How to create a blog for beginners

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If you want to start your own blog – whether as a personal project, to earn money from blogging, or to support a business – it can be difficult to know where to begin. You might be unsure how and where to set up a blog, or what you need to start writing. Common questions include:

What topic should I choose? Which blogging platform is the best fit? Is it possible to create a blog for free? And how do I design it?

In this guide, I’ll walk you through each step and answer the key questions you’re likely to have. With this step-by-step approach, you’ll be able to publish your first blog post today.

Ready to begin? Then let’s get started.

In this article

• 1. Find your topic
• 2. Choose a platform
• 3. Set up hosting
• 4. Pick a name and domain
• 5. Install WordPress
• 6. Design your blog
• 7. Write posts
• 8. Promote your blog
• Q & A

If you want to start a successful blog, choosing the right topic is the first and most important decision you’ll make.

A blog is essentially an online journal, usually run by one person. Unlike a traditional website, posts appear in chronological order, and a blog can also be part of a larger site. Blog content often reflects personal opinions and is written from a first-person perspective. The comment section plays an important role, as it allows direct interaction with readers.

This personal connection between author and audience is one of the main reasons blogs remain so popular today – blogging is still very much alive.

Because of that, your blog topic should match your interests and skills. That’s what allows you to write authentically and keep going over the long term.

Why start a blog?

Maybe you enjoy sharing your thoughts, want to earn money with a blog, or hope to increase your visibility online. The motivations for blogging are as varied as the topics you can dive into.

Benefits of blogging:

• Open to everyone: Anyone can write in a journalistic style and present themselves as knowledgeable about a topic.
• Personal: A blog feels less anonymous than a standard website because readers usually follow a single author.
• Current: Publishing new posts regularly encourages readers to return.
• Interactive: Comment sections create opportunities for direct conversation and help build a closer connection with your audience.
• Simple: You don’t need a complex website structure to run a blog.
• Google-friendly: Topic-focused blog posts can help you build visibility through SEO.
• Low-cost: A professional blog can be run for a small monthly fee, and a personal blog can even be created for free.

What’s your blog goal?

Our own blog Websiteadvisor.co.uk

In 2022, Jörn Brien (that’s me) and Johannes Schwaderer founded Websiteadvisor.

Our aim with this blog is to show that it’s entirely possible to create your own website or blog today — even without technical experience.

We want to offer the most helpful, easy-to-follow guides, including answers to questions like: How do I start blogging? We also provide detailed and neutral advice on the tools that best fit our readers’ needs.

This project brings together our many years of professional experience as a technology journalist, blogger and web designer.

Pick the right blog topic

Most bloggers stop after just a few months. The main reasons: they lose interest in their chosen topic, success takes longer than expected, or the workload becomes too much.

So before you begin, take time to think about a subject you’re genuinely enthusiastic about — something you could imagine exploring for years.

Already have a rough idea?

Great — but it may still be worth narrowing it down.

If you’re interested in travel or food, for example, a more specific angle such as rail travel or Indian cuisine might work better. Your ideal topic should be neither too broad nor too narrow.

And if you don’t have an idea yet, that’s fine. You can start a blog on almost any subject.

That said, there are a few criteria that make certain topics more suitable than others.

Questions to choose your blog topic:

• Am I an expert? Do I have insights or experience worth sharing?
• Does the topic genuinely excite me? Enough to stay committed over the long term?
• What is the audience potential? How many people are interested in this subject? Are there already established blogs? What niche could be mine? Or is the topic perhaps too narrow?
• Is the topic broad enough? Will it give me enough material to write 100 or more posts over time?
• Is it financially viable? Can the topic generate income? (This only matters if you want your blog to be more than a hobby and eventually a source of income.)

To wrap up the process of choosing your topic, here’s a small exercise I recommend:

Write down your preferred topic and let your thoughts flow. Note down any blog post ideas that naturally come to mind — the ones you feel must be written on this subject.

If you struggle to come up with ideas, it may be a sign that the topic isn’t the best fit.

But if you quickly jot down ten or more concepts, or feel eager to start writing straight away, that’s a strong indicator that you’ve found the right topic for you.

Wondering where you can create your own blog? There are several services that allow you to set up and publish one.

In this section, I’ll walk you through the different blogging platforms in detail.

I’ll also help you identify the tool that’s the best fit for your needs.

Three main types of blogging platforms

1. Free tools such as Blogger.com or Tumblr
2. Website builders like Wix, Jimdo or Squarespace
3. WordPress (either self-hosted or hosted by a specialised WordPress-Hosting-provider)

Tools or website builders that let you create a blog for free are a good place to start, but they reach their limits quickly once you want to grow your site.

If you’re serious about blogging, it’s best to begin with a WordPress installation and your own domain right from the start.

