How to begin your blog in just 6 steps (Platforms Search Engine Optimization, Platforms, and much more) |

Are you ready to know what it takes to get started using your own blog? This guide will help you. From Hosting to SEO you need to adhere to these 6 steps to ensure that your blog is functioning.

There is no doubt that blogging should be a part of your plan for marketing. It's an effective method to attract new customers and offer your insights to the world.

However, each time you put your computer down to start your blog journey and you are overwhelmed with concerns:

What platform should I select?

How much will it cost?

What topic should I write about?

How can I convince people to read my posts?

What is SEO exactly?

This is enough for you to have your mind spin. This step-by-step guide will help you to start your blog.

The process of starting a blog that is successful isn't easy, but the benefits for your business as well as your readers are worth it. And with the right details and the proper tools in your arsenal it is possible to develop a website that visitors like and that you too.

Let's begin by asking: What should you write about?

One of the most efficient ways of monetizing your blog is to sell digital items. Get started selling your products for free now!

Step 1: Pick your blog's subject

One of the most appealing advantages of blogging is the fact that you are able to create blog posts on any subject around the globe.

Many people loveblogs. Seventy-seven percent of Internet users browse blogs and Internet users in the U.S. spend 3X more time on blogs than they do with email. Therefore, if you're a enthusiast of something, chances are there's an audience who feel the same way and would like to know more about the subject.

Here are some examples of blogs that have proven successful and the niches they cover:

Daniel Bogan's blog, a web developer's blog, uses this The blog is devoted to interviews with creators from all kinds about the techniques and tools they use in their creation.

On the blog she writes on, Kaleigh Moore offers her insights and expertise as a freelance journalist working for eCommerce & SaaS companies.

The neuroscientist Stefanie Faye Frank uses her blog hers to "translate the most complex ideas of science into everyday language".

One thing all of these blogs share one thing that they all have in the same way? Specificity.

As opposed to writing articles about general freelance assignments, Kaleigh talks about writing about her personal subject. Instead of discussing travel tips for parties of all sizes, Queenie focuses on advice on solo travel for people like herself.

If you're trying to find your unique specialization You can make use of to use the Passion/Profit Matrix.

Passion: What are your thoughts about starting to get started on this? If you're not happy with anything, the potential profit does not matter because you're likely to abandon the project before you've got there.

Profit potential:Do people already spend on this topic? It is also possible to imagine "profit" in this sense as an curiosity or search traffic. Are you aware of people actively researching on this subject?

( Download your own copy of the matrix here for Passion/Profit .)

The right product idea -or an appropriate niche for your blog is located in the upper left quadrant. It is the nexus of passion, and potential profit.

If you've found that sweet location, specialist in content marketing Ryan Robinson recommends to ask yourself these questions to verify your thoughts:

Are you interested enough about the niche of blog you're looking for? Choose a subject you don't feel confident about just because it's profitable.

Are there readers paying for this particular niche? Do you also have any products or services aimed at the same audience? If you're looking to earn money by blogging, you must have an audience that is willing to shell out.

Do you believe that this specific niche will continue to be very popular into the future? It's not easy to create an online blog that's popular therefore, choose a subject which you'll be writing on for the duration of time instead of a seasonal fad.

Once you choose the topic of your blog about, you'll need to determine the location where it will be hosted.

Step 2: Pick a blogging platform

Beginning with Tumblr and Blogger to Medium and Wix there are a myriad of blogging platforms available.

With more than 70 million posts published through the platform every monthly, WordPress is by far the most popular choice. more than 28 million websites make use of WordPress as opposed to four million of those on Squarespace.

That said, Squarespace can be more welcoming to novice users, especially when you don't have any programming experience.

These two platforms compare in terms of options, features, and customization as well as price.

(A quick note the rates mentioned in this piece are current in the moment at the time when this piece was written.)

Squarespace

If you're a beginner at building websites, Squarespace is an easy-to-use platform that doesn't require coding expertise. The drag-and-drop interface is more lenient learning curve that WordPress.

But, the simple block-based interface comes with the cost of flexibility and possibilities for personalization. Squarespace is a bit less flexible in terms of themes, plugins and themes than WordPress and doesn't offer nearly as many features for blogging.

It's a generalization that Squarespace is a web-based website building tool using basic tools for blogging, rather than being a platform designed to keep bloggers in mind.

How much does Squarespace cost?

Apart from a 14-day free trial, Squarespace offers four different price plans . Prices range from $23 up to $65 monthly. This is to be paid in installments. The other plans range from $16 to $49 per month or year.

