How do you start blogging? In six steps (Platforms, SEO, and many else) |
Are you looking to learn how to start with your own blog? This guide is written for readers like you. From hosting to SEO, follow these 6 steps to get your blog online and operating.
It's obvious that blogging must be a part of your strategy for marketing. This method is proven of attract new customers and provide your knowledge across the globe.
But every time you get up and begin your journey to be a blogger of the highest quality, you find yourself filled with questions.
What's the best platform?
What is the cost?
What is the best topic to be writing about?
How can I convince people to take the time to read my blog posts?
What is SEO?
This is enough to make your head turn. This is why we've have put together this step-by-step tutorial to help you start your own blog.
The process of creating an effective blog isn't easy however the rewards to your company and for clients are well worth the effort. And with the right analysis and the right tools at your side, it is possible to create a blog that your readers as well as you will enjoy.
Let's begin. The first question is: What topic do you intend to write about?
One of the best methods to make money from your blog is to sell digital goods. Get started selling your items at absolutely nothing now!
Step 1: Pick your blog's subject
One of the best benefits of blogging is its potential to create your own blog on all subjects in the globe.
People enjoyblogs. Seventy-seven percent of web users read blogs, and people who use the internet in the U.S. spend 3X more time per day reading blogs than emails. If you're passionate about something, it's likely that there's a crowd that is the same and is eager to know more about it.
Here are a few examples of blogs that are popular, in addition to their specific niches:
Daniel Bogan's blog for web developers, Utilizes This It is dedicated to conducting interview with creators of all sorts on the technology and processes they utilize in their design.
In the blog she writes on, Kaleigh Moore shares her experiences as a writer-in-residence on behalf of eCommerce & SaaS companies.
The neuroscientist Stefanie Faye Frank uses this blog to in order to "translate complex concepts from the field of science into a language that is used in everyday life".
A common thread that these blogs have in their common? Specificity.
Instead of writing on general freelance work, Kaleigh talks about writing on her own subject. Instead of writing about traveling tips for parties in all sizes, Queenie focuses on advice about solo travel tips for people who have similar interests to her.
If you are looking to identify your specific field of expertise to find your own area of expertise, use this Matrix of Profit and Passion.
The Passion What are your feelings about getting to get started in this area? If you don't like doing something, the profitability will not be an issue since you're likely to leave prior to reaching your goal.
Possibilities for Profit:Do you know that people are already spending money on this issue? You can also imagine "profit" in this sense as an interest or search traffic. Have people been looking into this issue?
( Download your own copy of the matrix here for Passion/Profit .)
The most ideal concept for a product, or a niche to your blog is located in the upper right quadrant. It is the nexus between the passion of a person and the potential for profit.
If you've found the perfect spot, the content marketing expert Ryan Robinson recommends using these questions to validate the validity of your idea:
Are you passionate enough about this niche blog? Choose a niche that you aren't sure about because it's appealing.
Does there exist an industry in this sector? Additionally, are there products or services aimed at this audience? If you're looking for a way to earn money from blogging, you'll need an audience with income.
Do you think this area will remain in the years to come? It's difficult to build a blog that is popular and so, choose a subject that will allow you to write for a long period of time, rather than a passing fashion.
After you've decided the topic your blog will be about, you need to determine which location you'll use to host it.
Step 2: Pick a blogging platform
Beginning with Tumblr and then Blogger, we moved to Medium and Wix There are numerous blogging platforms on the market.
With about 70 million blog entries posted on the platform each year, WordPress is by far the most used option. More than 28 million sites make use of WordPress as compared to 4 million users using Squarespace.
However, Squarespace can be more friendly for newbies, especially when you do not have prior experience in programming.
This is how these two platforms stand up against each other when it comes to capabilities, flexibility and features as well as cost.
(A Quick reminder This post contains rates that are accurate. this blog post were correct as of the writing.)
Squarespace
For first-time website builders, Squarespace is an easy-to-use platform that does not need the need for programming skills. The drag-and-drop interface comes with less of a training time compared with WordPress.
But, the simple block interface is at the price of being unable to customize and be flexible. Squarespace offers fewer types of themes, plugins, and themes that WordPress and doesn't offer the same level of dedicated blogging functionality.
The way it is described, Squarespace is a website builder offering basic blogging capabilities instead of the platform was created around bloggers in mind.
How much does Squarespace cost?
In addition to the 14-day trial period for no cost, Squarespace offers four different pricing plans . Pricing ranges from $23 up and up to $65 every month, paid monthly and $16-$49 per month, paid annually.
