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10 Things You Must Know BEFORE Starting a Blog

If you’re thinking about starting a blog, breathe — you’re already ahead of most people. Most folks stay stuck in “maybe someday.” But before starting a blog, there are a few things I really wish someone had told me back in 2016, when I was writing 3,500-word epics at 2 a.m. and hoping Google would magically fall in love with me.

Whether you’re launching your very first blog or relaunching an old one, these 10 lessons will save you months of frustration, help you blog smarter (not harder), and get you closer to the moment every blogger remembers forever — that first payment notification.

Let’s dive in.

1. Pick a Blog Topic You Can Actually Stick With

If there’s one thing I learned before starting a blog, it’s this: choosing the right topic can make or break your motivation.

Back in 2016, I chose a niche I thought would make money fast (I assumed everyone loved the topic as much as I did 🙃). Spoiler: it didn’t. Mostly because I hated creating content for it. (It was a sensitive topic for me, and I discovered I don’t like mixing what’s too personal for me with… money. 🫠)

Instead, choose a topic you can talk about with ease — something you’re willing to write about even on the days when you’re low-energy or uninspired. This doesn’t mean it must be your “passion,” but it should be something you’re comfortable exploring for years.

Related: DreamHost vs Wix: Which Website Builder Is Better for You?

Ask yourself:

• Can I create 50 blog posts about this without running out of ideas?
• Can I help someone with this topic?
• Can I imagine myself writing about it a year from now?

If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

2. Know That Blogging Is Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme

Before starting a blog, I genuinely believed I’d publish a handful of posts, and voilà — money! That… is *not* how blogging works.

Blogging pays off slowly at first, then all at once.

The beginning feels like you’re talking to yourself. But consistency compounds. Google begins to trust your site. Your posts age and rank. Your authority grows.

It took me months to make my first $1 blogging. But once it happened, the next $10, $100, and $1,000 came much faster.

If you treat blogging like a long-term project, you’ll win. If you treat it like a lottery ticket, you’ll quit before anything good happens.

3. Your Writing Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect — It Needs to Be Helpful

This one took me years to understand.

People don’t read blogs for poetic sentences or flawless grammar (I *am* someone who loves poetic sentences or flawless grammar, so I wasted too much time trying to perfect what anyone else cared about…). They read blogs because they need solutions.

When I look back at my 2016 posts, I cringe a little — long intros, complicated sentences, too much storytelling before getting to the point (hey, I’m a tangent girl, ok?). But guess what? Those posts still helped people. They still ranked. They still earned me money.

Write like a human. Write like you’re texting a friend. Write the way you naturally speak.

If it helps someone, it’s good enough.

4. SEO Matters More Than You Think (But It’s Not Scary)

Before starting a blog, SEO felt like magic spells. I imagined I needed to summon keywords at midnight under a full moon or something (I already worked as a freelance writer, but my editors only required the basics of SEO).

Now? SEO is just digital empathy.

It’s asking:
“What is someone typing into Google, and how can I help them faster and better than anyone else?”

Some quick SEO truths:

• Your title matters.
• Your first 100 words matter.
• Answering the user’s question quickly matters a lot.
• Your headers matter.
• Internal links are the unsung heroes of SEO.
• The longer someone stays on your post, the better.

Modern SEO also rewards clarity and user experience — which is amazing news for us chatty bloggers who like to write helpful, friendly content.

5. The 80/20 Rule Will Save You From Burnout

Here’s the blogging secret I wish someone had whispered to me before starting a blog:

20% of your posts will bring 80% of your traffic and income.

That means:

• Not every post needs to be a masterpiece
• Not every post will perform
• You don’t need 200 posts to succeed — you need maybe 20 strong ones

When I finally accepted this, everything changed.

I stopped writing about everything just because it popped into my head. I focused on the posts that drove traffic and repeatedly optimized them. My blog grew faster (and my stress levels dropped instantly).

Work smarter, not harder — and let the 80/20 rule guide your strategy.

6. You Need a Simple Content Strategy (Not a Complicated One)

Before starting a blog, most people think they need:
❌ a detailed 6-month content calendar (it can happen, but you still can make it with more flexibility)
❌ perfect branding
❌ dozens of categories
❌ a strict weekly posting schedule

Here’s the truth:
You only need a simple strategy you can stick to.

Here’s the one I use now:

1. Pick 3–5 core topics (your “content pillars”).
2. Target long-tail keywords to rank high on Google (use a keyword research tool for that!)
3. Write posts that solve real problems.
4. Update old posts regularly instead of always creating new ones.
5. Link your posts together like a web.

That’s it.

Your content strategy shouldn’t make you anxious — it should make your life easier.

7. Starting With Too Many Categories Will Mess Up Your SEO

Ohhhh 2016 me… I created categories like:

• Online Business
• Blogging
• Personal finance
• Cool T-shirts
• Marketing
• Lifestyle
• Self-care
• Personal development
• Coffee
• Vegan memes

When you start with too many categories, two things happen:

1. Visitors get overwhelmed
2. Google gets confused about your blog’s topic

Before starting a blog, choose 3–5 categories total. If it doesn’t fit into these, don’t write it — or publish it later when the blog grows and you expand.

Simplify. Always.

Related: How to Optimize Your Website Structure for SEO (Improve Your Rankings in 7 Steps!)

8. Monetization Takes Planning (Not Luck)

I used to think money would just appear when I wrote a post that went viral.

But blogging income comes from intentionally setting up the right pieces:

• Affiliate links placed naturally
• Lead magnets that grow your email list
• Helpful product reviews
• Your own digital products
• Optimized top-performing posts
• Sponsored posts and brand partnerships (later, when you have traffic)

Before starting a blog, be honest with yourself:
👉 How do you want to make money?
👉 What do you want your blog’s business model to look like?

Monetization is easier when it’s built into the foundation — not tacked on at the end.

Read also: Can Beginners Make Money with Affiliate Marketing?

9. You Must Be Willing to Update Your Old Posts

This is something beginners rarely realize, but it’s life-changing for success in blogging.

Old posts are not “done.” Blogging is not as passive as some like to preach.

They can (and should!) be:

• updated
• expanded
• optimized
• re-structured
• improved
• turned into better versions of themselves

Google LOVES updated content.

And honestly? Updating posts is 10x easier than writing new ones. If I had known this before starting a blog, I wouldn’t have spent so many nights staring at a blank screen.

10. The First Time You Make Money Blogging Will Change You (In the BEST Way)

Believe me, this moment is unforgettable.

When you get your first payment —
whether it’s:

• an affiliate sale,
• a digital product you created,
• your first ad revenue,
• or the first time someone emails you about a sponsored post…

You will NOT believe how happy you’ll be.

I still remember mine. I refreshed the page three times because I thought it was a glitch. I danced with my cat. I took 7 screenshots. I messaged my brother. I had a perpetual smile on my face for the rest of the day.

And that’s the moment you realize:
“This works. I can actually do this.”

Everything that felt confusing before suddenly becomes worth it.

It’s the moment you stop being “someone who started a blog” and you become a blogger.

And it only happens because you took action — before knowing everything, before feeling ready, before having all the answers.

Final Thoughts on 10 Things You MUST Know BEFORE Starting a Blog

Before starting a blog, you don’t need perfection.
You don’t need a full strategy.
You don’t need to know everything.
You don’t need hundreds of posts.

You just need to start.
And then keep going — imperfectly, consistently, and with the willingness to learn.

Blogging is one of the most rewarding things you can build online. And the YOU who receives that first payment notification?
They’re going to be SO proud you didn’t quit!

FAQ: What You Must Know Before Starting a Blog