How To Start Blogging To Make Money As A Beginner In 2023

Are you ready to start blogging but don’t know how to get started?

This content provides you with step-by-step guides on how you can build a successful blog.

After going through this guide from the beginning to the end. You will surely create a good-looking and profitable blog.

And also share with the world those interesting topics that have been ringing in your head for long.

I actually created this blogging guide for beginners. This guide will take you from the amateur stage to a professional level.

So if you are ready to make blogging a full-time career, continue reading.

Before going straight to the tutorial. Let me first introduce myself and also explain to you why this tutorial is very important. And why you should not just read but put everything you learn into practice.

My name is Popmati Emebu, the founder of Shakeworld Digital. And the owner of this amazing website ‘Shakeworldonline’. I started the blog.

So I can use it as a means, to teach people all the things I have learned about blogging. and other internet businesses.

I know that understanding How To Start Blogging is very hard. Especially when you are new in the business and don’t know where to start.

So if you really want to start making it online through blogging. I Advice you to put everything you are going to learn from this guide into action.

Don’t be the type that read and ends up not implementing what they read.

If you need my help, then use the consulting page to send me a message.

What is blogging?

According to my understanding. Blogging is all about creating content on the web as a means to spread out information to a target audience and generate revenue in return.

Am defining blogging this way because I want you to understand. Blogging is not just about creating content.

But also a way to create a stream of income for yourself. If it is properly executed.

What is the purpose of starting a blog?

A lot of people start a blog for many reasons. For example, some create a blog to share their life journey, like people who love to travel.

They create a blog to share with the world their experience and adventures. Individuals like business owners.

Create blogs as a means to pass information to customers. While few individuals use blogs to teach and educate people in various ways.

Whatever your reason maybe. Just know that blogging is very good in this new era of technology and easy access to the internet.

You can use a blog to share with the world the various issues that have been going on in your community, your home, and your workplace.

Also, use it as a means to expose some good and bad things that have been happening in a particular region.

I want you to know that blogging is very profitable if you run it in a proper way.

How to structure a blog

The looks of blog have changed in recent time, blogs these days involves various items and widgets.

But there are standard features and structures most blog follows these days, which I have listed below.

• Header – the container where the blog menu is placed.
• Content section – the main content area or where the latest blog posts are displayed.
• Sidebar – where you put your social profiles, categories, place adverts, and favorite content.
• Footer – contains some relevant links such as privacy policy, contact page, and more.

How much do bloggers earn?

I know that beginners like you will still be wondering how much bloggers make. Nobody wants to start a business without thinking of making a profit.

So I understand your reason for starting your own blog is to earn high-income revenue.

I want you to know how much some bloggers make and I also want you to take your blogging business very seriously. Because you too can be successful like other ProBlogger.

Most bloggers earn around $200 to $2,500 or more in a month in their first year of blogging.

While professional bloggers who have strong monetization strategies make up to $3,500 to $15,000 monthly. They are also some expert bloggers who make half a million dollars every month.

Now that you have understood what blogging is and how much bloggers earn. Let’s dive into how you can build your own blog from scratch.

How to start blogging step by step

Starting a blog online require following some process. So I will breakdown the process, you will learn how to design the blog from scratch. and also teach you how to monetize and drive traffic to your newly created blog.

Part 1: How to Choose a Niche for your blog

Before explaining to you how to pick a niche. First, you need to understand the term “Niche” and why is important.

What is a Niche in blogging

A Niche in blogging is the process of creating a blog with the intention of using it to promote.

And market-specific products in a particular market. Or creating content that focuses on specific topics in a particular niche market. For example “health niche”.

How to find a niche for your blog

The best way to find a niche that will suit your blog is through understanding the kind of content you love to read and write about.

Or turn your hobby into a money-making system, meaning creating content about what you love doing and turning those articles into a blog post.

They are many ways you can turn your hobby into a blog which I have listed below.

Cooking blog:

If you love cooking and they are some good recipes you know that make your dish so delicious.

