Do you want to learn how to start a blog from scratch in 2022?
If you are looking to start a blog, then I welcome you to read this detailed guide.
This post is all you need to start your first-ever blog without any hassles.
If you follow this step-by-step guide then you will end up creating a blog for yourself by the time you stop reading this article.
I started blogging myself in 2014 and since then never looked back. I quit my job and branched myself into several niches.
Once I started to make money from my blog then there was no turning back. I successfully make a decent 5 figure income from my several blogs and now I think it’s time to give back to the community.
I finally decided to create this blog to help people learn WordPress, Digital Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, etc., and create a blog to earn money online.
Starting a blog could be your key to freedom from 9 to 5 jobs, and if you are serious then you can make several times more than what you make from your regular job.
Spoiler Alert – Blogging may seem simple but it’s not easy. Starting a blog is not like planting a money tree in your backyard. It will take time and you will have to be patient and keep working.
How to start a blog & Why?
Now that you are here on this page and about to learn to create a blog, the first thing you should ask yourself is why?
Whatever may be the reason behind you making up your mind to make a blog, it is a very sincere question.
The main reason I am asking this question is that most of the fellas take the decision to launch a blog and then abandon it after some time.
One thing is for sure, you are not going to earn a truckload of money on second after creating your first blog post. So what is your motivation?
If you cannot answer this question, then let me help you with it.
Express yourself – By creating a blog, you are getting access to a platform where you can share your thoughts, skills, and whatever you like. If you finally decide to start a blog of your own, then it will open a bunch of doors for you. You can expand your horizon, reach other people and express yourself.
Self Improvement – Blogging will surely improve certain things about you like reading and writing. It will also help boost your confidence along with your communication skills.
Learn New things – Blogging is about building up a community. You are not only sharing, but you are learning also. If you do research on topics you want to blog about, you can learn lots of things that you never knew.
Brand Building – If you are already running a business, then blogging could be a nice way to build a brand. You can expose your company or services through your blog to mass. If you do it right, you can take your business to new heights.
Build a fan base – You can create your fan base with your blog. If you are providing value to your readers, then they will come back for more. This will create a loyal reader group which will help you increase your blog traffic. With a growing fan base, your business will grow.
Build a Passive Income – After you start a blog and win the trust of your reader, you will have nice traffic on your blog. You can promote several products and put ads on your blog to make passive income. This is the way all big bloggers make 6 figure income.
Some famous bloggers like Neil Patel from neilpatel.com, Syed Balkhi from WPBegginer.com, and Harsh Agarwal From shoutmeloud.com are pioneers of the Blogging industry.
They started small, same as you and me, but now they are making lots of money through their blogs.
I think to Start a blog Is there a future for blogging in 2022?
You might be thinking, is it worth starting a blog in 2022?
Most successful bloggers started decades ago. What if my blog fails? What if it cannot rank?
Well, negativity is not the right way. Yes, today’s competition is very tough. Many of the bloggers are decades ahead of you.
But you still got the advantage. You get to learn from your mistake.
Many people are making new blogs every day. You are not different from any of them. The success of your blog totally depends on how committed you are.
If anything, you have the golden opportunity to learn from others. Avoid their mistakes, and get inspired by their success stories.
Earlier bloggers like Kulwant Nagi from Bloggingcage.com used to blog with 2G Internet, then came 3G, now 4G. Who knows, we might even get 5G connectivity very soon.
So in my opinion, 2021 is the best time to start a blog. I did it myself. At the current time, I am working on 6 different blogs of different niches.
If I can do it, if others can do it then I bet you can do it too.
Can I start a blog for free?
Since you are a beginner, you might be thinking can I start a blog for free.
Well, this question pops up in the mind of every wannabe blogger.
The main reason behind it, they most probably have no clue about it. Most of them might not have financial means.
But one of the biggest reasons is, that they are not sure about their commitment. They are pretty hesitant to put money into something they are not sure they want to do.
So you if are also not sure about starting a blog, then I advise you to take your time and think it through.
Now let’s get back to the main question. Can you start a blog for free?
Technically Yes, you can start a blog for free. There are plenty of good platforms like Blogger.com, WordPress.com, Wix.com, Weebly.com, Tumblr.com, and others that give you the option to create a free blog.
No other question is, should you use free blogging platforms?
No, you should not.
The main problem with free platforms is, that you have to follow their rules. You will not have full control over your blog. They can always delete your blog when you try to monetize.
If your main goal is to make money through your blog, then you should avoid a free platform.
It’s the untold truth of the world and a universal rule. If you want to make money, you have to invest money.
Let’s assume, you started a blog for free, done a lot of work, got decent traffic and when the time comes to rip the fruits of your hard labor, your blog gets deleted.
All your hard work will be lost and you will be left with nothing.
So I suggest you invest some money, make a blog, and take full control of your site.
Best Guide to start your first ever blog
In this article, I am going to cover all the steps you need to know to start a blog. Since you are a beginner, taking shortcuts is not going to be fair.
If you read this post from top to bottom, you will say to yourself that it is the best guide you have ever come across.
After a long experience of about 6 years of blogging, I sure did pick up some great tips which can help you make your blog successful.
The main motive of this article is to help you create a blog and bring consistent organic traffic. If you follow this site through your blogging journey, soon you will be able to get your name out there.
This guide is going to be long and elaborated (not boring though… I hope). I tried to cover all the aspects of creating a blog and converting it into a business. It’s not the first rodeo fellas.
