Writing your first blog post can be one of the most challenging parts of starting a blog. Deciding what to write, what keywords to use, and actually committing to it can seem overwhelming.
Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can follow to create your perfect first blog post and introduce yourself to the blogging world.
10 steps to write your first blog post
Before I get too ahead of myself, make sure you have the following ready before you start:
- You have your own domain name
- You have a hosting account for your website
- You’ve installed the WordPress blogging platform
- You’ve chosen a blog theme and added a logo
Once your blog is set up, it’s time to begin writing your first blog post!
Here are the 12 steps to write your first blog post:
Log in to your WordPress dashboard
To start, log in to your WordPress admin and go to Posts > Add New.
From here, you can make changes like adding a blog post title, changing the slug (the URL of the post), adding a featured image, and choosing a category for your blog post.
Choose a program to write your blog post
You can choose to write your blog post in Google Docs, Word, or even in Evernote.
But personally, I prefer to write directly in the WordPress editor, Gutenberg.
If you have a page builder like Elementor, you may be tempted to write your blog posts with it. But keep in mind that it will be a bit of a headache if you ever want to switch to another page builder or go back to Gutenberg.
Brainstorm blog post ideas
You’ll be doing a lot of brainstorming throughout your blogging career. So, getting started with a lot of potential topics is a great thing.
Spend some time thinking about your blog niche and what topics you want to cover. Write down any thoughts that come to mind and be as specific as possible. Try to turn large topics into several smaller posts to get the most attention from readers.
Identify your goal before writing your first post
It does you no good for me to rattle off 100 random blog post ideas. What you write about completely depends on your blog niche and the goals of your blog.
If your goal is to get a lot of traffic fast, you should write about a popular trending topic.
If your goal is to grow organically, you should write about a popular evergreen topic.
If your goal is to connect with your reader and build a relationship, you need to write about something they truly care about and need help with.
Research keywords
Regardless of what you write about, you need to do keyword research first.
Once you have some ideas on the posts you want to make, start researching keywords related to your niche and each specific topic.
I’m not going to get too technical here because this is your first blog post, after all. But keyword research is the process of finding a blog post idea worth writing about.
The aim is to find a keyword phrase that people are already searching for on Google. You can learn more about how to optimize your blog for SEO here.
Keep in mind that you don’t want to oversaturate your blog post with your keywords. You still want it to be readable and enjoyable for your audience.
Write an outline
A great way to get started is with bullet points of the major themes you want to get across in your post and then elaborate on each one of those as you write.
This gives you a general direction and structure to your post from the beginning. Without an idea of the general flow, your post can feel unorganized once it’s done.
Get over writer’s block
Writing your first blog post can be daunting – especially if you don’t know what to write about or where to start.
But what if you can’t even start? What if you have writer’s block – and you haven’t even typed a word yet!
I know this feeling all too well.
There you are, staring at that cursed blinking cursor. Does it ever stop? Why aren’t the words coming out? Why am I talking to myself!
Yeah, I’ve been there. (In fact, I’m there right now!)
So how do we get un-stuck? No, you don’t need to meditate. No, there isn’t any specific type of mental exercise that does the trick. You simply need to take action.
Write your first draft
It’s time to start writing! At this stage, you’re. not concerned with spelling, grammar, or even if anything flows perfectly. The goal here is to write as much as you can without stopping. This is a key reason why I’m able to write a blog post in under 30 minutes!
A rough first draft is better than an empty screen; I can tell you that much.
Add images
Choose some images that go along with your post and add them in now. This will give you an idea of how the finished product will look on your website.
You’ll also want to create a featured image using Canva Pro. This image can double as the image you use to share your post on social media.
Proofread and publish!
It’s now time for you to reread your post, check it with Grammarly, make any edits necessary, and then publish your first blog post!
6 tools to help you write your first blog post
Grammarly
If you’re planning on being a blogger or writer of any kind, you should be using the free Grammarly browser extension. While the free version helps with spelling and grammar, the pro version helps you write higher-quality content.
Google Trends
Want to write about a trending topic? Pop your blog post idea into Google Trends and see how searches for that topic are trending over time.
SEMRush
Now that you’ve chosen a blog topic, the next step in the writing process is to choose a keyword phrase to target. But how do you know which one to pick? The trick is to find a phrase that’s popular yet not that competitive.
Using a tool like SEMRush is vital to making sure you’re writing content that has a chance of ranking on Google search. For example, for this blog post, my target keyword phrase is “first blog post,” but I also hope to rank for related phrases like “first blog post ideas” and “first blog post examples,” to name a few.
