by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

You like most people, can spend months or years creating a blog that has no chance of succeeding, then you start another one that fails or a third and fourth.

You’re not dumb or lazy. You’re just choosing the wrong topic.

1. Choose the Right Topic

First, make a list of topics that interest you. They can be your hobbies, topics you think are highly profitable, or something random you saw in a magazine.

Now ask yourself these five questions:

1. Do any current blogs on this topic have a Facebook page with more than 10k fans?

2. Are there any blogs on this topic that have more than 50k followers on Twitter?

3. Are there any books on Amazon with more than 30 reviews on this topic?

4. When you look for words and phrases connected to this topic, are there any Google ads?

5. Do any words or phrases related to this topic have more than 100k searches in Google’s Keyword Planner tool?


By answering these questions, you’ll know if there’s an existing audience for your topic.

Don’t try to be too unique or clever by hunting for an audience that no one else is serving.

It’s counterintuitive, but the more competition you have in a blogging space, the easier it is for a new blogger to find success there.


2. Choose the Right Platform

Choose the right blogging platform

There are several free blogging platforms like Tumblr, Blogspot, Wix, or Squarespace. These are fine to test your ideas and content to be sure they’re workable before creating a full-fledged blog.

But when you’re ready to build an audience and make money online, a self-hosted WordPress blog is the way to go.

WordPress is open source and technically free, but you have to buy a hosting plan to install WordPress on your own web host and purchase a domain name.

If you’re serious about blogging, you need to set up your blog on a firm foundation.

3. Choose a Domain Name

When choosing a custom domain name for your blog, consider using these three strategies:

Name the audience. The simplest way is tocall out the audience in the domain name. (Examples: SmartShopper.com, FashionDesign.com, AFineParent.com)

Name the topic. (MakingJewelry.com, EasyCasseroles.com, PaleoHacks.com)

Name the benefit. (BeABetterWriter.com, BeABetterPainter.com, Woodworking.com)


Use these strategies to make a list of 10-20 domain names. Use a blog name generator tool like NameStation to get many ideas at once.

Once you’ve decided on a name, use Namecheap’s Beast Mode to check availability.

Give yourself a few days to a week to make a decision.

4. Get Web Hosting

You pay a small fee to keep your website online, handle all your visitors, provide customer support, back up your website, manage the security of your website, etc.

Although website hosting costs money, a good bit comes along with it.

It’s possible to get blog hosting and a registered domain from the same place, but it’s not recommended because if you ever decide to switch to a different web hosting company, the process can be complicated. You can save yourself future headaches by keeping your domain registrar and blog host separate.

You can do a Google search to compare and determine the best web hosting for your needs.

Once you have your web hosting set up, you need to use a registrar like NameCheap to register your domain.

5. Install WordPress

Now that your domain and web host are connected, it’s time to install WordPress. It’s not complicated.

These days most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation.

To log into your WordPress dashboard use your favorite browser and go to WordPress login URL by appending /wp-admin (or /admin or /login or /wp-login) to the end of your domain name.

Examples:

yourdomain.com/wp-admin

www.yourdomain.com/admin

yourdomain.com/login

www.yourdomain.com/wp-login

You’ll be taken to your WordPress login page.

Enter the username and password you created earlier.

Click Log In.

6. Choose a WordPress Theme to Design Your Blog

Don’t get bogged in details. Focus on making your site functional. You can always make changes later.

Content is the important thing to focus on.

Enter the username and password you created earlier.

Click Log In.

Your theme is the design of your website and dictates how your blog looks to the world.

If you want a free WordPress theme, choose Astra (https://wpastra.com/?bsf=2922&campaign=how-to-start-a-blog).

If you want a premium blog theme, choose Astra Pro which has an advanced page builder that lets you customize your design.

Choose the theme that best fits your needs and situation and download and install it.

First way: To install a free theme from WordPress.org:

Enter a theme name or a chosen feature (Example: “minimalist”) in the Search themes… field
Click the Install button


Second way: If you want to install a WordPress theme you downloaded from a third party, click the Upload Theme button and:

Click the Choose File button
Find the third-party theme you downloaded to your computer (Example: premium-theme.zip) and select it
Click the Install Now button


To activate a WordPress Theme

Immediately after installing your WordPress theme, you’ll be given the option to “Activate” or “Preview” it.

