I agree blogging is not an easy job. Moreover, the competition among in the SEO and MMO niche is really saturated. Yes, it’s true. But I believe ‘it is entirely possible to blog successfully in a crowded niche’. And what does it mean ‘blog successfully’?
Stayed out of blogging world for some time – about two months – I felt, why I quit? I really enjoyed blogging! ICT Trends was doing great and I got, though a few, but best friends in this cyberspace. I missed them all – Imran Yousaf, Ileane Smith, Kannanbala, Sanjeev, Element321, Shirley, Kissie N Atl, Kevin Martineau, Bbrain, Hisman, Jevan Jacob and the list continues. When I was far away in a corner, peeping though now and then, hiding behind; finally decided to make a fresh restart!
Well, in this beginning post I wish to talk about how this blog stood – the establishment process.
Blogging Rebooted!
#1. Domain Name
Choosing a domain name, I always felt, is a painful task. You can’t just pick a random string; and unfortunately all the good ones are already taken. Tried to use different tools like Ajax Domain Search, Dislexicon, WordFinder, WordMixer, DomainsBot. Hey! DomainsBot is great as it begins searching immediately you start to type and keeps displaying results. If you are lucky enough to find it right there, or just click on search to show a list of available names for supplied keywords.
I decided to use SEOMMOTIPS.COM as my domain name. Though not as short as I wished, but I guess, it is fairly easy to remember. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and MMO for Make Money Online. These abbreviations are already popular, so, ‘seommotips’ won’t be that hard to remember.
I purchased this domain name through DomainRightNow (this is the one that I was using for last three years)!
Update: There is no problem with buying domain names from DomainRightNow. After having some experience with domain names and blogging, these days I buy domain names from GoDaddy. I learned that this is the #1 domain registrar (DomainRightNow too uses GoDaddy‘s services?) and it offers lot more features to customize. Who knows what you need to configure in future?
#2 Hosting
Hosting is another important factor for any blog to run smooth. There are some cheaper hosts but can you compromise cost with quality (uptime)? You can never get good ranking in SERP and PageRank if the site loads slow. It’s even worse when search engine crawlers often find the site is down.
My choice is HostGator. It gurrantees 99.9% uptime, 24/7/365 technical support along with unlimited Bandwidth and Unlimited disk space. You can run multiple blogs with one account. On top of all these features, I have some positive experience with HostGator when running my other sites PS Exam and ICT Trends. A few dollars should not be counted when performance is in account.
Update: Once I start with HostGator, I never had to rethink about hosting. This is still the best and I enjoyed the support and service for all these two years with HostGator. You can read my experience on HostGator in my posts like: My experience to move to HostGator from friHost, Optimize Your Blog to Reduce CPU Uses on Web Host.
HostGator lets you buy hosting with heavy discount. Check here to find Complete List of HostGator Coupon Codes for various discount offers.
#3 Point Domain Name to Site Hosting
It’s time to configure Name Servers so that the domain points to your site. Following is the process to do this:
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Add the domain name in hosting account (HostGator in my case) and note down the Name Server and IP Addresses of hosting.
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Go to the domain management page (domainrightnow in my case) and Edit Name Servers
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After you enter at least two provided name server addresses, save the setting. It may take up to 24 hours to reflect this, but in my case I got the domain name pointed in about four hour.
#3 Blogging Platform
No need to say, its WordPress for sure. It was the easiest decision among all! I love Joomla too, but for a blog, nothing stands equal with WordPress.
It was the matter of a few clicks to install WordPress in HostGator account. As HostGator provides cPanel, you can find Fantastico De Luxe to install any supported script just with few clicks.
All I had to do was to entered the site name, description, ftp username, administrator username, password and then Done! WordPress is installed.
Update: You can find some tutorials in tutorials section I wrote about setting up and using WordPress for your blog.
#4 WordPress Theme
‘TwentyTen Weaver’ for now. It is flexible and easier to manage. It contains almost everything for a new blog to start going.
