How to start blogging in six steps (Platforms SEO,, and other) |
Ready to learn how to begin a blog? This guide is for those of you. From Hosting to SEO, you must follow these 6 steps to set up your blog online and operating.
The fact is that blogging ought to make up a portion of your overall marketing plan. It's an effective method to draw in new readers and to share your knowledge with the world.
However, each time you sit down and try to start your quest towards blogging success, you find yourself filled with questions:
Which platform should I choose?
What is the cost?
What should I write about?
How do I get people to take the time to read my blog posts?
What the heck what exactly is SEO?
It's enough to make your head turn. We've put together this step-by-step guide to starting your own blog.
Starting a successful blog is hard work however the rewards for your business and your customers are worth the effort. With the proper information and the right tools at your side, you can build a blog that users and yourself will love.
Let's start at the beginning The question is: What do you want to write about?
One of the easiest ways to monetize your blog is by selling digital products. Get started selling your products for no cost now!
Step 1: Select your blog topic
One of the greatest aspects of blogging is that you can start a blog about almost any subject in the world.
Many people enjoyblogs. 77% of internet users are avid readers of blogs. internet users within the U.S. spend three times more time with blogs than on email. If you're a passionate person about something you're passionate about, there's a huge audience out there that shares your passion and wants to read about it.
Here are just a few examples of successful blogs as well as their respective niches:
Daniel Bogan's blog, a web developer's, Uses This , is dedicated to interviewing creators and designers of all kinds about the gear and methods they employ to make their work.
In her blog, Kaleigh Moore shares her expert insights as a freelance journalist to eCommerce & SaaS companies.
Scientist and neuroscientist Stefanie Faye Frank makes use of the blog of hers to "translate complex scientific ideas into everyday language".
One thing all of these blogs share in common? Specificity.
Instead of blogging about general freelance work, Kaleigh talks about writing within her particular field. Rather than including travel tips for groups of any size, Queenie focuses on advice to solo travelers such as herself.
If you are looking to find your unique area of expertise, you can use your Passion/Profit Matrix.
The Passion Are you excited to get started on this? If you don't like doing something, the profitability isn't a factor, because you're more likely to leave before you get there.
Potential for profit:Do people already spend on this issue? Also, you can think of "profit" here as the potential for interest or traffic from search engines. Do people already spend time researching this topic?
( Download your own copy of the matrix for Passion/Profit .)
The ideal product concept -or niche you can use for your blog -- falls within the upper left quadrant. It is the nexus between high passion and profit potential.
Once you find that ideal sweet spot, content marketing consultant Ryan Robinson recommends asking these questions to validate your idea:
Are you interested enough about the blog niche you're interested in? Choose a niche that you don't feel comfortable with just because it seems attractive.
Does there exist a market for this blog niche? In other words do you have products or services aimed at this audience? If you want to make cash blogging, you'll require a paying audience.
Is this niche likely to remain in the long time to come? It isn't easy to make a blog that is popular and so, choose a subject that will keep you writing over the long term instead of a seasonal fad.
When you've chosen what you want your blog to be about, now it's time to decide which location you'll use to host it.
Step 2: Pick a blogging platform
Starting from Tumblr and Blogger up to Medium and Wix There are many blogging platforms on the market.
With around 70 million blog posts published on the platform every month, WordPress is by far the most well-known choice. More than 28 million sites make use of WordPress as opposed to 4 million on Squarespace.
But, Squarespace can be more friendly for new users, especially when you do not have programming experience.
Here's how the two platforms compare when it comes to features, customization as well as cost.
(A brief note Note: The rates listed in this article are accurate as of the date of writing.)
Squarespace
If you are a beginner at building websites, Squarespace is an easy-to-use platform that doesn't require any coding knowledge. The interface for drag and drop is more lenient learning curve as compared to WordPress.
However, that basic block-based interface comes at the cost of flexibility and customization options. Squarespace has fewer themes as well as plugins and themes that WordPress as well as doesn't provide nearly as much dedicated blogging functionality.
In general, Squarespace is a website builder that includes basic blogging features, rather than a platform built with bloggers front-of-mind.
How much does Squarespace cost?