All the tips and tricks mentioned in this article are already tested more than twice a dozen times.
By the time you launch your first blog and publish your first content, you will have gained lots of experience.
Who knows someday you might even start your own blog to help other newbies.
Select a Profitable Niche
So the first and most serious step you need to take to start a blog of your own is to choose a profitable niche.
Niche means the topic you are going to blog about.
Your blog is not a place where you can post any random number of articles.
You need to blog about something that you are interested in. If you are blogging about something that you have no knowledge or passion about, it is going to fail.
Most bloggers quit their blog within the first 6 months. It is because they don’t think it through.
Choosing a niche in which you have no interest or knowledge could put you in a tough spot. You might end up copying content from other blogs which can result in Google Penalty.
There is some example of famous bloggers who rock in their niche.
- Jessica Knapp could be a good example for you. She is the mind behind bloggingbasics101.com. She started blogging in 2006 and now she is undoubtedly one of the major players in the blogging industry. It could not have been possible if she did not love what she blogs about.
- Michael Arrington of techcrunch.com needs no introduction. This blog was founded back in 2005 and now it’s one of the most famous technology blogs that cover topics like mobile, gadgets, apps, and many more.
- Syed Balkhi from WPBegginer.com is also a very good role model for newbie bloggers. He started his blog with the sole motive to help beginners. This site contains lots of information about WordPress, Blogging, Hosting, Themes, Plugins, and many more.
- Umer Qureshi of Guideblogging.com is a 16-year-old kid from Delhi. He started this blog in 2019 and now due to his hard work, he does not need any introduction to the Indian Blogging community. He is very clear about what he loves to blog about and this got him the success.
The only two things you need to think about before picking a topic for your blog, you are passionate about it & other people love to read about it.
Believe me, whatever niche you choose, you have an audience waiting for you.
Don’t believe me?
Let’s say you like knitting sweaters (no it is not only for girls, boys do it too…). If you search google for how to knit a sweater, you will find lots of people are still writing about it.
Just as same, if you like hiking, you can Google your niche and find out if people are interested in it.
If you have more than one hobby, you can start multiple blogs.
If you are not sure what to blog about, then still pick one that you have knowledge about. Give it your best shot and put your 110% into it. I am sure you will get success. Most successful bloggers have failed and tried numerous times before reaching their goals.
Some of the most famous and profitable blog topics:
- Health and Fitness
- Personal finance
- DIY and crafting
- Beauty and fashion
- Travel & Lifestyle
- Technology
- Education
- Reviews
- Gaming and many more…
There are literally thousands of things that you can write about and people would love to read. If you are still confused then you can research the best niche site ideas.
The best way to find out is getting starting. Once you take the first step, you can always go back and change the topic. It’s a blog for god sake, not an oath that you can’t change. Do not fear failure, just go with the flow.
Pro Tips: If you want to succeed, then start before you are ready. Do lots of research, try a couple of things, and learn from your mistake.
Select a Blogging Platform
Now as you have picked the topic of your blog, the next big step is selecting a blogging platform.
Since it is probably your first blog, everything should be perfect.
Using a blogging platform is the best way to start a blog these days.
There are two kinds of platforms you can choose from 1. Free Platform 2. Self-hosted Platform
Free Blogging platform
It is not worth your effort. Like I already said earlier in this blog, you will have no control over such blogs.
You cannot optimize it according to your choice, the URL structure also contains the name of the platform (yoursite.bloggingplatformname.com) which is not very professional.
You put a lot of effort into creating a good blog, writing articles, and driving traffic to your blog and still you will see no results.
Many people don’t find free blogs very trusting. As a result, even if you get a good ranking on Google, most people will just skip your blog.
Self-hosted Blogging platform
It is a far better-suited option. You will have full control over your blog. You can do whatever you want on your blog. No forced ads, no fear of getting your blog removed.
You can optimize your site as you want. Your URL will not contain the name of other websites.
You can choose your CMS (content management system) to create a blog like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and many more.
It is not a free option though because you are using your domain name, and renting a webspace to host your blog. So you will need to spend some bucks for the freedom you want.
As I am assuming that you are a beginner, so I would recommend you to use WordPress.
It is one of the most used CMS for blogging, in fact, around 37% of all the sites on the Internet are powered by WordPress.
Find a Domain Name for your Blog
Once you have selected your Blog Topic and Platform, choosing a domain name is not very hard.
A Domain name is the identity of your blog. People will search for your blog by typing the name of search engines like Google.com, Yahoo.com, Bing.com, Duckduckgo.com, and others.
Like if you type geekonwp.com on Google, you will get results about this blog.
There are a few rules you need to follow before picking a domain name :
- Make it relevant: Keep your domain name relevant to your blog topic. If you are going to start a blog on Selling e-books online then you cannot pick a domain name myfootballtricks.com. It is not relevant and people will misinterpret your blog.
- Keep it short & simple: Try to keep the name of your domain as short as possible. Long domain names are not so easy to remember. You want your readers to remember your domain name, so they can get back on your blog without searching for it on Google. Short and easily pronounced names stay in people’s minds for a longer time.
- Make it brandable: This domain name is going to be the permanent address of your blog. It is your brand and it should be catchy. It should make an impact on the reader’s mind.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers: Do not use numbers in your domain name because it does not look so professional and it’s also hard to remember. Hyphens also do not look so good in a domain name.
- Use Top Level Domain Extension: Using TLD gives authority to blog name. Many people use country-specific extension (like .co.uk or .in), many use .org or .net but I still recommend you to prefer .com extensions.
