Griswold tries to differentiate "Overheard in Pittsburgh" from similar sites by striving to reflect life in Pittsburgh as best as he can, rather than, as City Paper reporter Justin Hopper wrote, "[…] simply repeat stupid things people say […] with a classist or even mildly racist take like many 'overheard' blogs do." Also distinguishing Overheard in Pittsburgh from most other sites in the genre is that it does not rely on an editorial team of contributors; instead, all entires come from Griswold or the people of Pittsburgh.
Griswold's approach sets "Overheard in Pittsburgh" apart from comparable sites by focusing on accurately capturing life in Pittsburgh, as opposed to, according to City Paper reporter Justin Hopper, simply reiterating foolish comments people make with a classist or even mildly discriminatory tone characteristic of many 'overheard' blogs. Furthermore, Griswold's site stands out due to its unique contributor model; all entries originate from Griswold himself or the residents of Pittsburgh.