The ultimate guide to starting a blog for beginners [2023]

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the disclosure for more info!

I was in the same boat before. It can be confusing or even scary trying to start your first blog. There were so many question marks in my head.

I will walk you through the process to set up WordPress. You will also find step by step, the easiest way possible, to build a successful blog.

By the end of the guide, you will have a functional and beautiful blog. I hope I can get you ready for the next step of blogging – Monetize your blog.

And the good news is, you don’t have to be an expert to get started. You just need to be passionate about your topic, and willing to learn, share experience and knowledge. You will become an expert.

That’s why people read blogs.

They want to read personal experience or opinion.

They want to know your journey to become an expert.

Sometimes, they want to know your progress to failure. A good example was the (now removed blog) IamFacingForeClosure.com by Casey Serin.

Nobody loves reading an academic textbook. Just start writing and sharing what you know.

Right, I can start a blog, but should I?

Here are a few reasons why you should start a blog:

#1 Writing is a healthy and beneficial activity

There are several benefits to writing:

• It could improve your memory, keep your brain active and healthy.
• You will communicate clearly, and learn to express yourself better.
• Writing could reduce stress as it creates a state similar to meditation.
• You will do more research, learning, and be more productive.

#2 Make Money Online

Blogging could be a side hustle for you. You could make good side income via advertising and affiliate marketing.

Besides, it has a great potential of turning into a full-fledged online business. Affiliate marketing is a proven online business model. It is the business model that enables top bloggers to make nice profit online.

#3 Gain recognition of your brand

By producing helpful content, it could help to build trust and recognition of your brand.

#4 Your blog is an online real estate you own.

Your blog or website could be one of your most valuable online assets. Its value increases over time. Like I mentioned before, your blog can turn into an income-generating business for you.

The Ultimate Guide to starting a blog for beginners

How to choose a niche for your blog?

Here are some ideas that you can use to choose a niche:

#1 Things that you are keen to learn

What are the things that you want to learn? What is the topic that you would like to become an expert on? This is the topic that will keep you inspired and pushing yourself to learn.

#2 Start from your hobby

It is easier to work in a niche that you enjoy like a hobby. Think about something that you have some knowledge and like to do, but not necessarily an expert. You can blog about your journey to become an expert.

#3 What is your strength or specialty?

Think about something that you are pretty good at doing. Again, you don’t need to be an expert. Just an area or activity that you have knowledge and skill to do a good job.

Or

What are the things that your friends or family might come to you to ask for advice about? For example, you might be good at taking care of your garden at home, and growing a perfect lawn, etc.

You can build a blog around it. It is likely that there are people who might need your advice as well.

#4 What do you spend time researching?

What is something that you have spent time research?

You might have identified gaps or something that others don’t. For example, you might have spent time researching how to do a DIY home renovation and found some tools or tricks.

Hint: Check your google search history, amazon search history, to see what you have been researching.

The task for you: Make a cup of coffee, and think about your niche.

Still wondering if your niche is worth taking? Check out my Guide On How To Choose A Niche For Your Blog.

After we have selected a niche for our blog, it is time for the next step — Choosing a blogging platform.

Over the years, I have blogged on different platforms such as Blogspot, Medium, and Tumblr, etc. My number 1 choice is self-hosted WordPress blogging.

Let’s have a look at the options you have.

Free blogging platforms

Blogspot, WordPress.com (don’t get confused with WordPress software, they are different entities), Medium, and Tumblr, etc are the leading free blogging platforms.

It is free to blog on these platforms. However, there is a catch.

You are blogging on a rented platform. The platforms have the right to shut down your account for any reason. The platform owns your name and your content.

Secondly, there are limitations when you want to monetize your content. In some cases, such as the platform might place its own advertisements on your blog.

If you are thinking about making money blogging in the future, you should use a paid/self-hosted platform.

Paid/Self-hosted Hosting

Self-hosted Hosting means a blogger install a Content Management System (CMS) of choice on his/her hosting account. There is a variety of CMS available for bloggers, for example, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Blogger, etc.

With self-hosted hosting, you will have full control of your website. You are free to make any changes.

WordPress is the most popular CMS around. And it is also one of the best choices for bloggers. It is widely used and recommended by professional bloggers and developers.

According to the statistics from w3techs.com, WordPress has been dominating the CMS market since 2010. It owns about 63% of the CMS market.

In this guide, we will focus on building a blog on the WordPress platform.

The reasons why WordPress is your best blogging platform choice:

• It is free and open-source. WordPress is regularly updated.
• There is a huge community. It is easy to find help on the internet.
• It is highly customizable.

Task: I would suggest you go with self-hosted hosting.