Not sure yet? Below, I’ll take a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of the different options.

Can you blog for free?

As mentioned earlier, it is indeed possible to blog without paying anything. Platforms such as Blogger.com and Tumblr, as well as the free tier on WordPress.com, allow you to get started at no cost.

Before I launched my first blog, I also wondered where the best place to begin might be. Back then, I started with a service called Blog.de, which no longer exists in its original form — but at the time, creating a blog there was free.

Website builders like Wix, Jimdo and Squarespace also offer free plans that let you set up a blog quickly. With these permanent trial versions, you can publish your site without spending money.

Choosing one of these options means you can get your blog online very quickly. Another advantage is the built-in community of other bloggers, who can be helpful when you’re just starting out and offer opportunities to connect.

However, these solutions come with long-term limitations.

You don’t get your own domain, you usually can’t monetise your blog, and moving your site elsewhere later can be complicated.

This type of blogging is only recommended if you want to create a personal blog and plan to keep it private permanently.

My experience: because of these limitations — and because I wanted to aim higher — I abandoned my first blog after a year and started a new one using WordPress.

Later, all Blog.de blogs lost their subdomains and had to move to a new platform because the service was shut down.

You can avoid these issues.

If you plan to take blogging seriously, you’ll need a professional setup. It’s best to start with WordPress and your own domain from the beginning.

The costs amount to just a few pounds per month. Don’t worry — I’ll guide you step by step through the process of setting up your WordPress blog.

Blog platforms you can use

Your own WordPress setupBlog website toolWordPress.comTumblr

Your own WordPress setup

If you’re serious about blogging

More than 40 percent of all websites — including WebsiteWissen.com — run on WordPress. It was originally developed specifically for blogging.

WordPress itself is free. The only cost is a small monthly fee for hosting, which you’ll need in order to run your site.

For beginners, the easiest option is to use a WordPress hosting provider that offers WordPress pre-installed.

A step-by-step guide: in the following sections, I’ll show you exactly how to set everything up.

IONOS WordPress Hosting (UK)

Blog website tool

The convenient way to build a blog

A website builder allows you to create a site without any technical knowledge — simply by dragging and dropping elements in your browser.

However, website builders are usually a bit more expensive than WordPress hosting. It’s also harder to switch providers later, and you have fewer options to expand or optimise your blog over time.

That said, if your blog is meant to complement a simple website, or if you want to blog purely for personal reasons, using a website builder can be a practical choice.

Squarespace* offers particularly elegant blog designs, while WIX  is one of the leading website builders and includes solid blogging features.

In my guide on website creation, I take a detailed look at these website builders and how they compare.

Squarespace

WordPress.com

To test WordPress for free

WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org) is a paid hosting service where the WordPress CMS comes conveniently pre-installed.

Compared with a self-hosted WordPress setup, WordPress.com places significant limits on which themes and plugins you can use.

Another drawback is the rather weak price-to-value ratio. You only gain real flexibility with the higher-tier business plans, which start at around the equivalent of £20–£25 per month.

However, WordPress.com does offer a permanently free trial plan. You won’t get your own domain with it, but it’s perfectly suitable for creating a test blog at no cost and for learning how blogging works without any commitment.

WordPress.com

Tumblr

The social blog network

Tumblr, now owned by Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com), is similar to Blogspot in that it offers a free, community-driven blogging platform. You can publish text, images, videos and audio files.

What makes Tumblr unique is its reblogging feature, which allows users to share each other’s posts with a single click. It functions more like a social network than a home for professional bloggers.

Tumblr

Best for serious blogging: self-hosted WordPress

WordPress was originally designed as a blogging platform and is by far the leading solution in this field.

Its high flexibility, along with the huge ecosystem of themes and extensions, makes WordPress attractive even beyond blogging.

For you, this means that by choosing WordPress as your “blogging operating system,” you’re setting yourself up for long-term success. And if you later want to turn your blog into a full online magazine or add an online shop, you can do so without restrictions.

To set up your own WordPress blog, you’ll need server space to host the installation. The WordPress CMS itself is open source and free. Hosting generally costs around £5–£10 per month.

For beginners, I recommend choosing a host that offers one-click WordPress installation, so you don’t have to deal with technical setup. You can jump straight into building and customising your site.

The following sections focus on installing and setting up WordPress correctly. Some parts may be a little technical.

But don’t worry — I’ll walk you through every step in detail, so you can handle the process without difficulty. By the end, you’ll be able to answer the question of how to start a blog entirely on your own, and you’ll be proud of what you’ve built.

For now, I’ll concentrate on a selection of specialised WordPress hosting providers, where the setup process is reduced to entering a few key details.

