Is Substack a Blog? And Should You Use It Instead of Your Website?
Is Substack a blog? Well, kind of. You absolutely can use Substack for blogging, but I don't really see Substack and a blog on your business website as doing the same job.
It’s something I get asked about quite a lot so today we’re writing a blog on it!
These questions come up again and again.
Should I be blogging on my website? Should I be writing on Substack? Should I put my blogs on both?
So let's have a dive into the difference, because where you publish your content matters, especially if one of your goals is getting more visible in Google, ChatGPT and other answer engines.
If you're putting all that effort into writing, you want to squeeze every bit of SEO and AEO juice out of it that you possibly can.
What is Substack?
Substack is a publishing platform that lets you create written posts, newsletters, audio, video, and other content, and build an audience of subscribers around it.
You can publish content that anyone can read for free, charge for access to some or all of your content, or use a mixture of free and paid posts. Substack explains the publishing options here.
And it’s become MASSIVE.
Substack now has more than 5 million paid subscriptions, with millions more people subscribing to free publications across the platform.
But what I find really interesting about Substack is the type of content people seem to want to read there.
Substack feels very different from a traditional business blog
This obviously isn't a rule. You can write about whatever the heck you like on your own Substack.
But Substack seems to be doing incredibly well with:
longer-form writing
opinion pieces
thought leadership
personal stories
observations
behind-the-scenes content
essays
slightly deeper, more reflective content
It's generally a bit more personal than your average business Instagram account or website.
If I posted something called “5 Ways to Optimise Your Homepage for SEO”, of course I “could” build an audience for it.
But that's not really what draws me to Substack, and I think it’s the same for others.
I have been using mine to write about my own journey through business, life and religious deconstruction. Not the kind of content I would post on my website. It’s like my inner sanctum.
And that's partly why I love it.
It gives me a little bit of separation between Sam the business and Sam the person who sometimes has A LOT of thoughts.
So what is a blog on your website actually for?
This is where I think people sometimes get confused, and why you’re all asking me the same questions.
A business blog isn't just a place to post company news. (You can, by the way).
And I don't think your blogging strategy should be: “Ooooh, what shall I write about this week?”
A blog on your business website should contain useful articles that have been intentionally built around the subjects your business wants to become known for.
Those articles answer the questions, problems and searches your potential customers have around those subjects. And the only way to do that is to research. Not guess.
So before I write a blog for SEO, I generally want to know things like:
What are people actually searching for?
What exact words are they using?
What questions keep appearing around this subject?
What does Google already think someone searching this phrase wants to know?
What other related topics and entities need to be included for us to cover this properly?
That's where keyword and search intent research comes in.
This blog was written around the keyword “Is Substack a Blog?” It gets 30 searches a month, and looking at how competitive it is to rank, at the moment the competition is low. That’s how I base my writing decisions depending on how old the website is and what authority it already has. And I’m woefully behind on my own SEO, so this should be an easy win for me. And of course be super useful for you!
Website blogging is intentional rather than “I have a thought I want to share it”
Let's say you're a wedding photographer.
You might discover people are searching for:
“how much does a wedding photographer cost”
So we don't just write a vague article about wedding photography.
We can create a useful resource that answers that specific question, then explore everything someone making that search is likely to want to know.
Things like:
what affects the price of wedding photography
average photography costs
how the day affects the costs
travel costs
different album options
pre-shoot options
We're still writing naturally – this isn’t a robotic article. We're still giving opinions and sharing expertise.
But there's intent behind the article.
Someone is already looking for this information, so we're creating the best possible answer for them.
And importantly, that article is sitting on the wedding photographer’s own website, surrounded by all of their other content, services, expertise, case studies and information.
That's incredibly useful for SEO AND to highlight YOU as the go-to expert. They’re going to feel safer with you because of all these other authority signals your website is giving off.
Does Substack have SEO?
Yes. Substack posts can appear in search engines.
Substack says it works behind the scenes to help publications get indexed and ranked in search engines.
So I definitely wouldn't say: Substack = no SEO.
But if my main objective was to increase the organic visibility of my business website, I'd still prioritise publishing strategic search-led content on my own website.
Why? Because that's the ecosystem I'm trying to grow.
Every relevant article gives me another opportunity to build out my core topics, internally link between related content, demonstrate my expertise and send people towards my services.
And instead of someone discovering me on another platform and then needing to make their way over to my website, they're already there.
Blogging matters for AEO too
This isn't just about traditional Google rankings anymore. Although honestly, I don’t think they will ever go, they’ll just evolve.
Good website content can also help search engines and answer engines understand:
Who are you?
What are you an expert in?
Who do you help?
What topics are closely associated with you and your business?