Along with an initial 14-day trial period, Squarespace offers four different pricing plans . Pricing ranges from $23 up to $65 per month paid monthly and $16-$49 each month, paid annually.
The plans include unlimited storage as well as a free domain name for the first year, and unless you require an e-commerce feature the two lower tiers should work just fine for running your blog.
WordPress
WordPress is an online content management system (CMS) created specifically by bloggers. It comes with built-in templates and tools for blogging. These include:
Post scheduling
Editing
Managing comments
Multi-author benefit and multi-lingual settings
Technical SEO
WordPress also offers a huge selection of both free and paid plugins for bloggers and thousands of free WordPress themes specifically designed for blog sites.
So, what's the caveat?
In terms of creating a customized website and blog, WordPress has a steeper learning curve as compared to Squarespace which makes it more difficult to grasp for new bloggers. There's no drag-and-drop interface, and you'll require some basic HTML understanding to personalize your WordPress site.
Don't let that put you off, however. Setting up a basic WordPress blog doesn't require hacker-level tech skills. In fact, because WordPress is so well-known, there are tons of resources for free that can help you master the basics of.
What is the cost of WordPress cost?
WordPress can be used for free However, you will have to pay for hosting, a customized web address, themes, and plugins.
According to blogging expert Ryan Robinson , the cost to launch the creation of a WordPress website is between $140 to $200. The recurring cost with WordPress are likely to be lower than those that you pay for with Squarespace.
Squarespace Vs. WordPress: Which should you select?
This is an comprehensive overview of the most significant differences between the two platforms:
The learning curve for WordPress is steeper however, the options for creating a blog that is customized are endless. Squarespace is a web-based creator; WordPress is a CMS initially designed specifically for bloggers.
All of this keeping in mind the above, WordPress is the better blogging platform for authors and bloggers looking to create as well as grow and ultimately monetize their blogs.
Next up, let's look at how to set up your blog on WordPress.
Step 3: Create your blog.
In order to get your WordPress blog up and running You'll need two items:
A domain name
A Web Hosting Plan
Your domain name is where your website and blog live. If your website is your home on the internet then your domain name will be the address you use online.
Create your domain name your blog's name when it's in use. Do not create confusion for your customers by choosing an unrelated URL.
What do you do if there's no web site orblog name?
Think of business mindset expert Becky Mollenkamp , for example. Becky's blog and digital products focus on sharing her personal experience with others in order to assist people succeed.
Becky has become her own brand name, therefore it's logical to use beckymollenkamp.com as a business and domain name.
If you're still stuck, consider using a domain name generator, such as Lean Domain Search or Nameboy . Input keywords, and then the generators will come up with a variety of names to choose from.
When you have found the ideal name, you need to make it available to a hosting service.
We recommend Bluehost . One of the largest web hosting companies in the world, Bluehost offers free domain registration in the initial year with every hosting plan. Their most basic plan starts at $2.95/month.
If you're looking to invest a bit more, Bluehost also offers managed hosting accounts for WordPress sites.
These managed hosting plans start with $19.95/mo.
In addition for a replacement to Bluehost, Siteground hosts more than 2,000,000 domains. It is also known as having the top customer service available in the industry. Starting at $4.99/mo, Siteground is slightly higher than Bluehost's standard plans. But if think you might have to call technical support often, Siteground may be the right choice.
When you've picked the hosting service you'll need to start your blog on WordPress. It involves setting up WordPress on your blog as well as deciding on and installing plugins, then locating the right theme and installing it.
If you think hiring a WordPress developer is not within your budget I would recommend these thorough instructions from WPBeginner , the largest free WordPress resource:
What exactly is the definition of a WordPress plugin?
How do I install the HTML0 theme on a WordPress theme
Remember that your WordPress blog does not have to be the most elegant premium themes or the shiniest plugins for you to create amazing blog posts. All it needs is to function and you're ready to start writing and publishing your posts.
Step 4: Start writing
You could open up a new doc, start making notes on ideas in your head and hope that it will be the greatest results.
Some people really do work best that approach.
It's not me. people. If you aren't either, let me introduce you to my blogger BFF, outlining.
