In order to be successful, it is important to have a blog that stands out from the rest and generates traffic. These days, it’s not expensive or even too time intensive to start a blog. What’s more, by leveraging the right affiliate programs and ads, you could quickly turn your blog into something that generates a constant passive income. At that point, you could even flip the site and start over.
In this blog post, we are not just going to cover setting up a blog website but instead, look at all elements that go into making a blog that turns over 6-figures. However, these tips are relevant whether you are creating a standalone blog to create an additional form of revenue or are looking to link it to your business website in order to create more traffic.
Below we’ve put together what we think are the fundamentals and will be covering:
- What makes up a successful blog;
- Choosing an industry for your own blog;
- Doing your blog keyword research;
- Coming up with a content plan;
- Using WordPress for your own Blog;
- Other blogging platforms;
- Linking up the Google tools;
- Creating your first blog post;
- High-traffic content ideas for your blog;
- Writing the content;
- Managing the SEO of your site;
- Getting some backlinks;
- Monetising the site;
- Selling the site.
Bear in mind, that even following the above, it does take time for your efforts to start yielding rewards. You need to learn what works for you and your market. Also to manage expectations, if you choose a competitive industry or set of keywords, it could be some time before you see any significant traffic to your site.
What makes up a successful blog
There are a number of key ingredients required for a blog that will make it successful. It needs to have interesting and keyword-rich content, be updated frequently, have social media sharing buttons, be optimised for SEO and have links to other websites and blogs. Below we detail each of these elements in more depth.
You must ensure that Google likes your site and its content. When planning out your content, you should find niche keywords that will not be too difficult to rank for. In the end, a successful blog means getting organic traffic, which in turn means showing up on the first page of a Google search.
When it comes to keywords and phrases, you need to be intentional with what you choose. Plus you need to check off all of the on-page SEO like keyword-rich titles and descriptions. You should also be using the correct keywords throughout your content so that Google can index it correctly. If you don’t, then your content may never be seen by anyone as it won’t appear in the search engines.
Your blog content also needs to be updated regularly. This is important as it shows Google that your site is active and interesting. If you don’t update your blog, then Google may de-index your site, which means that it will no longer appear in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Content is still the king – In order to successfully start a blog, you need interesting and keyword-rich content. This means that your content must be well written, informative and provide value to the reader. It should also contain the right keywords so that it can be easily found by potential readers who are searching online.
Make sure that your blog has social media sharing buttons so that your readers can share your content with their followers on social media. This will help to increase the reach of your content and get more people to read it.
Finally, your blog should have links to other websites and blogs. This will help to improve the authority of your blog and make it more trustworthy in the eyes of search engines.
Choosing an industry for your own blog
The first step to starting a blog is deciding which industry you want to write about. This decision will be based on a number of factors including your interests, knowledge and expertise. It’s important to choose an industry that you’re passionate about as you’ll need to write about it regularly.
You should also consider the competition when choosing an industry for your blog. If there are already a lot of blogs in your chosen industry, then it may be difficult to stand out from the crowd. However, if you can find a niche within your chosen industry, then this will make it easier for you to get noticed.
Finally, you should also consider the potential audience for your blog. If you’re writing about a specific industry, then there’s a good chance that there are already people out there who are interested in reading about it. However, if you’re writing about a more general topic, then you’ll need to work harder to attract readers.
The best way to find out whether there’s an audience for your blog is to research your chosen industry and keywords using Google AdWords Keyword Planner. This tool will show you how many people are searching for specific keywords related to your chosen industry.
If there are a lot of people searching for the keywords that you’re targeting, then this is a good sign as it means that there’s a potential audience for your blog. However, if there are very few people searching for these keywords, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to attract many readers to your blog.
Doing your blog keyword research
Once you’ve decided on the industry that you want to write about, the next step is to do some more specific keyword research. This will help you to find the right keywords to target so that your blog can be easily found by potential readers.
