How to Start a Good Loking Blog in 30minutes

BY KAREN EVANS :

So you want to start a blog. That’s great! Not only is blogging a great pastime, if done right, it can grow into a lucrative online business.
But to really succeed with blogging, you need to stand out. According to research by NM Incite, there are 6.7 million blogs in the world. That’s a whole lot of competition… If you’ve already setup a blog, check out my resources page for tons of tips on how to stand out in the
marketplace of ideas.
If you’re new to blogging, on the other hand, it helps to get started off on the right foot. That’s why I’ve put this guide together for you, to walk you through the process to setup your blog in 5 easy steps.

Here’s how to start a blog:

1. Choose a blogging platform.
2. Register a domain name and hosting.
3. Design your blog.
4. Add content.
5. Get traffic.

The goal of this page is to help you get started the right way. From years of coaching and helping people with their blogs, I’ve found that many people make mistakes when starting a blog, sometimes resulting in them abandoning the project altogether. We don’t want that to happen.
So I want you to take the time to thoroughly read this post. It’s about 4000 words long, so get comfy and set aside some time; I’m going to walk you through the entire process of setting up your self-hosted blog, so you ‘get it right the first time’.
Ready to create your blog today? Alright, let’s get right into it.

Step 1: Choose the right blogging platform (WordPress)

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Before you can even start worrying about how your blog will look like, you’ll need to choose your blogging platform. 
There’s a lot to choose from. You are able to create a blog with many different blogging platforms, such as WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger and more…
However, given that there are over 72 million active users using WordPress today, it’s clear which platform is the boss. Even my own blogs and sites are built with WordPress blogging platform. Here’s why:

• It’s FREE for everyone to use (including themes, layouts and add-ons that many other blogging platforms don’t provide).

• It’s super easy to set up.

• It’s secure; WordPress is always updating their software and keeping everything sound and secure, so there’s rarely a worry of having your blog come under hacking attacks. No wonder Facebook, NASA and even university blogs are using WordPress.

• It’s HIGHLY customizable. There are hundreds of free themes and plugins that add more functionality to your blog, from contact and subscribe boxes to plugins that improve blog performance and more.

While the other blogging platforms are generally all pretty OK, nothing in my opinion has ever come close to matching the freedom and customization options that WordPress offers. So without a doubt, go with WordPress. Especially when you are just starting out.

Why you shouldn’t create a blog on a free blogging platform

Without a doubt, you need to self-host your WordPress blog.
Think about it – what famous, successful blogger you know is using a free blogging website like “nollyrexblog.freeblogs.com” instead of their own domain name like “Nollyrexblog.com.ng”, for example?
It’s not just that – free blogging platforms have other problems too – including…

• You don’t control your content – the blogging platform does. They could shut you down any time, and for any reason. Don’t believe me? Read this.
• The web address of your blog will be long and hard to remember (like yourfreeblog.blogspot.com) instead of a catchy, branded address you choose.
• You’re not allowed to advertise on most free blogging platforms, making it much harder to ever make money from blogging.

All of these limitations apply to the WordPress.COM blogs. What you really want is to self-host a WordPress blog – it’s the same software without all the limitations!
If I were you, I’d start with a self-hosted blog on my own domain from day one. Setting up a blog like this is WAY easier and less expensive than you think.

Finding a domain name and web hosting provider

Now to exciting part! To set up a self-hosted blog on your own domain name, you’ll need two things:
Domain name – This will be your personal blog address where people find you over and over again. For example Google’s Domain is www.Google.com. Your new blog domain name will be www.YourBlogName.com, except you’ll choose what’s going to be behind YourNewBlog. The cost of a domain name is usually $10/year, but if you follow this guide all the way, I’ll show you how to get one for much cheaper.
Web hosting – This will be the home of your blog address and content that’s on the blog. Without web hosting, you’ll be unable to use your domain. Think of it as a computer hard drive that stores all your content on your blog (images, blog posts and so on). The cost of web hosting is usually somewhere between $2-5 per month.
It’s less than an XL coffee at Starbucks, so it won’t break the bank. But it’s an important investment to your blog success.

