Introduction
The first and vital decision to be made by any aspiring and new bloggers who intend to start a profitable blog is to choose the right niche. As tiny and unserious as choosing a blogging place might seem to appear to a new blogger, it has a lot to do with how successful you will become as a blogger.
Choosing a blogging niche has a lot to do with how successful your blogging career will be. The quicker you understand selecting a blogging place, the faster your success becomes.
What is a Blog Niche ?.
A blogging niche is what your blog is all about. That particular thing you intend to blog about is called a blogging niche.
For example, let’s say your blog intends to write about a broader topic like sports, entertainment and tech, or you intend to grow slimmer by blogging about a single issue. All the above mentioned are regarded as blogging niches.
My personal experience.
I will narrate my personal experience in this section, and I hope you will learn a lot and even correct yourself if you are about to make that mistake.
I started my first blog in late 2014; I was intentionally motivated to blog because I loved tech and sought other legit ways of making money.
I learnt the basics information needed to start a blog, and I was up and running finally on a free Blogspot platform by Google.
I know you think I must be crazy; you can’t blame me; I never had money even to buy a domain, talk less of starting a blog.
So I had no option but to make use of the quickly available content management platform open at that time, and unfortunately, it was Google Blogger.
Here is an article that I wrote an article for Blogger and WordPress. Finally, I had my blog set up in my little way, and I was ready to blog.
Now was a time to decide what to blog about, and this was where the blogging niche thing came in place.
To correct me and not confuse those of your reading this blog post, I did not follow the correct procedure for blogging.
Choosing a niche was supposed to be the first step; I spent a lot of time lamenting what blogging platform to use.
It was not my fault anyway, I had no one to guide me properly, so I did things radically, hoping I would make money in no time. Deciding on a niche for my blog was the first mistake.
At the beginning of this section, I mentioned that I had a sole interest in Tech, web development, Entrepreneurship, and digital marketing in a post on this blog.
Going back in time then, I choose a niche in gossip and entertainment. But, to cut a long story short, it was not up to a year that I eventually fizzled out.
I am not saying that entertainment and Gossip is not good blogging niche, but they had nothing to do with my interest.
I will explain further in the next section to buttress more on this. But, first, you can check out my article on my blogging mistakes.
Why You Should Choose a Blogging Niche.
There are so many reasons to spend time brainstorming on a blogging niche before starting a blog. If your goal is to make money, you need to choose a specific topic that all your content will revolve around.
To drive this point home, I will outline the specific reasons why focusing on one niche is a must if you’re starting a blog today.
1. It Builds Trust With Your Audience.
Writing about one or a group of related topics in depth helps you establish yourself as an expert. Your blog becomes the go-to resource for that particular topic.
This makes your blog more trusted and reliable, and in the long run, you can create a viable audience for yourself.
Back in the days when I read about technology resources, one of my go-to websites was Techcrunch which had all resources related to tech.
2. It Helps You Grow Your Readership At An Exponential Rate.
Do you Want to drive lots of visitors to your blog quickly? Then all you have to do is Solve a specific problem in a particular group of people.
One of the mistakes that most bloggers make is to blog about too many topics, resulting in an undefined audience; you don’t want to go through this route as a blogger.
Concentrating on a particular niche can help reduce stress on you as a blogger and result in colossal audience growth.
3. It Aids in Search Engine Optimization.
Google has rolled out many updates, one of them being the EAT algorithm update which centres around expertise, authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.
Traffic is the lifeblood of any blog. To put it differently, traffic is to a blog what tenants are to a landlord. With traffic, you don’t have a business.
With this update being in play, Google has dedicated its total capacity to rank blogs that focus on core areas rather than junky blogs with all sorts of content.
When getting organic traffic from Google, having a niche is critical. It all comes down to one factor: relevance.
4. It Makes Planning Your Content Easier.
Having a focused niche is also beneficial for planning content for your blog. Brainstorming blog post ideas and doing keyword research becomes a seamless process.
You don’t have to decide between many different ideas before you write; all you need is to think thoroughly about just one topic and write as much as you can about it.
How To Choose a Blog Niche.
Choosing a blog niche just because you feel it is right for you is a sign that you are most likely to fail as a blogger; there are so many factors to put into consideration when you are about to decide on what blogging niche is best for you, and in this section, I am going to be showing you some yardstick to put in mind when you are about choosing a blog niche.
1. Choose a Blog Niche Based On Your Passion and Interest.
You probably would be writing consistently on a singular topic for a long time and sometimes forever.
Your blog visitors would think of you as an authority and an expert; they would throw questions and contribute to a post via the comment section.