There are a number of different tools that you can use for keyword research. As mentioned above one of the most popular is Google AdWords Keyword Planner. This tool allows you to enter a specific keyword or phrase and see how many people are searching for it each month.
Another great tool is Keywords Anywhere. This is a free extension that you can add to your Chrome browser. It will show you the monthly search volume for specific keywords as well as the cost per click (CPC). The CPC is the amount that you would pay for each click on an ad if you were to run Google Ads for your chosen keywords.
This information is valuable as it will give you an idea of how much traffic you could potentially get to your blog if you were to rank on the first page of Google for your chosen keywords.
Coming up with a content plan
Once you’ve done your keyword research, it’s time to start coming up with a content plan. This will help you to map out the topics that you want to write about and ensure that you’re covering all of the relevant keywords.
Your content plan should be designed to help you achieve your overall blog goals. For example, if you’re looking to increase traffic to your blog, then you’ll want to write articles that are likely to rank high in Google search results.
To do this, you’ll need to ensure that your articles are well-optimized for the keywords that you’re targeting. You can do this by including the keywords in the title, headings and throughout the body of your article. However, you should avoid keyword stuffing as this will make your article difficult to read and could result in penalties from Google.
If you’re looking to build an email list, then you’ll want to write articles that offer something of value to readers such as a free downloadable resource. You can then include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your article encouraging readers to sign up to your email list.
And if you’re looking to sell products or services from your blog, then you’ll want to write articles that are designed to convert readers into customers. This means including strong calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your articles and ensuring that your sales page is easy to navigate.
No matter what your goals are, it’s important that you have a content plan in place so that you can ensure that all of your blog posts are working towards achieving them.
Using WordPress for your own blog
Starting a WordPress blog
Now that you know how to start a blog, the next step is to choose which platform you want to use. One of the most popular platforms for bloggers is WordPress. This is because it’s easy to use, has a lot of features and there are thousands of plugins and themes available.
If you’re not familiar with WordPress, then don’t worry as it’s actually very easy to use. Once you’ve installed WordPress on your hosting account, you can your WordPress dashboard and do all the customisation.
Here you’ll be able to add new posts, pages, images and videos as well as customize the appearance of your site. If you need any help, then there are plenty of tutorials and support forums available online.
Once you’ve got to grips with the basics of WordPress, you can then start adding plugins to your site. Plugins are pieces of software that add additional features to your WordPress site. There are plugins available for just about everything, from social media integration to eCommerce.
And if you want to change the appearance of your site, then you can do so by installing a new theme. WordPress themes control the look and feel of your site and there are thousands of themes available, both free and premium.
Choosing a domain name and hosting provider
Before you can start using WordPress, you’ll need to purchase a domain name and setup your web hosting account. Your domain name is the address of your website (e.g. www.example.com) and your web host account is where your website files will be stored.
There are a lot of domain name and hosting providers to choose from, so it’s important to take the time to find one that’s right for you. If you’re not sure where to start, then you can check out our guide to the best WordPress hosting providers.
Once you’ve found a provider that you’re happy with, you can then go ahead and purchase your domain name and hosting account. Once this has been set up, you can then install WordPress on your new site.
We have two recommendations for web hosting:
• Hostinger: A powerful budget option;
• Cloudways: Leveraging powerful cloud technologies;
Setting up a WordPress Theme
Now that you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to choose a WordPress theme. As mentioned earlier, themes control the look and feel of your site and there are thousands of themes available.
Free WordPress themes are a great option if you’re on a budget but keep in mind that they usually don’t come with as many features as premium themes.
When choosing a theme, it’s important to make sure that it’s well-designed and easy to use. It should also be compatible with the plugins that you want to use. It should come pre-built to be responsive so that it looks good on all devices. Finally, it should be low bloat and load fast (high-performance websites are better for search engine optimisation).
Must have WordPress plugins for blogging
There are tens of thousands of WordPress plugins available and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which ones you need.
