I still remember the exact moment I decided to start my first blog. It was 2 AM, I couldn't sleep, and I had this burning desire to share my thoughts with the world. The problem? I had $0 in my budget and zero technical skills.
That's when I discovered Blogger.
Five years later, I've built multiple successful blogs, and I always recommend Blogger to beginners. Why? Because it's free, it's backed by Google, and you can literally have your blog live in 10 minutes.
Let me walk you through everything I've learned.
Why I Chose Blogger (And Why You Should Consider It Too)
My First Mistake
Before Blogger, I tried WordPress.org. Big mistake for a beginner. I spent $150 on hosting and a domain, got confused with FTP and cPanel, and gave up within a week. That money? Wasted.
With Blogger, I risked nothing. No credit card required. No hosting bills. Just me, Google, and a dream.
The Real Benefits I Discovered
1. It's Genuinely Free I'm not talking about "free trial" or "free for 30 days." Blogger is free forever. Google hosts everything. You get unlimited bandwidth, which means even if your post goes viral (it happened to me!), you won't pay extra.
2. Google Integration is GOLD When I wanted to add Google Analytics to track visitors, it took 30 seconds. Google AdSense for monetization? Another minute. Google Search Console? Already connected.
This integration saved me hundreds of hours compared to my WordPress struggles.
3. It's Surprisingly Powerful Here's what shocked me: Blogger handles custom domains, responsive mobile themes, and even custom HTML/CSS. My blog doesn't scream "free platform" – it looks professional.
Step-by-Step: How I Created My First Blog in 10 Minutes
Let me walk you through the exact process I use every time I start a new blog.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Google Account
If you have Gmail, you already have what you need. If not:
- Go to https://accounts.google.com/signup
- Fill in your details (use a professional-looking email)
- Verify your phone number
Pro Tip from Experience: Use an email specifically for your blog. I made the mistake of using my personal Gmail, and now my blog notifications are mixed with family photos and shopping receipts.
Step 2: Accessing Blogger
- Navigate to https://www.blogger.com
- Click "Sign In" (top right)
- Use your Google account credentials
You'll land on the Blogger dashboard. Don't be intimidated – it's simpler than it looks.
Step 3: Creating Your Blog (The Fun Part)
Click the orange "CREATE NEW BLOG" button. You'll see this screen:
Choosing Your Blog Title
This is what appears at the top of your blog. Mine was "Tech Journey with [Name]" – simple and descriptive.
Naming Tips from My Experience:
- Keep it under 4 words
- Make it memorable
- Avoid numbers and hyphens
- Think about what people will type to find you
Selecting Your Blog Address (URL)
This is CRITICAL. Your URL is permanent (technically changeable, but messy).
My first blog URL was "techjourneywithsam2019.blogspot.com" – what a disaster. I had to mention "2019" every time I shared it, and it sounded dated by 2020.
Better approach:
- yourblogname.blogspot.com
- Simple, clean, timeless
Check availability by typing your desired name. Blogger will tell you instantly if it's taken.
Choosing Your Theme
Blogger offers several pre-made themes. For your first blog, I recommend:
- Contempo – Clean, modern, perfect for personal blogs
- Soho – Minimalist, great for writing-focused blogs
- Emporio – Magazine style, good for multi-topic blogs
Don't stress about this. You can change themes anytime without losing content.
Click "Create Blog" and congratulations – you're now a blogger!
Step 4: Customizing Your Blog (Making It YOURS)
Here's where I spent hours on my first blog, and where I'll save you time.
Setting Up Your Theme
- From your dashboard, click "Theme" (left sidebar)
- Click the dropdown arrow next to "Customize"
- Here you can modify:
- Colors (I keep it simple – 2-3 colors max)
- Background (solid colors work best)
- Layout (I prefer sidebar on right)
- Fonts (stick to web-safe fonts for speed)
Real Example from My Blog:
- Primary color: #2C3E50 (dark blue-gray)
- Accent: #E74C3C (vibrant red for links)
- Background: White
- Font: Roboto for headings, Open Sans for body
This combination looks professional and loads fast.