I know, Thesis theme is there. But it is premium and costs $87 for Personal Option and I couldn’t afford it right now. But this remains in my first wish list.
Update: I tried many themes in this duration. Currently this blog uses Mainstream theme of Woo Theme framework. Though, Thesis is the best theme for WordPress blogs, buy you may like to use different themes based on your requirement and purpose. For example, I suggest you to choose Profits Theme if you run membership site or sales pages (I used it in www.icttrends.com site). Theme like WP Clear is better if you want to present your blog as magazine (I used it in www.bivori.com). WPZonr, Gadget etc are good for creating eStores to sell affiliate products or Amazon products (used them for some of my niche sites like www.pregnancygoods.com)
#5 Akismet Configuration
I am using the most popular blogging platform and I’m about to make my blog as much comment friendly as possible. Then, I should be ready from the very beginning to combat spammers. Akismet works great to help you fight with those greedy heads.
Akismet is installed along with your WordPress and all you need is to configure it and activate. There is a small fee for those who use it in professional and commercial blogs. For individual blogs enjoy the free service!
I registered an account with my personal details and an email address. The Akismet key was sent instantly to my mail. Done!
Update: I use Akismet no more. This plugin is great but it catches a lot of false positives and people complain that the plugin just removed some comments even without letting the blog owner review them. Now the best option is ‘Spam Free WordPress‘. You can read more about this new plugin in my post Block or Filter Spam Comments or Spam my comments if you can! (published in Bivori.com blog).
#6 Plugins
The power of WordPress is in its useful plugins that are readily availabe for free or some premium. I installed some most essential plugins and some others that improve the efficiency and optimizes the blog. I’ll be talking about them in my next post.
Update: You can read about different plugins I’m using for this blog. Similarly there are some suggestions by guest authors based on their experience. 8 Free WordPress Plugins for Every Newbie Bloggers is a post by Chitra. Hope it will make it easier to choose the best plugins for your blog.
Happy blogging!
About Suresh Khanal
Hey Suresh, I missed you!! It’s nice to have you back and I think this is a great domain name. I wish you all the best and I’m sure you will have success with this blog. Thanks for mentioning me and visiting my blog the other day. Btw I know that there is so much to remember when you’re starting a blog so I just wanted to remind you to update your CommentLuv and Blog Engage profile with your new blog in case you didn’t do it yet.
Well I’m off to read the next post. Cheers!
Ileane@Basic Blog Tips recently posted…Basic Blog Tips for New Bloggers
My humble thanks to Ileane. I’ve just updated CommentLuv profile and for BlogEngage I’m using with my name, so it won’t matter for any domain name. I’m so delighted to find friends like you who always inpire me to work better!
Hello! I find myself a new blog to follow. SEO tip is always welcome. So will be fun and interesting to follow your blog. Good luck with it and be sure to se me stick around here
You are most welcome and I hope there will be great interaction ahead.
I am impressed by the information that you have provided in this blog.It shows how well you understand this subject. Bookmarked this page and will come back for more.
Nice post! GA is also my biggest earning. However, it’s not a much.
hi now i am in you blog, just tell me what you see more or give more priority. Is that you see forum.mazzako.com. or your email or this blog. Anyway really informative. thanks
Obviously my blog dear. Nice to see you hare and welcome to SEO MMO Tips. I hope you will find the posts useful.
Welcome to blogosphete seommotips
I am already your regular reader to learn more SEO stuff.
I thought as you did about Thesis theme, that time i thought; “oh my blog does not earn me money yet, so i won’t buy any premium stuff”.
I can only say, buy things for your blog if the blog can earn you money. Theme alone won’t help, content is #1.
Good luck!
Kimi recently posted…WordPress- “You Are Here” Above Posts
Thank you Kimi for your inspirational words. I truely appreciate.
Good luck with your new blog, nice theme btw
Search Engine optimization is an process of increasing the rank of pages.SEO has been an important consideration for website developers when deciding how to create a system.ASP NET,Java script and HTML play an important role in search engine optimization.
