[Revealed] 5 Powerful Strategies to Build A Highly Profitable Blog from Scratch

Do you want to know the secret recipe to build a blog that makes a ton of money?

The #1 secret to build a profitable blog is: having a clear vision about your blog.

You need to have weekly, monthly, yearly goals in order to build a money earning blog.

That’s how all the successful blogs are made.

90% of the blogs out there fail because they focus on short term and quick goals. They want to make money quickly and that’s why they fail.

Here are 5 powerful strategies to help you build a better blog that makes money and is helpful to your readership in the long run.

#1. It all starts with keyword research

See, building a profitable blog takes time.

Above all, you need a strategy especially you need to focus on SEO.

When it comes to SEO, keyword research is one of the most important, valuable and high return activities. Ranking for the right keywords can make or break your website. Getting visitors to your site is not important but getting right kind of visitors is important.

Doing effective keyword research is an important skill for digital marketers. Keyword research is useful in finding out what topics you should write about and what phrases you should use while writing. You should never focus on just one keyword. You should make a long, a very long list.

  • If you start from very competitive head terms to slightly longer and less used search terms, you will get a pretty good idea of where your website should be able to fit in and rank.
  • Write really awesome blog post related to your products. However, a keyword is not a subject of a blog post just yet. You will need a specific angle or topic for the keyword you would like to rank for.
  • Use Google trends, if you have to choose between certain keywords you would like to rank for, but you don’t know which one to choose. Google trends will allow you to compare the search volume of a few terms. If you want to know whether it makes sense to write about trendy postcards or about personalized postcards, you will get answer from Google Trends.
  • While doing your keyword research, you should also think about the chance to convert for people searching for a specific keyword. People searching for long tail, specific keywords generally have a higher chance to buy something when they end up on your website.

The very first step in SEO is keyword research. Once you have done research, you will have to start writing. You will not see instant results in higher rankings. It takes time. It’s a long term SEO strategy. But when you focus on the right topics eventually you can earn a lot of money.

#2. The money is in the list

For any business marketing strategy, Email is a critical piece. If you are serious about growing your business, building a healthy email list should be one of your top priorities. Your list is one of the only online assets that you have 100% control over and that gives you a way to make money.

However, building an effective email list is not so easy. Building an email list gives you the ability to not only stand out from the crowd but also builds relationship with your email subscribers.

Building your email list from day 1 is one of the best ways to build a profitable blog from scratch. How can you get email subscribers without annoying your readers then?

#1. Sign up with an email marketing service: Choose a reliable and easy-to-use email service provider as they will provide you with all the tools, templates and services you need to get subscribers, test your campaigns, and manage the day-to-day requirements of your list.

The pricing models varies from one email service to others. So, make sure that you will choose the one that best suits your list size and expectations for growth. Some email service providers will charge a monthly fee based on list size, while others will charge per number of emails sent.

If you can’t afford then you can make use of the free service fr0m AWeber. The free plan from AWeber is an easy way to get started with generating a profitable list of email subscribers and increase your blog traffic.

Other popular options include ConvertKit, Mail Chimp, GetResponse, and ConstantContact.

#2. Create a compelling lead magnet: Before people hand over their email address, offer them something enticing in exchange. This could be free eBooks, access to a Webinar, or the promise of discounts or deals exclusively for your subscribers.

Repurpose some of your existing blog content and turn it into a guide or resource list. Whatever you decide to offer, just make sure it’s something people will recognize as holding true value!

#3. Create an opt-in form: ESP gives you tools to create an opt-in form for your site. Ask your readers for an email address, and also ask for a first name so that you can personalize your emails. However, asking for any information beyond these two fields can decrease conversion rates significantly without adding much valuable data.

#4. Put the opt-in form on your site at the RIGHT Places: Placing your form on your site is easy. Just copy and paste a snippet of code provided by your email marketing service on your site. Most website owners put their form in their right sidebar, which has been shown as one of the highest-converting locations.

You can choose any of these places to put the opt-in form:

  • At the top of your sidebar
  • After each blog post
  • In your site’s footer
  • On your About page
  • In a little bar across the top of your page (For this, you can download the Attention Grabber plugin for free).

Each placement will perform differently depending on your site, niche and audience, so test out various locations as you go along. Make sure to include a download link on the page that subscribers are directed to after confirming their email.

If your site receives a good amount of traffic and you have a truly compelling offer, this shouldn’t be too difficult.

