How to begin a blog in 6 steps (Platforms SEO and many more) |
Ready to learn how to begin your own blog? This article is designed for those of you. From hosting to SEO, take these six steps to get your blog online and operating.
The fact is that blogging ought to be a part of your strategy for marketing. This is a proven method of attract new customers and also share your experience with the world.
But every time you set your laptop down to start your quest towards becoming a blogger of the highest quality, you find yourself filled with questions.
What is the best platform to use?
How much will it cost?
What topics should I cover in my essay?
How do I get people to read my posts?
What the heck what exactly is SEO?
It's enough to make your head spin. We've put together this step-by-step guide for setting up your blog.
The process of creating a blog that is successful can be hard work However, the results to your company and readers are well worth it. With the proper analysis and the proper tools on your side, you'll be able to develop a website that users and yourself will love.
Let's begin at the beginning How do you decide what to blog about?
One of the best methods of monetizing your blog is to use digital products. Sell for nothing now!
Step 1: Choose your blog topic
One of the greatest benefits of blogging is the fact that you are able to begin a blog with almost any subject in the world.
The majority of people are in love withblogs. 77% of web users are avid readers of blogs. internet users within the U.S. spend three times more time reading blogs than email. If you're a fan of a topic it's likely that there's an crowd who feels the same way and would like to learn more about the subject.
Here are some examples of successful blogs and the niches they serve:
Web developer Daniel Bogan's blog, Uses This It is devoted to interviewing creators and designers of all kinds about the gear and methods they employ in their creation.
In her blog, Kaleigh Moore offers her insights as a freelance writer on behalf of eCommerce & SaaS companies.
Scientist and neuroscientist Stefanie Faye Frank uses this blog as a way to "translate complicated scientific ideas into everyday language".
One thing all of these blogs share the same thing? Specificity.
Instead of writing about freelance writing in general, Kaleigh talks about writing in her niche. Instead of providing travel advice 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 the Passion/Profit Matrix.
passion: What are your feelings about getting to work on this? If you aren't happy working on something, its profits aren't important, because you're more likely to quit before you get there.
Possibilities for Profit:Do people already spend on this issue? Also, you can imagine "profit" in this context as an interest or search traffic. Have people been studying this subject?
( Download your own copy of the matrix for Passion/Profit .)
The ideal product concept -- or niche for your blog is in the upper-right quadrant: The nexus of great passion and high potential profit.
Once you find that sweet place, the content marketing expert Ryan Robinson recommends asking these questions to confirm your ideas:
Are you interested enough about the blog niche you're interested in? Do not pick a subject that you don't feel comfortable with just because it's a profitable.
Does there exist a market in this niche? Also, are there items or services that target the same audience? If you're looking to make income blogging, you'll need an audience that is willing to pay.
Do you think this particular niche will remain in the many years in the future? It isn't easy to make a blog that is popular So, pick a topic that will keep you writing over the long term rather than a passing fad.
Once you choose what your blog will be, you'll need to figure out which location you'll use to host it.
Step 2: Pick a blogging platform
Beginning with Tumblr and Blogger from Tumblr and Blogger to Medium and Wix, there are countless blogging platforms on the market.
With about 70 million blog posts posted each month on the platform, WordPress is by far the most used alternative. more than 28 million websites use WordPress, compared to 4 million users on Squarespace.
However, Squarespace can be more friendly for new users, especially when you do not have prior experience with coding.
Let's see how the two platforms stack up when is about features, personalization costs, and customization.
(A quick note: All of the prices listed throughout this post are correct at the time of writing.)
Squarespace
For first-time website builders, Squarespace is an easy-to-use platform that does not require any programming expertise. Its drag-and-drop interface has a less of a learning curve than WordPress.
The basic block-based interface is at the expense of customization and flexibility. Squarespace has fewer themes of themes, plugins, and themes that WordPress and doesn't offer nearly as much dedicated blogging functionality.
Overall, Squarespace is a website builder that includes simple blogging tools, rather than being a platform designed for bloggers.
How much does Squarespace cost?
Apart from an initial 14-day trial period, Squarespace offers four different pricing plans . Prices range from $23 to $65 per month, paid monthly and $16-$49 monthly, annually.
