Blogging Tips For Beginners That Actually Work

You might have heard about blogging tips like, “write about your passions” or “write about what you are feeling.” Well, if these are the only two things you’re doing, your chance of creating a successful blog is slim.

The truth is that even if people are interested in what you’re writing about, it’s impossible for them to visit your site if they can’t find you.

And even if they do find you, traffic is meaningless unless you can actually get them to read your content.

So in this article, I’m going to cover some important blogging tips for beginners that have helped me consistently get traffic to my blog.

Stay tuned!

Disclosure: Some links in this article are my affiliate links. If you buy any product through any of these links, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Such a commission helps me to stay motivated and produce more such content. Thanks in advance if you buy anything from my affiliate links.

While there is nothing wrong with blogging about your passions, creating a successful blog goes beyond just you.

You should be a half-decent writer, and understand the technical elements of blogging as well as social strategies that can help you take your blog from nothing to something.

So rather than giving you a popcorn bowl full of random tips for blogging, let’s break these down into three buckets to help you get more traction.

1. Becoming a better writer

This tip is all about becoming a better writer and is one of the most important blogging tips for beginners.

Tip #1 Focus on a specific part of your niche

You might label yourself as a food blogger. But by covering the topic of “food” as a whole, you may be spreading yourself too thin.

For example, even if you were able to publish two posts per day for an entire year on subtopics like grilling food, smoothies, vegetarian diets, slow cooker recipes, nutrition, and more, it’d be tough to compete with larger sites or those that are just focusing on one of those topics.

So in my opinion, it’s better to focus on being a master of one than a jack of all trades.

So focus on becoming the go-to place people go to find smoothie recipes. Become the go-to place where people go for grilling techniques. And after you have dominated that niche audience, you can try and expand to other subtopics to reach new audiences.

Tip #2 Create content that’s worth referencing

Referencing requires attribution. And attribution in the world of blogging equals links.

Links from other websites are important because search engines like Google use them to help decide who to rank higher in the search results.

How do you create content that’s worth referencing?

• Create content that’s unique and interesting in your industry.

For example, Ahrefs ran an experiment where it spent over $50000 on podcast advertisements and wrote an article about it on its blog. To the best of their knowledge, no one had written that kind of post. This resulted in around 140 unique websites linking to their page in a short period of time.

• Include statistics

Many big websites have a lot of backlinks just because of a statistic. This is why big blogs continually publish data studies. They’re literally link magnets.

For example, a good chunk of Backlinko’s links comes from stats. And they are often referencing their own personal results like growing their organic traffic by 111% and boosting conversions by 785%.

• Include unique images

Creating high-quality images is hard which means that it’s a point of leverage for those that are willing to put in the effort.

You can add custom images whether they be graphs from data studies or illustrations that help better explain concepts.

Not only do they create a better experience for readers, but they result in links.

Tip #3 Make your posts easy to read

Nobody likes to read. They just want the information. If they could download it to their brain, they would. Click To Tweet

And to achieve what is written in the above quote, you need to ensure your posts are easy to read and use.

Here are a few tips on how to do that.

• Use short paragraphs instead of big walls of text. Short paragraphs help readers progress through your article in small and easy steps

• Break up long sentences because they are hard to follow. Break up these sentences by finding places where you used words like “and,” “because,” and “that.”

• Use multimedia in your posts. Whether that be videos, images, or GIFs, they can often help illustrate your points clearer than words.

• Write in a conversational tone. The easiest way to check this is to read your copy out loud. If it sounds like you are talking o a friend, you are good to go. But if it sounds like you’re competing in a national debate, try again.

Tip #4 Write click-worthy headlines that aren’t clickbait

The one thing that separates your website from a user is a click. Fail to get clicks and you fail to get traffic.

Since most people will find your web pages through search or social, you want to craft a headline that accurately represents your article without sounding boring.

For example, an article titled: “15 Best Headphones” conveys the point. But don’t you think it’s kinda boring?

Something like “15 Best High-End Headphones For Under $100” is more click-worthy because:

• It tells the reader that the headphones are of high-quality

• high-end headphones are usually a lot more than $100 (Who wouldn’t click it?)

Tip #5 DO NOT stuff keywords in your posts

This is a common mistake that every beginner somehow makes. Gone are the days when all you had to do was show Google that you have your focus keywords enough times in your post and eventually Google would rank your website.

