What Is Blogging
Welcome back to another tutorial here in this blog, Michael’s Digital World!
Are you one of those people who wants to start blogging? Maybe you want to spread your passion through blogs, or maybe you have big dreams of making a ton of money online by doing so.
Whatever the reason may be, let me help you with the right tutorial to get you started. Starting a blog can seem so demanding, especially when you don’t know anything about all the technical terms that are thrown at you like hosting, domains, CMS, and so on.
I’m going to show you my step-by-step tutorial on how to start a blog. We will go over things like
- Finding the right niche and domain name,
- Getting hosting and setup,
- Designing your blog,
- Giving your readers content they will enjoy
- How to make money blogging and keep it going for years to come.
After reading this post, you will have an awesome blog ready to be launched and successful on it! This is the same steps I followed when creating the blog post you are currently reading.
How To Start A Blog
- Pick A Niche For Your Blog
To create a blog, one of the main things to do is select a topic. In the majority of cases, it is challenging for individuals who are not experts in specific fields or do not have unique information on particular issues to come up with an idea.
Therefore, it’s necessary to mention that you don’t need to be an expert on this matter to create a blog dedicated to it. All you have to do is to be interested in the topic, do good research and tell the people about your thoughts and experience. And, there are many people who are also interested in your topic and who want to learn a thing or two.
If you’re stuck trying to figure out how to pick a niche, don’t be too hard on yourself – we’re here to lend you a hand. To get you started, we’ve put together a list of tips on how to pick a niche for your blog – and also some ideas on profitable niches that are known to do well.
Why choosing a niche is important:
Niche is an important factor in every kind of business. Niche is actually the market to which your product or services would be targeted. It is essential to pick a niche so that you can arrive to discuss specific consumers who would be making use of your items or services. Furthermore, with a niche, you would be able to set yourself apart as the expert in the field, who individuals would surely come to when they need help in that specific niche.
And in case you sometimes experience problems with choosing the appropriate blog niche, here is a tip for you:
- Understand who your audience is – who do you address? What are their interest and what needs do they have? By understanding your audience you will be able to find a niche that suits them best.
- Narrow down – the more specific your niche is the better. By writing on one narrow issue you can become an expert on that issue and be used as a source of information in regard to that issue.
- Look at the popular niches of your industry. There can be tons of blogs covering this niche, but all of them are a good start for your own blog. Just read through it and if you find something catchy – some interesting articles or pictures – get inspired!
- Use AI to brainstorm and find the best niche, you would be surprised what you can find.
- Social media is a powerful tool to see what’s trending and what people really like.
Here are 10 examples of popular niches to give you some ideas:
- AI
- Technology
- Business
- Health and fitness
- Lifestyle
- Entertainment
- Gaming
- News and current affairs
- Sports
- Education
- Travel
- Select A Name For Your Blog
Having a perfect name for your blog is very important as this is what defines your blog in the website world. If you are having trouble while getting a perfect name for your blog, don’t stress out. Help is on the way with our ultimate list on how to choose the perfect name for your blog.
So how do you choose the perfect name for your blog?
Here are a few tips:
- Keep it simple: A great blog name should be short, simple and easy to pronounce.
- Similar as your domain name: Your blog name should be similar to your domain name. You should ensure that your domain name and blog have the same name so that readers will find it easy to remember your name and also see you as an expert blogger.
- It should be unique: Blog name should not sound like any other blogger’s. Check the name of your targeted blog on your web and domain name hosting company to know if it’s available.
- It should be relevant: A good blog name should be relevant to your blog content and aim.
- Avoid using numbers or hyphens in the name because it may cause issues with its uniqueness and difficulty in pronunciation unless it is really needed.
- Have short blog names: A lot of people prefer to see names that they can easily remember so that they can easily type the website in the search engine. It is advised to have between six and 14 characters to have a perfect name for your blog.
- Think about the future. Blogging, by nature, is about the future. Therefore, the trendy phrase you used for your project to come up with the pithy name might be a bad idea. Think about the potential state of your business after five or ten years from now when choosing the name.
- Use some AI tools to brainstorm a little. For example, put in the word or phrase that you see fitting your blogging project, and let the AI generate some suggestions.
- Invest in social media. Once you’ve chosen the name, try to check if the handle is available on social networks like Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. After you find a match, claim your page and ensure no one else will do it.
- Purchase A Domain Name And A Web Host
Before you can blog, you will need to buy a domain name, and a web host: – A domain name is the address of your blog (i.e. Www.blogger. Com). – A web host is where you will put your blog, so that it is hosted so that other people can see it. There are so many companies online that you can get your domain name and hosting through, so a little internet research is good.
Once you choose a company, buy both a domain name and web hosting (I’ll cover how to buy a domain name and web hosting later in this chapter). It is very important that you make sure you are not infringing on any trademarks with your domain name, because you will get yourself into very big trouble (legally) if you do. Here is how to check for infringing trademarks: First, you need to check the USPTO website for any trademark registrations you might be infringing. This is easy to do-just go to trademarks. then search(this is for America).
Next, go ahead and type your domain name into the search bar & hit enter.
If that search comes back empty, then your domain name is up for grabs. If you do get some results though, that means there are already trademarked names similar to yours – and may cause trouble if you try to use one of those. You can also take a look at your country’s local search database.
