How to Start a Blog and Make Money Blogging in the UK

Want to learn how to start a blog in the UK and make money blogging and build a personal website step by step?

Then you are on the right web page where you can learn how to write a blog post from scratch with SEO. As the UK’s best web host we help people in the UK get online with their own WordPress blog every single day.

Before you start Blogging

In this guide, I will show you the complete steps involved in starting a new blog and if you are new to the blogging field, then you can simply go through this guide and you can learn easily.

Exploring the world of blogging is an exciting journey, especially when it comes to unleashing the potential for online earnings. The misconception that coding or technical expertise is a prerequisite for starting a blog is unequivocally debunked – it’s a resounding NO. Thanks to SeekaHost.app, the process is streamlined, allowing you to launch your first blog within mere minutes using the user-friendly SeekaHost self-hosting WordPress hosting panel.

The simplicity extends even further with the SeekaHost.app portal, which boasts a meticulously crafted control panel acclaimed as the world’s best for WordPress sites. Building your blogging site on the renowned #1 platform globally has never been more accessible. With millions initiating their self-hosted WordPress blogs, now is your moment to grasp every facet of the process.

Commencing a blog marks the initial stride towards an online presence and the potential development of a lucrative blogging career. Who knows, you might even ascend to the ranks of the top business bloggers in the United Kingdom.

To further fuel your aspirations, take a moment to explore Google for “top bloggers” and “UK bloggers.” Delve into the curated list to glean insights into their blogs’ aesthetics and gather inspiration for your unique creation.

In this comprehensive guide, I will meticulously walk you through the step-by-step process of inaugurating your blog. If you find yourself navigating the blogging realm for the first time, rest assured that this guide is tailored to facilitate a seamless learning experience.

What is Blogging?

Blogging presents a straightforward method for sharing textual content, and multimedia elements like images, infographics, and videos on the internet, focusing on a particular niche and making it accessible to a wide audience. While there are numerous platforms for initiating a blog, opting for the WordPress Content Management System (CMS) stands out as the optimal choice due to its user-friendly interface and SEO-friendly features.

This holds particularly true for students or employees contemplating a departure from the traditional 9-to-5 work model. For those individuals, blogging emerges as a compelling option, offering the flexibility to pursue it as a part-time endeavour or potentially transition into a lifelong career. The allure is amplified by the substantial earning potential that comes with dedicating oneself to blogging on a full-time basis.

Advantages of being a Blogger

Embracing the lifestyle of a blogger comes with a myriad of perks. Foremost, the beauty lies in the absence of a rigid office schedule or the necessity to work from a fixed location. Armed with just a laptop and a reliable internet connection, the world becomes your workplace, granting you the freedom to blog virtually anywhere.

The convenience extends to the minimal investment required for blogging.

 

 

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Essentially, the costs are confined to obtaining a domain name and securing web hosting, both of which come at an affordable rate through the SeekaHost App. The financial commitment is notably low, making blogging an accessible venture for many.

The key to success lies in unwavering consistency. Whether you’re nestled in your cosy spot or exploring new horizons, dedicating daily time to your niche is paramount. By consistently churning out fresh, informative, and unique content on your website, you pave the way for a fulfilling and flexible blogging lifestyle.

My Blogging story in the UK

First things first, let me introduce myself my name is Fernando Raymond and I started my very first blog back in 2013 and it was on WordPress. I  blogged about online business, and SEO services and that led me to learn blogging skills to help my online business, as well as help business owners, gain traffic to their blogs. I created hundreds of blogs and after my first digital agency, ClickDo I started a hosting company, SeekaHost to help millions of people get online with domain names and self-hosting websites.

So I have over 10 years of blogging experience doing it almost every day.

I write for my personal blog www.fernandoraymond.com/blog/ and write for SeekaHost blogs and many others.

I and my team have helped many people in the UK with how to start and what to consider and in this guide, I will be showing you how to buy a domain, set up hosting, set up your WordPress website and finally do some on-page SEO that will help with getting your blog launched.

I have also created several SEO and blogging courses at the SeekaHost University, in case you are looking for a deeper dive into the subject.

I will also be explaining how to set up your content, upload media, set up the site structure and finally how to set up a Google console so you can track what keywords you are ranking for as well as the impressions and clicks your site is getting.