Its very interesting to know about Seo .Search Engine optimization is basically a process which increase the traffic on search engines.Its very nice article to explain about starting the blog.
Thank you Ashle for comment. Hope it will be useful for the new bloggers aspiring to start a blog soon.
Suresh Khanal recently posted…Kittens Content and Kombat
SEO is a very useful one on internet marketing. Once you know the strategies you can make the most out of it. There are many tips all over the net to develop SEO. And this one is best. By the way the baby on the photo is very adorable, sweet and peaceful! I can’t help but admire the baby.
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Nice post, thanks!.. a tip; when you write a post about the necessary WP plugins, take a look at Yoast’s new WordPress SEO plugin (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-seo/), it beats all current WordPress SEO plugins IMO (including All-in-one), with a lot of features…
Rene @ WP Robot recently posted…Venture- corporate WordPress theme from StudioPress
Thank you Rene for the refer, will certainly check it.
thank you for sharing great points on blog SE optimization.
I am wondering which SEO plugin is most useful for the blog SEO.
I tried a couple and don’t like them.
Majestic SEO plugin is great though.
Platinum SEO is talked very high among bloggers and I prefered All-In-One-SEO. I can’t list reasons just why but it really worth listening to larger community.
And before the first step, the most important is the good will, persistence and constantly writing new content
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I agree what you’ve said and will always follow that direction. I’m not after the immediate benefit but rather sustainability.
PS: I have keywordLuv installed in my blog and I would appreciate you to enter your name@keyword rather than the bare keywords.
Great step by step guide to starting a wordpress blog. I wish I had found this before I started mine!
Kurt@easy internet business recently posted…Mini Clickbank Guide – How to Research Products Like The Pros
Thank you Kurt for stepping in. Lets hope it will be available to them who are just starting
This article is very useful. A lot of valuable information. Thanks the owner.
Michael recently posted…Pure – November 2010 Joomla Template
Great tips and motivation. If it was easy everyone would be doing it! The most important thing is that you love it. Another tip for those looking to get traffic is to research your keywords often and carefully!
Market Samurai recently posted…Market Samurai Trial
And Market Samurai is best tool, isn’t it?
Hi Suresh,
In my opinion it is the best tool. It taught me so much and helped me truly understand how to research and implement strategies that earn. Obviously others would say different ones are the best but I tried quite a few and chose Market Samurai after using their free trial to test it.
Market Samurai recently posted…Market Samurai Trial
Blogging in a particular niche can be a bit difficult at times depending on the competition you are facing, choosing the right keywords and optimizing your content is your best bet to out- class your competitors.designing the page of your site according to your business and promotes the products and services effectively. It is more than making your site perfect looking, most of the times people focus only on designing rather than the promoting their business.
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To do work in SEO is a great Experience to resolve the queries ,the blogging process hosting ,bookmarking are the parts of SEO .I will just the enjoy the work process as well as the projects works . It creates the feeling of competition and provide the opportunity to come first in the race of millions.
I love how you enumerate and explain the basics of blogging Suresh, sometimes thinking about making money online through blogging will only stress you out and the best way to earn is to enjoy what you are doing.
Jay @ legitimate online jobs recently posted…How to Earn at Home by Blogging
This is a fantastic guide to getting started with a personal blog, your right that it is not easy in the online environment but there are still plenty of niches out there to be exploited.
Your mentioned points are very nice,
Most necessary and preliminary step of choosing the domain as the domain reflects about the theme and motive of your blog.
seo indore recently posted…google caffeine seo
Thanks for these great blog setup tips. When I first started out online, I was unaware that you should choose a domain name with keywords in it. This is so simple, but so important. Your site is great.
Jodie @ Jodie Lawton.com recently posted…Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-12-05
Choosing a domain name with your brand’s keywords will make your initial seo efforts so much less challenging.