#5. Run a giveaway: Online contests, giveaways, and discounts can attract a lot of attention. Find a balance between offering a valuable promotion and maintaining brand integrity. If you host live streams using Streamyard the tool that Ms. Ileane recommends. It's very easy to host a giveaway during your stream and offer custom swag, gift cards or access to your online course. Watch the Streamyard Giveaway Tool in Action and you can see how engaged the viewers are with this free promotional tool.

The goal of building a custom email list is to grow a database of leads that are interested in what you have to say, what you sell and trust your brand. Take advantage of nurturing campaigns to build a relationship with your email list that will pay dividends for many years to come.

#3. Do thorough competitor research

Know what content performs best for your competitors. When you know what content works for your competitors, you can use those topics to brainstorm ideas for your own blog articles.

Because your competitors can be a goldmine of information that can inform every aspect of your marketing and rocket your site to the top of Google. With the right tools, performing an in-depth competitive analysis of your niche is super easy.

#1. Identify most shared content: If people are sharing content from competitors’ sites, there is a good chance they will share similar content from your site as well. So, you need to research what content competitors are publishing and where they are finding the most engagement.

You can use BuzzSumo to identify most shared content. Enter your competitor’s domain name and the tool instantly analyzes your competitor’s blog content. It will display a table containing the number of social shares for each of that website’s posts; the posts with the highest number of social shares are at the top of the list.

If you want to find out who is sharing your competitor's’ content, enter the keywords related to your niche to view a list of the most shared content related to those keywords. You can easily identify a few platforms that are very popular with your competitors’ audiences and if you are not currently active on those channels it’s probably time to set up shop there.

#2. Observe keyword rankings: To find out, what keywords competitors’ blog content is ranking for, you can use SEMrush. Enter your competitor's’ names and it will display the list of the top 10 keywords driving traffic to them.

The list includes the keyword combination your competitors are ranking for and their current position in search results. You can also see the average monthly volume of searches for a given keyword combination in the location you have specified.

You can find popular topics and write many more detailed articles focused on particular keywords to work your way up in the results.

#3. Find the highest ranking content: Using Moz, you can find the highest ranking content. Every website ranked has a number from 0 to 100  where Moz calls this domain authority. The higher the domain authority a site has, the more influential that website is online. The more influential a website is, the easier it is for it to rank on Google.

Moz also ranks individual website pages and assigns page authority), again using a rating from 0 to 100. Using the PA score, you can tell which content is ranking highest for each website.

You can also use the Moz Link Explorer tool to get a full list of all pages for a particular website and sort them by PA. You can also view the backlinks for that piece of content.

Researching your competitors is extremely important. When you know what’s working for them, you can create your own content around similar topics and give it your own spin. It requires a bit of time to find and analyze competitor performance metrics, but using the right tools makes the process easier.

#4. Start offering services first

Offering services in your area of expertise is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make money online. There are four services that you can provide as a way to earn money and possible even gain massive income.building profitable blogs

#1. Offering Consultation: You can build a seven figure SEO agency like Moz (if you've the right monetization plan and content marketing strategy). You can sell your time for anything from $50/hour to $300+/hour. To find your potential clients, you can use these 3 strategies. Although Moz is now not a SEO agency but it first started as an agency to gain traction, sales and exposure.

  • Guest posting is an extremely effective technique to attract clients.
  • Write data oriented and actionable blog posts.
  • One of the best strategy to attract clients for offering SEO consultations is by showing the results you have personally achieved for keywords.

#2. Content Marketing: Compared to traditional marketing, it generates 3 times the number of leads.You need to learn the fundamentals of marketing before you write a single word. Once you become good in your writing skills that suits the content marketing climate, then you can start offering your services at freelance marketplaces like Upwork.

#3. Social Media Marketing (SMM) Consultant: For most of the businesses, social media presence is crucial. So, start with your own blog and develop its social following. Once you have built very good social proof, businesses will be ready to pay you as much as $250/hour. So, once you have good results from running your own social media marketing campaign, you can guest post on high-traffic blogs in your niche to attract clients.

#4. Advertisements and Affiliate Marketing: Selling print and digital advertisements in their publications is the traditional business model of most media companies. As a blogger, you can add value to a niche community by offering high-quality content as a service. If you consistently serve in-demand content, you can build a considerable audience and earn passive income through affiliate links and ad banners.

You will gain trust and authority in your niche. And your visitors start to buy the products you refer on your blog. Then, you can earn a great commission by endorsing valuable products that you personally like in your niche.

#5. Networking is the key

If you are just sitting and writing, you will feel lonely in blogging. Many say, blogging is fun. Yes, it is fun when you network with other bloggers in your niche.