There will be instructional videos on how each of these stages is done. I have recorded my screen so you can follow my step-by-step detailed guide while even building your own blog set-up.

What is a Blog?

Now that I’ve given you a glimpse into who I am as a blogger, let’s delve into the essence of a blog. A blog serves as a unique space on the vast internet landscape, providing individuals with the platform to express their opinions, create a global impact, or even kickstart their business venture.

It’s a digital realm where you can authentically be yourself, free from judgement—a canvas you design and shape using your instincts. While the fundamental concept of blogs has endured, the surrounding industry has evolved, becoming both more straightforward and intricately layered.

This evolution, however, has posed challenges, particularly for the average person aiming to elevate their website’s ranking without a budget comparable to Trump’s presidential campaign. Why is this the case? The expenses associated with content creation, web hosting, link building, and various other components can swiftly deplete your bank account.

But fear not, as there are ways to trim costs, such as taking on content creation, managing your on-page SEO, or even spearheading outreach efforts for link building. Although the expenses tied to blog ranking can accumulate rapidly, don’t let it discourage you. With the right knowledge, you can steer your blog towards success relatively swiftly.

Why you Should Start a Blog in the UK?

Well, the reasons could be numerous from creating a brand and getting a passive income, to getting your info out about your practice or lawyer experience and getting more clients to the door. You might want to just write about your life and experiences or even a fan page about your dog.

The possibilities are only limited to your imagination, and besides having a blog is a great way of getting into the internet spirit and building your online image and establishing your brand. 

Creating a blog is also a great way of expanding your horizons. You get to meet likeminded people and anyone looking for a service you may offer can find background information about you.

There are numerous reasons to create a blog but the main reason should be for yourself and not for profit or fame, we all need to try and create a better internet.

What is Needed to Create a Blog?

To learn more about remote working opportunities you can check the below video by content creator and blogger James at SeekaHost:

The financial barrier to entry is minimal, with the main investments revolving around a domain name and web hosting—both available at affordable rates through the SeekaHost App. The key to success lies in consistency—daily dedication to your niche and the publication of fresh, informative, and unique content on your website.

The motivations for creating a blog are diverse, ranging from establishing a brand and generating passive income to sharing personal experiences or even creating a fan page. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination, making a blog an excellent avenue for embracing the spirit of the internet and crafting your online identity.

Expanding your horizons is another notable benefit of blogging. By connecting with like-minded individuals and offering background information about your services, you open doors to potential clients and collaborators. While there are myriad reasons to create a blog, the primary motivation should be personal fulfilment rather than solely chasing profit or fame. The collective effort to contribute positively to the internet should be a driving force.

As for the essentials needed to create a blog, the requirements are quite basic—just a steady internet connection and a decent computer. Depending on your goals, creating a blog can be cost-free, although a more serious approach might involve purchasing paid hosting and domain names, with costs varying based on the chosen quality of hosting.

The journey begins with the most basic options and progresses to more advanced setups for those seeking additional functionality. Custom domains on shared hosting provide a budget-friendly approach but may come with limitations, especially in terms of security and potential impact from other hosted websites.

For a more robust setup, opting for a new domain with premium hosting on dedicated servers is a substantial leap. This is ideal for building a stable brand, offering ample bandwidth, and providing essential features for search engine optimization.

Advanced developers or brand builders might explore the option of a dropped or expired domain—seeking domains with previous use, benefiting from old links and domain age. While this is an advanced method, it’s not recommended for newcomers to the blogging scene.

What Blogging Platform Should You Choose?

When it comes to choosing a blogging platform, WordPress reigns supreme, powering a significant chunk of the web. While other platforms exist, none come close to the prevalence and versatility of WordPress. HTML, though a raw code option, is largely impractical for those without extensive coding knowledge or deep pockets.

Premium WordPress from WordPress.org is hailed for its features, user-friendly dashboard, and flexibility. WordPress.com, the free self-hosted version, is a viable option for budget-conscious bloggers but comes with limitations on monetization potential. Other platforms like Blogger offer a free but less stable experience, while Wix is quick and easy to set up, albeit with limited flexibility in changing website templates once chosen.

In essence, the choice of a blogging platform depends on your specific needs and preferences. Each option has its pros and cons, and understanding them will guide you toward creating a blog that aligns with your goals.

