Blogging can be a lucrative side hustle.
Tim Sykes, Perez Hilton, and Chiara Ferrangi are some of the most popular people in the industry, earning up to $120 million annually.
If you’re wondering how to start a successful blog, the good news is that you don’t have to be a jack-of-all-trades to captivate audiences.
You don’t need to be an expert at web design, copywriting, and search engine optimization (SEO) to get the word out about your website.
The truth is that building a blog is much easier nowadays because you can outsource various tasks.
Doing so lets you focus on your strengths while building your following.
I’ve been in the industry for several years now, and I’ve seen people from all walks of life find their blogging groove. Nowadays, financial analysts, fashionistas, and even home bakers can turn their sites into revenue-generating platforms.
So, are you ready to learn how to set up a blog?
I’ve created the most comprehensive guide to help you get started blogging.
Read on to discover just how lucrative blogging can be!
I made starting a successful blog easy with these nine simple steps:
Step 1: Choose a host. Just as writers need a publishing house to release their work, aspiring bloggers need web hosting services to establish an address for visitors.
Step 2: Select your niche. If you want to become a successful blogger, you need to establish your authority on a particular topic. Once you decide on a theme, you can focus all your efforts on providing your audience with high-quality content.
Step 3: Choose a domain name. This aspect should enhance your branding efforts. It should help you attract the right market immediately.
Step 4: Install WordPress. You can build a website from scratch — or use WordPress to develop one within minutes. Thanks to this app, bloggers don’t need coding skills to create sites.
Step 5: Install a WordPress Theme. Using premade pages can help you build your dream site. There are countless options available in the market, some of which are free.
Step 6: Install plugins. Also called add-ons or extensions, these tools add functions to your site. You can choose from a wide variety of plugins in the market, including video-playing capabilities, search engine optimization (SEO) guides, or grammar checkers.
Step 7: Make pages. You can opt for a single-page site, but multi-page ones are better for adding content and boosting SEO rankings. Common pages include home, about, blog archive, and contact.
Step 8: Write blog posts. Contrary to popular belief, you can use several tools to create blog content for your site. For instance, you can write by yourself, work with a copywriting service, or use artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools.
Step 9: Build links. Naturally, having a site is not enough to grow your audience. Instead, you need to enhance your SEO efforts, which include building quality links to your website.
1. Choose a Web Hosting Service for Your Blog
Understanding web hosting is the first step in learning how to start a successful blog.
At a glance, a web host is your blog’s home.
It holds all of the technical aspects that make your website function, including files and data.
I started my blogging business by making sure I had a solid place to set it up. Just like how you would need a publishing house to get a book out into the world, you need a web hosting service to make sure your audience has a website to visit.
However, if you plan to make a business out of your blog, you’ll discover that hosts also make a business out of their services. Many providers will offer services that might seem important but won’t serve your interests in the long run — so you need to find the best.
As the first step in making a blog, you must invest in the right host. You’ll be building from there.
Trust me; you don’t want to go through the complex process of switching hosts, so you need a good one to start with.
Here’s a closer look at web hosting, — what services provide them, some of the best ones that I know, and how to choose one that fits your blogging goals.
What Is a Web Hosting Service?
Companies that offer web hosting services make websites accessible on the internet.
Digital spaces need physical servers to run.
When you buy a web hosting plan to run your blog, you rent the company’s server to make your blog pages available.
These servers that house your blog require constant maintenance to ensure that your website stays up. Web hosting services utilize technology that secures the files and data that make up your blog. This way, visitors can see all the text, photos, and videos that your blog has.
You might think that you can host your own blog to save on blog hosting expenses. You already have the files on you in the first place, so why spend on something extra? However, web hosting is way more technical than most people think.
Web hosting demands a lot of skills in multiple disciplines. You will need to create a web server to keep your blog’s files on, which requires specific hardware and software to function correctly. With hardware involved, there will be a lot of maintenance to do on top of running your blog.
As it appears, investing in a web host that has everything ready for you is a smart move that lets you focus on your blog. You’ll get to focus completely on learning how to start a blog and making a business out of it since your host already takes care of the technical aspects.
What Is the Best Web Host for Blogging?
In my experience building my blogging business, I found out that six different web hosting services are ideal for beginners. All of these service providers build upon the basic needs of a blogger and offer a solid foundation for you to build on.
Each offers different extra features that attract certain kinds of bloggers because they make sense for their overall goals. Regardless of which one you pick, I’m confident that they’ll make a great launch pad for your blog. Check out some of my favorite web hosting providers.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is my top favorite hosting provider. It has everything a beginner blogger would want — including cheap prices and easy installation. Despite its low cost, it doesn’t compromise its features. Any package you end up choosing will give you everything you need for your self hosted WordPress blog.
One particular plan that Bluehost offers is the Choice Plus plan. It comes with unmetered storage and allows unlimited websites, which is helpful if you plan on having multiple pages on your blog.
It also has WordPress setups to make building your blog easy. Since Bluehost utilizes WordPress, you have access to countless themes that can match any blog style you go for.
Create your bluehost account now!
2. WIX
WIX is another excellent option for blog hosting. Although WIX does web hosting, it’s more of a website builder. It comes with tools that any beginner can use to design their blog and bring it to life.
Building a blog from scratch is an exciting opportunity. You’re in charge of how you present your blog to the world. I get how this might intimidate a beginner. With WIX, you can simply pick the templates that speak to you and edit them according to your taste.
Plus, the hundreds of available templates capture the themes of different industries. That way, your target audience will know they’re in the right place whenever they find your blog. Overall, WIX is the choice for beginners who want to maximize their time in building a blog.
3. SiteGround
Beginner bloggers can count on SiteGround for reliable customer support. This blog hosting company utilizes WordPress, like most providers. This one sets itself apart by offering extremely fast hosting servers, guaranteeing that your blog will be accessible anywhere always.
SiteGround has multiple server locations, specifically on three different continents. It also gives you complete control over where you want to base your servers when you sign up for one of its plans.
Speaking of plans, SiteGround offers flexible hosting plans to suit your specific situation. You also get cheaper options in the long run if you choose the longer billing periods — though, you might put in a bigger upfront investment.
4. SquareSpace
SquareSpace is another website builder that beginners will find easy to use. Its ease of use is something that the company specifically improved because it used to have a reputation for being difficult to use. Now, its users seem to enjoy it, regardless of their experience level.
One of my favorite things about SquareSpace is the marketing features it offers. As someone who makes a business out of my blog, I find that these tools are quite excellent on the business side of things.
It comes with email and social media support, which can be helpful if you’re running promotional campaigns. It’s extremely helpful for business growth, and you don’t need external tools since SquareSpace has it all.
5. HostGator
Business-centric bloggers will also find HostGator a good choice to host your blog. It’s one of the largest blog hosting companies in the world, with over 10 million domains. It utilizes WordPress and offers one-click installation, making it easy to get up and running as soon as you need.
Another feature that makes many people favor HostGator is its reliable customer support. They run a 24/7 customer support service — which makes sense if they want to be the best at hosting.
Their expert guidance is especially helpful for bloggers looking to migrate hosting platforms. HostGator offers free migration services for new accounts, as long as they utilize it within 30 days of signing up.
6. DreamHost
Finally, DreamHost is a favorite hosting provider among digital marketers and web developers. It offers a great entry-level hosting plan that gives users everything a starting blogger needs to run a functional website. Once your blog grows, you can easily upgrade your hosting plan.
DreamHost has Shared Hosting plans, which come in the Starter and Unlimited levels. What separates these two levels are the limits. In particular, Shared Unlimited offers no limits on the number of websites and hosting storage, unlike Shared Started.
I find that DreamHost is the best choice for a blogger that already knows its audience. One of its downsides (or at least something I find limiting) is that it has no servers outside of the United States. Bloggers who target audiences within North America will likely make the most of this host.
How To Choose the Right Web Hosting Service
When you’re choosing a web hosting service to run a blog, look at the following criteria:
Reliability: Does the hosting service assure its users that their websites will run 24/7? What is their reputation when it comes to maintenance and downtime? How fast do they resolve these issues?
Performance: Is the company transparent with its server speeds? How fast can they load a website on their servers?
Customer Support: How accommodating is the web hosting service? Do they have a live hotline ready in case you encounter any issues?
