How to start a blog and your content in search engine
your content in searchhow to start a blog, Beginner's guide to building a successful magazine blog in 2022? How to start a blog? Do you want to learn how to start a blog?
In 2015 when I was learning to blog, I spent a lot of time searching for useful information online. I was only able to find it piecemeal on various websites. To save you time, I've created this free step-by-step blog tutorial to teach beginners how to create a blog quickly and easily. It's not as complicated as people think!
If you want to skip the intro and learn how to create a WordPress blog with just one-click install, use the link below:
Skip to Step #4: Start a Blog by Setting Up WordPress Software
PS If you have any questions about this guide or get stuck with the steps, I'll be more than happy to assist you. You can contact me and ask for free advice.
- Step #1: Choose a Niche (Topic) for Your Blog
- Step #2: Choose a Blogging Platform
- Step #3: Choose a Domain Name and Get Blog Hosting
- Step #4: Start a Blog by Setting Up WordPress
- Step #5: Choose a Theme and Design Your Blog
- Step #6: Write and Publish Blog Content
- Step #7: Optimize your blog for search engines
- Step #8: Promote, market and grow your blog
- Step #9: Make Money Blogging (Optional)
- Before you take action, here are some important facts about why you should start a blog.
Think about why you're starting a blog
Do you want to communicate something, such as a message or an idea? Do you want to build a community around a topic you love?
A blog can help you accomplish many things, such as: informing, educating, promoting and even selling.
Here are some reasons why so many people blog and enjoy blogging:
- Using it as an outlet for creative expression.
- To establish expertise and build an audience.
- To network with others and grow business.
- To enhance writing and thinking skills.
- To be self-employed or earn more money.
- There are a lot of benefits to blogging, and for some people, it can be a great way to earn extra income online.
A Quick Primer - Blogging for Beginners
Overall, there are four important steps to building a blog quickly. If you are familiar with these things, you can set up a blog in 15-20 minutes or less:
- Choose a blogging niche (topic)
- Select the best blog platform
- Get a Domain and Web Hosting
- install wordpress software
Creating a blog is your first step to enter the world of blogging. However, you have to learn more to be successful online. FirstSiteGuide has over 100 free guides and resources to help you succeed on the web!
Step #1: Choose a Location for Your Blog
Before you start creating a blog and make it as a blogger, you need to select a blogging niche.
In simple words, a blog niche is a specific topic area that you will write about frequently, or even exclusively.
To choose the right niche for your new blog, start by making a list of all the topics that excite you and you want to talk about them. There are no restrictions - you can include any personal or business interests on this list.
Think about the things you enjoy doing in your free time. For example, are you an amateur photographer, or an avid programmer?
Consider everything you want to learn. For example, do you want to take a cooking class and become a better cook?
Finally, consider all your plans and projects. For example, are you planning to go back to college to complete your education?
There are no restrictions - you can include any personal or business interests in the list.
This simple exercise will help you choose a place that interests you the most. This way you will follow your passion and enjoy your blogging journey.
Step #2: Choose a Blogging Platform
At this stage, you need to look at the blogging platforms currently available and determine what type of blog management software you are going to use.
When it comes to blogging sites, you have a few options. Below are usage statistics showing the distribution of blog technologies in the United States.
As you can see from the graph, the U.S. With over 90% market share in the U.S., WordPress software is by far the most popular technology for blogging.
I recommend building your own blog using the self-hosted WordPress blog setup shared in this guide.
You will set up your blog using a custom domain name and web hosting (I
I'll show you how in the next step).
This way, you will have complete control over your blog and its content. A webspace (hosting account) will only cost a few dollars per month, and a domain will cost about ten dollars per year. Genuine blogging software is free and open source.
What about free blogging sites?
For many new bloggers, starting a blog using a free hosted platform like Blogger or Tumblr is tempting.
However, it is important to understand that "free" always comes with limitations:
First, your blog name will be set as the subdomain (example: "yourblog.blogspot.com" or "yourblog.tumblr.com").