How to purchase a domain name and a web host service with Hostinger
One of the top web hosting companies out there, Hostinger offers a whole host of hosting services – shared hosting, VPS, cloud hosting. They’ve also got a bag of tricks in terms of features that’ll make them a contender for businesses big and small.
One of the things that really sets Hostinger apart is their live 24/7 chat support – that means you can get in touch with their experts at any hour of the day or night and they’ll be more than happy to sort you out.
But it’s not just about the support – they’ve also got a bunch of how-to guides and FAQs to help you get the most out of your web hosting service.
If you’re on the hunt for a web host that really delivers on value for money, reliability and performance, then Hostinger’s definitely worth taking a look at.
Getting Started With Hostinger
If you want to get all set up with Hostinger, just follow our simple step-by-step guide. We’ll do our best to break it down so it’s super easy to understand. First things first, get on over to Hostinger.com that’s the first step.
Check if your domain name is available on the home page
To check if your desired domain name is up for grabs, just pop it into the search bar at the bottom of the page and hit “Search”. If that particular domain name is free to be had, you can then go ahead and add it to your cart. If it’s already been snapped up, you can pick from some alternative suggestions that get listed below the search results.
What’s the deal with domain name extensions?
You know those bits at the end of a website’s url? Like “.com” or “.org”? Those are formally known as Top Level Domains, or TLDs for short.
The right extension can really make your website stand out and tell visitors what it’s all about. Unfortunately the wrong one can end up being a bit confusing – and make your brand look a bit silly.
Unfortunately, there isn’t one particular domain extension that fits every type of website. That said, some work much better than others for certain types of sites.
Which domain extension is right for you?
The domain extension you choose all depends on the sort of website you’re trying to create. If you’re building a shop, a .biz, .com or .store domain is probably going to be your best bet.
If on the other hand, you’re putting up a blog, a .me, .com or .online domain might be more up your street. And if you’re still not sure which way to go, a .xyz or .icu domain isn’t a bad shout. These are pretty generic and don’t get associated with any one particular type of website.
Pick Your Preferred Domain Name
After snagging the best domain name for you – job done – it’s time to get through the checkout process
To do that – and you’ve probably got this already – head into the shopping cart window and have a section at the drop-down list for registration periods – how long do you need that domain for?. You also have the option to add some extra security with the privacy protection add-on. Then just click through to the Checkout Now button and we’re off.
Next step – login up and create an account if you haven’t done that already – then we can finish off the order
After that , it’s time to figure out how you’re going to pay – that’s what the Method for paying dropdown is for.
Almost there – we just need to get through the part where we fill in the billing information and hit complete order – then you’ve got that website’s domain all sorted – just double check that the data we’ve got is all correct.
Finishing Up The Registration Domain Process
Once the payment is complete, you will be directed to the control panel. A box to complete the domain name registration will be found inside.
Make sure you provide accurate information in every field on the form! This contains all the information they will require to get in touch with you, such as your name and address.The global domain ownership database, WHOIS, will be updated with this data.
After you submit your details and select “Finish registration,” the domain registration will be completed.
Verifying domain ownership using the email address you provide when registering the name is the final step in completing your domain registration.
Once you finish setting up your domain the verification email should arrive within a minutes. To confirm your contact details just click the verification link, in the email.
Great job, you have taken a first step by buying a domain name and getting a web hosting account. Now the next step is to install WordPress on site so you can start creating blog content.
How to Install WordPress On hostinger
Your Hostinger domain is ready to activate once its registration process is completed. At first, you need to install WordPress on the selected server.
Make sure that you can access your hosting account and see Hostinger’s hPanel. Take a look at the picture below to see how your hosting account should appear.
Now simply find the Manage button in the system. It is the place where all hosting settings and user data will be placed. You just need to click on the button to proceed.
Also, you will be able to install WordPress after domain registration, where you will be able to choose which website builder to use.
You’ll find a list of all the options and settings that are important for managing your website. Take a look at the picture below, and you’ll see that there are several sections held within. For example, Orders, Accounts and Email Settings – these are all pretty key for getting your site up and running
In your WordPress dashboard, you need to track down the website section, have a glance at the image below. Then select the WordPress theme on the Auto Installer page and click the Select button.
You’ll be directed to a page where you’ll need to fill out the WordPress Installation Form:
You’ll also need to sort out the WordPress login details: Administrator Username, Password, and Email. Don’t worry, these don’t have to be the same as your web hosting login details. Just pick a super strong password to keep your site secure and avoid any potential security issues.
Next you’ll need to come up with a title for your WordPress site its not rocket science, but you’d be surprised how many people get this bit wrong.
– Choose a language for your WordPress site that you’re most comfortable with – there’s loads to pick from.
– And finally: to stay on the safe side, make sure you tick the box saying ‘always update to the latest version of the software’. This way, you can rest assured that your site will always be running the latest version.
Once you’ve finished filling in all the required info, click on that Install button.
You can see which apps are already installed on your Hostinger by hovering over the three dots next to your WordPress URL, and then take a look. To get to the WordPress Dashboard, just click the little Manage button.
To get to your WordPress blog though, click on the dashboard button located under WordPress on the hPanel.
Clearing out your browser cache is a good idea too- if you’re not seeing any changes on your WordPress site after going through these steps.
Installing A Theme On WordPress
Now that you are in the WordPress environment, the next step is to pick out a custom theme that really shows off your website’s personality – after all, it’s probably going to be the first thing visitors notice.