The SeekaHost Team compare Wix vs WordPress in this clip:

How to Create Your Blog via SeekaHost.app

 

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Starting a new blog from the scratch is not a complicated task at all. It’s so simple and below are the complete steps involved in the creation of the new blogging website.

1. Choosing the domain name
2. Domain name registration at SeekaHost App
3. Buying the web hosting at SeekaHost App
4. Creating your WordPress website in SeekaHost App
5. Updating the nameservers
6. Activating the SSL
7. Boom – your website is live! – Ready to publish the first post.

1. Choosing the domain name

A domain name is nothing but the name of your website. For example, www.seekahost.co.uk, In this the domain name is SeekaHost and the domain extension is .app.

So the first job you need to do to start a new blog is choosing a domain name. When choosing a domain name, you need to make sure that it passes certain factors. So it will perform well on Google Search and also in other search engines.

Below are some of the important parameters to which you need to give importance while choosing the new domain name for your blogging website.

• Always try to choose the domain name relevant to your blogging niche. For example, if you are planning to start a blog related to cooking. Then the domain name can be like, cookingtips.com or something like that. Having the domain name relevant to the niche you are choosing is always an added advantage in blogging as it will help Google and other search engines to understand your website in a better way.
• Try to choose short domain names rather than long URLs. Having a short domain is an added advantage.
• Choose the domain extension based on the country which you are going to target. For example, if you are planning to target the UK, have the domain extension as .co.uk or If you are going to target India, have the domain extension as .co.in. But to start a blog, it’s always recommended to go globally and you can choose the .com domain extension for that.
• If you are planning to choose an expired domain to build your blog, make sure that the domain is free from spam scores or bad backlinks.
• If you are lucky enough to find a great expired domain for your niche, it’s an added advantage in Blogging as Manuela explains in this SeekaHost podcast:

You can buy the domain names for the very best price at SeekaHost App when compared to the other domain name providers in the UK.

2. Domain Name Registration at SeekaHost.app

So first step of Blogging is to choose the domain name. Once you have finalized the domain name, then check whether the name is available to register and then register it.

Now in this step, I will show you how to register your domain name using the SeekaHost App at a very cheap price.

The first thing you need to do is visit the SeekaHost.app web application – www.seekahost.app and “Create an Account” for you on the website.

Once you have created an account, you can log in to your account and get started.

After logging in, the first thing you need to do is search for the domain name which you have previously selected in the search box available on the website (Check below image)

If your domain name is available, then you will see the “Available” message as shown below and now you can click on “Add to Cart” for the selected domain name.

In the next step, click on the “Checkout” option and proceed further.

 

In the next step, it will ask for some basic information to be filled in about you and once that is done, you can click on “Continue Shopping” as shown in the below image.

Now you are in the final step, in the next step, it will ask for the payment methods. You can select your preferred payment method as shown in the below image and proceed with the payment by clicking on “Order Now”

Now you have purchased your domain name the domain name will be activated for you under your profile for you to access it.

Now you will find the new domain name which you have registered in the “Domains” section under the “Domain Names” option in the left sidebar,

So now the first step is completed and you have successfully registered the domain name.

3. Buying the Web Hosting for the Blog

Now after registering the domain name, the next step is to buy any web hosting plan get your domain hosted on the servers and make it live.

 

 

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As I have registered the domain name previously in the SeekaHost App, Now I am going to buy the web hosting at the same place. It’s always best to have the domain name and the web hosting at the same place as it’s easy to manage.

SeekaHost App is the best platform that helps you manage both the domain names and the web hosting in one dashboard.

Now to buy the hosting, simply log in to your account on the SeekaHost App and Select “WordPress Hosting” under “Hosting Plans” as shown in the below image,

Since I am going to host only one website, I am going to buy a single WordPress website hosting plan. But in case if you are planning to host more than one website or multiple websites then you can choose the hosting plan based on your requirements.

The below image shows some of the available WordPress hosting plans available in the SeekaHost.app.

When compared to the other web-hosting providers, SeekaHost offers the best WordPress hosting plans at the best and cheap price via the seekahost.app as well.

Now select the plan and click on “Choose Plan” as shown in the above image.

In the next step, it will prompt for the Payment method and you can proceed with the payment by choosing the preferred payment method.

Now, that this is done, you have registered a new domain name and also have bought a web hosting plan using SeekaHost.app portal.

