Learn Blogging SO1E2: How I Started, Earnings And Views

SEASON 1 EPISODE 2: THE GENESIS: Welcome to Episode 2 of my Blogging and SEO Class. Once again, My name is Isaac Inegbenehi (@iamflashIsaac) and I’m working hard to become the Fastest Blogger around.

In Episode One, I promised to share my One year blogging Pageviews and how I started blogging. Sure, I will do that. But the good news is that I am not just going to do that alone, I will also show you more about blogging and SEO.

You may be wondering, what is blogging thing all about? where does SEO come in? Can’t I just blog without caring about SEO? You’re about to get answers to your curiosity. After all, philosophy began from wonder and curiosity.

It is what you have in your head that takes you ahead. Don’t really bother about making your head bigger.

No matter what you think you know about blogging and SEO, there are things you still need to know. This Episode will be in the form of questions and answers. Trust me, I am going to make things interesting. Take a glass of chilled water, tighten your seatbelt and let’s begin the journey:

Until you begin to mind your mind, nobody will mind you.

What Is A Blog And What Is Blogging?

This blogging of a thing self, how did it start and who e don help self? I know this what you are thinking.

Now, after all the hype, you are about to get the full picture of what blogging is about and how it all began.

John.do wrote something very amazing about blogging. He said,

Well, as familiar as you might be to what a “blog” is, there are people who hear it for the first time every single day and have no idea what it really is…

• A blog originally came from the word “weblog” or a “web log”.
• You can think of it as an online journal or diary, although blogs are used for much more now, like online journalism.
• A blogger is someone who blogs or writes content for a blog.
• Blogging is the act of writing a post for a blog.

More Definitions of Blogging:

• A blog is a type of website which has posts appearing in reverse chronological order (Latest Posts First)
• A blog is updated frequently and regularly, although there are some who are considered “slow bloggers”.
• Comment Section -Blogs have an area for people to comment or respond to the blog post.
• Blogs may also have other areas of content and links to other websites.
• Blogs can have individual authors or be a collection of authors.
• Blogs have a history or archive of previous blog posts.

Funny Definitions of Blog:

• Blogging is posting stuff regularly on a page because nobody will beat you
• A blog can be whatever you want it to be; it’s not about the what but the why.
• A blog is a collection of strategically-placed 1’s and 0’s typically called software.
• Everything is a blog and nothing is a blog, at the same time.
• Blogging is what you do, what you do not do, and what you wish you had done when you did it.

Difference Between A Blog And Website?

I used to think that a blog is the same thing as a Website. This is because many businesses use both, integrating them into a single web presence.

However, according to thebalance.com,  there are two features of a blog that set it apart from a traditional website.

1. Blogs are updated frequently. Whether it’s a school news blog in which a shares campus updates, a food blog sharing new recipes, or a business providing updates to its services, blogs have new content added several times a week.
2. Blogs allow for reader engagement. Blogs are often included in social media because of the ability for readers to comment and have a discussion with the blogger and others who read the blog makes it social.

Who Is A Blogger?

A blogger is a person who owns or runs a blog or a person who maintains the blog. That is, posting articles or new posts, information, sharing the most up-to-date news, opinions and case studies to name but a few. Such entries are known as blog posts.

What Is The Difference Between A Blogger And Bank Manager?

The discrepancy between a blogger and bank manager is very simple. A blogger owns an office online and attends to people in his office (internet) using data while a bank manager meets people one-on-one in a real-life office.

A blogger and banker who earns more income?

Why Is Blogging So Popular?

Blogging is getting more exposure in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large why?

1. Search engines love new content, and as a result, blogging is a great search engine optimization (SEO) tool.
2. Blogging provides an easy way to keep your customers and clients up-to-date on what’s going on, let them know about new deals, and provide tips. The more a customer comes to your blog, the more likely they are to spend money.
3. A blog allows you to build trust and rapport with your prospects. Not only can you show off what you know, building your expertise and credibility, but because people can post comments and interact with you, they can get to know you, and hopefully, will trust you enough to buy from you.
4. Blogs can make money. Along with your product or service, blogs can generate money from advertising and affiliate marketing.

What Is SEO?

I am sure this is what you want to know about. You have been hearing about this too often. Let’s face it…… SEO is all making your blog visible on search engines.

Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is the simple activity of ensuring a website can be found in search engines for words and phrases relevant to what the site is offering.

For example, you want to know the meaning of SPOONERISM. There is no dictionary with you or on your phone. You quickly open your Opera Mini, Apple Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome browser.