These plans come with unlimited storage as well as a free domain name for the first year, and unless you require an e-commerce feature, the lower two tiers are sufficient for managing your blog.
WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) built for bloggers. That means it comes with the built-in templates as well as tools for blogging. This includes:
Post scheduling
Editing
Management comments
Multi-author advantage and Multi-lingual setting
Technical SEO
WordPress provides a vast selection of both free and paid blogger-specific plugins along with thousands of free WordPress themes designed specifically for blog sites.
So, what's the condition?
In terms of creating your own custom website or blog, WordPress has a steeper education curve over Squarespace which makes it more difficult to master the platform for novice bloggers. It's not a drag-and drop interface and you'll require some basic HTML knowledge to fully customize your WordPress site.
Do not let this scare your away. The process of setting up a simple WordPress blog does not require any hacker tech skills. In fact, because WordPress is so widely used There are a lot of no-cost resources available to teach you how to use it.
How much does WordPress cost?
WordPress is free in and of itself However, you will require a fee for hosting, a customized domain name, themes and plugins.
According to blogger specialist Ryan Robinson , the starting investment for the creation of a WordPress website runs between $150 between $200 and $140. But, the recurring expenses with WordPress will almost certainly be lower than those with Squarespace.
Squarespace and. WordPress: Which should you select?
Here's a full analysis of the most significant distinctions between these two platforms:
While the learning curve for WordPress is more difficult however, the options for customizing your blog are practically infinite. Squarespace is a website creator; WordPress is an CMS originally developed specifically for bloggers.
In keeping all the preceding with this in mind, WordPress is the better blog hosting choice for creators as well as bloggers who want to build or expand their blogs, as well as eventually increase the amount of money they can earn from their blogs.
Next up, let's discuss how you can set up your blog on WordPress.
Step 3: Setup your blog
In order to get your WordPress blog up and running, you need two things:
A domain name
Web hosting plans
Your domain is the name under which your blog or website is located. If your blog is your online home the domain name you choose is the address you use online.
Make your new domain name your blog's title If it's accessible. Don't add unnecessary confusion to your clients using a non-related URL.
But what if you don't have a blog orblog name?
Consider business-minded coach Becky Mollenkamp For instance. Becky's blog as well as her digital services focus on sharing her personal experience with others in order to assist them succeed.
Becky has become her name and brand. Therefore, it makes sense for her to choose beckymollenkamp.com for her business as well as domain name.
If you're not sure with a domain name, you might want to consider a name generator, such as the Lean Domain Search or Nameboy . Input keywords, and the generators come up with a selection of names for domains.
After you've found the right name for your business then you must make it available to a hosting company.
We highly recommend Bluehost . One of the largest web hosting firms in the world, Bluehost offers free domain registration in the initial year with every hosting plan. Their most basic plan starts with $2.95/month.
If you're prepared to pay a bit more, Bluehost also offers managed hosting accounts for WordPress websites.
The managed hosting plans begin at $19.95/mo.
A good alternative in place of Bluehost, Siteground hosts more than 2,000,000 domains, and is renowned as having the top customer service available in the industry. From $4.99/mo, Siteground is slightly higher than Bluehost's standard plans. However, if you think you might have to call tech support on a regular basis, they might be the best choice for you.
When you've picked an hosting company, you can set up your blog in WordPress. It involves installing WordPress on your website as well as deciding on and installing plugins, then locating and installing the ideal theme.
If hiring a developer is not within your budget I suggest these comprehensive tutorials from WPBeginner The largest and most free WordPress tool:
How to install the HTML0 theme on a WordPress theme
Keep in mind the fact that your WordPress blog doesn't need to have the fanciest premium themes or the shiniest plugins in order to make amazing blog posts. All it needs is to function before you begin making your content and then publishing it.
Step 4: Start writing
Open an entire new document, then begin writing off the ideas in your head and hope that it will be the most successful.
Certain people are truly at their most effectively this method.
There are a lot of people. If you aren't either Let me introduce you to my blogger BFF: outlining.
Outlining saves you time, helps you stay organised, and can help you plan your content so that it makes the most sense to your reader. The outline can be written on paper using Google Docs, Dropbox Paper, or Microsoft Word.
