So you want to know how to start a blog?

With the world constantly changing and evolving, more and more people realize the benefits of creating other sources of income related to their passions. And what better way to do that than through blogging?

Starting a Wordpress blog can be a fantastic opportunity if you have extra time, want to write about your interests, or want to make some extra cash with the hopes that it may someday lead to a business endeavor.

A common online narrative is that blogging involves writing a few blog posts, and you'll be rich. But, unfortunately, any online business takes work, including running a blog.

These seven actionable steps will walk you through creating a blog that can eventually earn $1,000 or more monthly. Following these steps, you can set up your entire blog in under an hour.

Start a Blog Quick-Start Guide

1. Familiarize yourself with these standard blogging terms.

• Platform: Where you produce blog content and edit your blog online. All serious bloggers use a self-hosted WordPress blog.
• Web Hosting: Storage space for your blog – similar to the cloud for your smartphone's data.
• Domain: The unique web address to find your blog, such as Wealthofgeeks.com.
•  

1. Start by brainstorming topics to help you determine your blog's primary focus. This is also when you should choose your blog name (and domain name.)
2. Secure hosting for your WordPress blog with BigScoots in just a few clicks; this will also get you a free domain name.
3. Set up your WordPress blog and download the essential plugins.
4. Set up your Google Analytics account and Google Search Console with “Site Kit.”
5. Complete some basic website design. But don't waste much time here – a free WordPress theme is all you need to start.
6. Write a handful of blog posts and prepare them to “go live.”
7. Research and learn to write for search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the chances of search engines ranking your blog posts.
8. Learn to stand out by writing solid content and following a consistent schedule.
9. Market, market, market your blog! Spend 80% of your time marketing your blog.
10. Last but not least, monetize your blog to make money blogging.

How to Start a Blog in 2023 in 8 Simple Steps

1. What's Your Blogging Idea?

The first step in starting your blog is choosing the topic of your blog.

Before you can start making an extra $100, $500, or $1,000 plus blogging, you'll need to figure out what you'll write about.

What Do You Enjoy?

Asking yourself this question can be the best way to determine what you want to blog about.

There are elements of blogging that can be tedious. However, if you are passionate about your topic or enjoy something in life, writing about it several times a week can be much easier.

If you're feeling stuck, try these tips to help you identify a topic to blog about:

1. Write down hobbies or things you enjoy
2. Write down a list of 5 passions you have
3. Don't worry about it being “too specific”– choosing and sticking to a specific niche is your best option for growing a profitable blog.

You can always expand down the road, but a big mistake most new bloggers make is trying to blog about a little of everything. The more specific, the better when starting out.

Stick to specific topics when writing articles, like “stand-up paddle boarding,” but not too small, like “Alaskan stand-up paddle boarders,” or too broad, like “water sports.”

Research Your Topic To Generate Article Ideas

Once you have a solid idea, search on Google to see what else exists. For the sake of this article, we will use the niche blogging topic: Stand Up Paddle Boarding.

Using a keyword tool called Ahrefs tells me how often people search for this keyword.

As you can see, Stand Up Paddle Boarding gets quite a few search hits every month, and the competition is relatively easy (KD means keyword density). This means there is interest in the topic, but not many people are writing about it.

On the contrary, if you were to write about investing – the competition would be way higher! That doesn't mean you can't create a successful investing blog; it just means there is no truly original idea, and more challenging topics require more effort.

Niche blogging is the best when you start out because you want to be seen as an expert on the topic you write about. As your blogging journey moves ahead, you can expand your content as your domain authority grows (DA simply means how authoritative your website is on a scale of 0-100).

2. Pick a Blog Domain Name & Get Hosting

Picking a Blog and Domain Name

If you don't already have a blog and domain name in mind, try this exercise.

Take a piece of paper, and write your blog topic at the top.

Brain dump any names you like for your blog idea, keeping them at 2-3 words max. For example, since we are talking about SUP Boarding, ideas might include:

• SUP Board Guy
• Your SUP Board
• The SUP Board BLOG (TSBB)
• Paddle Board Adventures
• Lakeside SUP Board

You get the point – short, sweet, and memorable!