Choose a theme that you love; it’ll essentially give your website all the visual and design bits it needs. Even though WordPress comes with a default theme to fall back on, installing a custom theme that actually matches your blog’s vibe is way better.
If you start with a free theme, here’s how to go about it:
You can browse through a whole load of themes by either clicking on Appearance from the sidebar or hovering over Appearance & clicking on that. When you get to the Themes page, click Add New and you’ll be on your way to getting a new WordPress theme installed. On the next screen, you can choose from things like the most popular or the latest ones.
If you know the name of the theme youre after – simple enough – just pop it into search bar & see what comes up. If you’re still stuck, though, the “Feature Filter” is there to help you out – it lets you sort themes by things like subject, features or layout to make life easier.
Based on what you’ve searched for, you’ll see loads of different themes listed in that category. Just hover over the image of the one you fancy installing & the buttons you need to see will appear – Install, Preview, Details & Preview and all that. Incidentally – Astra themes are generally a pretty good place to start.
Next, click the Install button when the time feels right, & get ready to Activate a brand new WordPress theme – the excitement is building! With that done, WordPress will sort out the details & you should see a success notification pop up once your theme is all set to go.
To get you underway, WordPress is going to present you with two buttons: ‘Activate’ and ‘Live Preview’. To get this theme up and running on your WordPress site, you’ll need to click the ‘Activate’ button first. That’s it, you’ve now installed and got your WordPress theme activated.
When you next visit your site, this brand new theme will be what you see. Some themes can be a bit more finicky and will need their settings tweaked a bit. For instance, a theme you might install could ask you to go out and grab some must-have WordPress plugins, download some pre-made demo content, or make a few tweaks to its settings.
If you want to get in there and fiddle with your theme, you can do so using the WordPress theme customiser. Start by heading on over to the Appearance section of the sidebar and clicking on ‘Customise ‘. From there you’ll find everything you need to give your theme a bit of a makeover.
Installing Plugins on WordPress
There are loads of reasons why you might want to go ahead and install a plugin on your WordPress website. Some plugins will give your site a new trick or two, while others will make day-to-day management or give it a whole new look a heck of a lot easier.
There are basically two ways to install a plugin or theme on WordPress – you can either do it the old-fashioned way, or find it in the plugin store on your WordPress dash.
Here are the steps to follow to install your very first plugin on WordPress using the store:
From the WordPress sidebar, click on Plugins > Add new – that’s how you go about getting a plugin.
Next up, use that search box in the top right corner to track down the plugin you’re after.
A list of plugins should pop up – find the one you want and then click the ‘Install Now‘ button to get the installation process started.
Or if you want to get a bit more info before you commit, you can also click on ‘More Details‘ just below the ‘Install Now’ button to get a better idea of how to use and configure the plugin.
Once it’s been installed (this usually takes only a few seconds), you need to go ahead and activate the plugin – which is as simple as clicking on the “Activate” button to turn it on.
Chances are you now know how to install and activate a plugin… congratulations!
Every WordPress website should have these plugins
Super Cache: Want to pick up some speed with your WordPress site ? Super Cache is a top pick. It works by turning all your pages & posts into static files so they load way faster for visitors. The best news – Super Cache is completely free & really easy to set up, so you won’t be losing any sleep over it. In our experience it can give your site a noticeable speed boost.
Anti-Spam Bee: If you’re running a WordPress site and hate dealing with spam, Anti-Spam Bee is just what you need. This plugin will basically act as your second line of defense by filtering out spam comments & trackbacks in no time. Its free, really easy to install and will start protecting your site the minute you set it up. Anti-Spam Bee is actually quite hard to beat, especially considering it gets regular updates that keep it on top of the latest spam tactics. We highly recommend Anti-Spam Bee if you want a solid anti spam solution for your WordPress site.
Yoast SEO: To make sure you’ve got your WordPress site set up for search engines, you’ll want to install the Yoast SEO plugin. Its a must-have for any WordPress site – it helps you get your on-page and off-page SEO just right. Yoast SEO is always being kept up to date with the latest SEO ideas, which means you can be certain your site is always in line with the latest search engine algorithms. The plugin itself is free to use – although if you fancy the bells and whistles, there is a premium version available which gives you a few extra tools – like the ability to tweak more keywords, create redirects on the fly, and get instant feedback on how your SEO is going.
Google XML Sitemaps: This one really couldn’t be easier – just install & forget. It automatically makes an XML sitemap for your site, making it a whole lot easier for search engines to find and get to know your content. And it’s another freebie – which is always a bonus. Plus, Google XML Sitemaps keeps up with the latest WordPress developments so you don’t have to. This plugin isn’t just limited to Google either – it also works with other search engines like Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com
Google Analytics WordPress Plugin: This plugin helps collect the kind of info that’ll tell you how visitors are actually interacting with your site. And that’s valuable – it’s the lowdown on what’s driving visitor behaviour, plain and simple. So you can figure out what your most popular pages are and where you’re falling short. And with that info, you can actually start to make some improvements that’ll boost your conversion rates and drive more traffic to your site.
Social Sharing Plugins: Adding social sharing buttons to your WordPress site is a great way to nudge your visitors into sharing your content with their pals. And that can pay off big time – more traffic, more engagement, and it’s a good chance for fresh leads & customers.