Make sure you keep these tips in mind while networking with others:

  • Give more than you take. Be willing to offer more of your time and service than you are expecting to receive.
  • Be presentable on search. Have a weblog setup to showcase who you are and what you do.
  • Treat them the way they want to be treated. This is the ultimate form of showing someone that you understand them and are willing to give them what they need.

Here are the 5 tips that will help to network with other bloggers:

#1. Reach out to them on social media: Who do you interact with online?  Who do you chat with regularly on Twitter?  Facebook? You can tell if someone is an authority blogger or not just by their social media. Their posts are shared everywhere, and they need no introduction.

Reaching out to them on social media is an effective step towards networking. Be part of groups, forums and message boards on social media. Connecting with them there is easier than on a personal profile.

#2.  Leave them genuine comments on blogs posts: After you have read a chosen post, leave a worthy comment which shows that you read the whole article carefully. Focus on a specific detail that you liked, like their style or a reference they made.

So that, the blog owner knows that you are an involved reader, enough to leave a worthwhile comment. And that can be the basis of further relations. It is important to show other bloggers that you support them. Because when they see you support them, they will support you.

#3. Share their stuff that you like: If you like any of your niche blogger content, then share it. Choose bloggers and their content that you personally like. Indirectly, it gives them more authority which they can find valuable. Importantly, they will know that you have provided value to them and can be more readily willing to return the same.

#4. Guest Posts: Guest posting is a powerful way to build network. Offer really great and useful content on the site where you write guest post. Allow other bloggers to share posts on your own page. In this way, you will find new readers to your blog.

#5. Subscribe to other blogs and offer valuable suggestions: Always follow other blogs. It will not only benefit you while networking, but also you will get more information about the niche you are blogging. By following other blogs, you are able to see what are the trending topics that people tend to share. At the same time there is a chance that the blog owner will follow you too. You can also give them suggestions or blog post ideas every now and then so you can build strong rapport.

So what are your thoughts about building a profitable blog? Do you have any more questions? Share your views in the comments below.

22 thoughts on “[Revealed] 5 Powerful Strategies to Build A Highly Profitable Blog from Scratch”

  1. Hello
    Anil,
    Great tips over here to build a highly profitable blog from scratch. Am a regular reader of basicblogtips.com and I always learn manything new from here. This is a perfect guide to build a high profitable blog. All these five point are really effective and thanks for well explained.

    The video help lot how to start list building and email marketing.

    Thanks for sharing with us.

    Best wishes,
    Praveen verma

    1. Hi Praveen,

      Thanks for the appreciation and glad to know that you’re a fan of BBT.

      I too love Ileane’s work and content. I’ve been regularly following her since 4 years.

      Glad to know you’re learning something and do you have any questions while building a better blog? Do let us know.

  2. Hi Anil,

    It’s a nice guide for people to start generating some money. Most of the new bloggers spend a lot of time in a content generation and less time promoting it. Promoting your content in a correct way can yield an amazing result.

    I always feel a guest posting is the best way to connect and create a network along with reaching to newer audiences.

    – Sanjeev

    1. Hi Sanjeev,

      That’s so true about content creation vs promotion.

      Most beginners make a mistake of creating more content than actually promoting it. Even I made the same mistake few years ago.

      Learned so much and now I spend more time on guest posting, commenting, video creation etc other than just creating more content.

      Good to know you’re learning great stuff.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  3. Hi Anil, great tips – I think your last one on Networking is really key! People must get to know you and want to read your stuff week after week, post after post.
    I love your idea on the email, ways to boosts your lists up. I will have to try some of those out.
    I agree with the previous comment, we have to promote, promote and promote! 80% of the time promoting and only 20% generating new content.
    Thank you for these tips! Have a great new week ahead.

    1. Hi Lisa,

      Glad to see you around here.

      Networking is undoubtedly the key to blogging success. Not only you can build solid relationships with others but it helps you connect with like minded people.

      Spending more time on content promotion can yield better results every single time.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  4. Hello Anil,

    Very informative post from your side 🙂

    Indeed every one wish to have a profitable blog and one whihc can make them good amount of money. Thats why many folks are
    into this business. They know that if things are done correctly then money would seems to be raining from the sky, but its
    looks easy but not that easy. There are thousand of people who start and closes their blogs within a year, why because they
    aren’t recieving any kind of traffic to their blogs, their savings are blown up and they have no other options to shut down
    their blogs.