If you are still having problems finding a suitable name for your domain then you can take the help of Hostinger Domain Search tool{affiliate link} or a free tool leandomainsearch.com
You don’t need to buy domains these days anymore because most hosting platforms provide free domain names with annual plans.
Choose a Good Web Hosting If You Want To start a blog
To create a blog you will need a well-designed fully functioning website. As we already discussed domain, next you will need good web hosting.
Well, Web hosting is simply storage, a place where all your data like articles, images, pages, etc. are stored. In simple words, whatever you put on your website will be stored in your hosting.
Choosing a Good Web Host is important because the security, performance, and functionality of your website will depend on it.
There are various different hosting providing companies, but you need to be very careful while choosing your hosting provider.
Kinds of Web Hosting
To understand web hosting better, you might wanna know the most common types of web hosting available now.
1) Shared Web Hosting: When your website is sharing hosting with various other websites, it’s called Shared Web Hosting. Shared Web Hosting is considered the best option for beginners.
Shared Web Hosting is the most common and widely used option. The biggest benefit of using shared hosting is you are also sharing the cost which makes it easily affordable.
You don’t need much technical knowledge to run your blog on shared hosting. Everything is managed by the company.
However, the biggest disadvantage of using shared hosting is that the resources of your web hosting is being shared as well.
2) Cloud Hosting: As the name suggests, in cloud hosting your website is hosted on a network of servers using could resources.
With Cloud hosting the resources of your server will not be limited by computer hardware. It is the same as shared hosting but faster and with more resources.
You don’t need much technical skill to manage Cloud Hosting.
Once you start from shared hosting, you can later upgrade to cloud hosting when you need extra resources.
3) VPS Hosting: VPS or Virtual Private Server is known as next-level shared hosting. Although, VPS is shared hosting but uses separate virtual machines to organize different users.
You will get a separate network and resources dedicated only to your website or blog. It is best suited to blogs with heavy traffic.
It is considerably more reliable and stable than shared hosting. It shares hosting with only 10 to 20 websites so users can have more resources.
But you will need some technical expertise to manage VPS hosting, which is not ideal for a beginner.
4) Dedicated Hosting: Dedicated hosting is big leagues. In dedicated hosting, you get a server all for yourself.
Well, dedicated hosting is quite costly. They are mostly used for blogs or websites with huge traffic (like millions…). In addition, you will need extensive knowledge about web servers in order to manage dedicated hosting.
How To Choose Web Hosting For Money Making Blog
Type of Hosting: Before you create your blog, you should make sure what type of web hosting suits you.
Support: Make sure the hosting providing company you are choosing does provide 24/7 support.
Bandwidth: Choose a web hosting that provides enough bandwidth for fast page load speed and server uptime.
Site load speed is very important as it not only affects your SEO but also impacts users’ experience.
If your website page speed is slow then most likely your users will quit your webpage and look for other websites.
Additionally, from an SEO point of view site speed is very important if your site is slower then most likely other sites will get a better ranking than yours.
Security: Make sure your hosting provider is secure. Website security is a key to SEO. Google won’t rank your site if your website is not secure. Include an SSL certificate in your hosting plan.
Why Good Web Hosting Is Important To Start A Money Making Blog
A great extent of your website performance directly depends on the quality of web hosting you are using. Opt for the wrong hosting and you are likely to face several critical issues with your website functionality such as very slow site load speed, security issues, and so on.
I personally recommend Hostinger Web Hosting as it is one the fastest web hosting and it’s also within budget. I have used many hosting providers but till now Hostinger is my favorite.
If you want to start your first blog, you need a web host which is within your budget but does not compromise with performance.
Hostinger provides business hosting plans at the same price as which most of the other companies that provide starter plans.
Why Hostinger is my favorite?
If you must know why I am recommending Hostinger, then you should take a look at the features it is providing:
- Free SSL for Life
- Free Domain
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited Database
- Free CDN
- Free Daily Backup
- Cloudflare Protected Nameservers
- 24/7/365 Support
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- Unlimited FTP Account
- Easy to use cPanel.
- Live chat support
- 30 days money-back guarantee and many more
Here is how to buy your hosting account?
Go to the Hostinger.com
Choose your hosting plan.
Here you can three different options. I recommend you to choose Business Shared Hosting because it is the best.
Hosting plans start from as low as $0.99 USD but You will get lots of speed and power just for $ 3.99 USD per month with Business Account. Many hosting providers give this price to starter plans.
You can get up to a 90% discount on your order with free lifetime SSL and Cloudflare support if you click on the below link.
Now you will get redirected to the cart.
Create a new account there on Hostinger.
Select the payment option.
Fill in your payment details and complete the order.
Launch your WordPress Blog in a few clicks
{{To be written while installing the wordpress}}
Know Your WordPress Dashboard When You start a blog
Once you have installed WordPress, you can log in to your blog Dashboard which is your main working area.
All the work you are going to do on your blog will happen right here, so it is important to know your Dashboard very well.
Truly speaking, WordPress has the easiest working area compared to other blogging platforms. I am sure you will master it in no time.
Take a look at your Dashboard, I have marked all the important places for your convenience. , seems super complicated but in reality, it’s been laid out really well and you’ll soon find it easy to use (honestly)!
Important places on your dashboard
#1 At A Glance
As you can see, this area can tell you about the total number of posts, pages, comments, WordPress version, and theme name.