Page Builder: With a page builder, you can create pages that look however you want and work just right, all without needing to know a lick of code. And thankfully, these plugins are pretty easy to get the hang of – they come with all sorts of features that make it a snap to create pro-looking pages. Some of the best ones out there are Elementor, Divi and Beaver.
There are thousands of plugins out there for WordPress. These are just a few examples of the kind of thing you can use to give your website an extra boost.
Keeping your website snappy is crucial – so dont go crazy with the number of plugins you install. Websites that use way too many can slow right down. And in all seriousness, 40% of online visitors will just give up and leave if a site takes more than 3 seconds to load, so keep that in mind when you’re deciding how to build your site.
Other Tasks to Complete Before Launch
You’ve wrapped up setup on your website! WordPress is up and running on your web hosting account, and you’ve chosen a theme that suits your taste. In addition to that, you’ve added some basic plugins to get the ball rolling and make your website a bit more user-friendly.
You’ve already submitted your website to both Bing and Google and set up Google Analytics to keep an eye on visitor numbers. Now it’s time to start populating your website with some high-quality content and tying up a few loose ends before calling it live:
Making Your Blog Show Up in Search Results: A lot of people dont know that you can customise your blog URL to help your blog show up in search engine results. By including keywords in your URL you can make it easier for people searching for topics related to your blog to find it. Search engines look at your page URL, headings, anchor text and text to figure out what your content is about.
Bad URL example
A URL like this – https://www.website.com/catcare – is so much better though – it’s short, easy to understand, and search engines can quickly tell that it’s about cat care
To make your website URL friendly to search engines, just head to the settings in the sidebar of your WordPress dashboard and click on Permalinks. Switch the URL style over to post name and your good to go.
Once that’s sorted, you should then turn your attention to making your blog content SEO friendly. When you publish an article, people searching for that sort of content will be able to find it in Google search results. Google and the other search engines will also be able to understand what your content is about and start suggesting it to the right people.
Building Your Home Page: The First Impression
When folks first land on your blog they’re going to be greeted by your home page, so make sure it’s something that grabs their attention. A good home page for your blog should give visitors a speedy rundown of what your blog is all about. You can get this across with a short blurb about your blog and a few of your most popular or recent posts – you might even want to throw in a photo of yourself or your blog’s logo to put a face to the name.
Once you’ve got your home page all set up, make sure to link to it from your blog’s main menu. This will make it dead easy for visitors to find and start exploring your blog. By the way, with the page builder you installed, you can use that to help build all your blog pages – it’s a pretty straightforward process, and it’s drag-and-drop with no coding required.
Crafting Your Navigation Menu: Getting Visitors Where They Need To Be
Your website’s navigation menu is one of the top things that’ll decide how people experience your site. It’s the way visitors find the info they’re looking for and also the way search engines decide to index your site. That’s why it’s so important to build a menu that’s as user-friendly as it is search engine-friendly.
There are a few pointers to keep in mind when you’re building your navigation menu. Firstly, make sure there’s a clear route to all your important pages – you don’t want visitors scratching their heads, wondering where to go next. Secondly, keep it brief, keep it simple – visitors hate being bombarded with too many options to choose from. And thirdly, make sure it’s super easy to use on all devices – let’s be honest, mobiles are now the norm, and if your menu is tricky to use on those, then you’re gonna lose visitors in a hurry.
Create An About Page
An ‘About’ page is a crucial part of any website. Its your chance to give visitors a sense of who you are, what you’re about and why they should care. And it’s a great way to start building trust with your audience.
When building your About page there are a few key things you should definitely include. First off, take the time to write a decent introduction to yourself and your business – dont just copy and paste a generic bio. Next, give some thought to whats makes your business tick and what drives you to do what you do. And finally, give your readers an idea of what they can look forward to from your website or blog.
Create Your Contact Page
Your contact page is where potential customers or clients get in touch with you, so you want to make sure its really easy to find and actually works.
Here are a few tips to help you create a great contact page:
- Give your contact page a headline that sums up exactly what visitors can expect to find on the page – try to make it clear and to the point.
- Use a contact form to collect info from visitors, but be sure to include the basics like name, email and a message field.
- If your business has a physical location, consider throwing a Google map on the page to give visitors a better idea of where you are (but it’s not essential).
- Include a clear call to action on your contact page, like a button that says ‘submit’ or ‘send message’, to make it obvious what to do next.
Create your privacy policy page:
Most websites have a privacy policy page that outlines what kind of personal information is collected and how it is used. If you’re planning on collecting any kind of personal information from your website visitors, you’ll need to create a privacy policy page.
Creating a privacy policy is easy and only takes a few minutes. You can use a service like iubenda to create your privacy policy page for free. Just enter your website name and address, and iubenda will generate a privacy policy for you. You can then add this page to your website.
If you’re not sure what to include in your privacy policy page, take a look at some other websites’ privacy policy pages for inspiration.
Create Your Disclaimer Page:
This is the place where you let your website visitors know you’re not legally on the hook if anything bad happens to them while they’re browsing around on your site. You should probably include info on your privacy policy, terms of use, and other important stuff that keeps the lawyers happy too.
Creating a disclaimer page is way simpler than you’d think: just go ahead and create a brand new page on your site and type in your disclaimer text. With that done, you can then link back to that page from either your header or your site’s footer. That’s it! You can now breathe a bit easier knowing you’ve covered yourself in case something does end up going wrong.