Second, you will be subject to their rules and restrictions.
Free options come in handy for testing blogging platforms. But, if you are serious about starting a blog, you will have to start paying for complete services and a custom domain name sooner or later.
Step #3: Choose a Domain Name and Get Blog Hosting
To build your blog using WordPress.org, you need two important things: a domain name and a web hosting company.
domain name
Your domain name will be the name by which you will be known online, no matter what niche you choose. This is the unique address of your blog on the Internet.
Here's what you should keep in mind when choosing a blog name:
It should be short and catchy, easy to pronounce and type.
You can also use a combination of your first and last names (eg johnsmith.com or tim.blog).
The general rule is to get a ".com" domain, but some other extensions can be used as well. For example, ".net" or ".blog". In the end, it's about being memorable, so if a different extension helps you stand out, break the rule!
Have a name idea for your blog? Use this quick domain search tool powered by Bluehost – our recommended web hosting provider (I'll explain why in a moment).
If you can't find the domain name of your choice, don't worry. Bluehost later lets you choose a free custom domain before your blog goes live. This will give you time to think and do some research.
Web Hosting
After choosing a domain name, selecting a reliable hosting service will be one of the most important decisions you will make.
The functionality and performance of your blog will largely depend on your hosting provider. The host makes sure that your blog is available 24/7 to potential readers and is where your content is stored online.
If you are a new blogger, I suggest you to use Bluehost hosting.
This is why you should be convinced to go with this company:
Ease of Use: With Bluehost, you will be able to set up your blog with a few clicks of a button.
Good Value: You get reliable service with excellent customer support at an affordable price.
Room to Grow: They provide a great set of features that you need to start, run and grow your blog.
Security: Free SSL certificate included and pre-installed to protect your blog visitor data.
Verified Provider: Bluehost is a recommended hosting provider on the official WordPress.org website.
Used by many people: I personally use their services, and so do many blogger friends and family members.
Survey Winner: Based on our research, Bluehost is a top choice in the opinion of many blogging experts.
First choice for new bloggers
bluehost website
$8.99 Starting at $2.75/month
free domain name
63% Off On Regular Price
30-day money back guarantee
Set up a blog with one click
Visit Bluehost website →
How much does it cost to start a blog?
Below is what the 1-year Bluehost basic hosting plan costs and what extra features you get with it. I was only able to negotiate a special deal for my visitors. Use this link to get special discount of 67%.
- WordPress.org + Bluehost
- Blog Hosting Service $2.75 per month (billed for 1 year)
- Domain registration first year free (after $17.99 per year)
- Custom Email Free Web-Based E-mail/Forwarding
- ssl certificate free ssl certificate
- Storage Space* 50 GB
- Bandwidth* Unlimited
- Total cost $33.00 (for 1 year plan)
* Shows you the storage space you have on your blog and files. Bandwidth is the amount of data your blog can transfer to visitors. These two parameters are important when your blog starts growing and gets more traffic.
Get a Blog Hosting Account (+ Free Domain Name)
This section provides detailed information to help you sign up for your web hosting account. I've included screenshots of the pages to give you an idea of the process.
Step 1. Go to Bluehost homepage
Go to the Bluehost.com website. Then, click the green "Get started now" button.
bluehost home page
Step 2. Choose Your Hosting Plan
You start by choosing a hosting plan
Will do If this is your first blog, then you can go with the basic plan. Later, you can easily upgrade to the Plus or Choice Plus plan once your blog starts growing. Explore what each plan offers, eg. The Choice Plus plan comes with domain privacy and a few extras.
bluehost hosting plan
Step 3. Set Up Your Domain Name
Your domain will be the address of your blog, so you should take your time to create something unique and memorable. Simply type your desired name into the “New Domain” box and Bluehost will show you whether it is available or not. If not, it will provide you with a list of similar names to choose from.
If you can't find a good name right away, don't worry. After starting a blog you can skip this step and choose a name.
bluehost blackfriday domain
If you have already purchased a domain name elsewhere, you can use that name. Simply type it in the "Use a domain you own" box.