You need more than just a blog to be successful; your blogging content and topics should be fueled by Your passion and interest in a particular case.
You don’t have to get a PHD in a particular topic or a blogging nice to be qualified to talk about a specific topic because nobody cares or wants to know about that.
All you need is Interest and the undying passion for helping you forge through storms of discouragement and downtimes.
You can start a blog on a topic you want to learn about. That is the beauty of blogging because it helps you do proper and well-orchestrated research to deliver excellently in all your blog posts.
It could be an interest, a hobby, your work, or even be. You don’t have to be an expert on this topic. But, it has to be a topic that gets you excited when talking about it. So, here is an exercise to help you pick a blogging niche.
Pick a pen and write down ten topics off your hands without making any references. Then you are ready to start blogging on that topic.
I’ll take myself as a perfect example. I started this blog without proper knowledge of Search engine optimization; all I know is web development and digital marketing with paid advertising using Facebook and Google.
I learnt and practised paid advertising for over four years. Then, I decided that I needed to do something more predictable and reliable, so I started blogging about what I wanted to learn. Search engine optimisation was growing without paid Ads and earning online via multiple income streams.
And I must tell you that I have learnt a lot just by reading a lot from top SEO experts in the industry. So lesson number one is choosing a blogging niche based on Interest and Passion.
2. Choose a Blog Niche Based On the Audience.
The first reliable step to choosing a blog niche is based on passion and interest. Still, in most scenarios, You might find very few persons interested in this particular topic, which might affect your blog readership and traffic inflow.
So many bloggers complain that they don’t get enough traffic and give up, but very few care less about the primary cause of their failure.
In most cases, their failure is usually in their blogging niche. Imagine blogging about Jazz music or some irrelevant place only relevant to your language, then you should forget about the ever-growing big.
Because we have very few people who love Jazz music or care to know about your cultural beliefs.
Doing Keyword research would help you understand the rate at which your audience is searching for that topic you intend to write about beforehand.
So you get an idea if it is worth writing about. I am not saying that most blogging topics are foolish and not advisable to blog about; in fact, you have to blog based on your interest and passion, as earlier mentioned in this article.
But in cases when you discover that your selected or preferred blogging niche would likely not do well, you need to choose a shoulder blog niche.
A shoulder niche is a topic that is closely related to your blog’s main topic. So, for example, if you blog about some boring Jazz stuff, you can choose a shoulder niche on the use and definition of musical instruments.
People are more likely to search for that than those boring singular Jazz stuff. Therefore, I recommend this next section in these articles, which deals with keyword research tools that would help you find a relevant blogging niche.
Using keyword research tools is your first yardstick in deciding on the best blogging niche to start writing about.
For readers new to keyword research, it is simply a practice search engine optimisation professionals use to find and research search terms that users enter into search engines when looking for products, services, or general information.
It would help if you were sure that visitors are looking for what you intend to write about before starting it; see it as market research; you want to be sure that you have an audience actively waiting for you.
Coming from the previous paragraphs, I told you about the need for doing proper research blogging.
Here are keyword research tools that can assist you in choosing the best blog niche.
1. Google Keyword Planner.
Google keyword planner is a keyword research tool owned and managed by Google Inc.
It was designed alongside the Google Ads platform to help advertisers decide on relevant keywords for their search engine advertising. Google keyword planner is so sophisticated that it allows you to choose proper keywords based on various locations and suggestions. Google Keyword Planner is free to use.
TRY IT NOW – Google keyword planner
2. Ubbersuggest.
Ubbersuggest is a free keyword planner owned by online Search Engine Optimization expert Neil Patel.
Neil Patel has been in the industry since the late ’90s and has built a considerable reputation in Blogging and search engine optimisation.
I have learned a lot from his blog posts and his YouTube channel. I have used Ubbersuggest briefly, and I must confess that it is a great tool.
Ubbersuggest allows you to do; Keyword Research, general Website Audit, Generate content ideas., See Backlinks., and Get details of high converting pages on your website. The drawback encountered while using the Ubbersuggest platform is the lateness to respond to the request, and the inadequacy in data fetched most times. But I recommend the use of Ubbersuggest any day.
TRY IT NOW – Ubbersuggest
3. SEM Rush.
SEMrush is a software as a service (SaaS) company based in Boston that sells online visibility and marketing analytics software subscriptions.
The software can provide intelligence data, including website traffic information, keywords, projected AdWords spend, site audits, topic research, lead generation, and other SEO-related data.
SEM Rush is not free, and it comes with a cost based on a subscription. However, you can get started with as low as $99 every month – $399 per month, depending on your choice of package.
TRY IT NOW – SEMrush.com.