With modern hosting services, most technical tasks — such as installing software, creating databases or uploading files via FTP — can be handled automatically in your browser.

Common web hosting terms

How to find the right WordPress host

You need a reliable hosting provider to set up your blog with a self-hosted WordPress installation. But which service is the right one when you’re just getting started? The number of providers offering web space is huge, and the differences between them aren’t always easy to understand. So here are a few criteria to help you choose.

For your purposes, it’s important that the hosting provider offers a package tailored to WordPress. While you can install WordPress on almost any hosting plan, doing so without a dedicated WordPress package can make the setup technically more demanding. You’ll also carry more responsibility for the security of the server environment and the installation itself.

Key WordPress hosting criteria:

• WordPress is pre-installed
• Server environment optimised for fast loading times and stable WordPress performance
• Integrated caching to improve page speed
• Security features such as malware and virus scans
• SSL certificate included and activated automatically
• Automatic updates for WordPress and its plugins
• Reliable customer support, easy to reach and knowledgeable
• Server location in the UK or EU, ensuring legal compliance and faster loading times

Hosting providers generally fall into two categories: large mainstream hosts and performance-focused premium hosts.

The first group offers dependable services that will get you safely to your destination — like a VW. The second group gives you more speed and power — like a Porsche — but at a higher price.

To create a blog, you naturally need a name. Ideally, that name should match the domain where visitors will find your site.

Here, I’ll share tips on choosing a strong blog name and explain what you should keep in mind when registering your own domain.

What makes a good blog name

• Clear: The name should make it obvious what the blog is about (e.g., “WebsiteWissen” = guides and tutorials on website topics).
• Short: Easy to remember and not too long.
• Readable: Simple to read and pronounce.
• Suitable: Appropriate for your target audience (e.g., not too casual for a finance blog, but perhaps playful for a younger audience).
• Keyword-based: Ideally includes the main search term for your topic (in our case: “website”).
• Expandable: Choose a name broad enough to grow with your content (“WebsiteWissen.com” is more flexible than something like “BlogErstellen.com”).

Also make sure …

• … the name and matching domain are still available.
• … you’re not infringing on any name or trademark rights.

Blog name ideas

Naming a blog isn’t always straightforward. Many names are already taken, and domains may no longer be available.

To spark ideas, here are three ways to come up with a strong blog name.

Approach 1: Association

Combine your topic with a descriptive word or a fitting association.

Main theme: Cooking & recipes / More specific focus: Traditional dishes

Possible combinations: “Grandma’s Recipe Book” or “Kitchen Aroma Blog”

Approach 2: A promise to your readers

Combine your topic with a clear benefit you want to offer.

Topic: Creating your own blog / Promise: made easy

Possible combinations: “EasyBlogger” or “Blogging for Beginners”

Approach 3: Break free!

Forget the idea that the name must directly reflect your topic. Choose a word you simply like — or invent one yourself.

Example: Our friend Luca named his surf and camper blog “Milchplus,” taken from a drink in his favourite film A Clockwork Orange. The name has nothing to do with surfing or camping, but it’s memorable — and he built a successful blog around it.

To find alternative wording or synonyms for a concept, tools like thesaurus can help. And if you’re completely stuck for ideas, you might try a name generator such as Looka.

Do you need your own domain?

A domain is simply an address on the internet, for example:

https://yourblogname.uk

It ensures that visitors can find your blog.

A subdomain is a part of a main domain. It might look like this:

https://yourblogname.maindomain.com

With the free plan at WordPress.com, you receive a subdomain such as:

https://yourblogname.wordpress.com

For a personal blog, a subdomain can be enough. However, I strongly recommend using your own main domain, especially if the blog is connected to your business or you want to earn money with it.

A dedicated domain like YourBlogname.uk looks far more professional, and it’s easier for users to remember.

If you use your blog for professional purposes, having your own domain also makes your email communication more credible. You can set up an address such as: ([email protected]).

A domain isn’t completely free, but you only need to budget a few pounds per year.

With some WordPress hosts, like IONOS, the domain costs are already included. And if you already own a domain, you can usually connect it to your hosting account.

Take your time choosing the right domain. It’s the foundation of your blog and something you’ll want to keep long-term.

What makes a good domain name:

• Keep it short (ideally no more than 20 characters)
• Avoid umlauts or special characters
• Steer clear of names that are hard to understand or unusually spelled
• Ask friends or colleagues what they think of your choice

How to register your blog domain

1. Check availability2. Check for trademark issues3. Register your domain

1. Check availability

Short and memorable names on popular domain extensions like co.uk or .com are often taken quickly. That’s why it’s a good idea to secure your preferred domain as early as possible.

To avoid unnecessary hassle, it’s usually best to register your domain with the same provider that will host your WordPress installation.