#2 Posts
Post section combines mainly four options, All Posts, Add New, Categories, and Tags. Here you can see all your posts, add new posts, edit old ones, and you can also create categories.
Categories simply define the collection of your posts. All the posts originating from a particular area of interest will go under one category.
Like, if you are writing about digital products such as cameras, mobile phones, headphones, etc. then they could go under the Tech category.
I will tell you how to create categories for your posts later in this guide. So keep reading guys.
#3 Media
This is the section where all your images are stored. If you want to give a better reading experience to your readers then you need to add some relevant images to your articles. So all the pictures that you upload on your blog will go there.
#4 Pages
Pages is another very important section of your blog where you mostly add static content which doesn’t need updating. Like creating an About page, contact page, Privacy policy, Disclaimer, or Terms of use pages.
#5 Comments
Another very important section of your blog in the comment section. All the readers who want to give their opinion or ask you something after reading any of your posts will comment. All those comments will be stored there which you can moderate later and approve or disapprove.
#6 Appearance
Here comes the main section which allows you to make changes to your blog design. You can add a new theme, customize it or edit your theme coding. You can also add widgets (which is the sidebar of your blog) and a Menu (navigation menu) from this section. You will learn more about creating Widgets and Menus later in this guide.
#7 Plugins
This is the area where you can install new plugins for your blog. If you don’t know what a Plugin is, then it is a software add-on that enhances the working and performance of your blog. We will learn more about adding or removing plugins later in this blog.
#8 Users
The user’s section is for managing the number of users to your blog. You can add up to 5 users to your WordPress blog, give them specific permission to log into your blog, write, edit or delete posts or make any kind of changes.
#9 Settings
The settings section is a rather complex part of your blog and you need to be careful with it. The only thing you should change here is the Permalinks which defines the structure of your post URLs. You will learn to create SEO-friendly URLs later in this blog.
Activate SSL Certificate on Your Blog
We are getting closer to the finish line. Can you feel that? I sure can feel it.
But don’t get impatient now.
There are still some things that you need to do before you publish your first post.
The next step which we are going to take is to activate the free SSL certificate that comes with Hostinger.
If you don’t know what SSL is then let me tell you that it is a security seal that tells your visitor that your site is safe to visit.
It will turn your website URL from “http://yourdomain.com” to “https://yourdomain.com”.
A green padlock will also be added just before your site URL which shows that your site is secure.
It is a very important setting because Google marks the site unsecure with no SSL.
If any visitor will come to your site and if it is not secure, they will quit and go to other sites.
Buying an SSL certificate could be very costly but luckily, Hostinger gives you a free SSL certificate for life.
It is very easy to install. All you have to click on a button in Hostinger Cpanel and the rest is done automatically.
{{More details are needed to fill after installing the site}}
Install a nice theme on your Blog
Once you have created a blog and installed WordPress on it, now it’s time to design your blog.
Your blog needs a face, which is attractive and instantly engages the visitor.
A theme is simply a layout or design on which your blog will run.
You should not be hasty in choosing the right theme for your blog. It is one of the most important settings. If your blog design is not great, you can lose lots of traffic. A theme will help you build trust among your readers.
You might have heard the quote “First impression is the last impression”. I want you to make a stunning first impression on your visitors.
Now there are two kinds of themes you can use 1. Free WordPress Theme 2. Paid WordPress Theme
Free Themes are basically launched by theme developers as a trailer to their full (paid) version of themes. They lack various important features and styling elements that can make your blog cool.
Many beginners make the mistake of using a free theme on a blog through which they want to make money.
After you spent all those hours researching, all that money and effort to start a blog, you should not use a free theme.
It will make your blog look ordinary and you will not be able to customize it like all the top blogs in your niche. If you want to compete with the best, you need to be the best.
Paid WordPress Themes are a great way of making a first impression on your users. They are specially optimized for SEO, Speed, and styling. These features not only make your site look good but also boost its ranking in SERP.
How to choose your First Paid WordPress Theme
Below are some important things you need to consider before purchasing a theme for your blog.
- Make sure it’s a lightweight theme.
- Check if the theme comes with documentation.
- See if it is compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
- Only choose the responsive theme.
- Check if it is SEO optimized.
- Choose a theme that provides excellent support.
Do you want to know Which theme I use?
Well, I am working on several blogs right now, so I am using several different themes. There is a list of some of my favorite themes:
Astra Pro – Astra Pro is a very fast, lightweight, and easily customizable theme. You can use it for blogs, magazines, and other different purposes. This is the theme I am using on this website along with 5 other of my blogs. It is fast, SEO optimized, and nicely crafted for style. You can create a responsive homepage on this theme via a page-builder plugin like using Elementor.
GeneratePress – It is one of the fastest loading themes for WordPress. It is regularly updated, and very easy to customize. This theme has amazing support which is good for beginners. It comes with some pre-built homepage layouts but you can always create a new layout with Elementor.
Schema Theme – It is a nice theme beautifully crafted by mythemeshop. It is fast, SEO optimized, and easy to use. It has one-click demo import options through which you can import any pre-set layouts with all its settings and demo content.
Avada – It is a nicely coded theme and optimized for SEO and speed. It also has a powerful drag-and-drop website builder. You can easily create custom homepage layouts site without any coding. Although it comes with several ready-to-use designs and layouts.
How To Install a Theme on WordPress Blog
To install a theme on your WordPress blog, first, log in to your admin area.
Type yoursitename.com/wp-admin in the URL bar on your browser.
Fill in your user name and password here then click on the login button.
