Medium vs Own Blog SEO: Where Should You Publish?

So, you’ve got a brilliant idea (or at least, a passable one) and you’re ready to unleash it on the world. But wait — should you publish on Medium, basking in its ready-made audience and high domain authority, or should you go the rugged, self-reliant route with your own blog, building SEO muscle the hard way? Welcome to the eternal struggle: medium vs own blog seo.

Let’s break it down, with a few laughs, some hard data, and a gentle nudge toward making your content work smarter — not harder.

The Medium Appeal: Fast Fame, Fickle Fortune

Medium is like that trendy co-working space: everyone’s there, the coffee’s good, and you might just bump into someone important. With its high domain authority and built-in audience, your content can rank quickly and get eyeballs without you having to beg your friends to “please share my post, Mom.”

• High Domain Authority: Medium’s DA hovers around 95, which means Google trusts it more than you trust your morning alarm. New articles can rank fast, especially for less competitive keywords.
• Instant Audience: Medium’s network effect is real. Claps, shares, and recommendations can snowball your reach, even if your Twitter following is just your dog’s account.
• Monetization: Medium’s Partner Program pays you based on member reading time. It’s not “quit your job” money, but it’s more than the $0 you get from shouting your thoughts into the void.

But here’s the catch: you don’t own the playground. If Medium changes its rules (or, you know, disappears), your content and audience could vanish faster than your motivation after lunch.

“Medium only gives you access to your contacts via their Medium accounts, which severely limits interaction. Plus, if the platform goes kaput, your content goes with it.” — Expert Quote

Your Own Blog: The Long Game (With All the Control)

Running your own blog is like owning your own house. Sure, you have to fix the leaky faucet (read: plugins), but you can paint the walls any color you want and nobody’s going to evict you for using too many emojis.

• Full Content Ownership: You own your words, your design, your data. If you want to move, you can pack up and take everything with you.
• Unlimited Monetization: Ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts, digital products — you’re only limited by your imagination (and, let’s be honest, your patience).
• Advanced SEO: With platforms like WordPress, you can fine-tune everything from meta tags to site speed. Want to implement schema markup or experiment with technical SEO? Go wild.
• Brand Authority: Google loves original, high-quality content published on your own domain. Over time, you build authority, trust, and a loyal audience — no middleman required.

But, and it’s a big but: you have to build your audience from scratch. There’s no instant traffic, no built-in claps, and your mom can only refresh the page so many times.

Medium vs Own Blog SEO: The Data

Let’s get nerdy for a second. Here’s how the two stack up:

Sources:

• Search Engine Journal
• Ahrefs Blog
• Neil Patel

Insider Tips: Can You Have Both?

Absolutely. Many SEO experts recommend using Medium as a distribution channel — not your main home. Here’s the trick: syndicate your blog posts to Medium using a canonical link (so Google knows your blog is the original source). This way, you tap into Medium’s audience without sacrificing your own SEO gains.

“For sustainable SEO, brand authority, and monetization, prioritize publishing on your own blog. Use Medium strategically for additional reach, but don’t rely on it as your primary publishing platform.” — Professional Advice

The BloggingMachine.io Advantage: Why Not Both (But Easier)?

Here’s where we (subtly) toot our own horn. At BloggingMachine.io, we get it: you want the SEO power of your own blog without spending your weekends wrestling with plugins or keyword research spreadsheets.

• Effortless, SEO-Optimized Articles: Our AI agent generates high-quality, engaging blog posts that are primed for search engines and real humans (even those who skim).
• Automated Keyword Optimization: No more guessing games — our platform researches and implements the best keywords for your niche, naturally.
• Consistent Content, Zero Burnout: Focus on your business while we handle the content treadmill. Your blog stays fresh, your rankings climb, and you get your weekends back.

Why settle for just Medium’s quick wins or the slow grind of solo blogging? With BloggingMachine.io, you get the best of both worlds — scalable, SEO-friendly content that builds your brand, your way.

FAQ: Medium vs Own Blog SEO

Q: Will publishing on Medium hurt my own blog’s SEO? A: Not if you use canonical tags when syndicating content. This tells Google where the original lives, so you don’t get dinged for duplicate content.

Q: Can I monetize my Medium posts and my own blog at the same time? A: Yes, but Medium’s monetization is limited to its Partner Program. Your own blog offers far more flexibility — ads, affiliates, products, you name it.

Q: Which is better for building a long-term brand? A: Your own blog, hands down. You control the experience, the data, and the relationship with your audience.

Q: Is it harder to get traffic to my own blog? A: Initially, yes. But with consistent, optimized content (hint: we can help), you’ll build sustainable traffic that you own.

Q: What about new platforms like Substack or beehiiv? A: They’re great for newsletters, but still don’t offer the SEO control or domain authority you get from your own site.

Final Thoughts: The Best of Both Worlds

Medium is a fantastic launchpad, but your own blog is your digital home. For long-term SEO, brand authority, and monetization, your own site wins every time. And if you want to skip the content headaches, let us at BloggingMachine.io handle the heavy lifting — so you can focus on the fun stuff (like pretending to work while actually reading blog posts).

Further Reading:

• Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
• Moz: Domain Authority Explained
• Content Marketing Institute: Building Authority
• BloggingMachine.io