How to begin a blog in 6 steps (Platforms SEO, platforms and much more) |
Ready to learn how to start with a blog? This guide will help you. From Hosting to SEO, you must follow these six steps to get your blog up and running.
It's obvious that blogging must be part of your strategy for marketing. It's a tried-and-true way to attract new customers and share your expertise to the world.
But each time you set your laptop down to begin your journey towards blogging success and you are overwhelmed with questions:
Which platform should I choose?
How much will it cost?
What should I write about?
How can I convince people to click through my articles?
What exactly What exactly SEO?
This is enough to make your head spin. We've created this step-bystep guide to starting your own blog.
Beginning a blog with success is hard work, but the benefits for your business and your visitors are definitely worth it. And with the right information and the right tools at your side, you'll be able to build a blog that readers and you enjoy.
Let's get started: What should you blog about?
One of the best methods of monetizing your blog is by selling digital products. Start selling for free with today!
Step 1: Choose your blog topic
One of the greatest aspects of blogging is that you can create a blog on virtually any subject around the world.
Many people loveblogs. Seventy-seven percent of Internet users read blogs, and Internet users across the U.S. spend 3X more time with blogs than email. Therefore, if you're a fan of a topic, chances are there's an crowd who feels the same way and would like to learn more about the subject.
Here are a few examples of blogs that have been successful and the niches they serve:
Daniel Bogan's blog, a web developer's, Uses This This blog is dedicated to interviewing creators of different kinds on the tools and techniques they use in their creation.
In her blog, Kaleigh Moore shares her expert insights as a freelance journalist for eCommerce & SaaS companies.
Neuroscientist Stefanie Faye Frank utilizes the blog of hers to "translate complex scientific ideas into everyday language".
One thing all of these blogs share one thing in common? Specificity.
Instead of writing about general freelance work, Kaleigh talks about writing on her own subject. Instead of focusing on travel tips for parties of all sizes, Queenie focuses on advice for solo travelers like herself.
If you are looking to find your unique area of expertise, you can use the Passion/Profit Matrix.
passion: What are your feelings about getting to get started on this? If you aren't happy doing something, the profit potential doesn't matter, because you're more likely to give up before you get there.
Profit potential:Do people already spend on this issue? It is also possible to think of "profit" in this context as an curiosity or search traffic. Are people currently researching this topic?
( Download your own copy of the matrix for Passion/Profit .)
The right product idea -or a niche to your blog, falls within the upper left quadrant. It is the nexus between great passion and high potential profit.
If you've found the sweet place, the content marketing expert Ryan Robinson recommends you ask yourself the following questions to confirm your ideas:
Are you interested enough about the blog niche you're interested in? Don't pick a topic that you don't feel comfortable with just because it's profitable.
Are there paying readers in this niche? Also do you have products or services aimed at the same audience? If you are looking to earn money blogging, you need an audience that is willing to pay.
Do you think this particular niche will continue to be popular for years in the future? It isn't easy to make a blog that is popular, so choose a topic that you will be writing about over the long term instead of a seasonal fad.
Once you choose what your blog will be about, it's time to determine the location where it will be hosted.
Step 2: Pick a blogging platform
From Tumblr and Blogger to Medium and Wix there are numerous blogging platforms on the market.
With about 70 million articles published through the platform each month, WordPress is by far the most popular choice. Over 28 million websites make use of WordPress, compared to four million on Squarespace.
That said, Squarespace can be more friendly for new users, especially when you do not have coding experience.
This is how these two platforms stack up when it comes to features, customization as well as cost.
(A brief note Note: The rates listed in this piece are current at the time at the time of writing.)
Squarespace
For first-time website builders, Squarespace is an easy-to-use platform that doesn't require any coding expertise. The drag-and-drop interface is more lenient learning curve that WordPress.
But, the simple block interface does come at the price of flexibility and options for customization. Squarespace has fewer themes of themes, plugins, and themes than WordPress and doesn't offer nearly as many blogging functions.
In general, Squarespace is a website builder with simple blogging tools, rather than being a platform designed with bloggers front-of-mind.
How much does Squarespace cost?
Apart from a 14-day free trial, Squarespace offers four different pricing plans . Pricing ranges from $23 to $65 monthly, which is paid in installments and $16-$49 monthly, annually.