If you decide to switch to another WordPress host later on, you can transfer the domain. You’re not tied to any specific provider.

What matters most is that your chosen blog domain is available. You can check that here:

IONOS Domain Search

Raidboxes Domain-Check

 

2. Check for trademark issues

Before registering a domain for your blog, it’s important to make sure you’re not infringing any trademark rights.

Avoid using celebrity names or well-known brand terms in your domain. The same applies to typo domains that could be confused with an established brand.

Keep in mind that trademark owners can demand removal of the domain and claim damages if you infringe their rights.

To stay on the safe side, you should run a quick trademark check. For initial research, you can use publicly accessible trademark databases such as:

• the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) trademark search

• the EUIPO eSearch tool for EU-wide trademarks

If you want to protect your own blog name, you can register it as a word mark. In the UK, the application is filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

3. Register your domain

Enough preparation — let’s get started!
Here’s how to book your WordPress hosting package, including your domain, using IONOS as an example.

Choose the right plan: On the IONOS website, select a suitable package. For beginners, I recommend the “WordPress Start” plan. You can upgrade to a higher plan at any time.

Select your domain: You can enter your preferred domain during the booking process. One domain is included in the price. If you’re unsure, you can add the domain later without any hassle.

Complete your details: Once you’ve chosen your plan and — optionally — your domain, you’ll need to register. This includes providing your personal information, such as your address, and your payment details.

Ignore optional extras for now: You can always add them later if needed.

You’re ready to go: After submitting everything, you’ll receive your login details by email within minutes. You can then start setting up your WordPress blog right away.

IONOS WordPress Hosting

Name and domain sorted? Then it’s time to set things up!

Itching to get started? Ready to finally set up your WordPress blog? I don’t blame you!

The good news: now that you’ve secured your hosting package and registered your domain, you can put the formalities aside for a moment.

We’re moving on to the practical part. In the next step, I’ll show you how to set up and configure your WordPress installation.

We’ll step inside your blog together, and I’ll guide you through the backend — your new control centre for everything blog-related.

You’ll also install a few essential plugins with my help. You’re now only a few steps away from publishing your first blog post.

Let’s keep going!

WordPress is a powerful tool with a wide range of configuration options.

A one-click installation from hosting providers like IONOS handles many of the technical steps for you. You don’t need to connect a database manually, and the SSL certificate is set up automatically.

So when it comes to the question of “How do I create a blog?”, you’re already off to a great start.

However, there are still a few settings you should adjust to work efficiently with the CMS.

To help you get everything configured quickly and correctly, here are some best practices that have proven useful in my own projects — and which I’m sharing with you here.

Install WordPress (IONOS example)

1. Start the installation2. Basic settings3. WordPress backend4. Open your blog

1. Start the installation

After ordering your IONOS WordPress plan, the setup assistant will guide you through the installation.

Enter a project name (your blog name) and start the installation. You can easily change the name later if needed.

It will take a few minutes for everything to be set up. Once it’s done, simply click the button to open WordPress.

2. Basic settings

The IONOS setup assistant will now prompt you to configure some basic settings.

Here, you can choose one of the suggested blog themes (design templates) or install the plugins recommended by IONOS.

If you’re unsure, feel free to skip these steps for now. We’ll look at these settings again later in the backend of your WordPress blog.

3. WordPress backend

Once you’ve completed or skipped the steps suggested by the assistant, you’ll arrive in the WordPress backend — the administration area of your blog and your central control panel.

This is where you’ll land every time you log in. From the backend, you’ll write your posts, create pages and reply to comments from your readers.

You can also manage and customise your themes, install plugins and adjust additional WordPress settings.

More on that in a moment.

4. Open your blog

Your blog is now technically online, even if you haven’t configured anything else yet.

When you click your site title (your blog name) next to the little house icon in the WordPress backend, you’ll switch to the public view. This is called the frontend.

If you’ve registered a domain, it may take a few hours before it’s fully active and connected. Until then, your blog will be accessible via an IONOS subdomain.

If you didn’t select a different theme during the setup process, your blog will initially appear using WordPress’s default theme.

Great news: your blog is up and running! You’ve just created your first WordPress blog.

Get to know WordPress

If you chose IONOS as your WordPress host, you can start with a short guided tour of the backend. Simply click “Start our WordPress Journey” in the dashboard.

There, you’ll find explanations of the most important areas of WordPress and the backend — a helpful overview of where everything is located.

Of course, you can also click through the different sections yourself to get a feel for the system.

But try to resist the urge to start writing your first blog post just yet.

First, we’ll take care of a few steps to set up your blog properly and make it look good.

Configure WordPress correctly

At the beginning, you should adjust some basic settings. From my experience, a few WordPress configurations work particularly well — and they’re a great place to start.