Keywordtool.io
While you can use Google’s autocomplete feature to give you more keyword ideas, the keywordtool.io tool makes it even easier. This tool compiles the keyword suggestions and gives you data about each one.
For example, I typed on “first blog post” and got back ideas like “first blog post examples,” “first blog post template,” “what to make your first blog post about,” and “first blog post titles.”
Each of these keyword phrases may not be worthy of an entirely new article, but definitely are ideas for topics to tackle in this article.
Capitalize My Title
Choosing the correct letter casing for your blog post title can get tricky if you don’t know the guidelines. Capitalize My Title will automatically capitalize and convert your letter case to the right title capitalization style.
Headline Analyzer
Your blog post title is as important, if not more important than your blog content. That’s because if you don’t have a good blog post headline, you just won’t get clicks to read your content in the first place.
Run some blog post headline ideas into this tool and choose the one with the highest score. Odds are it will give you the best click-through rate.
3 first blog post examples
Stuck on first blog post ideas? Why not look at how other bloggers started their blogs?
Here are a few examples of the first blog posts from well-known bloggers.
Have Baby Will Travel’s first blog post
This first post by Have Baby Will Travel is a great introduction to what her blog is going to be about.
Corinne also does a great job of showing the added value she brings to the blogging industry and uses a great call to action at the end.
Young House Love’s first blog post
John and Sherry use their first post to merge an introduction to them along with diving into their overall topic.
This short and sweet post creates interest in their projects, and the readers will want to stay updated as they make progress.
Want to know a secret? The first blog posts of some six-figure bloggers actually SUCK!
Every blogger, no matter how big, had to start somewhere. They were where you are at this very moment.
If you truly are bored, you can go back in their archives and find their old blog content. Once you see just how bad some of their first blog posts were, you’ll see there’s no need to fear writing your first blog post.
4 best first blog post ideas for starting a blog
The “Introduce Yourself” idea
While this type of blog post won’t get you a lot of traffic, it is far easier to write because it requires no research.
With this first blog post idea, you want to introduce who you are and what you can do for your readers.
It is important not to turn this into your life story. Save that for your about me page.
Yes, talk about how you got to this point, but all with the focus on why you started your blog (hopefully to help people with a specific problem).
Write naturally, you know, like a real human. Just let the words flow out from your brain to the screen. You can’t make a mistake if you’re speaking from the heart.
I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to write your about me page, complete with an about page template to go along with it.
If you want to have a read, see my about me page guide here.
Here are the 3 main points you want to hit in your blog post:
- 1. Who you are
Who are you, and why are you qualified to talk about this topic?
By the way, the best qualification isn’t a degree, but life experience.
- 2. What is your “why”
What problems did you face along the way, and how did you ultimately break through?
Why do you want to share your experience and help others?
- 3. What to expect
What type of content can readers expect to see going forward?
In-depth how-to guides, personal stories, interviews?
Having a personal introduction as your first post is not a bad idea. It’s an easy way to just publish your first blog post and get it over it.
But since it doesn’t solve a problem your ideal reader is having, it doesn’t give much value to your reader, does it?
Well, the next idea sure does!
The “Ultimate Guide” idea
If you want to be a real badass, start your blog with an Ultimate Guide On XYZ.
Whatever your blog niche is, write a thorough, comprehensive (and epic) guide on the topic. This post should be long – very long. It’s something we in the biz call a “pillar post” or “cornerstone content.”
This blog post will end up being one of your most popular posts. It’s going to be the post that you link to from most of your future blog posts.
Write an ultimate guide post as your first blog post, and you will start growing your following from day 1. Readers will instantly see the value you create and will want to join your email list.
And there’s another added benefit.
Having an insanely great first blog post can lead to others in your niche referencing your content in their blog posts and sharing it on social media, giving you an instant boost in exposure.
To get additional exposure (and thus blog traffic), link to other authority websites in your blog posts.
Let them know via email (or slide in their DM’s on social) that you mentioned them.
At worst, you’ll get a “thank you.” And at best, you’ll get a future mention on their blog too. Either way, you are building a relationship with thought leaders in your niche!
The “Quotes Post” idea
This next idea is super easy and quick to create. This is a good blog post topic to write on if you are short on blog post ideas.
If you’re ever not feeling creative or are too tired to think, consider creating a Quotes post.
Here’s how this one works.