If you want to publish the theme immediately to your website, click the Activate button. If not

1. In the left-hand navigation pane, go to Appearance
2. Choose Themes


Then you’ll see every theme you’ve installed and the default “themes” that are automatically installed by WordPress. Find the theme you want to use and click the Activate button.

You’re done.

Now your new blog design is visible to the world but not yet ready.

You need to adjust its functionality by installing a few WordPress plugins.

7. Install WordPress Plugins

WordPress is filled with features, and plugins offer even more.

There are thousands of free and third-party plugins—virtually a plugin for everything. There are specific types or categories you need, but there’s no such thing as an essential plugin.

There are six types of plugins you need to install.

1. Performance Plugins
2. Security Plugins
3. Backup Plugins
4. SEO Plugins
5. Social Sharing Plugins
6. Email List Building Plugins


You need a good performance optimization plugin to “cache” your content so it loads faster. If your blog is slow, your readers will bounce and Google will rank you lower in search engine results.

For a performance plugin, WP Super Cache is simple, maintained by the company behind WordPress, Automattic, and it’s free.

You can easily protect your site with the security plugin iThemes Security which has a one-click setup wizard. The cost is free, and there’s also a pro version with extra features.

UpdraftPlus strikes a good balance between features, flexibility, and ease of use. It has a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating on the WordPress plugin repository, and it’s actively updated by its developers.

There’s a free and a $70 pro version.

For SEO Yoast SEO is the gold standard of WordPress SEO plugins. It has both free and premium versions. The free version offers everything you need.

Social Warfare doesn’t slow down your website and offers unique features like “Click to Tweet” boxes and Pinterest-specific images and infographics.

The free version has all the basics you’ll need, and the pro version is only $29 annually.

Use Convert Pro to turn blog traffic into leads so you can continue to engage with them.

You can get it for free or pay $99 annually or $399 for a lifetime license.

To activate a WordPress plugin you can click the Activate button that appears immediately after you install it or:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane, go to Plugins
2. Choose Installed Plugins
3. Find your plugin and click Activate

8. Blog Set up and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

If you want to start a blog that brings in traffic or if you want to drive your content to page one of Google, you have to learn SEO.

To guarantee search engines like Google and Bing can find your blog, make sure the following are unchecked:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over Settings
2. Click Reading
3. Confirm “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked

Create an XML Sitemap (and Submit Your Sitemap to Search Engines)

“A sitemap is a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them. Search engines like Google read this file to crawl your site more efficiently. A sitemap tells search engines which pages and files you think are important in your site, and also provides valuable information about these files. For example, when the page was last updated and any alternate language versions of the page.”

A sitemap helps confirm Google can discover the new content you create, when your blog is new and has few external links pointing to it.

To create an XML Sitemap using the Yoast SEO plugin recommended earlier:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over SEO
2. Click General
3. Click the Features tab
4. Scroll down to the XML sitemaps option and make sure the switch is toggled to On

Now you have an XML sitemap for your blog. Next give it to Google, Bing, and other search engines.

Before leaving the Yoast SEO plugin, copy the URL of your sitemap:

1. Click the question mark icon next to XML sitemaps
2. Click the See the XML sitemap link

Your sitemap will open in a new tab in your browser.

Copy the URL in the address bar and save it.

The steps for submitting your sitemap are different from search engine to search engine.

Here are the most popular ones:

To submit your sitemap to Google Search Console

1. Go to Google Search Console and sign in using your Google account
2. In the left-hand pane, select your website

If you haven’t added your website to Google Search Console, you’ll need to click “Add property” and follow the steps provided before continuing below.

3. Under Index, click the Sitemaps option
4. In the Add a new sitemap section, enter the URL you saved earlier and click Submit


Bing Webmaster Tools

1. Log into Bing Webmaster Tools. Create an account if you haven’t done so.
2. Under the My Sites section, click your website

If you haven’t added your website to Bing Webmaster Tools, enter your blog’s URL in the Add a Site section and click the ADD button.

That’s it.

You’ve submitted your sitemap successfully to Google and Bing.

Permalinks structure


WordPress sets the links on your blog to the following format by default:

yourdomain.com/?p=123

No one knows why, but you need to update this link structure before you publish ANY content.

