7 Things I Wish I Would Know Before I Tried Blogging | Key for Success

If blogging is in your mind, don’t let it linger there. It’s time to take the plunge, but before you do, here are 7 Things I Wish I would Know that would have made my first blogging experience more effortless. 

To be honest, blogging seems to be an easy process from the outside. You write a post, hit publish, and watch the views come rolling in, right? Not so fast. Blogging is hard work, and it can be frustrating when you don’t see results immediately.

What most bloggers don’t see is the time and effort that goes into creating a successful blog. It’s not just about writing a post and hitting publish.

You have to be strategic in your content, know your audience, and be consistent with your publishing schedule.

But, it’s so unfortunate to see that most bloggers don’t know what they are getting themselves into before they even start. I’ve compiled a list of seven things that top bloggers wish they’d know before starting their blog.

If you’re thinking about starting your own blog, it’s best to be prepared with knowledge of what blogging is actually like rather than rely on assumptions.

Well, that’s what I did when I started my first blog back in 2010. I had zero knowledge of blogging and how to market my content online.

However, I learned quickly that there’s a lot more involved than just writing blog posts. As much as I loved blogging, it wasn’t until 2013 that I started getting some success with my blog traffic.

Yes, it takes time, and you should be patient and consistently produce content.

But, if you’re looking for some things to help speed up the process, here are 7 things that I learned along the way.

So, without further ado, let’s get started…

7 Things I Wish I Would Know Before I Start Blogging

1. Quality Always Matters

When it comes to blog content, quality is always better than quantity. In other words, don’t publish posts just for the sake of publishing them. Take your time to write high-quality posts that are valuable to your audience.

This doesn’t mean you can’t publish multiple posts a week, but make sure each post is well-written, informative, and helpful.

When I talk about quality content, I’m talking about writing up content that will solve a problem for your audience. Don’t be afraid to write posts on what you really know because it’s better to have one great post than multiple mediocre posts.

I have seen many new bloggers start their blogs to publish tons of posts a week. While it’s a surefire way to attract plenty of organic traffic, they’re blindsided by the amount of content they need to produce, which causes them to fail miserably. Because they forget about quality in most cases.

So, if possible, I strongly suggest that you stick to publishing 1-2 high-quality posts per week instead of 10 mediocre ones. This will not only save you time but also increase your overall organic traffic.

How to know if your article is a good one?

The best way I suggest is that you compare your article with top-ranked articles on Google and see if your article is lacking anywhere.

If it is, then you need to improve your article.

Google is pretty smart at detecting the best content out there on any given topic. So, you must make sure your content is of the same caliber as the top-ranked articles on Google for your selected topic.

2. You Need to Define Your Blogging Niche

One of the best blogging tips that I can give you is to define your blog’s niche or topic of expertise. Having a clear blogging niche will help you produce better content that is more focused on its target market.

A strategy that I used with my blogs was to specialize in one main topic instead of writing about everything under the sun.

This newbie mistake has burned many bloggers.

Yes, one of the biggest mistakes bloggers make is not defining their niche early on. Without a defined niche, it’s challenging to attract an audience because you’re too general and have no focus on your blog.

In other words, people don’t know what you blog about or what they can expect from your content next, they visit your blog.

That’s why it’s essential to define your niche and target a specific audience. Once you’ve done that, you can start creating content that is valuable and helpful to them.

For example, if you’re a food blogger, you probably don’t want to publish posts on fashion and beauty. That doesn’t make sense, right?

So, define your blog’s niche early on and stick with it.

And, when your blog is focused on a specific topic, it will be easier to keep your readers engaged and come back for more.

It also helps with SEO. Because Google and other search engines rank websites with well-defined niches higher than those that are too broad.

So, it’s best to define your niche right from day one and stick to the topic for as long as you can. And, if you can’t decide on a topic or a niche, then you can always try using a keyword tool to help you out.

I personally prefer using relatedwords.org when looking for ideas for creating a new niche blog. It’s a wonderful website to find related terms to what you are looking for.

Sometimes you’ll get some amazing ideas for your blog from the tool. So, go ahead and check it out, and I hope you’ll find it interesting enough.

3. SEO is Crucial for Blogging Success

If you want your blog to be successful, you need to focus on SEO or search engine optimization. This means optimizing your posts for the search engines so that they show up on the results pages.