They come with unlimited storage as well as the domain name is free during the initial year. If you don't require an e-commerce feature, the lower two tiers will be sufficient for managing your blog.
WordPress
WordPress is a CMS that allows you to publish content. (CMS) specially designed for bloggers. This means that it has the templates that are built in as well as tools for blogging. This includes:
Post scheduling
Editing
Managing comments
Multi-author advantage, Multi-lingual setting
Technical SEO
WordPress provides a vast collection of free and paid plugins specifically designed for bloggers. There are also hundreds of totally free WordPress themes designed especially designed to be used on blogs.
Then, what's the implication?
If you're looking to build an individual website and blogs, WordPress is a more difficult process of learning over Squarespace and makes it challenging to understand the system for beginners. It doesn't have a drag-and-drop feature that you can use, so you'll need basic HTML skills to completely alter the appearance of your WordPress website.
Don't let this scare your away. Setting up a basic WordPress blog is not a necessity for anyone with technical expertise. Indeed, due to the fact that WordPress is well-known and widely used, there are a lot of free resources out there which can assist you in learning how to utilize it.
What does WordPress cost?
WordPress is completely free in and will need to pay for website hosting as well as a domain that you can personalize theme, and other plugins.
According to blogger professional Ryan Robinson , the price to start a WordPress site is anywhere between $100 between $200 and $140. But, the recurring expenses for a website using WordPress is likely to be less than that of Squarespace.
Squarespace Vs. WordPress: Which should you pick?
Here's a full outline of the key difference between these platforms:
The learning curve for WordPress is more challenging, however, the options for creating blogs that are customized are limitless. Squarespace is a website builder; WordPress is a CMS specifically designed for bloggers.
In light of all the points above, taking into consideration the previous, WordPress is the better blog hosting choice for creators as well as bloggers that want to develop as well as grow and ultimately monetize their blogs.
The next step is to discuss how you can start your blog with WordPress.
Step 3: Create your blog.
In order to start your WordPress blog running You'll need two essential items:
Domain names
Webhosting plans
The domain you select will be the address that your blog or website will be located. If your website serves as your website's home base your domain name is the address that you choose to make use of for your online presence.
Use your new domain's name as your blog's title If it's accessible. Don't create confusion for visitors by using URLs that aren't connected to your blog.
However, what happens in the event that you don't have a website orblog that has a name?
Take business mindset coach Becky Mollenkamp for an example. Becky's blog and her digital services are focused on sharing her personal experience with others in order to assist her clients succeed.
Becky is now her name and brand, so it's logical to use beckymollenkamp.com for her business and domain name.
If you're not sure with the domain name you want it might be a good idea to look into a name generator, like Nameboy Search as well as Nameboy . You can input keywords, and name generators provide you with various names you can select from.
Once you finally find the appropriate brand name for your company, you need to register it with a hosting service.
We would recommend bluehost. . One of the most renowned web hosting providers around the globe, Bluehost offers free domain registration for the first year for each hosting plan. Their most basic plan starts at $2.95/month.
If you're hoping to make an additional amount of funds, Bluehost also offers managed hosting accounts for WordPress websites.
The managed hosting plans begin with $19.95/mo.
In addition in place of Bluehost, Siteground offers more than 2 million domains. It also is regarded as offering the most efficient customer support can be found. Beginning at $4.99/mo, Siteground is slightly more costly than Bluehost's base plans. But if think you might have to call tech support on a regular basis, they might be the best choice for you.
When you've picked a hosting provider, create your blog using WordPress. This involves setting up WordPress on your website, choosing and installing plugins and finding and installing the perfect theme.
If the cost of hiring a web developer doesn't seem to be feasible for you, I recommend these comprehensive instructions by WPBeginner one of the biggest Free WordPress source:
It's an essential WordPress plugins
What exactly does it mean by an WordPress plugin?
What do I need to do to install an WordPress theme?
Be aware that your WordPress blog doesn't have to have the prettiest premium themes or the shiniest plugins to make great blog content. All it needs is to function and you're able to begin making your content and then publishing it.
Step 4: Start writing
Start a new document Start making notes on surface of your mind Then, you can hope that you'll get the most effective result.
Certain people achieve their best results this way.
It's not me. individuals. If you're not I'd like to introduce my BFF on the blog: outlining.
The process of drafting an outline saves time and helps you stay organized, and can help you plan your content in a way that makes the most sense to the person reading it. Outlining can be done on paper or using the Google Docs, Dropbox Paper and Microsoft Word.