Here are some essential plugins that we recommend for all WordPress blogs:
- Yoast SEO: Helps you optimise your blog posts for the search engines;
- WPForms: Lets you add forms and surveys to your website;
- Jetpack: Adds a lot of features and options to WordPress;
- Google Site Kit: Lets you see how your website is performing in Google Search Console and Analytics;
- Breeze: Speeds up your website by caching static files and eliminating bloat;
- W3 Total Cache: Another great caching plugin;
- Gravity Forms: Lets you create, publish and manage forms;
- Squirrly SEO: Optimises your blog posts for the search engines;
- Shortpixel: Helps you optimize your images for faster loading times.
Other blogging platforms
If you’re not sure about using WordPress, then you should look at another blogging platform like Webflow, Duda and Wix.
Webflow Blogging
Webflow is a website builder that allows you to create custom websites without having to code. It’s a great platform for those who want to create professional-looking blogs without any technical expertise.
Duda Blogging
Duda is another website builder that’s specifically designed for creating responsive websites. This means that your site will look great on all devices, from desktop computers to mobile phones.
Wix Blogging
Wix is a popular website builder that offers a range of features, including the ability to create a blog. It’s easy to use and you can get started with their free plan.
Choosing the right blogging platform is an important decision as it will affect how easy it is for you to use and how much control you have over your site. If you’re not sure which platform to use, then we recommend that you try out a few before making your final decision.
Linking up the Google tools
Google offers a range of tools that can be useful for bloggers, such as Google Analytics and Google Adsense.
Google Analytics is a free service that allows you to track the traffic to your site. This is useful as it allows you to see how many people are visiting your site and where they’re coming from.
Google Adsense is a program that allows you to place ads on your site and earn money from clicks. This is a great way to monetize your blog and generate some revenue.
There are other Google tools that you can use, such as Google Search Console and Google Webmaster Tools. These tools can help you to optimize your site for search engines and troubleshoot any issues that you’re having.
Creating your first blog post
Your first blog post will be a reflection on your entire blog so you want to choose a blog article that sets the scene.
When coming up with new blog post ideas, other bloggers create content that take into consideration the following:
- Your blog post should be well-written and informative.
- Your blog post should be Search Engine Optimized. This means using the right keywords and including them in the right places.
- Your blog post should be visually appealing. This means adding images, videos or infographics.
- Your blog post should be shareable. This means adding social media buttons to your blog so that people can share your content.
- Creating a great first blog post takes time and effort, but it’s worth it if you want to attract readers and get traffic to your site.
Having said all of that the first blog post is just the start of your journey. If you consider other blogs, you’ll find that the most important part of a successful blog is not any one blog topic but instead successful bloggers are such because they consistently produce blog topics.
With most things in marketing, consistency is key so you need to make sure that you build a blogging community that is excited to read your latest blog posts each week!
High-traffic content ideas for your blog post
There are certain content types that do really well in terms of both being engaging and getting organic traffic. When writing blog posts you should consider a blog post title that includes:
- Top # [products] for [service]
- Best [products] for [niche service]
- [Top product] alternatives
- [Top product 1] vs [Top product 2]
Also, one key element when creating a blog is the time that your readers spend on the page. It’s therefore important that you include media types (like video and voice) that engage your visitors and ensure they stay on your page for as long as possible.
One of the best tools that we have come across is Play.ht. It allows you to upload videos and audio content directly onto your blog without having to go through the hassle of embedding code. It also has an array of AI-generated voices so you can convert the text to speak without any time spent recording.
Writing the content
Now that you have chosen your platform and set up your blog, it’s time to start writing content.
The most important thing to remember when writing your blog is to be yourself. Write in your own voice and be authentic. This is what will make your blog stand out from the rest.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that your blog should be focused on providing value to your readers. Think about what you can offer them that other bloggers can’t. How can you help them? What information can you provide that will be useful to them?