Once you are in the admin area, click on the Appearance menu from the left side panel.
Click on the Themes option, you will find some default installed themes there.
You can click on Add New button. Here you can see a list of free themes which can be installed easily by selecting it and clicking on the Install button. You can also search for any specific theme there.
To install a paid theme that you probably downloaded somewhere else, you can click on the Upload Theme option. Click on Choose File to browse the theme on your computer, then click on Install Now button.
Once your theme is installed, click on Activate link to apply this new theme to your blog.
Now you probably have understood how to install a theme.
Note – Do not use any cracked or nulled version of the paid theme because they often carry viruses. Your site could get hijacked and all your hard work can be lost.
Install necessary WordPress Plugins
WordPress is a very fine CMS for your new blog. But you need some very specific tools to achieve your blogging goals. WordPress Plugins are those tools that will help you get started.
The biggest reason WordPress is so popular in the blogging community is that you can do almost anything with the help of plugins.
WordPress Plugins are very crucial to optimizing your Content, SEO, site speed, contact pages, and much more.
One can say that if you master the art of using WordPress, you won half the battle of becoming a popular blogger in your niche.
Here is a list of some of my favorite plugins that you can use in your blog:
1. Contact Form 7 – It is one of the most popular and basic plugins which is used by every other blogger. You can easily create and customize your contact page through this plugin and it is completely free.
2. WP Super Cache – It is one of the most used cache plugins. It is very fast and reliable. It helps you deliver your site content faster to your readers. It is a free plugin but you can also use some of the paid alternatives like WP Rocket or WP Fastest Cache.
3. RankMath SEO – SEO is very important to rank higher in Search Engines and get lots of organic traffic. SEO by RankMath is one of the best SEO plugins out in the market. Yoast is another very good SEO but I started to like RankMath recently due to some very obvious reasons. It has both free and paid versions. If you cannot afford the paid version, the free version is still pretty good and offers lots of important features.
4. Smush – Writing informative articles means putting lots of images. These pictures can slow down your website. So you will need to optimize your images by compressing them for better SEO and speed. Smush is a very good plugin that can do that for you on autopilot. Just install this theme and forget. It is also available in the free version but the paid version has amazing features.
5. Google XML Sitemaps – Creating a sitemap on your blog is the best way to inform search engines about your blog posts. Just install the Google XML Sitemaps plugin on your blog, it will create an XML sitemap which you can share on Setup Google Search Console. It will help your site get indexed faster in Google Search Engine.
6. Akismet – The biggest problem you will face while blogging is spam comments. You will need an anti-spam plugin that will automatically remove comments that looks like spam. It is the best way to reduce spam on your blog.
7. Better Click-to-Tweet – It is a very interesting plugin that allows your users to tweet something directly from your blog post. It will definitely increase the chances of exposure for your blog.
For example, if you have written content on your blog “How to start a blog” just like me, then you can create a little content box with a click-to-tweet button. With a single click on the button, your readers can share that article on their Twitter accounts. How cool is that? Huh.
8. Classic Editor – If the WordPress block editor is too technical for you and you are not comfortable with it, then Classic Editor will do the trick for you. It reverts the default editor to the old classic style which is very easy to use.
9. Elementor – If you are not happy with the default layout of your blog homepage design then this plugin is for you. It will help you design a cool and stunning homepage for your blog. You can create awesome landing pages to generate leads which will boost conversion.
Expert Suggestion: Do not use any cracked or nulled plugin to save money. Either use free plugins from the WordPress repository or buy from authorized websites.
Using cracked plugins can make your blog vulnerable to hackers. If you want to make your name in the blogging community and earn money from your blog, then keep this tip in mind.
How to install the plugin on your WordPress blog
As you know how to log in to the admin area of your blog, I am going to start from there.
Click on the Plugins option from the left side panel.
Click on Add New button. You can search for any plugin from the WordPress repository.
Select any plugin you want and then click on the Install button.
To install a plugin that you downloaded, click on the Upload Plugin option.
Click on Choose File to browse the Plugin on your computer, then click on Install Now button.
Once the Plugin is installed, click on Activate link to activate it.
Now we are practically halfway through this article on How to start a blog. If you are still reading, then I am sure you will succeed. Share this article with others to help them as well.
Delete Unnecessary Plugins
Now, we have installed all the necessary plugins that we need for now. But you can see some pre-installed WordPress Plugins there as well. Those unwanted plugins can slow down the speed of your site. So before we move further, let’s delete them!
Write a stunning First Post
So far we have learned to pick a niche, select a blogging platform, register domain and hosting, create a blog, install theme and plugins, and now it’s time to write content.
Content is considered the king in the blogging arena, so if you want to ace in affiliate marketing and make real money, then you will need to write lots of good quality content.
This is the point where most bloggers fail because they think writing original content is boring.
Most newbie bloggers make the mistake of copying content from other bloggers and they fail miserably.
The secret to ranking higher on Search Engines and beating your competitors is to write unique and informative content on regular basis.
If you are not sure how to write good content for your blog then let me help with your first one.
First, go to your blog dashboard then click on Post and select Add New button.
A new post page will open on your screen, now you can start writing your first post.
What to write?
If you are thinking about what you are going to write in your first post, then the answer is easy. First, check the topic of your blog, then according to that find a keyword that people are searching for.
You can do keyword research on Google. There are some tools available to find easy-to-rank keywords in your niche.
Things to do before writing your first post
Now you have successfully started a blog, but still, there are some things you need to learn.