4. Ahref.
Just like any other Keyword research Tool. Ahref is another excellent tool that allows you to do fantastic SEO hacks and, most notably, to perform keyword research. Unfortunately, Ahref is not a free tool though they offer their users a trial version.
TRY IT NOW – Ahrefs.com
5. Google Trends.
Unlike other keyword research tools, Google trends is not a keyword research tool because it does not tell help you hack SEO in detail. Instead, it is just responsible for understanding how a particular term or keyword is on the search engine based on various locations worldwide.
Google Trends can also be utilised as a keyword research tool on a minimum level but not to be entirely relied upon. If you need more details on keyword Research, then the above mentioned four are to be subscribed.
3. Choose a Niche Based On Demand.
There is various blogging niche out there, but not all are capable of making money as expected.
So for you to start a blog and not achieve fruitless efforts, you have to choose a niche that is very trendy and is likely to get a lot of queries from the search engine. So here are very few that I would like to recommend based on search engine performance.
1. Healthcare
Healthcare is just as important as anything. There are so many people seeking guidance on their health, and one of the first things they do before and after going to the doctor is to do a quick research on the internet to find natural remedies to their pending health care issues.
The healthcare niche is just as profitable as every other blogging niche, with a lot of money-making potential such as; Ads, Consultations, Affiliate marketing, and so much more.
2. Love and Relationships.
This niche is trendy because of newlyweds and young people in a relationship. They waste no time in seeking relationship advice. If you have a gift for relationship tips and advice, you can start a blog related to that niche.
Accompanied by a blog, you should leverage social media effectively. You would like to build bonds with audiences that would last. The love and Relationship niche is a fast selling and growing niche because of the problems it poses to solve.
It also comes with a lot of money-making potentials, such as; sales of eBooks, Ads, Sales of personal merchandise and many more.
3. Makeup and Skincare
There are more women than men in the world, making the makeup and skincare industry a very lucrative one. Therefore, starting a blog on this particular topic would not be wrong. So many young ladies and beauty enthusiasts would die to get information concerning this niche online. They would not even mind paying for data and merchandise made available from this type of blog.
There is so much money to be made from this niche, including Ads, Affiliate marketing, eBook sales, and many more.
4. Sports.
Who doesn’t love sport? Maybe you should search for Christiano Ronaldo on Google and see how many search queries are made in his name every single day, Or better still, go to the U.K or Nigeria where I come from or try to visit the U.S then you see the incredible number of sports lovers all over the world.
Sports Blogging is a hot niche that will continue to stay hot till the end of time. This is because many people browse sports blogs for information such as Football betting prediction tips and many others.
There are so many income streams attached to sports blogging, most of which involve; Ads, Affiliate marketing and many others.
5. Movies.
I am not saying you should create a hosted cloud and begin to upload movies; you might be arrested for doing that in the very long run.
I mean, movie review websites can be a very profitable niche. Anytime a new movie is released, many people go online to search for that movie to get deep insights before even watching it.
Movie review websites would remain lucrative and generate a lot of income for any blogger writing about it. There are so many ways to make money from this blogging niche, including paid Ads, Affiliate marketing, and many more.
6. Games.
Like movies, games are also becoming a huge industry. With the overpopulation of young people, the need and importance of gaming is becoming very big.
So many people need to know what’s happening in the game industry, such as what new game consoles are trending and walkthroughs of complex video games.
There was a time when I was playing a Video game called ‘GOD OD WAR’ on PS2 back then; at a point in time, the game became very tough, and I did not know what to do; I remembered that I had to look up a Google and I was able to discover a blog that provided me with good walkthroughs on how to go through with the game. This niche has a lot of earning potential, such as; Ads, Affiliate marketing and many more.
7. Fashion.
Both men’s and women’s fashion is a great deal in the blogging industry. There are a series of search queries going online to make inquiries about a fashion trend or buy it.
The fashion blogging niche remains one of the most versatile niches.
There are so many people searching all over the internet for the latest and trendy fashion blogs to help them guide their fashion decision; One I know here in Nigeria is called Asoebi Bella. She talks about Nigerian fashion and native attire, and she makes a lot of money from it. It comes with many money-making potentials, such as; Ads, Affiliate marketing and many more.
8. Tech.
If not tech, then what ?, Tech is one of the biggest niches in blogging. I was blogging about Gadgets, Tech startups and all things related to Tech. Most of the wealthiest bloggers majorly blog on the tech niche and talk about blogs like TechCrunch and others.
The Tech blogging niche holds so many opportunities and one that remains untapped. It also comes with numerous money-making avenues such as; Ads, Affiliate marketing and many more.