You can change any of these settings later if needed.

Install essential plugins

Plugins are small tools that extend the functionality of your WordPress blog.

Some plugins are essential — for example, those that block spam comments. Others are extremely useful, such as cookie banner plugins or tools that help you optimise your blog. This includes SEO plugins.

Before you start installing additional plugins, keep in mind that each plugin can potentially become a security risk if it isn’t maintained properly.

So it’s important to check whether a plugin is trustworthy. You can assess this by looking at its ratings and the number of active installations.

Plugins should also be up to date and compatible with your current WordPress version. After installation, it’s your responsibility to keep them updated.

Only install plugins you truly need. Having too many unnecessary plugins can slow down your blog’s performance.

Below, I’ll briefly show you how and where to install and manage plugins.

In the backend, click “Plugins” to access the plugin management area. Here, you’ll see all installed plugins and their current status.

To install a new plugin, click “Add New” at the top. You can browse recommended or popular plugins, or use the search bar on the right to look up plugins by name or function.

Then click “Install Now” and afterwards “Activate.” The plugin will now appear under “All” in your list.

Some plugins offer their own settings pages, where you can adjust how they work.

In the right-hand column of the plugin overview, you’ll see whether automatic updates are enabled. This is a useful option, as it ensures you don’t end up with outdated plugins on your system.

Essential plugins I recommend

All the technical setup done? Then it’s time to move on to design!

You’ve already made great progress in setting up your blog. Now that we’ve configured the most important WordPress settings and installed the recommended plugins, we can focus on the visual side.

In the next step, I’ll show you how to choose a suitable theme, install it and customise it. After that, we’ll set up categories and pages, sort out the required legal information — and then we’re already moving on to your content.

A strong design is essential for the success of your blog. It conveys professionalism and sparks interest among your visitors. Make sure your blog’s look matches your topic, your readers’ expectations — and of course, your own style.

Good design also helps visitors find their way around your site. They should be able to navigate easily without confusion.

You don’t have to design it all — use a theme

A WordPress theme is essentially a design template for your blog. It allows you to adjust both the appearance and functionality of your site. With just a few clicks, you can give your blog an attractive look that suits your vision.

Most themes also let you extend your blog with practical features — no coding required. It’s helpful to think beforehand about which functions you want.

This way, when choosing a theme, you can check whether your preferred option includes the features you need.

What makes a good blog theme?

• Attractive layout that fits your topic and target audience
• Good readability and varied formatting (check the demo first)
• Mobile-friendly display (always test it on your phone)
• Active development, with regular updates and bug fixes (look at the changelog)
• High download numbers and strong ratings (check installations and reviews)
• Fast loading times (test with tools like Google PageSpeed after installation)

Find suitable blog themes

When it comes to WordPress themes, the selection is almost endless. Many are completely free, while premium themes offer extra features and dedicated support — and they help your blog stand out from the crowd.

For starting out, however, a free theme is usually more than enough.

To explore themes directly, head to your WordPress backend. Click “Appearance” → “Add New Theme.”
In this theme repository, you’ll find thousands of options that you can filter by popularity, recency or specific features — and install with a single click.

10 great blogging themes

I’ve researched and tested a wide range of blog themes for you. My top-10 selection includes both excellent free options and some popular premium themes.

• 

  A free magazine-style theme designed specifically for the new block editor. It allows for a quick and comfortable blog setup. Link

• 

  A modern, extremely clean and minimalist theme suitable for blogs and personal websites. It includes 7 style variations and 15 block templates. Link to theme

• 

  A fast, flexible theme with a clean design. It’s particularly well suited for blogs and creative projects and comes with 30 block templates. Link to theme

• 

  A multipurpose theme with many strong design templates. Only certain layouts require payment.
  Example: the “Heather’s Kitchen” starter template — includes free-to-use stock photos and is optimised for fast loading times and SEO. Link

• 

  Mehrzweck-Theme mit vielen guten Designvorlagen. Nur bestimmte DA multipurpose theme with a wide range of well-designed templates. Only some layouts require payment.
  Example: the “Beauty Blog” starter template — an attractive, highly customisable design optimised for performance and ease of use. Link

• 

  A flexible blog and magazine theme from Elmastudio with a wide range of design options. It also includes support for WooCommerce shop functionality. Link

• 

  A responsive, minimalist theme with a stylish design and plenty of customisation options. It’s particularly well suited for photo, travel and food blogs. Link

• 

  Elegant, responsive and mobile-friendly theme featuring three custom widgets. Ideal for food, travel and fashion blogs. Link

• 

  An innovative theme developed specifically for the Gutenberg editor, designed to make it easy to build attractive and functional WordPress sites. Link

• 

  The current default WordPress theme, featuring a modern design and extensive customisation options. It fully supports the block-based theme editor. Link

Found the theme you want? Here’s what happens next

Depending on whether you’ve chosen a single-purpose theme or a multipurpose theme like Kadence, the installation process may differ slightly. With multipurpose themes, you first install the main theme and then add the specific design template and any required plugins.