Where should I get my domain name and hosting?

When it comes to hosting, there are only two things that matter.

• Page load speed – The average amount of time (in seconds) it takes your blog to load.
• Uptime – 99.9% isn’t enough (it’s 42 minutes of downtime per month). You should be aiming for 100%.

There are hundreds of different web hosting providers. They all offer you a similar service (domain + hosting) with a similar price, but since I’ve dealt with and monitored many famous and recommended web hosting companies like Bluehost, iPage, Godaddy,Whogohost etc…
I now only use and recommend www.HostGator.com for domain names and web hosting.
Why? Nothing has ever come close to HostGator in terms of blog load speed and uptime (see below):

HostGator has great performance, they are easy to use and it’s probably the best pick for beginners.
However, you can always go with another web hosting as long as it’s fast, reliable and offers unlimited storage & bandwidth. This helps you to avoid problems later on.

Step 2: Set up a Blog on your own domain name (self-hosted WordPress)

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If you don’t have a hosting or a domain name yet – don’t worry. I’ll be showing this in a minute…
At the end of this step (2), you will have a fully working self-hosted WordPress blog on your own domain name! Sounds promising, huh?
If for some odd reason you don’t want to use HostGator, you can always choose another hosting provider. I can’t promise they’ll be that good, but the registration and the set up process should be some what similar. Some hosting companies do not have one click install for WordPress. If that’s the case, see this guide for installing WordPress manually (not recommended for beginners, though).

1. Go to www.HostGator.com and then click “Start Your WordPress Blog”.

Remember: Since I’m using HostGator by myself too, I’ve negotiated a discount for people who use this guide (72% off). This discount should be applied automatically. Enjoy

2. Pick a Domain name for your blog

Already have a domain name?
Just write it in the right box (I already own this domain) and keep moving to the next step by scrolling down a bit.
How do I choose a good domain name?
Choosing a bad domain name is one of the most common mistakes I see bloggers make. Be sure you choose a domain name that is…

1. Easy to Remember – Don’t choose a nonsense name, something tough to spell, or a long name full of dashes. “www.best-tech-gadgets-in-the-world.com” won’t ever stick in someone’s head, but something like “www.socialgeeks.com” rolls off the tongue.

2. Unique and Descriptive – You want a name that reflects who you are and what you care about. Be creative and build an identity you’re excited about!

3. Trustworthy – Domain extensions like “.com”, “.org” or “.net” are the most popular, with “.com” being the one most people think of first. Try to avoid crazy extensions like “.rocks” or “.biz”, as these are less commonly used, tougher to remember and not as trusted.

Type the domain name you want to use in the box, then click “next”. If the name is available, you’ll be able to claim it. If it’s not available, choose another one.

If the name you want isn’t available, HostGator will show you some alternatives that are similar – or you can punch in a new name and try again. I’d suggest you to use something that ends with .com, .net or .org

3. Choose your blog hosting plan

I recommend the “Hatchling” plan for now – you can always upgrade later if you decide you want more advanced features, but you get more than enough with the Hatchling.

4. Complete your registration

Once you’ve chosen Hatchling plan and found a name you like that’s available, you’ll need to register it by putting in your contact and billing information.
You’ll also have a chance to customize your package a bit. This is a chance to save some more money, so don’t skip it! Apply discount code “STARTBLOG”



I would take a look at each of these additional services to see if you want any of them.  I don’t believe they are necessary for you at this stage.

5. Log in to your new account and install WordPress blog

It may take a few minutes for HostGator to register your account, so be patient. You should get a confirmation email when your account is ready.

Once you’ve logged in to your control panel (all the information you need for that should be on your inbox) , it’s time to install WordPress. Thankfully, this takes just one click!

• Log-in to your Hostgator control panel
• At the top click “Get Started With WordPress Today”
• If WordPress isn’t there for some reason, scroll down a little bit on the control panel and click on “Quick Install” under the Software & Services section. Look at the top of the page, in the left sidebar section for WordPress.