They come with unlimited storage as well as a free domain name for the initial year. Unless you require an e-commerce feature the two lower tiers will be sufficient to run your blog.
WordPress
WordPress is a CMS for content. (CMS) created specifically by bloggers. It comes with the built-in templates as well as tools for blogging, including:
Post scheduling
Editing
Comments from the Managing Committee
Multi-author advantage and multi-lingual settings
Technical SEO
WordPress also offers a huge selection of both free and paid blogger-specific plugins and thousands of free WordPress themes specifically designed to be used by blogs.
Then, what's the caveat?
When it comes to building your own custom website or blog, WordPress has a steeper learning curve as compared to Squarespace, making it harder to master the platform for novice bloggers. It doesn't have a drag-and-drop feature, and you'll need a basic HTML knowledge to fully personalize your WordPress site.
Don't let that scare you away, though. Setting up a basic WordPress blog doesn't require hacker-level technical skills, and because WordPress is so popular, there are tons of resources for free to help you learn the basics of.
How much does WordPress cost?
WordPress itself is free, but you still need to pay for website hosting, custom web address, themes, and plugins.
According to blogging professional Ryan Robinson , the initial investment required to start the creation of a WordPress website runs between $140 between $200 and $140. But, the recurring expenses with WordPress will almost certainly lower than the costs associated using Squarespace.
Squarespace and. WordPress: Which should you use?
This is a comprehensive overview of the main differences between the two platforms:
Although the process of learning for WordPress is more difficult, the possibilities for personalizing your blog are infinite. Squarespace is a site builder; WordPress is an CMS created specifically for bloggers.
With all of the above keeping in mind the above, WordPress is the better blogging platform for authors and bloggers seeking to develop, grow, and eventually make money from their blogs.
Let's now talk about how to set up your blog on WordPress.
Step 3: Setup your blog.
To get your WordPress blog up and running There are two requirements:
Domain names
Web hosting plans
Your domain is the name under which your website and blog live. If your blog is your online home then your domain name will be your online address.
Choose your new domain's name as your blog's name If it's accessible. Don't add unnecessary confusion for your customers using a non-related URL.
However, what happens is the best option if you don't own a web site orblog with a name?
Take business mindset coach Becky Mollenkamp , for example. Becky's blog as well as her digital services focus on sharing her personal experience with others in order to assist her clients succeed.
Becky is her brand, so it makes sense for her to utilize beckymollenkamp.com for her business as well as domain name.
If you're still stuck, consider using a domain name generator, such as the Lean Domain Search or Nameboy . You enter keywords, and the generators come up with a variety of names to choose from.
After you've found the right name for your business then you must sign it up with a hosting service.
We recommend Bluehost . One of the most renowned web hosting firms in the world, Bluehost offers free domain registration for the first year with every hosting plan. Bluehost's most basic plans start at $2.95/month.
If you're willing to spend an extra amount, Bluehost also offers managed hosting accounts for WordPress sites.
The Managed Hosting plans start at $19.95/mo.
As an alternative to Bluehost, Siteground hosts more than 2,000,000 domains, and is renowned for providing some of the most efficient customer support that you can find. From $4.99/mo, Siteground is slightly more costly than Bluehost's base plans. But if feel like you may have to call tech support frequently, they might be the best choice for you.
After you've selected an hosting company, you can set up your blog in WordPress. It involves installing WordPress on your website selecting and setting up plugins, and finding and installing the ideal theme.
If you think hiring a WordPress developer is not within your budget I suggest these comprehensive instructions from WPBeginner WPBeginner, the most comprehensive WordPress resource for free. WordPress tool:
It is a must-have WordPress plugins
What exactly is a WordPress plugin?
How do you install the HTML0 theme on a WordPress theme
Remember you're WordPress blog doesn't need to have the fanciest premium themes, or even the most expensive plugins to produce great blog content. It just has to work before you begin creating and publishing your blog posts.
Step 4: Start writing
Open an entirely new document, begin creating a list of ideas off the top of your head, and hope for the most successful.
A few people do really work the best approach.
It's not me. individuals. If you're not, let me introduce you to my blogger BFF, outlining.
Outlining saves you time, allows you to stay organized, and helps you arrange your content in a way that makes the most sense for your reader. You can jot your outline in pencil, or use Google Docs, Dropbox Paper, or Microsoft Word.
