Are you looking for an easy, free guide that explains in detail how to create a blog?
This free guide of mine will explain to you how to start a blog that is attractive and functional, this thanks to an easy tutorial in which I show you all the steps step by step (with photos).
Mi chiamo Housam, e oggi ti mostrerò come creare un blog da zero.
I have created several personal blogs and helped many people do the same.
I produce content on my blogs on a regular basis, a job that never ceases to fascinate me.
I started my latest project between 2019 and 2020: a blog dedicated to dogs Thecollienois.com
In a short period of time, it got an impressive 244,277 page views from 91,413 new visitors.
All this in just one year and thanks to free organic traffic from Google.
I'll show you all the techniques and strategies I've used to create my own websites, and those of my clients.
With my knowledge and experience, I was able to rank above Amazon, Wikipedia and many authoritative sites in my niche market.
I am fully aware that starting a blog can be awe-inspiring for the less experienced.
After all I've been there!
This is exactly why I created a guide in which I put my heart and soul (as well as 3 weeks of work!).
This free beginner's guide contains tips on how to become a blogger with only basic computer and informatic skills.
Whatever your age, I will teach you how to create a blog in less than 20 minutes.
I'm not ashamed to say that when I started my first blog I made a lot of mistakes. From my experience (and my mistakes) came this free guide to teach you how to start a blog easily and quickly.
Note
This guide takes 40 minutes to read. True, it's pretty long, but I wanted to include all the information new bloggers should know about starting a blog in 2021.
There's no rush, just read it at your own pace!
I'll show you how to create a blog on WordPress with just one click.
But if you're in a hurry to create it, go to the section "create and put your blog online“
P.SIf you have any questions about this guide or get stuck on any step, I'll be happy to help. Contact me and ask for a free consultation.
You can contact me and ask for free advice by clicking here.
How to create a successful blog in 7 easy steps
These are the steps included in this guide that you will need to follow to create a successful WordPress blog:
- Choose the perfect name and niche for your blog.
- Search long tail keywords related to your niche.
- Shop hosting and domain.
- Create your blog and put it online.
- Select a theme and design your blog.
- Write and publish your first blog post.
- Promote your blog.
- Ottimizza il tuo blog per la SEO
- Earn through the blog.
Quick Reminder
There are five important steps you absolutely need to know before starting a blog.
We'll focus on how to create a blog on WordPress later, but for now it's very important we go over these steps.
Knowing these concepts is essential to be able to create a blog in 20 minutes maximum.
1. Choose a niche and a name
The niche of your blog is the particular market segment (topic) you will be targeting. So choose a topic that you are passionate about.
Also, make sure that your niche is sufficiently interested in the topic you have chosen and that people search for topics related to it.
If no one searches for the topics you want to cover, you may find yourself with lots of published articles that no one searches for and reads.
And this must be avoided at all costs.
As for the name of your blog, you have countless choices. You can use your first name, your last name, or a combination of the two. We'll go into more detail on this later!
In alternativa, puoi anche usare una combinazione descrittiva di parole chiave inerenti alla tua nicchia o business.
If you want to learn how to do keyword research, and discover easy ways to find them, I recommend reading this guide on the long tail keyword (fewer people search for them, but it's easier to rank on Google for these terms)
2. Choose the best blogging platform
The next step is to find the most suitable blogging platform to start your blog. There is a wide selection of platforms with all kinds of features.
If you're serious about blogging, I recommend using the self hosted WordPress.org software.
Free, easy-to-use software with endless customization possibilities.
3. Finding web hosting and a domain
The web hosting provider is the foundation on which you lay your blog. Choosing the wrong hosting can hurt your chances of creating a successful blog.
Hosting I recommend:
The domain name is the name by which your blog will be known online, no matter what niche you choose.
Example: www.samayo.org
It is a unique web address on the Internet.
4. Designing and maintaining a blog
Al giorno d’oggi, non è necessario essere un web designer o uno sviluppatore professionista per rendere il tuo blog bello e funzionale!
Platforms like WordPress.org come with many free, pre-designed blog themes.
You can find many templates to choose from, based on the layout and color scheme you prefer.
Inoltre sono disponibili sia gratis che a pagamento page builder drag & drop come Elementor and Diviwhich allow you to create professional pages with extreme ease.
5. Read useful resources
Launching your own blog is the first step in getting into the world of blogging. However, to be successful online, you need to learn a lot of concepts and keep yourself constantly updated.
In the section blog I have published many free guides and resources to help you succeed and earn money online!
But, what is a blog?
In short, a blog is a website that focuses primarily on written content, also known as a blog post.
In popular culture, we often hear about news blogs or gossip blogs, but as you'll see in this guide, you can start a successful blog on whatever topic you're passionate about.
Bloggers generally offer a personal point of view when they write that allows them to connect directly with their readers.
In addition, most blogs also contain a "comments" section where readers can communicate with the blogger.
Interacting with readers in the comments section helps improve the connection between the blogger and the reader.
This direct connection with the reader is one of the main advantages that drives people to start a blog.
In fact, it allows you to interact and share ideas with other like-minded people, as well as help them with the doubts and problems they are facing.
It also allows you to build a relationship of trust with your readers.
Gaining the trust and loyalty of your readers allows you to lay the groundwork for then earning money through your blog, which we will discuss later in this guide.
Why should you start a blog?
One of the main misconceptions about blogging is that you have to be a very good writer to succeed.
That is absolutely not true.
People read blog articles to get a personal perspective on a topic, which is why most bloggers use a very informal and conversational writing style.
Also, you don't necessarily have to be an expert on a topic to have a successful blog.
To give an example, readers of a cooking blog are not interested in reading a book by an expert chef, but they want to hear the experiences of someone who has actually cooked real meals, also reading about his mistakes, the different tests he did and most importantly the solutions he found.
Therefore, to be successful as a blogger you need to have only one requirement: passion for the subject matter.
Basically, blogging is about sharing your knowledge with the world. To make blogging much easier all you have to do is choose a topic that you are passionate about.
You can easily write about multiple topics as well. As long as you write about a subject that interests you, your passion will turn into words, keeping your readers interested.
So why should you bother with blogging?
Here are some reasons worthy of attention:
1. Earn money from home
Blogging can be very lucrative if done correctly. The best bloggers in the world earn quite a bit, but even a part-time blogger can make a good profit if they work the right way.
The most interesting thing about this is that blogging is a form of passive income, as you can spend even just a few hours a week writing a blog post and then continue to earn money long after the post has been published.
Later in this guide we will go into more detail on how to do blogging to earn money.
2. Share your story
A blog allows you to share your point of view. You can share your story with the world, if that's what you want.
Generally, a blog is used as if it were a diary in which you can report your daily experiences, so that friends, families and readers in general can share with you the important moments.
3. Get recognition for yourself or your business
You probably won't have paparazzi chasing you because of your latest blog post. But a successful blog allows your ideas to become reality and can get you recognition in your field.
Many bloggers are recognized as experts precisely because of their content, and some even get offers to publish books and movies based on their blogs.
4. Find a community
The basis of a blog is interaction. You write a blog post, and people leave a comment. It's a good way to connect with people who have the same passions as you.
Blogging allows you to share your experiences with these people, as well as giving you the opportunity to learn from your readers.
The internet is growing exponentially right now. More and more people are spending time online.
This sensational growth translates into more opportunities to meet readers potentially interested in your blog.
If you are therefore thinking of starting a blog, this might be the perfect time.
Useful information and frequently asked questions you should ask yourself before starting a blog
1. Why are you starting a blog?
Answering this question will allow you to establish the goals you want to achieve with your blog.
- Do you want to communicate something?
- Do you have a message or idea you want to share with the world?
- Would you like to build a community based on your love for a particular cause?
- Do you want to keep your followers and fans updated on the latest news produced by your company?
- Would you like to show how your product or service works, explaining why people should buy it?
A blog allows you to inform, educate, promote and even sell, But only if you are clear about your blogging intentions from the start.
So take some time to identify the message you want to convey and the purpose of your blog.