    Networking is the key, one can have a superb content, everything well maanged but if they do not have networks no one would
    every visit their blogs, blogging is the chain of people around. Going out from our bubble and linking our self with other
    people thats how traffic flows in. Promoting our stuff on various platforms and helping out others is the key.

    Thanks for sharing this amazing tips among us.

    Shantanu.

    1. HI Shantanu,

      Linking out to other bloggers is a smart strategy that people like Ileane, Pat Flynn, Janice Wald uses almost all the time.

      It doesn’t affect your rankings by linking to relevant sources.

      IN fact, you get more links and appreciation for the linking. Make sure to reach out to other bloggers when you link out to their posts. That way you can building strong rapport.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  5. Hello Anil,

    Great informative post over here 🙂

    Amazing tips over here to raise a profitable blog from scratch. I am newbie, and love to learn how to build up my skill and these all great advise are going to work for me. Keywords are really cool idea to create so magical words and it attract to blogger.

    Social media is a great platform to develop marketing and these is very effective idea to promote business.

    Thanks for the share
    Aman

    1. Hi Aman,

      Keyword research is the key to getting more search traffic.

      The #1 mistake most people make is they create content without doing any keyword research whatsoever. That’s why they struggle to get more traffic.

      Make sure to also use social media to network with other people so you can increase your reach online. That’s the key to blogging!

      Thanks for the comment.

  6. Ideas mentioned in this post are awesome. I’ve 3 years of experience in the field of internet marketing but whenever I read something on your blog then guess what? I feel like I am in this field.

    Thank you for post efforts. 🙂

    1. Hi Syed,

      That’s a great compliment.

      I guess, you’re a keen learner, that’s why you’re finding my stuff useful and relevant even after years of marketing experience.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and keep rocking.

  7. Hi Anil,

    Highly impressed by your blog the five main bullet points which you have explained are very good. After reading your blog i feel like i should start following your blogs because i think information provided by you is very much relevant.

    1. Hi Udit,

      Glad you liked the tips mentioned on my guest post.

      Hopefully they can help you build a blog that makes money. But the only thing you need to remember is just don’t stop reading and make sure to implement what you learn.

      That’s how you can build a profitable blog in the long run.

      Keep rocking.

  8. Anil,

    I couldn’t agree with you more. Keyword research and building lists are pinnacle to the success of any online endeavor. The one thing I regret is not building a list sooner. Great article, precise and to the point!

    1. Hi John,

      Keyword research is #1 secret to get more SEO traffic.

      But you need to be really careful in selecting the right keywords. Make sure to focus on 4 word long tail keywords instead of strong keywords (for ex: SEO tips for real estate agents instead of SEO tips).

      I hope you’re getting me.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  9. Basically, there’s little to no difference when it comes to running a blog for profit and running an online business. There is no shortcut and it takes absolute patience.
    Most, if not all, of the tips here are focused on increasing leads. Which is definitely something to consider next to producing quality posts.

    Thanks for sharing Anil! Cheers!

    1. Hi Lucas,

      So true about building a business. You need patience if you want to build anything that’s useful for others and profitable for you.

      Most people don’t get it. They just want things to happen really quickly.

      That’s why they fail so miserably.

      If you want to get ahead of blogging, make sure to learn from others. Read books. Be consistent. And most importantly, learn from your mistakes.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  10. Hi Anil,

    Running a blog successfully over the years is not easy at all. Even if you post content weekly or monthly, you do need to work on content research, SEO etc… Your strategies are really important for builing a profitable blog. Keyord Research and list builing are very important. Every blogger should follow these strategies explained by you.

    Really amazing piece of information.

    Reji Stephenson

    1. Hi Reji,

      True about running a successful blog.

      It takes time, efforts and consistency to build a blog that makes money and actually adds real value to the audience.

      Ileane Smith is a great example of how one can build a blog that transforms others lives. Without a doubt, SEO plays a huge role.

      But make sure to give extra time to building links and relationships with other bloggers. SEO without relationships is a waste of time.

      Thanks for the comment!

  11. Making a profitable blog is not that easy to do, but with these tips, for me its going to work. But the important thing you need to do is never give up in blogging and write nes post on a daily basis not less than 500 words

    1. Hi Paul,

      Not giving up so easily – that’s the key to everything (not only getting success in online biz).

      You’ve to be persistent and consistent with your efforts. Go BIG or go home. That’s what applies here in blogging. You’ve to take every step (be it big or small) in order to get succeeded online.

      Building a profitable blog takes a ton of trial and errors. That’s when you should NOT give up.

      Thanks for stopping by!

Comments are closed.