Once you have your domain name idea, type it in a search bar to ensure it's not taken. Chances are it won't be, but it could be, so play it safe and have a backup. You can also use blog name generator tools (this is apparently how Post Malone got his rapper name – with a rap name generator online.)

Pro Tip: Avoid choosing a super long domain name, as it can be confusing for your reader and challenging to brand.

Once you have a domain name, you can secure hosting for your blog and download and automatically install WordPress.

Need a logo? You can easily create your own logo when starting out using a design tool called Canva.

Get Hosting with BigScoots

Most serious bloggers use WordPress as their blogging platform while hosting can vary.

For starters, BigScoots is your best bet because you're able to:

• Get hosting in just a few clicks
• Get your domain name with BigScoots
• Download WordPress (included)
• Secure your blog with an SSL (HTTPS)

1. To host your blog on BigScoots, hover over select products and select ‘shared hosting.' Complete the steps and choose the 105cc plan since you won't need unlimited domains

2. Choose your domain name (the names you decided on in the previous step – short, catchy, and niche specific). You can register a new domain or transfer one you already own.

3. Fill out the basic contact info and then checkout. It's that simple to set up hosting. To help you understand why you need a hosting company, think of hosting as your blog's cloud storage and support. This is essential since you're new to blogging.

Pro Tip: Do not use a platform like Wix for your blog. Wix is an excellent option for DIY websites for small businesses but not for scaling and growing a profitable blog. If you want to monetize your blog, use the WordPress blogging platform.

3. Create Your WordPress Blog

Once your site is set up with hosting, you'll also need to set up WordPress so you can run and manage your blog.

The WordPress dashboard can feel intimidating for beginners, but it's easy to pick up once you begin. Everything you need is on the left, and you will slowly familiarize yourself with everything WP offers.

Here is a quick rundown of some of the most important menu options you'll want to familiarize yourself with:

• Posts: Accessed on the left-side toolbar or across the top. This is where you will add new blog posts and access drafts.
• Media: Upload photos and videos for your blog articles.
• Comments: Where you will manage any comments you receive on your blog posts.
• Appearance: Choose your theme, customize your blog's look, and create your menu(s).
• Plugins: Tools you can add to your blog. Think of these almost like “apps” for your site as you have on your phone.
• Settings: Make changes in time zone, how blog posts are displayed, etc.

Creating Your Blog

Chances are you've never designed a website.

Don't freak out; it is not that difficult. Typically, you will learn over time and through some trial and error. So here's a deep dive through the WordPress sections you'll use to get your website to look and function the way you want.

Add a Theme

Navigate to Appearance » Themes

Here you can search for free WordPress themes and premium themes using the feature search options to help you find a suitable theme.

If you're brand new to WordPress, your best bet is to start with a free theme and switch to a paid theme once you have a better idea of the specific features you're looking for and feel more comfortable with blog design.

Create Pages

Once you have selected your theme, you will want to add some pages to your site.

Navigate to Pages » Add New

Here you can create various types of pages for your website, including:

• About
• Home
• Contact
• Recommended
• Privacy
• Disclosure
• And more…

Recommended pages every site should include:

• A custom ‘Home Page' – The theme you choose should have one built-in; you just need to customize it with your information and colors.
• A transparent ‘About' page – Allows you to show your reader what your site has to offer. You can also include personal details in an effort to connect with your audience.
• A simple ‘Contact' page – Your theme likely also includes a contact page template.
• A ‘Privacy/Disclosure page' – Informs your reader about the type of information your site may collect and how it is used; your site must have this page.

Create Your Menu(s)

Setting up your blog's menu can sometimes seem tricky, as there are different types of menus to choose from. For your blog's primary menu, you will want to have something simple; here is the Wealth of Geeks menu:

Under each option is a drop-down allowing you to create and edit your menu by dragging and dropping the options from your sidebar. For example, as you can see below, ‘Money' drops into ‘Make More Money,' ‘Pay Off Debt,' and ‘Saving Money.'

Navigate to Appearance » Menus

Create categories to organize your future content. These categories can be added to your menu to help your reader navigate your site.

Adjust Your Settings

Navigate to Settings » General

Here you will enter the title of your blog and a tagline. A tagline is optional and can be changed at any time.