Below you can find some examples of the reasons why people start a blog and why blogging is fun:
- Express your creativity.
- Become self-employed or earn more money.
- Consolidate your skills and attract an interested audience.
- Network with other bloggers or professionals and build a business.
- Improve your writing and thinking skills.
A curiosity: did you know that the 71% of online buyers do make purchases based on recommendations they read on blogs?
2. Isn't it better to start a free blog?
This is one of the questions I hear asked most often.
Let me explain some of the pros and cons of free blogging. Several blogging platforms actually allow you to create a blog for free.
You can register a free account on WordPress or Blogger, but, before you start, it is important to know a few things about these free blogging sites:
- If you sign up with a free account, you will only be able to use the service on a subdomain of the platform.
The name of your blog will then look like this: "yourblogname.wordpress.com" or "yourblogname.blogspot.com".
In the blogging community, this type of blog is usually associated with a beginner, an inexperienced person.
You will therefore risk not being taken seriously by your visitors or competitors.
- Your free blog will be subject to the rules and restrictions set by the platform. Free platforms may restrict or prohibit the use of ads, or they may decide to place their own ads on your blog.
If you're serious about blogging, I recommend you delete this option immediately!
Also because the professional option we will use in this guide (bluehost), costs €30/40 per year.
3. What is the best way to create a blog?
To turn your blog into a professional site, you'll need to start paying. This will allow you to have full control of your blog through access to many features and a custom domain name.
For the best start, I highly recommend you create a self-hosted blog via the free open-source software WordPress.org, which you can install on any web hosting account.
Later in this guide, I'll show you how to do it!
However, if you can only afford free hosting for your blog for the time being, then I recommend creating an account on one of the free platforms mentioned above.
4. Does it make sense to start a blog in 2021?
Without mincing words, Yes, blogging is still relevant in 2021 and also looking forward to the future.
Technologies change. Business processes are constantly evolving.
However, I am convinced that launching a blog today is still absolutely worth it. Blogs are a great way to show the world your ideas, your products, your brand, your business and your content.
Running a blog is not easy.
To be successful as a blogger you have to work hard and give your blog the attention it deserves, especially in the beginning.
You'll need to periodically create quality content, interact with your readers in the comments section, and continually promote your blog on social media.
Do you think you can find the motivation to do it with commitment, day after day?
Blogs are a great tool for building a community, but if you're not willing to put yourself out there, to be a point of reference, you'll have a hard time maintaining it.
Blogging will get you into the spotlight. The more success you get, the more attention you'll get, the more money you'll make.
How can I find a profitable niche for my blog?
Now that you've chosen a niche you like, everything seems to be going great.
Now what?
How do you figure out if the niche you're choosing can be monetized?
It's nice to write about your passions, but it's even nicer to be able to make something out of it.
In my opinion, monetization is something you need to consider even before you start, not as you go.
Ma questo è solo il mio parere 🙂
That said, let's look at the factors to consider when choosing a profitable niche.
1. Do a market research
The first step is to carefully study your competition, and analyze their website in detail.
Remember: A competitor is not an enemy, but the one who has the site exactly as you would like it, the one who has the visitor you would like to attract, and above all the one who is giving you the motivation to embark on this online adventure.
Studying the competition can be done either through simple visual navigation of their site, or through a SEO tool that allows them to identify ranking opportunities, long tail keyword ideas and more.
Here's what you can do:
- Do a simple Google search for the main keyword related to your niche and see who ranks in the top ten results.
- Consult social media, or even print magazines, to identify who your competitors are, and who is promoting their business on a regular basis.
- Usa SEMrush (SEO Tool) per conoscere il volume di ricerca delle principali parole chiave che vorresti targetizzare, in modo da capire chi e quale situazione dovrai affrontare.
If your search volumes are very high and there are a lot of competing websites, I recommend narrowing down your niche.
Example: If the "dogs" niche is too competitive, create your blog about a specific breed (bulldog, collie, etc.) This way you can cover the same topics, but specific to that breed. Fewer people will search for those keywords, but those who do will be much more interested in the topic you cover.
Find out all the possible variations of keywords that might be of interest to your ideal audience, so you can strike the right balance between good demand and poor competition.
2. Find out how profitable your niche is
If you want to make money with your blog, you need to find out if your chosen niche is profitable. Again, you can easily check this with a Google search.
When you type in keywords, do any ads show up as the first result?
When brands or companies pay to advertise their products or services related to your niche, you'll know you've chosen a good topic and you'll be able to monetize your blog through ads.
Another method to monetize a blog could be to sell affiliate products.
Amazon, for example, has a good affiliate program that allows you to get up to 7% in commission when a customer comes from an affiliate link featured on your blog.
For example: If you're a blogger in the yoga niche, you could include links to Amazon affiliate products like yoga pants, mats, etc.
If someone buys within 24 hours, amazon will give you a percentage of the sale.
Ps: the percentage is on all the products the visitor will buy in this timeframe.
How much does it cost to start a blog?
The following is a simple price comparison table for a annual plan from 3 most popular blogging solutionswith a custom domain name. For the WordPress.org CMS hosting services I'll show the Bluehost company's pricing plans.
| Bluehost | WordPress.com | Wix.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blog hosting services | $3,95 al mese (per 3 anni) | $4.00 per month (for 1 year) | $8.50 per month (for 1 year) |
| Domain name registration | First year is free, after $17.99 per year | First year free, after $18.00 per year | First year free, after $14.95 per year |
| Storage space * | 50 GB | 6 GB | 3 GB |
| Bandwidth * | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2 GB |
| Total for the first year | $47.40 | $48.00 | $102.00 |
* Storage space indicates how much space you can use for your blog and media files. Bandwidth is the amount of data the blog can transfer to visitors. These two parameters are important when your blog starts to grow and receive more traffic.
Note
To create a WordPress blog you need to make two important decisions: a domain name and a web hosting provider.
If you are a new blogger, you should try using Bluehost, a company that manages over 2 million websites worldwide.
I was able to negotiate a special deal for my visitors that includes:
- Free domain name.
- Discounted price of €3.30 per month.
- 30-day money back guarantee.
That being said, how do you start a blog?
Step by step method to start a blog
Learn how to create a blog in about 20 minutes by following these steps:
- Choose a name for the blog. Choose a descriptive name for your blog.
- Publish your blog online. Register your blog and purchase hosting.
- Customize your blog. Choose from one of the many free templates and edit it.
- Write and publish your first blog post. Here's the fun part!
- Promote your blog. Get more people to read your blog.
- Earn money through blogging. Choose the best solution to monetize your blog.
Okay, let's get started.
Step 1: Choose a name for the blog
The best way to find a good blog name is to first choose the main topic you want to cover.
If you're still not sure what you want to blog about, here are some ways to identify a good topic:
1. Hobbies and passions
Your hobbies or other interests that you are passionate about are a great place to start.
Cooking, travel, fashion, sports and cars are the most classic examples.
But even blogs about more particular hobbies can be successful, since your audience can really be anyone with an internet connection.
2. Life experiences
We have all learned lessons throughout our lives. Sharing this knowledge can be incredibly helpful to other people who may be facing similar situations.
For example, I recently helped a woman start a blog that addresses the topic of being an inexperienced young mother.
She has a lot of experience and knowledge to share with others about this topic and this has allowed her to connect with other people who are experiencing the same situation she is in.
The blog could also be related to your family (for example: a blog about parenting a dog), work (a blog about your experiences with clients), or other life experiences (a blog about coping with a difficult time like an illness or divorce, or a happy time like preparing for a wedding or the birth of a child).
3. A personal blog
A personal blog is a blog that is totally about you. This includes topics of various kinds, from the things you do every day, to your personal thoughts and reflections.
This is a great way to share your thoughts with the world without having to limit yourself to one topic.
Once you have identified the main topic, you need to choose the name of the blog, also known as domain name.
A good blog name should be descriptive, so that potential readers can immediately understand what it's about.
If you cover a specific topic, then it will be important to include it in the name of the blog in some way.
