ULTIMATE NICHE BLOGGING:
Once you have made the decision you would like to start a blog.. the first thing you have to do is learn how to choose a blog niche. So.. it is time to sit down and give some thought to some possible blog niches. What exactly is a niche?
Basically, a niche is the topic of your website. It is the subject your entire blog will be focused around. To ‘niche down’ means focusing on a smaller topic within the larger topic.
* This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.
For example.. maybe you are thinking of starting a travel blog because you have done a lot of traveling and have absolutely fallen in love with Europe.
You know the best time to visit.. you know which airports to fly into for the lowest airfare possible.. you know all the best places to stay.. a lot of great places to eat.. where the best beaches are.. etc.
The travel industry is very lucrative! You will not only be of help to people looking for travel advice.. but if you were to choose a blog niche such as Traveling to Europe you figure you should be able to earn a fairly good living with your blog.
And.. in starting a blog about Traveling to Europe.. not only will you be able to help others plan an awesome European vacation.. you would also be able to write off your travel to Europe as a business expense. Sounds like a win-win!
However.. there is one MAJOR problem with this idea.
Head over to Google and type in – Traveling to Europe.
Do you see any small personal bloggers showing up for that search term? The entire first page is taken up by large corporate websites: Trip Advisor, The Travel Channel, all the major cruise lines, well-known travel magazines like Travel and Leisure, etc.
Do you really want to try to compete in that arena? You wouldn’t be able to win that battle for several years, if ever.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR BLOG NICHE:
As you can see.. to choose a blog niche such as Traveling to Europe would not be in your best interest. The topic is just too broad for a small personal blogger to compete.
Does that mean you should give up your dream of starting your travel blog?
NO WAY!
All you have to do is niche down a bit. Maybe you could offer travel advice on a specific area? Why not choose a blog niche about Travel to Italy.. or Travel to France.
Within these niches, you could write posts on various places you have visited in these countries. Maybe posts about Naples, Milan and Florence, Italy. Or.. Nice, Cannes and Marseille, France?
If you check those in Google you will find a couple of blogs written by people just like you! And.. I’d be willing to bet they are doing very well with their blogs!
Maybe you know a lot about a couple of smaller out-of-the-way places that attract local, regional, national, or global tourists? Do you suppose devoting a blog to your knowledge of these places could earn you a living?
Not only could that blog niche earn you a living.. with the amount of business you could generate for local small businesses in the area.. you could be a local hero!
Love traveling? Considering starting a travel blog ? .. read our post:
* How to Start a Travel Blog
NARROW YOUR BLOG NICHE AND FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE:
To find a blog niche that is suitable for you.. profitable, yet not overly competitive, you will need to invest some time in narrowing down your niche and finding the right balance.
You need to find a topic that isn’t too broad.. but you also do not want to choose a niche that is so small it has very few monthly searches in Google and Bing.
A little competition is a good thing. That means there is still money to be made in the niche.
Too much competition.. and particularly competition from huge corporations.. means you would likely not be able to make any money for quite some time.
HOW TO FIND A PROFITABLE BLOGGING NICHE:
There are a lot of popular blog niches that other bloggers are doing very well with. If you are still feeling confused.. we have written a 36-page eBook which guides you step-by-step through the process of selecting the perfect niche for your next project.
The book also includes a 2-page list of some of the best blog niches.. as well as the niches that topped the list in the last year..
This book is available for purchase HERE: Selecting Your Perfect Niche Step-by-Step
The guide is also available as a FREE Bonus when purchasing our top-selling course:
Blogging Step-by-Step
A Top Selling Course from 7-figure Professional Blogger,
Sherry Bennett aka The Blogging Queen
Need help getting started? Consider our Top Selling course.
Learn how to do everything correctly from the beginning!
Save yourself the time and stress of having to start over
when you realize you have been listening to all the wrong people!
READ MORE…
Blogging is definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme. You can make very good money.. but you will have to invest some time and put in some work to get there.