Once clicked, you’ll be automatically transferred to Mojomarketplace.com – don’t panic, this is just a site that helps HostGator install platforms (like WordPress).
You should immediately see a screen where you’re offered to “Install” or “Import” WordPress.
Click “Install” to get to the next step.
When you’re finished, “Install WordPress”. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see a loading bar at the top of your page that will eventually tell you that your WordPress blog has been installed and you’ll see your log-in credentials.

6. Log in in and check out your new blog

Once the installation completes, you’ll get an email that shares your login information, including an “Admin URL”. (In case you missed that notification bar)
To log in to your blog, click the admin URL. If you forget this URL, it’s simply www.yourblog.com/wp-admin (where “yourblog” is your domain name).

Congratulations – you now know how to make a blog using WordPress. You’ve installed WordPress and set up your blog, all on your own! As you can see, it was really easy and straightforward.

Step 3: Designing your blog

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In this section, I’ll show you some WordPress blog basics, including:

Sample of a customized WordPress blog (SmartPassiveIncome.com)

• Changing your blog’s design
• Installing new plugins/features
• Making your blog search engine friendly

If you’ve set up your blog, you’re now ready to start using WordPress and customizing your blog. I promise – it’ll be pretty easy and fun at the same time.
Remember: You can log in to your blog by going to www.yourblog.com/wp-admin/ and using the credentials you set up with HostGator or any other hosting company you used.

Changing Your Blog’s Design (Themes & Layouts)

WordPress blogging platform uses design templates called “Themes” to figure out how your site should look. Changing your blog’s layout and design is as simple as installing a new theme.
There are over 2,000 professionally designed, fully-customizable and free themes to choose from – so you’ve got a lot of options. If you want to see premium themes and designs like the Genesis Framework, head over to Themeforest.net

Here’s how to find and install a theme you love:

When you log in for the first time, you’ll see a dashboard or admin panel that looks something like this:


Mouse-over the “Appearance” tab in the WordPress sidebar, then click on “Themes”.


On the next screen, you’ll see several themes are already installed. If you don’t like those, click the “Add New” button at the top, or the great big “Add New” square to start searching for a theme.

Now, you’ll see tabs where you’ll find featured, popular and brand new themes, as well as a “Feature Filter” and search bar.


I really like the “Feature Filter” option, because you can choose themes in certain color schemes, select specific layouts and even choose themes with built-in advanced features.
Just choose the options you want, then click “Apply Filters” on the left hand side. If you’re finding this challenging, just search by keyword – there’s no wrong way!


When you’ve found a theme you like, click “Install”. You’re nearly done!
Once the theme has been installed, all that’s left to do is click “Activate” on the next screen:

Configuring your blog to be search engine friendly

There are some things you’d need to do to make your blog more search engine friendly. Search engines do not like two things:

1. Ugly and clumsy URL-s – http://yourblog.com/2012/04/topic-a/author-Karen/how-to-start-a-blog. A much better way is to use: http://yourblog.com/start-a-blog

See the difference? One is filled with irrelevant information and the another one is short, clean and neat.
In order to change your links to a more cleaner, click on the “Settings” -> “Permalinks” and use the following settings:

2. Spam comments – Unfortunately, lots of people want to leave automate spam comments on your blog. They do that for couple of reasons – to get people from your blog to their blog and to advertise their services/products.

To avoid that, make sure you moderate your comments. Here’s how to do that: Go to “Settings” -> “Discussion” and tick those two options.

Step 4: Adding/Writing Blog Posts and Pages

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By now you should have fully working WordPress blog on your own domain name. You should also have a custom blog theme that fits with your blog’s topic. Congratulations – you’ve done a LOT and I’m proud that you’ve managed to get so far.
In the LAST step, I’ll show you how to write your first blog post and share some tips for writing blog posts.
In this section, I’ll show you…

• How to write a post inside WordPress
• How to add images, links and format text
• Some quick tips and tricks for writing great content

Using WordPress to Blog

Adding a New Post

To add a new blog post, click the “Posts” section on the left hand side-menu, then click on “Add New”.