Try not to get too hung up on any one word, though.
As an example, a cooking blog doesn't have to contain the word "cooking".
Even the words "food," "recipes," and "meals" allow you to understand what your site is about.
If you're thinking of creating a personal blog in which to discuss various topics, I suggest you use your name, or some variation thereof, since the site is centered around you.
For example, I'm the owner of the dog blog thecollienois.com
A blog born from the love for my dogs! A Border Collie and a Malinois. I combined the word Collie and Malinois, and came up with Collienois.
As you can see, I did not follow the advice suggested in this guide.
Do you know why?
Because the things I know today, I didn't know before!
This was one of the many mistakes I made at the beginning of my online adventure, and today I'm sharing with you the lessons I learned from my mistakes (remember! that's what blogging is all about).
Can't seem to pick a good name for your blog?
Contact me and I'll help you personally (and for free)!
Once you've come up with ideas for your blog name, you'll need to choose a domain extension.
The .com domain extension is definitely the one I recommend, but .net or .org also work.
.it is fine if you want to address only an Italian audience.
It is also important to note that within a domain name for a blog, you cannot have spaces between words.
So "the collienois" becomes thecollienois.com.
Now that you've located your new domain name and chosen an extension, you'll need to make sure that no one else has already registered the same name:
4. Check that the name of your blog is available
Enter the domain name in this box to see if it is still available.
Note: You cannot use spaces or punctuation other than dashes in a domain name.
If you find that the name you wanted has already been taken, there are a few things you can do:
- Try a different domain extension. If the .com version is already registered, you may still be able to purchase the .net or .org version of your blog name.
- Add little words. Words like "a," "my," or "the."
- Add hyphens between words. For example, the-collienois.com
Step 2: Publish your blog
Now that you've chosen a name, it's time to publish your blog.
It may seem a bit complicated, but by following the steps listed below you will see that the process is quite simple.
To publish and get your blog up and running you need two things:
- Blog hosting (also known as web hosting)
- Blogging software (WordPress.org).
Fortunately, these are usually supplied together.
A web host is a company that stores all of your blog files on one of their servers and sends them to the user when they type in the name of your site.
Therefore, in order to have a professional blog you need web hosting.
You also need to have software to build your blog.
In this guide, I'll show you how to create a blog using WordPress blogging software, not only because it's the most popular, but also because it allows you to easily customize any website.
The web hosting company I use and always recommend is Siteground, but being a premium hosting provider (€5.99/month) has high prices for those who are just starting to test the online world.
*Se vuoi seguire il tutorial di siteground clicca il bottone qui in basso.
So, the one I'm going to teach you to use in this guide, is BlueHost (€3.30/month - $3,95/month).
I recommend Bluehost to all new bloggers because:
- The Platform is easy to use and is great for beginners.
- It allows you to register a custom domain name for free.
- It offers automatic, free installation of WordPress blogging software (which I'll show how to use in this guide).
- It offers reliable web hosting that WordPress itself has been recommending since 2005 and currently hosts over 2 million blogs and websites.
- It has a 24/7 customer support service available by phone or web chat.
- Offers a 30-day money back guarantee if, for any reason, you are not happy with the service.
Use one of the BlueHost links on this site to get a special discount, for a final price of €3.30/month.
Disclosure: BlueHost and other services mentioned in this guide, reward me with a small percentage when a purchase is made through my links, so that's why I can provide you with my services and content for free!
So if you're having any trouble creating a blog with this tutorial, just contact me and I'll help you (for free!).
In the following section you will find all the detailed information about signing up for your web hosting account and creating a WordPress blog.
I've also included screenshots of the pages you'll need to visit.
Visit the Bluehost homepage
Go to Bluehost.comthen click on the button "Get Started" .
2. Select your hosting plan
Choose a hosting plan. If this is your first blog, you can choose the Basic plan. Later, when your blog starts to grow, you can easily upgrade to a Plus or Choice Plus plan.
Find out what each plan offers, for example, the Choice Plus plan comes with domain privacy and a few extras.
If your budget allows, I recommend choosing this plan.
3. Set the domain name
Your domain name will be the address of your blog, so you should take your time to come up with something unique and memorable.
Just type the desired name in the "new domain" box and Bluehost will show you if the one you chose is available. If not, it will provide you with a list of similar names to choose from.
Don't worry if you can't find a good name right away, you can skip this step and choose a domain name later by clicking "I'll create my domain later".
If you have already purchased a domain name somewhere else, you can use it.
Just type it into the "Use a domain you own" box.
So far, so easy, right?
Good. Let's continue.
4. Register with Bluehost
After choosing your domain name, Bluehost will direct you to the registration page. Here you can type in your personal information, or log in via your Google account to make the process even faster!
Add your account information
Start by entering your personal information.
Select your hosting package
At this point, you will have to select your preferred tariff plan from the available options.
Bluehost offers 12, 24 and 36 month packages.
With a 12 month package you'll apparently pay less, at least at first, with the other two however you can get a better (discounted) price in the long run, provided you're willing to take out a multi-year subscription.
Extras included in the package
Carefully check the extra services included in your package. Not all the services offered are essential, and, often, unchecking the boxes for the ones you know you won't use will decrease your total amount.
Should you change your mind, you can always add these extra services in the future.
However, I suggest you always keep the Domain Privacy Protection option.
This service allows you to obscure your contact information from the global database, which can be accessed online by anyone.
Payment information
At this point all you have to do is enter your payment details and tick the box indicating that you have read and accepted the Terms of Service.
Finally click on the green "Submit" button.
Bluehost will send you a confirmation email as soon as the payment is made. You will also receive an email verifying your address, so you can activate your domain name.
Congratulations!
You are now officially a member of the Bluehost community with your own domain name and web hosting plan!
Good job!
Let's now move on to the final steps of WordPress installation, so you can start your WordPress blog on Bluehost right away.
5. Create and log in to your Bluehost account
Fortunately, today Bluehost automatically installs WordPress on your account during the registration process. So there's not much to do here.
Really! I'm not kidding.
Now the registration phase is over and you can access your WordPress blog immediately!
Once the payment is complete, you will see a welcome message from Bluehost.
To get started, click the green button that says "Create your password".
Now you need to set the password for your Bluehost account, check the privacy box and click "next".
You want to know something?
You're done!
That's right - your WordPress blog has been automatically installed by Bluehost, so you can start customizing and creating content right away!
Now surely you understand why I told you that Bluehost is excellent for beginners.
6. Choose a theme directly from bluehost
In the next screen, instead, if you want, you can already choose a free theme for your blog (I almost always use Astra both for blog and e-commerce).
If you're still not quite sure, simply skip the step by clicking the button at the bottom of the screen.
We'll tackle this topic in a few chapters!
7. Open the dashboard of your bluehost account
Finally, you will find yourself in the dashboard of your Bluehost account. Here you can manage your site, domain and other settings.
To start blogging, just click on the blue " Log in to WordPress" button in the dashboard of your Bluehost account.
Or you can access your WordPress website by typing your domain name into your browser and adding "/wp-admin" to it. So, if your domain is "ilmioblog.com", simply type:
http://yourblogname.com/wp-admin
Hit enter and you'll be taken to the login screen of your WordPress blog.
Simply enter your access data, click on "Log In" and you're done!
If you're not sure what your username and password are, don't worry.
Simply check the email you just received from Bluehost containing your login details.
Within your Bluehost account you will also find all the options you need to further customize your blog, as well as some useful tips provided by Bluehost.
In addition to this, you can also create custom emails, install SSL certificate and much more.
Now let's ditch Bluehost, and focus on what matters, WordPress!
8. Open the WordPress dashboard
Once you log in, you'll find yourself in the WordPress dashboard.
This is where you'll be working a lot, so I recommend bookmarking this page so you can find it more easily when you need it.
These are some main features (tabs in the left sidebar) that will help you navigate the WordPress dashboard more easily:
- Articles: Here you can write, edit, view and manage your blog posts.
- Average word count: Here you can upload and manage the media files that you will use in your blog posts and pages.
