WordPress Blogging Tips to Help You Get Started
If you want to start a blog, WordPress is probably the simplest and easiest Content Management System [CMS] you can use. There are even simpler options – such as using a free online blogging service like Blogger.com, but you don’t have much control over your site.
With WordPress, you get the best of both worlds – an easy-to-understand platform and unlimited features that allow you to grow your blog and add tools and whistles as you read.
Once you get more familiar with WordPress by reading our articles, next you can read this blog post on how to make money with WordPress.
WordPress.com or WordPress.org
First, I have to point out that there are two WordPress. They are owned by the same company, but WordPress.com is a hosting service for your blogs – such as Blogger, Tumblr, and other third-party sites. These are often referred to as Web 2.0 sites. There is nothing wrong with creating your blog this way, but it limits you in certain ways.
If you use WordPress.com and any other Web 2.0 site, you are not the owner of the blog. You just rent a place in it. This means that the host can be able to delete your blog at any time. This happens if you are considered to be in violation of any TOS (Terms of Service). It is incredibly easy to do this, even without explanation.
For example, WordPress.com does not allow you to personalize your blog in any way. So if you want to start a business or make a few extra dollars every month, this is not the way to go.
Another reason why WordPress.com and other such sites are not suitable is that you will have a hard time with SEO and generate more traffic if you are a blog owner. That’s because most of the “link juice” produced by your article will go to the host rather than your particular site.
That’s why WordPress.org is what I’m going to focus on here today. That’s when you buy a domain, get hosting and start your own blog.
Getting Hosting and Domain
Your domain is your URL – the address of your website or blog. If you have not already done so, you will need to do this first. If you do not have web hosting again, you will need this. You can combine these if you like. Most web hosting companies offer you a free domain if you sign up for hosting.
When choosing a web hosting company, it is best to choose one that has a lot of experience with WordPress. If you really want to be sure of this, you can go with WP Engine, a WordPress-focused company. However, they are more expensive than most webmasters.
If you want to save money, you can still find a good web host campany that can support your WordPress website. Bluehost, for example, is highly recommended in this regard. They are also recommended by WordPress itself.
One suggestion I would make here is that, whichever webmaster you choose, try to choose a program that gives you unlimited domains/websites. Sometimes one host will offer a few different programs. The difference in price is usually only a few dollars a month.
The point is, creating WordPress blogs can be addictive! You probably won’t want to quit with each other. So you may have a hosting plan that allows you to create as many as you want.
When choosing a domain, try to keep it short simple, and Catchy. If you want your blog to be ranked right in the search engines, select the best keywords in the title. These are the names of people who will be searching for information.
If your domain is similar to Bobsblog.com or Marysblog.com, you will have a personal name but not one that can help you with SEO (search engine optimization). This is especially important if you intend to sell something. If you only want a blog to share with your friends, family members, coworkers, etc., therefore, it does not matter.
How to Install WordPress
Installing WordPress is quite easy with most major web hosting companies. You usually use a script installer such as Fantastico or Softaculous (your web host probably has one of these -looks on your control panel). You can then install WordPress in a few clicks.
You can Read Here about WordPress Installation.
WordPress Plugins
If you are already familiar with WordPress, you may want to start looking for more advanced features. This usually means adding plugins. These are the tools you upload to your WordPress site to perform various tasks.
Plugins can be used for security, SEO, building forums or membership sites, placing contact forms on your site, or hundreds of other things. Plugins give you the ability to perform many tasks that would require advanced coding knowledge.
There are many WordPress plugins that will not be compatible with all of them. At first, you may not think you need any plugins – and this is true. However they are so easy to use that you can also get your feet wet and install the basics.
You can access plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard.
Akismet – This anti-spam plugin is already installed when you install WordPress, but you must get the API key to unlocking it. There are few instructions on how to do this.
Google XML Sitemaps – This makes it easier for Google and other search engines to index your posts and pages.
W3 Total Cache – This is a great plugin to help your site load faster and more efficiently. It does this by caching posts, pages, websites, documents, and other space-consuming features.
Yoast SEO – This makes it very easy to make your site search engines.
The above is a very brief list of what you can do with plugins. If you have specific needs or ideas for special features of your blog, there may be a plugin that can help you achieve this.
What Should You Blog About?
This doesn’t seem to be a problem, but most people have a “blockchain” after writing a post or two. I think you have already selected your topic. After all, if you can even think of a topic, it’s not a good time to start a blog right now!
But even if you have a topic you like, it can be challenging to think of a real post you can write. For this, you may need to do some research to find inspiration. Here are some ideas.
Set up Google Alerts – You can get emails from Google that will bring news to your inbox based on the other keywords you choose.
Amazon – See what popular books are. See also their magazine section!
Other Blogs – Check out Google Blogs and see what others in your area are writing about. You do not want to be copied, but you can find ideas for yourself.
Offline Books and Magazines – Go to the library, bookstore and Barnes & Noble magazine section (wherever magazines are sold). Read newspapers. All of these are good sources of ideas.
Consistency is the Key to Success
If you have a blog, you should write a blog post! This is the most important “secret” to having a successful blog, believe it or not. You hear a lot today about “quality content,” which is important, important.
If you fill your blog with automated or twisted content (if you don’t know what that is, don’t worry about it – you’re much better!) You won’t go too far. Search engines are quick to recognize this as low value content. However, you should always produce posts.
Forgetting temporary search engines, when a visitor sees that a blog has not been updated in a few months, may conclude that it is not very useful or important. You probably do the same when looking for new sites online.
Search engines also like blogs that are constantly updated. It also gives you additional content to identify you. Let’s say a few words about SEO, as long as we are on that topic.