They come with a limitless storage space as well as a free domain for the initial year. Unless you require an e-commerce feature the two lower tiers can be enough to manage your blog.

WordPress

WordPress is a CMS that allows content. (CMS) created specifically by bloggers. It comes with the template built-in, as well as tools for blogging, including:

Post scheduling

Editing

Commentary from the Managing Committee

Multi-author advantage, multi-lingual settings and multi-author advantages

Technical SEO

WordPress also offers a huge range of both paid and free blogger-specific plugins, as well as hundreds of free WordPress themes that are specifically made for use by blogs.

What's the next exception?

If you're looking to build your own custom site or blog WordPress comes with a more steep learning curve than Squarespace and makes it difficult to get the hang of it especially for new bloggers. WordPress doesn't come with a drag and drop function, so you'll need a basic HTML skills to completely customize your WordPress website.

Do not let this scare you away, though. The process of setting up a simple WordPress blog isn't a requirement for hackers with skills in technology, and since WordPress is so popular and widely used, there are plenty of resources for free that can help you understand the fundamentals of.

What is the cost of WordPress cost?

WordPress itself is free, but you still must pay for hosting, a custom URL as well as themes and plugins.

According to blogger Ryan Robinson , the first investment needed for the initial creation of a WordPress website runs between $140 between $200 to $140. The recurring costs associated with WordPress is almost certain to be less than those associated using Squarespace.

Squarespace and. WordPress The best option is which one you choose?

This provides a thorough outline of the main difference between the two platforms:

Although the process of learning for WordPress is more challenging, the possibilities for personalizing your blog are endless. Squarespace is a web-based site building tool; WordPress is an CMS specially designed for bloggers.

With all of the above considering the preceding, WordPress is the better blog platform for authors as well as bloggers seeking to develop, grow, and eventually generate income from their blogs.

We'll now discuss how you can set up your blog using WordPress.

Step 3: Configure your blog.

In order to get your WordPress blog running, you must have two requirements: Two requirements are needed:

Domain names

Plans for Webhosting

The domain name is the one under which your website and blog reside. If your blog is an web-based home, your domain name will be your web address.

Select the new domain's name as your blog's name If it's accessible. Don't add unnecessary confusion for your customers with a URL that is not related to your blog.

What is the best option if you don't own a web site orblog with a domain name?

Think of business-minded coach Becky Mollenkamp  For instance. Becky's blog and her services online focus on sharing her own experience of success with others to help clients succeed.

Becky is her name and brand. Therefore, it's logical to use beckymollenkamp.com for her business along with her domain.

If you're not sure, consider using a domain name generator like the Lean Domain Search or Nameboy . Enter keywords and the generators come up with a variety of names to choose from.

If you've identified the best brand name for your company, then you have to sign it with a hosting service.

We highly recommend Bluehost . The most well-known web hosting firms in the world, Bluehost offers free domain registration for the first year with every hosting plan. Bluehost's basic plans start with $2.95/month.

If you're prepared to pay an more money, Bluehost also offers managed hosting accounts for WordPress sites.

The Managed Hosting plans start at $19.95/mo.

In addition for a replacement to Bluehost, Siteground hosts more than 2,000,000 domains, and is renowned for offering some of the fastest customer support available. From $4.99/mo, Siteground is slightly more costly than Bluehost's base plans. However, if you think that you'll need to contact tech support frequently, they could be a good alternative for your needs.

After you've selected an hosting provider, you are able to start your blog on WordPress. It involves the installation of WordPress on your site by making sure you have the right plugins installed as well as locating the most suitable theme.

If you think hiring an WordPress developer is not within your budget, I recommend the following comprehensive guidelines taken from WPBeginner WPBeginner, the largest WordPress resource for free. WordPress tool:

     What do I need to do to install WordPress

     It's a must-have WordPress plugins

     What exactly is a WordPress plugin?

     What is the process to connect the HTML0 theme on a WordPress theme

Be aware that your WordPress blog does not have to be the most expensive premium theme, or the most expensive plugins to produce great blog content. Just make sure it works before you begin creating and publishing your blog's posts.

Step 4: Start writing

Open an entirely new document and begin to create your list of thoughts out of the surface of your mind as you hope to be the best results.

A few people do really achieve the optimal strategy.

It's not me. individuals. If not, let me introduce you to my blogger BFF, outlining.