- Pages: Here you can create and customize your own pages.
- Comments: Here you can view, approve, moderate and manage all of your readers' comments.
- Appearance: Here you can find, install and configure new WordPress themes to customize the design of your blog.
- Plugin: Plugins help you add new features to your blog, such as contact forms, SEO tools, security tools, backups, and more.
I know it's initially a lot to take in, but keep calm and explore your dashboard one step at a time.
Now, as promised, I'll explain the criteria for finding the perfect theme for you and show you how to customize your blog.
Step 3: Choose a theme and customize your blog
The first thing your blog needs is a face (design and layout).
Installing and setting up a new WordPress theme is exciting and also quite simple.
Within the WordPress dashboard, under the "Appearance" tab, click on "Themes".
You will be presented with all the options preferred by users.
If you click on the WordPress.org Themes button you will have access to all the free themes.
At WordPress.org more than four thousand themes are available.
The style of your new blog depends directly on the theme you've chosen.
Your readers will notice the overall look of your blog first, even before they read the content.
It is therefore important to choose a good theme.
However, it is also very important to make sure that its layout allows you to include all the content you want to post.
Here's a quick guide to choosing the perfect theme for you by searching within the WordPress dashboard:
- Read the description - Most themes come with a brief description of the features and functionality. Reading it can help you figure out if the theme matches your needs.
- Theme Preview - Preview the theme (demo) to get an idea of the overall look, layout and how customizable it is.
- Check user ratings - The ratings, indicated with stars, will be visible in the preview and under the theme details to help you understand how functional the theme actually is.
If you can't find a theme you like, don't worry.
For the moment you can choose one whose layout and general appearance you are happy with enough, you can then change it in the future.
Once you've installed the theme, don't be surprised if it still doesn't look the way you imagined it would.
It's just a skeleton of your blog. To make it appealing, you'll need to fill it with content (text, photos, videos, etc.).
Is a free or premium theme better?
A mio parere, ci sono abbastanza temi WordPress gratuiti con cui iniziare, i quali si adattano a qualsiasi argomento tu voglia affrontare sul blog.
If you don't feel like searching through thousands of themes, you can easily start with the themes Twenty Twenty or Twenty Twelve.
Both themes are offered for free by the WordPress.org developers themselves and are very popular with those who create content online.
Remember, you can always choose a different theme later when you have more experience/budget and want to customize your blog more.
All the unique pages and content you will have created over time will be automatically converted with the new theme layout.
If none of the free themes meet your needs, you can then look for premium themes.
These themes are usually designed by third-party companies and sold on different sites dedicated to WordPress theme trading.
The price range for single-use licenses varies from $30 to $500, depending on the features of the premium theme you choose.
If you want to purchase a paid theme for more customization freedom, you can take a look:
- To the premium version of Astra theme: The most installed WordPress theme of all time (and also one of the fastest).
- To Themeforest: The biggest and most famous themes marketplace on the web, where you can find themes for any kind of business (photography, cooking, coaching, online courses, e-commerce, etc.).
How to customize your WordPress blog theme
Your WordPress dashboard is the back-end location from which you can manage your new blog. It gives you quick access to all the tools you need to create content and refine your blog's functionality.
So the first step in mastering WordPress is to familiarize yourself with the dashboard.
WordPress has unlimited customization options, it would be impossible for me to show you all of them in one guide.
I will then show you all the most important changes you need to make as soon as you create your blog.
For this example, I'll use the Twenty Twenty theme.
1. Create your blog logo
To give your blog a professional look and to make it easy for users to remember you, it is very important to have an original logo that reflects the business you run.
On Fiverr, a platform that offers services related to the digital world, you can find many freelancers who can create an original logo for you, in a few days and for only $5 (or rather, prices start from $5).
All you have to do is visit the Fiverr websiteand write the type of service you are looking for in the internal search bar of the site where it says "find services", press "search" and select the freelancer that inspires you the most.
Before buying one package rather than another I suggest you read the service description carefully and if in doubt contact the freelancer before ordering your logo.
You can read more about it here: How to use the Fiverr platform
2. Customize your blog
Now let's find out how to customize your blog.
When I say customize I mean: upload the logo you just created (or will create in the future), change the blog title and motto, change the site colors, upload a background image, and change the home page settings.
In this guide, I'll show you how to apply these changes to your Twenty Twenty theme.
If you've chosen a different theme, the process may be slightly different.
However, in most cases, all themes have very similar customization options.
To start customizing your blog, go to your WordPress dashboard.
You will find the Appearance tab on the left side. Here click on Customize.
On the left side of the screen, you will see the following customization options in the menu:
- Site identity (Site identity) - Upload your logo, change the site title and tagline, upload the blog icon (favicon).
- Colors (Colors) - Change the background color of your blog, the colors of the header and footer, customize the primary color.
- Theme options (Theme Options) - Select if you want to show a search icon in the header of your blog and include an author bio to be placed below your posts.
- Cover template (Site Template) - Here you can make additional changes to the page structure, such as background color, text color, and overlay opacity.
- Background image (Background Image) - Upload any custom background image to use for your blog.
- Menus (Menu) - Allows you to customize your blog menu, including including social media links, by selecting where you want them to appear.
- Widgets - Here you can insert and customize the content of your footer and page/article sidebar.
- Home page settings (Home page settings) - Decide what you want the homepage of your blog to look like. You can choose between a page containing your latest articles (classic blog) or a static page.
- Additional CSS (Additional CSS) - Add your own CSS code to customize the look and layout of your blog (advanced option).
Se desideri visualizzare l’aspetto del tuo blog sui diversi tipi di dispositivo, puoi utilizzare il menu in basso selezionando una delle tre icone: desktop, tablet e dispositivi mobili.
Note: Many themes (e.g. the Twenty Twenty theme) come with the new Gutenberg editor, which has revolutionized the way users build web pages and write posts within WordPress.
Gutenberg is a visual editor whose operation is based on the principle of blocks.
Using this editor, when you decide to add a new paragraph, title, image, video or any other element, you can simply select the type of block you want to add to the page or post.
This makes the content creation process even easier for beginners.
In un attimo, puoi creare nuovi articoli o landing page.
I blocchi possono essere spostati all’interno della pagina per creare un layout efficace, senza dover avere ulteriori conoscenze informatiche.
But, if I'm honest, Gutenberg is still very very behind in comparison to page builders like Elementor & Divi.
3. Add plugins to your blog
Plugins are lines of code that affect the look and feel of a blog or website.
They allow you to add new features to your blog, extend the capabilities of your theme and customize your blog as a whole or in part.
Most plugins are free, but there are also many paid ones that offer advanced features.
At the moment WordPress.org has more than 58,000 different plugins (yes!free) in it's database.
You can check the plugins installed on your blog through the WordPress dashboard.
If you wish, you can add new ones by clicking on the "Plugins" tab on the left side, and then on "add new".
In this section you can install new plugins, deactivate, delete and update them.
Next, I'll show you some must-have plugins for websites built with WordPress.
4. List of recommended plugins for bloggers
To save you time, I've selected a few plugins that I think are necessary to get started with blogging:
- MonsterInsights - The Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, useful for monitoring and analyzing traffic coming to your website.
- Rank Math - A complete SEO plugin for your blog, essential for optimizing your content for search engines.
- WP Rocket - It allows you to speed up the loading time of your WordPress blog, delivering content to your readers faster.
- Akismet - It protects the comments section and contact form from spam, while also preventing your site from publishing malicious content.
- Contact Form 7 - Allows you to create custom contact forms, with flexible email options. Supports CAPTCHA and Akismet spam filtering.
- Disqus - A great alternative to the basic WordPress commenting system, it offers advanced administration features.
- YARPP - Automatically create a list of related posts at the end of each of your articles to encourage people to continue browsing your site.
Do you want to easily customize your website?
Elementor Pro and Astra Agency are two EXCEPTIONAL tools that will help you to create a professional blog in record time!
With Astra Agency (astra premium sites) you will be able to import complete websites in 2 clicks, and with Elementor Pro you will be able to edit every single detail without any difficulty.