If you've got a website containing clear, well-structured, genuinely helpful content around your core areas of expertise, you're giving those systems far more information to work with.
All the lovely SEO and AEO stuff I bang on about constantly.
So, is Substack better than a blog?
This isn’t really the question because I think they serve different jobs.
For me:
Your website blog is primarily a search and authority asset.
It's strategic. It's built around the questions your audience is searching for and the subjects you want your business to be found for.
Substack is primarily a publishing and audience-building platform.
It gives you room to explore ideas, opinions, stories and deeper thoughts while developing a direct relationship with people who actively choose to subscribe to what you write. It’s another form of lead generation.
Substack also describes a built-in discovery network that helps readers find new publications.
There can obviously be a crossover between the two. But I wouldn't automatically publish exactly the same thing everywhere. Instead think about the purpose of the content.
Can you use Substack and a website blog together?
Sure!
You could write a search-focused article on your website and then use the same subject as inspiration for a much more opinion-led Substack where you’re not having to think strategically about your content, headings, linking strategy etc.! You can go a bit more free flow.
For example, my website article might be:
“Is Substack a Blog? Substack vs Blogging on Your Website”
Hello. You’re reading it.
But my Substack version might be something more like:
“Why I’m enjoying writing again now that I’m not having to always think about keywords”
One is designed to answer a search that I know people are actively making online
The other is designed to start a conversation and show more of my personality.
Does everyone need a Substack?
No. Just like we don’t all need every single marketing tactic out there. We choose our marketing channels based on our business goals, plan and what suits us.
Where have you decided it’s useful for you to show up?
Where does your audience spend time?
What type of content do you actually enjoy creating?
And possibly the most important question - do you have the capacity to keep doing it?
Because we really don't need another marketing channel judging us from the corner because we haven't posted anything since February.
Sometimes adding another platform just gives you another bloody job.
Substack vs website blog: the simple version
If you're trying to decide where something belongs, this is probably the easiest way to think about it.
Neither one is automatically better; they’re just doing different jobs.
Before you start a Substack because everyone suddenly seems to have one, work out why you want one.
If the answer is that you love writing, you've got things you want to say and you want to build an audience around your ideas? Brilliant – go for it.
But if your priority right now is getting your business found for the things your customers are actively searching for?
Don't neglect the blog sitting on your own website.
That's where I'd be putting my SEO energy first!
If you don’t have a strategy or plan for your blogs, then start with the 6 blogs that I’d write if I had to start all over again. It’s a free download, and it will give your website lots of content that starts to signal you’re an authority.
FAQs: Is Substack a Blog?
1. Is Substack a blog?
Yes, Substack can be used as a blog. It’s a publishing platform that lets you share written posts, newsletters, audio and video content. However, a Substack and a blog on your business website usually serve different purposes.
2. What is the difference between Substack and a website blog then?
A website blog is usually more search-led and strategically built around the topics, questions and keywords your audience are searching for. Substack works well for opinions, personal stories, thought leadership and longer-form writing.
3. Is Substack good for SEO?
Yes. Substack posts can appear in search engines, and Substack says it supports the indexing and ranking of publications. However, if your main goal is to increase the visibility and authority of your own website, publishing strategic content on your website will usually be more useful.
4. Should I blog on Substack or my own website?
It depends on what you want the content to do. If you want to attract people through Google and other search or answer engines, prioritise your website blog as you’ve got a better change of building authority there. If you want to build a subscriber audience around your ideas, opinions and more personal content, Substack might be a better fit.
5. Can I use Substack and a website blog together?
Yep. You can use your website blog for search-focused content and then explore the same subject in a more personal or opinion-led way on Substack. The two platforms can work well together in this way and it helps with re-purposing.
6. Should I publish the same blog on Substack and my website?
I wouldn’t automatically publish the exact same content in both places because the platforms and what the audiences expect to see is so different. Think about what you want each piece of content to achieve. Your website version might target a specific search, while your Substack version could explore the same topic in a more conversational or reflective way.
7. Does Substack replace a business blog?
If SEO and website visibility are important to your business, I would still keep a blog on your own website. Substack can be an additional marketing and lead-generation channel rather than a replacement.
8. Does every business need a Substack?
Not a all! Like YouTube, TikTok or a podcast, Substack is just one possible marketing channel. Whether you need one depends on your audience, your goals, the type of content you enjoy creating and whether you have the capacity to maintain another platform.
9. What type of content works well on Substack?
Substack works well for longer-form writing, thought leadership, personal stories, opinions, observations, essays and more reflective content.
10. What type of content should I put on my website blog?
Your website blog should contain useful articles built around the subjects your business wants to become known for. Ideally, those articles should answer real questions your audience is searching for and support your wider SEO and AEO strategy.