This is how it works: Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) recommends writers write their outline:
Think about it:List all the ideas that you want to include within your blog post.
Organize:Group related ideas together into sections.
Order:Arrange your ideas into sections.
label:Add headings and subheadings to your post.
Our team of content writers uses this template to outline the blog's sections: posts:
[Header title]
Principal Theme:
Stats:
Case Study:
Examples:
When you've completed your outline, you're ready to write -- even if you don't be ready.
Write down your thoughts and start now.
Don't pressure yourself to find precisely the correct words, or avoid typos absolutely. It is always possible to go back to edit and improve your writing in the future. Most important is to keep writing. Before you know it, you'll have a piece that's ready to be edited into a beautiful blog article.
This isn't to say that writing is the speediest method, but.
A typical blog post can take nearly 4 hours to create.
Amanda Nielsen of New Breed Marketing told Databox , "You can reap a wealth of SEO benefits through transcribing video. If you have the bandwidth, create a written transcription and a blog post to promote your video."
Do you not have the time or energy to transcribe the videos you make? Use an online service such as REV or an automatic software for transcription such as Sonix .
After you write your blog entry -- whether starting from scratch or using a templatethen it's time to revise.
Returning to your work after a little bit of time away helps refresh your perspective, so you're less likely to miss small mistakes.
It's also possible to use a tool similar to Grammarly However, it shouldn't never replace an actual human editor, even when you're self-editing.
Grammarly identifies spelling and grammar mistakes, provides synonyms for commonly used words and offers a wealth of useful tips to help you learn for free.
Grammarly's AI often misses mistakes (or detects errors when there's none) So, make sure to read over your document carefully. Or, better yet, have someone else look over the document for you.
Finally, you're ready to launch your very first blog post -- and create a plan for the rest.
A publishing plan can help you hold yourself accountable. It's hard to count how many times I've tried to establish a personal blog, written one post, and never returned to publish a second.
It's good to know that you don't have to create new blog posts each the day (or even weekly) to build a successful blog. When it comes to blogging content, it's all about quality over quantity. Longer, more in-depth, and well-researched blog posts do better.
HubSpot states that the best length of a blog post for SEO is between 2,100 to 2,400 words. A survey by Orbit Media found that the majority of bloggers writing more than 3000 words report "strong performance".
According to Jay Baer of Convince and Convert explained to Orbit Media , "Blogging used to be a type of online newspaper: lots of short articles, published frequently. Today, it's a web-based magazine with a couple of longer articles published less often."
Step 5: Optimize for search (SEO)
SEO can be the difference between a good blog with just a few viewers and an outstanding blog that attracts visitors in the thousands.
The content that has been optimized is more prominent in the search results for appropriate terms and keywords. If you can improve the quality of your content, the easier for people who are new to find it through the search engine.
And given that Google's organic search accounts for five-thirds of the web traffic so grabbing one of the highest positions on the page of results matters. First five results from any Google search represent 67.6% of all clicks .
Additionally, SEO can play a big role in how profitable your blog grows. Bloggers who make more than $50,000 a year have a tendency to rate organic and unpaid Google website traffic to be the primary marketing channel for their website.
SEO can be much less costly than traditional marketing -- and is more efficient. A Databox study discovered 70% of marketers say that SEO is superior to pay-per-click advertisements for driving sales. It's the reason why over 64% of marketers are actively investing time into SEO.
The best part is the fact that launching a blog now puts you ahead of being ahead of the SEO game. Websites with blogs have an 434percent higher probability of performing well in the search results page (SERP).
And even better news is that you own an WordPress blog, the Yoast SEO plug-in helps you optimize your blog's content directly from the WordPress web editor.
How it will work:
Enter the keywords or phrases you would like your blog post to rank for.
Yoast analyzes your web content to determine if you're using keywords in the right way and in the right spots, such as headers.
Yoast can also let you see how your article will look in a Google search results page.
At the backend, Yoast generates and applies schema.org structures as well as organized data which "helps [search engines] figure out what every part of your website is, who it belongs to and what the connections between everything".
Additionally, you can employ keywords research tools, such as Ahrefs' Keyword Generator to find out what sort of content your reader is looking for. It also lets you know how difficult it is for websites to rank for a certain keyword as well as how often keywords are searched for throughout the month.