Buying these 2 tools, could be the best decision and investment you could make throughout your blogging career.
Bye Bye Gutenberg!
Congratulations, you just learned how to customize your blog and where to go to change its design!
The next step is to learn how to write content for your blog.
Step 4: How to write and publish a blog article
Now that your blog is ready, it's time to get blogging for real!
Let's create your first blog post.
Go to the menu on the left and click on "Articles" and then "All Articles".
You'll see that you'll already find an article in this section. This is a default article that you'll find in every new blog you create on WordPress.
You don't need to keep it. To delete it click on "Trash" right below the post.
To start writing a new post, click on the "Add New" link.
You will find yourself on the editor screen.
Enter your post title in the top box and then start writing your article in the bottom box.
If you wish to insert an image, simply click on the "Add Block" icon and then on "Image".
Click on "Upload" to be able to add an image from your computer.
You can also change the image size on the next screen.
Once you have finished your post just click on the "Publish" button, which you will find at the top right of the screen to publish your new article.
1. The content that should appear on your blog
Static content
Every blog should contain a few pages specifically created to provide the visitor with the tools they need.
The content of these pages is, by definition, static, that is - the content does not change, or at least not very often.
These are mainly main pages that can be accessed via a menu on the blog.
These static content pages should be prepared even before you launch your blog online.
Some important static pages that are good practice to include:
- Who I am (we are) - This page should contain a short biography of the author(s) and a statement of purpose (what we do, what we will do, etc.).
If you don't know what to write, try to answer these questions: How did your passion for the topic develop? What do you want to convey to your audience? What is your ultimate goal? - Contact me - A contact page provides a way for the visitor to communicate with the author. This also serves to ensure that the author is a real, reachable person. You can add your physical address, phone number, and personalized email address, depending on how you prefer to be contacted. Alternatively, you can enter a simple contact form if you prefer not to share your personal information. I also recommend that you include links to all of your social media profiles on this page.
These two pages are very important, they should be visible in your menu at the top of all pages (header) and should be easily accessible.
There are also other equally important static pages, but they are sometimes forgotten:
- Disclaimer: If you are going to make money from your blog, you need to list the methods by which you intend to generate income. This is a really important page and required by law. For example, if you are showcasing and promoting a product and wish to monetize through affiliate links, you must disclose the presence of these links.
- Privacy Policy: If, in any way, your site collects visitor data, you are required to include a Privacy Policy page on your site, which contains all the information about how the data is collected, how it is used, and whether and how it is shared.
If you implement on your site Google Adsense or Google Analyticsthis page is required by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). - Terms of Service: If your blog also contains an online store or sells services, it is advisable to have a lawyer draft the Terms of Service page to reduce liability, provide maximum protection and avoid unpleasant surprises.
If you want to spend a little money to create a cookie policy, privacy policy and terms and conditions, I suggest you take a look at Iubenda. A site where you can easily create these pages and at a derisory annual price.
These static pages generally fit in the footer of the blog. They should, at the very least, be visible and accessible from the home page.
Depending on the needs of your blog or business, you may choose to include other static pages as well.
To name a few examples, you may want to include an advertising page to solicit paid ads, a page dedicated to donations, a page to include links to important resources outside (or inside) your site, or a page to present a particular idea or content.
Dynamic content
Dynamic content is what characterizes a blog. As a content creator, you will share information, experiences and communications through dynamic content.
This content provides your audience with tips, facts, opinions, and personal stories.
These articles will allow you to engage visitors and get them to come back to your site.
Your blog posts need to be published consistently at regular intervals. Letting months go by between articles will never create a following, or a group of people interested in reading your content.
While publishing one post a week and driving traffic to those posts via social media will help you build a following quickly.
2. How to write a great blog article
1. Define the topic of the post
Create an enticing headline that stimulates curiosity and encourages clicks. In the first paragraph of your post, clearly define the topic of your article and make sure to intrigue the reader.
If you want to learn more about this topic I invite you to read the guide I wrote on How to write headlines for a post that generate traffic.
2. The longer, the better - but break it up
The more information and details you include, the better. However, an article that contains long, uninterrupted paragraphs will cause visitors to abandon reading.
Remember that most readers have a very low attention span.
Break up paragraphs by inserting spaces in between, use lists and quotes, insert images, and always include titles and subtitles so readers can easily find what they're looking for.
Also in this case, if you want to deepen this topic I invite you to read the guide I wrote on the web copywriting.
3. Engage the reader
At the end of each blog article, a common technique used by many bloggers to engage readers is to pose a meaningful question to the audience, asking them to respond in the comments.
This simple action can greatly increase engagement.
Original content
Your blog articles should always be original. Never copy - you risk getting caught and having to pay the consequences.
Your content should come from your heart, your brain, your wealth of knowledge and experience.
You can look at other people's content to draw on ideas and information, but the actual article has to come from you.
5. Original photos
6. Proofread your work
Always take the time to proofread your posts. There is nothing less professional than an article full of typographical and grammatical errors.
In case you have problems with grammar, you can also consider using a writing app.
You can download this extension for google chrome: Language Tool
Step 5: Promote your blog
Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is only the first part of the job. In order to attract readers to your blog, you'll need to spend some time promoting it, especially in the early days.
1. Notify Your Close Contacts
The first people who should learn about your blog are your inner circle.
This includes family, friends, and co-workers who you think might be interested in the topic.
Invitali a diventare tuoi follower, chiedi loro di menzionare il tuo nuovo blog e – cosa più importante – ringraziali! 🙂
2. Use Social Media
Even if you don't want to spend too much time on your phone, I still recommend setting up accounts with major social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Ideally, you want to share every new article posted on the blog on your social accounts, but you can also share relevant news and links to other sources that your readers might find interesting.
Don't forget to include relevant hashtags and engage with your followers!
One of my favorite ways to bring readers to my blog is to post links on my social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter.
This is a great method as not only do your friends see the link, but if they share it on their profiles, it automatically multiplies your readership.
If you have created great quality content on your blog, then social media could help you make your blog go viral.
3. Leave Comments on Other People's Blogs
Look for other blogs in your community and interact with them. Using the comments section, you can introduce yourself and leave engaging and constructive comments.
Many will allow you to leave a link to your blog.
This will allow you to get to know and be known within the community.
4. Interact With Your Readers
Become an integral part of your community by collaborating with top bloggers in your industry and interact with your readers.
Collaboration usually involves posting articles on their blogs, sharing each other's content and interacting regularly in the comments section and on social media.
When your readers leave you a comment under a blog article or on your social channels, always interact with them.
Respond to their comments and questions, give them "likes." When it's clear that the author cares about his community, visitors are naturally encouraged to return.
5. Collaborate
Become an integral part of the blogging community by collaborating with leading members in your industry.
Collaboration usually involves posting articles on their blogs, sharing each other's content and interacting regularly in the comments section and on social media.
6. Mail Regularly
Publish content regularly, and most importantly create an editorial calendar and stick to it.
A self-respecting blogger posts at least once a week.
If there are long gaps between posts, your followers will decrease and your growth will be severely hampered.
It's not easy to post on a schedule, but it's a way of working that brings many benefits in the long run.
7. Create an Email Contact List
In addition to attracting new readers to your blog, you'll also want to make sure your current readers return.
This is where email marketing plays a really important role.
By collecting the email addresses of your visitors (with their permission, of course), you can alert them when you post something new on your blog.
This keeps people coming back to your site, which not only gets you more readers on individual articles, but also allows you to build a closer relationship with your visitors.
Step 6: Optimize your website for SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of those areas that many people tend to ignore.
Some people think it's unnecessary to worry about it, while others think it's too complex a practice.
The truth is, even if you're a novice, you can make your website accessible to search engines by applying some simple, basic SEO techniques.
Puoi migliorare la SEO del tuo sito web seguendo pochi semplici passi.
Let's analyze them together!
1. Get to know the Search Console
The first step to improving your blog's SEO is to link your site to the Search Console.
