Want to start making money online blogging? Learn the basics of blogging by reading tips on SEO, content writing, and many more. Don't fall into the same traps as other newbies have when making money online.
3. Brainstorming Ideas
What Should I Blog About?
YES
Hobbies & Interests
Knowledgeable topic
NO
Insurance, mesothelioma,
DUI, or other extremely
competitive and
expensive keywords
Things you have no
interest or knowledge in.
What about the ‘No’s?
Insurance, Mesothelioma...
These niches are highly tempting because
their average payouts on Google Adsense is
high. However, you are probably not going to
get anywhere because the competition is
simply too damn high.
Things you have no clue about…
If you have no genuine interest in it, you are
going to get bored of writing about it really
quickly. Chance are, you will quit writing after
a week or two. Don’t make this mistake.
ACTION
Make a spider chart and break down possible blog topics into as
many sub-niches as possible. Check next slide for example.
4. Brainstorm Spider Chart
Football
David Beckham
Real Madrid
Football Tricks
Transfer Rumors
Football Shoes
Traveling
Mountains
Photography
Hostels
Nightlife
Outdoor Travels
Asia
Smartphone Android
iPhone
Games
App Reviews
Samsung
Phone Photos
Gaming
PS4
FIFA13
Nintendo Wii
Facebook Games
Game Tips
5. Feasibility Check
Are people searching for ____?
First, make sure there is a target audience for
your potential blog topic.
Step 1
Use Google Keyword Tool and Spyfu to get an
estimate search volume for each niche.
Step 2
Search the relevant keywords on Google and
examine your competitors’ strengths by
comparing indicators such as their Twitter
follower count and age of domain.
ACTION
Search the potential blog topics on the Google Keyword Tool and
note down estimate search volume. Check out competitors.
6. Niche Research Example
Hmm… I want to write something about the iPhone. Let’s check out possible topics.
Click here to access the Google Keyword Tool (GKT).
Example: iPhone Keywords
After searching iPhone on the GKT, there
were two keywords I was interested in.
“Find my iPhone”
There appears to be thousands of people
who are desperate to get their lost iPhone
back. Perhaps you could write a blog on
apps that track your phone location.
“iPhone Cases”
Or you could write about the most trendy
iPhone cases in the market.
7. Hosting a Blog
Serious about Making Money?
If you are serious about making money, it’s time to make a small investment. To run
a blog, you will need a website host and a domain name.
Website Host
There are many free blog services out there. However, I would not recommend
them for the purpose of making money (check next slide). Besides, website hosting
services are cheap these days.
Domain Name
Some marketers swear by the exact match domain rule (having keyword in the
domain). I personally feel it makes no difference as long as the domain has some
relevance to the blog niche.
ACTION
Buy a website hosting plan and a domain name. I do not
recommend the use of free blogging services.
8. Free vs. Paid Blog Hosting
Free Hosting
Pros
It’s free
Don’t need to know coding
Cons
You get a ugly sub-domain
They may delete your blog without
warning if it violates the terms
Revenue sharing
No access to plugins
Paid Hosting
Cons
Might need to learn a bit of coding
You have to pay monthly
Pros
You are in total control
Access to thousands of cool themes
and plugins
All earnings go to you
More control over SEO
9. Recommended Web Hosts
Dreamhost
Dreamhost offers everything you need from a solid web host.
Beginners will like using Dreamhost because the control panel is
extremely easy to use.
Hostgator
If you live in America, you will see Hostgator adverts everywhere.
Hostgator has grown in prominence in recent years, and there are
good reasons to be confident in their services.
Bluehost
I have been a loyal customer of Bluehost for 5+ years. Not only is
their customer support top notch, my websites rarely had any
downtimes. You even get a free domain with the package.
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10. Blog Creation (Wordpress)
Now that you have a web hosting plan and a domain name, it’s time to create the
actual blog. The three web hosts I recommended in the previous slide come with tools
that automatically install the blogging system for you. For example, Bluehost has a
service called ‘Mojo Marketplace’ that installs Wordpress in one click. All you need to
do is to provide the desired username and password.
A new Wordpress Blog created in one minute
11. Some Tips on Blog Content
#1 Keep it short and concise. Don’t
beat around the bush.
#2 If appropriate, include images and
videos. No one likes to see a page full
of text. Its boring.
#3 Use subheadings and paragraphs.
Make it easier for the eye.
#4 Write something of value to the
reader. Don’t just rehash the same
crap from other blogs.
#5 Never duplicate an article. You will
get penalized by Google.
#6 People love reading lists such as
“The Top 5 __ You Must Know About”.
12. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Don’t expect traffic to just roll in
after you posted a few articles.
Many newbies neglect a very
important process called SEO.
To bring in organic traffic, you
need to show search engines
that your blog is relevant to
certain keywords. SEO is divided
in two areas:
On-page optimization
Stuff on your website that affects
the blog’s search result ranking
Off-page optimization
External factors that affect the
blog’s search result ranking.
13. On-page Optimization
Dos
Include META tags such as the
keywords, description, and author.
Include your main keywords in the
H1 tag.
When you add images, include an
ALT attribute.
Make use of a sitemap and submit it
to Google Webmaster Tool.
Don’t spam your main keywords.
Use breadcrumbs. It improves the
accessibility of your blog structure.
Use a logical URL structure that gives
your reader an idea as to what they
can expect from a particular page.
Don’ts
Don’t duplicate the same content on
multiple pages.
Don’t add any keywords that are
irrelevant to your content.
Don’t do article spinning. It won’t
help you in the long run.
Don’t try to hide any irrelevant
keywords by matching the font color
with the background.
14. Off-page Optimization
Dos
Comment on other blogs related to
your niche. Make sure comments add
value to the conversation.
Submit press releases for your best
articles. PRs can bring in a lot of
natural link juice if done correctly.
Share your posts on social media and
bookmarking websites. It’s free and
there is an opportunity to go viral.
Post regularly in relevant forums and
add your blog link to the signature.
Submit guest posts on other blogs.
If it makes financial sense, start an ad
campaign on Google Adwords.
Don’ts
Don’t spam.
Don’t build forum profile backlinks.
They add no value in the long run.
Don’t use link directories. Some
people believe they still work.
However, most of these directories
are already spammed with links.
Don’t use one anchor keyword for
all your external links. Diversify and
make your external links appear
natural by including anchor texts
such as ‘click here’.
Don’t fret over the blog’s Google
PageRank. It doesn’t mean much.
15. Monetizing Your Blog
Google Adsense
Place Adsense banners on your blog and make money
whenever your readers click on them. Google has strict
requirements for the application process.
Affiliate Programs
Promote relevant products on your blog and receive
commission from the sale. Affiliate networks such as
Maxbounty and Peerfly provide hundreds of programs.
Sell Your Own Products
Create your own product and sell it on your website. The
product does not necessarily have to be digital. If you
want to sell eBooks, consider networks like Clickbank.
16. Monetizing Your Blog
Amazon Associates
Promote Amazon products on your blog and receive
commission off every sale. This is a good strategy for those
who are planning to start a product review blog.
Direct Ad Sale
Sell ad space on your blog. The higher your traffic volume,
the more you will earn. You can also use websites like
BuySellAds.com to sell your ad space.
Reviewing Fees
Once your blog is well-established, you could charge
people for a review of their product on your blog.