Last Updated on June 11, 2025 by Jan Barley
I lost 200 keywords almost overnight because I ignored the fact that goal setting for bloggers is something I should have been on top of.
Quite recently, I hit a wall. I’d just got approved with Journey by Mediavine, which somehow caused me to take my eye off the ball. I’d become lazy about writing blog content and stopped thinking things through before deciding what to write.
Then, my site speed suddenly tanked.
Core Web Vitals. Friend or Enemy?
Because I hadn’t thought about the fundamentals of goal setting for bloggers, such as site speed, Google slapped me on the wrist, took away privileges, and made me sit on the naughty step. I lost 200 keywords practically overnight. That was totally gutting.
I realised something had to change. Fast.
The optimal Large Contentful Paint (what loads above the fold on your website for mobile loading speed) should be less than 2.5 seconds.
Mine was 3.3s, which isn’t abysmal, but other statistics performed poorly.
If you’ve struggled with staying motivated, sticking to goals, or knowing where to start, I’ve got you. I hope this post on goal setting for bloggers will help you avoid the mistakes I made.
However, before we discuss numbers or traffic spikes, we need to address a few things. Why do most blogging goals fail before you even hit publish?
Let’s start there.
Start With Your Why, Not Just Your Word Count Goal
If you haven’t read Simon Sinek’s Book “Start with Why” I highly recommend it. It genuinely helps you to focus on the reasons behind what you do.
It’s tempting to set blogging goals that sound impressive. “I’ll write 100 posts this year” sounds fantastic on paper, but if the reason behind it is just “because that’s what other bloggers are doing,” it’s not going to stick. Trust me, I’ve tried. And here’s why it fails.
I set a target to write over 100 blog posts in 2024. If you had asked me why, I genuinely couldn’t tell you. I achieved my target, but it yielded nothing, or at least only enough income to cover six months’ council tax.
When I first started setting goals for my blog, I was obsessed with statistics. Technically, obsession is an aspect of my ADHD (read Blogging with ADHD) that I struggle to manage.
My site continued to trend upwards, even recovering promptly after Google updates. Still, without a clear purpose behind those goals, I continued to burn out and get distracted.
Those numbers didn’t mean diddly squat because they didn’t translate into anything useful, such as income.
Read: Blogger Burnout is Real: 5 Kick-Ass Strategies to Beat it
Start Shifting Your Blogging Mindset
My motivation didn’t vanish overnight. It just slowly trickled away every time I lost sight of why I started blogging in the first place. I felt depressed and wondered if I had wasted an entire year focusing on the “wrong” things.
So before you start working on your blog, ask yourself this:
- Why did you start your blog?
- How will you know if it’s working?
- Have you set up an email campaign?
- What do you want it to do for your life?
- What challenges are you likely to face?
- What time-saving systems do you have in place?
- What will you do when you inevitably lose motivation?
- Is it a creative outlet? A route to passive income? A way to escape the 9-to-5 hamster wheel?
For me, it was freedom. Freedom to be creative, to work on my terms, and eventually, to earn a living doing something I genuinely enjoyed. I wanted to stop relying on the feast-or-famine nature of client work and build something financially sustainable.
Still, I hadn’t thought it through. I hadn’t considered that goal setting for bloggers meant more than writing a few posts. I hadn’t created an anchor or asked myself any of the questions mentioned above.
Subsequently, I began anchoring my goals to the core reason I started a blog. To do something meaningful and make a full-time income.
Remember it Takes Time
I must be honest and say that it’s early days, so I can’t say that everything has fallen into place yet. However, I have stopped publishing posts just to tick boxes. I’m now building something that matters to me.
If you’re serious about goal setting for bloggers, this is where you begin. Otherwise, every goal you set will feel hollow, and staying motivated will be like trying to wallpaper a wet wall.
Now, once your why is clear, the next step is to make sure your goals don’t feel like an overwhelming to-do list. It’s easy to think that busy means productive, but often that’s not the case. You need structure but not stress.
The next step for goal setting for bloggers is to get specific without feeling stressed or panicky.
Get Specific, But Not in a Way That Triggers Panic
Once you’ve figured out your “why,” it’s time to break that grand vision into something you can get done without drip-feeding coffee.
One of my blogging goals for this year is to publish 150 posts. Sounds massive, right? It is. Isn’t it the same as my intent to write 100 posts in 2024? Yes, but here’s the thing:
- I now know why I’m doing it.
- I’m clearer about my niche.
- I know how challenging it can be.