Creating Essential Pages
Go to "Pages" in the left menu and create these (I learned this the hard way after readers asked where to find this info):
About Page: Tell your story. I wrote 3 paragraphs:
- Who I am
- Why I started this blog
- What readers can expect
Contact Page: I use a simple Google Form embedded in the page. Here's how:
- Create a Google Form at https://forms.google.com
- Click "Send" and choose the embed option
- Copy the HTML code
- In Blogger's page editor, switch to HTML view
- Paste the code
Privacy Policy: Essential if you plan to monetize. I used a free generator from https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/ and customized it.
Configuring Layout
Click "Layout" in the left sidebar. This is where you add widgets.
My essential widgets:
- Popular Posts – Shows readers your best content
- Labels – Category navigation (I have 5-7 main categories)
- Search Box – Critical for longer blogs
- Social Media Follow Buttons – I use a custom HTML widget
To add a widget, click "Add a Gadget" in any section.
Step 5: Writing and Publishing Your First Post
Click "New Post" from your dashboard.
My Post-Writing Process
Title Creation: I spend 20% of my time on titles. A great title gets clicks. Examples from my blog:
- Bad: "Some Thoughts on Productivity"
- Good: "5 Productivity Hacks That Doubled My Output in 30 Days"
Content Structure: Every post I write follows this template:
- Hook (first 2 sentences grab attention)
- Problem statement
- Solution/story/tips
- Conclusion with call-to-action
Formatting Tips:
- Keep paragraphs SHORT (2-3 sentences max)
- Use headings (H2, H3) for scannability
- Bold key takeaways
- Add images every 300-400 words
Adding Images: Click the image icon, then upload from:
- Your computer
- Google Photos (auto-synced)
- By URL (I use Unsplash for free stock photos)
Using Labels: Below the post editor, add 2-5 relevant labels. These become your categories.
For my tech blog:
- Software Reviews
- Productivity Tips
- Hardware Guides
- Tech News
Preview Before Publishing: Click "Preview" (top right) to see how it looks on:
- Desktop
- Mobile
- Tablet
I've caught embarrassing typos this way dozens of times.
Click "Publish" when ready. Your post is now live!
Step 6: Essential Settings (Don't Skip This)
Go to "Settings" in the left sidebar.
Basic Settings:
- Blog description: Write a compelling 150-character summary
- Privacy: I keep it "Public" for maximum reach
- Blog address: Add www or not (consistency matters for SEO)
Posts, Comments, and Sharing:
- Allow comments: Yes (engagement is gold)
- Comment moderation: I use "Sometimes" to filter spam
- Show share buttons: Absolutely yes
Language and Formatting:
- Set your timezone correctly (affects post scheduling)
- Date format: I prefer "Month DD, YYYY"
Search Preferences: This is CRUCIAL for Google discovery.
Meta Tags: Enable custom meta descriptions:
- Settings → Search preferences
- Enable "Meta tags" → Yes
For each post, I write a unique 150-character description that includes my target keyword.
Custom Robots.txt: I learned this later, but it matters. Enable custom robots.txt and add:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /search
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
This helps Google crawl your blog efficiently.
Advanced Customization: Taking It Further
Adding a Custom Domain (Game Changer)
I used the free .blogspot.com URL for 6 months. When I switched to a custom domain, my credibility skyrocketed.
How I Did It:
- Bought a domain from Namecheap ($8.88/year for .com)
- In Blogger: Settings → Basic → Publishing → Custom domain
- Enter your domain (yourdomain.com)
- Blogger gives you DNS records
- Add those records in your domain registrar's control panel
- Wait 24-48 hours for propagation
Real Experience: My click-through rate from Google increased 40% with a custom domain. People trust "techjourney.com" more than "techjourney2019.blogspot.com."