4. Building your WordPress Blogsite

Login to your account on the SeekaHost App normally and select “Website & blogs” and under that select “WordPress sites” as shown in the image below.

After selecting this, click on the “Create WordPress Site” button as shown below.

In the next step, enter the name for the Blog and other basic details as shown in the below image and click on “Add WordPress Site”

Now you have added WordPress to your domain name using the SeekaHost App. Now within minutes of time, WordPress will be installed to your domain name and the login details will be sent to you through your registered email ID from SeekaHost.

 

 

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You can use the login details which is mentioned in the email and log in to your Blogsite. Later you can also reset the password based on your convenience. But wait, still, one more step is there.

Before logging in to your website for the very first time, you need to update the nameservers. Now I will show you how to update the nameservers and why it needs to be updated.

5. Updating the Nameservers

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To make your website live on Google and accessed by the users, still, one more step is pending which is nameserver updates. You need to update the nameservers and point the domain to the nameservers of SeekaHost where the website is hosted.

Login to your account on the SeekaHost App normally and select “Website & blogs” and under that select “WordPress sites” as shown in the image below.

Now the list of sites that you have hosted will be listed here as shown in the below image.

Now click on the “Settings” icon which is available next to the domain name which you have hosted as in the above image.

Now the nameservers of the respective domain will be listed as shown in the below image and you need to copy that and should update the same in the domain name where it is registered.

Click on the Nameservers tab as shown in the below image to get into the Nameservers section.

Now select the “Use Default Nameservers” option as shown in the below image and paste the nameservers which you have copied earlier and click on “Change Nameservers”

Now the nameservers update is completed and will take some time for the nameservers to get updated in the domain registrars. Now your website should be live once the nameservers are updated properly.

6. Enabling the SSL Certificate

Now, this is the final step in website creation. You need to enable the SSL certificate to make your website load in the HTTPS version.

Why do you need SSL for your website?

So this is the common question that anyone who creates a blog for the first time will have in mind. Here is the answer, SSL called the Secure Sockets Layer is the security protocol that protects the communication which is happening between the user computer and the webserver.

For instance, if you are entering any online shopping site and buying some product. Then you will enter your card details to make the payment, In that case, your card details will be passed on to the web server from your computer and then the response will be received from the server to process the payment.

So while this communication is happening between the user’s computer and the webserver, having SSL will help you to protect this communication from third-party software and other stuff.

It doesn’t mean that SSL is only for the website where the money transaction is happening. SSL is a must for all kinds of websites.

You can easily enable the SSL for your website using the SeekaHost.app with a single click. Now I will show you how to activate the SSL for your website in SeekaHost App.

Now click on the “Websites & Blogs” option on the left side and select the “WordPress Sites” option. Now select the settings icon which is near your website name as shown in the below image.

Select the “SSL” option which is on the right and enable the SSL.

Now the SSL is activated in the new website which I have created now. Now all the process involved in the website creation is completed and the website is live on the Internet.

7. Publishing the first post on the Blog

Now the process is so simple that you have learnt how to register a new domain and get it live on Google. Now I will show you how to publish your first post on the website and make it available for your audience.

You can login to your website with the details which was mailed to you by SeekaHost App. After logging in, select the “Add New” under the “Posts” section as shown in the below image.

The WordPress text editor is so simple to use. You can easily add the title in the respective section as shown and add the content in the below text area.

You can add media files like images, infographics and can also embed the videos from YouTube directly to WordPress.

Once you have completed adding all the relevant content, you can click on the “Publish” option which is available on the right side. That’s it, Now your post will be live on the website and can be accessed by any normal users on the web.

This is so simple to create a new website and publish your first post using the SeekaHost App.

Basic Plugins to be installed on a new website:

• W3 Total Cache
• All In One SEO / Yoast SEO
• Smush It
• Really Simple SSL
• Wordfence Security
• Stream
• All in One WP Migration

W3 Total Cache:

Optimizing the website speed will help you to rank well on Google. It is a complex task when it comes to page speed optimization, especially on the coded website. But no need to worry here, as this is a custom-designed website using WordPress. Installing the W3 Total Cache plugin will create a cache on the user’s browser when he visits the site for the first time. When the user tries to visit your site next time, it will be loaded from your web browser, instead of loading from the web server.

