Starting a blog is one of my favorite low-cost models, and possibly recession-proof with a bit of effort and consistency.
It doesn’t take much to start with, and you could turn additional income into a full-time income for less than $100, with the right WordPress hosting and a free WordPress theme.
Before I started this website, I had been dabbling in content creation and blogging for years, but it was never a big part of my daily routine until recently.
I wanted to share a few observations and tips for beginners, because I believe too many starting bloggers tend to overcomplicate the process.
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At the end of the day, you just need to start writing, and it boils down to this:
- Build a simple structure, with a simple layout
- Define a niche
- Start with 1 or 2 categories
- List 10-30 topics you want to write about
- Use a free or low-budget keyword tool
- Start writing
- Improve your old content
Very few bloggers take actionable steps, and even fewer see niche blogging as a marathon.
Some treat it like they’re building a spaceship, but every professional blogger I ever talked to will agree that you just need to start writing.
Even when you have a lack of experience, zero knowledge about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), or lack creative writing skills, it should not be seen as a blocker.
Read also: Keyword Golden Ratio: How To Rank Fast With Keywords
Your first batch of content will suck and might not be as polished, but that’s okay. You can revisit your old blog posts at any time and rephrase, once you have improved your writing skills.
Defining A Niche For Your Blog
I came across many “SEO experts” and niche bloggers on social media. But I feel genuinely upset when they post stuff like:
The best niches in 202X are:
- Travel
- Finance
- Beauty
- Lifestyle
Travel is NOT a niche. It’s an industry. Finance is NOT a niche. It’s an industry.
I classify a niche as:
“Female travelers over 60 traveling solo”, or “Money saving hacks for single parents”
Do you see the difference?
Simple Steps To Start A Niche Blog
If you want a more detailed explanation, you can read the full mini-guide HERE.
Read also: How To Start A Niche Blog: A Beginner’s Guide
- Define a major industry
- Draft a few ICP’s (Ideal Customer Profiles)
- Start noting down topics or keywords around that ICP
- Start with the ones you feel comfortable writing about
- Build a sitemap (website structure) and navigation menu. I would recommend Gloomaps for a simple setup
- Start writing a few blog posts
- Publish them
- Extract new keywords or topics from your published content
- Keep writing as if your life depends on it
Remove Complications
Once you start writing, even with a bit of AI assistance, you’ll discover that the pressure of finding new topics or inspiration will be reduced.
When you overcomplicate your blogging journey too early, you‘re setting yourself up for failure (often).
Consistency is where bloggers thrive.
It can send a possible signal to search engines, signaling new content has been added or old content has been updated.
There’s no point in adding dozens of blog posts in one go, just to stay silent for months. You would rather want to publish 1-2 each week and keep up the pace.
You can always increase the publishing frequency once you’re more comfortable with your pace.
6 Extra Tips To Consider When Starting A Niche Blog
- If possible, put the answer in the first paragraph, and add all the details in your blog post
- Always write for people, never for search engines
- Choose a topic you feel passionate about
- Ignore monetization when you just start. It will derail you from your early-stage goals
- Use AI tools for guidance, but not for the actual writing
- Blogging is 90% research and 10% writing
Final Word
Starting a niche blog is not rocket science. But know the difference between a niche and an industry.
Many beginners theorize too much, but execute too little and remain stuck on step one.
Your blog layout is the least of your worries when you’re a beginner, and you figure out the advanced levels later.
Start with simple WordPress hosting, a domain name, and a free theme for under $100 per year.
Start using the Avalanche SEO technique and KGR method for optimal results when you’re just starting out.