With increasing competition in blogging, Google and other search engines have also become smarter. They can easily figure out whether your keywords make sense or are just stuffed for the purpose of SEO.

When search engines detect that you have stuffed keywords (which they can very easily), your website will be ranked ridiculously low.

Beginners usually use SEO plugins like Rank Math and Yoast SEO. While these plugins are great for basic on-page SEO, they do not have the artificial intelligence to figure out if your content makes any sense.

They will show you a good SEO score even if you just insert keywords meaninglessly.

Remember, include your focus keyword in the ratio of once every 200 words you write.

Tip #6 Write introductions using the APP formula

The headline’s job is to get the reader to click through to the page. Then, your intro needs to hook them in, so that they will read the rest of the post.

To do that, use the APP formula which stands for “align, present, proof.”

First, you need to align yourself with the reader’s problem. Then you present your article as the solution to that problem. And then finally finish off with proof as to why they should listen to you or how you solved that problem for yourself.

Look at the image below. It’s from my blog post on “how to start a blog for free and make money from it.“ Look how I am aligning with my reader’s problem of starting a blog for free and making money from it.

Not only that. I also state that the article is based on my personal experience with blogging. This way, people get hooked up with the article and will definitely want to read more as I am sharing my personal experience and not just any random advice.

In this second image of the same blog post, I also try to resonate with people telling them how they must be feeling about starting a blog and also motivating them. Give your readers a reason to read your post.

Keep your intros short, and on point, and focus on addressing why the reader is on that page in the first place.

Tip #7 Create feedback loops

The last writing tip is to create feedback loops. Your first draft should never be your last.

You might think after writing the post that a better post doesn’t exist. Well, that’s not true in most cases.

Prepare an outline for your post first. Write down all the headings and sub-headings, then fill content under them. Once you are finished writing, revise it.

You will find that many things are not just right. Don’t worry, not everyone is an inexplicable writer. You get better with time.

Correct things that you feel are not right. Omit certain things, add certain things. You will see that the final version is much better and more satisfactory than the first one.

2. Technical tips for blogging

Let’s move on to the technical aspects of blogging. These are equally important as writing.

So here are my best technical tips for beginners.

Tip #1 Write about what people are searching for

This one is super-important. This is more commonly referred to as keyword research.

Did you know that 51% of all website traffic comes from organic search?

And if you want a piece of that traffic, then you need to use keywords that people are searching for.

Fortunately, search engines like Google give you clues through features like Autosuggest.

Just type in a topic you want to write about, and you’ll see a few other closely-related terms.

There are other freemium tools out there like Answer The Public where you can find keywords phrased as questions.

After that, you can search for those keywords in keyword research tools like SEMrush, Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, etc., and see important metrics like search volume and keyword difficulty, and decide whether those keywords are worth pursuing.

Tip #2 Cover your competitors’ best topics

By “best topics”, I’m referring to the pages that are sending them consistent traffic every month.

To find your competitor’s top pages, just enter their domain in a tool like Ubersuggest.

Click on Top Pages By Traffic in the left side panel. And enter your competitor’s domain.

You will see a list of all the top pages or topics which get the highest number of visits on the competitor’s site with important metrics like Estimated Visits and Number of Backlinks.

This way you can find out which topics of your competitors are getting the most visitors and help you find out what is trending and most read.

Create wonderful content around such topics. Try to make your content better than your competitors.

Tip #3 Do some basic on-page SEO

Writing about blogging tips for beginners and not including basic SEO will be meaningless.

On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing web pages to help them rank higher in search engines.

So without overcomplicating things, you should include your primary keyword (or focus keyword) in your title and URL and make sure you cover your main topic’s subpoints.

For example, if you’re talking about how to make the perfect cup of coffee, you should probably talk about things like finding the right roast, water temperature, and brewing methods. (I know a little about coffee too)

All of these would be relevant, if not crucial to truly cover the topic in full.