Features: Are you looking for a place to build a website or host an existing website? See how the host advertises their services and decide if they offer what you need for your blog.
Pricing Plans: What kind of deals does the hosting service offer? Are they within your budget?
These questions should give you an idea about the best choice for you.
How To Start a Successful Blog With the Right Web Host
Starting a blog from scratch can be exciting but daunting. You need to find a web host that simplifies the process for you. I featured six of the best hosting services on the market that are likely to serve your best interests as you start your blog. To find the best one that works for you, you need to consider all the other elements of your blog, which we’ll discuss further.
2. Select Your Niche
Identifying your niche is one of the most critical early steps in learning how to start a blog. You could have the best blog content in the world, but if it stays in one place and never reaches its intended audience, it won’t do you any good. How do you find that audience? Selecting a niche that has a big enough pool of potential readers to make regular writing worthwhile.
Maintaining a blog and make money blogging is work, which isn’t a bad thing. Think of treating a blog like a business to make up for the effort you spend on it. Perhaps you’ve noticed how brands run blogs as extensions of their businesses because they already know their niche.
Maybe you decide to start a blog about a topic you’re interested in but not yet an expert at. That approach works well, as long as you choose a profitable niche that suits your interests. You can even share your learning process with your readers!
This section discusses everything there is about blog niches — what they are, how to choose one, and their significance in your blogging journey. Take a look.
What Is a Niche?
A niche is what you blog about. It can be anything from lifestyle, travel, and fashion to food, health, and wellness. Ideally, your niche encompasses a broad topic and dives deep into subtopics within it.
One great example is health and fitness. If you choose this niche for your blog, you could share information about maintaining proper diets, setting up meal plans, ideal exercises, and choosing health supplements. All these topics revolve around one big theme, which is your niche.
Anything you choose will usually depend on your skills, experience, and passions. If you ask professional bloggers for advice, they will likely tell you the same — but the problem is whether these elements truly reflect who you are.
Think about your intentions for blogging in the first place. If you want to make money from your blog, then you should choose a niche that has the opportunity for making money. Also, remember that you will be writing regularly to maintain your blog.
For example, I’m passionate about playing the piano, but I don’t want to write about the piano every day. Plus, if I just think about writing what I like, then I could write about my family — but that’s hardly monetizable.
The goal in choosing a niche is to compromise between what you like and what makes money. Your blog must show your growth in whatever topic you choose, which in turn helps your readers grow.
How To Choose a Niche
Sure, you have experience in something that you are passionate about, but can you sustain that in the long run? The key is to choose a niche that reflects you. If you ever get stuck while choosing what to blog about, just go back to yourself.
Your life is already full of stories and lessons you can share with the world, whether you believe it or not. All you have to do is make a brand out of your life, and then you have your niche. Here are four steps to consider when brainstorming for your blog’s niche:
Step 1: Know What You Want To Teach
As I suggested, your life is your niche. You must base your niche on what makes sense for you. When selecting a niche from your life, try to approach it by asking what you want to teach to your potential audience.
What do you want your legacy to be? Is there information that you know that you believe would benefit other people if they knew about it, too? Are you good at what you want to teach? Have you taught it to others before? How did they respond to your lessons?
Try getting into the mindset of a teacher and ask yourself these questions. The answers will help you choose a niche that can create a lasting impact on the lives of your readers. Your primary goal in this stage of choosing your niche will be to be your target audience’s primary source for whatever you want to teach.
Step 2: Identify Your Expertise
Since you are aiming to be a teacher in your blog, you must position yourself as an authoritative figure on that topic. Try to lay out everything you’re already good at to identify where your experience lies.
When identifying your expertise, you must have a track record of achievements in that field. If you don’t have any yet, then try to look for ways to acquire them.
Your audience wants to learn from the best, and experience makes you the best in your field. Knowing how to do something or understanding the ins and outs of that subject will be the foundation of a successful blog.
You might measure your blog’s success by how much you earn from your efforts. If you’re just starting your blog, being an expert in something is what will help you start earning money online.
Step 3: Evaluate the Market
You’ll be spending time, effort, and resources in building your blog. You wouldn’t want all of that work to go to waste, right? That’s why it’s important to evaluate the market. You must assess how much demand there is for your chosen niche and how competitive the market is.
How many people are already talking about it? How much authority do they have on that topic? How can you stand out among them? How can you make a lasting impression on your target audience?
Answering these questions should give you an idea of how much potential growth you can achieve with the niche that you have selected.
Step 4: Find Leverage in the Industry
Finally, you should identify any leverage that you might have in the industry you are targeting for your blog. Throughout your life, you must have had some experiences that shaped the way you understand and process information, putting you in a unique position to blog about your niche.
Regardless of the niche that you’re eyeing for your blog, others might already be doing what you’re just planning to do. However, your journey to becoming an expert in it is different from those people. Your life makes you a unique player.
You built an incredible skill set from the paths you took to become an expert in your niche. This unique perspective can attract people who are in a similar position as you are. You never know who your story will resonate with, but if you’re willing to leverage it, then you can get much farther with your blog.
Plus, you could have made connections along the way that can help you with your blog. Leveraging these connections can be beneficial for your blog as it gives you more opportunities to make it successful.
Ask yourself if you can pull any levers from the connections you built in your life and career. Can these connections give you an edge in your target market? Perhaps you can tap them for insider information to understand what your target audience is looking for and match their demands with your expertise.
As you collect knowledge from leveraging everything in your life, you can add value to your blog and establish yourself as an authority in the industry. Slowly but surely, you’ll build a reputation as a reliable source of information. It all starts with knowing if you have resources you can leverage if you pick a particular niche.
Why Is Choosing a Niche Important?
Choosing a niche is important when starting a blog if you want to make it successful. It’s your blog’s foundation.
You need a strong foundation to know what you will blog about. How else will you keep your readers engaged if you don’t even know what to discuss? How can you attract more potential customers when you don’t even know how to start talking to them?
That’s why it’s important to determine your niche first before you start blogging. When you have a niche and know the target market that you’re writing for, your blog can become an effective tool to reach your ideal customers.
It also gives you an edge over your competition if you can differentiate yourself from them by targeting a unique market with your blog. That way, you can establish yourself as an authority in the industry and become successful in your blogging efforts.
Conclusion: Your Niche Is Your Brand
Essentially, the four steps for choosing a niche revolve around going back to yourself and assessing all your lived experiences to identify what area you’re the best at.
By choosing the right niche for your blog, you can make sure that all the effort and resources you’ve invested in it will go to good use. You’ll be able to create content that resonates with your readers and attracts potential customers.
Plus, it allows you to leverage any resources you already have, such as your expertise and connections. If you can use those resources effectively, then you can ensure that your blog will be successful in the long run. Brand yourself correctly by choosing the right niche!
3. Choose a Domain Name
If you’ve been wondering how to start a successful blog, you’ve probably thought of components like search engine optimization (SEO), powerful copy, and appealing graphics. However, there’s one often-missed factor that’s just as crucial as all of these combined: a relevant domain name.
Trust me on this: It’s one of the most essential elements in boosting your online presence. So, how do you choose a domain name to match your branding?
Let’s discuss everything you need to know about domain names and how important they are if you want to learn how to start a blog.
What Is a Domain Name?
The domain name refers to a site’s distinct web address. It’s the text clients use to access a website, such as food.com.
A website’s actual address is a complex string of numerical values ranging from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255. However, the domain name system (DNS) allows consumers to enter human-friendly characters to reach their digital destination.
With a memorable domain name, you can strengthen your branding efforts and make it easy for your prospects to find your website. Think about it: Would you remember a site like best-charcuteries-in-the-aquebogue.com? Probably not. For this reason, I suggest selecting a domain name that highlights what your blog is about and lets audiences find you easily.
Benefits of a Strong Domain Name
Securing a strong domain name offers several advantages to aspiring bloggers, like the ones listed below.
Enhance Brand Recognition
A good domain name gives potential readers a preview of what they should expect from your blog. Are you focusing on travel, beauty, or food content? Your domain name should explicitly claim what you’re all about.
Ideally, domain names shouldn’t leave prospects guessing what you are and what you do. Instead, it should help them decide that you offer valuable content and that your site is worth clicking on.
A short, memorable, easy-to-pronounce domain name can make all the difference in attracting the right audience.