Installing Google Analytics
Tracking is essential. Here's my exact setup:
- Create Google Analytics account at https://analytics.google.com
- Get your Tracking ID (format: UA-XXXXXXXXX-X)
- In Blogger: Settings → Basic → Analytics
- Paste your Tracking ID
Now you can see:
- How many visitors you get
- Which posts are popular
- Where traffic comes from
- Bounce rate and session duration
I check this daily. It's addictive.
Monetization: When and How
I waited 6 months and 50 posts before monetizing. Here's why:
Google AdSense Requirements:
- At least 6 months old (unofficial)
- Original content
- Regular posting
- Decent traffic (I had 5,000 monthly views when approved)
My Application Process:
- Blogger → Earnings → Sign up for AdSense
- Wait for approval (took me 2 weeks)
- Ads automatically appear on your blog
First Month Earnings: $47.32
Six Months Later: $380/month
Current (2 years): $1,200-1,500/month
Not life-changing, but it pays my bills.
Other Monetization Methods I Use:
Affiliate Marketing: I use Amazon Associates for product reviews. When someone buys through my link, I get 4-8% commission.
Sponsored Posts: Brands now pay me $150-300 per sponsored article. Started reaching out after I hit 10,000 monthly visitors.
Digital Products: I created an eBook ($9.99) that earns $200-400/month passively.
SEO: How I Get 50,000+ Monthly Visitors
Keyword Research
I use free tools:
- Google Keyword Planner (free with Google Ads account)
- AnswerThePublic.com (shows what people search)
- Google Search suggestions
My process:
- Find a topic
- Research keywords
- Choose low-competition, decent-volume keywords
- Write comprehensive content around them
Example: Instead of targeting "laptop reviews" (impossible to rank), I targeted "best laptops for college students under $500 2024" – now ranks #3 on Google.
On-Page SEO Checklist
Every post I publish includes:
✅ Target keyword in title
✅ Keyword in first paragraph
✅ Keyword in at least one H2 heading
✅ Image alt text with keyword
✅ Internal links to 2-3 other posts
✅ External link to authority site
✅ Custom permalink (short, keyword-rich)
✅ Meta description with keyword
Submitting to Google Search Console
Don't wait for Google to find you.
- Go to https://search.google.com/search-console
- Add your property (your blog URL)
- Verify ownership (Blogger makes this easy with HTML tag verification)
- Submit your sitemap: yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
I submitted 50 posts manually using "Request Indexing" feature. Most appeared in search results within 48 hours.
Content Strategy: What Actually Works
My Posting Schedule
Year 1: 3 posts per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Year 2-3: 2 posts per week (Tuesday, Thursday)
Now: 1 high-quality post per week
Quality > Quantity. Always.
Content Types That Get Traffic
Based on my analytics:
-
How-To Guides (30% of traffic)
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Include screenshots
- Personal experience
-
List Posts (25% of traffic)
- "10 Ways to..."
- "5 Tools for..."
- People love lists
-
Product Reviews (20% of traffic)
- Honest opinions
- Pros and cons
- Include personal photos
-
Comparison Posts (15% of traffic)
- "X vs Y"
- Side-by-side tables
- Clear recommendations
-
Stories/Case Studies (10% of traffic)
- Personal experiences
- What I learned
- Results and data
Content Length
My average post: 1,500-2,000 words
Why? Google favors comprehensive content. My posts under 1,000 words rarely rank well.
Promotion: How I Grew from 0 to 50,000 Monthly Visitors
Month 1-3: The Struggle (0-500 visitors/month)
I focused on:
- Pinterest (created pins for every post)
- Reddit (shared in relevant subreddits, not spammy)
- Quora (answered questions, linked my blog when relevant)
Month 4-6: The Breakthrough (500-5,000 visitors/month)
- Started email list with Mailchimp (free for under 2,000 subscribers)
- Created lead magnet (free PDF guide)
- Engaged with blog comments religiously
- Guest posted on 3 larger blogs
Month 7-12: The Growth (5,000-15,000 visitors/month)
- SEO started working (old posts ranking)
- Social media following grew organically
- Other bloggers started linking to me
- Launched Facebook group (now 2,000 members)
Year 2+: The Scaling (15,000-50,000+ visitors/month)
- Focused heavily on SEO
- Updated old posts with new information
- Created pillar content (comprehensive guides like this)
- Built backlinks through genuine networking
Common Mistakes I Made (So You Don't Have To)
1. Inconsistent Posting
I missed 2 weeks in month 2. Traffic dropped 60%. Consistency is non-negotiable.