It’s worth pointing out though that there are a load of tools that can help speed up the content creation process from AI blog generation to grammar and SEO tools.
Some of our favourite writing tools
Here are some tools that will be extremely helpful to you when starting a blog:
- Grammarly: This tool helps you to write error-free content. It will also help you to improve your grammar and spelling.
- Hemingway Editor: This tool is designed to make your writing clearer and easier to read. It will also help you to find and fix errors in your writing.
- SEOquake: This is a plugin for your web browser that provides you with key SEO metrics for any website or blog that you visit.
- Yoast SEO: This is a WordPress plugin that helps you to optimize your blog posts for search engines.
- Jasper.ai: This is an AI-powered content generation tool that can help you to come up with ideas for your blog posts.
- Surfer SEO: This is a tool that helps you to find the best keywords to target for your blog posts. It allows you to maximise your on-page search engine optimization by filling your blog with an array of relevant keywords.
Managing the SEO of your blog today
As you start writing blog posts, it is important to consider the SEO of your blog. This means making sure that your blog post is optimized for search engines so that people can easily find it when they are searching for information on the internet.
There are a number of things that you can do to optimize your blog post for SEO. Here are some of the most important:
- Choose a catchy and relevant headline – This is the first thing that people will see when they come across your blog post so make sure that it’s interesting and engaging.
- Use keywords throughout your blog post – Use relevant keywords throughout your blog post so that search engines can easily index it and people can find it when they are searching for information on the internet.
- Link to other relevant blog posts – Linking to other relevant blog posts on your blog will help to improve the SEO of your blog as well as provide value to your readers.
- Use images and videos – Including images and videos in your blog post will make it more engaging and can also help to improve its SEO.
- Ensure you have a site map – A site map is a file that contains a list of all the pages on your website. This helps search engines to index your website more easily.
- Fill out your metadata – Your metadata is the information that appears in the head section of your blog post. This includes things like your title, description and keywords.
- Add ALT Tags – ALT tags are used to describe the images on your website. This helps search engines to index your images and also provides information for people who are visually impaired.
- Make sure your pages load fast – Pages that load quickly are more likely to rank higher in search engines. Use tools like GTmetrix to check out your page speed loading times.
There are SEO tools that we’d highly recommend that you look at, including:
- Moz: This is a paid tool that provides you with a range of features to help you improve the SEO of your blog, including keyword research and link building.
- SEMRush: This is another paid tool that provides you with a range of features to help you improve the SEO of your blog, including keyword research, competitor analysis, and site auditing.
- Ahrefs: This is a paid tool that provides you with a range of features to help you improve the SEO of your blog, including keyword research and link building.
Getting some backlinks
One of the most important things you can do for the SEO of your blog is to get some backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites that link to your website. They act as a vote of confidence from other websites and help to improve your ranking in search engines. There are a number of ways to get backlinks, including:
- Guest blogging – This involves writing a blog post for another website in exchange for a link back to your website.
- Breaking newsjacking – This involves writing a blog post about a breaking news story and then including a link to your website.
- Resource page links – This involves reaching out to websites that have resource pages and asking them to include a link to your website.
- Infographic links – This involves creating an infographic and then reaching out to other websites and asking them to include a link to your website.
- Purchase backlinks – You can also purchase backlinks from websites. However, you must be careful where you are getting these from. Avoid link farms. A good marketplace for you to consider is NO-BS Marketplace.
Monetising your blog
Once you have built up a decent amount of traffic to your blog, you may want to start thinking about ways to monetise it. There are a number of ways that you can do this, including:
- Affiliate marketing – This involves promoting products or services on your blog and earning a commission for every sale that you generate.
- Selling digital products – This involves selling products such as ebooks, courses or templates on your blog.
- Selling physical products – This involves selling physical products on your blog.
- Accepting sponsorships – This involves finding companies who are willing to pay you to promote their products or services on your blog.
