here’s what matters most when creating your blogging schedule:
Energy: If writing drains you, plan shorter posts or alternate long and short weeks.
Time: Be honest about what you can fit in.
Niche: Competitive niches may benefit from extra new content early on.
Readers: Your target audience values helpful content, not rushed content.
Systems: A simple content calendar makes everything easier.
Remember, consistency will always matter more than the frequency of your publishing. You’re building something that lasts, not rushing through a sprint. And trust me, as someone who’s been doing this for years, the long game pays off in ways you can’t see right away, but you will.
A Realistic Beginner Blogging Schedule (Choose Your Sweet Spot)
Here are three simple schedules you can try, depending on what pace feels right for you and the season you’re in.
1. The “One Post a Week” Starter Schedule
Perfect for absolute beginners or anyone with a full plate.
Publish: 1 new post every Monday
Update: 1 old post every month
It’s the easiest way to build momentum without stress
2. The “Growth Mode” Schedule (1–2 Posts Weekly)
Ready to grow a little faster without burning out.
Publish: 1 new post per week
Bonus: 1 quick-win post every other week
Maintain: Update an old post monthly
3. The “Fast-Track” Schedule (2–3 Posts Weekly)
If you have more time or help, this builds authority fast.
Publish: 2 strong posts per week
Bonus: 1 short-form post when possible (FAQs, tips, lists)
Maintain: Update one old post every two weeks
Pick one and commit to it for 90 days. Then adjust based on traffic, life changes, and your goals. For me, I tend to hover somewhere between Growth Mode and the Fast Track on Simply Sunni — partly because of my schedule, partly because of family life, and partly because I’m working on two companies at once. So give yourself that same flexibility as you find your own rhythm.
Sunni’s Pro Tip: Your Blogging Schedule Only Works If It Fits Your Life
Here are the five steps I recommend to every single beginner blogger:
Choose your frequency (1 or 2 posts per week is ideal).
Block a writing day — the same day every week.
Use a simple content calendar with themes, keywords, and deadlines.
Batch your ideas monthly so you never sit down to write from scratch.
Update old posts regularly — they already rank, so help them grow.
This is how you build a blog that works even while you sleep.
What I Wish Someone Told Me When I Started
When I first started blogging, I really believed I had to keep up with everyone else. I saw people posting daily, cranking out massive content calendars, and acting like they had a whole newsroom behind them. And honestly? I almost gave up more than once because it felt impossible to keep up. I was building Simply Sunni from scratch, still raising a family, still figuring out what I wanted this business to look like, and it was a lot.
But over time, I learned something important:
A blog grows by showing up – not by sprinting.
Once I found a rhythm that fit my real life, Simply Sunni finally started taking off. And now, watching The Free grow so quickly just reminds me how powerful consistency really is. We’re starting out strong over there with steady posts, steady structure, and good momentum. And I can already see it catching fire faster than Simply Sunni did in the beginning. Hindsight really does change how you build the next thing.
If you write just one helpful post every week, that’s 52 opportunities each year for Google to find you, rank you, and bring your ideal readers right to your digital doorstep. You just need a rhythm that you can actually maintain long-term.
And you’ve got this. Truly.
Where to Go Next (Your Next Best Steps)
Before you click away, here’s what I recommend as your next move. These two resources will help you stay consistent and actually get eyes on the content you’re working so hard to create.
If you’re trying to add more to your posting:
Check out Consistent Content Strategy Around Seasonal Freebies. It walks you through how to use seasonal freebies to keep your momentum going without feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re ready to grow your visibility:
Take a peek at How to Promote Your Blog inside the Simply Courses (and it is FREE). This is exactly how I built traffic without spending hours a day promoting myself.
I’m cheering for you as you take these next steps, and I can’t wait to see what you build.