Here’s how:

1. In the left-hand navigation pane, hover over Settings
2. Click Permalinks
3. Under Common Settings, set the option to Post name


Install an SSL Certificate so Your URL Begins with https Instead of http. Here’s why:

Readers will know your website is safe
Your website will be safe thanks to the encryption of readers’ sensitive data and personal info
Google sees it as a ranking signal, which means not having an SSL certificate will hurt your content’s rankings in search results.

How to Install an SSL Certificate

Log into your account
Click the Go to cPanel button
In the Security section, click Let’s Encrypt
Select your domain name, choose the Let’s Encrypt SSL option, and click the Install button

A few moments later, your SSL certificate will be up and running!

9. Your First Blog Post

To start your blog post in WordPress

1. In the left-hand pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over Posts
2. Click Add New


You’ll be able to add a post title— aka headline, write your post, choose your category, tweak HTML and CSS, add free stock photos, etc.

The steps are alike for adding a new blog page in WordPress, an About page, a Contact page, etc.:

1. In the left-hand pane of your dashboard, go to Pages
2. Click Add New

For detailed instructions on how to navigate the classic content editor, WordPress offers a detailed support article.


10. Boost Traffic, Promote Blog, and Master Social Media

You should spend as much time promoting your posts as you do writing them. Preferably, you’ll spend more time promoting than writing them.

Here are 4 Tips for promoting your posts

1. Focus on one Social Platform, as There are too Many out There.
For now, pick only one. As there are only so many hours in a day.

2. Avoid These Traffic Mistakes That are a Waste for Beginners.

a. Commenting on Popular Blogs
b. Submitting Your Site to Directories
c. Trying to go Viral on Redditt, Hacker News, etc.
d. Paying for a Unique Design

3. Reach out to Influencers to Make Powerful Friends.

4. Pay for Facebook Ads

Wait until you have a solid foundation in place like reaching 1,000 email subscribers and you have traffic rolling in. Then consider supercharging your efforts by learning the ins and outs of Facebook’s ad network.

11. Build Your List

Get started now with building your email list. Start building it on day one!

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an email marketing pro, there are numerous email marketing services available to meet your needs. You can go to Google and check and compare services and pricing.

12. Make Money

When you’re just starting out, whatever you do, DO NOT cover your blog in Google Adsense, because:

1. Blog ads pay peanuts
2. They distract your readers
3. They make your blog look sleazy and cheap

The best monetization method for bloggers is to build an audience that trusts them and then offer high-quality products or services that will genuinely help that audience.

Affiliate Marketing helps with this process by:

letting you introduce your readers to a product or service from a trusted source
Your readers looking at the product/or service, deciding if it will help them, and purchasing it
You earning a commission on the sales

With affiliate marketing you win in multiple ways. You help your audience, you earn money, and — most importantly — you learn what types of products and services your audience buys.


This article covers a lot but it’s only a beginning. Besides these twelve steps to starting a successful blog, there’s so much more you’ll learn as you go along.

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

In the pre-Google days of the internet, search engines like Yahoo and Alta Vista were dominant players and their search results were 100% based on the content on a webpage.

Then came Google.

Google’s now-famous algorithm changed the game. Google looked at how many people linked to that page instead of simply analyzing the content of the page.

Almost 20 years later, links remain the best way to establish the quality of a webpage. Therefore, backlinks remain Google’s go-to ranking indicator.

Because of updates like Google Penguin, Google now focuses on link quality (not just link quantity).

If the page linking to you is a PageRank powerhouse, that link will have a BIG effect on your rankings.

That’s because links from authoritative pages pass more authority (also known as PageRank) to your site.

Now, let’s continue with the reasons why link building is important for SEO.


What is the importance of backlinks?


 Link building is the system of building one-way hyperlinks (also called backlinks) to a website with the purpose of improving search engine visibility. Some common link-building strategies include content marketing, email outreach, building useful tools, broken link building, and public relations.

Content marketing played a substantial role in the development of backlink building. Webmasters started creating high-quality content that naturally drew links from other websites, instead of only focusing on acquiring backlinks.

Website owners could increase their chances of earning organic backlinks by producing informative, valuable, and shareable content.

This shift in strategy supported Google’s emphasis on user experience and the importance of providing important content to online audiences.



FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)


1. What is backlink building; Why it’s important for building authority

The process of getting links from other websites to your own is backlink building.

These links act as a vote of confidence, demonstrating to search engines that your website is authoritative and trustworthy.

Backlink building is essential for building authority. It drives organic traffic and helps improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.