Now, I’ll walk you through setting up a travel blog as an example.

For this, I’ll use the theme “BlockMag” — a clean, elegant theme that’s easy to set up because it’s already tailored for blogging. Perfect for beginners.

Install your WordPress theme

1. Open the Themes section2. Choose a theme3. Complete the installation

1. Open the Themes section

In the WordPress backend — your control centre — click “Appearance” in the left menu. This opens the themes overview, where you’ll see several themes pre-installed by WordPress or your hosting provider.

At the top or within the main area, click “Add New Theme” to access the theme repository.

2. Choose a theme

You can find your desired theme in the WordPress repository by entering its name in the search bar (“Search themes”).

If you’ve purchased and downloaded a theme from an external provider, upload it using “Upload Theme.” The file must be in .zip format.

3. Complete the installation

Click “Install” for themes in the repository, or “Install Now” for uploaded themes, to begin the installation.

After that, simply activate the theme using the corresponding button.

Customising your theme

Once your blog theme is activated, you can start customising it. Every theme offers different ways to adjust its settings.

However, you should be able to modify colours, fonts and your logo in any theme.

Using the block theme “BlockMag”, I’ll show you how to adjust your design with the Site Editor.

In other themes, this customisation area may be called the Customizer.

Adjusting global design styles

Click “Editor” under “Appearance” to enter the editing mode of a block theme.

Next, click the “Styles” icon (the black-and-white circle) in the top-right corner to adjust your blog’s overall design.

With a classic theme, you can make similar adjustments using the Customizer.

Page-specific customisations (block themes)

The ability to freely adjust individual page layouts — much like in a website builder — is one of the big advantages of modern block themes.

For my travel-blog example, I’ll keep the customisations fairly minimal.

Your blog design is now in a good preliminary state. You’re still not completely finished setting things up, but this is a solid milestone.
For now, focus on creating blog categories, essential static pages, and perhaps your first sample posts.

If later on you notice something in the design that doesn’t feel quite right, you can always return to the Site Editor to fine-tune individual views and link your menus properly.

Think of it like assembling furniture: you only tighten all the screws once the whole piece has come together.

Set up and style blog categories

If you’ve browsed other blogs, you’ll have noticed that most of them rely heavily on categories. Categories help structure your site and make it easier for readers to navigate.

For my travel blog example, I’m starting with two categories:
• Travel Reports
• Travel Tips

I’ll assign my blog posts to these categories later. Readers can then click on “Travel Reports” or “Travel Tips” and see an overview of all articles published under that topic.

How to create a new category:

1. Click “Categories” under the “Appearance” menu.
2. Enter the category name under “Name” (e.g., “Travel Reports”).
3. Optionally, add a slug (e.g., “travel-reports”). This will be used in the URL, such as: yourtravelblog.co.uk/travel-reports
4. If you’ve already created other categories, you can nest this new one under a broader parent category (e.g., “Travel Reports Europe” and “Travel Reports Africa”).
5. Optionally, add a description — this is displayed on some themes, including BlockMag, on the category pages.

After creating a category, you can still edit it from the overview. This allows you to optimise it for SEO using the Yoast plugin. You can also set your preferred default category. If you delete a category later, the posts assigned to it won’t be removed — they’ll simply be moved to your default category.

I’ll show you further down how to link categories in your site and assign them to your posts. But first, let’s move on to your “About Me” page and the required legal information.

Create your “about” and legal pages

When publishing content, WordPress distinguishes between “Posts” and “Pages.”

Posts (your articles or blog entries) usually appear on the homepage for a limited time. Because blogs are chronological, newer posts push older ones further down the list.

Unlike pages, posts can be assigned to the categories you created earlier — and readers can comment on them (if you’ve enabled comments).

Static pages, on the other hand, are used for content that rarely changes and should be easily accessible from multiple areas of your site.

Link your categories and pages

1. Set up your main menu2. Add links within your content3. Footer-Links

1. Set up your main menu

Now I’ll show you, using my travel blog and the BlockMag theme as an example, how to link pages and categories. This is what makes your blog navigable.

From the backend, return to the Site Editor (Appearance → Editor).

In our example theme, the main menu sits directly below the site title.

Select the desktop main menu by clicking on it, then choose “Edit.”
Next, use the plus icon to add a Navigation block. Under “Add link,” you can insert items such as your About Me page or your blog categories. If they don’t appear immediately, simply search for them using the search field.