All In One SEO / Yoast SEO:

The main objective of starting a blog is to rank on Google’s first page and get more traffic to the website through that. Here these plugins will help you out in doing the On-Page SEO in a simple and easy way.

All in One SEO plugin will help you to optimize the sites more easily and also help you to provide a Title tag, Meta Description, etc to the Blog post. All in One SEO pack is very much suitable for all beginners in SEO.

Yoast SEO plugin is similar to the All in SEO Plugin. It offers the same features as like All in One SEO plugin. Compared to that, Yoast is even more technical and it helps you to optimize the content for better user readability and with many more options.

Smush It:

Image optimization helps you to increase the website loading speed on both mobile and desktop devices. Hence use the smush it plugin to optimize the images on the site and also increase the website loading speed.

This plugin helps you to optimize the images without reducing the quality of the pictures. As Google started giving more priority to the websites with good loading speed. Use the Smush it plugin and get ranked higher on Google.

Wordfence Security:

This is a much-needed security plugin for all your websites. Wordfence acts as an endpoint firewall and malware scanner that was built most importantly to protect WordPress websites. Wordfence security blocks malware, malicious IPs and inappropriate attacks on your WordPress website. Hence this plugin is a must for all websites that have WordPress as a backend.

Stream:

When your’s is a blogging site and if many bloggers have access to your website to post the content. Then you can monitor their activity inside the WordPress dashboard by having the Stream plugin installed. Stream plugin will monitor each and every activity that is done by the user after the login and it will have all the data. This plugin helps you keep track of all the activities under control. Even if some issue occurs in the future, you can sort it out in a simple by having the stream plugin installed.

All in One WP Migration:

All in One WP migration will be needed when you try to migrate the site. With this plugin, you can export your website including the database, media files, plugins and even themes. The main advantage of the All in One WP migration is that it does not require any technical knowledge to work with it. With the help of this plugin, you can just drag and drop the WordPress site into any location.

Google Analytics Integration

Google Analytics is the free web analytics tool offered by the users to track the performance of their sites. By using Google Analytics you can have the entire data about your website like from where the users are coming, traffic, the source of traffic, bounce rate and so on.

You can even use the Google Analytics tool and compare the traffic of your own website over the past days.

Step By Step Guide For Google Analytics Integration:

1. To incorporate Google Analytics into your website, it’s essential to have a Google account. If you don’t have one, create an account and sign in.
2. Visit google.com/analytics and click on the sign-in option. Enter your email address and password to access your account.
3. Upon signing in, proceed to set up your Property on the dashboard. Under the property column, opt for “New Property” and select “Website.” Enter the website URL in the subsequent step.
4. Choose the industry category and set the reporting time zone in the next step, and then acquire the Tracking ID.
5. To ensure that Google Analytics collects all website data, integrate the Tracking ID with the website. This can be achieved through various methods such as using a plugin, utilising Google Tag Manager, or directly editing the code.

By following these steps, you’ve successfully integrated your website with Google Analytics. Now, you can monitor your website’s performance and optimise it to enhance traffic.

Google Webmaster Tools Integration

Google Search Console is the free web service offered by Google for the publishers which helps them to make the site index to Google using it. Also, it helps to find if any issue exists there on the website and fix the same. Google Search Console will also let you know about the web pages which are performing well on Google. Here let’s see the step-by-step procedure to integrate webmasters on your website.

1. Sign into Google Search Console and then select on “Add a property”

2. Add your site URL and click on continue. Now you will be taken to the site verification page.

3. You can choose any of the methods and can verify the site. Here I will show the steps involved in verifying the site using the HTML tag.

4. Just copy this code and add it to the header section of the Home page. And click on verify. Your site will be then verified by Google Webmasters.

Thus now the website is successfully integrated with the Google search console. You can now use this tool to index your brand-new website to Google.

Pages/Post Creation

Now the website is perfectly set up and ready for the contents to be added to the website. To add the content to the website you just need to login to the WordPress dashboard.

1.Log into the WordPress dashboard and then click on Posts/Pages from the left pane.

2. Click on “Add New” to create a new post. If you need to create a new page. follow the same procedure.

3. You will be taken to the real-time editor. Where you can add the title and update the contents. You can add as many text or media files in the content section.

4. Once you have updated the post with enough content you can just click on “Publish”. Now the post will be published on the site and it will be visible to all the users on the front end.