This will help you find the right key word .
What will this search engine optimization look at in practice?
If I'm a parent with lots of responsibilities that is struggling to keep the budget of my family, I might Google a phrase similar to "budgeting for busy moms".
The featured snippet for the query "budgeting for moms who are busy" shows the article by Simplified Motherhood, a blog that helps busy moms stay organized.
If your blog is optimized to be search-friendly, you have a better chances of being on the first or a couple of results. Your target audience is more likely to discover your blog, read your website, and when they are confident in your knowledge and trust your expertise, purchase your digital goods.
For more SEO strategies and tips look at these websites:
Overall, SEO is a must-have for bloggers. It's certainly not the only method to increase your readership.
Step 6: Grow your audience
Blogs are a multi-directional process: Starting a blog can help you grow your audience, and marketing to your readers can help you grow your blog. Blogs that have a presence generate about 67% more leads over those who don't.
Below are three of our most effective ways to get new blog and email readers.
1. Send emails using opt-in form
Developer and trainer Reuven Lerner utilizes his blog to expand his email list by including an opt-in page on his blog.
Create a compelling call-to action (CTA). Offer a motive to sign up to your list of email subscribers -for example "Teach me more Python!" from Reuven's illustration.
Set expectations. Let your customers know what you'll provide them with as well as how often they'll be contacted by you.
One of the most effective method to turn blog users into readers is to offer the visitors something worth their time as a reward for contact information.
2. Incentivize subscribers to sign up with lead magnets
You give them your email address and in return, you give them useful information. The result is win-win.
Lead magnets let potential customers know the reasons why they can trust your brand. Lead magnets that are effective include actionable, informative content targeted to your specific customers and the issues they face.
To create a content upgrade:
Determine the web content on your site that brings maximum traffic.
Add that content to the appropriate page.
Turn more readers into subscribers.
If you need a place to host your digital downloads -- regardless of whether they're digital items available for sale, or even free lead magnets -- you should take an look at . Test it without cost right now.
Lead magnets and opt-in forms can be great methods to convert readers of your blog into customers. However, if you don't share your blog's posts on social media, how do you get those blog readers in the first place? The third and final point has you covered.
3. Guest blog post guest on different blogs
Guest posting is a great method to connect with a wider public, particularly when you're posting on a well popular blog.
Here are a few of the most important advantages of the guest blog :
Increase backlinks.
Enhance the authority of your domain (a search engine ranking score).
Bring traffic to your site.
Increase the visibility of your brand.
It's likely the reason 60% of bloggers write anywhere from one to five guest posts per month.
Before you can publish a guest article it is necessary to pitch it. And before you can present it to the world, you must to locate blogs within your field that allow guest blog posts.
Here are some sites to get you started:
List of 200+ sites and blog that are currently accepting guest post submissions
A list of 150+ web sites that will allow guest write on.
The most well-established blogs accepting guest post submissions usually provide pitching and writing guidelines for you to follow, such as the ones on Practical Wanderlust's site .
Once your pitch is accepted, you write your post, and the blog publishes your guest blog post. Then you can share the link with your social media followers and email list to give your post more exposure as well as 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 into a profit
The time is now to blog'
The process of starting a blog isn't simple. However, if you do your effort and make use of the appropriate instruments and sources, blogging can assist you in reaching new audiences, share your expertise, and increase your profit.
In case you're wondering, here's the steps in order to begin your blog:
Select a subject and a niche for your blog. Find something that both of you and your followers are both passionate about.
Pick a blogging platform. Squarespace or WordPress are two of the best options, and in terms of customization and blogging features, WordPress is a clear winner.
Create your blog. Choose and register the domain name, and then buy a hosting plan.
Start writing your first post. Use an outline to begin, and make a calendar of your publishing to hold yourself accountable.
Optimize your blog for search. SEO is the number one method that successful blogs gain traffic and assists the targeted audience to find the blog and its content.
Increase your readership by utilizing sign-up forms, lead magnets and guest post. When you have built up your subscriber base and list of email addresses it is possible to make money off your blog.
Now that you have all this information about blogging now, you're on your path to becoming a successful blogger. So, go out and begin writing.