How To Create Your First Blog Post
WordPress released Gutenberg, a new, modern block-based editor, in December 2018. While it may appear clean and straightforward, don’t be fooled – there are tons of powerful features hidden behind its simple UI. We’ll go through each one and help you unlock its full potential.
#STEP 1: START BY ADDING NEW POST
To create your first post, log in to your WordPress account and select ‘POST’ >> ‘ADD NEW’ from the dashboard. You should see something like this…
(Note: You must first switch to the block editor if the traditional editor is your default editor. Look for DEFAULT EDITOR FOR CURRENT USER on the right-hand menu and select SWITCH TO BLOCK EDITOR).
(Note: You must first switch to the block editor if the traditional editor is your default editor. Look for DEFAULT EDITOR FOR CURRENT USER on the right-hand menu and select SWITCH TO BLOCK EDITOR).
#STEP 2: NAME YOUR POST WITH A TITLE
You can give your post a title by simply adding your post title to the top where it says ‘ADD TITLE’.
#STEP 3: ADDING YOUR POST TEXT
You can give your post a title by clicking in the box where it says “TYPE / TO CHOOSE A BLOCK” and typing away – a new paragraph block will appear as soon as you hit the return key.
You can also just copy and paste from Word or a Google Doc into the WordPress editor – this way a new block will automatically get created for each paragraph you paste in.
# STEP 4: ADDING A HEADING
To create a heading, just type in your header text, then click on the paragraph symbol (¶) up in the top left of the menu that pops up when you click on a block and select ‘HEADING’. Choose ‘HEADING’ to give it that special header look.
Your main headings should all be H2’s – and for dividing up a paragraph into sub sections with even smaller headings, use H3’s (or H4’s for sub sections of sub sections).
# STEP 5: ADDING IMAGES
Getting an image into your post is a breeze. Just click that little plus sign between paragraphs where you want to pop it in. You’ve got a couple of options for getting an image: Just browse to one on your computer and upload it by clicking COMMON BLOCKS > IMAGE > UPLOAD, or choose one from your media library by going to COMMON BLOCKS > IMAGE > MEDIA LIBRARY.
Once the image is in place, you can fiddle with its size and add a description by using the panel on the right.
# STEP 6: ADDING LINKS
To link to another post or page on your own blog simply pop open the chain link icon in the popup toolbar, then paste in the URL or type a few words from the post’s title and pick the right one from the search results. You can also link to a post by highlighting the text you want to link and then clicking the chain link icon in the popup toolbar.
Something to keep in mind when linking: to make links open in a new tab, you need to flip that switch on.
One thing you should be aware of is what happens when you click that link – it’s worth double-checking that the link is set to open in a new tab before you go fiddling with the HTML. Do that by clicking the three dots in the popup toolbar and selecting EDIT AS HTML. Now search for the bit of code that says rel=”noreferrer noopener” and swap it out for rel=”nofollow noopener”. Now click back on the three dots and choose EDIT VISUALLY.
# STEP 7: ADDING CATEGORIES, TAGS, FEATURED IMAGE AND
First – to get to the bits we’re about to talk about, click the POST option at the top of the screen on your right.
Right, now we can get down to the details – head over to CATEGORIES and pick the category you want to put this post in. Then pop in your tags into the TAGS section. Finally, get the featured image sorted by clicking on SET FEATURED IMAGE and either selecting or uploading an image. And lastly – copy the first bit of your post into the EXCERPT box (or get creative and write a custom excerpt if you like).
# STEP 8: PREVIEW/ PROOFREADING
It’s really important to give your work a good going over before you stick it out there for anyone to see. So click on the Preview link that’s hanging out in the top right corner there – that’ll open up a new tab with a sneak peek at your post. Have a gander and make any tweaks that are needed before you hit the publish button.
# STEP 9: PUBLISH/SCHEDULE
Want to get your article live right now? Just click that Publish button in the top right-hand corner of the WordPress editor. Easy peasy.
But if you want more control over when your post goes live (or even go back in time and pretend you posted it earlier), you can do that too. Just navigate over to the right-hand menu and click on Post. Underneath that, you’ll see the Status and Visibility options – that’s where you can pick a future date and time to have your post go live. To do that, just click on the word “Immediately” next to the Publish button and select the time and date you want. Finally, up in the top right corner of your editor, click Schedule, and your post will auto-post at the time and date you chose when you set it up.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is basically about ploughing through a massive amount of data to figure out which keywords will do your website the most good.
It needs a fair amount of inside knowledge about which keywords your target audience actually uses – as well as how they’re using them – when searching online. Keyword research is a super important part of your overall SEO plan because it gives you a clue about what people are actually looking for when they land on your site – which means you can create content that takes into account those all-important long-tail keywords.
Before even thinking about writing a blog post, you need to have a crack at keyword research. Let’s say you’re a blogger in the SEO game, for example. You can quickly sniff out some keywords that are relevant to your niche – like “SEO Tools”, for instance – and then find out just how much people are searching for them.
There are loads of different keyword research tools out there, but they don’t all come free. If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll probably be wondering which keyword research tool is worth the cash without breaking the bank.
Here are some free keyword research tools to get you on your way:
Google Keyword Planner: The Keyword Planner lets you see how often people are searching for certain keywords and also gives you a read on the competition level for those keywords – which is super helpful for finding low-competition keywords that are a breeze to rank for.
