4 Step Blueprint for Making Money with Blogs

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1. Niche Selection

Choose a topic that you are an “expert” on. Something that you really like and can easily write about.

Next, use WordZe, or a similar keyword research tool, to make sure there is enough search volume to support your niche. In other words just because you like something doesn’t mean there are a lot of people searching for it. Find out what the numbers are before you build. You should choose keywords that have at least 200 searches per day.

Also, make sure you choose a niche that is not too competitive. WordZe gives you all the tools you need to discover good niche keywords that have the right blend of volume and competition.

Here is a short video that will show you a few of the benefits to using WordZe. – Keyword Research Video

2. Setup Your Blog

Purchase a Domain Name, and a hosting account and install WordPress on your own domain vs. using a free service like Blogger or WordPress.com. This way YOU own the blog and a piece of virtual real estate. You never know, it could be worth something in the future. Plus, you control all of the content and data.

Here are some good resources for setting up your WordPress blog:

• Web 2.0 Unleashed – This is a great step-by-step system for setting up a WordPress blog
• WordPress Themes
• 5 Essential Tweaks for All New WordPress Blogs
• 5 Essential Plug-ins for All new WordPress Blogs
• The Next 5 Essential Plug-ins for All new WordPress Blogs

3. Blog Content

Start out with about 8-10 posts that focus on your primary keywords. It is ideal that each post focus on one keyword. You should have a keyword density of 3-6%. That means that if your blog post was on “gourmet dog food” then the words “gourmet dog food” should be included 3-6 times every 100 words.

Post to your blog on a regular basis (4-5 times per week) and stay on topic. If you try to appeal to everyone then you really appeal to no one. If your blog is about dogs then write about dogs.

4. Monetize Your Blog

We wrote an entire eBook on how to monetize your blog. You can get your FREE copy here.

5. Bring in the Traffic!

Once your blog is setup, you have your first 8-10 posts and you have monetized your blog you’re ready to turn on the traffic. The fastest way to do that is by using Social Power Linking. You can literally get 100’s of visitors to your blog overnight by using the tools, strategies and resources available to you as an SPL member.

So, You Wanna Be a BigShot Blogger?

I don’t know what the exact number is but, I’m sure it’s in the thousands for how many new blogs are started everyday.

Out of those thousands of start up blogs how many do you think actually ever make any real money?

Well, I do know what that number is. Sadly it’s less than 1%. Yes, you read that right. It is not a typo.

Read more

Is Google AdSense Still a Good Way to Monetize Your Blog?

Google AdSense has been around for years. And even though there’s not as much buzz about it as there has been in years past it’s still one of the easiest and most effective ways to monetize your blog.

Of course it depends on your market and what other monetization options are available to you.

For example if you are in a tech savvy market your readers may be less likely to click on AdSense ads than non-tech savvy readers.

You may have access to excellent affiliate programs in your niche that convert and pay well. In that case it makes more sense to promote those affiliate offers and make a higher commission, or even a re-occurring commission, than it does to give away traffic to a lower paying AdSense click.

It may be that a combination of affiliate ads and AdSense works best to monetize your blog.

The best way to find out what works for you in your niche is to do some research and testing.

Resources from ProBlogger to help you decide if AdSense is a good blog monetization option for you.

• Here are 10 Reasons Why You should Monetize Your Blog with AdSense
• Why I Don’t Use AdSense on ProBlogger Anymore

How to use the AdSense Deluxe Plugin to easily add AdSense to your blog.

Our friends over at Tubetorial created this very useful video for adding AdSense to your blog using the AdSense Deluxe Plugin

To Full-Text RSS Feed or Excerpt RSS Feed. That is the Question.

What is the best way to deliver your RSS feed?

Full text so, the subscriber can read the entire post in their feed reader?

Or do you use post excerpts so the reader is “forced” to visit your site to get the entire story? Read more

Blog Wars – Blogger vs. WordPress

There’s a war going on in the blogosphere, and it has nothing to do with bloggers dissing each other on their respective websites. The war is about control of the blogosphere by several great, many good, and tons of terrible blogging platforms. The average newbie now has “too many” options to choose from, and the battle for blogging supremacy is hotter than ever. Read more

Web 2.0 Unleashed with Web 2.0 Wealth Unleashed

Many of you who have downloaded the free eBook, “How to Monetize Your Blog …”, have been asking questions about the best way to get started with blogging. Or “blogging for bucks” as I like to say.

Let’s face it there are a million products and training courses out there and it’s hard to know, until after you’ve wasted your money, what is good and what is crap.

I have to admit when Rick and I first got the request to review this product I was skeptical. I’m always skeptical of products with the word “Wealth” in the title. Like “Web 2.0 Wealth Unleashed”. Read more