SEO is one of the most critical factors for blogging success. Because it helps you generate organic traffic and find new readers for your blog.

The best part?

Visitors from search engines are the best type of traffic for your blog because they already know what they want, and they found your blog while looking for the information you are providing.

They’re also more likely to read everything, click on your affiliate links, and actually purchase something.

So, I strongly suggest that you focus on SEO as a crucial part of your blogging strategy. That way, you’ll be able to generate more traffic and increase your blog’s overall visibility.

When I started blogging, I didn’t focus on SEO at all.

And, as a result, my blog’s traffic was very low.

But, once I started implementing some basic SEO techniques, my traffic increased significantly. So, it’s definitely something you should focus on if you want your blog to be successful.

But, still, I must say that SEO is not easy.

There are many different things you must focus on when it comes to SEO, but I will share some basic tips with you here:

A. Search Engine Optimization begins with Keyword Research

One of the most important steps of successful blogging is choosing the right keywords for your blog posts.

Because if people can’t find your content on Google, then what’s the point?

So, that means you need to pick keywords with decent search volume and low competition. And, yes, it takes time, but if you want your blog to be successful, then it’s something you must do. Because there are so many benefits of using the right set of keywords for your posts…

You get more organic traffic and increase your blog’s overall visibility. You get higher rankings on Google because you’re using the keywords that people type into the search bar. And, over time, all that will translate into massive growth for your blog.

B. You need to know who you are writing for before finishing your post.

When I started blogging, I wrote for myself. And, while that’s okay, it’s not the best way to go about things if you want your blog to be successful.

Because, when you write for yourself, you are naturally going to include topics and subjects that interest you. But that might not be what people are interested in reading.

So, the best thing to do is write for your readers first and yourself second.

That way, you’ll be able to create more relevant content that people actually want to read. And, once your blog starts growing and you begin seeing success, then it’s okay to think about writing blog posts about what you want.

C. Write longer posts and use long-tail keywords.

When I started blogging, I used to write very short posts.

Back in those days, it was common.

And, even worse, instead of using long-tail keywords as I should have, I used broad keyword phrases like “Learn to blog.”

And, as you probably already know, those types of keywords are very competitive, and they don’t generate much traffic at all.

But, when you use long-tail keywords, you’re targeting a specific group of people who are already interested in what you have to say.

This means they’re more likely to click on your post, read it, and even share it. Plus, long-tail keywords usually have lower competition which makes it easier to rank your post on Google.

If you can follow these 3 tips and consistently publish useful, relevant blog posts about the right topics, you will see your traffic increase significantly.

So, focus on optimizing your blog for search engines, write longer blog posts, and use long-tail keywords to get more organic traffic from Google.

And, once that happens, you’ll begin seeing some serious growth in no time.

4. You Should Publish Enough High-Quality Content

It’s no secret that the key to a successful blog is publishing high-quality content regularly. But what most bloggers don’t know is that publishing too much low-quality content can actually hurt your blog and your SEO.

Now, to understand how publishing too much low-quality content could hurt you, you need to get an understanding of what Google’s Panda algorithm is all about.

Basically, Google Panda is a filter that was created back in 2011 to penalize poor-quality sites. And, even though the algorithm is updated regularly, the basic principle still holds true.

That’s why you need to make sure that all of your content is high-quality and provides real value to your readers. Because, if not, your blog could get penalized by Google Panda and see a significant decrease in traffic.

While high-quality content is essential, having a few posts doesn’t work either. There must be a significant number of high-quality articles to establish your blog as an authority in your field.

And, that’s why you must publish high-quality content on your blog regularly.

For example, you can have the best article in the world about “how to make money from a blog and build a business” published on your blog.

But, if you only publish that one post and then never post another thing again, then your blog will surely fail. Because search engines won’t be able to assess the quality of your website based on only one blog post. There has to be more.

Therefore, make sure you have enough content.

That way, search engines will be able to see your site as an authority in your field, and you’ll start seeing growth in no time.

5. You Need to Guest Post on Other Blogs

Guest posting is one of the best ways to get more traffic to your blog.

Why?

Well, for starters, when you guest post on another blog, you’re reaching a new audience. And, not only that, but you’re also establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

But, the best part about guest posting is that you can get quality contextual backlinks from high-quality websites.

And, if you’re lucky, those links can drive some visitors back to your website.