2. Ignoring Mobile Users
53% of my traffic is mobile. If your blog looks terrible on phones, you're losing half your audience.
3. No Email List Initially
I waited 8 months to start collecting emails. Those first 10,000 visitors? Gone forever. Start day one.
4. Perfectionism Paralysis
My first post took 12 hours to write. Now I can create quality content in 3-4 hours. Done is better than perfect.
5. Not Engaging with Comments
Early on, I ignored comments. Bad move. Responding to every comment boosts engagement and loyalty.
Tools I Use Daily
Free Tools:
- Canva (blog graphics)
- Grammarly (proofreading)
- Unsplash (stock photos)
- Google Docs (writing)
Paid Tools (Worth It):
- Mailchimp ($20/month for email)
- Tailwind ($15/month for Pinterest scheduling)
- Premium theme ($20 one-time)
The Reality of Blogging: What Nobody Tells You
It's Slow
My first 6 months: $0 earned, 2,000 monthly visitors, hundreds of hours invested.
Blogging isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It's a long game.
80% of Posts Will Fail
Most of my posts get minimal traffic. But 20% generate 80% of my visitors. You never know which will succeed, so keep publishing.
You'll Feel Like Quitting
Month 3, I almost deleted everything. Nobody was reading. Nobody cared.
I'm glad I pushed through. Now I have:
- 50,000+ monthly readers
- $1,500/month passive income
- Opportunities I never imagined
- A portfolio that landed me freelance clients
Your Action Plan: Starting Today
Week 1: Setup
- Create Google account
- Start your Blogger blog
- Choose theme and customize basics
- Write About and Contact pages
Week 2-4: First Content
- Write and publish 4-6 posts
- Set up Google Analytics
- Create social media accounts
- Submit to Google Search Console
Month 2-3: Building Momentum
- Post 2-3 times per week
- Start email list
- Engage with other bloggers
- Share content on social media
Month 4-6: Growing
- Focus on SEO
- Build backlinks
- Guest post opportunities
- Update and improve old content
Month 7-12: Scaling
- Apply for AdSense
- Explore affiliate marketing
- Create digital products
- Network with established bloggers
Final Thoughts: Why I Still Use Blogger
People often ask why I don't move to WordPress. Here's the truth:
Blogger works. It's reliable, free, and backed by Google. Unless you need super advanced features, it's perfect.
My recommendation:
- Beginners: Start with Blogger
- After 1 year + 10,000 monthly visitors: Consider WordPress if you need more control
- Casual bloggers: Stick with Blogger forever
Useful Resources
Official Blogger Resources:
- Blogger Help Center: https://support.google.com/blogger
- Blogger Buzz (official blog): https://blogger.googleblog.com
Tools I Recommend:
- Canva: https://www.canva.com
- Unsplash: https://unsplash.com
- Google Analytics: https://analytics.google.com
- Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com
Learning Resources:
- Moz SEO Guide: https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo
- HubSpot Blog: https://blog.hubspot.com
Let's Connect
I'm still blogging on Blogger after 5 years, and I love helping new bloggers.
Found this guide helpful? Start your blog today. Your future self will thank you.
Remember: Every successful blogger started exactly where you are now – with zero visitors, zero income, and a blank screen.
The difference? They hit "Publish."
Now it's your turn.
Last updated: December 2025 Author's blog: 5+ years active | 50,000+ monthly visitors | $1,500/month income | 100% on Blogger
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