Step 4. Register with Bluehost
After you choose your domain, Bluehost will take you to a registration page where you can fill in your personal information manually, or you can sign in with your Google Account to make the process even easier!
Add your account information
Start by filling in your personal information.
Bluehost account information
Choose your hosting package
At this point, it is time to choose an account plan from the available options. Bluehost offers 12-, 24- and 36-month packages.
With the 12-month package, you'll pay a lower amount upfront, but with the other two packages, you'll get a better deal if you're up for a longer-term commitment.
bluehost hosting plan
package extra
Review your package extras carefully. Not every extra is necessary, and unchecking the boxes for extras you don't need will reduce your total balance.
You can always add extras later if you find you need them. I recommend that you keep the Domain Privacy Protection box checked. The service will hide your personal contact information from a global database that is publicly visible to anyone on the Internet.
bluehost package extra
Payment Information
Now, enter your payment information. Check the box that you have read and agree to the TOS (Terms of Service), and click the green "Submit" button.
bluehost payment information
Bluehost will send you a confirmation email when your payment is done. You will also receive an email to verify your email address to activate your domain.
Next, you will set up your Bluehost account. You are one step closer to starting a blog!
Step 5. Create Your Account
Let's create our account with Bluehost.
bluehost create your account
- Step 1. Click on the "Create Your Account" button.
- Step 2. Enter your password and complete the account setup.
- Step 3. Your account is ready to go. Click on the "Go to Login" button.
- Step 4. Fill in the "Email or Domain Name" and "Password" fields.
- You're all set After this, you will start working on creating your blog.
Step #4: Start a Blog by Setting Up WordPress
Once you have logged into your web hosting account, Bluehost will offer you a 4-step process to help you create a blog. I suggest you follow this process if you are starting a blog for the first time.
You can also click on “skip this step” button and work on blog creation on your own inside your Bluehost hosting account.
A four-step blog help process sets up:
Step 1. You will begin this process by answering 3 questions: What type of site? What type is this? And what is it for? In my example, I chose: Blog, Personal, Myself. You can choose the same option or choose what fits your individual case.
Bluehost Build a Website step1
Phase 2. With this step, you can choose what else you want to add to your site. Bluehost gives you a few options to choose from.
Bluehost Build a Website step2
Step 3. In this step, you have to answer some questions such as the name of your blog, tagline, and how comfortable you are with creating a website. Note: You can change this later at any time.
Bluehost Build a Website step3
Step 4. Check out suggested themes from Bluehost and see if you like any of them (if you don't see the theme you like, skip this step). You can change your theme anytime and use a different theme later. Further information about this.
Bluehost Build a Website step4
Once you have finished setting up your blog with these 4 steps, you will be taken to your Bluehost account page. At this point, the WordPress software ins. It's long gone and your blog structure is set up!
launch your blog
Inside your Bluehost account, you'll see options to further customize your WordPress blog site based on Bluehost's recommendations. These options are here for you so that you can do some pre-launch customization to your blog.
Bluehost Hosting Account Panel
After clicking the "Launch My Site" button, your blog will go live!
if you own When you open the website in a web browser, don't be discouraged if it doesn't look quite right. This is just the first draft. Inside the WordPress dashboard, you have to apply some changes and add some content to make it look polished and complete. I'll show you later how to do it!
You can access the WordPress blog dashboard from your Bluehost account by clicking the blue "WordPress" button in the top right corner of your screen.
Have you started a blog yet? → Click here to get started
Next, as promised, I'll show you how to find the right theme for you, and how to optimize your blog.
Step #5: Choose a Theme and Design Your Blog
Your blog first needs a face (design and layout).
Installing a new WordPress theme is exciting and quite straightforward.