Here's how The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) advises writers to draft an outline of their work:
Brainstorm:List all the ideas that you'd like to put into your piece.
Organisation:Group concepts that are related in separate sections.
The In-Order:Arrange your ideas into sub-sections.
label:Add headings and subheadings within your text.
Our content team employs this template for defining every section of our blog article:
[Header title]
The Main Theme:
Stats:
Case Study:
Examples:
When you've created an outline, you're prepared to begin writing, even if you may not feel ready.
Write down your thoughts and begin now.
Do not try to locate precisely the correct words, or avoid spelling mistakes in all circumstances. It is always possible to go back and revise your work in the future. But the most important thing is to continue writing. Sooner or later, you'll be writing a post which is ready to be edited to create a stunning blog article.
Writing isn't the most efficient method, but.
Blog posts typically take approximately 4 hours for writing.
Amanda Nielsen of New Breed Marketing New Breed Marketing Databox , "You can reap a wealth of SEO advantages by transcription of videos. If you've got the bandwidth, you can make an online transcription and blog post for the purpose of promoting videos."
Are you unable to find enough time or the energy transcribe the videos you make? Consider an on-demand option like REV or an automatic software to transcribe like Sonix .
Once you've finished writing your blog post (whether created from scratch or recycled) it's time to edit.
Returning to your work after a little bit or break helps refresh your mind which makes it easier to spot minor mistakes.
There are other tools similar to Grammarly However, they should not replace a real personal editor, especially while you're self-editing.
Grammarly identifies grammar and spelling errors, offers synonyms for common words, and provides a variety of tips and tricks to help you learn for free.
Grammarly's AI occasionally misses mistakes (or detects errors when there's none) Therefore, ensure that you've read your document in depth. Better yet, have someone else review it on your behalf.
You're now ready to start your first blog entry and also plan an outline of your timetable for the remainder.
The creation of a schedule to publish helps ensure that you are accountable. It's impossible to remember how many times I've attempted to start a blog of my own and wrote one post, and then never posted an additional one.
It's good to know that you don't need publish new blog posts throughout the every day (or maybe even each week) to have a blog that is successful. If it's about blog posts, it's about quality over quantity. In-depth, long and well-researched posts perform better.
HubSpot states that the best length for blog posts to rank in search engine results is between 2100 to 2,400 words. An analysis conducted by Orbit Media found that the majority of bloggers who write longer than 3000 words experience "strong positive results".
According to Jay Baer of Convince and Convert said to Orbit Media , "Blogging used to be a type of online newspaper: lots of short articles, regularly published. The blog is now an online publication that includes a couple of long posts that appear less frequently."
5. Optimize your website to increase SEO (SEO)
Search engine optimization can mean the difference between a decent blog that has only a handful of visitors and a truly outstanding blog with visitors in hundreds of of thousands.
Content that is optimized will show up more in search results for pertinent words and keywords. The better optimized your content, the easier for users who are not familiar with it to discover it on search.
Since Google's organic search account for of the majority of the internet traffic so grabbing one of the highest positions in the search results is important. Top five results are on the Google search represent 67.6 percent of the clicks .
In addition, SEO can play a significant role in the success your blog achieves. Bloggers who have a salary of more than $50,000 per year have a tendency to rate organic and unpaid Google users as the top marketing channel for their website.
SEO can be less costly than traditional advertising -- and is also more effective. A Databox study discovered that the majority of marketers believe that SEO can be more effective than pay-per click advertisements in the way of generating sales. That's why over 64 percent of marketers spend time and effort in SEO.
It is the best thing about it that starting a blog already helps you keep in the forefront of your competitors in the SEO game. Web sites with blogs have the potential to stand a 434percent higher probability of achieving a high ranking in the search results webpage (SERP).
The best part is that if you manage a WordPress blog then the Yoast SEO extension assists you in optimizing your blog's content directly via the WordPress website editor.
This is how it will function:
Enter the keyword or phrase that you would like your blog post to rank with.
Yoast examines your website material and will tell you if you're using the keywords correctly as well as in the correct places like headers.
Yoast gives you the ability to see what your article will appear in the event that it is displayed on a Google search result page.
At the front end, Yoast generates and applies schema.org structures and structured data that "helps search engines to determine what each part of your site is about as well as who it belongs to and the relationships between everything".
In addition, you could employ keyword research tools, such as Ahrefs Word Generator to determine what sort of content readers are looking for. They also tell you how hard it can be to create the content you publish to rank for a certain keyword and how often they are searched throughout the month.
This will help you find the ideal keyword .
What will all of the optimization for search engines appear as in real-time?