Referring back to our example, here is the information we would enter:

Blog Title: SUP Board Guy

Tagline: Water Adventures & SUP Board Advice

Next, ensure your email is correct and adjust your time zone.

Navigate to Settings » Reading

Typically, you want a static Home Page to showcase your best posts or categories for readers. Another option is to display your most recent posts, including a summary for each post – not the full text.

Navigate to Settings » Permalinks

Double-check and make sure your permalinks – the ‘slug' are set to post name and do not include dates.

Using Widgets

Plugins and Widgets are why all pro bloggers use WordPress; over time, you will want to familiarize yourself with widgets.

For now, know you can customize your sidebar here,

Navigate to Appearance » Widgets

You don't need to spend much time here, but using widgets will eventually allow you to do some serious customization.

Design Mistakes to Avoid

It's easy to get sucked into trying to make your blog just right – this is a trap. You can have the most beautiful blog that nobody reads if the content stinks.

Get your blog set up and functioning properly, then spend most of your time creating content. Once you are making money from your blog, you can pay someone to design your site to your exact specifications.

4. Create Killer Content

In the blogging world, the most important thing to remember is that your content must focus on your reader. Gone are the days when moms blog about their daily activities. Instead, current-day blogging means helping your reader solve a problem.

Identify Your Avatar

Identifying your avatar – or ideal reader – helps you envision who you're writing for. So grab a sheet of paper and jot down the demographics of your ideal reader.

Include things like:

• Sex
• Age range
• Interests
• Income level
• Education level
• Potential views and values

In our example of stand-up paddleboarding, we want to identify the ideal reader of a paddleboard blog. You can go deeper into this and look into things like the characteristics of paddleboarders, where paddleboarders typically live, etc.

Once you have a complete picture of your avatar, you can start brainstorming content!

Brainstorming Content Ideas

Start by answering the “Who, What, Where, When, and How” questions of your blog topic. This should generate enough content ideas to keep you busy for a while!

For example, for a paddleboarding blog, you could write about the following:

• How to paddleboard for beginners
• Where to paddleboard in your area
• Who is paddle boarding for
• When is the best time to paddleboard
• Best SUP Boards for 2023
• SUP Board Water to Avoid
• What is Stand-Up Paddle Boarding

Pro Tip: Create a simple Google Sheet to organize your content ideas.

• You can always go back and add search volume and other info
• Also, look for ways to show your creative side by writing “Original Content.”

Where blogging differs from traditional media norms is the conversational tone and individual perspective that mainstream media companies can't offer.

Do Keyword Research

Keywords are not something you should overwhelm yourself with at first, but finding around 50 quality keywords to write about is a solid goal when you start your blog.

Here are a few tips for finding keywords:

1. Use What Google Gives You

Google will give you “clues” of good keywords if you know how to find them. Head to Google and type in a common term like ‘stand-up paddleboarding.'

Scroll down through the results to the ‘People also ask” and ‘Searches Related.' These sections will give you around 10+ keywords to use.

2. Look at Other Slugs

This isn't the easiest way, and in some blogging, circles may be frowned upon, but looking at other articles' slugs can often give a good indication of the keyword the author is targeting.

A slug is the series of words after your website name that identifies your article. For example, this blog post's slug is how-to-start-a-blog. And the keyword is also ‘how to start a blog.'

While there are better ways to do keyword research than this, it is a quick way to find a keyword for a few post ideas.

Pro Tip: Keep your slugs short and sweet; the purpose is not to include your entire title, simply to inform Google what your post is about.

3. Use Ahrefs for Keyword Research

Eventually, you will want to use Ahrefs to do advanced keyword research. Here at Wealth of Geeks, we think it is best to go big or go home!

Ahrefs is your one-stop shop for analyzing your blog's data, finding keywords, and tracking your blog's growth. To learn more, visit Ahrefs.com.

5. Five Rules for Writing Blog Posts

Set a goal to craft 5-10 quality blog posts before making your blog live for the world to see.

This will help you launch your blog on the right foot instead of feeling like you need to “keep up with content.” While this is not a hard and fast rule, having some content for your readers to view when your blog makes its online debut is essential.

