11 Daily Reasons Why Bloggers Are NOT Successful

Not all bloggers make it.

It’s a fact, a lot don’t.

And it’s usually not some dramatic flaw or one big mistake holding them back… it’s the little things.

I’ve been blogging for over 10 years and have seen countless bloggers come and go.

The ones who disappeared? They almost always fell victim to the same handful of bad habits. Heck, I struggled with a few of these myself back in the day! (Messing with designs, trying to make everything perfect, and getting discouraged because my competitors were crushing it—and so much more.)

But the successful bloggers I’ve studied? They know how to avoid these traps.

Those f–ing annoying and crazy daily habits, the silly routines that seem harmless (or even productive) but actually pile up to form a massive roadblock between them and success, these are why bloggers are not successful.

Plus, and I’ll be 100% honest here… Artificial Intelligence is a Biiiiiiiiig thing right now, and it’s a bit of a curse if AI is not used correctly, but that’s for another post…

If you’re wondering why your blog isn’t going anywhere, take a hard look at your daily habits.

Are you spending more time tinkering with your blog’s font than writing posts? (Here’s looking at you name beginning with ‘J’, you know who you are).

Or maybe you’re checking your traffic stats every ten minutes, hoping numbers will magically double?

Spoiler ALERT: they won’t.

This isn’t a list of high-level strategies or shiny new tools to make your blog pop overnight.

This is about the mundane boring stuff… things you’re doing every day that are dragging your blog down, and in whole truth… making you fail.

So if you’re ready for a reality check, I got you… Oh, by the way… I was damn guilty of ALL of these.

11 Daily Reasons Why Bloggers Are NOT Successful – How Many Can You Tick Off?

Note… number 11 is my BIGGEST PEEVE… this kills motivation.

1. Waking Up Without a Blogging Game Plan

If you’re rolling out of bed and wondering, “What should I do on my blog today?” you’re already losing.

Non-successful bloggers treat their blog like a hobby, working on it only when inspiration strikes… or when they’re bored. This lack of structure means you waste your time deciding what to do if you do anything at all.

How to Fix It: Get a Plan. And no, it doesn’t have to be a 50-page manifesto… although, it’s not a bad idea.

Just start with a simple weekly schedule using Google Sheets like I did here (well this is for a month)… Decide what you’re writing, when it’s getting published, and which promotional steps you’ll take afterward.

And yes, I still use Google Sheets to this day… It’s simple and great for new bloggers to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Use ChatGPT to come up with blog post ideas, then do some keyword research around them to figure out what keywords to target.

Having a plan keeps you on track, so you’re moving forward instead of just spinning in circles.

2. Checking Stats Obsessively Instead of Creating Content

Non-successful bloggers have an unhealthy obsession with numbers…

Traffic, page views, bounce rates… they watch these metrics like a hawk, hoping that refreshing Google Analytics every ten minutes will somehow double their traffic. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

How to Fix It: Set boundaries with yourself. Limit your stat-checking to once a day, maybe even once a week.

I check stats 1 time per week, on Monday, and then I let it roll for the rest of the week.

Use the saved time to actually create content or improve what’s already there. Trust me, one well-written blog post will do more for your traffic than 100 stat refreshes ever could.

3. Writing a Post Without Any Keyword Research

Here’s the simple truth… Non-successful bloggers think they can write whatever comes to mind and that readers will just “find” them.

They skip keyword research entirely, assuming the quality of their content alone will bring in traffic.

Truth… Google doesn’t operate on wishful thinking. If you’re not using keywords, you’re making it impossible for people to discover your posts.

How to Fix It: Spend 10-15 minutes each day on keyword research.

Look up one main keyword for each post idea and build around it.

Tools like Keysearch, or even Google A-Z can point you in the right direction. Many people call this method Google Alphabet Soup, as you can see from the image, put in your keyword, the go from A-Z, typing a, and seeing the results, be and seeing what comes up… etc…

A quick search on Google can help you gauge what topics people actually care about. This small habit adjustment can make a big difference in how well your blog performs.

4. Scrolling Social Media “for Inspiration” but Never Posting

Another reason why bloggers are not successful is this… scrolling…. people love to convince themselves that hours spent scrolling through social media are just “research” or “idea hunting.”

In reality, it’s usually procrastination in disguise.

They can find a few ideas, sure, but the scrolling never turns into actual posts or engagement. Instead, they get sucked into everyone else’s content, wasting time and energy on things that won’t move their own blog forward.

How to Fix It: Set a daily social media timer and make sure you’re creating more than you’re consuming.

Limit your “inspiration scrolls” to 10 minutes, max.

And if you find an idea? Turn it into your own content or engage directly with your followers—just do something with it instead of letting it vanish into the scrolling void.

Get the Time Doctor app to see how much time you spend on each platform… massively eye-opening. We use it to track employee contractors from outside, people we outsource work to.

5. Editing Drafts Endlessly and Never Hitting Publish

Perfectionism… F*CK IT!

Non-successful bloggers re-read and edit their drafts endlessly, convinced that each post has to be flawless before it sees the light of day.

The result? A collection of half-finished drafts and nothing published. And guess what? A draft sitting in your dashboard does absolutely nothing for your blog.

How to Fix It: Set a time limit for editing and stick to it.

Aim for “good enough” rather than “perfect.” A slightly imperfect post that’s live is infinitely more valuable than a perfect one that’s never published. Remember, you can always go back and update later, but you can’t build an audience on drafts.

6. Avoiding Email List Growth Every Single Day

A daily habit of ignoring your email list can cost you in the long run. Non-successful bloggers often avoid mentioning their email list altogether, skipping simple sign-up CTAs because it feels too “salesy” or they think they’ll “get to it later.”