Keyword Tool: This one’s a free online keyword research tool that spits out the keywords people are searching for on Google. Just chuck in a seed keyword, and it’ll give you a list of related keywords that you can use.
Soovle: Pretty similar to Keyword Tool, Soovle is another free keyword research tool that does exactly the same thing – generates a list of related keywords based on a seed word you give it.
Answer the Public: This is a great free tool that helps you find the questions people are asking about a given topic. Just type in your keyword, and it’ll spit out a list of long-tail keywords you could target or work into your blog post.
Google Trends: For seeing which keywords are currently trending, Google Trends is a great tool to use. It’s also super useful for finding popular topics to write about and which keywords are being searched the most.
Semscoop: This one’s another free keyword research tool that does a similar job. You can see which keywords your competitors are using, and also find some new keywords to target.
Keywordio: This is a great tool for finding long-tail keywords – and long-tail keywords are a lot easier to rank for because they’re less competitive.
Moz: Provides several free tools that can really help with keyword research. For example, the Keyword Explorer tool gives a view of the monthly search volume for a keyword and also shows how hard it is to rank for that keyword.
Keyword Everywhere: Keyword Everywhere is a browser extension that lets you see the search volume and cost per click for any keyword you search on the web.
After you have done keyword research, you can decide what type of content you will create to target those keywords.
Here are a few tips you should consider when you perform keyword research:
1. Find The Right Keywords For Your Site:
The most important step is to find the right keywords for your site. You should look closely at your site. See which topics and keywords visitors search for when they arrive. If you want traffic you must find the right keywords.
2. Find Competitors:
Look at your competitors and see which keywords they rank for and how much traffic those keywords bring. Then use that information to guide your keyword research.
3. Analyse Results:
Examine the keywords that work well for your competitors and see how they perform over time. Tools like Google Trends can show you how popular a keyword is and which keywords are growing.
4. Find Keyword Search Volume:
By finding out how many people search for a keyword you learn how many people might be interested in what you create and how many might visit your site. For example if you discover that 10,000 people search for the phrase “SEO Tools” each month that keyword is a candidate for a main focus keyword.
5. Examine Top Keywords:
Look closely at the keywords that currently bring traffic to your site and see if there are new opportunities for keywords that competitors have not yet used. By reviewing your ten keywords you can find new niches that can add much more traffic and bring more readers to your content.
Coming Up With Content Ideas For Your Blog
If youre feeling stuck trying to come up with ideas for your blog dont stress – you’re in good company. Coming up with topics that’ll actually grab your readers attention can be a real challenge. Luckily, there are a few tricks up your sleeve to get the creative juices flowing again.
One thing to try is to think about all the questions your customers or clients just can’t seem to get enough of. What’s on their minds? What do they need help with right now? Write about that – and you’ll not only be giving them the answers they’re looking for but also solidifying your authority in your industry. Alternatively, you could try keeping an ear to the ground for industry news & trends & share your thoughts on what they mean for your business, or just use your blog to share the latest news from your company – new products, new partnerships – all that good stuff.
No matter which approach you take, the key is to remember that what you’re after is content that’ll really resonate with your audience. And you know what? If you can manage to knock that out of the park, you’ll find that people will keep coming back for more because they genuinely enjoy reading what you have to say.
If all else fails, though, and you’re really having trouble coming up with ideas, don’t be afraid to outsource the job. There are loads of talented writers out there who would be more than happy to help you out. Just tell them what you need, and they’ll get to work.
But if you really want to go it alone and just can’t think of a place to start, you could try investing some time into a content writing tool or AI writing tool. Just be sure to double-check any content that comes out of one of these tools before you slap it up on your site.
How To Grow Your Website (Blog) Traffic
After pouring your heart into writing some great content on your blog, the next step is to get some actual visitors to check it out.
There are loads of ways to do this and it’s essential to pick the one thats going to work for you. The following strategies can all be used to help drive traffic to your website:
Writing Awesome Content
Driving traffic to your blog is pretty much made a whole lot easier if you write content that’s genuinely interesting and informative. When you create something worth reading, you’ll attract more visitors to your site and keep them coming back for more. And the better your content is, the more likely people are to stick around.
Now, it’s worth being realistic – writing quality stuff is not always a walk in the park. It takes some serious effort and time to come up with articles that are genuinely worth reading. But if you put in the hard work, you’ll see a real payoff in the form of more traffic and a loyal following. Especially if you’re looking for ways to give your blog traffic a boost, start by writing some great content and see how it goes from there.
Posting Content Regularly – It Makes All the Difference
If you’re looking for a surefire way to boost website traffic, posting new and interesting content on a regular basis is definitely the way to go. People come back to your site when they see fresh new posts, and they start to crave more. In fact, if you keep your posts up-to-date and engaging, you’ll find that more and more visitors want to come back to your site all the time.
Of course, posting new material is just the beginning of getting more people to visit your site. But it’s a great place to start because it’s something you can easily make a habit of. So, if you want more people to start visiting your site, start putting up new stuff on a regular basis.
How Speed Kills Your Website Traffic
A slow website is a turn-off for anyone. It’s just a basic fact of life. A website that’s too slow will probably cause your visitors to leave before they even get a chance to see your content. And that’s a real shame because not only does it stop you from connecting with potential readers, it can also harm your search engine rankings. The good news is that there are a few simple tricks you can use to make your website load faster and boost your traffic.