Boost Credibility
In the blogging industry, your credibility is a key ingredient in building loyalty in your visitors. A solid domain name can help you with this endeavor, ensuring you stand out from other spammy websites.
Generally, a professional and official-sounding domain name inspires trust among readers, especially new ones. After all, a legitimate-looking site like foodie.com makes people interested in opening, reading, and engaging with your blog.
Improve SEO Rankings
An SEO-optimized site can help your prospects find you in a sea of competition. As there are now 1.88 billion websites globally, this task is no easy feat.
However, with good practices, including a solid domain name that includes keywords, you’re well on your way to connecting with quality audiences. Remember, search engines like Google understand pages differently. Your domain name can help you establish your name as a trustworthy information source for particular topics.
Enjoy Massive Savings
Did you know that the best domain names can help you enjoy massive savings? A great domain name typically offers unmatched aesthetic appeal, but they also don’t cost much.
While many common domain names are unavailable, you can still use your creativity to land a valuable one. It may take some time to find the perfect domain name, but the search will be worth it.
Offer Continuity
Your domain name secures your spot on the internet. Someday, you might change your host, relocate to a new state, or shift to an in-house server. No matter the circumstance, your domain name ensures that your blog stays with you.
If you choose a high-quality domain name, you can save it for future use, eliminating the need to start from scratch.
I’ve written a list of practical tips on how to start a successful blog using a powerful domain name. Let’s get right to it.
Selecting a Domain Name
So, are you ready to choose a catchy domain name for your blog? Below are some components to consider.
1. Stick to a .com Extension
There are various trusted extension names, including .gov. or .edu. However, you can use virtually any extension, like .cafe, .pizza, or .resto.
When choosing one for your blog, I recommend going for a common one that won’t come off as unprofessional or untrustworthy: .com. If a .com extension is not an option, .org, .net, and .co are also acceptable.
2. Check Online Tools for Inspiration
Today, there are 174.2 million .com and .net top-level domains (TLDs), leaving many to believe the best domain names are already taken. However, I’m a firm believer that a little bit of creativity can go a long way.
With some help from domain name generators, you can tweak your ideas and transform them into clever names. A quick Google search would recommend Namecheap, Name Ideas Generator, and GoDaddy for this task.
3. Use Keywords
Keywords play a crucial role in SEO efforts. By using them in your domain name, you inform search engines of what your blog contains. Apart from quality content, navigability, and a good user experience, keywords can help you achieve a top spot in search engine results pages (SERPs).
However, based on experience, it’s challenging to find an available domain with specific keywords. You can mix and match them to elevate your site’s presence.
4. Paint a Big Picture
Contrary to popular belief, domain names are not forever. Instead, you register them annually or pre-pay for up to a decade to call long-term dibs on your blog’s name.
For this reason, it’s best to paint a big picture when drumming up a domain name. If you’re a photographer, the name shutter.com might appeal to you. However, if your blog focuses on art, the domain name won’t add much value to your site.
The domain name is crucial to your success as a blogger, so take your time choosing the right one. I recommend being prudent about this decision because it will impact your blog in the long run.
5. Keep It Short and Sweet
Long domain names are harder to remember and might negatively impact your site traffic. I recommend targeting anywhere between six to fourteen characters to achieve top-of-mind status for potential readers.
Make sure your domain name is easy to spell and pronounce. Plus, a simple name without hyphens, numbers, and double letters also helps.
6. Stay on Brand
There are many components to consider in figuring out how to start a blog. One of them is to choose a unique and valuable domain name that sets you apart from the competition.
Remember, there are almost two billion websites globally. A powerful domain can help secure your spot as a fan favorite.
7. Do Your Research
The first available brandable domain name isn’t necessarily the best one. Before registering your blog, do your research first. Ideally, you don’t want to use an existing business name.
Otherwise, fans of the business might find their way toward your site and not like what they see. Plus, you might end up facing unnecessary legal implications.
I recommend performing a trademark search to check for organizations with similar-sounding or exact names. Afterward, check Google and various social media platforms.
Once you’re sure of your domain name, you can eventually trademark and copyright your blog.
Is a Domain Name the Same as a URL?
No, a domain name is not the same as a Universal Resource Locator or URL. A URL is a complete address used to find particular sites, as in http://google.com. However, a domain name signifies the name of the website, as in google.com.
How Important Is a Good Domain Name for a Blog?
A domain name is one of the most crucial elements of a blog. It makes it easy for people to find your site and helps you build an instant connection with readers.
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?
On average, domain names cost anywhere between $0.99 to $12 monthly. However, premium ones such as hotels.com, FB.com, or we.com can cost millions.
Final Thoughts
A good domain name boosts your authority and drives high-quality traffic to your site. If you want to learn how to start a successful blog, don’t forget to choose a domain name that resonates with your target audience.
There are over five billion internet users around the world. Capture your fair share of this market with a memorable blog name!
4. Installing WordPress
When starting a successful blog, you’ll need to install WordPress. WordPress is often recognized as the most widely used website creation tool. It’s the driving force behind more than 43% of the web. The most important reason for this is that anyone can set up a WordPress site in minutes. There are a few different ways to do it, and I’ll explain each one in detail.
After reading this, you should be able to set up a WordPress website for your blog and get ready to start publishing helpful content.
What Is WordPress?
WordPress is your blogging platform.
WordPress’s primary appeal is that it makes it easy for anyone to launch their own blog or website. Since it is an open-source content management system (CMS), anyone is free to download, install, use, and modify the program as they see fit. It allows you to easily manage the content on your site without having to learn how to code.
Although they might seem identical, WordPress.org is different from WordPress.com. WordPress.com is a commercial service that uses the open-source WordPress.org platform and charges users for access. While it’s easy to set up and use, it lacks the customization options of a self-hosted WordPress site.
When people refer to “WordPress,” they typically mean the self-hosted version available through WordPress.org. If you prefer complete control over your blog, a WordPress.org site hosted on your own server is the way to go.
Methods for Installing WordPress
Here are three common ways to install and start your free WordPress blog:
Install Through Your Hosting Service
One of the most convenient ways to get WordPress set up is to find a host that offers installation services. These days, you may even choose to have WordPress pre-installed by your host. Because of this, you can launch WordPress without delay after signing up for hosting.
It’s safe to say that Bluehost is among the biggest hosting providers out there. They’re WordPress experts with the most straightforward setup process possible. When you sign up for Bluehost, the company will immediately set up WordPress on your website. Here are the steps to create a WordPress website through your Bluehost account:
Go to the Bluehost admin panel and select the “My Sites” tab. Next, pick “Create New Site” from the “Add Site” drop-down menu.
Upon clicking this, the Bluehost WordPress installation wizard will launch.
You’ll be prompted to provide a site’s title and, if you’d like, a tagline. To proceed, hit the “Next” button.
Next, you’ll be asked to choose a website’s domain name and directory. To use a domain name that you have already purchased, simply make your selection from the drop-down menu. In case you haven’t already done so, you may register a new domain name for your website by going to the “Domains” section of your Bluehost settings menu.
After choosing a domain name, Bluehost can determine the directory path automatically. If you like, you may also add recommended plugins for WordPress that will be offered during the installation process. After that, you can proceed by clicking the “Next” option.
It may take a few moments for the installer to finish setting up your WordPress site. After that, a success message detailing your new WordPress site will be shown. Furthermore, Bluehost will email you the specifics.
You can access the backend of your new site by going to the “My Sites” section of your Bluehost control panel. Then, once you’ve found your site, select the option to “Manage site.”
The “Log into WordPress” button will be immediately visible on the following screen. By clicking this button, you will enter your site’s administration panel.
And that’s it; WordPress is up and running on your Bluehost server.
Install on cPanel
Most web hosts provide their customers with a dashboard called cPanel to manage their hosting accounts. They will also supply you with cPanel credentials and one or more auto-installers in the cPanel settings menu. With these auto-installers, setting up WordPress on cPanel is a breeze.
In essence, auto-installers streamline the entire WordPress setup process. Instead of setting up WordPress manually, you can use an auto-installer to get the job done with a few clicks of the mouse.