- 1. Search for “your niche + quotes” in Google
- 2. Compile a list of your favorite quotes relevant to your niche.
- 3. Add these quotes to your first blog post.
- 4. You can also create social media shareable images to go along with each quote using Canva Pro.
- 5. Write an incredibly catchy headline like “43 (Ridiculous/Hilarious/Awesome/Insane) Quotes About (Your Niche).”
While this type of blog post isn’t the greatest in terms of solving a problem, it is highly shareable content that can go viral on Facebook.
To encourage the sharing of individual quotes (with a link back to your blog post) on Twitter, use a “Click To Tweet” plugin.
I recommend using the one from the Social Warfare WordPress plugin. You can see how a Click To Tweet widget works below. Click on it to see how the post looks on Twitter.
The “Roundup” idea
I love this blog post idea because you’re letting other bloggers do all the work.
Here is how to properly create a round-up blog post.
- 1. Gather up a list of the authority bloggers in your niche (using Google).
- 2. Add their blog name, URL, and contact info in a spreadsheet using Google Sheets.
- 3. Email each one asking for advice on a topic important in your niche.
- 4. Make it super simple for them to hit reply, send their answer and their link info.
In your email, let them know you plan to create a round-up post of experts and will be linking back to their site.
Most of them will write back with their tip, as bloggers never want to miss an opportunity for a free backlink!
Don’t forget to also add your own opinion in this article. Doing so will rub that authority onto you as well and allow you to be amongst the thought leaders in your niche.
When the round-up post is live, contact each of them again, let them know, and share the link!
Finish off your email by kindly asking them to share your post (with their expert tip) on social media and/or mention it on their blog.
Wrapping it up
Don’t know what to write about for your first blog post? Worry no more! I’ve saved the best tip for last.
Look at other bloggers in your niche to see what they are writing about.
The best bloggers don’t write about any random topic. Nope, they do thorough keyword research to find the best topics only.
You can take a massive shortcut and literally just get your blog post ideas directly from these bloggers.
But which of their articles are the best ones? Which blog post topics are the ones that get a lot of traffic? How can you tell?
Well, you can ask them, of course. But short of that, there’s another way to tell.
Look at the homepage of a top blogger in your niche. Which blog posts are in their “featured content” section?
These are the BANGERS. If these blog post topics worked for them, they will work for you too.
When you’re new to blogging, there should be lots of ideas on what to write. It’s downright impossible to create all the content all at once. So what you need is to have a space where you can jot down your article ideas.
I use the Meistertask app and have a Blog Post Ideas list. You can add more lists—for example, an In Progress and a Published list.
A really cool part about Meistertask is that you can move your cards (ideas) from one list to another. That way, you visually see the progress of your ideas, all from inception to completion.
If all of this has been too overwhelming, realize that blogging is a process.
You will get better.
So don’t worry about writing the perfect first blog post, and just do it already!
Messy action is better than no action at all.
Thanks for reading, and I hope this has helped you write your first blog post! And if you want to pay it forward and help me out, please save this post on Pinterest.
Until next time,
Edwin, DoSixFigures.com
Hey Edwin,
Thank you for sharing step by step process on what to do after making a blog post. Your explanations are very clear. This post is very helpful to internet marketer, most especially to starters.
Thanks for sharing some great tips.
Lots of great ideas here. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips and advice! Wish I read this when I wrote my first blog post! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for the ideas!
No prob!
Hi Edwin
I have just given a thought to start working as a blogger. Sometimes gets a lot confused. will be pleased if you can guide.
Sure! First thing is to visit this page: https://dosixfigures.com/start-a-blog/
From there you can follow the steps to set up your first website. If you have any questions along the way, leave a comment.
Hii I liked ur this details which is very clear in explaining on starting first post but still I have lot of questions of which I searching answers I signed up with WordPress but didn’t posted any blog yet it’s been a month now pls help me .
Let me know what exactly you need help with and I’ll be glad to help!
Lots of great ideas and suggestions! I always seem to get writer’s block when I’m trying to be creative so I always jot down ideas that I get throughout the day. It’s also extremely reassuring to know that most bloggers go through a phase of uploading sucky material.
Thank you for this insightful article!
Jotting them down throughout the day is the way to go, ideas can strike at any time.
Thanks for the ideas! I once hated listicles but after seeing blogs my engagement stats they really do work.
So true. It’s the curiosity and easy reading that makes people click. And without clicks to headlines… you have no traffic.