Here's the way that the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) suggests writers outline their writing:
Brainstorm:List all the ideas that you would like to incorporate in your post.
Organise:Group related ideas together into sections.
Order:Arrange your ideas into sections.
label:Add headings and subheadings to your blog post.
Our content team employs this template for defining the blog's sections: articles:
[Header title]
The Main Argument:
Stats:
Case Study:
Examples:
After you've created your outline, you're ready to start writing -- even if you may not be ready.
Write down your thoughts and start now.
Don't pressure yourself to find precisely the correct words, or eliminate typos absolutely. You can always go back and edit your writing later. Most important is to keep writing. In no time, you'll have a piece that's ready to be edited into a gorgeous blog post.
It's not that writing is the speediest procedure, however.
A typical blog post can take about four hours to complete.
Amanda Nielsen of New Breed Marketing explained to Databox , "You can get tons of SEO benefit through transcribing video. If you have the bandwidth make a transcript written as well as a blog to help promote this video."
Don't have time to transcribe your own video? Use an online service such as REV or an automatic transcription tool such as Sonix .
When you've written your blog post -- whether starting from scratch or using a templatethen it's time to revise.
Returning to your work after a few minutes of absence helps to keep your mind fresh, and you're more likely to catch minor errors.
You can also use an application such as Grammarly , but it should never fully replace a person-to-person editor -- even if you're self-editing.
Grammarly detects grammar and spelling errors, suggests synonyms for commonly used words, and provides tons of tips and tricks for no cost.
Grammarly's AI sometimes misses errors (or detects errors when there are none) So, make sure that you read your documents in depth. Or, better yet, have someone else look over it on your behalf.
Now, it's time to write your first blog post as well as plan a timetable to follow for the remainder.
The creation of a schedule for publishing helps you hold yourself accountable. I don't know the number of times I've tried to create a blog for my personal use, written one post, but never published the next.
There's a good thing that you don't have to post new blog articles every day (or even weekly) for a successful blog. In the case of blog content, it's about quality over quantity. The longer, deeper, and researched posts are more effective.
HubSpot says that the optimal length of a blog post for SEO should be between 2,100 to 2,400 words. A survey of Orbit Media found that the majority of bloggers who publish more than 3000 words report "strong results".
According to Jay Baer of Convince and Convert explained to Orbit Media , "Blogging was once an online newspaper: lots of short stories, that were regularly published. Today, it's a web-based magazine, with some longer pieces published less frequently."
Step 5: Optimize for search (SEO)
Search engine optimization could be the difference between a good blog with just a few readers and a stellar blog bringing in visitors by hundreds of thousands.
Content that is optimized will show up better in the search results for pertinent terms and keywords. The more you optimize your content, easier for people who are new to locate it via searches.
In addition, considering that Google's organic search accounts of the majority of all internet traffic , grabbing one of the highest positions on the results page matters. The first five results of any Google search are responsible for 67.6 percent of the clicks .
Plus, SEO can play a major role in how successful your blog grows. Bloggers who make more than $50,000 a year rate unpaid organic Google website traffic to be the most important advertising channel they can use for their blogs.
SEO is also less expensive than traditional advertising -- and is more efficient. It was found that a Databox survey discovered that a majority of marketers believe they believe that SEO is better than pay-per-click ads in generating sales. That's why over 64 percent of marketers are actively investing time into SEO.
The good news is the fact that launching a blog now can help you stay ahead of the SEO game. Blogs on websites get a 434% higher chance of performing well in the search results page (SERP).
Even better news: If you run a WordPress blog and you are using the Yoast SEO plugin, Yoast SEO plugin can help you improve your blog's content directly from the WordPress website editor.
How it works:
Input the keyword or phrase that you wish your blog's post to rank for.
Yoast checks your text and informs you if you're using the keyword enough and at the appropriate places, such as headers.
Yoast can also let you preview how your post will look in a Google search results page.
On the backend, Yoast generates and applies schema.org structures as well as organized data that "helps the search engines to figure out what every part of your site means and who it is associated with and what the connections between everything".
You can also make use of keywords research tools, such as Ahrefs' keyword generator for a better understanding of the type of content your audience is looking for. It also lets you know the amount of work it takes to get content to rank for certain keywords as well as how often keywords are searched for in a month.