Outlining saves you time, allows you to stay organised, and can help you plan your content so that it makes sense for the reader. You can jot your outline down by hand and then use Google Docs, Dropbox Paper and Microsoft Word.
This is how the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) suggests writers structure their outlines:
Idea Brainstorming:List all the ideas that you want to include in your article.
Organize:Group related ideas together in sections.
The Order:Arrange your ideas into sections.
label:Add headings and subheadings to your post.
Our team of content writers employs this template for defining every section of our blog articles:
[Header title]
Main Point:
Stats:
Case Study:
Examples:
When you've completed an outline, you're prepared to start writing -- even if you may not feel ready.
Just start writing.
Don't pressure yourself to find exact words or eliminate typos in all circumstances. There is always the option to revisit and revise your work later. But the most important thing is to write. Sooner or later you'll have an article that's ready for editing into a gorgeous blog post.
This isn't to say that writing is the fastest method, but.
A typical blog post can take about four hours to write.
Amanda Nielsen of New Breed Marketing told Databox , "You can get tons of SEO benefit through transcribing video. If you're able to do so make a transcript written and blog post to promote your video."
Don't have time to transcribe the videos you make? Consider an on-demand provider like REV or an automated software for transcription such as Sonix .
When you've written your blog post (whether starting from scratch or using a template- it's time to edit.
Returning to your work after a little bit or time off helps to refresh your perspective, so you're less likely to miss small mistakes.
It's also possible to use an application such as Grammarly , but it should never replace an actual person-to-person editor -- even when you're self-editing.
Grammarly detects grammar and spelling errors, offers synonyms to commonly used words and offers a wealth of tips and tricks for no cost.
Grammarly's AI sometimes misses errors (or detects errors when there's none) So, make sure that you read your documents carefully. Better yet, ask someone else to read it on your behalf.
Now, it's time to write your first blog entry -- and plan out a schedule to follow for the remainder.
The creation of a schedule for publishing helps you hold yourself accountable. I can't tell you how many times I've attempted to start a personal blog I've written a post and never returned to publish the next.
It's good to know that you don't need publish new blog posts every day (or even weekly) to have a profitable blog. In the case of blog content, it's about quantity over quality. Longer, more in-depth, and well-researched blog posts do better.
HubSpot states that the ideal length of a blog post for SEO is between 2,100 and 2,400 words. A survey carried out by 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 told Orbit Media , "Blogging was once an online newspaper that featured a variety of brief pieces, which were published regularly. Today, it's a web-based magazine: a few longer articles published less often."
Step 5: Optimize to increase search engine optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization can mean the difference between having a great blog with a couple of visitors and a great blog that attracts visitors in the hundreds of thousands.
The content that has been optimized is more prominent in search results for appropriate keywords and phrases. The more you optimize your content, the more easy for people who are new to find it through the search engine.
In addition, considering that Google's organic search accounts of five-thirds of the online traffic so grabbing one of the highest positions on the results page matters. The first five results of every Google search account for 67.6% of the clicks .
In addition, SEO can play a significant role in the success your blog is. Bloggers who have a salary of more than $50,000 per year rate unpaid organic Google visitors as being the most important way to market their website.
SEO is also much cheaper than traditional marketing -- and more effective. A Databox study discovered that 70% of marketers say 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.
It's a good thing the fact that launching a blog now will help you get ahead in the SEO game. Blogs on websites have an 434% higher chance of performing well on the search engine result page (SERP).
And even better news is that you own a WordPress blog and you are using the Yoast SEO plugin, Yoast SEO extension helps you optimize your content right from your WordPress site editor.
How it works:
Input the keyword or phrase that you want your blog post to rank for.
Yoast checks your text and informs you if you're using keywords in the right way and where it belongs like headers.
Yoast also lets you preview how your post will look in a Google search result page.
On the side, Yoast generates and applies schema.org structures and the structured information which "helps search engines discover what each element of your site is about as well as who it belongs to, and how everything connects".
You can also make use of the tools for keyword research, such as Ahrefs' keyword generator , to learn what sort of content your reader seeks. It also lets you know the amount of work it takes to get websites to rank for certain keywords, plus how many times keywords are searched for in a month.
This helps you land on the right key word .
What will this search engine optimization look at in practice?