There are several auto-installers out there. Here are some of the most popular:
Softaculous
QuickInstall
Fantastico
MOJO Marketplace
Although their user interfaces may vary slightly, all auto-installers perform the same basic tasks. We’ll use Softaculous to demonstrate how to setup WordPress on cPanel; however, the interface of your auto-installer may differ slightly from what we’ve shown here:
Start by navigating to cPanel, where you may then click the link for the WordPress auto-installer.
Regardless of the auto-installer you use, the following screen will have an “Install Now” button. Simply click on it.
The next step is to fill up your WordPress installation information. Once more, the appearance of this interface should be similar across all auto-installers.
Enter the server’s protocol and the URL where WordPress will be installed.
Then, select the directory where you wish to install WordPress. If you leave this field empty, WordPress will be installed on your primary domain.
Next, you need to fill out the Site Settings with your site’s name and description. There will, however, be some default values that can be modified at a later time through WordPress’s admin panel.
You will also need to set up a username and password. Keep these credentials in mind, as you’ll need them to access your WordPress admin panel after the installation is complete.
The auto-installer you use may also provide you with other options. These are entirely safe to disregard.
After you have finished entering all the required information, click the “Install” button. After processing for a few moments, you will receive a confirmation, and then you’re done.
Install Manually
WordPress auto-installers make manual installation unnecessary, but we will walk you through the process if you prefer a more technical approach.
You’ll need File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software to carry out the WordPress 5-minute setup. Several high-quality FTP clients are available for free, including the popular FileZilla. If you have no idea what FTP is or how to use it, you should probably use a WordPress auto-installer. Once your FTP is ready, simply follow these steps:
To get started, head over to wordpress.org and download the most recent version of WordPress.
The file must be unzipped before it can be uploaded to your website’s public_html directory or something similar. Get in touch with your hosting provider for your FTP login details if you need help.
The next step is to go to your cPanel and look for the MySQL Databases section.
In the “Create a New Database” option, give your database a name, then click “Create Database.” You can give it any name you want, but make sure you can recall it. You’re going to need it later.
Next, go to the MySQL Users at the bottom of that page to set up a new user for your database. Once the user has been created, you need to give it database access. On the following page, make sure to grant that user All Privileges.
Once the FTP upload is complete, you can now access your domain to continue setting things up. When you visit your domain, you should see the WordPress installation wizard.
First, you must select a language. Then, have your database’s credentials — username, password — ready. Type them in when required. If everything goes smoothly, the WordPress installation should start.
Decide on a name for your WordPress site, and then fill out the required fields to create an administrator account. Then, select “Install WordPress.”
With that, you now know how to manually install WordPress and be up and running in about five minutes. You may now access the system using the credentials you created during setup.
The Bottomline
When it comes to content management systems, WordPress is by far the most straightforward option. Countless people throughout the globe use it regularly for their blogs or websites. In case you have never done this before, the easiest thing to do is use the auto-installer provided by your hosting provider. It’s just as simple and quick as setting up WordPress on your own. However, the best and easiest option is to use a host that offers WordPress installation.
You may also choose to manually install WordPress if you prefer a challenge. Just follow the steps I’ve shared in this article, then your blog’s WordPress site will be ready to go. After you’ve downloaded and installed WordPress, you’ll be prepared to move forward with the rest of this guide on how to start a successful blog. I will walk you through the rest of the steps in your blogging journey.
5. Install a Theme
While the endeavor may seem straightforward, it can become overwhelming to install a website theme. After all, there are thousands of free and paid themes available in the market, each with distinct strengths.
This section will discuss everything you need to know about installing a blog theme, including its definition, benefits, and selection process. I also included layout suggestions at the end — two proven game-changers, in my opinion. If you want to learn how to start a blog, this feature is for you.
What Is a Website Theme?
Today, there are over five billion internet users, and having a website is one of the fastest ways to find your niche. However, modern consumers are a tough bunch. They expect beautiful sites that address their distinct needs and won’t hesitate to leave mediocre ones.
It takes the average user about 50 milliseconds — or 0.05 seconds — to decide whether to stay or leave. In most cases, the determining factor is web design.
If you’re not an expert on this matter, a website theme can simplify the development process. This element is a premade page or set of pages that manages everything you find on the front-end design, including layout, colors, headers, content positioning, and typography. The ideal theme makes your site attractive and enhances the navigation experience.
Benefits of Using Website Themes
Using website themes can benefit individuals thinking of starting a blog as a side hustle. Below are some of the most notable advantages.
Quick Implementation
Are you thinking of how to start a successful blog? Having a standout website is half the battle.
There are various ways to develop one without a theme, but you’ll need coding experience in HTML and CSS. Based on experience, this venture should take around six months if you learn everything from scratch. If you don’t have this much time, you can use a template instead.
Remember, there are countless theme options online. After choosing the ideal one for your blog, you’re well on your way to sharing your expertise in public.
Customization Options
Let’s face it: You may share a website template with hundreds or thousands of other users. However, you can still personalize your site through custom icons, images, logos, and other elements.
I’ve managed enough websites to know that even templated pages can look brilliant and work their magic. You can tweak factors that don’t impress you. Plus, your original, high-quality content should help you build a following.
If you use templates well, you can create a standout site that captures, engages, and converts random visitors into adoring fans.
Countless Options
Developing a website from scratch has its benefits, but modern templates already comply with industry standards that meet specific personal and business needs. Naturally, you need a different design for a blog versus an e-commerce site.
The good news is that there are countless options for virtually any requirement. Some providers even offer free trial time, letting you check if a template matches your style.
Minimal Investment
Professionally made custom websites are expensive, often ranging between $15,000 to $30,000. This amount typically covers developer fees, upfront costs, and maintenance expenses. If you want to add more features, you typically have to pay more.
For this reason, I recommend website templates for aspiring bloggers. Apart from slashing unnecessary startup expenses, they also help you save on add-ons along the way.
Functional Demos
Nowadays, you don’t have to guess what your content will look like with a template. Instead, most providers offer functional demos, letting you see if a particular design fits your needs. If you find one with the flexibility and features you need, go ahead and download it!
How To Choose a Theme
Now that you know the advantages of using pre-built website templates, are you ready to design your blog? Below are some components to consider if you want a modern site that impresses search engines and consumers alike.
Website Speed
Before getting to design specifics, it’s essential to find a template that won’t impact your load speed negatively. Here’s why: Ideally, a blog site should load within two seconds. Even a one-second delay can send your visitors running toward the exit.
In today’s day and age, a fast-loading website is not optional. It’s a must for every aspiring blogger. If you want a shot at impressing readers and search engines, choose a template that lets you achieve a good load speed.
Mobile-Readiness
A whopping 59.6% of all online traffic comes from mobile gadgets. For this reason, your template can make or break your website.
A mobile-friendly site should work the same way across all devices. This feature means visitors can use desktops, laptops, tablets, or phones to read your content hassle-free.
One way to check your site’s mobile readiness is to run it through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
Cross-Browser Compatibility
Your success as a blogger largely depends on your ability to offer personalized experiences. Apart from various gadgets, your readers will also use different browsers and operating systems, including Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. With the right templates, you can run your site through any of them without any issues.
Simplicity
Gone are the delays of loud pages using flash animation, pop-ups, and other bells and whistles. Nowadays, a minimalistic approach is the way to go. Remember, no website component should take away from your content and call-to-action (CTA).
Modern experts now recommend using flat designs for websites. Such layouts help visitors find the sections they want to see, whether it’s your blogs, recommended products, or videos.
Extension Availability
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to creating a website. Every so often, you will need to tweak site elements to match your branding.
For this reason, it’s best to choose templates that let you add plugins, apps, and extensions as needed. You can find virtually everything you need online, from search engine optimization (SEO) to graphic design to grammar tools.
Theme Suggestions: Kadence or Astra
As mentioned earlier, you can use various website themes for different purposes. For aspiring bloggers, I highly recommend using Kadence or Astra. Let’s discuss each one in more detail.
Kadence
I prefer using WordPress for blog sites, whether for personal or professional purposes. After all, it offers unmatched user-friendliness and functionality.
One of the best blog templates for me is Kadence. This template makes building beautiful sites as easy as 1-2-3. Below are some of its unique features compatible with blogger requirements:
Kadence Blocks: This element is a great addition to your arsenal of digital tools. It lets you develop valuable content to stand out from the competition.
Plugins: Kadence extensions are a dream come true for bloggers. Whether you want to improve your analytics, headers, or galleries, this template will help you achieve such tasks.