2. Add links within your content

On your homepage or in other areas, you might want to link directly to certain pages from within the text.

This step is optional — you can keep everything exactly as the theme provides. But I’ll show you how to do it in case you want more control.

For example, you might link to your About Me page from your short intro paragraph.

To do this, select the relevant piece of text, click the link icon, and choose the page you want to link to.

If it doesn’t appear immediately, simply use the search field to find it.

3. Footer-Links

Setting up the footer menu works much the same way as creating the main menu. If no footer menu exists yet, you can simply add it as a new block.

Select a position at the bottom of your page, click a plus icon, and insert a Navigation block.

Here, add your Imprint and Privacy Policy pages.

You may also want to adjust the footer menu settings so that it doesn’t collapse into a dropdown on mobile devices, depending on your theme and layout preferences.

Satisfied so far?

The basic structure of your blog is now complete.

Take a look by switching to the frontend. In the Site Editor, click “View” and then “View Site.” In the preview, you can choose whether to display the desktop, tablet or mobile version.

So — how does it look? Are you happy with it?

Setting up my example travel blog took me around two hours, but I’ve done this many times before …

With a bit of patience, you can absolutely create your own blog as a beginner within a single day.

Fantastic — now we just need your posts!

In the next step, I’ll show you how to write your first blog post and what matters when creating strong content.

You’ll learn how to illustrate your articles with images and videos, and I’ll briefly cover how to handle comments and discussions.

Get ready for the final stretch — soon you’ll be publishing your very first blog post.

Your blog framework is in place — now it’s time to fill it with content, the part that truly matters in blogging: your own posts.

Ideally, you’ve already drafted a text. I always prepare my blog articles in a word processor (Word, OpenOffice, etc.).

I also choose suitable images (or several) and videos I may want to embed before I start uploading anything.

Once the draft is ready, I copy it into WordPress piece by piece and then adjust the formatting until everything looks the way I want.

If you don’t have a draft yet, you can also practise by copying a small text sample from your computer or the internet.

In the next step, I’ll show you how to structure your post. For now, hold off on publishing until you’ve fully prepared and polished the article.

Right now, let’s focus on how to create a post in WordPress and which settings you should adjust.

Create and publish your post

Create a new post:

Click “Posts” → “Add New” in the backend. Enter your post title.

Insert text blocks and format your content:

1. Bold or link words (highlight the word and click B or the link icon)

2. Add subheadings (in a text block, click the paragraph symbol and select “Heading”)

3. Optionally insert images, quotes or lists

Adjust the post settings correctly:

1. Assign categories to your post (right-hand side under “Post” → “Categories”)

2. Decide whether to allow comments, pingbacks and trackbacks (tick or untick the boxes)

Make SEO adjustments:

1. Edit the permalink (it should contain your main keyword)

2. Adjust the meta description (if Yoast SEO is installed)

Save and review your work:

1. Save your post (“Save Draft” in the top right)

2. Preview how your post will appear (“Preview”)

3. Test the preview on different devices (Mobile / Tablet / Desktop)

Know the basic rules of good writing

Expressive writing and strong visuals are essential. Your posts are what draw visitors to your blog — and if they like what they see, they’ll come back.

One of the defining features of blogging is that you, the blogger, are at the centre. Keep that in mind and let your personality come through in your posts.

When writing, always consider your target audience. This determines how detailed you should be, how deep you go into a topic and what kind of vocabulary you use.

Ask yourself whether you’re writing for beginners or for more advanced readers. Do you want to cover a topic comprehensively, or focus on a specific aspect?

If you haven’t done so yet, structure your text with subheadings, quotes, and bullet points — it dramatically improves readability!

Basic rules of good writing:

• Be yourself — be authentic
• Write in clear, simple sentences
• Keep your target audience in mind
• Give your post a clear, readable structure

Add images and videos

Set a featured imageInsert images within the textEmbed YouTube videos

Set a featured image

Once you’ve entered the text of your article, you can set the featured image. To do this, click “Featured Image” → “Set Featured Image” on the right-hand side.

Now choose whether to select an image from your media library (one you’ve already uploaded) or upload a new one from your computer.

Add a descriptive alt text if it’s missing, then click “Set Featured Image.”

The featured image will appear at the top of your blog post. It also becomes the preview image shown on your blog’s homepage and usually appears in Google search results as the visual thumbnail for your article.

So choose an image that is clear, relevant and eye-catching.

Insert images within the text

You can also insert images or image galleries within your text to make long articles easier to read and visually more engaging.

Click the plus icon beneath any text block and choose “Image” or “Gallery.”
You can then upload an image from your computer or select an existing one from your media library.