Now you type spoonerism and get different results as shown below:

• You used Google or Microsoft Bing or even Yahoo to search; they are called search engines.
• The first result is from  Wikipedia, it means Wikipedia is ranking the first position in search engine.
• All the websites ranking on the screenshot above are on the first page of Google.
• The more the SEO you do, the more your blog perform well on search engines and you will get traffic to your blog.
• The traffic you get from search engines is called organic traffic.
• Ranking factors are the rules that help you rank (Everything will be touched in this series)

Definition: Spoonerism means switching letters. I.e, saying Jag of Flapan instead of saying Flag of Japan

Can I Do SEO Without A Blog?

Big Yes! You can do only SEO without having a blog and still make cool cash. In that case, you will be called an SEO expert or consultant.

At the end of Season 2, you will be qualified to be called an SEO consultant (Because I will teach you everything).

How I Started Blogging In School (University)

I started Flashlearners On the 21st of August 2016 and I am here to share my blogging experience.

This is going to be lengthy but I think you would find it interesting if you really have the passion to blog.

It was my two hundred level (second year at the University) second semester holidays and I began to think and make a hypothesis about life.

Until your passion makes you drunk, you cannot make impart. Action needs passion.

BEING BROKE: Nothing gives silly inspiration like being broke and helpless. If you have experienced it, then you will understand the difference between “I was there and I shall be there”.

I wrote a book Titled the mirror in your Interior before gaining admission to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Benin, Benin City. I wrote this book as a Teenagers president in my church (Omega Fire Ministries Benin 2).

Recommended: Reasons students should blog

WHO I AM: I am an Electrical Engineer…. I am attractive and you can’t just repel me.

THE SKILL AND TALENT?:

I have learned a lot of skills and developed my talent through training. I had programming skills coupled with excellent reasoning, writing and typing skills. I was also an ardent reader and ready to learn anything helpful.

I began to think about life in school and life after school. The consciousness of the fact that my background wasn’t “rosy” at all triggered my fear.

My academic performance wasn’t bad at all (I was on first-class). But I began to wonder if the first class can put food on my table. After all, I live in a country where Jobs are not guaranteed even if you’re the best graduating student.

Immediately an Idea accelerated to my mind, “Isaac you’re Intelligent, a web developer and good writer, how do you intend to promote that and maximize your God-given potentials“?

But writing and web design is my passion and I did not intend to make money from it. I just love making impart even without getting anything in return.

JUST ME: I love to dream and see people’s dream come through.

Two things ran to my mind:

• Isaac create a website (I never knew I was referring to a blog)
• Tell people that you are a web developer and show them your work so that they will believe that you can create a website.
• Do something meaningful with your holiday.

I din’t know that there was something like “blogging when I started blogging. I only knew website.

I started with a XAMPP server (localhost) on my HP 15 Laptop. My Uncle, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi gifted me the Laptop following my Academic performance. I enjoyed the act of writing HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and MySQL codes.

 You can blog without having any programming knowledge (WordPress Blogging)

After creating a beautiful website, There was a need to put my work online…. and that was when I knew about buying a domain and hosting.

Reasons I Chose Flashlearners.com

The domain name I had in mind at first was nairastudents.com. In fact, I bought the domain “nairastudents.xyz” with GoDaddy at an almost negligible price. This was as a result of my love for nairaland back then.

I stopped the nairastudents idea because I felt it was limited to Nigeria and I had plans to go beyond Nigeria (Which is a dream come true now).

My love for “THE FLASH MOVIE” grew stronger so I wanted something related to that. After all, I love anything related to teaching and learning. I opted for Flashlearning.com (it was already taken). Flashlearner.com was also not available.

Finally, I searched for Flashlearners.com and I was really fast enough to get it. I know you love the name. This was how I discovered the domain; flashlearners.com.

How I Bought My 1st Domain And Hosting

At this point, I asked myself, “how do I get money to buy the domain and as well pay for hosting? I began to create hosting accounts with different hosting companies. When It gets to the payment option, I would close the page.

The Exodus:

A day after attempting payment, iPage Hosting sent me a mail that they discovered that attempted to pay for hosting…… and they offered me three months hosting for one dollar per month plus free domain name for one year. I will discuss domain and hosting in subsequent Episodes of learn blogging and SEO with Isaac.

I Borrowed Money to Start Flashlearners:

The bad news was that I still didn’t have the three dollars to pay for the hosting. I had to borrow #1,000 from a friend Wilson and I was able to pay for the iPage.com hosting. I got 3 months hosting trial and free domain for one year. Then I learned about WordPress and Flashlearners began…

As at August 2016, Naira to dollar conversion rate was better compared to the present  and lugubrious state of Naira.