Inside the WordPress Dashboard, under the “Appearance” tab, click on “Themes”. You will be presented with some popular options. You can click the WordPress.org Themes button and search for free themes. There are more than three thousand themes available on WordPress.org.
wordpress presence theme
The look and feel of your new blog depends on the theme you choose. Your first-time readers will notice the overall appearance of the material before even taking a look at it. Choose a theme that looks great, but also works for your specific needs.
Here's a quick guide to choosing your theme by searching in the WordPress dashboard:
Read description - Most themes come with a brief description of the features and functionality. Reading this can help you find out whether the topic matches your needs.
Preview the theme - Preview the theme (demo) to get an idea of the overall look, layout and how customizable it is.
Check Rating - Star rating will appear in preview and under theme description to give you a clear idea of how good the theme is.
If you can't find a topic you absolutely love, don't worry. Compromise on what you like, and you can always change it in the future.
Once you've installed a theme, don't be surprised if it still doesn't look quite right. This is just the skeleton of a blog. To make it attractive, you need to fill it with content (text, photos, videos, etc.).
Should you choose a free or premium theme?
In my opinion, there are more than enough free WordPress themes to choose from for any blog theme.
If you don't feel like searching through thousands of themes, you can easily get things started with Twenty Twenty or Twenty Twelve themes. Both free themes are offered by WordPress.org and are popular with creators.
Remember, you can choose a different theme at a later time as you continue to set up your blog. All pages and unique content you create will automatically be transferred to a new theme layout.
If the current stash of free themes doesn't satisfy your particular desire, you can check out the premium themes available. These themes are usually designed by third-party companies and sold on various WordPress theme sites. The price range for a single-use license ranges from $30 to $500, depending on which premium theme you choose.
blog theme customization
Remember, your WordPress dashboard is the back-end place where you will manage your new blog. It gives you fast access to all the tools you need to add content and fine-tune your blog's functionality for the ultimate user experience. Your first step towards mastering WordPress is learning Dashboard.
WordPress has unlimited customization options, so it's impossible to cover everything in this "how to start a blog" guide. Instead, I'll cover the most important changes to apply to your blog first. For this example, I'll be using the Twenty Twenty theme.
Create your blog logo
Inside your Bluehost account, you can find the "Create Your Logo" tool. If you haven't done so yet when you launched your blog, now is the time to get it done.
Once you click the checkbox, you will be taken to the AI-powered Logo Maker. It's an easy-to-use tool that you can use to create a beautiful logo for your blog in seconds. Start by entering a name and slogan (if you have one), then the tool will automatically generate a variety of logos.
Bluehost Logo Maker Step1
Choose a logo you like the most, click on it, and customize it further according to your taste.
Bluehost Logo Creator Step 2
When your logo design is complete, click the Download button and a new page will appear with your logo files ready to be saved to your computer.
Customize Your Blog
Now, let me show you how to do your b. Where can do general optimization of
log. This includes: uploading a logo you've created now (or will be creating one in the future), editing blog titles and taglines, changing colors, uploading a background image, and setting homepage.
Changing gs.
As I mentioned, I'll show you how to apply these changes to the Twenty Twenty theme. If you have chosen a different subject the process may be slightly different. However, in most cases, all themes have similar customization options.
To start optimizing your blog, visit the WordPress admin dashboard. Find the Appearance tab on the left and select the Customize option.
Customize WordPress Theme
Each WordPress theme will customize a little differently. In my case, I will show you the customized options for Twenty Twenty theme.
On the left, you'll see the following customizing menu options:
Site Identity - Upload your logo, change the site title and tagline, and upload a site icon.
Color - Change your blog's background color, header and footer colors, and customize the primary color.
Theme Options – Choose whether you want a search icon to appear in the header of your blog and an author biography for your posts.
Cover Template - Make additional changes to the page template such as overlay background color, overlay text color, and overlay opacity.
Background Image - Upload any custom background image you want to start using on your blog.
Menus - Customize your blog's menus, social media menu links, and change the places where they are displayed.
Widgets - Customize your footer, add a description, and show you how to search if you have a physical location.
Homepage Settings - Choose what to display on the blog's homepage. This can be the latest blog post or a static page.