Premium support: Apart from blogger-friendly features, Kadence offers 24/7 support. If you have any issues or questions, there’s always a team ready to help.
Astra
Astra claims to be the most popular theme of all time on account of being fast, lightweight, and highly customizable. According to its download page, over two million websites throughout the globe trust the theme for their needs. Plus, its five-star rating from almost 6,000 users speaks volumes.
With Astra, bloggers can quickly customize their layouts, headers, colors, and archives. Plus, it offers seamless integration with other blogging tools, including Elementor, WooCommerce, and Yoast.
Ready, Set, Blog
Are you enjoying the journey of “how to start a blog”? When you’re ready to build your site, installing a theme can help you create a modern one capable of dominating the digital world.
Remember, the alternative to using themes is to develop your website from scratch or hire an agency to do it for you. If you don’t have the time or budget for these endeavors yet, it’s okay to stick to themes for now.
The right theme and extensions can help you with your speed, mobile readiness, cross-browser compatibility, and simplicity efforts. I recommend using Kadence or Astra as your blog design, but you can check out others that fit your distinct needs.
6. Install Plugins
I’ve worked with many people interested in learning how to start a successful blog. My answer is always the same: You need a solid website, standout content, and effective marketing strategies.
This section will focus on the third component to reach your ideal visitors. Remember, you cannot monetize your work without a crowd of adoring fans.
Read on to discover how to start a blog with one of the most essential features of modern websites: plugins.
What Plugins to install?
Plugins are software add-ons that enable users to add website functionalities even without coding expertise. For this reason, these tools are extremely useful for aspiring bloggers without the knowledge, skill, and experience in code development.
Today, you can use various plugins for virtually all marketing efforts, from search engine optimization (SEO) to content creation to lead generation. I’ve listed my top 12 favorite ones for your inspiration. Keep reading to learn which ones are ideal for your wordpress blog.
1. ShortPixel
Modern consumers are not a patient bunch. Your page load speed matters to them, and anything above two seconds is not acceptable.
One of the quickest fixes you can make is to compress your images with a plugin like ShortPixel. It’s an easy-to-use, stable, and frequently updated tool designed to optimize any image or PDF document on any site.
ShortPixel automatically resizes or rescales such files on the fly, so you don’t have to worry about any page aspect weighing your website down. The best part is it works for the most common image types, including JPG, PNG, and GIF.
2. Wordfence
Apart from a fast-loading site, visitors are particular about security. After all, if you plan on creating a database or selling merchandise on your blog, you want to keep hackers and cyber thieves at bay.
For those looking for a plugin to achieve this feat, I recommend Wordfence. A global team of WordPress security experts created this app to protect subscribers from hacks and malware.
To date, it has blocked over 11 billion attacks and over 50,000 malicious internet protocols (IPs). Try the free version now to see if it fits your needs.
3. WP Rocket
People interested in learning how to start a successful blog should look into caching. It’s the process of storing copies of files in a digital location, allowing easy access for future use.
For instance, visitors browsing your blog for the first time may witness loading difficulties. However, the next time they read your content, the experience will be more seamless.
WP Rocket is one of the best caching plugins today. The developers guarantee boosting speed results and Core Web Vitals in no time. It boasts a user base of over 2.8 million sites, and your blog could be next!
4. SurferSEO
Search engine giant Google processes over 8.5 billion searches daily. Bloggers who want their fair share of this platform should optimize their content to meet best SEO practices.
SurferSEO is an ideal plugin for bloggers because it offers a built-in keyword research tool and detailed content analytics. For instance, you will find information on average word, image, and header counts.
I love using this add-on for long-form content like blogs, articles, and e-books. You too can take advantage of its in-depth SEO features to boost your online presence.
5. RankMath
Another standout WordPress SEO plugin for me is RankMath. Ultimately, it guides users in optimizing their content with built-in suggestions and pro tips on best practices.
It integrates with some of the most popular digital platforms, including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you plan to advertise your blog on these sites, RankMath may be a valuable addition to your digital marketing arsenal.
Track keyword rankings, run SEO analytics, and implement rich snippets now with this plugin. WebMD, H&M, and Jeep have found success with this tool, and you can, too.
6. Yoast SEO
Like SurferSEO and RankMath, Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin designed to help websites perform better on search engines. However, one feature that sets it apart from the other two platforms is its readability score for 19 languages, including English, German, Dutch, Spanish, and French.
Additionally, you can use it to optimize whole websites or specific pages and posts. I use the free type, and I find it useful enough to meet my basic needs. However, you can upgrade your subscription to Yoast SEO Premium for features like link suggestions, social media previews, and 24/7 support.
7. Cookie Plugin
Sometimes, bloggers overlook one crucial aspect of running a website: cookie compliance. It ensures that your pages abide by privacy laws set by the government. You should take them seriously because one violation could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you’re unsure how to go about this endeavor, a WordPress cookie plugin is a great start. It guarantees that you’re legally compliant, helping you build stronger relationships with your readers. With the right settings, you give visitors the power to accept or reject unnecessary cookies from your site.
8. BackWPup
A website backup is a copy of your digital files on an external source. Typically, core files, themes, plugins, databases, and other valuable information go straight to this storage space.
A backup plugin like BackWPup guarantees to restore your site after any crashes or issues. It could come in handy when you accidentally delete elements, activate harmful upgrades, or prevent hackers from entering your system.
You can use BackWPup to save your installation materials and move them to an external backup service such as Dropbox. Remember, when you face emergencies, a single .zip backup file can restore an installation.
9. AHREFS
SEO plays an essential role in your blog’s success. For this reason, I’m sharing another plugin for this undertaking: AHREFS.
The AHREFS WordPress plugin focuses on content audits, keyword research and complements other SEO programs instead of competing with them. By using this software, you can view your site’s performance score and SEO stats in one user-friendly platform.
Afterward, you can perform an audit and evaluate suggested edits, which may include updating keywords, optimizing content, or indexing pages. The results can help track components that hurt your search engine rankings.
10. Shortcodes Ultimate
If you want to learn how to start a blog, another essential component to master is navigability. After all, anything that contributes to your site’s user experience can make or break your blog.
Shortcodes Ultimate is a one-stop tool for visual and functional elements that impact your site’s rankings, including fonts, colors, and buttons.
This plugin offers over 50 shortcodes, each as valuable as the next. Whether you need a responsive design, a custom widget, or a cascading style sheets (CSS) editor, Shortcodes Ultimate is the way to go.
11. Easy Table of Contents
Are you planning on adding long-form materials to your blog? You should. These content types can help you boost your authority for a particular topic.
However, your article length shouldn’t negatively impact your site’s navigability. A tool like Easy Table of Contents can help.
This plugin lets users add a table of contents to various post types. The free version provides several easy-to-understand configuration options. However, you can opt for Easy Table of Contents Pro for additional features like the Gutenberg Block to help users build a TOC in Gutenberg without coding knowledge.
12. Thirsty Affiliates
Affiliate marketing is an advertising model where brands compensate content creators for generating traffic from their sites. Often, companies use a commission-based scheme to reward their affiliates.
Today, it has become a viable profit-making tool for many bloggers. It has grown into an industry worth $12 billion because of its effective monetization techniques.
With Thirsty Affiliates, you can hide too-long links, protect your commissions, and naturally insert affiliate links. While making money is essential, it shouldn’t compromise your site’s high-quality content.
Finally, you can create more passive income without annoying your audience. Check the plugin now to start maximizing your blog’s revenue-generating power.
The Verdict
There’s no one-size-fits-all plugin for blogging needs. For this reason, I can’t recommend the best software add-on for you.
Instead, you should find solutions that address your unique needs as a content creator. Remember, what works well for your audience might not work for another blogger.
Are you ready to integrate marketing efforts into your site? Plugins are a great way to get started. Take your time researching which ones can take your blog to new heights.
7. Make Pages
I have an essential tip for aspiring content creators who want to learn how to start a successful blog: Separate your website pages. While you can stick to a single-page site, I wouldn’t recommend it for a blog.
In this section, I will discuss the difference between single-page and multi-page sites and why the latter suits blogs better. I will also share the essential parts of a website you can add to your platform. Let’s get right to it.
What Is a Web Page?
A web page is a document visitors can view through a browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. Consumers can access them by typing a URL into the search bar.