Outlining saves you time, lets you remain well-organized, and also helps plan your content to make the most sense to your readers. It is possible to sketch your outline using pencil or pen, or you can use Google Docs, Dropbox Paper, or Microsoft Word.

This is the method that is suggested by the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) recommends writers sketch out their writing:

Think about it:List all the ideas that you'd like use in your blog post.

Organise:Group related ideas together into sections.

The Order:Arrange your ideas into segments.

Label:Add headings and subheadings in your blog post.

The team responsible for content uses this template for defining the blog's categories: articles:

[Header title]

The main argument:

Stats:

Case Study:

Examples:

After you've created your outline, you're ready to write regardless of whether you're not quite ready.

Make notes of your ideas Now, start writing them down.

Do not try to locate exact words or remove all typos completely. It is always possible to go back and revise your work later. Most important is to keep your writing. Within a short time it will be finished that's ready to be edited into a gorgeous blog article.

The writing process isn't the most efficient method, however.

A typical blog post can be around 4 hours to complete.

Amanda Nielsen of New Breed Marketing told Databox , "You can benefit from a huge SEO benefit through transcribing video. If you have the bandwidth create a transcript along with blogging to spread the word about the video."

Are you too busy to translate the video you made? Use an online service such as REV or an automated software for transcription like Sonix .

If you've completed your blog post -- whether from scratch or using templates, you're ready to make changes.

Resuming job after just a couple of minutes away helps keep your mind fresh You're also more likely to spot minor mistakes.

You can also use applications like Grammarly , but it should never fully replace a person-to-person editor, regardless of whether you're self-editing.

Grammarly detects grammar and spelling mistakes, provides alternatives for words that are commonly used It also provides a ton of helpful tips and tricks at no cost.

Grammarly's AI often misses errors (or detects errors in the absence of any) Therefore, ensure that you read your documents carefully. Better yet, let someone else read the document on your behalf.

The time has come to write your blog's first post, as well as establish a timeline for the remainder.

The creation of a schedule to publish helps ensure that you are accountable. I don't know the number of times I've attempted to start a blog in my own time, written one post, yet never publishing the next.

There's a good thing that you don't have to post new blog articles every day (or even weekly) for your blog to be successful. In the case of blog content, it's more about high-quality over quantity. The more extensive, longer and more researched blog posts are much more effective.

HubSpot claims that the optimal length of a blog article for SEO should be between 2,100 and 2,400 words. A study by Orbit Media found that the majority of bloggers publishing over 3000 words have "strong outcomes".

According to Jay Baer of Convince and Convert told Orbit Media , "Blogging was once an online newspaper with a lot of short stories were frequently published. Today, it's a web-based magazine, with some longer pieces published less frequently."

5. Optimize your website to increase search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization can make the difference between a good blog that has only a handful of viewers and an outstanding blog that draws in many thousands.

The content that has been optimized is more likely to show up in the search results for pertinent terms and keywords. As you improve your content, it will be easier for people who are new to locate it via Google searches.

In addition, considering the fact that Google's organic searches account for of most of the web traffic , grabbing one of the highest positions in the search results pages is crucial. The top five results from any Google search account for 67.6 percent of clicks .

Plus, SEO can play a important role in how your blog is. Bloggers who earn more than $50,000 a year believe that organic and unpaid Google web traffic to be the most important advertising channel they can use for their blog.

SEO can be less costly than traditional advertising -- and is more efficient. It was found that a Databox survey found that the majority of marketers think SEO is superior than pay-per-click ads in generating sales. This is the reason why more than 64 per cent of marketing professionals have a tendency to invest their in SEO.

It's a good thing to know the fact that starting your blog today can aid in staying ahead on your competitors in the SEO game. Websites with blogs have an 434% higher chance of achieving a high ranking on Search Results Page (SERP).

A great benefit: If you run a WordPress blog and you have installed the Yoast SEO plugin Yoast SEO can help you improve your blog's contents directly from the WordPress website editor.

How does it work:

You must enter the keyword or phrase that you wish for your blog's posts to rank for.

Yoast examines your text and informs you if you're using the keyword enough and at the appropriate places, such as headings.

Yoast also lets you see how your article will appear on the Google search result page.

In the backend, Yoast generates and applies schema.org structures, as in addition to organized information which "helps the search engines to determine what each part of your website is and the people it's associated with, and the relationships are between all of it".

You can also utilize keyword analysis tools like Ahrefs' Keyword Generator to get a deeper comprehension of what kind of content that your target audience is looking for. You can also find out how much work that is required for your content to rank well for specific terms, and how frequently keywords are searched in a month.