First up, make sure you’re using a good web host. A host that knows what it’s doing will make a huge difference to your website’s speed. Next, make sure you’re optimising your images before you upload them. If you’ve got a lot of big images, it can really slow your site down – so it’s a good idea to shrink them down without losing too much quality. Finally, watch out for too many plugins and scripts – they can be useful, but too many and they can drag your site down.
When Paid Advertising Works a Treat
There are loads of ways to boost your blog traffic, and one that can be a real winner is paid advertising. With paid ads, you’ve got the chance to reach a much bigger audience and get new readers in the door who might not have found your blog otherwise.
If you do decide to give paid advertising a go, there are a few things to bear in mind. First, you’ve got to pick the right platform for your ads. There are loads of options out there, so do a bit of research to find the one that works for you. Once you’ve picked a platform, you’ll need to create your ad campaign – which is all about coming up with some creative content that grabs people’s attention and gets them to click through to your blog.
Evergreen Posts – Your Key to Lasting Website Success
Evergreen content is basically any content that’s still useful and still hot in years to come – that’s the opposite of something that’s only worth reading for a hot second before its history. Evergreen is pretty much the opposite of timely content.
Some classic examples of evergreen content are those really helpful how-to posts, list articles and those super-useful resource guides. This kinda of content is timeless; it never really goes out of style. As a result, you can keep generating website traffic from it for years after you first publish it.
If you really want to get a boost to your website traffic that lasts more than a minute, then creating evergreen content is a no-brainer.
Why Email is Still the Best for Traffic
You can’t underestimate the power of email marketing. Not only is it great for driving traffic to your website, but it also helps build relationships with your customers and your prospects. From generating new leads to driving actual sales – it’s all good stuff. And the best bit is your audience will keep thinking about you long after you hit send.
So if you want to get started with email marketing, here’s the lowdown. First of all, you need a list of people who actually want to hear from you. You can get that by offering them something of value in exchange for their email address – like a free e-book. Once you have your list, you need to send them emails that actually matter to them. To do that, try breaking your list up and sending them targeted emails. And of course, don’t forget to try and work out what’s working and what’s not. That way you can tweak your campaigns and keep getting more and more website traffic.
Get Your Backlinks Up – But Do It the Smart Way
First off, you need to know what a backlink actually is and how it works. A backlink is simply a link from one website to another, and its job is to help your website rank higher in search results – the more backlinks you have, the better you will rank. A backlink works by sending people from one website to another, with the idea being that someone clicks on that link and ends up on your site.
Getting a bunch of backlinks is not always easy, but it’s worth the effort if you want to get more traffic. There are loads of ways to go about it, such as guest posting, listing your site in directories and leaving comments on other people’s blogs. You can also try to get backlinks from some of the best websites on the net – like .edu and .gov sites.
There are websites where you can get backlinks from, but which ones will actually make a difference? Heres a rundown of some of the best ones:
- Wikipedia: can you think of anything more authoritative than the world’s most popular encyclopedia? Getting a link from Wikipedia will give your website a nice shot in the arm
- Reddit: massive, with loads of different communities and niches to get involved in. If you can get involved in one and share some of your content, you might just get yourself some backlinks
- Quora: a Q&A website where people ask questions and experts come in with some decent answers. If you can offer some useful advice, you might just start to build up a bit of a rep, and get some links coming your way
- Tumblr: this is a great place to share your infographics or other visual goodies if you’ve got them. Its all about sharing content and getting eyes on it
- HubPages: another site where you can write articles and other users can comment on them. If you’ve got a website you can link to it in your article, which is a nice little bonus
- Medium: yet another platform where you can write articles and share them with the world. You can also link to your website in your posts, which is basically a free win
Most of these places let you just dump your content straight onto their site, which means you don’t have to worry about duplicate content – a big plus
Guest Posting – A Super Way to Get Some Traffic to Your Site
Another way to get more traffic to your website is to write guest posts for other people’s blogs and websites. When done properly, guest posting can be a very effective way to reach new audiences and get some buzz going about your website
Of course not all guest posts are created equal. A good guest post has to be well-written, informative and actually interesting to your target audience – it’s got to be the kind of thing that people will actually want to read
If you want to get the most out of guest posting, here’s what you need to do:
- First – write something worth reading: make sure it’s been thoroughly researched, its got some useful insights, and its actually interesting
- Next – find a decent website to post on: one with a good rep and that’s actually relevant to your niche
- Also make sure the websites have a big enough audience – you should be aiming for at least 10K people.
Host Guest Post
If you want to get your site noticed by some fresh faces, hosting guest posts from other industry buddies is a great way to do it. And it’s a great opportunity to build relationships with fellow bloggers, too.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, just take a look at these tips. First off, reach out to the bloggers you already know and see if they’re up for penning a guest post on your site. If they are, that’s a bonus. If not, don’t sweat it – there’s plenty of other writers out there who’d be happy to lend a hand.
Once you’ve got a few potential guest posters lined up, send ’em a few guidelines for what you’re looking for: think post length, topic and a couple of links back to their own site, maybe. Get all that sorted out (and hopefully they’re on board!), then give ’em a shout to see if they’re up for teaming up. It’s a win-win – not only will you get more eyes on your site, but it shows your readers that you’re serious about building relationships with other writers in the industry.