Additional CSS – Add your own CSS code to customize the look and layout of your site (advanced options).
You can also use the menu with three icons at the bottom: desktop, tablet, and mobile device to see how your blog looks on different devices.
Customize WordPress Twenty Twenty Theme
Many themes (such as Twenty Twenty themes) come with the new Gutenberg editor that revolutionizes the way users create pages and write posts inside WordPress.
Gutenberg is a visual editor that works on a block principle. So, when you decide to add a new paragraph, title, image, video, or anything else, there are blocks you can quickly add to a new page or blog post.
In this way, creating blog content is very easy for beginners, whether you are building a landing page or writing a new article. The blocks can be rearranged to your preferred layout, and they are here to make your life easier.
Add Plugins to Your Blog
Plugins are bundled pieces of code that affect the way your site looks and functions. They can add new functionality to your WordPress blog, expand the capabilities of your theme, and personalize a blog in whole or in part.
While most plugins are free, there are many that are offered for a fee based on their unique functionality. At the moment, WordPress.org has over 57,000 different plugins in its repositories.
By default, when you set up your blog, Bluehost will automatically add some plugins that they think are important for any website. You can review these plugins inside the WordPress dashboard and add new ones by clicking the Plugins tab on the left.
Add WordPress Plugins Section
Here you can install, deactivate, remove and update new plugins.
Below, I'll show you some suggested plugins you should be using.
List of recommended plugins for bloggers
To save you time, I've chosen some of the most important plugins (free) for your instant blogging platform needs:
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, to monitor and analyze your website traffic.
Yoast SEO – A comprehensive SEO plugin for your blog, to optimize your content for search engines.
WP Super Cache – Helps with the load times of your WordPress blog and delivers content to your readers faster.
Akismet – Protects your comments and contact form from spam and prevents your site from publishing malicious content.
Contact Form 7 - Contact form with flexible email options. It supports CAPTCHA and Akismet spam filtering.
Disqus – An alternative to the native WordPress commenting system with advanced administrative and commenting capabilities.
YARPP - Automatically creates a related blog post list at the end of each piece of content to encourage people to continue browsing your site.
Congratulations, you've just learned how to customize your blog and make changes to your web design!
The next step is to learn how to write content for your blog.
Step #6: Write and Publish Blog Content
So far, you have set up a domain name, selected your blog hosting site, set up a blog theme, and you are ready to go. Your framework is complete.
Now comes the moment of truth and you can actually start blogging. writing your first blog post
Will have to learn. on the web, any useful information or experience that you share
Readers are called "content". It should be something valuable that people want to interact with and come back for more.
WordPress CMS is structured in such a way that you can publish your content in the form of posts or pages.
Before you start publishing posts (day-to-day writing) on your blog, make sure that you are filling all the important static pages with content (like about us, contact, etc.). Let's explore those types of pages.
Create and publish content on main pages
Depending on your individual needs, you can decide which pages to publish. The following are the most common pages used by bloggers:
Homepage - It depends on what type of layout you choose. As I described above, you can choose to display the homepage as a static page when customizing your blog. In such a situation, you have to prepare content for it.
About Us – The most traditional page on any blog is the “About Us” page. This page tells new visitors what it is, who you are and why you blog about your niche topic.
Contact – This page allows visitors to your blog to communicate with you. This can be a direct page with your email address and your social network link, or you can use a simple contact form that visitors can use to communicate with you.
Products, services, resources - static landing pages with any additional information you want to include on your blog.
Guidelines for publishing a new WordPress page:
A blog page provides static content or information to the readers. Standard pages used by bloggers include: Introduction, Contact, Products or Services. A page can also contain cornerstone (or evergreen) content with information that remains relevant to its readers. Take, for example, this guide you are reading now.
To create a blog page, log in to your WordPress dashboard admin area using your login details (username and password).
Hover your cursor over the "Pages" menu item on the navigation menu on the left side of the Dashboard. Click "Add New".