This helps you land on the right search term .
What exactly does this search engine optimization look at in practice?
If I'm a busy parent that is struggling to keep my family's budget, then I could search Google for phrases similar to "budgeting for busy moms".
The featured snippet for the phrase "budgeting for moms who are busy" shows this article by Simplified motherhood. It's a blog which helps moms who are busy to stay on top of their finances.
When you optimize your blog with a keyword search, you have a better likelihood of appearing in the top spot or a couple of results. Your target audience is more likely to discover your content, visit your site, and when they are confident in your knowledge, buy your digital products.
To learn more SEO tricks and strategies Check out these sources:
All in all, SEO is a must-have for bloggers. It's certainly not the only way to grow your audience.
Step 6: Grow your audience
Blogs are a multi-directional process The first step is to start a blog. It will help you increase your audience, and marketing to your audience will help grow your blog. Blogs that have a presence are able to generate around 67 percent more leads over those who don't.
Here are three of our top ways to get new email subscribers and blog readers.
1. Collect emails with opt-in forms
Developer and trainer Reuven Lerner uses his blog to grow his email list by including an opt-in option on his blog.
Use a strong call-to-action (CTA). Offer a motive to sign up to your list of email subscribers -such as "Teach me about Python!" from Reuven's instance.
Set expectations. Tell subscribers what information they'll receive as well as how often they'll be contacted by you.
One of the easiest method to turn blog users into customers is by offering them something valuable to exchange their contact information.
2. Encourage subscribers to take advantage of lead magnets
If they give you their email address, they receive important information. This is a win-win for everyone.
Lead magnets show potential customers how they should feel confident in you. Lead magnets that are effective include useful, relevant information specifically targeted at your customers and the issues they face.
To create a content upgrade:
Identify the content on your site that brings in the most traffic.
Add that content to the relevant page.
Turn more readers into subscribers.
If you need a place to host your digital downloads -- whether they're digital goods for sale or free lead magnets -- take an look at . You can try it at no cost today.
Forms for opt-ins and lead magnets are great ways to turn readers of your blog into customers. But beyond sharing your blog posts on social media How do you gain your blog's readers to subscribe in the first place? The third and final point has you covered.
3. Guest post on different blogs
Guest posting is a great opportunity to get your message out to a larger public, particularly when you post on a more popular blog.
Here are a few of the top advantages of the guest blog :
Increase backlinks.
Increase domain authority (a search engine ranking score).
Bring traffic to your site.
Boost your brand awareness.
It's likely the reason 60 percent of bloggers write anything from one to five guest blog posts every month.
Before you are able to write a guest post You must present it to the world. Before you are able to present it to the world, you must to locate blogs within your field that allow guest post submissions.
These are a few websites for you to start:
The list includes 200+ web sites and blogs currently accepting guest posts
The list includes 150+ web sites that will allow guest post
Many well-established websites that allow guest post submissions usually provide writing and pitching guidelines to be followed, like these from Practical Wanderlust's website. .
When your pitch is approved, you write your post The blog then publishes the guest article. You can then send the link to your social media fans and email list to give the article more visibility and refer traffic.
Once you grow your audience, you can monetize your blog. Learn more about monetization to start turning profits:
Now is the time to start blogging'
Starting a blog isn't always straightforward. But when you put in effort and utilize the appropriate instruments and sources, blogging could enable you to connect with new customers as well as share your experience and boost your bottom line.
For a recap, here are the steps for starting your blog:
Choose a topic and niche to your blog. Discover something you and your audience are both passionate about.
Pick a blogging platform. Squarespace and WordPress are two of the best alternatives, and for customization and blogging features, WordPress is a clear winner.
Set up your blog. Choose and register the domain name, and then get a hosting package.
Start writing your first post. Make an outline of your ideas to get started, and create a publishing calendar to keep you accountable.
Optimize your blog for search. SEO is the number one way that blogs with a high traffic rate succeed as well as helps the right audience find you and your content.
Increase your readership by utilizing sign-up forms, lead magnets as well as guest blog posts. After you've built your readership and email list You can make money from your blog.
With all of this newfound blog knowledge under your belt You're on the way to becoming a successful blogger. So, go out and begin writing.