Adam@Orlando SEO recently posted…Facebook Launches New Profile Layout
For me setting up plugins like Google XML sitemaps, Wp Pagenavi, No-self pings and ultimate nofollow are a must add with akismet.
karan @ Blogging tips recently posted…Your First Steps to Blogging
You have done a great job by compiling this article. I liked the step by step instructions.
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SEO has been an absolute breeze for me. It’s really the technical aspects of starting a blog that gets me… looking for a good host and then making sure that all the technical aspects are covered such as, as you mentioned, pointing domain name to site hosting. I’m lucky to be with a host, Mabuhay Hosting, that has excellent support. I can ask all the stupid questions and their support team still has the patience to answer all of them.
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Great post about getting started. I love WordPress and it is so cool how you can do so much with different plugins. And I totally agree that Hostgator is a great and reliable hosting company. I use them and have really enjoyed their service. All you have to do is call them and they will spend as much time as needed to help you. The customer service reps who I have spoken with are very friendly and professional. And you usually don’t have to wait on hold too long either which is great.
Thanks for the information. I am looking forward to reading your other articles. I also see that you have guest bloggers too. I’d love to see how you promote that…
Cheers
Very well explained article. Very informative and useful. Thank you for Sharing it to us. This is a where newbie should go to have a good start.
Bloogin is not easy, but I think it can still be a thing is no fun, also because it can make from all over the world from
jan recently posted…Sehenswürdigkeiten im Isan
I have been developing niche blogs myself for a couple of years now and doing quite well.
This article describe the basics you need to know to setup a blog but there is still a lot to do before you can start to make money online from your blog.
I think back linking is probably the most important part of this job and should be something all website owners should look into at some point.
Regards,
Kenneth
http://www.makemoneyforum.com
I agree, this is a where newbie should go to have a good start.
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These are really good advices for the beginners, but I would add to to think before writing an article about what keywords people are going to look after, and put them in the text. That could help with google.
sophie@Donuts recently posted…Faire ses propres pain a Hamburger
That is very true Sophie, It would certainly help to drive more traffic if the post is related to something people are looking for.
Thank you for stopping by and the comment.
you can blog a lot before all make when it is going to companies known
jan recently posted…Abfluss frei machen
Naw… that baby in the post is so freaking cute! :’]
/Ron.
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So people have been asking me how to start a blog. I think this is great. Sort of. But I’m hesitant to actually give people advice on starting a blog because I don’t think everyone should have their own blog.
Yes, a blog is good for personal branding. Sure, you can meet lots of great people or even get a job from blogging. And then there is the free stuff. But these things can only happen if you blog well, and not everyone can do that.
So the first thing to figure out is if you would be a good blogger. Blogging is a ton of work and it’s yet another thing to commit to. Since you want your blog to be a success, you probably want to write regularly. You also want to learn about Web 2.0 tools, and comment on other blogs, and refine your writing skills, and improve your technology skills, and figure out how to draw traffic, and eventually meet your online friends in person.
I read this article very useful and more informative..
i get more idea..thanks for ur good work and keep updating..
by
Winworld Exports
I wish I would have came across this guide before I started my blog, it would have help me avoid commit many mistakes and overspend money I now realize I shouldn’t have spent.
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great start for newbies. helpful advice for choosing a domain name (website URL) is thinking of a keyword for your business and finding a domain name with that keyword already in it. this will help with SEO; but keep in mind, don’t make the domain name too long because people might forget the name.
Jason@SEO Expert recently posted…Top WordPress Plugins
Hiii Suresh…
Its a nice post …….very cute baby pics……
That’s true Swati, I could not resist showing it off on my post after I saw him. He is so cute, isn’t it?
Do you recommend getting a .net domain if the .com is not available?
Gustavo @ Cool Gadgets recently posted…7 Things You Should Never do to Your Computer
There is not much difference technically other than the connotation .com and .net possesses. If I encounter with a .com domain name I guess it is some sort of commercial website and .net is a site about networks. But for everything else, they don’t differ. I have many friends with great blogs with .net domain name.