You can create a cooking blog and create content to teach and educate people on how to cook and also show them how to use those recipes you love.

Fashion blog

let’s say you love fashion, you are good at choosing the best dress for your friends. And when they go out people will be like wow, who is your plug.

You can create a fashion blog where people can read quality content like make-up tips, dressing tips, and more.

Now you have found out that you can turn your hobby into a blog, Excellent right?

But what if your hobby is not in the profitable niche market are you going to quit? I guess the answer will be no.

I have heard a lot of bloggers saying it is better to go for a highly profitable niche. if you really want to make money in the blogging industry.

To my own understanding. Any blog can generate a high amount of revenue if it is implemented with a proper monetization strategy.

But if you really want to start with a highly profitable niche. Then you can start by reading a lot of content in that niche.

So you can be able to create quality contents your readers will love. To make your blogging career easy and smooth as a beginner.

It is better you start with your hobby, and maybe, in the long run, you can have blogs in other niches.

Types of high profitable niche

I have listed out some of the blog niches that have been tested. And confirmed for years by many expert bloggers as the most highly lucrative niche.

1. Personal Finance

The blog niche that makes a lot of money is the blog that contains articles about money. For example, loans, mortgages, credit cards, and investing more.

Any blog that talks about money is highly profitable. Because many companies in this particular industry spend a huge amount of money to get clients. So they spend high on advertising.

2. Education

Education is another great profitable niche. The reason why this niche is highly profitable is that people are really spending a high volume amount of money on education.

So adverts and affiliate offers within this niche are very lucrative. Topics such as refinancing student loans, and opening a student account. Or selecting an online school is highly profitable.

I will not list all of the most highly profitable niches here. You can conduct your own research to find out more.

The important reasons for choosing a niche for your blog are that it will help you know your target audience.

Help you also know how to plan your content. And also build a brand and gain authority in that particular market.

A good example of a niche blog. Is this particular site you are reading this content. My blog “Shakeworldonline” focuses mainly on teaching people blogging and digital marketing.

So you see that whenever people are looking for where to learn this topic I mention above. They will land on this blog and will love to come back for more articles.

So now that you have learned what a niche blog is all about and also understand how to choose a niche for your blog.

In the next chapter, you will learn how to create content and conduct keyword research.

Part 2. How to perform keyword research and create quality content

As a beginner, you may just want to write and publish that content in your mind. It is very good.

But if you are looking for How To Start Blogging so you can make money then you have to do it the professional way.

When I first started I use to publish random articles on my blog. hoping I will get a lot of traffic and make a huge amount of money.

I was repeating this mistake for years before I find out what I was doing wrong. and start all over from scratch.

If you have chosen a niche for your blog, the next thing you would want to do is create content for the blog.

But before you start writing those pieces of article you have to first find out what people are looking for to read.

The only way to find out what they are looking for on the internet is by conducting keyword research.

I will not explain much about keywords here, but you can read this article What is a keyword to get a proper understanding of keywords.

How to perform keyword research

In this section am going to use a keyword research tool called Semrush to show you how to get keywords and create content around that keywords.

Conducting keyword research before creating content. Will help you find out what people are actually typing in the search engines to get answers to their questions.

And also you can see the number of people who are looking for that content in a particular country.

So for example. Your blog is all about cooking and you want to write content about “how to make a sandwich”.

First, you need to know how many people are looking for this type of content.

So click here. To open the Semrush tool in a new window to find out the number of people that are searching for this keyword.

So when you are on the website. Type in ” how to make a sandwich ” in the search bar and click the “Start Now” button. The tool will analyze your query and give the result.

The next image below. Will show you the number of people who are looking for this type of content in the USA.

And also the number of people who are looking for it globally every month.

You can also see other keywords with a high volume of searches that you can pick. and write content around those keywords.

Keyword research will help provide you with more content ideas you need to write and publish on your blog.

How to create a blog post

After conducting proper keyword research. the next thing to do is start creating blog posts around those keywords you have discovered.

