In this “how to start blogging for beginners” guide, I will show you how to start blogging for free, and how you can monetize your blog to earn passive revenue, even while you sleep.
I will show you how to find low-competition keywords to use in your blogs, as well as share a few tips to help get your blog ranking on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
Starting a blog for beginners does not have to be complicated or expensive and the process is rather straightforward.
How To Start Blogging For Beginners
- Sign up for a free blog maker: Blogger/WordPress/Linkedin/Wealthy Affiliate
- Choose your blog niche and name.
- Choose your blog/website template if applicable.
- Write your first post and press publish.
- Share your blog to as many places as possible.
Step 1: Choose Your Blogging Platform
The first step in starting a blog is to decide on your blogging platform.
Platforms like Blogger and WordPress offer free services and customizable features without ANY upfront costs involved.
I use WordPress for my blog and websites and this is hosted through the Wealthy Affiliate University.
I recommend Wealthy Affiliate for your blogging platform as they offer free training videos to get you set up, as well as free tools and help.
Step 2: Choose Your Domain Name
Finding and choosing a domain name that suits and fits your niche is super important.
HUGE TIP: Make sure your domain/website name includes your main niche keyword.
For example, if I had a blog about chess, the best domain name for this would be chess.com.
Almost all one and two-word domain names are taken or unavailable, so do spend some time trying different combinations of keywords until you find your winning combination.
Keep your domain name as short as possible.
Use these domain name generators to find the best domain name for your blog.
Step 3: Choose a Blog or Website Theme
Choosing a blog theme that best suits your needs is important.
The theme of your website/blog will set the tone and feel of your website for visitors now and in future years to come. Be sure to think about colors, wording, and the overall vibe you are trying to go for.
The Wealthy Affiliate platform offers over 4000 premium website templates that are all customizable. This is where I host my blogs and websites.
Canva also offers website templates that can be used.
My preferred website theme is Astra.
Step 4: Writing Your First Blog Post
Once you have chosen your preferred blogging platform, you can start crafting blogs that rank in Google.
Crafting blogs that rank in Google takes practice and you will more than likely start learning SEO skills along your blogging journey.
Tips for writing good blog posts:
- Content Quality: Every blog you write should offer value to the reader.
- Always Choose a Keyword: Choosing a target keyword to use throughout the blog is crucial. You will use this keyword in your H1 title and in H2 titles as well.
- Do Your Research: Make sure your facts are facts.
- Blog Layout: Make sure your blogs are easy to read and include images for visual stimulation. Blogs should be broken up into sections and include bulleted and/or numbered lists.
- Make Your Blog Authentic. Write as if you were talking to your target market.
Blogging does take some practice so be patient and learn as you go.
You can always look at other people’s blogs for ideas and inspiration.
Always try to include videos or images where appropriate as these break up text and keep the reader visually engaged.
Step 5: Publishing Your Blog Post
Before I publish any blog on my websites I always double-check certain aspects.
For example:
- I have identified my blog’s target keyword.
- I have used this keyword in the H1 title and H2 titles.
- I have an image in my blog with the target word as its “Alt text”.
- I have selected the category in which the blog will be situated on my website.
- I have checked the URL to include the focus keyword.
Step 6: Driving Traffic To Your Blog
Learning how to get your blog noticed or ranked on Google is not easy, and to do this, you will need to learn SEO strategies to increase the chance of being ranked in search engines and increase traffic to your blog.
Ways To Drove Traffic To Your Blog:
- Write High-Quality Content: High-quality information that helps its readers will rank better than poorly written blogs that offer little information.
- Social Media: Share all of your blog posts on social media channels.
- SEO: Search engine optimization is critical in getting your blogs to rank. Make sure you include my 11 SEO tips.
- Email Marketing: Email marketing is a great way to reconnect with your users. Offer value that sends them back to your blog.
- Engagement With Online Communities: Post comments on forums and other networking groups.
- PPC: Pay-per-click advertising can be a great way to get traffic to your website or blog. If you are running paid ads, make sure your blog is monetized so you can make back the money spent on ads plus make some profit.
These methods are commonly used in everyday advertising and promotions. By leaving links on other websites, social media platforms, and forums we will greatly increase the traffic we receive to our websites.
Step 7: Blog Planning and Organization
Creating a blog schedule is crucial in maximizing output and effectiveness.
Firstly, it increases output as we know beforehand what we are going to blog about, and what the focus keyword is. We can also go further ahead and plan the H1 and H2 headings for the blogs as well.
Secondly, Google and our readers love consistent blog posting. Websites that grow every week will get more traction than a website that grows by 1 blog per month. Ideally, 1 – 5 blogs per week are perfect, however, the more the better…
Think about how often you would like to be blogging. This could be daily, weekly, or monthly.
Work out your blog topics, identify focus blog keywords to use, and sort these into a list.
Keep in mind that blogging can be done at any time of the day or night so feel free to adjust your blog schedule accordingly.
How To Earn Money Through Blogging
After you start your blog and begin to get traffic, you can think about monetizing it.
Ideally, you will have about 10 – 20 blogs written at this stage.
There are two main ways I generate money through my blogs:
- Affiliate Products
- Google Adsense
Affiliate Marketing:
Join other companies’ affiliate programs and recommend their products to your readers. If they purchase through your links, you will get paid a commission for doing so.
This is the company’s way of saying thanks for helping generate a sale.
You can do this by writing product reviews or testimonials, writing a “Top 10” blog article, etc.
Google Adsense:
By joining Google Adsense, we can get Google to place ads on our website, and pay us whenever someone clicks on an ad.
No one needs to buy anything, just click on the ad and you will earn.
Ads usually only make a few cents per click, but once traffic ramps up, this can amount to some large sums of revenue.
Start Blogging For Beginners - Tips
If you are going to start a blog, do it with confidence.
Starting a blog is fun and can be a life-changing event for some people.
Turning your blog into an online money-making system is not as hard as you may think.
Earlier on I mentioned a place named the Wealthy Affiliate. This place is an online affiliate marketing training platform that teaches people the ways of making money online through blogging.
From setting up your very first blog and getting your first sale, everything is explained through easy-to-watch video training tutorials.
These step-by-step training videos will take you from beginner to being able to quit your 9 – 5 job and start living life on your terms.
Passive income is key. If you can generate traffic to a blog, and it is monetized, you can earn money 24/7, even while you sleep.
They offer a free starter membership so you can get going at no cost to you at all.
Click the banner below to find out more:
How To Start Blogging For Beginners Summary
Now equipped with the knowledge to launch a blog at zero cost, begin by selecting a platform that blends flexibility with user-friendly features.
Inject your blog posts with your unique passions or expertise, leveraging SEO strategies and social media platforms to amplify your reach.
Monetize your efforts through advertisements, merchandise sales, or subscription models. Each post serves as a potential revenue-generating asset, propelling your passion toward profitability.
Embark on this journey today by taking that initial step, diving into the world of blogging, and paving the way for future earnings.
The time has come to construct your blogging realm.