Below are the two very important settings that you need to do before start writing:
Choosing an SEO-friendly blog post URL
Writing awesome content is not enough guys. You need to make it look cool. So customizing your post URL is an important step. It would look more realistic and professional.
According to Matt Cutts, a good URL should be four or five words long. Anything longer than that starts looking bulky. Google Algorithm does not give much weight to those URLs.
So if you want to outrank your competitors then you need to cover all the little details.
Now how to optimize your URLs
Go to the dashboard of your blog.
Hover on Settings and choose the Permalinks option.
Here select the Post Name option and click on the Save Changes option.
Creating suitable Post Category
The category is like a subtopic for your blog. Just imagine if you have created a Technology blog, then you will need categories for sub-topics.
Technology is the Niche in which you wanted to Start a Blog. But blogging is not done on 1 single keyword.
In your blog, you might want to write about smartphones, Laptops, Computers, Headphones, Speakers, Electric Trimmers, and so on.
There are the sub-topics on which you will write new content. So you will need to create your categories according to them.
It is very important for SEO and also for your visitors. They will be able to check your site through categories and find what they are looking for.
How to Add Categories?
Hover on the Post and select the Categories option.
You will get redirected to the categories page. There you will find a default category with the name untitled. You can edit that and change its name.
You will the Add New Category space. Fill in details and create some new categories of your choosing.
How to write a blog post?
As I already told you that your article should be unique and informative. You can google the keyword and do some research. Read some articles on that topic to understand it better.
Some things you should consider while writing articles on your blog:
- Try to interact with your readers. Give them real value through your content otherwise, they will switch to some other site.
- Start by making an attractive title to your blog post because it is the first thing your visitors will read.
- Add related images on your site to explain the article better to your reader.
- Try to explain things through examples.
- Write your article in first person and second person basis, which means using I and You words to relate to your readers.
- Write detailed and explanatory content. It is also very important for ranking. Longer articles tend to rank better on Search Engine than shorter articles.
- Don’t copy images from other bloggers or Google. Only use copyright-free images. Try to add some video to your content as well.
I hope, you have got an idea or two on how to write your first blog post. You should always keep these points in mind while creating an article if you want to make your name in blogging.
Before You Publish Your First Post
Blogging is all about precision. Since it is your first post, then it might take some time before you put it all together.
Creating a long, nice, unique article is important but so is making your post representable and doing on-page SEO.
So I am going to teach you a few points about On-page SEO because Blogging is nothing without proper SEO.
How To Do On-Page SEO
- First of all, you need to write a compelling Header for your blog post. Since it is the first thing your readers are going to see, then it should be catchy.
- Start with a specific but compelling introduction. The subject of your blog should be quite clear by the first could line on your blog.
- Add some high-quality and relevant images after the introduction part. Pictures are very engaging and they sure do like nice.
- Select a proper category for your blog post. This will help visitors to look for articles relating to that category.
- Now add some relevant post tags. These tags could help rank your content on Search Engines. Tags are simply the search item related to your main keyword. Think of the terms users could search for that particular keyword and add them.
- I also recommend you add a Featured Image to every post you publish. It is displayed on your homepage or at the top of your post. Additionally, when people share your post on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media, this image will show up.
- As you will scroll down, you will find your SEO plugin settings at the bottom of the page. Add your Focus keyphrase there, which is the keyword you want to rank for.
Next, you need to fill in the SEO Title, it will show up on the Search Engine. Keep it Green for best results.
Below that you can also change the slug. As I told you, keep your URL short (Four words long).
Fill in the Meta Description, which is also quite important. It will show up on SERP, so keep it simple and attractive. Also, try not to make it too long. Just keep it green.
You can check the SEO score of your blog post by clicking on the SEO Analysis button. Read all the instructions and try to make them all green for the best result.
Now finally your blog post is ready to publish. All the On-page settings are covered and probably you have done exactly what I asked.
If yes, then with little luck and little backlinking, your post could rank on Google and beat all your competitors.
If you don’t know what backlinks are then we will discuss it in some other post. For now, you just know that it is part of Off-Page SEO. This post is quite long as it is, so we will cover backlinking later.
Add important pages to your Blog
If you want to start a blog then you need to provide some important information about your blog to your users.
Your Blog is like a new business, visitors who will come on your blog, read all the stuff you write, they might want to know something about the source.
So create some pages on your blogs with basic information about what is your blog all about.
Homepage – This totally depends on the type of blog and layout you prefer. The homepage is the first page anybody will see after opening your website/blog URL. As I said, you can use Plugins like Elementor to design a beautiful landing page for your blog.
About us – This is another very important page on your blog. If your readers like what they are reading, they might want to know more about you and your blog. About US page can help you build the trust of your brand towards your visitor.
Contact – It is another very important and must-have page for any blog or website. If any of your readers want to contact you, they can easily use this page to communicate with you.
Privacy policy – It is better to let your users know that you are concerned about their privacy. So I suggest you create a nice Privacy policy page in which you will let your users know about the policy.
Terms of Use – Every business has its own terms and conditions. It is better to put all your terms right there in front for all your users to read.
Disclaimer – You should make it very clear to your readers that all the stuff you write on your blog is your own opinion. It is better to acknowledge what type of work your doing and why.
Disclosure – If you are planning to promote third-party apps or programs on your sites, then you should make it clear that you are making a profit through this blog.
All these above pages are important and you should have them as well on your blog. Those pages will help to establish authority. Your blog will look more legit and professional. All the reputed companies and bloggers have these pages.