The best way to create quality and engaging content is by first understanding what your target audience is looking for. The problem and the questions they are seeking for the answers.

So open your notepad and write content that will solve the challenges they are facing. Go more in-depth about the topic you are writing about.

The best way you can have content that will generate a lot of share. And engagement is by connecting with the readers.

When they are reading the content, let them feel that you are talking to them directly. And the article is also helping to solve their problem.

If this How To Start Blogging article is not interesting. You would have exited my blog the moment you visited.

Don’t copy and paste other people’s content on your blog. Rather make out time to write your content and use other blog content as a road map.

Part 3. Choosing a blogging platform

There are lots of blogging platforms on the internet you can use to start your own blog. such as WordPress.com, Wix, HubSpot CMS, Blogger, and many more.

Most of these platforms are great, some are free while some of them are paid. But if you really want a platform that will allow you to have more control of your blog.

Then going for WordPress.org is the best option for you.

How to start blogging on WordPress

WordPress is the most used blogging software. Since 2003, till date, WordPress has powered over 40% of all the websites on the internet.

WordPress.org is open-source free blogging software that allows you to create your website or blog within minutes.

If you want to use the software, you have to sign up with a WordPress hosting provider. The platform is great if you want to have full control over your blog.

Part 4. Choosing a domain name and Hosting your blog

A domain name is what people will enter in their web browser to visit your website. For example facebook.com or shakeworldonline.com.

So if you are choosing a name for your blog. Think of a name that will be easy to remember and not too long.

A domain name may cost you $14.99 a year. And a hosting plan will cost around $3 to $7 per month depending on the hosting company you choose.

Hosting is the place where all your blog files are going to be stored on the internet.

In this blogging tutorial. You are going to learn how to purchase a domain name and web hosting space on Bluehost.

Bluehost is one of the best and most trusted web hosting companies. It is also one of the most trusted hosting companies around the globe.

Powering over 2 million websites worldwide and also hosting over 850,000 blogs.

To buy your domain name and hosting space on Bluehost. Click here to visit the website on a new window to start your registration. once you are on their site click the “Get Started” button.

The Get Started button will direct you to the page where you will choose your suitable hosting plan.

As a Beginner, I suggest you select their “basic plan” and also pay for 12 months.

Once you are done choosing your suitable plan, the next part is to register your preferred domain name.

If you already know the domain you want to use, you can enter it in the search box.

Once you have entered the domain name you want to register. Click the “Next” button and the system will search to confirm if the name is available.

If the domain is available you can continue with your registration. If is not available you can try another name.

When you scroll down, you will see some extra tools they include for you which is good for your website. But as a beginner, you may not need those tools for now.

When you start getting enough traffic and start generating revenue you can add them.

But if you have the money to pay at the moment, you can leave them checked.

Once you are done with providing all the details they asked for on the registration page, check the policy box and click the “Submit” button.

They will send you the Cpanel login details in the email you provide them. And from there you can set up your WordPress and also be able to seek help from their live support.

Part 5. Setting up your blog on WordPress

Now that your domain name and hosting space are ready. It is time to install WordPress on your server and start building your blog.

To install WordPress on your server. You have to first log in to your Bluehost account and use their one-click installer to install WordPress.

Once you have login to your account, click on the “My Sites” tab from the left side menu. Then click the “Create Site” button in the top-right corner.

On the next screen. You have to enter some information about your site, such as the website name and site tagline. But you can still change it at any time if you want.

Use the domain drop-down to choose the domain you registered when creating your Bluehost account.

You can also choose not to install some of the checked Bluehost recommended plugins. I suggest you leave them checked.

Click the “Next” button to allow Bluehost to install WordPress for you. Once the installation is successful, you will see your login details.

To gain access to your website, click the “Login to WordPress” button.

Now your WordPress site is ready, Congratulations on your new blog. Maybe I deserve a cup of coffee.

Let’s continue. If the installation process is too hard for you, then contact the Bluehost team to help you do it. But is important you do it yourself so you can acquire a new skill.