Click on the Pages menu item
write your first blog post
Creating a blog post inside WordPress is almost the same as creating a page. However, WordPress for blog posts lets you select categories and tags whereas pages do not.
Wondering how you can write quality blog posts? this is easy.
Here's a simple 3-step way to create great content of any kind:
Point – State your main blog topic idea that you are covering.
Prove it - Give an example of the idea you're covering.
Demonstration - Give a simple way to put the idea into action.
Guidelines for publishing a new WordPress post:
In your first blog post, you can take some time to introduce yourself. Tell your readers who you are, what inspired you to blog, and what you would write. The title of the post could be "Welcome to my blog".
Inside the WordPress dashboard on the left, you will see the Posts menu item.
Hover your mouse cursor over (or click) the post item. Then select "Add New".
add new post in wordpress
Next, I'll talk about how to optimize your content for search engines.
Step #7: Optimize your blog for search engines
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process that website owners use to get more traffic to their web pages from search engines (such as Google).
According to recent studies, 53% of the total traffic to websites comes from organic search (.pdf). This number shows how important it is to ensure that you optimize your WordPress blog for search engines.
SEO includes many different strategies and techniques. As a blogger, you have to be familiar with these. I am not talking about any advanced process here. At a minimum, you must do the following for each blog post or page published on your blog: Perform keyword optimization and add SEO meta tags to all pages.
keyword optimization
It's the process of researching and selecting the right group of keywords that you think people will type in a search to find your online information.
Ideally, keyword optimization should be done for any blog post or page. It's important to select the key keywords (and related words) you want to target for each page and make sure you include these (and related words) within the content. This way it will be easier for search engines to understand what a specific web page is when they crawl it and you have a better chance of ranking higher in search results.
SEO Meta Tags
When you publish a new blog post or page, you have to pay for each content.
This will require adding the SEO meta tag.
These are SEO Title and SEO Description Tags. These tags are not seen on the actual page, but Google will use metadata to better understand what the webpage is about.
SEO Meta Tags
Example of title and description meta tags in Google search results.
If you want to start rank
In order to put your content in the search engines, this is an important step to accomplish. SEO tags should be created and added when you create a new page or post inside WordPress. You can add SEO meta tags through free plugins like Yoast SEO.
The length of the title tag should be between 50-60 characters (this is what Google usually displays) and the meta description tag can be between 50-160 characters.
Step #8: Promote, market and grow your blog
By now, you have learned how to start a blog, how to create blog content, and how to get it discovered by search engines.
It's important to understand that you can write the most compelling copy in the world and design a blog interface that lets people sell their own shoes. However, if no one sees it, all your hard work is in vain. So, you need to know how to promote your blog.
Before you start promoting your blog, check if it's ready:
Make sure your content is live and ready to promote.
Test your blog on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge) to check that pages are opening properly.
Check your contact information and test your contact form to see if it works well.
Test your social sharing buttons so that people can easily share your content.
Make sure you interlink your content so that people can easily find other important information on your blog.
Give your visitors one or more ways to connect with you and subscribe to your email list.
Set up Google Analytics to track your blog's performance and visitors.
Let's take a closer look at the basic promotional and marketing activities that you can implement to grow your audience after creating a blog.
Tell everyone about your blog
Begin by notifying your friends, family and coworkers about your new endeavor. Basically, you should let anyone know who might be interested in reading your content.
You should also do the following:
Include the name (URL) of your blog in your email signature.
Add it to your social media accounts or any online community you are involved in.
Use every opportunity to talk about your new venture.
Be active within your niche
Be active on relevant blogs, forums, groups and social pages.
Blogger communities are a great way to connect with other bloggers in your niche. You can engage in spreading content, build friendships, and help each other.
Here are some popular activities you can do:
blog comment. Start posting comments on other relevant blogs. This is a great way to build relationships with top bloggers in your niche.
social media Marketing. You should use the methods of social media that best suit your niche and style. Choose one (or one) that best suits your needs and start promoting your content to grow your audience. Some of the most popular social media networks that bloggers use on a daily basis are Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Guest blogging. Take the relationship a step further and offer to write guest blog posts for another website. Just make sure you guest post on reputable sites and that the content is directly related to your niche. Guest posting is a great way to build an online presence.
