Tag Archives: Wordpress

How to start a blog in 5 steps

August 12, 2019 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , 17 Comments

Blogging is very popular now and I am sure it will continue to be popular. I can see blogging becoming even. bigger in the next few years. It is a fun way to grow a portfolio and make money too! I know many bloggers who blog full time and make a full time living wage from it. It is amazing to see these bloggers doing what was not possible many years ago. Working from anywhere you want as a blogger and earning an income is no longer a myth, but the reality for many. If you are thinking of starting a blog but not sure how to get started, this blog on how to start a blog in 5 steps will be useful for you. You should also get in touch with me if you are looking to grow your blog. I have a blog coaching service offer at the moment, so get in touch to hear more.

 

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First step – Pick a blog name and buy the domain

The first step is to pick a blog name and buy the domain. The name you pick should give readers an idea of what the blog would be about if possible. Picking a blog name relevant to your niche(s) also helps your blog’s search engine rank too so very important. Another important bit is to get your own domain immediately. Don’t settle for a piggyback domain that ends in .wordpress or blogspot. Get your own domain straightaway so you start off the right way from the get go.

 

Second Step – Get hosting sorted

The next step once you decide on a name and domain format is to get it hosted. I am self hosted on WordPress and I love it. I have had no issues with my hosting. In the early days, I started off with a vanity domain, but decided to go self hosted on WordPress. I recommend this if you can afford to. Being self hosted allows me more freedom on my blog. I can have private banner ads and install plugins. Being self hosted gives me more freedom to run my blog the way I want.

 

Third Step – Pick a theme

Once your blog is up and running, the next thing to do is to pick a theme. There are so many free themes available so there are loads of options. I like  clean themes. The very busy blog themes put me off but it depends on the look you are after for your blog. I currently use a premium theme – Elemin. I bought it some years ago and it works great for my blog. My advice is to shop around to see the options you have. My general advice is to go for a white background and a theme that allows you show off your social media platforms at the side.

 

Fourth Step – Publish your blog post

I see new bloggers saying they didn’t setup their blog until they had many blog posts waiting to be published. My approach was different but then again I didn’t start the blog thinking of how much money I would make from day 1. I had only one blog post of the first day and it increased on a daily basis. Having many blog posts ready before you step up your blog is good. Just make sure you don’t procrastinate and never start blogging.

 

Fifth Step – Promote your blog post

Now that your blog is stet up and you have blog posts published, you need to shout from the rooftops about it. Share your blog posts on social media platforms. Pinterest is really good for bringing traffic to your blog, so make sure you make the most of the amazing social media platform. Facebook is another great social media platform for bringing traffic to your blog, so set up a Facebook page too!

 

Are you thinking of starting a blog? What is holding you back?

 

Blogging Predictions for the Next 10 Years

May 31, 2017 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , 42 Comments

I wrote about the future of blogging earlier this year, and it was well received. I wrote about how much I think the blogging industry would be further diversified, and thrive with increased interdependence and social media. And I decided to write more on how I see the blogging industry in the next 10 years.

 

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I see blogging looking very different in a few years time. Here are the 5 ways I think the blogging industry would change in 10 years time –

Less Blogs

There are a lot of blogs around nowadays, many quality blogs and not so quality blogs. In 10 years time, I think many bloggers would abandon their blogs and ultimately shut them down. I see the blogosphere not being as saturated as it is now, because I think many would give up on their blogs because they were set up for the wrong reasons.

A Better WordPress

I see WordPress still being the king of blogosphere. I see it being better. I see self hosting being as easy as clicking an icon. But I do see the service being more expensive in order to accommodate all these perks.

More Lifestyle Blogs

I see more blogs rebranding and being more flexible by covering more niches. I think people relate with lifestyle bloggers more because they find that they have a lot in common with them, and they are usually more interesting to read and write. So I see more lifestyle blogs popping up.

Clear Regulations 

I see clear regulations in place for the blogging industry. Right now, it is so confusing what you must do, can do and can’t do. But I see the regulations being laid out properly in a few years.

More Social Media Platforms

Blogging and social media are like Bonnie & Clyde, they need each other. I see new platforms coming up in the future. And I see the end of some of the current platforms we have at the moment.

 

I have written this post as part of Innovation Company’s study on what bloggers see as the future of blogging – http://innovationcompany.co.uk

How do you see the blogging industry in 10 years? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

*Collaborative post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Improve your Domain Authority

March 9, 2017 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 52 Comments

As a full-time blogger, my domain authority is very important to me, and I know it is the same for many bloggers. As a Blogger and Blogger Outreach Consultant, I know many brands tend to work with bloggers that have a minimum domain authority of at least 20, so improving and maintaining a good domain authority score is very important if you plan to make money from your blog.

 


 

A blog’s domain authority is set by Moz Open Site Explorer, and it is simply a score that shows how your website is really doing. It works by crawling the web to find sites that link back to your site; it then measures the value of these links and generates a number based on the results.

Before you can have a valid domain authority, you need to have your own domain. So yourblogname.com, co.uk or net, but not .wordpress, or blogspot, if that makes any sense. Many new bloggers tend to think they have a domain authority with a free WordPress/Blogger blog, but they don’t, as their blog is piggybacking on the host platform, which explains the very high domain scores. However, blogs with a vanity domain (that is a blog with a domain name but hosted on WordPress/Blogger) do have a valid domain authority, so you don’t need to be self-hosted to have a domain authority. I see this question come up a lot online, so I thought to clarify this bit before going further.

So how do you improve your domain authority? I have blogged for over 4 years now on Fashion and Style Police, and at the moment, I have a domain authority of 33. I going to mention things that I believe has helped me.

 

Regularly Posting Quality Content

I blog almost every day and I think my blogging regularly has helped improve and maintain my domain authority. But the key is to post regular quality content and not just churn out post after post that have no depth.

Posting regular quality content would get you views, comments, likes, link backs, and shares, which all help your domain authority massively.

 

Using SEO Properly

Using SEO properly means your blog posts would appear on search engines, which makes it more likely to get views, comments, shares, and the likes. What use is a great post or blog if no one can find it? Good use of SEO increases the number of eyeballs on your blog, which will eventually increase your domain authority.

 

 

Build a Social Following

A blog’s social following does have an impact on its domain authority. If you have a decent following on social media with engaged followers, you will see an increase in your blog views, comments, shares, and the likes, which eventually helps the overall domain authority of your blog. I wrote a little more about this in my book – How to Cash in as a Blogger, so go have a read and please leave a review on Amazon once you are done. I need them reviews like I need air!

 

Commenting on Other Blogs

Commenting on other blogs does have a massive impact on the domain authority of your blog because it links back to your blog, if you leave your blog link details in the website box. However, I would advise you don’t leave your blog link under your comment except the blogger is happy with this. I personally don’t like it because I have to deal with broken links every now and again, and these links are usually the main culprits. Leaving your website link in the allocated section should do the work fine, and also make sure your comment is a decent amount of words, I would say at least 10 words if possible.

 

 

 

Writing at Least 300 Words Posts

The minimum word count of a blog post should be at least 300 words. I know sometimes it may be hard to write-up a post up to 300 words especially for Giveaway posts but that should be your ideal target. Research and experience has shown me that longer posts help improve the domain authority of a blog. And these posts also rank high on Google so it is a win-win.

 

Try these tips for 6 months and see if your blog’s domain authority increases.

Do you have any domain authority tips to share?

If you have enjoyed reading this post, please do leave a comment and share.

Thank you.

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