Part 6. Installing some important WordPress plugin

Once you have successfully login to your WordPress Dashboard. As a beginner. You may get confused at first because you don’t know where to start. But it is very easy to use. With time you will understand the platform.

Before you start designing and creating your first content. There are some important plugins I want you to install.

There are thousands of plugins in the WordPress directory you can use later once you get familiar with the system.

Plugins you will install.

1. Yoast SEO: the Yoast SEO plugin is a search engine optimization tool that will help you to properly optimize your web page and get ranked in search engines.

2. Contact Form 7: if you want to get messages from your website visitors. Then this free plugin is the best option for you. it is simple and easy to customize.

3. W3 Total Cache: This plugin helps to improve the SEO and user experience of your website by increasing site performance.

And reducing load times by leveraging features like content delivery network (CDN) integration and the latest best practices.

To install this plugin, from your WordPress dashboard you will see the “Plugin” tab hover over it and click the “Add new” button.

On the next page, type in “Yoast SEO ” in the search bar and then click the “Install Now” button. After the plugin has been successfully installed, click the “Activate” button.

You can use this method to install other plugins I have mentioned.

Part 7. Creating Content and Designing your blog

For this blogging guide, I have created a video on how you can create a post on WordPress, and design and customize your WordPress blog.

In the video, you will see how you can get any WordPress theme you will use to design your site.

I will use a WordPress theme called Kadence to show you the design process. So click here to download the theme.

Part 8. Driving traffic to your blog

After you have finally created your new blog and have some content on it. The next thing to do is to get visitors to the site.

This part is very important because most beginners find it hard to get traffic to the new website. without visitors, you cannot generate revenue from your blog.

I have listed some of the few. and fast methods you can use to get users to your blog.

1. Organic traffic from search engine

Search engine traffic is the best form of traffic any website would enjoy getting. It is free and also targeted.

But for a new blog, It may be hard for you to start getting organic traffic immediately.

However, with the right optimization strategy you can achieve it. On my SEO page, you will learn the best strategies to get organic traffic to your site.

2. Social media and paid traffic

The best way to get fast website visitors is from social media or paid traffic methods.

You can either use Facebook’s free and paid method to get traffic. Here are the perfect ways to promote your new blog.

Part 9. Monetizing your blog

Every dream of any blogger is to make money from their blog and I know the reason you are spending money to start your own blog is to make passive income.

There are many ways that you can use to monetize and make high monthly revenue. I have created content on how you can make money from your blog.

Part 10. Tracking your blog traffic

The best and free way to track your blog traffic is by using the Google Analytics tool. Click here to add your blog.

if you don’t have a Google account you must first create one to be able to use the tool. If you already have an account then login.

Once you are on the Google Analytics page click on the “Start measuring” button to get started.

On the next screen, add your account name, then scroll down to click the “Next” button.

After you have entered your account name. Another box will display and ask you to enter the property name. Type your preferred name and also choose your country and timezone.

The next part is where you will enter your domain. Automatically the “Create a Universal Analytics property” will not show where you will enter your website. Click on the toggle icon on the right-hand.

You have to pick your website category. Tick the boxes except for the “other” box, and click on the “Create” button.

Once your account is ready. Google will display your tracking code, copy the code. Go to your WordPress plugin tab and install a new plugin called “Insert Header and Footer”.

After you have installed and activated the plugin. Hover over the Settings tab in WordPress to see the plugin.

Open it and paste the Google Tracking code on the header section and click the “save changes” button.

Now your new blog is fully set and ready to generate money for you if you put in more effort.

If this How To Start Blogging guide is helpful. you can join the newsletter to get more important updates.

Final Thought…………

Blogging is very profitable if you do it the right way. The only way you can move from a beginner to a professional level is by learning new things and strategies online. And also in the blog.

success may not happen in a day. Any blogger that tells you that a new blog can make a passive income in a month.

They are not telling you the truth. If you did not make a penny in the first month. Don’t quit keep going your hard work will surely pay off.