Take the time to write quality content instead of rushing to publish.

Pro Tip: Download the free Rank Math Data plugin before writing any blog posts. This plugin allows you to enter important information that will help your SEO.

5 Rules to Creating Killer Content

Navigate to All Posts » Add New

Begin by creating a ‘working title,' including your main keyword, if possible. Of course, you can always change your title later, especially if it's a list and you are unsure of the number of items that will be included.

Next, scroll down to the Rank Math section, and complete the following fields:

• Enter your focus keyword, in this case, “best SUP board.”
• Next, click “General” to enter your title, edit your slug to include your keyword, and add a meta description (the snippet below search results in Google) that includes your keyword.
• When finished, X out of the Snippet Editor and write your blog post.

Get in the habit of completing this short task list for every blog post you create.

Rule 1: Create Your Post Structure

High school and college English classes teach you to brainstorm and create an outline before writing. The same goes for your blog.

Most readers will not read your blog post word for word; instead, they will skim, using the headings to stop, read for a moment, then continue scanning.

Headlines are essential for blog posts as they break up blocks of text for readers and inform them what to expect in each section.

In addition:

• H1 is used only for your title and should not be used within the body of your blog post
• H2s are used as subheadings
• H3s, H4s, and H5s can be used to break up and further define the sections below your H2s
• On average, you want to have 150-250 words between headings, with around 200 being ideal

Begin by creating an outline using headings to help guide and structure your writing, working your keyword into headings where appropriate.

Rule 2: Writing in Blog Style

Writing a blog post is conversational and less formal than a journalistic writing style.

Blog posts typically:

1. Use a conversational tone
2. Will be at least 1,000 words, but always aim for 1,500+
3. Don't require indenting
4. Have paragraphs of 1-2 sentences to make them easier to read

Add bullets or numeric lists to help break up text and highlight steps you want your readers to take.

Rule 3: Quality Writing is Key

Which option would be most valuable to your blog: 50 amazing blog posts or 500 average-quality posts?

The answer is 50.

50 high-quality blog posts with good keywords written to help your reader solve a specific problem are much more valuable to your blog than 500 poorly written posts focused on you and your opinions.

However, when it comes to a quality blog that makes you money, it all starts with unique, authoritative content. Think of writing blog posts that:

1. Answer questions or problems for readers
2. Are transparent and authoritative
3. Are written about a topic people are searching for

This doesn't mean you must write like John Grisham or Maya Angelou, but stay focused on your niche – like paddle boards.

Developing a strong SUP board readership would be difficult if the blog also discussed hiking, running, and cycling.

While it may not be a bad idea, in the long run, to introduce other topics related to water sports once your blog grows, staying focused and having quality content is the key to reaching that point.

Rule 4: Killer Headlines

Many WordPress blogs have built-in headline analyzer tools to help you craft killer headlines while writing. If yours does not, try using one of these headline analyzer tools to help you create excellent, clickable titles for your blog posts:

1. CoSchedule
2. Monster Insights

A few words can make a huge difference. Just look at this simple example below:

When plugging these titles into a headline analyzer tool, headline one, “10 Stand Up Paddle Board Tricks,” scored a 42. However, when the phrases “awesome” and “for beginners” were added to headline two, the score increased to 71.

Buzzfeed has created an empire using super catchy headlines that grab readers' attention. Once a reader lands on your blog, you increase the chances of them subscribing to your email list and reading more posts on your site.

Rule 5: Before You Hit Publish

Here are some helpful tips for publishing your blog posts:

• Schedule your post: When you hit publish, you can choose a date and time to schedule your post to automatically publish a future time.
• Set a publishing schedule: Choose how often you want to publish new blog posts and stick to your schedule to remain consistent.
• Categorize: Be sure to choose the most appropriate category for your blog post, as this determines where your post is displayed on your site and helps Google understand what your post is about. Be sure not to confuse categories with tags. In recent years, tags have been deemed virtually useless and can clutter up your post.
• Include a featured image: Ensure you correctly complete each field when uploading your image.
  • Alt Text: Describe what the image shows in a few words. Visually-impaired people use a special program that uses the alt text to explain what is in the image.
  • Title: The image title will be imported automatically when you upload your image. You can edit the title in this field.
  • Caption: If you want to use captions on your blog images, you can enter them in this field.
  • Description: Use this field to enter a few descriptive words about your image. This field is searchable, so you can easily find images using the text in the description.