But first, let’s answer an important question.

Why register a domain? Can I use a free domain?

Of course, you can. But here are the reasons why you should really consider registering your own domain.

#1 A Domain is your online asset and its value increases over time.

Your domain and website is a piece of your virtual real estate. The value of a domain increases as you build your website with quality content. The domain belongs to you as long as you continue paying the annual fee. The annual fee costs $10 to $15 per domain.

#2 Better search engine ranking

Over time, your domain becomes the brand of your business. It gains authority. Though domain is not the only ranking factor, a website with its own domain tends to rank better in search engine results.

Guidelines when choosing a domain:

Here are the guidelines I use when choosing a domain name:

• Avoid using hyphens and numbers
• Shorter is better. Try to limit under 3 words
• Choose a domain that is brandable.
• Choose a niche-specific name (You don’t need to have keywords in the domain)

Most web hosting companies offer domain registration services. Some offer it free for the first year.

Let’s use Bluehost as an example. Bluehost offers free domain registration for the 1st year.

Task: Decide on your domain. Register the domain when signing up for a web hosting service.

Once you have decided on your domain, let’s move on to selecting a web hosting service. You will be registering your domain when signing up for a web hosting service.

In this step, you will be choosing a web hosting service for your blog. We are certainly spoilt with choices when choosing a web hosting service.

For WordPress hosting, I recommend Bluehost. I have hosted my other websites with Bluehost over the years. And I am happy with the services it has provided.

Here are some reasons I recommend Bluehost to new bloggers:

• Affordable starting cost- For as low as $3.95 monthly for the first year.
• 30-day Money-Back-Guarantee
• Free Domain Registration for the first year
• You can get assistance 24/7 via Phone/Email/LiveChat
• 1-Click WordPress installation
• Bluehost is one of the WordPress’s official recommended web host.

How to sign up Bluehost hosting service

1. To sign up for a web hosting service, please follow this link to BlueHost web hosting service.

2. To begin, you need to choose a hosting plan. For beginners, I recommend the Basic Plan.

The plan comes with 1 website, 50 GB SSD, and unlimited bandwidth. It is adequate for beginners to get started.

Click on “Select” to proceed to the next step.

3. This is the time you can register a new domain. Just enter your desired domain into the “Create a new domain” section, and click next, you will be directed to the domain registration page.

In case you haven’t decided on the domain, click on “I’ll create my domain later”. With this option, you will be using a Bluehost temporary domain.

4. Subscription registration and payment

This is the final stage of the purchase process. You need to provide some account information and confirm the hosting plan of your choice.

I usually uncheck all boxes in Package Extras. These are the upsells I don’t need.

5. Create a Bluehost account

Upon payment completion, you will need to create a Bluehost account. This is for you to access Bluehost services.

Within the Bluehost portal, you will be able to install WordPress into your hosting account. Don’t worry, it is a very simple process with 1-Click WordPress installation feature.

Once the WordPress installation is complete, you can click on the blue “Wordpress” button to access to WordPress Dashboard of your blog.

In this step, we will be looking at WordPress Theme.

Technically, a WordPress Theme is a collection of files that work together to produce a graphical interface for a website.

In simpler terms, a theme is the look and feel of your website.

It depends on your personal preference. Some bloggers prefer a minimalist design, while some prefer a fancy and complicated layout.

Here are a few guidelines you should consider when choosing a theme:

#1 Preview the theme from a reader’s viewpoint.

Make sure the font size is comfortable to read. The user experience should be your priority. You want visitors to your website stay as long as possible, and enjoy your content.

#2 Make sure the theme is mobile responsive.

Responsive design is no longer optional. Google announced starting July 1, 2019, Mobile-first Indexing is enabled by default for all new websites. What does this mean?

It means Google uses the mobile version of your content for indexing and ranking. This shows the importance of having a mobile-friendly design.

#3 Choose an SEO-friendly theme

Choosing a theme that is SEO-optimized. An SEO-optimized theme is created to be fully accessible and indexable by search engines. It helps you to get a higher ranking in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS).

A good example of an SEO friendly theme is Schema theme from MyThemeShop.

For a more sophisticated theme, check out the Genesis Framework by StudioPress. You can find my review of the Genesis Framework here.

How to install a WordPress Theme:

There are two ways you can install a Wordpres Theme.

Upload a theme:

If you have downloaded a WordPress theme, you can manually upload it to your hosting server.

The WordPress theme files is in zip format. DO NOT extract it.