- I’m not trying to write them all in a single weekend.
- It’s not the only thing I’m doing for my blog: I’m also putting together an email campaign, working on creating digital products and building Pinterest and YouTube accounts.
My goal has become a bit easier because I’ve focused on mastering prompting AI to deliver the best results more quickly.
Don’t Set Impossible Goals
That’s the trick. Goal setting for bloggers doesn’t mean setting impossible targets that leave you paralysed. It means being honest about your time, your energy, your intent, and your ability to get distracted by watching funny parrots on YouTube shorts (guilty).
So, instead of the goal to “grow my blog,” try:
- Publish one blog post a week for three months
- Update one old post every week.
- Batch three post outlines on Mondays.
- Learn to use AI tools to speed up mundane tasks.
- Create a content strategy that you’ll actually use.
Small, clear actions give your brain something to work with. They reduce decision fatigue and help you stay focused on what matters most: consistently publishing targeted blog content.
I still get overwhelmed sometimes, especially when juggling blog work with other projects. But knowing precisely what I need to do each week and why I’m doing it keeps me from spiralling into panic and subsequently doing nothing.
That said, writing blog content regularly isn’t the only thing that helps your blog grow. You could post daily, but if your site takes ten seconds to load, your bounce rate will be higher than your coffee budget.
Let’s talk about how fixing your blog’s foundations can make your goals possible.
Fix the Foundation First, Speed, Tech and Structure
Writing great content is key, but if your blog feels like a slow, creaky old jalopy, you won’t get far.
I learned this the hard way when my site speed suddenly plummeted, and I lost 200 keywords practically overnight. Google has zero tolerance for slow-loading pages, especially on mobile devices.
Shared Hosting vs Virtual Private Server (VPS)
I didn’t know my blog was on shared hosting. There was no mention of that when I started my blog.
What is shared hosting? It means you’re sharing space with other websites. It’s like living in an apartment with ten people and only one bathroom. What if everyone tries to use the bathroom at the same time? Suppose, even one website on the shared hosting receives a lot of traffic, it can slow down your site’s loading times.
If you want your blogging goals actually to pay off, you’ve got to fix the basics first. That means checking your theme, hosting, and overall site performance before obsessing over your next post.
For me, switching from shared hosting to a VPS is a no-brainer. It will make my blog faster and more reliable.
If you feel horrified at the thought of migrating files, don’t worry. Most companies offer a service where they do it for you. It’s costing me £100 + VAT, but it’s worth it.
Updating to a faster and cleaner WordPress theme will also help. My current theme is no longer supported by the company from which I purchased it. Bummer!
These are things that nobody talks about when you start a blog, but they become critical as your blog grows.
Here are some easy ways to get started:
- Utilise free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas precisely where your site’s speed and mobile usability require improvement.
- Consider upgrading your hosting if your current plan is slow. Avoid shared hosting.
- Keep your WordPress theme light and simple, and avoid bloated plugins that can drag down performance. Delete unused plugins.
- Back up your site before any significant changes so you don’t lose everything and have a mini meltdown. The free BackUpWP plugin now features automated daily backups.
Once your blog’s foundation is solid, all your goals, from publishing more posts to growing traffic, suddenly feel more achievable.
And speaking of goals that connect with your audience, have you considered how storytelling can boost your blog? Posting regularly is one thing, but making your readers care is something else entirely.
Let’s explore how adding storytelling to your blog posts can keep your readers hooked and coming back for more.
Add Structure to Your Creativity With Storytelling
Publishing blog posts regularly is great, but if your content feels like a jumble of facts and random thoughts, your readers will lose interest faster than you can say “bounce rate.”
That’s where storytelling comes in.
I used to write posts like a robot churning out information, and I wondered why I wasn’t getting sales. Then, I discovered how a simple storytelling framework could turn my blog into something people enjoyed reading and sharing.
Here’s a basic storytelling formula:
- Start with a hook that grabs attention — a question, a funny moment, or a relatable problem.
- Share a personal story or example to connect emotionally.
- Offer clear tips or advice that readers can use right away.
- Finish with a takeaway or call to action so readers feel inspired to do something.
If you want to build a connection with your readers, goal setting for bloggers must include storytelling elements. This structure makes writing easier and keeps your readers glued to the screen. They’ll feel like you’re chatting with them over a cup of coffee rather than lecturing from a dusty textbook.
Now, once your posts are engaging, you might want to think about how blogging can become more than just a hobby. How are you actually going to generate income?