9. Fitness.
The Fitness niche contains blogs that share exercises to help people get their bodies into shape.
Many people go online to learn about the latest trends in fitness, and they go as far as even googling all they need to know. This is a tremendous advantage to tap into this vast resource as a fitness blogger.
Making money as a fitness blogger is unending because there are so many things that can be monetised, including Ads, Affiliate marketing, sales of online courses, and many more.
10. Food and Drink
The Food and Drink niche contains blogs that share recipes for delicious dishes and drinks so people can recreate them at home.
The Food and Drink niche is one niche that remains untapped in the blogging world, so many stay-at-home dads and moms need these resources to prepare the best meals while they are at home.
This blogging niche has been designed to bring lots of money from ads, Affiliate marketing, course creation and sales and many more.
11. Interior Design
The Interior Design niche contains blogs for people who want to create beautiful and stylish homes through interior design.
Some so many people would not hire the services of a professional interior designer, and one way that they seek to do this themselves is by googling it; who knows, your blog might be the next pool for resources when it comes to interior designing.
This blogging niche remains untapped and has been speculated to generate a lot of money from ads, affiliate marketing, and online courses.
12. Marketing
The Marketing niche contains blogs focused on the art of promoting and selling products or services.
The rate at which entrepreneurs are increasing has become reasonably high. As a result, they need resources that can help their business one of the most critical resources is marketing; every business owner needs to understand the latest marketing trend.
If you have existing knowledge in marketing, you can start a blog on this blog and begin making money through various means such as; consultation, eBook sales, Ads, selling courses, and affiliate marketing.
13. Starting an Online Business
The Online Business niche contains blogs that help people start their own business online and make it turn a profit. So many newbies on the internet are seeking out legit ways to make money, and one of the only sources they consult is blogs; you can serve as a guide by starting a blog for the sole purpose of this.
There are so many income streams attached to this blogging niche, and they include; Ads, affiliate marketing, eBooks sales and many more.
4. Choose a Niche On What Your Are Knowledgable About.
Building an authority site helps to have a good base of knowledge and experience with your niche topic. This is one of the essential factors to consider when starting a blog, and it does not mean you have to be an expert, as many new bloggers mistakenly believe.
For instance, if you want to start a blog about personal finance, you don’t need to have a degree in any financial topic; you need to be one step ahead of your target audience.
An excellent way to discover the topic you know the most about is to ask yourself this question: if I could give a keynote speech at a major conference about one subject, what would it be?. Knowledge comes not just from reading books but also from life experience, and one way to begin monetising your life experience is to start a blog.
5. Pick a smaller niche.
The blogging world seems to be saturated with a particular variety of niches dominating; some include Tech, Marketing, Fashion and many more.
Creating a blog around these niches attracts lots of competition, and it might take you a long time to rank the SERPs and win in some audience; I am not saying that you should not explore these niches; all I am saying is that you will find it difficult to rank as a new blog.
One way to go around this is to choose a micro-niche based on the niche you intend to write about; let’s say you want to write about fashion; for example, you can decide to do talk about African Fashion instead or, better still, men’s wear or fashion for children, this way you would get ahead of the competition in a just a matter of time, by the time you have built enough domain authority and backlinks. You can now digress into general fashion.
Recommendation.
With various keyword tools everywhere, it’s tough to choose which one because all serve the same purposes. But I will be making recommendations depending on what level we are at in the SEO industry.
If You know you are starting very new and have very little money, I recommend sticking with Google keyword planner. It belongs to the owners of the search engine itself, so they have the best algorithm and keyword analysis that can help your website rank on Google.
I use Google keyword planner every time, and I must confess that it’s very accurate and works very well. If you are an expert and you want to rank on pretty much all search engines worldwide, such as Yahoo, Bing, and all other Chinese and Russian search engines like Baidu, you can subscribe to the remaining rest. But anyway, what’s the point? Google rules the search engine world.
Conclusion.
In case you need to build your blogging income on other means, here are articles I recommend you read.
- How To Make Money With Google Adsense
- Learn How To Do SEO The Right Way
- How To Start A Blog And Make Money
- How To Boost Your Email Marketing List
Final words.
Dear reader, I want you to know that we are predestined to meet in this world but maybe not physically; I am so glad that we could meet on this platform today.
I want you to know that I value relationships and friendship, and I want to get to know you more, connect and express feelings towards each other.
I am appealing that you drop your email in the email subscription box below; you never can tell we might have solutions to the problem each other and even help ourselves from there.
You never can tell; great relationships start from somewhere, don’t forget to drop your email.
You can as well connect with me on social media platforms like
Twitter.com/_udemezue
See you in the next email.
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