If I'm a mom with busy schedules and having trouble keeping my family's budget, then I'm likely to search Google for phrases that says "budgeting for moms with a busy schedule".
The highlighted snippet from the expression "budgeting for mothers who work" is the title of this post of Simplified motherhood. The blog was created to assist busy moms keep their schedules organised.
If you can optimize your blog with a keyword search, you have a better chance being found on the first page or even two search results. Your visitors is more likely to find your blog, go to your website and, if they feel confident about your knowledge and trust your expertise, purchase your digital products.
For additional SEO strategies and tips Check These resources:
All in all SEO is a must-have tool for bloggers. But it's far from the only method to increase your audience.
Step 6: Grow your audience
Blogs can be a multi-directional procedure. It is the first step to start your blog. This will allow you to grow your audience, and advertising to your audience will help grow your blog. Businesses with blogs generate around 67 per cent more leads when compared with those without one.
Three of our top methods to attract new email subscribers and blog visitors.
1. You can opt-in to receive emails using opt-in forms.
A trainer and developer, Reuven Lerner utilizes his blog to grow his list of email subscribers through the addition of an opt-in sign-up form on his site.
You must ensure that you include an explicit call-to-action (CTA). Provide a compelling reason for signing up to your mailing list of subscribers such as "Teach me more Python!" Based on Reuven's suggestion.
Set expectations. Your customers should know the type of information you'll be sending them, as well as when they'll receive notifications from you.
One of the easiest methods to convert blog readers to customers is to offer them something valuable in exchange for their time, in exchange for their email address.
2. Make sure that subscribers are aware of lead magnets
They give you your email address. In exchange, they will send you helpful information. It's a win-win situation for all.
Lead magnets show potential customers how they can trust them. They should be practical, useful and engaging information designed specifically for your clients and the challenges they are facing.
To create a content upgrade:
Find the information on your website that results in the highest amount of traffic.
Incorporate the information on the proper page.
Turn more readers into subscribers.
If you're in search of a location to store the digital files you download -- regardless of whether they're digital items to be sold or lead magnets, you should take your time looking into . You can try it for yourself for free right now.
Lead magnets can be great to make blog readers customers. However, if you don't publish your blog's content to social media, how can you attract those readers to begin with? Our third and final tip can assist you in getting there.
3. Guest blog posts guest posted on various blogs
Guest posting is a great opportunity to get your message in front of a bigger number of people, particularly if you post on a more prominent blog.
Here are some of the best benefits of blog guest post :
Increase the number of backlinks.
Enhance the authority of your website (a rank score used by search engines).
Get people to visit your web site.
Increase the visibility of your brand.
That's probably why 60% of bloggers post anywhere from one to five guest blog posts each month.
Before you can publish your guest post You must make a pitch. And before you can pitch your idea, you should locate blogs within the area you're interested in and who will take guest blog posts.
Here are some websites that you can use to get started:
A list of more than 200 websites and blogs which are currently accepting guest post proposals
This list contains 150+ websites that will guest post
The top blogs that are well-established and accept guest posts usually offer pitching and writing guidelines that you must follow such as the ones on Practical Wanderlust's site. .
After your pitch has been accepted After you have accepted your pitch, you write a post in when the blog has published the guest article. You can then post the URL on your social media fans as well as your email lists, in order in order to increase your post's visibility as well as refer traffic.
If you've increased the number of readers and now have a bigger number of readers, you'll be able to make money from your blog. Look over these guides on commercialization to turn your blog into a profitable business
This is the perfect moment to begin blogging.
The process of starting a blog can be simple. But when you put in effort and utilize the appropriate instruments and sources blog posts can aid you in reaching new audiences and sharing your knowledge to improve your profits.
In case you're thinking of starting a blog how to go about creating your own blog:
Choose a topic and niche to your blog. Choose something both you and your readers are passionate about.
Pick a blogging platform. Squarespace and WordPress are your top two options, and for the features of a blog and how it can be customized, WordPress is a clear winner.
Create your blog. Choose and register for your domain. You can also buy a hosting package.
Start writing your first post. Start with an outline with, then create a calendar so that you can hold yourself to a specific standard.
Optimize your blog for search. SEO is the primary way effective blogs gain traffic in addition to assisting the targeted audience to find your website and the content you post.
Make your blog more accessible by incorporating opt-in forms, lead magnets as well as guest blog posts. Once you've built your email subscriber list and readership, you are able to monetize your blog.
Now that you have all this blog knowledge under your belt now, you're on your way to becoming a reputable blogger. So, go out and begin writing.
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