I’d agree that the wordpress blog stands head and shoulders above its nearest rivals.
That’s true Steve. Once I used WordPress I wish I could transfer all of my websites to WordPress.
While I agree the domain name is probably your first step, having a reliable host is probably the most important detail on your list. Without reliable hosting your site won’t be able to stay up and the rest of the list won’t even be able to be addressed.
Great one dude.. i suggested to used http://panabee.com this is awesome domain name generator look at this one.. it help to find out keyword rich domain name.
rajmeej poudel recently posted…How To Formate Memory Card With Command Prompt
Thank you Raj for you input.
Hi Suresh,
You have given awesome tips here. This post is a must have for anyone who launches a blog afresh. I completely agree with your point on Hostgator. My blog is hosted happily on Hostgator and no issues; awesome support.
Cheers,
Jane.
Jane@Starting a blog recently posted…12 Blog Promotion Tips For Newbies
Making good selection saves me from fighting for nothing for future.
good post by suresh sir………………
i too dropped out of blogging for quite a while, i always tell people that you really need to find your niche and stick to it, not be too general,
ChriSEO recently posted…Free Adwords Voucher
Limiting scope of a blog makes easier for readers. They know what to expect before they land.
Thanks Suresh. I am trying to be a blogger and want to learn all aspect of SEO. Your article is easy to understand.
Thank you Sanjeev, I’m glad.
Excellent overview on starting a blog Suresh.
The next step is to load up on killer content and you’ve got yourself one successful blog
I have to agree picking a domain name in a competitive niche can be a real headache. I think you chose pretty well for your site!
Hi Suresh my friend you said exactly what i did. I just created my word press blog using this same techniques. But I used Godaddy to book my domain.
This is a great info for newbies.
Thanks Suresh,
Abhijit..
Abhijit @Online Money Making Ideas recently posted…Right Keyword Selection Can Boost Up Your Website Ranking
Great tips. I actually think that choosing your domain name is quite simple (or hard in that I always have so many options to choose from). I think you can either try and make it personal or go after a matching domain name. In either case, it should not be too hard to find something useful…
Congrats!
I just came across your site. Its going to be nice to follow your journey!
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It’s always advisable to have keywords in your domain, I guess your domain is a good one , mate.
The more I work with my blog, I find myself wanting to start new ones in other niche markets. What I don’t want to do is run up a large hosting bill with a bunch of different sites though. I was looking into Host Gator and Go Daddy and they have packages where you can sort of ‘be your own hosting company’ and host numerous sites within the package that would cost much less than buying several different hosting accounts. I’m worried though that SEO on something like this might be difficult, I mean with all the sites coming from the same IP. What is your opinion on doing something like that?
I’ve had a few different blogs over the years and think that wordpress was the biggest game changer for me. It’s extremely customizable and easy to use. I’ve never been very good at that sort of thing, but using elance I’ve been able to get some pretty good sites up and running.
WordPress is the biggest gamechanger there is for a blogger. Your own domain and a nice keywordrich domain.
Thats success
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Hii… Suresh
Steps to start the blog described by you are very beneficial. Iam looking start to my blog so I will definitely follow these steps. please provide some more idea to start the blog. Thank and Keep continue………
Great list, but what about the most important point: inspiration? I can’t seem to find your next plugin post by the way. Could you drop a link?
Pieter@Zoekoptimalisatie SiteOptimo recently posted…Microdata toevoegen aan je site
Thanks mat for this wonderful information about the first step of starting a blog.
Thanks.
Having switched over from Typepad to WordPress not too long ago, I can tell you that plugins have made a world of difference to my blogging experience. WordPress SEO by Yoast is one of my favorites! Thanks for the tips, Suresh!
Jack@CoolGizmoToys recently posted…Angry Birds Speakers by Gear4 for Your iDevices Coming Soon
WordPress really enriches the blogging experience. Welcome to the world of WordPress Jack.