Customize your Menu, Sidebar, Footer, etc.
Now you have started blogging officially. Your blog is designed, you learned basic On-Page SEO, you have created all the important pages, Now what is missing?
There are still some things you can add to the blog which can help your users to navigate your site better.
Yes, we are going to design the Menu, Sidebar, and Footer for your blog here. So let’s get started.
How to Design Menu?
First, hover your mouse on Appearance and then select the Menus option.
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How to design Sidebar
Hover your mouse on Appearance and then select the Widgets option.
Here you can see all the Widgets. You can drag and drop any of them to the sidebar and it’s done.
How to create Footer
A nice footer contains several pieces of information about the blog, some post details, copyright information, and so on. Here is how to design your footer:
Hover your mouse on Appearance and then select the Widgets option.
You can drag and drop any Widget to the footer section. You can write custom messages in the Text widget.
Setup Google Analytics
Once you successfully launched your blog, then you would like to monitor your website progress to monetize your blog accordingly. One of the ways to monitor your web blog is by using Google Analytics Tool.
Google Analytics is a highly popular and widely used digital analytics tool provided by Google. It enables you to analyze in-depth insights about your website including daily visitors, pages as well as posts progress, and so on.
How Google Analytics Help Your Blog
- It shows you the amount of traffic and where that traffic comes from.
- Provides individual page and post traffic.
- It shows the source of your leads and lead conversion.
- You can monitor your visitors according to country and their devices.
Step To Create Google Analytics
To set up Google Analytics in your web blog you will need a google account. If you have one sign in, if you don’t then create a proper Google Account, then follow the below instructions:
Step 1: Setup Google Analytics With Google Account.
- Once You logged in to your Google Account, visit http://www.google.com/analytics/
- Click on Access Google Analytics from the top right corner.
- Click on Sing Up to get started.
- Since you are using Google Analytics for your web blog, click on the website tab.
- Fill in all the information, and click on Get Tracking ID from the bottom of the page.
- Accept the Terms of Service Agreement and you will get a unique tracking code for your web blog.
Step 2: Install unique traffic code in Your Blog
- Copy The tracking code.
- Open your website and log in.
- Go to Appearance, Click on Theme Editor.
- Click on Theme Header from Right Sidebar.
- Paste the tracking code before the closing </head> tag and click Update File.
Setup Google Search Console
Till now we learned how to make a blog, now after publishing the first post, you would like your post to get indexed by Google as soon as possible.
Submitting your blog to the search console will help your blog post get indexed by Google which would definitely help your blog ranking.
For a website to rank, it is very important for your blog to get indexed by google. Google indexing is the process of adding your blog to Google search, so Google can crawl your post and pages when a relevant keyword is searched in Google.
In simple words, if your blog is not indexed by Google, it won’t show in Google’s search results. Usually Google indexes websites automatically but it may take time. So you need to set up a Google Search Console account and submit your sitemap.
Adding your web blog to the Google search console manually will allow you to monitor your blog’s indexing and performance, backlinks, mobile usability, keyword rank position, and so on.
Steps To Submit Your Web Blog To Google Search Console:
Step 1: Open Google Search Console and click on Start Now.
Step 2: Log in Google Account.
Step 3: Click on add property and enter your blog’s URL, then click on the CONTINUE button.
Step 4: Verify your site in Google Search Console.
Here you can see multiple options to verify your web blog:
- HTML Tag
- Domain Name Provider
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
Verifying through HTML Tag is the most effective and easiest way. To verify your website through HTML Tag click on the HTML Tag option and copy the verification code.
Now you will need to submit this verification HTML code in your website theme header in order to verify your blog in the Google search console (just like we did with Google Analytics).
Promote your content and drive traffic to your blog
Creating a website and posting regular content is not enough for your blog to perform well on Google. Blogging is a deep-sea and to compete with other bloggers you will need to promote your content the right way to drive traffic to your blog.
It is important to promote your blog but make sure you are not overdoing it. You must promote your blog without using any black hat tricks, otherwise, your website may get penalized by Google.
Here are some sophisticated ways to reach the right audience for your web blog the right way:
Word-of-mouth: Let all your family and friends know about your new blog, and ask them to share your links on their social media platforms.
Search Console: Help your website get indexed by the search engines by submitting your website to the search console for Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Be active in your niche: Be active in other blogs, forums, and social sites in your niche. Interact with people, help others and learn from others on forums.
Be active in social media networks: Social Media is no longer just for entertainment. Social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. can help you to promote your links and grow your reach.
Create social media pages for your web blog, encourage your followers to visit your blog, and join other similar pages and social media communities.
Create relationships with other bloggers: By creating a healthy relationship with other bloggers, you can get a chance to promote your website by promoting others.
Pick some well-reputed blogs from the same niche as yours, offer them Guest posts, and share relevant links on your blog post and social media pages. It will encourage others to share your links and promote your blog.
Mailing List: Collect the email addresses of your regular visitors, and inform them about upcoming articles and offers in advance. Advance notification will help your promotional efforts.
Paid Promotion: You can use ads to promote your blog. Both Google and Facebook paid ads are very popular and effective ways to bring traffic to your web blog. Do not look for cheaper and unreliable paid promotion methods.
Monetize your Blog
Now as you have successfully learned to start a blog, optimize it, and created your first blog post, so what’s next?
As the primary motive behind all this hard work was to earn some, so it’s time to monetize your blog.
Although I must remind you what I said at the very beginning of this article, “Starting a blog is not like planting a money tree in your backyard”.