The Search Console is a tool that belongs to Google and provides a whole range of useful tools to monitor the performance of your website.
It allows you to check the positioning of your blog and your articles on search engines.
Google also sends you a notification if someone mentions your site on the internet.
To get access to all of these tools, all you need to do is connect your site to the platform. As your blog grows, you'll learn how to make the best use of Search Console, improving your SEO as a result.
Google: Create a Google Webmaster account and open the Search Console. To link your blog, click on " Add Property " and follow the linking wizard.
Bing: Create a Bing Webmaster account and add your blog.
2. Use title tags on all pages
Usually a novice blogger will just come up with a good name for their site and post new content. While both are important, they are not enough to be successful.
In fact, search engines use the title tags (meta titles) on every web page to understand what the site is about.
A title tag is an HTML element that Google uses to recognize a site.
Title tags are used on search engine results pages and social media, as well as on browsers, which read this information to provide the correct data to the user.
È essenziale quindi scrivere title tag che siano anche ottimizzati per la SEO.
Ideally, the title tag should contain the main keywords, without exceeding a length of about 50-60 characters, so that it can appear in full on the search engine results page.
According to Moz.com, the ideal title tag should be:
Primary keyword - Secondary keyword | Brand (site name)
3. Write unique and current content
Content is not entirely optional when running a website. True, some websites manage to function without a blog, but these are rare examples and still managed by professionals.
Most websites need fresh content all the time to be relevant.
Quando si tratta di contenuti però bisogna fare attenzione. Google non ama i “copioni”.
So make sure you write content that is unique and relevant to what you do.
If you have an online store where you sell t-shirts, you shouldn't be writing about cats. You should be generating content related to t-shirts, and this content should be interesting.
4. Speed up your website
Website speed is one of the main factors that Google takes into consideration when deciding on the ranking of results on its search pages.
Since the web is full of content, Google prefers to benefit websites that load faster.
So let's say you have similar content to a competitor's. Both articles are unique and well-written, but your site takes five seconds longer to load.
Who do you think will rank highest in Google search page results?
So make sure you host your website on a reliable hosting service like Bluehost or Siteground.
Good hosting can do wonders for a site's speed.
Optimize your images, and if you're using a CMS like WordPress, and especially make sure you're using a quality theme (ex: Astra) and one that doesn't load unnecessary files.
To decrease the size of your images you can use these 2 online tools:
5. Optimize your website for mobile devices
We all own a smartphone or a tablet and they are now the main media through which we surf the internet.
Google has also started prioritizing mobile sites, so in order to get good SEO results, it's important to take that into account.
Using a website creation platform will be helpful as it allows you to quickly build a site that is optimized for mobile devices (unless it is automatically created by the theme).
6. Use internal and external links
Links are so important not just for SEO, but to make your business and website work.
Without links, the Internet probably wouldn't exist.
Detto questo, devi fare attenzione a dove e come posizioni i link all’interno del tuo sito. In particolare devi ricordare di creare dei link tra i diversi articoli del tuo blog quando opportuno.
But be careful not to overdo it.
Un articolo standard di circa mille parole dovrebbe contenere circa 1-3 link interni.
Dovresti anche inserire dei link che collegano a fonti autorevoli e cercare di ottenere dei backlink al tuo sito web.
Per ottenerli, puoi scrivere guest post, pubblicare sui social media, nei forum oppure lasciare commenti rilevanti su altri siti web dalla tua nicchia.
7. Use a professional SEO tool
SEMRush is a set of great tools for doing SEO, marketing and analytics. As for SEO, it allows you to identify keywords used by your competitors, deduce their position in the SERPs, find additional long tail keywords, as well as many (but very many) other features.
- Ricercare parole chiave da utilizzare nel tuo piano editoriale
- Find your competitors/competitors.
- Analyze your competitors' websites in detail and use the data collected to your advantage.
- Find out which of your pages/articles (or those of your competitors) perform best.
- Generate a report containing all the SEO errors on your site and give you advice on how to fix them.
- Monitor the positioning of your keywords in search pages.
- Analyze in detail your market niche and find new positioning opportunities.
However, to access this feature (and everything else), you need to register an account with SEMrush.
8. Don't expect quick results
SEO takes time - and we're not talking hours or days, we're talking weeks and months.
Whatever you do to optimize SEO, you're gonna have to be patient.
Although many people try to predict Google's behavior, the truth is that no one knows exactly how it works.
So, even after making changes, Google may need up to a month to recognize them.
Just be patient and keep an eye on the site.
9. Extra tips for SEO
As far as SEO is concerned, every article on your blog should include these basic elements:
- Header Tags: Paragraph titles and subtitles should be grouped in header tags. Click on the symbol to the left of the block you are writing in and change it to "Heading". You can then choose between H1, H2, H3, etc.
- Categorization: Search engines follow the content hierarchy. Your posts should therefore be clearly grouped into specific, relevant categories. On the article editor screen, click on "Document" in the right-hand menu, then scroll down to "Categories" and "Add New Category".
- Permalinks: By blog slug we mean the final part of the URL. Make sure that each blog article has a defined slug and does not end with a numeric code.
You can easily edit it in your WordPress dashboard by going to "Settings " -> "Permalink". Select the "Article Name" option and click on "Save Changes".
There are many other factors related to SEO, such as installing an SEO plug-in like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, but these listed are the most important, and will over time help your blog appear in the search engines.
Step 7: Earn money with your blog
Once you've committed to creating interesting content for your blog and promoting it, making money from your site is actually the easy part.
Blogging, potentially, can be extremely lucrative, but don't expect to start earning in the first week, or even the first month.
It could take six months to a year to start seeing a steady income stream.
Blogging takes work and dedication, but once you develop a large enough audience, there are several methods you can employ to monetize your blog.
1. Selling Advertising Space
Una volta che il tuo blog inizierà ad essere popolare, gli inserzionisti ti perseguiteranno chiedendoti l’opportunità di farsi pubblicità sul tuo sito 🙂
The best way to take advantage of this situation is to use Google Adsense.
Google finds advertisers for you, all you have to do is enter the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running ads.
Google Adsense takes the hassle out of searching for the right ads and allows you to passively earn money.
2. Affiliate Programs
An affiliate program is a commission-based way of advertising. When one of your readers clicks on a link on your blog, they are sent to an advertiser's site and you earn a commission if they make a purchase.
Affiliate links are a nice way to earn money through the use of product reviews.
However, you must remember to disclose that your article contains affiliate links.
One of my favorite ways to bring readers to my blog is to post links on my social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter.
This is a great method as not only do your friends see the link, but if they share it on their profiles, it automatically multiplies your readership.
If you have created great quality content on your blog, then social media could help you make your blog go viral.
These are some of the most popular networks to sign up for multiple affiliate programs:
3. Selling Products And Services
Selling your products and services directly on the blog is a great way to increase your earnings.
As your blog grows and begins to have a large enough audience, your products and services will begin to sell themselves.
Use your blog's sidebar to increase the visibility of what you sell by using attention-grabbing images and a link to your online storefront.
4. Digital Downloads
Ebooks, video tutorials, and online courses are the best-selling digital materials for bloggers. With little or no expense and no shipping costs, you can keep the price low and enticing.
If you are extremely knowledgeable in your field, an ebook will be extremely easy and quick to write. Try it, you might be surprised!
5. Inscriptions
Another way to monetize is by creating content that is only visible through a subscription to your website.
This allows you to offer members exclusive content that is only available with a paid membership.
For example, you could offer unlimited downloads of digital goods, free consultations, a private network or forum where community members can interact and socialize with each other.
You can also post private content that is only available to members.
There are so many ways a blog can use its popularity and traffic to monetize. Choosing how you want to make money through your blog depends on your goals and the purpose of the blog.
Those who sell services, physical goods and digital goods, for example, may not want to participate in affiliate programs where traffic may be lost to another site.
Take the time to explore the many ways you can earn money through blogging.
It will take some time before you earn your first penny. But with dedication, love and care, the profit will come.