On the next screen, you’ll see something like this:

You can add the title to your blog post in the top field, and your content goes in the big text box below the title.
You can save your draft or publish your content live by using the box menu on the far right of the page. You can even schedule the post to be published later – or make the post private so only friends can see it.

Once published, your new post can be found in the “All Posts” section of the “Posts” tab, so you can edit it any time.
Let’s take a quick look at some things you can do to spruce up your post:

Adding Images

To add an image to your post, click the “Add Media” button right above the lower content field.
Tip: Before you click “Add Media”, be sure you’ve left your cursor inside of your blog post where you want the image to show up. Otherwise, you’ll have to move it later on.


Next, click the “Upload Files” tab on the screen that pops up, then click “Select Files”.

Once you’ve found the file, double click it and WordPress will upload it automatically.
When the upload is finished, make sure the image you want is selected, then click the “Insert into post” button to add the image to the post you’re writing.

Adding a Link

Linking out to other websites is a great way to build relationships and share interesting content.
To add a link, click on the icon in the toolbar that looks a bit like a chain link.

On the pop-up, you’ll need to enter a few important bits of information.

• URL is the web address of the link you want to share. Make sure you include “http://” before the “www.” address, or your link will be broken.

• “Link Text” is the text you want people to click on to get to your link. It might be “Click here”, or anything you choose.

• “Open link in a new window/tab” – it’s a smart idea to check this box. Otherwise, when someone clicks your link, they’ll leave your blog.

• If you want to link to an existing page, you can use the “Search” section to find a post or page you’ve already created and click it to add a link.

Finally, click “Add Link”, and your link will be added where you left your cursor in the post you were writing.

Adding Headers & Editing Text

It’s a good idea to use headers and bolding to make your content easier to read and scan.

Adding Headings

To add a heading, click on the drop-down menu on the bottom left of the toolbar.

Try to only use “Heading 1” once within your page (usually at the top), and use “Heading 2” or “Heading 3” for other sections in the copy, as this is better for search engines.
Tip: You can also highlight the text you want to change in your blog post, THEN click on the dropdown menu and select the format you want the text to be in.

Editing Fonts

You can also bold, italicize, underline and even change the colour of your text in a click or two.

• “B” is for bolding
• “I” is for italics
• “U” is to underline your text
• “A” will open a dropdown menu where you can select font color

As you can see, this is all pretty simple for someone who has worked with Microsoft Word.

Step 5: Start Growing Your Blog

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Now that you have set up your blog and know the basics, it’s time to make your blog successful. Many
beginners struggle at that point, thus I’ve put together a handful of guides to get you going easier.
If I were you, I’d suggest you to go and check my resource page . It’s nothing too much, but enough to get you going and a bit more.

Things to do after you’ve created your blog:

The first thing I’d do is create a proper About Me and Contact page.

• Creating a perfect about me page (This is usually the most visited page on your blog)
• Adding a Contact Page/Form on your blog (So that your readers could contact you)

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: What blog site should I use?
A: WordPress is the most popular platform, powering over 25% of the web! Best of all: it’s free.
Q: What should I write about? What blog should I start?
A: Recipe blogs, fitness blogs, and business blogs are some of the most popular. Here’s how to pick a blog topic people will really want to read.
Q: How do bloggers make money?
A: There are a number of ways including advertising and digital products, but some people just do it for fun. Check out my article How To Make Money From Your Blog.
Q: How Do I Pick A Domain Name?
A: I would suggest using your real name (because you can change it later).
Q: Are blogs social media?
A: Blogs can be considered social media, because they have comments and social interactions. However from a technical standpoint, analytics software does not count blog traffic as social media traffic.
Q: Is blogging dead?
A: No way! Over 409 million people read blog posts every month. You’re reading one right now!
Q: What’s the difference between a blog and a website?
A: Blogs are frequently updated with articles while a website is generally “set it and forget it”. Blogs might have less features than a website and just focus on creating really good content. For this reason a blog is more socially active, with shares and comments.