- Creating and selling membership sites – This involves creating a website where people can sign up and pay a monthly fee to access exclusive content.
- Running ads – This involves running advertisements on your blog. The most common way to do this is through Google Adsense or Ezoic.
Selling the site
Once your blog has developed a good amount of traffic, you may want to sell it. The best marketplace for this is Flippa. Alternatively, you can also reach out to companies that may be interested in acquiring your blog.
In order to get a good price, you need to calculate the value of your site, which is typically done as a multiplier of monthly revenue (35X). With that in mind, you should illustrate consistency with regard to the monthly income.
Potential buyers will request a variety of information, including Google Analytics access and proof of income via screenshots of your ads and affiliate income.
The other important element is that buyers don’t see that you are giving up on the site. Traffic and revenue should be trending upwards not down.
FAQs for How to Start a Blog in 2022
Is it worth starting blog in 2022?
Yes, it is worth starting a blog in 2022. Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It can also be a great way to connect with like-minded people, build an audience for your business or brand, and even make some money.
How long should blog posts be in 2022?
In general, blog posts should be around 700-1000 words in length. However, there is no hard and fast rule and you can write shorter or longer posts depending on your topic and audience.
How do a choose my blog’s niche?
When choosing a niche for your blog, it’s important to consider what you’re passionate about and what you have expertise in. It’s also important to think about what your target audience would be interested in reading about. Finally, if you want to create a profitable blog, you want to marry up a topic that has some search traffic without having a high level of competition.
Can I start a blog for free and make money?
Yes, you can start a blog for free and make money. There are a number of ways to monetize your blog, such as placing ads, affiliate marketing, or selling products and services.
Is it free to write a blog?
Yes, it is free to write a blog. You can set up a blog on a free blogging site like WordPress.com or Medium. However, if you want more control over your blog and to make money from it, then we recommend that you self-host your own blog. For example, you can create self-hosted WordPress site.
How do I start a blog and get traffic?
There are a number of ways to start a blog and get traffic. You can promote your blog on social media, search engines, or other websites. You can also run ads or use other marketing strategies to attract visitors to your site.
What are the benefits of blogging?
Some of the benefits of blogging include building an audience, improving your writing skills, connecting with like-minded people, and making money.
What are the best web hosting companies?
There are a number of great web hosting companies out there and a variety of different technologies you can choose. If you are looking for a WordPress blogging platform then you should choose a provider that allows you to setup a new WordPress blog with a click of a button. Our top picks for this are Hostinger and Cloudways.
Is a self-hosted WordPress blog better?
A self-hosted WordPress blog gives you more control over your blog and how it looks. It’s also much easier to make money from your blog as you can install digital products like Adsense and Ezoic.
How do I make my blog successful?
There is no one guaranteed path to success with blogging. However, some tips for making your blog successful include choosing a blog niche topic, promoting your blog on social media and other websites, and writing interesting and engaging content.
How do I make money from my blog in 2022?
There are a number of ways to make money from your blog, such as placing ads, affiliate marketing, or selling products and services.
Can you make money blogging without ads?
Yes, you can make money blogging without ads. There are a number of ways to monetize your blog, such as affiliate marketing or selling products and services.
What is the best platform to start a blog on in 2022?
There is no one best platform to start a blog on in 2022. However, some popular blogging platforms include WordPress, Webflow, Duda and Wix.
How can I come up with blog post ideas?
There are a number of ways to come up with blog post ideas. You can brainstorm ideas on your own, use a content calendar or editorial calendar, or use a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner.
Can I get a free domain name for a blog online?
There are a number of free domains for blogs online, which are usually subdomains of a large domain like medium.com. However, if you want to make money from your blog, then we recommend that you self-host your own blog and use a paid custom domain.
Should start blogging?
If you’re thinking about starting a blog, then the answer is yes! Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It can also be a great way to connect with like-minded people, build an audience for your business or brand, and even make some money.