Pro Tip: Avoid using free stock images whenever possible, as there are many scams and opportunities for people to take legal action against you for using images you do not have the proper license to use. Take your own images when starting out until you can afford to pay for a stock photo subscription.

6. Monetize Your Blog

Monetizing your blog means earning revenue from your blog. While building and developing a solid monetization strategy takes time and effort, you can start earning money early in your blogging journey.

Some of the most common forms of monetizing a blog include:

• Ads
• Affiliate marketing
• Sponsorships
• Email marketing
• Selling products & services

Ads

Putting ads on your site is a passive way to generate money with your blog. However, because placing ads on your site can significantly alter the user experience, you want to be strategic.

Many new bloggers will over-saturate their brand-new blogs with ads, hindering their long-term growth.

For most, making substantial money from ads only happens once you have at least 10,000 monthly pageviews, but ideally, more like 20,000. There are numerous ad companies you can work with to advertise on your blog, whether it be a starter network like Google Adsense or a premium network like Mediavine.

Affiliate Marketing

Have you ever seen a web link for a product endorsed by a celebrity? That is called affiliate marketing.

By promoting other people's products with an exclusive link, you receive a commission when a reader clicks on that link and then purchases a product or service. As a result, affiliate marketing can be an extremely profitable way to monetize your blog.

An example of affiliate marketing would be if you wrote an article like this:

“The 10 Best Paddle Boards for This Summer”

Suppose you are a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program, and you link to each board with your unique Amazon affiliate links. Someone purchases one of the boards after reading about it in your article and clicking the link. In that case, you will receive a commission from Amazon.

The strategy behind affiliate marketing is not to be super pushy or to come across as spammy.

Here are a few monetization strategies for your blog using affiliate marketing:

1. Find products you like, research if they have an affiliate program, and apply.
2. Use a free WordPress plugin like Pretty Links to manage your affiliate links.
3. Write an authoritative blog post reviewing the item and include your affiliate links in the post.
4. Share the article with your readers via email and social media.
5. As your blog grows, review which blog posts perform best and add affiliate links to these posts.
6. Always add an affiliate link disclosure to your blog that is visible on every page and informs the reader that the article they are reading contains affiliate links.

This is an example of a must-have disclosure:

The cool thing about affiliate links is that, unlike ads, you don't need massive traffic to make money with them.

Sponsorships

A sponsored post is a blog post that is “sponsored” by a company or brand. They pay you to create a blog post about their products or services to drive sales.

Sticking with our stand-up paddle board theme:

Let's say a SUP Board company reaches out and asks you to write a review on their board. Once your blog has some traction and a decent email list, you could charge this company anywhere from $200 all the way up to $1,000 to write this blog post for your site, making this a “sponsored post” or “sponsorship.”

You can also increase your sponsorship income by adding additional incentives like emailing the post to your email subscribers, sharing it on your social media channels, and promoting the post for a specific amount of time, all of which is negotiable.

Email Marketing

Building an email is the best way to communicate with your audience. Whether you want to share your new posts, offer them helpful tips, or tell them about your favorite products (including affiliate links, of course.)

Email marketing is a massive topic that cannot be adequately covered in this post. However, the basic idea is to incentivize your readers to subscribe to your email list, allowing you to grow your community – and income – through the emails you send to them.

Selling Products and Services

Many bloggers eventually offer their own products and services to their audience directly on their site, via their email newsletters, or on their social media pages.

You may choose to create digital products, physical products or offer a service like coaching, mentoring, etc.

7. Optimize for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Evergreen traffic is a term you'll likely hear repeatedly in the blogosphere.

When you think of an evergreen tree, it is green year-round. The goal with your blog is to have a few evergreen blog posts that drive organic traffic to your blog year-round.

Organic traffic is the holy grail because it leads to more pageviews, shares, and email subscribers.

