Blogging remains one of the most profitable online opportunities in Nigeria today.
It gives you the power to share your knowledge, build a personal brand, attract organic traffic and even make passive income.
But while many Nigerians start a blog with great excitement, most of them end up frustrated because they make avoidable mistakes.
Whether you are just starting your blogging journey or you already have a blog and want to improve it, this guide will help you.
Below are common blogging mistakes Nigerians make and how you can avoid them.
1. Choosing a Broad or Confusing Niche
One of the biggest mistakes new bloggers make is trying to write about everything.
You will see someone blogging about lifestyle, technology, news, sports, fashion and education at the same time.
The result? The blog becomes confusing, Google doesn’t understand what the site is about, and visitors don’t stick around.
How to avoid it:
- Pick a specific niche (e.g. “personal finance in Nigeria” or “fashion tips for Muslim women in Lagos”).
- Make sure it’s something you genuinely like or have knowledge in.
- Focus on topics your target audience is searching for on Google.
2. Rushing to Monetize Too Early
Many Nigerian bloggers open Google AdSense application immediately after publishing three posts. That is a mistake.
If your blog is new with low traffic, you will either be rejected or generate almost no earnings.
What to do instead:
- Focus first on building high-quality content.
- At the early stage, prioritize traffic, consistency and reputation.
- Apply for AdSense or affiliate programs only when you have at least 15–20 valuable articles and a good volume of traffic each month.
3. Not Doing Keyword Research
A lot of bloggers just write whatever comes to their mind.
They ignore keyword research completely. That is why they struggle to get traffic from Google.
Tips to fix:
- Use simple tools like Google Autosuggest, AnswerThePublic and Keyword Planner.
- Search what people are asking (e.g. “how to start a food blog in Nigeria”) and create blog posts around those questions.
- Include those keywords naturally in your content, headings, intro and conclusion.
4. Copying Content From Other Blogs
Copy-and-paste might look easy, but it will damage your blog.
Google penalizes copied content and it will also affect your credibility as a blogger.
In Nigeria, this is one of the top reasons new bloggers fail to grow.
What to do:
- Always write original content in your own words.
- You can research multiple blogs for inspiration, but write fresh, unique paragraphs.
- Give credit properly when referencing data, quotes or statistics.
5. Writing Without a Structure
Some blog posts look like a random block of text; no headings, no bullet points, no subheadings.
Readers don’t want to struggle to get information.
Solution:
- Use clear H1, H2, and H3 headings.
- Break long paragraphs into shorter ones (2–3 sentences).
- Use bullet points, numbered lists and bold texts where necessary.
- Add proper introductions and conclusions.
6. Inconsistent Posting
A lot of Nigerian bloggers publish one post this week, disappear for 3 months, then return to publish another. That inconsistency affects rankings and readership.
How to avoid it:
- Create a realistic posting schedule (e.g. one post per week).
- Prepare a content calendar and stick to it.
- Batch-write articles when you have free time.
7. Ignoring Internal Linking
Many new bloggers forget to link their articles together. Internal linking helps Google understand the structure of your content and improves your SEO performance.
Best practices:
- Whenever you publish a new post, look for ways to link to older articles on your blog.
- Also go back to older posts and link them to the new post.
- Use anchor text that describes the topic.
8. Not Promoting the Blog
Publishing content alone is not enough. You need to promote it so people can discover it.
How to promote your blog in Nigeria:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Share links on your status or in relevant WhatsApp groups | |
| Share on your personal timeline and in relevant groups | |
| Create simple pins that link back to your blog posts | |
| If your niche is career or business related, share posts there | |
| Guest Posting | Write a post for another blog in your niche and link back to yours |
9. Poor Website Design and Slow Speed
A blog with a poor layout, ugly fonts and slow loading time will chase away visitors.
Fix:
- Use a clean and responsive theme.
- Avoid too many heavy plugins.
- Compress images.
- Use a reliable hosting provider (even on a budget).
10. Not Collecting Emails
Email marketing is one of the strongest tools for blog growth. Sadly, many Nigerian bloggers ignore it completely.
What you should do:
- Add a simple “subscribe to our newsletter” form on your blog.
- Offer a free checklist or ebook to encourage sign-ups.
- Send weekly emails with valuable updates and links to your latest posts.
11. Ignoring Analytics
Many bloggers don’t track performance. If you don’t know where your traffic is coming from, you might waste time on what is not working.
Recommendations:
- Install Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
- Check which posts get the most traffic and create more related content.
- Monitor bounce rate, average time on page and click-through rate.
12. Not Building Trust and Authority
EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) is extremely important today.
Google wants to show content from people who are knowledgeable and trustworthy.
Here’s how to build EEAT on your blog:
| Element | How to implement |
|---|---|
| Expertise | Share real-life experiences and practical tips |
| Authoritativeness | Add an author bio that explains your background |
| Trustworthiness | Use accurate data, cite credible sources and avoid misleading headlines |
Conclusion
Blogging in Nigeria is a solid opportunity if you avoid the common mistakes that many new bloggers make.
Pick a clear niche, write original and well-structured content, do proper keyword research, stay consistent, and implement EEAT principles across all your posts.