1. Click on “Upload Theme” Button at the top menu

2. Select your downloaded Theme file (*.zip) then click on “Install Now” button.

3. Once the installation is completed, Click and “Live Preview“.

4. If you are happy with the preview, click on “Activate & Publish“. That’s it!

The second method is to search for a free theme within WordPress .

Which are the Best WordPress Themes?

I have 2 recommendations which I use and happy to recommend.

#1 Genesis Framework by StudioPress

Genesis Framework is a solid WordPress Framework. It is fast, secured, and SEO optimized. It is used and recommended by professional bloggers and developers.

You can find my review of Genesis Framework here.

#2 GeneratePress

The second recommendation is GenetePress. GeneratePress is another solid choice for professional WordPress Themes. It is lightweight, secured, SEO optimized, and affordable.

You can find out more about GeneratePress here.

What about Free theme?

If you were to use a free theme, I suggest you stick to the default theme Twenty-Twenty created by WordPress.org. It is regularly updated and safe to use.

Security Plugin – Wordfence Security suite (Free version)

• Plugin Name: Wordfence Security – Firewall & Malware Scan
• Website: Wordfence Security
• Price: Free(Freemium)

Wordfence Security is one of the most popular and reputable WordPress security plugins. It protects your blog from spams, malware, and other threats in real-time.

Wordfence offers Free and Premium versions.

Wordfence Free includes features like firewall blocks and brute force attack protection. It is good enough for beginners.

SEO Plugin – RankMath SEO

• Plugin Name: RankMath SEO
• Website: RankMath
• Price: Free

RankMath SEO has been gaining attention in the blogging space recently. I have been using the plugin for almost a year and absolutely love it.

RankMath is an SEO suite that offers all SEO features a WordPress blogger needs. The features such as Rich Snippets preview, on-page SEO audit, AMP SEO, and 404 Monitor, etc.

It is Free to use. And I recommend RankMath over other premium SEO suites such as YAOST or All-In-One SEO.

Image compression – Smush

• Plugin Name: Smush
• Website: Smush it
• Price: Free (Freemium)

Images make a blog post looks attractive and engaging. But they consume web resources and potentially slow your website down.

Smush is designed to solve all image-related problems of a blog.

Smush plugin optimizes images by turning on lazy load, resize, and compress them. It does those without a visible drop in image quality.

This improves your Google Pages Speed.

Smush offers Free and Premium versions. For beginners, the Free version is good enough.

Link Management – Pretty Link

• Plugin Name: Shortlinks by Pretty Links
• Website: Pretty Links
• Price: Free (Freemium)

Pretty link is a link management plugin that allows you to shorten, cloak, and manage your links.

Link cloaking is the process of shortening a long link into a visually appealing link.

There are Free and Pro versions of Pretty Link. The free version works well enough for beginners.

These are the four essential WordPress plugins you need to have for now.

Over time, as your blog is developed, you might install a couple more. That is completely fine. Just be aware of the number of plugins. The less of them, the better.

How to install a WordPress Plugin:

There are 2 ways to install a plugin:

#1 Search, install and activate a plugin from WordPress Dashboard.

Type the plugin name or keyword into the search box. After you have found the plugin, click on the “Install Now” button, then “Activate” to activate the plugin.

#2 Upload Plugin file Manually

If you have downloaded a plugin, you can upload it into your WordPress Dashboard by clicking on the “Upload Plugin” button.

Let’s check on our progress so far:

Now, you are ready to write your first blog post!

First, I will go through the simple instructions on how to create a blog post in WordPress. And then we will look at some ideas that how to create effective blog posts.

How to create your first blog post in WordPress

From the left sidebar, click on Posts->Add New, you will enter Editor mode.

This is where you can create your content. Once you finish editing, click on “Publish” button.

Your first blog post is published.

Generate your content ideas

What is the first step to writing an effective blog post? The answer is Keyword Research.

You can’t ignore keyword research if you want to produce content that attracts traffic and grow your blog.

Let’s use an example to show you how to apply the Google Alphabet Soup Technique.

For example, I am interested in writing something about “Drone”. I want to know what are the related keywords or queries that people search in Search Engine.

I type my keyword “Drone” into Google search box. Instantly Google will show me a list of related search terms. These are the search terms used by other Google users. These are what people are searching for related to “Drone”

As you can see, we are presented with some keyword ideas such as “drone fishing“, or “drone law“, etc.

I like to add in “how to ” or “Can” in fron of my keword to find out what are people’s problems.

Look, people are searching for “how to make a drone“, or “how drones work“. You can write a blog post to help them.

Similarly, you can add the word “can” in front of “drone”. Here we have more keyword ideas. You will not run out of blogging ideas about “Drone”.

