How to start a blog and make money

The reports of blogging’s death have been greatly exaggerated. While blogging as a medium has gone through plenty of changes in recent times, it’s still possible to make money from a blog in 2025.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to start a blog, how you can monetize your blog, and the best blogging platforms to make money.

Can you realistically make money with a blog?

It’s possible to make money with a blog, but it’s difficult to do so. Not only do you have to battle to stand out in a highly competitive market, but recent algorithm updates from Google have made it a whole lot tougher for independent bloggers.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, Google launched a series of updates aiming to prioritize original, helpful content designed for people, rather than content written really to rank well in search engine results.

Bloggers across the world soon took to social media to report plummeting traffic and hugely negative impacts on their search rankings. And if you check comments from Reddit users or even just Google “have Google updates killed blogging,” you’ll get plenty of results suggesting that it’s all doom and gloom.

But while the game has changed, it’s still possible to make a profit from your blog. Keep reading to learn how to make money from a blog in 2025.

Tips to have a successful blog that makes money

These simple tips should help improve your chances of starting a blog that makes money.

Don’t focus too much on SEO

Search engine optimization is still important, but don’t fall into the trap of keyword stuffing or trying to design content purely to rank highly in search engine results. Instead, focus on creating high-quality content that answers reader questions, informs and entertains.

Choose something you’re passionate about and knowledgeable in

This is a bit of a cliché, but it’s just as important as ever if you’re going to have any success. If you choose a topic you love to write about, something you know like the back of your hand, it’s so much easier to create engaging content. Your authenticity and interest in the subject will shine through, and it’ll help your audience connect with what you write.

Avoid YMYL topics

YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life, and YMYL topics are defined by Google as those that “could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society,” such as medical information or financial advice.

Google’s systems assess a range of factors to rank YMYL content based on experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). So unless you have sufficient experience and expertise in the topic you’re writing about, your YMYL blog is unlikely to rank well.

Choose a user-friendly platform

Look for a blogging platform that’s easy to use and allows you to customize your site to suit your requirements. WordPress is a popular and convenient option, while other highly used platforms include Wix, Medium and Ghost.

Explore monetization options

Make sure you’re aware of the many different ways you can make money from your blog. For example, will you accept sponsored blog posts? Can you use your blog as a promotional tool to earn commissions from affiliate marketing? Could you sell ebooks, digital products and online courses through your blog, provide consultancy services, or maybe offer exclusive content to paying subscribers? There are plenty of possibilities to explore.

Don’t underestimate the importance of formatting and design

While the written content is the hero of your blog, the design and layout of your site is its all-important sidekick. The look of your blog is crucial to help readers feel at home and encourage them to stay a while.

You should also avoid large walls of text that might appear overwhelming at first glance. Use headings, bullet points, graphics and videos to break up your copy and improve readability.

Use AI tools

No, we don’t mean getting ChatGPT to write your posts for you—this could hurt your ranking in search results. But we do mean using AI tools to help you generate blog post ideas, to schedule your posts, and to help you create social media content promoting your blog.

Related: AI apps to make money in Canada

Optimize for speed

Search engines prioritize pages with fast loading times, so take steps to ensure that your site loads as quickly as possible. One simple thing you can do is compress and optimize images—there are WordPress plugins like EWWW Image Optimizer and WP Smush for this, or other platforms like Squoosh and tinypng.com if you’re using a different blogging platform.

Caching your pages, avoiding using too many plugins and using a content delivery network can all help speed up loading times.

Think mobile first

While desktop computers and laptops still have their place, most people browse websites on their mobile devices. That’s why it’s essential to optimize your site for mobile devices.

Steps to get started

Ready to make money blogging? Here’s what you need to do to get started.

Pick what to write about

Choose a niche for your blog. From food and travel to parenting and pets, there’s a huge range of options available. Think of your target audience and what they will be able to get out of your content. Now is a great time to brainstorm a range of content ideas so that you’ll be ready to hit the ground running.

Choose a blogging platform

Decide on the right content management system for your blog. The platform you choose should be easy to use and allow you to customize your site just the way you want.

Choose a hosting platform

Some hosting platforms also offer blogging services, but if you’re using WordPress.org, you’ll need a separate hosting service. You’ll also need to decide on a name for your blog, and register a domain name for your site.

Design your blog

The next step is to customize the look and theme of your blog. You can choose a template that suits you or get as creative as you like. You can also create all the essential pages for your site, like an “About me” section and legal disclaimers.

Create a content calendar

Use the ideas you brainstormed in Step 1 to create your content calendar. This will outline your publishing schedule and give you a plan to follow in the weeks and months ahead.

Upload your first post

Now it’s time to publish your first blog post. It’s well worth having several posts written, formatted and ready to go straight away.

Related: Ways to make money freelance writing

What are the best blogging platforms to make money?

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform, but there are actually two versions to check out: WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

WordPress.com offers managed hosting services and is designed to be easy to use for beginners. It has different paid plan packages to suit the needs of different users.

WordPress.org software is free to download, but you’ll need to pay for a third-party hosting service. It’s more advanced and technical, but it offers complete control over how you customize your website.

There are several other popular platforms out there, including website builders like Wix and Squarespace, as well as specialist publishing platforms like Blogger (owned by Google) and Ghost.

How long does it take to see results?

Don’t expect to launch your blog one week and start seeing money rolling in the next. Unless you already have a strong social media following or media profile before starting a blog, you won’t start making money straight away. At the very least, expect it to take six months before you can start generating income.

Of course, there are several factors that can influence this. The niche you choose (and how competitive it is), the quality of your content, and the different monetization methods you use for your blog can all have an impact.

You’ll need to post consistently, review the performance of your posts and trial different monetization methods to find the best approach for you.

How to analyze performance

There are several key metrics you can use to track and analyze the performance of your blog. These include page views, how long readers spend on your page, how often your content is shared on social media and how many return visitors you get. And if you’re attempting to get readers to sign up for a subscription or make a purchase, you’ll also want to track conversion rates.

Google Analytics is a great starting point for bloggers analyzing their performance. It collects stats like the number of visitors, their demographics, and which pages they view and for how long. It’s extremely useful for working out which posts work and which could be improved, and for getting a better understanding of your audience.

Different blogging platforms also have their own analytics tools. For example, Wix Analytics lets you review traffic, visitor behaviour and revenue reports, plus offers recommendations on how to optimize your site.

And if you’re using WordPress, there are plenty of useful Google Analytics plugins worth checking out. MonsterInsights, Analytify and ExactMetrics are just a few of the available options that can help you analyze your performance in-depth and find ways to improve your content.

Frequently asked questions

• Do bloggers get paid money?

  Not necessarily. There are plenty of bloggers out there who don't earn a cent from what they publish. But there are ways you can monetize your blog, such as through paid advertising, by offering subscription packages, and by using your blog to make money through affiliate marketing or to sell your own products.

• Can you make $1,000 a month with a blog?

  Yes, it's possible to make $1,000 a month with a blog—but don't expect to start earning that much straight away. You'll need to put in months or even years of effort to see that sort of return. You'll also need to explore different ways to monetize your blog so you can maximize your earning potential.

• Is blogging still profitable in 2025?

  It can be, but recent updates from Google have made it more difficult for bloggers to earn an income. Blogging is also a highly competitive market, so you'll need to find a profitable niche and focus on creating high-quality content over the long term before you can expect to make money blogging.