In the beginning, it can be difficult to stay motivated. You are writing and writing and not seeing any return for all of your efforts.
This is why it is also important to choose a blog niche relating to something you thoroughly enjoy.
As long as you find pleasure in what you are doing.. you will be able to hang in there and stay motivated as you wait for your blog to rise in popularity and gain authority.
I realize you are also looking forward to seeing some money coming in as soon as possible.
Don’t get discouraged.. just be patient.. it will happen. And.. when it does happen.. you will be amazed at how much motivation you will have once those affiliate commission checks start rolling in!
REMEMBER – WHATEVER YOUR NICHE – CONTENT IS KING!
Don’t forget.. as the saying goes.. “Content is King”! Make sure to add fresh content to your blog on a regular basis. And.. make sure all the content relates to your blog niche.
This is how Google will determine what your site is all about.. and whether or not your site will provide a good user experience for those searching on Google.
Google determines which sites to show based on the terms being entered into the search box.. and whether they feel your site will offer the information the user is looking for.
If the main focus of your blog is makeup and skincare.. and it is all about discovering some less expensive dupes of all the super expensive brands.. you wouldn’t want to start adding in posts about shoes and handbags.
This is going to confuse Google. Although Google is very good at what it does.. you have to keep in mind.. it is only a bot. It’s not like there are human beings with some common sense analyzing your site.
To stay in Google’s good graces.. and to make sure your site shows up well in the SERPs.. be sure to stay focused. Make sure everything on your site is related specifically to your chosen niche.
For those who are not familiar with a lot of the online jargon…
SERPs = Search Engine Results Pages
I know you are thinking.. beauty and fashion seem to go together. Why couldn’t my blog be a little about beauty and a little about fashion?
In the beginning, you should be laser-focused.. and start out with a clearly defined niche.
Later on.. after your blog has been online for a while and you have several posts that are beginning to rank in Google.. you have some traffic coming to your blog.. and have begun to gain some authority.. at that time if you decide you would like to start adding a couple of posts relating to fashion.. at this point, it should work just fine.
PLEASE NOTE – LIFESTYLE IS NOT A DEFINED NICHE:
I hear so many people say they want to start a lifestyle blog. I am not sure exactly what they are thinking? Evidently, they cannot decide on a particular niche.. so maybe they figure “Lifestyle” will cover it all?
Lifestyle incorporates all sorts of things. Choose one segment of the Lifestyle niche to begin your blog. You cannot be ALL things to ALL people.
If your blog has a huge variety of things going on.. it will be very difficult for Google to determine what sort of information your site has to offer that might be helpful.
Keep in mind that Google is all about the user experience. They are commited to providing the most relevant content for each and every search!
If Google is not able to figure out exactly what the main focus of your site is.. how are they going to determine whether your site might be a good fit for someone who is searching for… whatever it is they are searching for?
Normally what happens in these sorts of situations is that Google will determine the niche of your site based on the subject matter of the majority of your posts.
Take the scenario I mentioned previously. Let’s say the main focus of your blog is makeup and skin care. Then you decide to write some posts about fashion.
Google will determine that the main focus of your site is makeup and skin care and those posts will have a better chance of gaining in popularity.
However.. your posts having to do with fashion will likely be pretty much ignored.. and may even have an adverse effect on your rankings in the beginning.
Google has already determined that your site is about makeup and skincare.. so they would be confused as to what the off-topic posts are doing on your site. For that reason.. your site may get lower rankings.
Are you ready to move on to the next step in starting your blog?
Here is the page that details the steps for you:
* How to Become a Blogger – The Beginner’s Guide
About the Author: Sherry Bennett
Ms. Bennett is a Professional Blogger, who has been earning a living online with niche websites for 25+ years.
Through hard work and dedication, she has turned her passion for blogging into a 7-figure business.. and you can do the same.
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* If you are a new blogger just starting your blogging adventure
learn how to start your blog the right way from the beginning:
Blogging Step-by-Step
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