How to Create a Blog for Free and Make Money

The world is changing rapidly and so are the ways of earning money. Gradually, everything is shifting online and traditional methods of earning are becoming obsolete day by day. We have all thought of starting something to make money online at some point. One of the most common ideas thrown around for online earning is to create free blog. While it may seem straightforward to begin a blog, it is not that simple. Starting a blog just for the sake of earning money almost never works because no blog can run without content. So, if you don’t have a passion for writing, drop the idea.

However, if you’re someone with a deep-seated passion for writing and regularly creating new content, you can begin a blog. But, only having a passion for writing is not enough. You also need to have three Ps of success, which are:

1. Passion
2. Preparation
3. Persistence

Without these three traits, your blog can die its own death with time because the digital world is growing every second. According to 2019 statistics, there are above 500 million blogs with WordPress having nearly 60 million. Moreover, this number is constantly increasing every day.

In this article, we have shared a step by step guide to create free blog and make money online. Let’s see how it’s done!

How to Create Free Blog – A Step-by-Step Guide

For those interested in making money online with the help of a blog, this step-by-step guide is very useful. They can learn about creating a new blog by following these steps. However, preparation, planning, and persistence are crucial for a successful blog.

Follow the step-by-step guide given below:

1. Select a Niche

Every blog needs a topic. Nobody can start a free blog and start throwing content online. For a successful blog, laser-focus is important.

The first step in making a blog is to select a particular topic or a specific niche. Once, you have identified that only then you can start creating content.

Your customers/visitors/readers identify you with the help of your blog. So, picking a particular topic/niche helps in targeting the right audience.

2. Pick a Platform

The second step after choosing what you will write about is to select a platform where you will write.

Most people, who want to create free blog and make money online, trust WordPress. It is the most popular platform for bloggers. However, it is not the only one.

For micro-blogging, other platforms such as Tumblr, Blogger.com, and Medium are also used.

But, serious bloggers who want to be recognized by a larger population usually use a self-hosted WordPress installation on a custom domain. Some people like keeping their blogs with a WordPress subdomain, too (e.g. myblog.wordpress.com). However, the most traction is generated on a self-hosted website.

So, choose a platform where you’d like to start your blogging journey.

3. Choose a Domain Name

After finalizing the platform of your choice to create a free blog, the next step is choosing a domain name.

Your domain name is what helps the visitors discover you. There are several domain name providers like BlueHost and HostGator. So, select a keyword that best defines your niche and your content. Then, get a domain name from these domain providers and you’re all set.

Domain Name

From an SEO point of view, keep the following suggestions in mind while choosing a domain name:

• Find a well-known and top-level domain (TLD), like .com and .net
• Try to keep the domain name short and catchy (maximum 15 characters)
• Purchase a domain name without hyphens and other symbols

4. Get Website Hosting

Many great website hosting companies are available online. But to create free blog, it’s important to find the right web hosting company.

Keep your budget in mind while selecting a company. Moreover, service-level and up-time guarantee should be included in the package.

5. Use Google Analytics

Once you have successfully started things off, install Google Analytics on your blog. It helps keep a track of everything that’s happening on your blog. GA is a great way of keeping a record of your traffic. It is also helpful in search campaigns.

6. Use Google’s Webmaster Tools

To create free blog and make money online, it is important to know what keywords is your website ranking for. It helps in tracking keyword impressions and CTRs. Moreover, it allows you to submit an XML sitemap. To grow your blog, these tools are mandatory.

7. Learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Knowing the basic principles of SEO is important to grow a successful blog. While most people don’t know everything about SEO, they need at least some know-how of search engine optimization. This is important for understanding what impacts a website’s ranking on search engines, like Google. However, nobody can learn SEO overnight. It is an ongoing process and you will keep learning more every day.

8. Create Relevant Content Regularly

Remember the 3 Ps of success? Persistence is one of those Ps.

If you are not serious about content creation, you might as well say goodbye to blogging. For any blog to succeed, it needs a regular dose of new content.

Moreover, the content you produce for your website must be relevant to your niche. Random content will attract the random audience who may or may not be converted into potential customers. So, make sure you produce content related to your niche.

Apart from this, your content must be engaging, informative, unique, and new. Do not copy and paste anyone else’s content. Your writing must be keyword centric but it shouldn’t be robotic in nature. Write with a natural flow and insert keywords naturally. Avoid keyword stuffing and learn more about Google’s content guidelines otherwise your blog may get penalized.

9. Start Socializing

Creating a free blog is not enough to make money online. You have to do marketing of your blog, too. And, for that, you need to socialize.

Use social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and other relevant social media platforms. These platforms are excellent for getting to know other like-minded bloggers and publicize your blog.

10. Begin Marketing and Monetization

The best strategy to make money online through your blog is to learn content marketing. It is one of the best ways to get your on-site content noticed. But, for that, you have to create some off-site content as well.

The off-site content must be well-created as it is produced for attracting visitors from other platforms. It can be done by writing articles for websites like Medium and Scribd. It can also be done by answering questions on Quora and Reddit. You can also do it by making YouTube videos.

Once, your website starts getting a stable number of visitors each day, your content monetization will become easy.

Monetizing the content is not an overnight job. It requires patience and persistence. You will start small and grow eventually. But, always remember that there are no shortcuts. Your blog will generate income and you will make money online but don’t expect it to happen within a week. Stay persistent, produce quality content, and the money will flow.