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Best Ways to Monetize Your Blog/Websites

Now that you have your blog set up and traffic is coming your way, you’re ready to start monetizing your blog.
You must have seen or heard about people who make a lot of money from blogs. Some people aren’t even afraid to show it off to their readers. Here are a couple of folks who do extremely well with blogging:

1. Pat Flynn from SmartPassiveIncome.com makes around $80,000 per month (he started his blog 5-6 years ago, though).
2. Lindsay from PinchOfYum.com makes around $20,000 per month (she started her blog in 2010).
3. Regina from ByRegina.com makes around $7,000 per month.

Email marketing to your own list the best way to make money with your blog.

List building refers to adding new subscribers to your email list. You can entice readers to subscribe by offering a free gift exclusive to subscribers and, of course, by consistently producing great content that people want to come back to.
But how does this help you monetize? It keeps people in-the-know. When you launch your eCourse, start offering consulting services, or publish an eBook, your subscribers are going to be the first ones to care. So, if you want to see quick results after a launch, be sure you have an email list built up to gain access to a pool of interested individuals.
That’s not to mention that you can also monetize your email campaigns with banner ads and affiliate links, too. In some cases, you might even set up a separate paid subscription email list for exclusive tips and offers.
If you want to start gathering your visitors you will need a email service. I recommend Constant Contact. *Constant Contact has a 60 day free trial (no credit-card required). After that their pricing starts as low as $20/month but I was able to get you 20% off if you click here! I like their service because it isn’t expensive, they have excellent support, and a great autoresponder management system.

Here are six more excellent ways you can monetize your blog:

1) Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing. As the blogger, you include links to a product or service offered through another business’s affiliate program. If one of your visitors clicks on that link and purchases the good or service, you’ll receive a cut of the cost.
That’s how I monetize my blog here at Start Blogging Online.
If you choose to join an affiliate program, it’s always a good idea to:

1. Only promote products relevant to your niche.
2. Only promote products you’ve personally used and recommend.
3. Include a disclaimer on your site as to not mislead your readers (like I do here).

So how do you get involved in affiliate marketing? You can start by joining a popular program such as:

• Amazon Associates
• ClickBank
• LinkShare

But you don’t have to stick with just the big-name programs. Businesses can also set up their own programs for a single product or a small group of products, and you can become one of their affiliates. For instance, a fellow blogger might offer an affiliate program for eBooks or eCourses in your niche, which would be a great opportunity for you since it’s highly relevant to your readers.
How much can you make through affiliate links? Melissa Culbertson of Blog Clarity points out just two examples of a mommy blogger and decorative concrete blogger who make $20,000 and $32,000 per year respectively, and that’s with minimal visitors.

2) Google AdSense

Some people create a self-hosted blog solely for ads and Google AdSense is one of the most popular ad networks around. Simply put, you make money by displaying ads on your site. There are two ways to start earning cash from Google AdSense:

1. Based on impressions: This depends on page views. For instance, for every 1,000 page views you get, you earn a set dollar amount.
2. Based on clicks: Regardless of page views, if a visitor clicks on the ad from your site, you’ll earn a certain cut of the ad revenue. This can range anywhere from $0.01 to a couple of dollars depending on the ad.

AdSense is compatible with free Blogger blogs and self-hosted WordPress blogs, but keep in mind that it won’t work with a free WordPress blog (although you can monetize with WordAds if you have a custom domain).

How much can you make with AdSense? Well, that all depends on your traffic and how many people are willing to click on your ads. (Remember that you should never click on your own ads since Google can penalize you for it.) Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income has reported earning upwards of $3,000 per month on AdSense revenue alone, but other bloggers like Spencer Haws of Niche Pursuits have reported earnings well over $10,000 per month.