By now, you should have a list or lists or keyword ideas. You can start writing your blog posts. Be original, be engaging. Just write like you are talking or explaining something to your friend.

Next, we will be looking at a few strategies you can use to promote your blog.

#1 Tell Your Friends!

Unless you are keeping a secret diary, otherwise, don’t be afraid to let your friends, family, and colleagues know about your blog. Include the URL of your blog in your email signature and social media profiles. Get the words out, let them know about your new endeavor.

#2 Publish on Quora

Quora could be a good traffic source for your blog. You offer value by answering questions related to your niche. In the replies, offer a link back to your blog post.

But, do not spam your blog link, you are likely to get banned. Always try to offer your best answers to other members’ questions. Not only you can source traffic from Quora, at the same time, but you are also building authority in that niche.

#3 Submit Sitemap to Google and Bing

XML sitemaps allow search engines to crawl and index your website efficiently. It tells Google (or Bing) about the pages, posts, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them.

Sitemaps enhance the ranking by making it easier for search engines to find your site’s pages. Search engines do not just rank websites, they rank pages.

Check out this video from Google about sitemaps.

SEO Plugins such as RankMath generate XML sitemaps for your blog automatically. Submit your sitemaps to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

#4 SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process that optimizes your content for engines. In addition to creating awesome content, a search engine optimized content helps search engines to understand your content, and rank them in the search engine result page (SERP).

Don’t worry if you are not an expert at the beginning. Plugins such as RankMath will help you to achieve the best on-page SEO possible. Refer to Step 6 Must-Have plugins section.

The built-in on-page SEO audit keeps track of all SEO elements such as SEO title, meta description, keyword density, and URL length, etc of your blog post.

It gives you an overall score of 1-100 for your on-page SEO effort. It is extremely useful for new and experienced bloggers alike.

#5 Comment and Engage other blogs of the same niche

Building a relationship with other bloggers by commenting on their blog posts. Be genuine and helpful. Bloggers are willing to exchange links or allow you to leave a link on the comment if you are being friendly and your comments are constructive.

#6 Use Social Medias to gain blog traffic

Social media plays a big part in daily life. People read, engage, and share information on the platforms. If you are already on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram make sure you share your blog post on these platforms. One of your friends or followers might just it if he/she find your work interesting.

To make money blogging, there are two main requirements: Traffic and Trust.

You need to have constant traffic flow to your blog. Secondly, you need to gain trust from your visitors. In other words, you need to establish authority in your niche. When your blog readers trust you, they trust your recommendations and your products.

Here are a few ideas for you to start making money from your blog:

#1 Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing is a proven legit online business model. It is one of the common income sources for professional bloggers.

As an affiliate marketer, you do not own the actual product or service. Instead, you promote the product/service to your blog readers.

You earn a commission when a successful sale is completed through your affiliate link.

Here are a few affiliate networks you can try:

• ShareASale
• ClickBank
• Amazon Associates
• FlexOffers
• CJ Affiliate

#2 Diplay Ads

As your blog gains traction and attracting a constant flow of traffic, you can make money blogging by display advertisements on your blog.

Ad networks such as Google AdSense offers opportunities for publishers to make money off their content. Once you are approved by Google, all you need to do is placing a piece of code on your blog. Google finds advertisers and displays relevant ads on your blog.

You earn a small commission when your readers see the ads, and a little bit more when they click on the ads.

Here are a few popular Ad networks you can try:

• Google Adsense
• MediaVine
• Adthrive

#3 Email Marketing

Email marketing is another popular business model used by professional bloggers. It is a highly effective digital marketing strategy.

To get started, you need to build an email list. You can do that on your blog by offering valuable resources such as eBooks, email courses, or downloadable guides for free. In exchange, you collect email addresses from them.

With the collected email list, you can start a series of marketing campaigns. This strategy is more suitable for intermediate to advanced bloggers. However, start building your list as soon as blog traffic picks up.

#4 Sponsored blog posts

There are companies willing to pay you to post their content on your blog. A sponsored post is the article written by your partnered merchant and posted on your blog. The article usually talks about the partner’s products and services.

In exchange, you are compensated with a commission.

At the early stage, you may try to contact merchants about sponsored posts. However, I would prefer focusing my effort on producing content. When your blog gains traction, companies will reach out to you.

#5 Create you own digital products

If you are highly knowledgeable in your field and understand your audience’s needs, creating your own can be a lucrative way to make money.

EBooks and online courses are the most common digital products sold by bloggers. And the best thing about selling your own digital products is you have full control of the product release, profit.

However, make sure you are creating something that is extremely valuable to your audience. A product that worth paying for.

A good digital product will not only make you money, it earns you the authority in your niche as well.