How to Start a Travel Blog

by Sherry Bennett Professional Blogger

If you like traveling and you are good at writing, the idea of creating a travel blog seems like a fitting way to share your experiences.

But, blogging is not just about sharing your experiences and writing posts, it is also about using the right blogging platform, learning how to write compelling content, and so much more.

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How to Start a Travel Blog:

There are millions of travel blogs. However, it is definitely worth creating one, even if only to document your experiences and share them with friends and family.

Although it is possible to make good money with a blog, for many people it remains mostly a hobby as they discover that blogging involves a lot more time, a lot more work and more dedication than they realized.

However, if you are up to the challenge, through hard work and dedication you can turn your travel blog into a successful blog that could provide you with a decent income if that is something that interests you.

Niching Down to a Sub-Niche Within the Travel Niche:

As noted, travel is a huge niche. You will find yourself competing with a lot of other bloggers as well as big corporations, the likes of Travelocity, Expedia, etc.

You will find it much easier to get your blog noticed if you niche down a bit, at least in the beginning.

Perhaps you could focus on a specific Country or area that you might like to blog about?

More Important Factors When Starting a Travel Blog:

As you would imagine, pictures of the destinations featured in each of your posts are extremely important.

If you are traveling with your family, having pictures of you and/or the entire family in each of the locations is also advised.

Your readers will appreciate knowing you have actually visited the destinations and are therefore qualified to be giving them advice as to must-see attractions, as well as other places and things you enjoyed, best places to eat, etc.

5 STEPS FOR CREATING A TRAVEL BLOG:

Once you have a clear idea of what it is you will be blogging about decide on the thematic focus of your travel blog. You can use the following step-by-step guide to create and publish your blog.

Step 1. Decide on a Name and Register Your Domain:

The theme of your blog usually gives you direction for the name. It is important that the name is fairly short and easy to remember. Try to find a .com and do not use hyphens in your domain name if at all possible.

If you are having a difficult time finding just the right name that is also a .com, you may feel the need to use one hyphen. However, make sure it is only ONE hyphen at the most.

Domain names with more than one hyphen are usually seen as spammy and many people will not click on them for that reason.

Check to see that the name you want is available and is not too similar to another blog's name, so there will be less risk of confusion. If the name is unique, register your desired domain name.

Step 2. Set up Hosting and Install WordPress:

Once you have decided on your domain name, you will need to find a hosting provider.

You might also want to find a theme that will give you the exact look and feel you had in mind. Then you can start directly configuring your pages and posts and all the functions you need.

Step 3. Determine Your Blog’s Design:

Customize your theme with your preferred fonts, colors, page layouts and other design preferences. With WordPress, you will have plenty of flexibility.

It is best to determine styles, sizes and such for text and images before you begin adding content. This prevents you from going back to make changes after you have already gotten started.

An important principle; very long posts with no breaks in the text are not successful with the majority of visitors.

Be sure to break it up somewhat with images, blocks of color, etc. This prevents readers from becoming bored reading a giant wall of black text on a white background.

Divide your posts into short paragraphs and use sub-headings to categorize thoughts and ideas Most importantly, photos and/or videos are essential for a travel blog.

Step 4. Create Content for Your Travel Blog:

Now you are ready to begin the task of creating your first posts, choosing the right images and publishing your travel chronicles on your blog. A certain level of regularity is recommended so that, once readers are acquired, they know when to expect new content.

Step 5. Make Your Travel Blog Known:

The number one thing you will need to learn is SEO. Search Engine Optimization will make sure your content can be found in the search engines.

You might also want to use social networks such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. as well as travel fan communities to share your blog with others.

Also, as soon as you publish your content, login to Google Search Console and make sure to notify Google of your newly published content.