SEO is another vast topic essential to building a successful blog over time.

Building a blog that drives organic traffic is easier said than done, but the process is simple:

• Craft high-quality blog posts with proper metadata and drive links to this post.

In a nutshell, optimizing your blog for search engine optimization purposes is a delicate blend between;

• On-page SEO – The layout of your blog's menu, the quality of blog posts, and the metadata on your website
• Off-page SEO – The links from other websites that link back to your site

These are the primary ways to build your organic presence. Sure, there are technical aspects you'll learn more about as time goes on, but publishing great content and driving links to your blog posts will help you build a strong SEO foundation.

Simple On-Page SEO Checklist

Use these strategies for on-page SEO:

• Alt tag for images
• Focus keywords in alt tags
• Meta description for every post
• Slug for every post
• Footer has site map

Content Design:

• Meet the Google EAT standards = content that shows you are an expert, authoritative, and can build trust.
• Never use AI writing (avoid Chat GPT)
• Optimized title, appropriate headings, and NLP writing style
• Word count for the blog post (for example, this post needs to be 7,000 + words, but not every blog post needs to be that large – most are 1500-1700 words).
• Internal linking structure and external links (Link Whisperer is a fantastic tool for this).
• Remember to never keyword stuff.
• Don't double content; 301 redirect the content if you have duplicate content.
• 200-225 words per section between headings.
• Optimize your blog for mobile reading by breaking up paragraphs for mobile and using bullets and infographics.

Simple Off-Page SEO Checklist

Use these strategies for off-page SEO:

• White hat SEO only – hacks may work short-term, but they never work longterm
• To build links, do guest posts, review posts, and ask for links within a network. Use the same 4-5 links for your TOP posts only (don't try to get links for every post, instead focus)
• Youtube, Reddit with seven votes, thrive, mix, pins, and socials can help with getting links as well
• Reach out to other bloggers
• Sign-up for HARO emails – an effective way to get authoritative backlinks

Technical SEO & Google Site Kit

You will want to utilize Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Use the Google Site Kit plugin and follow the prompts to connect your WordPress blog to Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These are tools designed to help you process your blog's user data and give you actionable insight.

In addition, this will ensure your blog is indexed by Google. This means your content will appear on search engine result pages (SERPs). You can use Google's guides to learn how to optimize your blog on what is referred to as “Technical SEO.”

8. Be Consistent

You hear it constantly, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.”

That cliche may be played out, but when it comes to starting a blog, it couldn't be more accurate. There are undoubtedly quicker and easier ways to make money that won't require as much time or effort, such as a part-time job or driving for Uber.

Pursuing other side hustles may be your best bet if you need money now.

However, if you understand that blogging is similar to training for a marathon, you will learn that it takes time to get the ball rolling. Once you gain momentum, it will keep growing and growing.

Becoming a successful blogger requires managing expectations to avoid frustration and burnout.

Find a Community

Blogging can be a lonely gig, but it doesn't have to be. For some, spending hours each week writing on your laptop alone can get lonely. So finding a group of like-minded people that will challenge you to learn and grow is essential.

Most successful bloggers will tell you that networking is crucial and investing in yourself and your business is a must. Whether you're new to the blogging game or you've been around for a while, the Insiders blogging mastermind group offers a comfortable online environment to grow your blog, increase your revenue, and feel supported by like-minded people.

Sign Up for the 3-Month Trial Membership for Only $3

Market Your Blog

The secret most successful bloggers don't share is that they are good at marketing their blogs.

Various ways to market your blog include:

• Organic search
• Email
• Social media
• Guest posts/round-ups
• Reddit and other forums

Imagine having the most incredible blog that offers readers some of the most authoritative content, but no one ever lands on the blog to read the content.

Optimizing your blog for organic search and contacting other bloggers open to accepting guest posts is a good place to start.

Blogging is a Mindset

You won't get it all today, tomorrow, or next week. But purchasing a hosting plan and domain name is a good way to hold yourself to your commitment.

Learning how to blog is a lot of trial and error. Focus on writing two high-quality posts weekly; in three months, you will have 24-30 posts on your site. You will also have gained much knowledge and understand the best way to use your time.