One website may contain one or more pages. For instance, a site may have a separate page for company history, products, and contact information.
What Is a Single-Page Site?
As the name suggests, a single-page design only has one page. With such sites, you don’t have to navigate across various tabs because you will find all the details you need in one glance.
This layout has been gaining popularity over the years for information like Terms of Service or Privacy Policy. I would recommend it for landing pages, event sites, and product launches but not for blogs.
However, single-page sites offer distinct advantages, like the ones listed below.
Improve User Experience
If you can fit everything you want to say on one page, then go for it. Doing so can simplify the navigation for your visitors, which is always a big plus.
However, make sure they don’t have to scroll too many times to find the information they need. Otherwise, a multi-page site would be a better choice.
Achieve a Clean Layout
With a single-page site, you have less content and images. For this reason, you don’t need to take up too much space, leaving you free to choose a clean layout. Such designs load faster, an essential component in boosting your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Build Sites Faster
Developing a website can take anywhere between a few weeks to several months. The time frame depends on the number of pages and the complexity of your design. Naturally, if you’re building a single-page website, it will take less time and money to complete.
What Is a Multi-Page Site?
Most websites still follow a multi-page layout with various portals for different tabs. Usually, there’s a home page and several other internal pages.
If you’re learning how to start a blog, I recommend reading up on this layout. I think it’s the ideal design for blogs, corporate websites, and e-commerce stores.
Multi-page sites offer distinct advantages, including the ones I’ll list below.
Add More Pages
The biggest advantage that a multi-page site offers is that you can add pages as needed. As your blog grows, this feature will come in handy.
For example, as a food blogger, you might want to add recipes, short videos, and restaurant reviews. Splitting them into different pages guides viewers toward the content they want to see.
Improve SEO Rankings
Once you start running your blog, you will realize that SEO efforts don’t work on a per-site basis but a per-page one. You optimize every page with valuable keywords, meta tags, and links. For this reason, overseeing several pages dramatically increases your site’s online visibility by casting a wider SEO net.
Enhance Marketing Potential
When you use a multi-page layout for your blog, it’s easier to drive traffic to your site. Remember, different content types attract distinct user groups, allowing you to capture various personas. For instance, you can run simultaneous ads for videos, affiliate links, and merchandise.
Four Essential Pages for Your Blog
Now that you understand the importance of developing several pages for your blog, it’s time to learn the essential ones your website should have.
Home Page
For people who want to learn how to start a blog, one of the first steps is to create a standout home page. Many experts argue that it’s the most crucial part of any blog because it’s the first page visitors see.
It takes consumers a few seconds to determine whether they want to leave or stay, and your home page is a crucial factor in this decision. Today, it’s no longer a marketing tool but a window to your blog.
Here are a few pro tips for setting the tone for your visitors:
Keep it short and sweet: Think of your home page as a first meeting. You want to highlight what makes your blog unique and reserve valuable information for other website pages
Use valuable keywords: As mentioned earlier, I recommend optimizing every page of your site to attract more readers. If you want to make a good impression, develop a keyword-rich page with top-notch imagery and copywriting.
Focus on benefits: Instead of boasting about your qualifications and achievements, I suggest informing visitors how your blog can benefit them. For instance, if you offer five-minute recipes, travel hacks for backpackers, or foolproof ways to grow indoor plants, let them know right away. Doing so will turn random guests into adoring fans.
About Page
Modern consumers can’t resist good storytelling, making it a big part of your about page. Anyone who clicks this tab wants to learn more about you, so go ahead and tell them more about your blog.
Typically, you want to answer the following questions:
What will your content focus on?
Are you qualified to talk about such topics?
What sets you apart from other content creators?
Share your inspirations, strengths, and goals as a blogger to strengthen your relationships with your readers. Remember, it should contain thought-provoking, emotion-inducing elements to quickly attract, engage, and convert visitors.
Blog Archive
If you want to be a content creator, your blog archive is the heart and soul of your website. It’s the collection of data/content you store on your site. Typically, I would recommend developing a page for every archive type to allow quick searches.
In most cases, bloggers showcase their latest content on their home pages. However, older blogs should go on the archive.
If you’re unsure how to go about this page, here are a few helpful tips:
Keep as much content as possible: Storing years’ worth of archives helps you gain cookie points with readers and search engines alike. Doing so provides people with more ways to find your blog.
Mix evergreen and timely content: Evergreen content can stay relevant for longer, but it’s also essential to match trends once in a while. Learning to balance your materials can help you provide your readers with valuable information.
Use folders: Leaving all your past materials on the sidebar can be overwhelming for your visitors. For this reason, I suggest arranging old content using folders. You can create one for your viral posts and build more per category.
Contact Page
As the name suggests, the contact page helps visitors get in touch with you for future collaborations. There’s no law telling bloggers to share their information in public, but it’s best to make it easy for readers to reach you after they leave your website.
Building a contact page is one of the most cost-effective ways to accelerate guests’ journey to becoming regulars. Think about it. After viewing your content, some people might want to learn more about a particular topic. On the other hand, brands might decide to partner with you.
Here are some details you can add to your contact page:
Email address
Business number
Link to social pages
You can also give your readers a chance to join your email list if they wish. Doing so is a great way to grow your blog quickly.
Start with your core four pages
Whether you’re still building your website or enhancing an existing one, I recommend using a multi-page layout. It’s ideal for blogs because it gives you room to scale, complements your SEO efforts, and provides you with more marketing avenues.
The four essential pages for your blog are the home page, about page, blog archive, and contact page. Add them to your platform now to start growing your audience.
8. Blog Post Writing
As a content creator, many people have asked me how to start a successful blog. Naturally, one of the most crucial aspects of this endeavor is actually publishing a blog post.
There’s more to it than just visualizing a topic and sharing your thoughts. You also have to consider how to boost your search engine optimization (SEO) rankings and grow your audience.
Let’s discuss these components in detail.
What Are the Elements of a Good Blog Post?
Before typing away on your keyboard, it’s best to identify the elements of a good blog post. Here are the most crucial components you should include with every article, no matter the topic or length:
Scroll-Stopping Headline
The headline is your article’s title — one of the first things visitors will see. For this reason, it should grab their attention instantly. This statement should make them stop scrolling and focus on your blog immediately.
Make sure your headline is clear and specific. It should tell visitors what’s in store for them.
Captivating Story
After you reel a visitor in, the next ideal step is to keep them engaged. You want to encourage them to read one sentence after the other. To do this, you need to master the art of storytelling. No matter the topic, discuss it in a thought-provoking, emotion-inducing manner.
Relevant Graphics
Did you know that a whopping 65% of people are visual learners? If you present them with rows and rows of endless texts, you might as well say goodbye to these prospects.
Instead, you should add videos, images, and other graphics like GIFs to your blog. Doing so makes your content more interesting and encourages engagement.
Reader-Friendly Navigation
Making people read articles is challenging, especially long-form blog posts of at least 2,000 words. However, there are ways to make your content easy to read.
For instance, I recommend using subheadings, shorter paragraphs, and bulleted lists. Breaking your long article into smaller pieces can enhance the reading experience.
Sharing Optimization
Part of learning how to start a blog is discovering ways to monetize it. If you want to build more income using your blog, you should grow your viewership.
One of the most cost-effective ways to achieve such a feat is to make it easy for guests to share your content. If your article is a winner, they will want to share it across various social media sites and messaging apps.
Ways To Write Your Content
If you’re still learning how to write a new blog post, you might be surprised to know that there are several ways to produce your content. The list includes writing by yourself, hiring a freelancer, working with a copywriting service, and using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Read on to learn more about each tactic.
1. Write By Yourself
If you’re an expert on a topic — like beauty, food, or travel — you can pour your thoughts into a blog. I recommend creating content yourself if you write well and have the time to develop articles, manuals, and video scripts.
Below is a step-by-step guide to write your first blog post.
A. Find Keywords
The secret to transforming your site into a revenue-generating machine is to write valuable content for your target audience. However, it’s also essential to help them find you on the internet. As there are now around 1.14 billion websites globally, you can use relevant keywords to attract the ideal viewers.
You can use a keyword research tool like AHREFS to find high-traffic, low-competition search phrases for your blog posts. Be purposeful with your choices because they can affect the quality of visitors you attract to your site.