I learnt how to use WordPress in one day. In fact, I was building my blog and learning WordPress in the process. I have shared how to Start your own WordPress blog.

I didn’t have full direction on what to be posting about. I was posting random stuff and copied content in the first 2 days of blogging. I then met someone at Nairaland who told me that copying is bad for a blog. I quickly deleted all posts from the blog and started afresh creating unique content only.

Out of joy and passion for learning, I wrote about 20 high-quality articles in the first few weeks (About 4 weeks) and some of them are:

1. How to remember 90% of everything you learn.
2. 12 Stupid mistakes Uniben students make in their first year (Attracted traffic instantly).
3. How to fall in love with mathematics.
4. (Students.txt) How to read and understand -Two of my course mates commented of this to encourage me… I love them.
5. How to study for long hours without losing concentration.
6. Stupid mistakes that are killing your GPA.
7. 10 things you should know before graduation.
8. How to understand the recent graduate job Upgrade
9. 30 reasons why students should blog
10. How to know what you really want in life
11. How to blog and make money in school
12. How to last long at night class.
13. 5 Mistakes students make after year one……  and so on.

It was two weeks after I started blogging that I heard five new things:

• You can make money with your blog (Google Adsense).
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) -After getting banned on Nairaland for sharing my blog link
• Google Analytics.
• Search Console.
• Robots.txt and Sitemap.

You will be familiar with these terms very soon.

PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC:

It was then I realized what Emma Sule said: “All you need is one idea”. Immediately, I became an “ancient Greek philosopher”. Besides, Socrates made me understand that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Man, know thyself……

I Spent Hours Daily Blogging And Researching

I began to spend 18 hours daily on my blog to learn the new things I heard about and derive more joy writing. All these while, I was begging/collecting money from people for subscription (Data). I didn’t have any blogger around to look up.

All I did was search and read blogging and SEO articles from Harsh of Shoutmeloud, WP Beginner, Kinsta, Search engine land, search engine journal, Neil Patel, Brian Dean of Backlinko and so on……

Finally, I made attempt to monetize my blog (Flashlearners) and luckily for me, It worked. Adsense, SEO and Ranking plus other stuff worked for me in less than two months.

MEETING BEN10:

Educational guide was the Major thing on my mind before Ben10 drew my attention to school news. We got to know each other about two months after we began the blogging journey but in “parallel connection”.

Flashlearners and Bentenblog started the same month. However, I didn’t know him then and he didn’t know that I was working on a blog as well. Flashlearners and Bentenblog became close competitors.

My Google Analytics Pageviews After A Year

I told you that I will share screenshots of my first year page views and impressions in this Episode. I am about to do that right now. I will also share a screenshot of one of my high real-time stats.

• Over 3.2 Million Pageviews
• Over 24 Million Adsense Impressions
• Over 52k Pageviews in a day

Your Real time means the number of  persons that are online in your blog or website at an instant of time.

DAILY PAGE VIEWS: One of the highest views I have gotten in one day within the first year of blogging (not the highest).

MY PAGE VIEWS BETWEEN AUGUST 21ST 2016 AND AUGUST 15TH 2017: Just the days of little beginning.

IMPRESSIONS ON MY ADs:

My 1st Year Google AdSense Earning From Blogging

I got Google Adsense approval after a month plus and I began to earn from blogging. I got over 3 Million page views and above 24 million AdSense impressions. That translated to far above $6k. I also made money from header adverts and sponsored posts plus the introduction of Flashlearners Apps.

I have made X dollars…. Find X.

I will say that blogging is awesome. One thing about blogging is that it makes you learn a whole lot (and meet awesome people around).

This Brings Us To The End Of Season One -Episode Two of Learn Blogging and SEO with Isaac.

EPISODE 3 TITLE: Blog Niche, Domain Name, Hosting, And WordPress Guide.

  Click To Read Full Episode 3  

THIS COURSE IS FREE AND DURATION IS FOUR MONTHS.

COURSE TOPIC: Start Your Blog Now And Learn SEO With Isaac.

EPISODES IN ONE SEASON: 10

EPISODE RELEASE: AT LEAST 1 PER WEEK

SEE ALSO: Complete Episode 3

How I Started Blogging, 1st Year Earnings & Page Views. Hope you found this helpful? Feel free to share with others and don’t fail to let me know how you feel using the comment box.