Promote your content through other platforms
Before your blog becomes popular and starts growing, you should focus on taking advantage of other platforms on the web that already have some viewers and readers. To give you a better idea, here are some techniques you can use:
Bookmarking sites. Submit your blog content to bookmarking sites that can present your content to a lot of potential audiences who are searching for information within your niche. You should do this every time you publish a new blog post to spread the word. Here are some popular social bookmarking and content curation sites: Scoop.it, Reddit, Flipboard, etc.
Content Republishing. You can publish the same or slightly repurposed content on platforms such as LinkedIn and Medium. It is best to publish content on your blog first, wait a few days until it is indexed by search engines (Google), and then you can start posting it on other platforms. Also, be sure to link back to your original article as a source. You can learn about the republishing strategy here.
Rearrange the content. you your
You can reuse content, create graphics, slideshow presentations, audio files, or even video, and publish it on platforms that support various content formats. Here's how you can create 64 content in one day (PDF).
Getting organic traffic from search engines
By now, you already know that optimizing your content for search engines is important.
However, to increase your organic traffic, you need to learn how to get your content to rank higher in search results.
There is no magic formula for ranking high, but you should pay attention to the following factors:
Create useful content for your readers, not search engines.
Do not create consistency and quality content.
Make sure the user experience is flawless.
Make sure your blog is secure (HTTPS), mobile friendly, and loads quickly.
Interlink your content and work on getting external links.
Advertising on the web (paid traffic)
Proper and well-informed use of paid media can help you gain exposure and attention before your organic (naturally derived) traffic takes hold.
Paid traffic routes include:
Social media advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.
Search engine advertising through Google Ads or Bing Ads.
Content discovery platforms such as Outbrain or Taboola.
Remember that you can always find other ways to promote your new blog.
Start building your email subscriber list
After starting a blog, you will start attracting new readers and visitors. It's a good idea to collect the email addresses of people who want to be notified when you publish new blog posts or share promotional offers. As people get to know and trust you, they will respond better to your promotional efforts.
Rely on blogging fundamentals: a clear and well-functioning blog, focused and useful information, engaging conversation, and practical advice. Your authority will come from helping and mentoring your audience.
Step #9: Make Money Blogging (Optional)
Monetization is the process of converting your blog activity into earnings.
You must keep in mind that blogging is not just about earning money. It's all about creating useful content and writing blog posts that will attract readers and keep them coming back for more.
When starting a blog, think about adding content that will generate income in the future. Based on my own blogging experience, as well as working with other bloggers, I've learned that specific types of content are more effective at making money.
Here are the types of content you should consider writing and adding to your blog:
- list or top list
- how to guide
- Tutorials and Manuals
- product reviews
- Product comparison
Now, let me show you a few different ways how bloggers make money.
Blog Monetization Channel
Our case study of blogging industry shows that 59.8% of bloggers make money through blogging.
But, how can you make money from blogging? There are many options available, but below I will show you the best ways to earn income from a blog:
running ads on your blog
There are easy possibilities for you to run ads on your blog. Regardless of your niche, you can opt for ads that suit you or ads that better serve your advertiser's objectives.
Google Adsense, Mediavine and Adthrive are some of the most popular options for blog ads.
Enrollment in Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs are ways to promote your products with retailers and profit from successfully selling through commissions.
Some things you need to consider while enrolling in the affiliate program:
The number of affiliate sales will depend strongly on the number of visitors you have.
You need to be reliable enough for your visitors to click on your link.
You may consider placing a notice on your Terms of Use page that you use affiliate links.
There are some popular online platforms that offer affiliate programs if you want to get started, such as Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and ClickBank.
sell your products and services
If you are creative and entrepreneurial, you may consider using your blog as a place to sell your own products and services. This is an option, especially as your blog grows in readership, authority and popularity.