Keyword Research is the first step to write your blog posts.
B. Create a Title
Some writers will tell you to compose your title last. Even if this technique fits your style more, I think it’s best to have a working title to get your article moving. You can still tweak it after you’ve finished your piece.
As mentioned earlier, this component is the first one your readers will see. If you want to attract the right audience, make it as catchy, clear, and concise as possible. I suggest sticking to 60 characters or 8 to 12 words for maximum impact.
C. Create an Outline
If you know a topic well, it’s easy to ramble on about every detail you can share. However, any blog post must connect all information to support any claim.
For this reason, you should make time for your outline. Doing so will speed up the writing process and enhance the quality of your output.
D. Write Your Copy
The next step is my favorite: writing your blog post. When you have a working title and an outline, your ideas will flow more naturally.
The secret to a relatable blog post is to put your readers first. Be as natural as possible, and avoid jargon or fancy words no one would understand.
Lastly, don’t forget to dot your i’s and cross your t’s as you edit your work.
E. Insert Images
Images make your website more fun. However, it’s not enough to add any random illustration to your content. Instead, the graphics should be relevant to the story you’re telling.
For instance, if you’re writing a cocktail recipe, it’s best to include a picture of the finished drink. Adding graphics of separate ingredients might not be as appealing.
F. Optimize for SEO
You should always write for your audience, but optimizing your content for search engines will help more readers find your site.
Below are tools you can use for Keyword research.
Surfer SEO: I recommend using this tool for text-heavy content like articles. The technology analyzes over 500 on-page signals and provides users with specific guidelines for blog posts. The list includes keywords, the number of images, and ideal word counts to rank well.
SEMrush: With this software, you can audit your SEO efforts and track your search engine results page (SERP) positions daily. These features can help you make the necessary changes to your strategy if you’re not getting ideal results.
AHREFS: The developers promise to give you everything you need to boost your rankings and traffic. You can find the most-searched keywords, learn from your industry’s top content, and track your ranking with one powerful tool.
2. Hire a Freelancer
Freelancers are professionals you can pay on a per-project or per-task basis. They typically have more experience and have the tools they need at home. You won’t have to provide them with office space, equipment, or supplies.
Whether you want to start a crafting, photography, or lifestyle blog, the ideal posting frequency is at least two per week. For this reason, a freelancer could be useful in churning out more blog content.
3. Work With a Copywriting Service
In most cases, copywriters are masters of language, digital marketing, and selling. These professionals are experts in moving readers to complete a profitable action, from buying merchandise to signing up for a service to joining a mailing list.
If you’re looking for specialists to boost your viewership, I recommend working with a copywriting service instead of a freelance writer. After all, they usually have the SEO and advertising know-how. However, note that you can work with both creators simultaneously.
4. Use AI Copywriting Tools
Lately, more and more brands and content creators have discovered the benefits of AI copywriting tools such as Jasper. These devices write copy for websites and marketing campaigns, from home pages to social media posts to emails.
I’ve tried some of them before, but most produce robot-sounding or inaccurate content. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend generating content through them and posting it immediately. Instead, you can use the technology to find blog post ideas, note subheader suggestions, come up with a blog topic, or jumpstart your writing sessions.
AI cannot replace human writers, but it can help them develop more and higher quality blog posts.
Start Writing Your First Blog Post Now
If you’re learning how to start a successful blog, you should know that a crucial task is writing quality content at least twice a week. Note that there are various ways to achieve this feat, and you don’t have to do everything on your own.
Sure, you can choose to produce content by yourself, but there are other ways to do it too. You can hire a freelancer, work with a copywriting service, or use AI copywriting tools.
However, I recommend overseeing the editing and posting tasks to ensure all the content you publish remains on-brand.
9. Outsource your work to a VA
In today’s fast-paced world, businesses are always looking for ways to streamline their operations and increase productivity. One popular solution is outsourcing work to virtual assistants. Virtual assistants, or VAs, are remote workers who provide administrative, creative, or technical assistance to businesses from a remote location.
Outsourcing to a VA can be an excellent option for businesses of all sizes, as it allows them to access a variety of skills and services without having to hire a full-time employee. VAs are often available on a part-time or project-by-project basis, making them a flexible and cost-effective option for businesses that need occasional help.
10. Build Links to Your Website
If you want to make money blogging you should consider building links to your blog posts.
This task may seem like the last thing you should worry about in earning passive income through content creation, but it can do wonders for your blog. You should include it in your digital marketing plan because it can transform your site into a lucrative platform.
Ready to monetize your blog? Let’s get right to it.
What Are Website Links?
Also called hyperlinks, website links are clickable elements like words, images, or buttons that lead to another location. While these links sometimes take visitors to documents or other content types, they typically lead to another web page.
There are three types of links:
Internal links: These links lead from one page on a site to another from the same website. For instance, you can connect a published article to a merchandise page.
External links: On the other hand, these links lead from one website to another. You can create them to cite a source, and other creators can develop external links that link back to your site.
Backlinks: Also called inbound links, these external links come from other sites and lead back to yours. They are part of Google’s ranking factors, making them essential for your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Benefits of Building Backlinks for Your SEO Strategy
If you want to discover how to start a blog, I want to share a secret with you.
Having fascinating content is not enough to attract audiences.
You also need to build digital roads to help them get to your site.
Below are some of the advantages of creating backlinks for your site.
Build Your Credibility
When it comes to building backlinks, quality trumps quantity. Having trustworthy sites link back to your pages shows search engines and consumers alike that your site is a reliable information source for particular topics. Generally, the more high-quality backlinks you have, the more you boost your authority.
Improve SERP Rankings
Like any other brand, search engines want to provide users with the best experiences. For this reason, proving your worth as a content creator can improve your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Think about it. Google wants to offer results that match consumers’ queries. They will likely show the most informative, comprehensive, and relevant results on the first page — those from highly linked sites other pages trust.
Boost Your Website Traffic
Naturally, the more backlinks you have, the more chances you have of attracting more people to your site. If you make an effort to create high-quality links, you also increase the odds of capturing readers who can become loyal fans.
Encourage Brand Awareness
As a content creator who wants to learn how to start a blog, growing your brand is crucial to your success. It can help you connect with visitors, build your community, and convert strangers into adoring fans.
Since backlinks are a form of word-of-mouth marketing, you can use this technique to promote your blog. Working with relevant websites can encourage readers to check out your site.
Support Paid Ads
Paid ads have distinct advantages, but they also require an investment on your part. With a solid backlink strategy, you don’t have to rely heavily on such marketing strategies.
Remember, once a campaign ends, so does the added traffic. However, backlinks are more evergreen and can last a long time.
Link-Building Tactics
Now that you know how crucial backlinks are to your SEO efforts, it’s time to learn some link-building tactics. I’ve listed some of the most effective ones below.
Guest Posting
Guest posting or guest blogging means writing content for another website. Typically, guest bloggers write industry pieces to attract readers back to their sites.
When given the opportunity to write for other platforms, you can place links in different places, including the article or author bio section. I recommend choosing valuable anchor texts for your site, like beauty expert, cocktail specialist, or travel authority.
Your links should connect to relevant pages of your site, whether it’s an article, merchandise page, or appointment calendar.
Broken Backlinks
Have you ever clicked on a link that led to a dead end? Experts call these elements broken links.
If you want to learn how to start a successful blog, a broken link technique can help you gain valuable backlinks to your site. First, find dead pages in relevant industries. Afterward, ask the owner to swap the link to a working page from your site.
Doing so is a win-win situation. Content creators won’t send their readers to a blank wall, and you can build your backlink strategy.
Skyscraper Technique
Brian Dean popularized a gutsy backlink-building strategy: the Skyscraper Technique. In this tactic, bloggers find top-rated pieces, find weaknesses, and improve on them. The logic behind the name is that much like top-ranked pages, the tallest skyscrapers naturally attract people.
Once you create your standout content, you can reach out to publishers and editors who need relevant sources. This technique can help you reach your target market quickly.
Competitor Backlink Analysis
A competitor backlink analysis is the process of reverse engineering a rival’s external links. If you do it right, you can build similar links, rank higher in SERPs, and attract more people to your site.
One way to achieve such tasks is to search particular keywords and check Google’s first-page results.