How to increase the traffic of a blog
- Here we go, now you have a blog and you've been writing for weeks, maybe even months or years, but traffic is scarce. You've put in the time and effort, so where are the hordes of people who should have found your content by now? Where is your audience?
Blogs are rarely "off-the-shelf" assets. They require daily work that goes beyond writing and publishing to gain an ever-growing audience and maximize views.
The top six factors that drive blog traffic growth are:
- Calendar,
- Contents,
- Social,
- Involvement,
- SEO
- Advertisement.
Each segment offers a number of methods that every blogger can and should use to increase traffic.
1. Calendar
- Create an editorial calendar: Create a calendar for your articles and stick to it. You could write from Monday to Friday, for example, and you could also include different topics or themes for each of the days involved.
- Regularity: Once your editorial calendar has been established, don't deviate - under any circumstances - from it. If you're planning a vacation, write posts and schedule them for the days you'll be away.
- Your editorial calendar is tracked by search engines: When you start posting regularly and frequently, search engines will start scanning your site just as regularly. Your posting schedule allows the search engine bots to program themselves accordingly. Amazing, isn't it?
2. Contents
- You know the subject: If you're writing about how to get rich online and, in fact, you're broke and know nothing about online business, readers will notice. You don't have to have a PhD in your field, but you should at least be passionate about your blogging niche, be able to provide interesting, relevant and educational information, as well as be informed in general.
- Know your audience: Your audience is made up of a set of people who are interested in the topic you are blogging about. However, the audience can vary from post to post. For example, one post may be aimed at those who understand the technical terminology in your field, while another post may be aimed at potential new users who don't know much about the topic, but are interested in learning more.
- Pictures: Include images in your blog articles. Try using your own photos or manipulating stock photos to create a cohesive look. People usually tend to be initially attracted to images.
- Video: Self-published videos are a great way to drive people to your blog. Video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo allow you to upload your own videos, providing you with strips of code to embed in your blog, using their bandwidth and video speed strength. These platforms also have the ability to drive traffic directly to your blog on their own.
- Listings: Long articles risk boring people, which, in turn, can cause a high bounce rate. Break your content down into smaller, more readable portions, such as lists and short bursts of information within subheads.
- Evergreen: Make sure your articles are able to stand the test of time. An article on "The best places to eat in Rome" written ten years ago will certainly have no relevance today, as restaurants come and go. Update old articles (updating them every year) or write "Evergreen" posts that will remain relevant as time goes by.
- External contributions and guest posts: Encourage guest posts (posts created by other bloggers) written by admired bloggers in your niche. Likewise, ask for guest post contributions (with a backlink) to blogs in your area of expertise.
3. Social Media
- Induce curiosity with a catchy title: Sharing your article on social media will appear showing the headline and a snippet of text. That headline should be really catchy. Create an irresistible headline to make people quickly click on the link.
- Find the people: Look for groups and communities on social media platforms dedicated to your topic of interest or a variation of it. Once you find people with the same interests as you, share your articles there so that like-minded people can start following you.
- Social sharing buttons: Include social sharing buttons in your blog posts. It makes it easier to share your content with people who found it interesting.
- Share old content: Recently updated content or blog articles that are suddenly relevant again can be shared again on social media platforms. I recommend using this strategy at least 2/4 times a month.
Involve
- Use the comments section: Allow readers to leave comments on your blog and encourage them to comment by asking readers questions and/or asking for their opinions.
- Use the giveaways: Contests and giveaways can have a viral effect, especially if you set a condition for entry, such as requiring the post to be shared, liked or tweeted by the participant.
- Use the USG (User Generated Content): A common way for bloggers to collect USG is through Reddit. Ask people in your interest groups a question and use their answers to create new content. The same method can also be used on other social media platforms.
- Encourage email sign-ups: Add a newsletter subscription box on your blog that captures emails for use in an email system, such as on Active Campaign. Sending monthly summary emails reminds your audience of your existence and draws readers back to the site.
5. SEO
- Use keywords: Use the most relevant keywords by inserting them multiple times in your article, in your headers, metadata, and in the alt tags of your images. Don't overdo it, but make sure they are used more than once.
- Use the links: Placing links to authoritative, relevant and reputable sites is a powerful way to signal to Google and other search engines that you can be trusted.
- Link your articles: A great way to "connect the dots" and create a hierarchy of related pages within search engine indexes is to link your articles together. So insert links between related posts that might be useful to the reader who is reading the current article.
- Write long articles: If you are looking for better search engine rankings, write long articles - the longer the better. Google gives almost disproportionate weight to longer articles - the more information the better.
6. Advertise
Spend money: Online advertising can cost quite a bit of money, but it's worth the candle if you want to attract an audience.
Online advertising delivers highly targeted traffic directly to your site, readers who are genuinely interested in what you have to say.
It's definitely something to consider.
Every fundamental strategy for growing blog traffic has multiple facets, and each of these facets can be discussed in great detail.
Do your research on each of these aspects and commit to fitting all of them into your daily blogging schedule.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about blogging
Do you still have any questions about blogging that you haven't found answers to? Below are the most frequently asked questions I get asked about how to start a blog.
If you can't find an answer to your question here, please feel free to email me via my contact page, or leave a comment below.
Click on a question to read the answer:
What makes a blog successful?
You. It's your passion, your creativity, your knowledge, your experience, and the values you bring to the community that ensures the success of a blog.
As long as you provide interesting, informative and engaging content for your readers, your success is ultimately limited only by the number of articles you are able to produce.
Keep writing, keep interacting, keep being engaging and your blog will quickly become a success.
As long as you are passionate about the subject, there are no limits.
What is the best platform to create a blog?
In the tutorial on this page, I show you how to create your blog using BlueHost and WordPress.org.
This is the combination I recommend to all my readers who have very little experience with the digital world.
When you sign up with BlueHost you get a free domain name, and WordPress.org will be automatically installed on your BlueHost account.
You can customize and start blogging as soon as the account is created.
Just follow the steps in the tutorial on this page.
What do you need to start a blog?
Time, passion and a clear goal.
Blogging is almost a full-time job. A successful blogger is committed to publishing long and detailed articles at least once a week.
Blog promotion should also be done regularly through social media sites and peer-to-peer interactions.
Equally important is your passion.
In order to regularly create top-notch content, your blog needs to revolve around a topic you're obsessed with.
You don't need to be the primary authority on this matter.
You just have to have passion, enthusiasm, dedication and deeply held opinions.
You also need to have a clear goal in mind.
- What is the main goal of your blog?
- Inform the public?
- Earn money?
- Attracting paid community members?
With a clear end goal, it is possible to grow a blog that meets these long-term goals.
What should my blog be about?
Answer these questions:
- What are you passionate about?
- What do you think about every day?
- What topic do you regularly annoy all your friends, family and co-workers with?
- What are you dreaming about?
- What do you find yourself constantly researching?
- What are you reading about?
If there's a common denominator in your answers to these questions, here's what your blog should be about.
Your blog should be about what you're interested in - what you're passionate about. And once you start building your blog, no matter what your topic is, you'll find a community of people interested in what you have to say.
Do bloggers make money by writing articles?
Bloggers have the opportunity to earn money through blogging alone.
The most famous bloggers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even though it is not easy to become a blogger with such a high income, it is still possible to make a fair amount of money.
As with any business, it takes a lot of work and a lot of time.
Many bloggers abandon their projects after a few months. They get discouraged when the money doesn't come in right away. It takes time and patience to achieve influencer status.
Those who make money online are those who manage to work with commitment and consistency over time.
There are several ways a blogger can earn money:
- Advertisement: As your blog gains popularity and attracts a good number of daily visitors, advertisers can pay enough money for a well-placed ad on your blog.
- Contextual ads: With Google Adsense you can place a small strip of code on your blog that dynamically displays ads related to your content. When one of your readers clicks on an ad the advertiser pays Google, and Google sends you a percentage.