WordPress is where it’s at for SEO blogging – I recommend Yoast plugins for anyone looking to improve their wordpress seo campaign.
Great Post!! I just found your blog…wonderful list of beginner steps to take when starting a blog!!
Kathy
Kathy recently posted…Why Is Social Media Becoming Less Social?
Thank you Kathy. This is probably the earliest post of this blog.
Great post – thank you! And as I am already blogging for quite a while I have still learned something new.
Christian@The isXperia Review recently posted…„SimpleMeal“: Now available at isXperia
Sharing enriches! Thank you christian for the comment.
if you really love what you are doing you will come up with a great ideas and you will surely share it to others. this is very useful for the new bloggers especially for me because i already got some basic important info on how to start mine. thanks and keep it up!
I agree that blogging is not easy as everybody thinks. Nothing beats you in doing something that makes you happy, and blogging is your lifeblood. I can relate actually, I’m working with my uncle lastly because my father force me to work there but then I’m not happy because my passion is blogging, and I really do what I want and my father have no choice. I’m happy that you do the same way too. Keep posting and inspiring more people.
Savannah@Hardwood Flooring recently posted…Cork Floors Pros And Cons
Your father too will understand one day if you ever can succeed in blogging.
Great! But people should be aware that installing a lot of plugins in WordPress might get your instalation really slow!
Test plugins locally and then publish them online otherwie you might get a lot of trash in your blog.
SEO link building is always going to be one of the methods to ensure success. Back links are the lifeblood to any site or blog. You hit the nail on the head on all points! Great article!
Rufus Kagan recently posted…SEO Link Building: Why It Should Be Your Top Priority
Really a very good article, also your blog’s design looks awesome, keep it up blogging.
Manoj Sharma recently posted…Logitech Launches LBT-PCHP02 World’s Smallest Bluetooth Earphones
Thank you Majoj. Sure, I will.
Well said, very clear step by step procedure to start a blog.
This page is really helpful for people who are just starting to blog, like me. I agree with those steps, especially with WordPress as a platform, it’s much easier to use, and more powerful as well.
Josh Sarz@Enjoying Life recently posted…Removing Clutter to Enjoy More
Thank you Josh for commenting. I truly enjoy the blogging journey since SEO MMO Tips was born.
Hi Suresh,
Murray is dean on. Killer content can make or break a blog so spending a little extra time writing great stuff will pay big dividends later.
Jan
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Thanks Suresh. I am a New blogger and want to learn all aspect of SEO. Your article is easy to understand.thank you
saikiranreddy recently posted…Youtube Downloader to blog
Thank you Saikira. I’m glad you liked the post.
Hi Suresh,
Great post, thanks. I still think that choosing a domain name with your keywords in it is the best thing that you can do for SEO. In other words, you have a great chance of being ranked under the keywords included in your domain name. You nailed down that point well…as well as many others. Glad you started blogging again!
Thanks,
John
Great post – smart links, sitemap and yoast are the best plugins for SEO.
Hello Suresh,
That is a cute baby picture and great content. I am also writing a blogs and inserting images on it. I hope mine will appear as interesting as yours. Thanks for this by the way.
Thank you John. There are some great image services to find nice looking images. Corbis Images and Digital Photograph are the ones I mostly use.
Thank for the trick. I always prefer keywordluv than commentluv. Using those plugins increase blog comments and also increase reader base to your website
Neatly defined steps, very helpful for a newbie setting out to create a fresh blog.
But I have a question here, do we need to take the pains of booking domain name,hosting space and wordpress, can’t we use freely available blogging platforms available? What are the disadvantages?
Wow! This is indeed a very comprehensive article! I do use HostGator too and I agree, it’s service is competitive enough to make the user feel contented.
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Thanks Suresh. I am trying to be a blogger and want to learn all aspect of seo , littel bit
Nice steps you mentioned for the start of SEO it is very much useful for beginners like me thank you very much … for helping by this article