2. How has backlink building evolved?

Backlink building is now more focused on quality rather than quantity. As search engines have become smarter at detecting spammy and low-quality links, it’s essential to focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites. And, the importance of relevance and context has increased, with search engines giving more weight to backlinks that come from websites in the same industry or niche.

3. What are some effective strategies for backlink building?

Important strategies for backlink building include influencer outreach, guest blogging, and creating valuable content that naturally invites backlinks. Guest blogging involves writing high-quality articles for other websites in exchange for a backlink to your site. Influencer outreach involves building relationships with influential people or brands in your industry and getting them to mention your website or link to it. Creating valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks involves producing engaging, informative, and shareable content that other websites will desire to link to.

4. Are there risks or pitfalls to avoid?

When building backlinks, there are risks and pitfalls to avoid. One common one to avoid is engaging in black hat SEO techniques, like buying or exchanging links. This can lead to penalties from search engines. It’s very important to avoid spammy link building practices, such as bulk directory submissions or comment spamming. You should focus on building natural and high-quality backlinks that add value to both your website and those websites linking to you.

5. How can I assess the quality of a potential backlink?

You can consider several factors to assess the quality of a backlink. You can first check the website’s domain authority and page authority using tools like Moz’s Domain Authority or Ahrefs’ Domain Rating. Look for websites with a higher domain authority as they are more likely to pass on effective link juice. And, consider the relevance of the website to your niche and the setting in which the link will be placed. A backlink from a highly reputable and relevant website will have a greater effect on your authority.

6. Is it better to have a few quality backlinks or lots of low-quality backlinks?

Now, it’s better to have a few high-quality backlinks than many low-quality backlinks. Search engines have become more high-tech in evaluating the quality of backlinks, and they prioritize authority and relevance. A few high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry will have a more significant impact on your authority and search engine rankings than many low-quality backlinks.

7. Does it take long to see the results of backlink building?

The time can vary for seeing the results of backlink building. It depends on factors like the competitiveness of your industry, the quality of the backlinks you acquire, and the frequency of search engine crawls. Generally, it can take several weeks to months before you start seeing the impact of your backlink-building efforts. Patience and consistency are key when it comes to building authority through backlinks.

8. Can I remove or disavow bad backlinks?

You can remove or disavow bad backlinks. If you have acquired low-quality or spammy backlinks that could harm your website’s authority, it’s recommended to try removing them by contacting the website owners and requesting removal. If that fails, you can use the Google Disavow Tool to tell search engines to ignore those backlinks when evaluating your website’s authority. However, it’s important to exercise caution and only disavow links that are actually harmful.

9. Are there alternatives to backlink building for authority?

Although backlink building is a highly effective strategy for building authority, there are other methods you can consider. You can focus on creating high-quality content that attracts organic traffic and engagement. If you consistently produce valuable content and optimize it for search engines, you can build authority over time. Another way is to leverage social media platforms and engage with your audience to establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

10. Should you hire a professional for backlink building?

It can be beneficial to hire a professional for backlink building, especially if you are short on time, expertise, or resources to execute an effective backlink-building strategy. Professionals can help you identify high-quality backlink opportunities, navigate the complexities, and develop outreach strategies. However, you must choose a reputable and experienced professional or agency to ensure ethical and effective practices are followed.


Building backlinks is an ongoing process that requires a well-thought-out strategy, time, and effort.

Some important effective strategies for link building are:

1. Creating High-Quality Content


Creating high-quality content is the foundation of a successful backlink building strategy. You should focus on creating well-researched unique and valuable content that provides value to your target audience. When you do this, other websites are more likely to link to it.

2. Reaching out to influencers and industry experts

Ask influencers and industry experts in your niche to share your content or to collaborate on a project. When they link to your website, it can substantially boost your credibility and authority.

Building relationships and using personalized outreach emails with influencers can go a long way in acquiring valuable backlinks.

3. Guest Posting

Guest posting entails writing articles for other websites in your industry or niche. This lets you showcase your expertise and offer value to a new audience. Then, you can include a link back to your website within the guest post. Focus on high domain authority and relevance to your industry when choosing websites for guest posting.

Always remember that building backlinks takes patience and time. Focus on quality as opposed to quantity and always prioritize creating valuable content that people want to link to. Here, we’ve covered some of the reasons why link building is important for SEO.

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