To be honest… “later” never comes, and they miss out on growing a list that could provide consistent traffic, engagement, and potential income.

My email list brings in most income, both from sales of my training courses but also sales of affiliate products I promote.

I ran a simple email promotion last week for Hosting with Hostinger brought in 33 sales in 1 hour… why? Because it helped my students and was relevant. You can see the results in the image below. If you go now, you can still get this deal at Hostinger. Also, use the Code CIARAN10 to get an extra 10% off.

Why do I tell you this… well it’s this simple. If you don’t email your list you don’t build a relationship, and you don’t make sales. Sales are a byproduct of a good relationship… but don’t OVERPROMOTE. Only when you find something your people will love.

How to Fix It: Make email list growth a small daily priority. It doesn’t have to be an in-your-face sales pitch—just mention it subtly in posts or add a quick call-to-action at the end of each article.

I remember hearing from a training from a guy called Daegan Smith… “Just think of one thing that can help your list and email them it, that’s it, just one little tip”… or something of that nature.

Over time, this small habit builds your list and keeps readers coming back to your blog.

7. Reading About Blogging Instead of Actually Blogging

Ah, the irony. Non-successful bloggers love to read about successful blogging rather than actually blogging themselves.

They dive into articles, watch endless videos, and even buy courses—all under the guise of “learning.”

While some education is good, overloading on theory without any action leads straight down a road to nowhere.

How to Fix It: For every 30 minutes you spend learning, commit to 30 minutes of doing. Apply at least one new tip or strategy you’ve learned each day, even if it’s small. Action is what turns knowledge into results, so make sure you’re spending as much time blogging as you are reading about it.

I use a 30 Minute Pomodoro Timer for this… 30 minutes set, 5 minutes break, 30 minutes set… works wonders for action taking.

8. Checking Competitors and Feeling Discouraged

Non-successful bloggers love to check out their competitors—usually to see how much better they’re doing.

They browse competitor sites, check their social media, and then sit back feeling defeated, convinced they’ll never measure up.

Instead of taking notes or getting inspired, they end up demotivated and stuck in comparison mode.

I had this big time, which is why I never launched this blog… it was when I said “F*uck It” and just went with it… booom, things started to change for me.

How to Fix It: Limit competitor “research” to once a week, and don’t just look—take notes on what they’re doing well and think about how you can adapt it to your own blog. Remember, their success doesn’t mean yours is bad, and your growth isn’t defined by anyone else’s journey.

Use what you find to improve, not to feel discouraged.

There is a book you should read called Screw It Just Let’s Do It by Richard Branson that should get your let’s do this vibe going. Branson’s books are ALWAYS top-notch.

Who doesn’t want to learn from a billionaire businessman? I love his life story here, you can check out.

9. Neglecting Engagement Opportunities with Readers

Non-successful bloggers tend to view comments, DMs, and emails as distractions. They often ignore these interactions, missing out on building connections with their readers. If you have ever sent me a message you know that pretty much 9.5 times out of 10 I will reply, it’s just part of it…

What they don’t realize is that engagement isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s the foundation of community and loyalty, which keeps people coming back to the blog.

How to Fix It: Dedicate 10 minutes each day to engaging with your audience.

Reply to blog comments, answer emails, messenger and acknowledge people who reach out. When readers see that you’re responsive and genuinely interested, they’re more likely to stick around, recommend your blog, and even become subscribers.

10. Putting Off Monetization Until ‘Someday’

Many bloggers hesitate to monetize their blogs, thinking it’s too soon or that they’re not “big enough” yet. They push off adding affiliate links, creating sponsored content, or promoting products, assuming they’ll figure it out “later.”

But with that mindset, “later” never arrives, and they miss out on easy opportunities to start generating income.

Here’s a great example of a review for SurferSEO on my blog that you can copy when creating affiliate reviews.

How to Fix It: Here’s the truth though… you don’t need something as fancy as that review I mentioned here, seriously, don’t wait for the “perfect” moment to start monetizing…

Test small ways to introduce monetization daily, like adding a simple affiliate link or a call-to-action at the end of a post. Even a small daily step builds toward consistent income over time, and you’ll learn as you go.

11. Obsessing Over Small Design Elements When They Aren’t Designers

Non-successful bloggers often spend hours tweaking fonts, adjusting button colors, or rearranging page elements. Look, yes… design matters, but spending too much time on it when you’re not a designer can become a daily time-waster that keeps you from creating actual content.

The hard truth? Visitors care more about your content than your button style.

How to Fix It: Choose a clean, user-friendly design and stick with it. You don’t need a bunch of fancy bells, whistles, and colors. A cool new theme I’ve been using is called Blocksky, and it’s got some cool free starter sites.

In my experience, the most successful blogs have a few key things in common: they’re clean and easy to read. That’s it!

Invest time in writing posts, not niggly little pixel bits. Unless you’re a design pro, let your template do the heavy lifting… get a starter site, they rock. A blog that’s full of valuable content with a decent design will outperform a polished blog with nothing to read any day.

My final thoughts… Break the Habits and Break Through

These daily habits may seem harmless on their own, but combined, they’re like dead weight dragging a blog down.

If you recognize any of these habits in yourself, consider this a wake-up call… seriously… Small changes in your daily approach can be the difference between a blog that struggles and one that actually makes money. I suppose so much of this game is about mentality and being tough with yourself.

So stop checking those stats, skip the endless drafts, and start focusing on the work that will actually move the needle. Blogging success is all about what you do daily… consistently… make sure it counts.