- Affiliate Programs: Affiliate links are a very popular way to monetize a blog. These links lead visitors to a product or service on another website. If a sale is made resulting from a click on your blog, you will receive a commission, and some commissions can be very high as well. Affiliate programs can be found on individual stores as well as large-scale platforms like Amazon.
- Sponsored Articles: Advertisers can pay a lower commission to sponsor individual articles rather than advertising on the entire blog. This is a great way to make money for fledgling blogs.
How much can you earn with a blog?
How much money you can make from a blog depends on many factors.
- Are you just starting out or have you been blogging for some time and already have a loyal following?
- Is blogging your main focus or do you run your blog in your spare time?
According to Glassdoor, bloggers in the United States earn an average of $30,000 per year.
Obviously, some earn much less, while there are others who have millions of people following them and manage to earn over $100,000 a year.
Some even say that they are able to earn more than a million dollars a year thanks to the blog.
Want to know how to make a living with a blog?
If your blog is completely new, you'll have to work hard before you get your first paycheck.
Also, passive income needs time to start increasing. Various ads and banners will only make sense after you have an established blog.
While you can get a few dollars for every click on a Google ad, you'll need to develop your site and build an audience before this becomes a reality.
So, when you start out, you can expect only a fraction of a dollar per click, but don't let that discourage you. Everything has a beginning, and so does your income from your blog.
How do bloggers get paid?
Bloggers are generally paid by advertisers. How the blogger is paid varies depending on the type of advertising used.
- CPC: CPC or "Cost Per Click" ads generate revenue simply through user clicks. CPC ads are generally very targeted and on a rolling basis. The ads appear on specific blog posts and are related to the content of that post. The number of clicks generated, which increases as traffic increases, ultimately determines the amount that will be paid to the blogger.
- Fixed payment: If the traffic of a blog is high, advertisers may decide to agree on a fixed monthly fee to occupy the advertising space on the blog's website. This advertising space could appear in the whole website, within a section or only in some pages. The money comes directly from the advertiser.
- Commission: Ads from an affiliate network use affiliate links. These links track visitors coming from your blog to the advertiser's site. If a visitor coming from your blog makes a purchase, you receive a commission.
How can I find a profitable niche for my blog?
If you know the general topic of your blog, an easy way to make your niche more profitable is to narrow it down to eliminate the competition.
To give an example, let's say you are passionate about food and want to start a recipe blog.
You'll find yourself competing with a million other recipe blogs. So let's try to narrow it down to something more manageable but still important to many people.
YES, it could then make the topic of your blog more specific, like "Cheap Keto Recipes".
This will allow you to eliminate a lot of competition and get better results with your blog, as you will achieve better search engine rankings for more specific queries.
What to do if your domain name is busy?
If the domain name you wish to use has already been taken and the full domain name is your registered business name, you can assert your trademark rights and privileges and possibly have this domain delivered to you.
However, this is a lengthy process that will require lawyers and high costs, but as long as the name is a trademark registered by you, you are likely to win the case.
If the name is not a registered trademark, I recommend that you do NOT attempt to purchase the .info or .biz variant of the domain.
Rather, look for a slight variation in the domain name, such as adding a hyphen between words, or inserting the word "the" or other nominal terms.
In some cases, it may happen that the domain is owned but not used. Try searching for it in the browser.
If the URL is directed to a different domain, it is not used, only redirected.
In this case, you may be able to buy the domain at the right price from the current owner. If the domain is locked, you can also try to buy it.
Should I create my blog on WordPress?
If you're new to the blogging world and don't have much experience with HTML or coding, then yes - WordPress is the best blogging platform for you!
When it comes time to choose a blogging platform, professionals always choose WordPress. And although WordPress is used by millions of smaller blogs, it also powers many of the most important sites on the internet.
WordPress is the world's most popular CMS (Content Management System), with over 75 million blogs and websites currently using it.
And the reasons are many:
- Easy to use: WordPress is amazingly easy to use. Theme editors help you easily design your blog, change colors, and add images. Once your design is complete, all you have to do is write blog posts. The blog editor records your posts and displays them for you.
- Write everywhere: As long as you have Internet access, you can edit your blog and write new posts almost anywhere. WordPress offers a management backend through which you can log in and work on your blog from anywhere in the world using a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone.
- It is not necessary to learn how to code: WordPress gives you simple tools to create an amazing blog without having to know a single line of HTML code. This makes WordPress a great option for those who don't want to deal with technical issues.
- Integrated SEO: Google and other search engines prefer blogs built with WordPress. The out-of-the-box SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that comes with WordPress provides impressive results over time on search engines. The powerful SEO tool present in WordPress blows away the competition, clearly standing out from other CMS systems. This translates into more readers for your blog.
- Free Themes: The WordPress CMS is connected to a repository where thousands of free themes (blog layouts) are available to browse and upload. Right from the backend of your blog you can browse a multitude of themes with different styles and features. These free themes can be installed with one click, and then easily customized even by a beginner.
Is WordPress free?
Yes! WordPress is a completely free open-source blogging platform. Also, there are two different WordPress options, both free, but with completely different blogging platforms, that you should know about.
Choosing the right blogging platform is one of the most important decisions you will have to make.
- WordPress.org: This option is completely free at 100%. WordPress.org is the blogging platform that I teach you how to use in the tutorial on this page. Although it's completely free to download, it doesn't work on its own. You need a web hosting account (see the step-by-step guide) and you also need to purchase a new domain name. Because you need your own web hosting plan, this option is known as self-hosted blogging. So even though WordPress is technically free, there are fees to be paid for activating your new WordPress blog (less than $4 per month).
- WordPress.com: WordPress.com is a different blogging platform that allows the user to create a free blog on a subdomain of WordPress.com. If you want to enable some basic options, or have your own domain, you will need to upgrade your free account to a paid account. For this, and many other reasons, I do not recommend WordPress.com.
How often should I blog?
If your goal is to make money from your blog, you'll need to do this as often as possible - so at least once a week.
However, blogging can also be just an occasional pastime if you wish. But if you are looking for a large audience and want to become a leader in your field, posting every week is a must.
Frequency is important, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of quality. Not every blog post has to be 2,000 words, but at the same time, all articles should be informative and valuable to your audience.
It's not an easy task. However, if you're able to keep posting regularly, this task will get easier and easier!
As with anything else, the more you do it, the more skilled you become.
Writing every week also helps to improve traffic from search engines. In the beginning, when you start blogging, your articles will need time to show up on search engines.
By continuing to post regularly, you will naturally get more posts in search results, which means more traffic to your blog.
Why do blogs fail?
Almost every blog has the potential to succeed, yet most blogs fail. And there are many reasons why.
Here are the most common reasons why a blog fails:
- You give up too quickly - The most common reason a blog fails is simply that the blogger gives up before their blog even has a chance to be recognized.
Before you start a blog, you need to realize that most blogs take months and even years to become relevant. That's quite an investment.
If you can't gain visitors or make money within a month, don't stop! Keep focusing on creating quality content and getting your name out there through social media and networking. - Intermittent blogging - When there are long "silent periods" between blog posts, it's hard to build a solid following. People looking for information on your topic usually need a steady stream of new information to keep them interested.
When a blog fails to provide fresh, up-to-date content, people get bored and look elsewhere. - Poor content - Some bloggers think they can beat the system with self-generated content or duplicated and reworked content.
Readers know poor content when they read it. They know when an article has absolutely no value or when it is simply clickbait. A blog with poor content will never be successful. - Too many ads - Blogs with dozens of ads that obscure most of the content will lead visitors to leave the site and never return.
People don't come to your blog to be visually harassed by poorly placed, flashing ads. They come for information. While ads are a good option to monetize, don't go overboard.
How to create a blog in 2021: Conclusion
I hope this guide has answered all your questions about how to create a blog, but if any of the steps suggested are not clear to you, CONTACT ME and I will personally answer your email.
The guide on this site should give you everything you need to get started, but if you run into any problems, or even just want some personalized advice, don't hesitate to write to me anytime.
Blogging is my passion, I'll be happy to talk to you about it!
Thank you for following me this far.
Happy blogging.
See you anon!