There’s also an option to insert an image using a URL — simply paste the link to an image hosted elsewhere.

However, always respect copyright rules. Only use images you are legally allowed to use, and add proper copyright attribution if required.

If you want to create a gallery, add the “Gallery” block. Select several images from your computer or media library and click “Create a new gallery.”
Add captions, then click “Insert Gallery.”

Afterwards, you can still adjust the image order, gallery layout and captions, and you can add more images at any time.

Embed YouTube videos

There are two ways to include videos in your post.

You can embed short video clips directly in your article. To do this, add the “Video” block and upload a file from your computer or select one from your media library.

For third-party videos or longer clips, you can embed them from platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. WordPress provides ready-made embed blocks for these (“YouTube” / “Vimeo”).

Simply paste the link to the video into the block and click Embed.

Remember to mention the use of YouTube or Vimeo videos in your privacy policy, and handle them correctly in your cookie banner plugin.

Especially if your article contains a lot of text, you should use images and videos to break things up. The featured image in particular helps catch your visitors’ attention and encourages them to click on your post.

Depending on your blog’s topic, it may be worth investing in high-quality images. Rather than using generic stock photos, choose your own whenever possible — it makes your blog feel far more authentic.

But always keep an eye on page load times. If you upload too many large files, your blog will load more slowly.

A blog thrives on discussion

The foundation of blog culture is active discussion in the comments.

With just a few simple techniques, you can encourage your readers to comment and take part in the conversation. This makes your blog feel more alive — and it’s one of the main reasons people return.

Ask questions that invite a response.
If I write about my favourite travel destinations, for example, I naturally want to hear about my readers’ favourite places too.

You can also ask readers directly for their thoughts on your article:
“What did you think of my travel report? Any suggestions or ideas?”

Inviting readers to add missing information or point out mistakes can also trigger valuable discussion.

Of course, provocative statements or bold opinions can attract comments — but use this sparingly. Avoid it entirely if that style doesn’t fit your personality.

On the technical side, other blogs are notified of mentions through pingbacks and trackbacks. Commenters can also receive notifications when someone replies to their contribution.

Your blog is now up and running — great work! But your real journey as a blogger starts here.

You’ve created your own blog, published it and begun writing posts. Now your task is to make sure as many people as possible discover your blog.

To do that, you need to publish regular, engaging new posts and encourage your readers to interact.

But a major part of your day-to-day life as a blogger will also involve promoting your blog. Here’s how you can approach it.

Research keywords and find the right topics

Keyword research tools I recommend:

• UberSuggest is a good choice for beginners because it offers a freemium plan, though the research options are somewhat limited. It’s also the tool I started with.
• When you’re just getting into SEO, you can also use the Google Keyword-Planer to get an initial sense of search demand. You’ll need a free Google Ads account to access it.
• Ahrefs is one of the most professional tools available. I use it myself for my own projects.

You can also learn a lot simply by using normal Google search. In the “People also ask” section, you’ll find real user questions related to your keyword. Tip: Click several times on questions like “How do you start a blog?” — each click expands the box and reveals more related questions and answers. This is a great way to understand what users really want to know.

Collect questions — and answer them

I recommend creating a mind map before writing any article. Add your topic ideas and note the main keyword for each one — ideally the keyword with the highest search volume.

Then add secondary keywords, meaning variations or more specific combinations related to your main keyword.

These secondary keywords reveal which questions people have around your topic.

For example, your main keyword might be “create a blog.” Secondary keywords could be: “How do I create a blog?”, “Start a successful blog”, “Create a blog for free” (very popular, because people love free options)

And this is the core of your SEO success strategy: Understand your readers’ questions as precisely as possible — and answer them better than your competitors.

Analyse the articles that already rank highly for your keyword. What do they do well? Which questions do they answer — and which do they not answer?

Where can you describe things more clearly, more simply or more engagingly?

Build an editorial plan and stay consistent

More ways to get noticed

It takes time before your SEO strategy and marketing efforts start to show results and your blog begins to build real reach.

But trust me — your patience and persistence will pay off.

Once you start attracting a meaningful number of visitors, you can begin thinking about how to earn money with your blog.
In the next section, I’ll show you exactly how to generate exciting income from your blogging efforts!

The key is simple: keep going

You’ve already achieved more than most. You stayed committed and worked your way through all the preparation.

Your blog is set up and ready to take off — and I promise you: blogging is incredibly rewarding!

What matters now is sticking with it. You’ll face challenges along the way, but you’ll be rewarded for your persistence.

It may take some time before success becomes visible. But if you put your heart into it and consistently improve your content and expertise, you will succeed.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this guide — feel free to leave a comment. Do you still have questions about creating your blog? Or would you like to share what you’ve built so far?

Comment, ask, share!