Here’s a basic on-page SEO checklist:

•  Use Focus Keyword in the SEO Title

• Use focus Keyword inside SEO Meta Description

• Try to include the Focus Keyword in the URL

• Write at least 1500 words if not more

• Try to include the focus keyword in subheadings

• Link out to external sources or other websites

• Add internal links to your other posts

• Use short paragraphs

• Include your focus keyword in the ratio of once every 200 words

• Add images to your posts

Tip #4 Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Did you know that over 91% of internet users access the internet on a mobile device? With the growing popularity of mobile devices, Google has made it a ranking factor for websites.

You don’t want to lose the potential traffic to your great content just because your website isn’t mobile-friendly. It is not a difficult task to make your website mobile-friendly.

You can use plugins like WPTouch if you are using WordPress.

You can also use tools like Google Mobile-Friendly Test to know whether your website is mobile-friendly or not.

Tip #5 Monitor your blog analytics

Fortunately, you don’t have to be totally clueless about how well your blog entries are performing. There are numerous website analytics tools available that can be used to evaluate your effectiveness. The best one is Google Search Console.

This is one of the most valuable tips for blogging which is often overlooked.

How many people each month read your articles? How many social media shares do they receive? What subjects tend to pique your readers’ interest the most?

Starting a blog requires evaluating this data because it shows you where to make improvements and where to repeat your successes.

If you notice that a particular topic gets a lot of clicks or shares, create additional articles that relate to that theme or that use a similar style or format.

Similarly, you might need to go back and think about updating or changing the content if an important article isn’t receiving the attention you’d hoped for.

3. Get Social

I won’t talk about which social media networks to use because that’s too generic. Every social media platform can be equally beneficial.

Tip #1 Connect with other bloggers you admire in your space

Smart bloggers reach out to forge relationships with one another. They offer feedback, and help, and often cross-promote each other’s content.

And this is why it often seems like all the big players in your industry are friends. They started early and they grew together.

Not everyone is going to want to be friends. But there’s a good chance that people in your industry want to connect. They just don’t know you exist. At least at this point.

So to get started, think of 5-10 people in your space you admire. These might be people who run blogs or newsletters that you’re subscribed to or anyone whose content you read for getting useful insights.

Make a note of something that you actually admire about their work. Go and email them just for the purpose of connecting. Don’t ask them to share your content or give you a backlink.

Just send a simple email that goes like this:

Hey [name],

Just wanted to say that I really admire [whatever they do].

Thanks for [whatever you admire].

Cheers,

[Your name]

I just saw a YouTube video of a YouTuber (duh!) wherein he was explaining how Neil Patel shared his post on his Twitter just through an email.

Tip #2 Build an email list from day one

When I say day one, I mean it! Do not think that you are just a beginner. What would you do with an email list? Trust me, you will regret not starting an email list earlier.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you’re trying to remember which site you were on that had that awesome recipe, tutorial, or whatever it was?

Well, if you had joined that website’s email list, you’d know.

Without any kind of email opt-in forms, you are preventing your readers from getting future content or product updates.

Building an email list also acts as a good way to perpetually get traffic to new posts you publish. And since subscribers are warmer visitors than cold traffic, some of them might share your content on social media, or even link to you if they have their own blog.

So bottom line, start building an email list from day one

Recommended read: How to capture email addresses from website visitors and build an email list

If you are looking for a good email marketing service, then I would recommend GetResponse. I personally use it to build my email list and I highly recommend it.

You can build and manage your email list very easily with GetResponse Lead Generation tools, which include forms and popups, landing pages, webinars, funnels, and many other useful features.

Tip #3 Promote your content in online communities

This is the last and one of the most important tips for blogging. Remember, promoting your content doesn’t mean spamming Facebook groups or Reddit with things that people are going to get angry about.

Instead, spend your time integrating yourself with these communities by providing them value.

Become a recognizable name and face. And as you see a need, share content that can help solve other group members’ problems.

If you do it right, you can get thousands of visitors. If you don’t behave the right way, you can even get banned from these communities.

So share links sparingly, and spend most of your time just meeting like-minded bloggers to build mutually beneficial relationships.

Blogging Tips For Beginners: Final Thoughts

It takes effort to blog. The good news is that you aren’t by yourself.

Many bloggers have experienced ups and downs. They have mapped out the road for you using their hard-earned experience.

I’m wondering if you have any tips for blogging that I’ve missed. Let me know in the comments.

If you found this article helpful, consider sharing it on your social media and the people you feel might benefit from it.

Wish you all the best!