Now, before you start guest posting on other blogs, you need to make sure that your guest post is high-quality. Because if it’s not, then the blog owner is going to be less likely to publish your post.

And, even if they do publish it, the readers of that blog are going to be less likely to check out your website.

That’s why you need to make sure that all of your guest posts are well-written, highly relevant to the blog’s audience, and provide real value to the reader. If you can do that, then you’ll start seeing some serious growth in no time.

Also, if your article is not good enough, the other website has no reason to publish it and give you a link back. Because it might hurt their reputation too for linking to a low-quality website.

Well, it means that you need to make sure that your guest posts are high-quality. That way, the blog owner will be more likely to publish your guest post, and their readers will be more likely to click through to your site.

This way, you not only help the other website by providing high-quality content and adding value, but you’ll increase your own website traffic as well.

So, the next time you want to guest post on a blog that’s related to yours, make sure it’s going to be a great fit first.

6. Avoid common mistakes

There are several common mistakes bloggers often make when first starting out with their blog, and some of them can be pretty costly.

For example, many bloggers make the mistake of not investing in a domain name or buying web hosting right from the start. They prefer using free blogging sites like Blogger.

These sites are great for getting your blog up quickly. However, you don’t own the website, and it can be taken down pretty much at any time.

And that’s why you need to make sure that you own your website.

Because, if not, it can be hard to grow your blog and establish yourself as an authority in your field. In fact, it doesn’t look professional when you have a blog hosted on someone else’s domain.

Another common mistake is not spending enough time on keyword research.

If you’re not targeting the right keywords, then you’re not going to get the traffic you want from search engines. That’s why you need to make sure that you do your research and target the right keywords for your blog posts.

Otherwise, you’ll be working hard and not seeing the results you want.

Another mistake I often see new bloggers make is not spending enough time on their blog design. How your blog looks matters.

It can either make or break your blog. That’s why you need to make sure that you take the time to design a beautiful and user-friendly blog. Otherwise, people aren’t going to stick around to read your content.

And, lastly, many bloggers make the mistake of not promoting their blog enough. If you’re not promoting your blog and sharing it with others, then your readers aren’t going to know about it.

And, if they don’t know about it, then that might mean no traffic for you. So, to avoid that, make sure that you promote your blog right from the start and continue to do so throughout your blogging journey.

So, promote your blog on social media, your email list, and via guest posts. That way, you can grow your readership as much as possible.

There are lots of other mistakes bloggers make:

For example:

• Formatting blog posts poorly
• Not focusing on users’ need
• Not using images in blog posts
• Not linking to old blog posts
• Choosing the wrong topic

But these are some of the most common ones that I see. So, make sure you avoid them if you want to be successful with your blog.

7. You Should Be Patient

If there is one blogging tip that will help you the most, it’s this one.

Blogging is NOT an overnight game-changer. It takes time to build up readership and traffic on your blog.

That’s why you need to be patient with it.

If you’re not, then you’re going to give up on blogging too soon, and that will definitely hurt your chances of success.

If you want to be successful, then you need to give it some time. Maybe a few years, but not a few months!

There are exceptions.

But, in most cases, it takes at least a year of consistent blogging to see some noticeable results. Unfortunately, most people can’t wait.

So, yes, it will take some time for your blog to get going and start gaining traction. But, if you stick with it and focus on creating high-quality content consistently and following what you’ve learned so far, then you’ll be successful eventually. You can trust me on this.

So, be patient, and don’t give up on blogging too soon! I understand it can be challenging, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.

Is there anything else I want you to know?

Yes, of course!

Last but not least, have fun with it!

Blogging should be enjoyable for you. If it’s not, then you’re going to find it hard to stick with it in the long run.

Make sure that you have fun with your blog from the start; otherwise, it’s going to be a chore, and that’s never good for your readership or happiness!

So, enjoy blogging and constantly seek ways to improve yourself as a blogger.

If you do this, then you’ll see big gains over time, and that’s definitely something to be excited about! Don’t you think so?

So, those are 7 things I wish I had known before I started blogging. What do you think? Are there any other things you would add to the list?

Let me know in the comments below!

And, of course, don’t forget to show your love by sharing this article on your favorite social media platform. 

It takes less than a minute of your time. But it’ll make a big difference to me. I appreciate it so much! Thanks! 🙂