Get Your Blog Post Seen On Social Media
Social media is a beast when it comes to getting your post in front of people. It’s a top way to drive traffic, and using it to promote your blog posts is a no-brainer.
Think of social media as the biggest, most active chat with anyone in the world – and that’s exactly what it is. It’s where people go to connect and engage with each other. You’ve got a bunch of different platforms to choose from – the usual suspects like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and Instagram – but each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. To get the most bang out of social media, do some research and figure out which platform is best suited to your niche.
Get Your Website Listed on All the Major Search Engines
If you’re not getting the web traffic you’re after, its probably because your website is stuck in cyber limbo – just waiting to be found. Search engine indexing is the process of getting your site noticed by the likes of Google, Yahoo, and Bing. So how do you get on their radar? First of all, make sure you’re creating solid, relevant content that includes the right keywords. Don’t be a perennial wallflower when it comes to SEO – make sure your site is well laid out, and easy to get around. And once you’ve done all that, give those search engines a nudge by submitting your site for consideration.
Make Your Blog User-Friendly on Small Screens
Mobile is where it’s at these days, and if your blog isn’t optimised for small screens, you’re probably going to see your traffic take a hit. And trust us, you don’t want that to happen. When Google started prioritising mobile-friendly sites, it made for a whole lot of unhappy webmasters. To avoid that fate, make sure your site is responsive – ie it adapts to whatever device someone’s using to view it. Next, make sure your text and buttons are nice and big – you don’t want people struggling to tap on tiny links. And while we’re on the subject, ditch the Flash – it’s a relic of the past, and most people just can’t use it on their phones. Follow these tips, and you should be in good shape.
How Do You Actually Make Money from Your Blog
Starting out and making a penny is the norm – don’t worry, its not a sign that you’ve failed in some way. It’s all about perseverance, you know? Stick at it, and your bank balance will eventually start to look up.
There are loads of ways to turn your blog into cash. You could try selling ad space, or offering paid-for subscriptions. Some people even make a good living by selling products or services through their site. But the best approach all depends on your niche and who exactly your readers are. Here are some ideas to get you started on your journey :
Some Ways to Make Your Blog Pay
#1 Google AdSense
Google AdSense is a program that lets me put ads on my website or blog, and I get paid for every single person who glances at or clicks an ad, plain and simple. The ads come from Google, and they match the content on your site. Google AdSense is a straightforward way for you to earn some cash from your blog – you don’t have to sell anything or offer services.
If you want to use Google AdSense you need to follow a few pretty simple steps. First, you have to sign up for a Google AdSense account. Once you’ve got that sorted, you connect your site to the account. Then I apply for monetisation – if my site ticks all the right boxes according to AdSense rules, then I can start showing ads.
Google gives me a range of ad formats and sizes to choose from, so I can pick the ones that fit with the style of my website or blog.
#2 Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is one of the top ways you can make money from your blog. Affiliate Marketing works like this: you get rewarded for every visitor or buyer that ends up on your site because you promoted something.
As a blog owner, you can join up with affiliate programs run by companies that sell stuff and services that match the topic on your blog. Then you stick affiliate links into your posts. you earn a commission if a reader clicks that link and makes a purchase.
If you want to use Affiliate Marketing to make some cash, you need to remember a couple of key points. First of all, your blog needs to have some visitors coming to it in order to make sales happen. Second, You need to pick affiliate programs that are a good fit for your blog theme.
Here are some popular affiliate programs you can check:
- The Amazon Associates Program
- The Awin affiliate program
- The Rakuten affiliate program
- JVZoo
- ShareASale
- Spocket Affiliate Program
Each of these programs has its own rules, so you need to read through them carefully before you sign up. After that, you can start promoting products and earning cash on sales.
#3 Sponsorship
Sponsorship can turn your blog into a source of income. To find sponsors for your blog start by reaching out to companies that fit your blog. You may email them directly. Use a platform such as SponsoredReviews.com. After identifying suitable companies, prepare a pitch. Create a media kit that lists your blog traffic and audience details. This media kit shows the value of your blog. Clarifies the sponsorship options you can provide.
#4 Sell Digital Products
Selling products gives another route to earn from your blog. You can offer items such as e‑books, e‑courses, webinars, articles and more. Digital products are simpler to sell than items because they can be downloaded anywhere and are usually cheaper. For example, an e‑book can be sold for less than five dollars. There are ways to sell digital products on your blog. One option is to join an affiliate program that pays you a share of the profit when someone purchases through your link. Another option is to create your digital products and sell them directly. The earning potential for products is unlimited.
#5 Offer Exclusive Contents
As a blogger, you can generate income from your blog through various methods. One method is to provide content to your readers. Exclusive content might include premium articles, videos or audio recordings. If you deliver high‑quality material that readers cannot find elsewhere, they may be ready to pay. This approach helps monetise your blog and encourages readers to return. Still, you must balance exclusivity with accessibility. You should not lock all of your content behind a paywall. You risk alienating your readers. Offering a selection of premium content can still generate revenue for your blog.
Wrap up
To sum up, if you want to launch a blog business that earns money, follow these guidelines. First, select a niche that can bring profit. Then produce content that’s clear, useful and of high quality. Finally, market your blog using media and other platforms. By following these steps, you will move closer to building a blog business.