If I'm a busy parent who's struggling to maintain the budget of my family, I may search for a term such as "budgeting for moms who are busy".
The highlighted snippet from the search "budgeting for busy moms" is this post of Simplified Motherhood. This is a website which helps moms who are busy stay organized.
If you can optimize your blog for a search term that you can increase the likelihood of appearing on the first page or two of search results. Your target audience is more likely to come across your blog, read your site, and after they have confidence in your skills to purchase your digital items.
For additional SEO strategies and tips, check out these resources:
Overall SEO is an essential tool for bloggers. However, it's not the only way to grow your following.
Step 6: Grow your audience
Blogging is a two-way street The first step is to start a blog. It could help you expand your reach, and advertising to your followers will help grow your blog. Companies with blogs are able to generate around 67% more leads than those without one.
Below are three of our most effective strategies for bringing in new blog and email readers.
1. Get emails by opting-in forms
Developer and trainer Reuven Lerner makes use of his blog to grow his list of email subscribers by adding an opt-in page on his website.
Make sure you have a clear call-to-action (CTA). Give people a specific reason why they should sign up to your list of email subscribers -for example "Teach me more Python!" from Reuven's instance.
Set expectations. Tell subscribers what information they'll receive as well as how often they'll get updates from you.
One of the easiest methods to convert blog readers into subscribers is to give the visitors something worth their time in exchange for their contact information.
2. Incentivize subscribers to sign up with lead magnets
They give you your email address and in return, they receive valuable content. It's a win-win situation.
Lead magnets demonstrate to potential clients the reasons why they can trust your brand. Lead magnets that are effective include useful, relevant information that is targeted towards your particular target audience and their needs.
To create a content upgrade:
Identify the content on your site that brings maximum traffic.
Incorporate the information on the appropriate page.
Turn more readers into subscribers.
If you're in need of a space to store your digital downloads, whether they're digital items for sale or free lead magnets -- take an look at . Try it out for free now.
Lead magnets and opt-in forms are excellent ways of turning blog readers into subscribers. Beyond sharing blog's content on social networks What are the best ways to get those blog readers from the beginning? The third and final point will help you get there.
3. Guest posts on different blogs
Guest posting can be a wonderful method to connect with a wider audience, especially when you post on a more popular blog.
Here are some of the top benefits of blog guest posts :
Increase backlinks.
Enhance Domain Authority (a search engine ranking score).
Get people to visit your site.
Boost your brand awareness.
It's likely the reason 60 percent of bloggers write between one and five guest blog posts every month.
Before you publish a guest article, you need to pitch it. And before you can make a pitch, you have to locate blogs within your niche that accept guest blog posts.
Here are some websites to get you started:
List of 200+ websites and blogs which are accepting guest posts
The list includes 150+ websites to host post
The most well-established blogs accepting guest post submissions usually provide guidelines on pitching and writing that you must follow similar to these on Practical Wanderlust's site .
After your pitch gets accepted After your pitch is accepted, you compose your article after which the blog posts your guest blog post. Then you can post the link on your social media fans and email list to give your post more exposure as well as the possibility of referral traffic.
Once you grow your audience and you have a larger audience, you are able to monetize your blog. Learn more about monetization to start turning profits:
The time is now to blog'
It's not always easy. If you're willing to put in effort and utilize the appropriate tools and resources, blogging will enable you to connect with new customers, share your expertise, and increase your profit.
In case you're wondering, here's the steps for starting your blog:
Choose a topic and niche for your blog. Discover something you and your audience are passionate about.
Pick a blogging platform. Squarespace as well as WordPress are the top two choices, but for the ability to customize and features for blogging, WordPress is a clear winner.
Start your blog. Choose and register your domain name. You can also purchase a hosting plan.
Start writing your first post. Use an outline for inspiration, then make a calendar of your publishing to keep you responsible.
Optimize your blog for search. SEO is the most effective method that successful blogs gain traffic and assists the targeted audience to find you and your content.
Increase your readership by utilizing opt-in forms, lead magnets, and guest posts. After you've built your email subscriber list and readership it is possible to make money off your blog.
Now that you have all this blogging knowledge, you're well on your way to becoming an effective blogger. Now get out there and write.