You will need a serious audience to generate revenue from your blog. At first, I recommend people to start a blog, increase their fan base through regular content creation, and help visitors.
Monetization should not be your mind at the start, you must create a loyal fan base, and when you start getting decent visitors, then you gradually start working towards it.
But guess what? I am here to help. So I am going to tell you some ways through which can earn money through your blog:
- Sell Your Services – First and foremost, the blog you started shows your expertise in your Niche. So it means, if you are skilled, then you can sell your services to your visitors. You can showcase your skills and offer your services for a price.
- Affiliate Program – It is also one of the best methods to monetize your blog. In fact, I use the same trick to make lots of money from my blog. You just have to recommend the products related to your niche through your articles.
- Advertisements – If your blog starts getting a serious amount of traffic then you can lend the advertisement space to other companies or businesses. It is a pretty nice way of monetizing your blog’s traffic without making any extra effort.
- Sponsored Blog Content – It is not really an option unless you have a decent size of the daily visitor. It is also a trick to publish sponsored blog content without alienating your readers. So you have to be very careful while accepting offers and if you do accept, then try to pitch it according to your niche.
- Online Courses or E-books – If you are as good in your niche as you think, then you might be able to put together a nice tutorial or online course. A detailed E-book could also be worth selling. People love to purchase courses from their favorite bloggers.
- Google Adsense – Running ads on your blog from Google Adsense and similar reputed network is also a good idea. They offer stylish and responsive ads that don’t make your content look bad.
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Start A Blog
What is a blog?
A blog is simply a digital magazine where you can share anything (like text, images, videos, etc.) with your audience. Your blog readers can visit your website through the URL or by searching on Google (or any other Search Engine). They can leave comments on your blog, ask questions and even give their suggestion.
What should I blog about?
Your blog is a place where you can write about anything you love. But according to most successful bloggers, you should only blog about topics that you understand very well. If you are pretty good in playing guitar, then you should blog about but what you shouldn’t do is write about cooking food (if you don’t really know how to cook.. ).
How to start a blog in 2022?
Typically it is a pretty elaborate process which I have already discussed in detail in this article. You need to find a topic you want to blog about, pick a domain, buy hosting, launch your blog, install WordPress and start writing awesome content. Then of course you have to promote your blog to bring traffic to your site.
Can I start a blog without WordPress?
Well there buddy, WordPress is only a CMS (content management system). There are plenty of those out there in the market. You can choose any of them to create your blog. So Yes, you can make a blog without WordPress but it is pretty easy to use and gives you complete freedom.
Can I start a blog without hosting?
Creating a website or blog needs two important things. First is the domain which is the name of your site, and the Second is the hosting. It is practically the space that holds all your data like text, images, videos, etc. So it is not possible to start a blog without hosting.
How much does it cost to start a blog?
WordPress is free but you will need to buy the domain and hosting. And after that, you will need a theme and plugins. But prices vary according to what kind of resources you are willing to buy. The above article is written to help you get started with minimum cost. So I suggest you follow the above guide to launch your blog at the lowest possible investment.
Can I start a blog for free?
Technically Yes, you can start your blog free. But the amount of work needed to create a blog and drive traffic to it is substantial. With free blogs, you don’t have complete freedom and you cannot optimize or design them as you want. You will not have full control over your blog, so making a profit out of it will be quite difficult. So you should not use free blogging platforms.
Can I start a blog without knowing my parents?
Yes, you can create a blog without knowing your parents. But if you are a minor and taking money from your parents for the start-up, it is not logical to hide it from them. I seriously suggest you start your blog with the blessings of your parents.
How much money can I make from a blog?
It depends on a lot of different factors. Like how much you know about your niche, how much effort you put into it, or how long you have been blogging. It also depends on what kind of traffic you are getting and how much people like reading your articles. Many successful bloggers are making 6 figure incomes through their blogs. So always aim high.
Can I start a blog with no coding skills?
Absolutely. The above guide that I created with so much effort, is all about helping people to design a stunning and professional-looking WordPress blog without any programming or coding skills.
How often should I blog?
Blogging should not be taken as a business but as a hobby. In my personal opinion, you should write every day and publish blog posts as often as possible. If you are a beginner, then you should aim for one or two posts per week. Whatever works for you better, consistency is key to success.
Is there any question we missed?
If you feel we missed any point or you want to ask a question about how to start a blog or become a blogger, you can always leave us a comment. I will try to respond as soon as possible.
Wrapping it up
Congratulation! You have made it to the end and hopefully, you now know how to start a blog.
I have tried my best to explain this whole process in as much detail as possible. For a beginner like you, it should be like Gold mine of information.
Now, What’s Next after strat a blog?
This is only a beginning, my friend. The road to success is quite long and I promise to be with you on this whole journey.
To become a successful blogger, you will need to learn several important things like SEO, Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing, and much more.
If you found this article helpful then do share this article with your friends. And please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Bonus: Free Consultation & VIP Support
Now guys, if you are still with us, then it’s bonuses time.
If you are still confused that you are not able to start a blog on your own, then I am willing to help you with the process.
If you hit any roadblock along the way, then you can simply send us an email or leave a comment below and I will respond to you.
I encourage you to join our Facebook group or WhatsApp group or telegram channel for VIP support.
You can also hire us to do all the hard work like setting up and optimizing your blog, so you can focus on your writing.
Finally, I would like to welcome you to the world of Blogging and Wish you very Good Luck!