Even if you don't have much time to work on your blog, remaining consistent in your efforts will pay off in the long run.

The Blogging Roller Coaster

Above all, it's important to remember that blogging is a long-term game, which, unfortunately, tends to go against our short-term desires. So avoid looking at blogging as a short-term fix for your financial needs but rather as a long-term solution.

You will experience the “roller coaster” at some point in your blogging journey or the emotional cycle of change below.

You will experience every emotion on the chart above. However, you must be aware of the “Valley of Despair.” You will inevitably get here after a few months of blogging, and you will inevitably question if all your hard work has been worth it.

This point is critical to push through because, often, you are that close.

1. Starting a successful blog is not too complicated to learn, but that doesn't mean it's easy.
2. Start with Bigscoots to get your domain name, secure website, hosting, and WordPress for under $100 when you use this link.

Here is to scaling and making money with your new blog!

How to Start a Blog FAQ:

How do you start a blog?

To start a blog, just follow these simple steps:

1. Get hosting to create a self-hosted WordPress blog
2. Choose your domain name & activate your SSL
3. Download WordPress and customize your WordPress dashboard
4. Get your blog theme customized
5. Write your first blog post
6. Grow your following, email list, and social media channels

How do you become a blogger and get paid?

Blogs are monetized in different ways, including ads, sponsorship deals, affiliate links, or email campaigns. Most monetization strategies call for enough traffic to your blog posts to result in earning income. This is why creating quality blog posts and building a following is vital.

How long does it take to start a blog?

You can start a blog in about an hour. Of course, growing your blog is an entirely different answer, but you can get your blog set up in about 30-60 minutes. Customizing your blog's look and feel will take longer, depending on the style.

Is designing a blog hard for beginners?

You can design a blog in a day with free WordPress themes and a little bit of patience. You can also use our step-by-step guide in this article under Step 3 with any blog setup. Once you install WordPress, you can use plugins and widgets to customize the look of your site. Refer to the WordPress dashboard options to learn more about menus, customization, widgets, etc.

How long should a new blog post be?

In general, most blog posts ranking on the first page of Google will average 1700 words. Typically, we adhere to the standard of 1,200 to 2,000 words per blog post.

Do I have to have blog hosting?

Yes, a hosting plan is a must. You have to have a host for your blog to store all of your content, media, and so on. Of all the blogging platforms, most people use a self-hosted WordPress blog. Most web hosting comes with a free domain name as well.

When is the best time to start blogging?

Anytime is the best time! Website traffic usually dips around Christmas and July, but there is no ideal time to start a blogging business. 

Will my first blog post be good?

Many new bloggers wonder if their first blog post will be good; the honest answer is probably not. But that is 100% OK because you'll get better in time. Much like your first golf round wasn't pretty or riding a bike for the first time isn't perfect, the same goes for your new blog.

Should I use a free blog platform?

Never use a free blog platform unless it is a personal blog and you don't intend to generate revenue. Most people who want to create a blog that can make them money will want to use WordPress and host with a reputable company like BigScoots.

Where should I start a blog at?

Hands down, all serious bloggers looking to start a blog will do so on WordPress, setting up a self-hosted blog. WordPress is the top blogging platform, and if your goal is to make money blogging, this is where you need to be.

How to start a blog – is it easy or hard?

To start a WordPress blog, the initial setup is pretty simple to semi-confusing. If you are using this step-by-step guide on how to start a blog, follow it from Step 1 through Step 8, and you should find it pretty straightforward.

How do you manage your content and plan?

There are content calendars and tools you can use to plan your blog posts, but many bloggers use Google Docs to write their posts and keep things organized. Similar to how you can find free themes for your new blog, you can use free tools like Google Docs and Google Sheets to help you run your blog.

Where can I find blog content ideas?

There are a lot of ways to find blog content ideas online like following other bloggers in your niche, doing keyword research, and using search engines. Search engine result pages, aka SERPs will often display a list of similar searches and frequently asked questions you can then use to brainstorm new blog posts.

How many blog pages should I start a blog with?

When you start a blog, it's best practice to create the following blog pages:

• Home page
• About page
• Contact page
• Privacy/Disclosure page
• Blog page

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.