Outsource Link Building
Remember, you always have the option to handle all aspects of your blog on your own. However, if you want to grow your audience faster, I suggest getting some help with your backlinking efforts. Below are some ways to speed things up to make money online.
Hire a Freelancer
Content creators can work with freelancers for their backlink-building efforts. These professionals are independent contracts you can pay on a per-project basis.
If you need guidance with your backlink strategy, find specialists who can perform such tasks. Hiring the right professionals can help you save time and money while growing your audience.
The best part is that you can stop paying for such services once you feel you’ve reached your targets for your blog.
Use Link-Building Services
In today’s day and age, you can find individuals or agencies who offer link-building services. With the ideal one on your side, you can earn valuable inbound links from reputable domains to your site.
Here are some companies you can check out:
Help a Reporter Out (HARO): This platform offers a realistic output of three to five top-quality links monthly, mostly from press mentions. Generally, backlinks placed through HARO will stay on media sites forever. However, source websites can update or withdraw articles without HARO’s permission.
Neil Patel Digital: Also called NP Digital, this agency is an expert at building editorial links or those you get from top-notch content marketing techniques. You don’t pay or request such links. Instead, you create standout content to hit your targets.
FATJOE: Experienced SEO specialist Joe Taylor founded this agency. It’s one of the companies that excel at blogger outreach, helping you connect with other content creators.
Outerbox: The agency boasts of being one of the top backlink-building brands globally. It uses data-driven techniques to create strategies that adhere to Google’s most stringent guidelines.
Stellar SEO: If you want to build quality links while growing your audience, I recommend working with this agency. The team uses various tactics that address every blogger’s unique needs.
Build Links now! They are important!
You want to strengthen your link-building skills to make money blogging. After all, backlinks are essential in helping potential followers find you online.
Google and other top search engines look into these elements when ranking pages on SERPs. Without the right backlinking techniques, it might take time for you to build your audience.
Blogging is a multi-faceted endeavor that includes generating ideas, creating content, and promoting your posts. The good news is that you don’t have to do everything on your own. For instance, if you’re not an expert at building links, you can hire a freelancer or use link-building services to take your blog to new heights.
Once you learn how to build links like a pro, you’re on your way to superstardom! Follow my blog now for more tips and tricks for aspiring content creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blogging has become an important part of modern culture. In the U.S. alone, over 31 million active bloggers update their content monthly.
How Do I Start a Blog?
If you’re not sure how to start a blog, follow these nine simple steps:
Step 1: Choose a host. Just as writers need a publishing house to release their work, aspiring bloggers need web hosting services to establish an address for visitors.
Step 2: Select your niche. If you want to become a successful blogger, you need to establish your authority on a particular topic. Once you decide on a theme, you can focus all your efforts on providing your audience with high-quality content.
Step 3: Choose a domain name. This aspect should enhance your branding efforts. It should help you attract the right market immediately.
Step 4: Install WordPress. You can build a website from scratch — or use WordPress to develop one within minutes. Thanks to this app, bloggers don’t need coding skills to create sites.
Step 5: Install a WordPress Theme. Using premade pages can help you build your dream site. There are countless options available in the market, some of which are free.
Step 6: Install plugins. Also called add-ons or extensions, these tools add functions to your site. You can choose from a wide variety of plugins in the market, including video-playing capabilities, search engine optimization (SEO) guides, or grammar checkers.
Step 7: Make pages. You can opt for a single-page site, but multi-page ones are better for adding content and boosting SEO rankings. Common pages include home, about, blog archive, and contact.
Step 8: Write blog posts: Contrary to popular belief, you can use several tools to create blog content for your site. For instance, you can write by yourself, work with a copywriting service, or use artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools.
Step 9: Build links. Naturally, having a site is not enough to grow your audience. Instead, you need to enhance your SEO efforts, which include building quality links to your website.
What Are the Benefits of Blogging?
Brands blog for several reasons. For instance, blogging helps them drive traffic to their site, create more social media content, and convert visitors into leads.
However, for those who want to learn how to blog and make money online, things work a little differently. For these content creators, one of the biggest advantages of blogging is that it’s an ideal platform for earning some extra cash.
Once you learn industry ins and outs, you can start earning additional income with virtually no limits.
What Is a Blog?
The term blog — short for weblog — refers to an online journal or informational site where content creators share their views or expertise about a particular subject. Typically, these platforms use reverse chronological order, with the latest content appearing at the top.
Today, bloggers can find success through standout content. While there are company blogs with an impressive following, like Billboard, TMZ, and HuffPost, personal bloggers can also make their mark in the digital world.
Some of the most popular personal bloggers include Perez Hilton, Tim Ferris, and Tim Sykes. As long as you provide your niche with top-notch content, you too can make it big as a blogger.
Why Should You Start a Blog?
Blogs are powerful platforms that can attract a global audience. They provide content creators with a digital space to share valuable information.
People blog for various reasons, such as:
Generate income: You can turn your blog into a revenue-generating machine to make money once you build a loyal following. However, doing so takes a lot of hard work, patience, and dedication.
Share knowledge: Do you have a lot to say about specific topics, such as health, beauty, or travel? Over the years, I discovered that many people enjoy blogging because they get to educate readers about a particular subject.
Networking: If you want to strengthen business connections, grow your brand, and gain access to job opportunities, developing a blog can help you achieve these goals. It’s an ideal way to connect with like-minded people, globally or locally.
How Much Does It Cost To Start a Blog?
The best part about blogging is that you can start your blog for free. Naturally, you can pay for a graphic artist, freelance writer, or a custom domain name, but you can skip all these if you want.
However, if you want to grow your blog, I recommend investing in some aspects, like hardware, web hosting, and themes and plugins. You don’t have to break the bank for these components, but it’s crucial to stand out from a sea of competition.
The cost of starting a blog depends on your content and goals, but specialists estimate a monthly expense of $20 to $60.
How Do I Get Readers to My Blog?
Have you been researching how to start a blog? It involves some marketing knowledge.
First, if you’re ready to grow your fanbase, I suggest reading up on SEO. Since 93% of all online transactions begin with a search engine, such efforts are the most cost-effective way to attract audiences in the long run.
There are also other marketing strategies to choose from, such as:
Pay-per-click ads: You can run ads on search engines or social media sites to promote your content and attract highly targeted visitors.
Content marketing: This practice involves creating valuable materials to capture ideal audiences.
Email sequences: Using emails is a quick, flexible, and affordable way to promote your blog.
Influencer marketing: Nowadays, working with relevant influencers can be a game-changer for content creators.
Guest blogging: This process involves writing for other blogs in the same industry as yours. Doing so boosts your credibility as a reliable information resource.
- YouTube: Make a YouTube channel with content from your Website. You can re-use your previously done work.
How Do Bloggers Make Money?
As mentioned earlier, bloggers can use their sites to create passive income. There are various ways to monetize blogs, including:
Selling ad spaces to companies: If you have enough readers, you can find brands willing to work with you. I recommend using email campaigns for these efforts.
Accepting payment for sponsored posts: You can also search for companies who want to pay for some of your content. Usually, these materials have a short disclosure declaring they’re sponsored.
Creating digital products: Once you establish your credibility, you can market products like e-books or online courses.
Selling merchandise: Another way to make money off your blog is to sell physical items.
Practicing affiliate marketing: This arrangement requires retailers to pay commissions to external websites, such as blogs. You can choose programs and offers relevant to your readers.
Are WordPress.org and WordPress.com the Same?
No, WordPress.org and WordPress.com are two separate business entities. However, the same people are behind them.
WordPress.com is a service that helps bloggers develop websites using WordPress software. On the other hand, WordPress.org is the source where people can download the software.
Typically, when people use the term WordPress, they refer to WordPress.org. It’s free, open-source software ideal for specialists and newbies alike. For this reason, many call it self-hosted WordPress.
Create a blog now!
Make money blogging is a multi-faceted effort that requires lots of time and patience. I hope my article gave you valuable insight into everything you need to find success as a content creator to make money online.
Be on top of every component of your blog, from choosing a host to installing plugins to building high-quality links. It’s the best way to ensure you’re providing readers with the value they deserve.
I know the blogging process may seem overwhelming at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Once you learn the ins and outs of blogging, you’ll eventually discover more ways to make money off your blog.
Let me know if you have other questions on how to start a blog. I’m here to guide you every step of the way.