Have you considered creating courses or digital products to grow your income? It’s easier than you think, and I’m working on it myself.
Plan Your Revenue Streams Early, Even If You’re Not There Yet
If you’re blogging with the dream of turning it into a profitable business, don’t wait until you have 100,000 page views to start thinking about income.
The best time to plan your revenue streams is yesterday. The second-best time? Right now.
For ages, I focused solely on publishing blog posts, hoping that traffic would magically turn into money. It didn’t. So, I started thinking ahead. What could I offer that would genuinely help my readers and generate income?
Here’s what I’m working on:
- A course for new bloggers to skip the chaos and get profitable faster.
- Digital products, such as templates and content planners.
- Publish books on different aspects of blogging on Amazon KDP.
By planning these things early, I’m giving myself a solid foundation to build passive income streams. Plus, knowing that a blog post could lead to a product or email opt-in keeps me more focused when I write.
You don’t have to launch everything at once. Just having a loose roadmap helps guide your decisions and keeps you from chasing every shiny blogging trend that pops up.
Now, speaking of systems, let’s talk about the one most bloggers (myself included) tend to avoid until it’s almost too late: building your email list.
Start The Email List, Even If You Feel Overwhelmed
The thing every blogger tells you to do from day one is to start an email list, which means most of us avoid it for at least a year. Or two. Or, in my case, longer than I care to admit.
Truth: your email list is one of the few things you own as a blogger. It’s also an income blueprint.
Algorithms change, and traffic can vanish overnight (It does!), but that little list of people who’ve said, “Yes, I want to hear more from you,” is gold.
Starting an email campaign doesn’t have to be complicated. I’ve chosen Systeme.io because your first email campaign is free (up to 2,000 subscribers), it’s free to get started, and it’s easy for beginners.
If the idea of email sequences and automation makes your eyes glaze over, keep it simple:
- Create one valuable freebie that helps your audience solve a problem.
- Set up a welcome email to say hello and explain what you’re all about.
- Don’t launch straight out the gate by selling. Provide your subscribers with helpful information to build trust.
- Send one email a week, or even just twice a month, with blog updates or tips. Tell your readers what to expect.
That’s it. There is no need for a fancy funnel or complicated tagging system. Just start and let momentum take over. Oh, and utilise storytelling in your emails.
Once your list is growing, you’ll have a direct line to your readers, which is invaluable when you’re ready to launch a course, sell a product, or get feedback.
Now, let’s bring your blogging goals together into a rhythm that works for you.
Create a Sustainable Blogging Rhythm That Works
One week, you’re full of motivation, sipping oat milk lattes and planning your content calendar. The next, you’re staring blankly at your laptop while wondering if becoming a goat herder might be a better career move.
The solution is to stop hustling and get into a steady rhythm.
Here’s how I’m doing it this year:
- Writing three blog posts a week by batching outlines and content on different days.
- Using AI to brainstorm, draft outlines, ideas, etc.
- Scheduling weekly planning to review my goals, site traffic, and what’s working.
- Checking Pinterest statistics for top-performing pins and writing more of that content.
- I’m giving myself at least one day off from writing and checking analytics.
It’s not about being lazy. It’s about being strategic. Goal setting for bloggers isn’t just ticking boxes. It’s about creating a workflow you can keep up with, enabling you to stay consistent, inspired, and still excited to blog six months from now.
Let’s finish this off with a few reminders and a gentle nudge forward, yeah?
Final Thoughts and a Nudge in the Right Direction
Here’s the truth. Goal setting for bloggers isn’t about big vision boards and ambitious to-do lists. It’s about building something you care about, one blog post, one small win, and one caffeine-fuelled brainstorm at a time.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
This year, I’m focusing on clarity over chaos. I’m creating content that serves one audience, finally setting up systems that support growth, and writing blog posts that feel like a conversation, not a chore. And I’m finally going to set up an email campaign! Please hold me to that!
You can do this too.
Start small. Pick one goal and make it ridiculously doable. Then, build from there. Whether it’s publishing one new post a week, finally sending that first email, or cleaning up your slow old site, just start.
And remember, you’ve got this. You’re building something real, one step at a time. In a year, think how far ahead you will be.
All of these finer details will be in my blogging course, which I hope to start as soon as I’ve published another course I’m writing.
Now, go write that blog post, set that tiny but mighty goal, and take a step forward. I’ll be cheering you on, likely from behind a laptop, surrounded by half-drunk cups of decaf coffee and 25 open tabs.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link.