There are WordPress plugins, such as the WooCommerce plugin, that you can easily integrate into a blog and start using to sell products online.
selling sponsored posts
Advertisers are always on the lookout for exposure and are ready to pay you to put sponsored posts on your blog.
Those posts usually promote advertiser products or services.
And it is a good way to earn money from your blog. In the future, if you are able to build a popular blog and become an authority in your niche, advertisers may approach you to publish their posts.
How much space can be used for media engines, this is an important step to complete. SEO tags should be prepared and added when you create a new page or a post inside WordPress. You can add SEO meta tags via free plugins, such as Yoast SEO.
The title tag length should be between 50-60 characters (this is what Google typically displays) and the meta description tag can be between 50-160 characters.
Step #8: Promote, Market, and Grow Your Blog
By now, you've learned how to start a blog, how to create blog content, and how to get it discovered by search engines.
It is important to understand that you can write the most compelling copy in the world and design a blog interface that would sell people their own shoes. However, if no one sees it, all of your hard work is in vain. So, you need to know how to promote your blog.
Before you start promoting your blog, check if it's ready:
Make sure that your content is live and ready for promotion.
Test your blog on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge) to check that pages open correctly.
Check your contact info and test your contact form to see if it works well.
Test your social sharing buttons so that people can easily share your content.
Ensure that you interlink your content so that people can easily find other important information on your blog.
Give your visitors one or more ways to connect with you and subscribe to your email list.
Set up Google Analytics to track your blog's performance and visitors.
Let’s look closely at the basic promotion and marketing activities that you can apply to grow your audience once you build a blog.
Let everyone know about your blog
Get started by informing your friends, family, and colleagues about your new endeavor. Basically, you should let anyone know who might be interested in reading your content.
You should also do the following:
- Include your blog name (URL) in your email signature.
- Include it in your social media accounts or any online communities you are involved in.
- Use every opportunity to get the word out about your new undertaking.
- Be active within your niche
- Get active on relevant blogs, forums, groups, and social pages.
Blogger communities are a good way to connect with other bloggers in your niche. You can engage, build friendships, and help each other in spreading content.
Here are some popular activities you can do:
Blog commenting. Start posting comments on other relevant blogs. It's a great way to build relationships with top bloggers within your niche.
Social media marketing. You should make use of the social media avenues that best fit your own niche and style. Choose the one (or ones) that best fit your needs and start promoting your content to grow your audience. Some of the most popular social media networks that bloggers use on a daily basis are Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Guest blogging. Take the relationship a step further and offer to write guest blog posts for another website. Just be sure that you guest post on reputable sites and that the content is directly related to your niche. Guest posting is an excellent way to build an online presence.
Promoting your content through other platforms
Before your blog becomes popular and starts to grow, you should look into leveraging other platforms on the web that already have some audience and readership. To give you a better idea, here are some of the techniques that you can use:
Bookmarking sites. Submit your blog content to bookmarking sites that can offer your content to a lot of potential viewers who are searching for information within your niche. You should do this every time you publish a new blog post to spread the word. Here are some popular social bookmarking and content curation sites: Scoop.it, Reddit, Flipboard, etc.
Content republishing. You can publish the same or slightly repurposed content on platforms such as LinkedIn and Medium. It’s best to publish content on your blog first, wait a few days while it gets indexed by search engines (Google), and then you can start posting it on other platforms. Also, make sure to link back to your original article as a source. You can learn about a republishing strategy here.
Repurpose content. You can repurpose your content, create graphics, slideshow presentations, audio files, or even videos and publish it all on the platforms that support different content formats. Here is how you can make 64 pieces of content in a single day (PDF).
Getting organic traffic from search engines
By now, you already know that it's important to optimize your content for search engines.
However, in order to increase your organic traffic, you willhave to learn how to get your content to rank higher in search results.
There is no magic formula for higher rankings, but you should focus on the following factors:
Create useful content for your readers, not search engines.