This will help you find the correct search phrase .

What exactly does this search engine optimization look at as a practical matter?

If I'm a busy parent who is having trouble keeping my family's finances in order, I can look on Google for terms that are like "budgeting for moms who are busy".

The highlighted snippet that describes the phrase "budgeting for mothers who are busy" shows the content by Simplified motherhood. This blog helps moms who are busy to keep track of their budgets.

When you optimize your blog through a search term, you have a better chance of being in the top spot or some results. Your audience will be more likely to discover your blog, browse your site, and when they are confident in your knowledge, buy your digital products.

To learn more SEO tricks and strategies Check out these sites:

All in all, SEO is a must-have for all bloggers. However, it's certainly not the sole way to grow your audience.

Step 6: Grow your audience

Blogs can be a multi-directional procedure. First step is to start with a blog. This will allow you to expand your reach, and marketing to your viewers will allow you to grow your blog. The blogs that are active have the potential to bring in around 67 percent more leads in comparison to those without.

Three of our top ways to get new email subscriber and blog readers.

1. Send emails using opt-in forms.

Developer and trainer Reuven Lerner utilizes his blog to expand his email list by including an opt-in option in his website.

Use a strong call-to-action (CTA). Give a reason to sign up to your subscriber list - such as "Teach me how to use Python!" from Reuven's instance.

Set expectations. Let subscribers know what kind of information they'll get and how frequently they'll be contacted by you.

One of the easiest method to turn blog users into clients is to offer the blog users something worth trading for their contact information.

2. Make sure that subscribers are aware of lead magnets

If they provide you with the email address of their choice, they receive important information. This is a win-win for everybody.

Lead magnets demonstrate to potential clients that they can trust in you. Effective lead magnets contain useful, relevant details specifically targeted at your customers and the issues they face.

To create a content upgrade:

Identify the content on your site that results in the most traffic.

Incorporate the information on the relevant page.

Turn more readers into subscribers.

If you're looking for a location to store your digital downloads - whether they're digital products to be sold or lead magnets, take an examination of . Try it at no cost today.

Forms for opt-ins and lead magnets are a great way to convert visitors to your blog into buyers. Beyond sharing blog's posts on social networks, you must also consider sharing your What can you do to get the attention of readers on your blog to join in the first place? The third and final point has you covered.

3. Guest post on different blogs

Guest posts are a fantastic chance to reach in front of a larger audience especially when you write on a more popular blog.

Here are a few the most important benefits of a guest blog :

Increase the number of backlinks.

Improve domain authority (a search engine ranking score).

Increase traffic to your website.

Boost your brand awareness.

That's probably why 60 percent bloggers compose anything from a single to five guest blog posts every month.

Before you're able to write a guest post You should present it to the world. Prior to being able to expose it to the world, it is necessary to locate blogs within the field you work in that permit guest post submissions.

Here are some sites to get you started:

The list includes 200plus websites as well as blogs currently accepting guest posts

     The list includes 150+ web sites that permit guest posts

Numerous well-established websites that accept guest postings typically provide guidelines on pitching and writing to follow, such as these from Practical Wanderlust's website. .

Once your pitch has been approved After approval, you compose your article. Your blog publishes the guest piece. Then, you can share the link with your social media fans and email list to give the article more visibility and refer visitors.

If you've increased your readership and reach a larger audience, you are able to increase the amount of money you earn from your blog. Discover more about monetization options to begin making money:

It's time to start blogging'

It's not always simple. However, if you make the efforts and make use of the correct tools and resources, blogging will allow you to interact to new clients as well as share your experience and boost your profits.

For a recap, here are the steps for starting your blog:

Choose a topic and specific niche for your blog. Discover something you and your reader share a passion for.

Pick a blogging platform. Squarespace or WordPress are two of the best alternatives, and to customize and add blogging capabilities, WordPress is a clear winner.

Set up your blog. Pick and then register your domain name. Then, choose a hosting service.

Start writing your first post. Draw up an outline of your thoughts before you begin, and develop a writing calendar to help you stay on track.

Optimize your blog for search. SEO is the most effective method to ensure that blogs with that have a high rate of traffic succeed and also helps your target audience to locate the blog and its content.

To increase your readers' number, you can use registration forms, lead magnets as well as guest blog articles. After you've built your readership and email lists, you can make money from your blog.

With all of this newfound blogging knowledge, you're now a pro. You're now on the path towards becoming a reputable blogger. Go out and write.

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