3) Course and/or Services

If you’re already teaching your visitors through your blog, why not create an exclusive learning opportunity by building a paid online course? A common way to sell these courses is by setting up an 8-week course through automated email messages or releasing the full package all at once so students can work at their own pace. Just some examples of online courses include:

• Audience Business Masterclass (from Firepole Marketing)
• Article Writing Masterclass (by Carol Tice and Linda Formichelli)
• Social Media Training for Serious Marketers (from Market Motive)

How much can you make selling eCourse memberships? Again, this all depends on how much you sell it for and how many people are willing to purchase the course. Gina Horkey of Horkey Handbook made over $1,000 in her first month after launching a freelance writing eCourse.
Like courses, you can also offer services. For example, many bloggers are also freelance writers, and they get paid to write blog content for other people. Other common services include speaking engagements and private coaching. Depending on your niche, you can get more specific. A wedding blogger, for instance, might offer wedding planning services.

4) Consulting

Consulting is another popular way to make money through your blog’s traffic. With these services, you charge a fee to give feedback to readers. For example, let’s say you blog about social media. You could charge $75 for a one-hour Skype session where you discuss your client’s social media strategy. Along with the Skype call, you might send a full written report via email on how to improve that strategy.
Let’s look at a few examples. Jim Connolly of Jim’s Marketing Blog sells two-hour-long “Pick My Brain” sessions for $319 a pop to discuss marketing tactics. Sophie Lizard of Be a Freelance Blogger sells one-on-one mentoring sessions for freelance bloggers in packages ranging from $197 to $497.

5) Paid Reviews and/or Banner-ads

If you’re generating a decent amount of traffic, you might be approached by a business looking to sponsor your site. There are usually two requests you get in these cases:

1. Paid reviews or sponsorship posts
2. Banner ads

Paid reviews are when the business sends you their product and pays you to write a review about it, but you are not obligated to write a positive review. Alternatively, some businesses will sponsor a specific post in exchange for a link back to their site. It is an ethical practice to disclose the sponsorship to your readers.
Banner ads are just what they sound like. They’re ads you place in “banner” style, usually in your sidebar. The business sponsoring the ad will often pay you monthly to keep the ad up on your site.

6) eBooks

Writing eBooks is a super popular way to start selling a unique product in your industry, and it’s ideal for pretty much any niche. With so many self-publishing opportunities available, too, it’s easy to get your book published and ready to sell with major retailers like Amazon or directly on your site.
How much money can you make? Darren Rowse of ProBlogger reports earning $72,000 in just one week after launching his eBook. If you’re not terribly well-known, you can still make a decent chunk of cash. Steve Gillman reports at The Penny Hoarder that he made about $2,000 from an eBook on ultralight backpacking that he wrote in just a few days.

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10 Best Tips to Increase Your Adsense CPC.

If you are a Blogger and Adsense is your prime source of revenue, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of Adsense optimization. When we talk about Adsense optimization, there are many things, but the main target is to get high eCPM and get more Cost per click. Else, despite of good AdSense CTR, you might not be making good money. This is something familiar about the non-English blog. If you fall in the category of those AdSense publishers, who are getting huge traffic but Adsense earning is still low, it’s time to understand
points which are mentioned below, and this will surely help to increase Adsense CPC and overall revenue.

What is AdSense CPC:

Let’s start with answering basic question first and then we will move to some working tips to increase AdSense CPC. CPC stands for Cost per click, in short money which you make/click is what CPC. Now, you might have noticed Adsense publisher talking more about CTR and less about CPC. If you are really serious about your Adsense revenue, you should, work more on CPC than CTR. Getting thousands impression on your ad won’t be of much help but a blog with good CPC with decent CTR can create a huge difference. CPC has nothing to do directly with your traffic, if you would realize and noticed micro-niche blogs, you might have realized despite of less traffic such sites make more money from Adsense. Reason is simple and that is eCPM for such blogs are so high that you get paid really well for CPC and then there are other factors like Ad competition, Keywords and many more.

Factors that Affect Adsense CPC :

Niche

First thing first, choosing a right niche for your blog or website is of utmost important. Cost Per Click or CPC of an ad directly depends upon the topic on which you’re writing your blog.Well! Let me clarify one thing here that you’re going to choose niche however there are niches that can pay you high CPC. Yes! Here is the list of niches that can give you high return, I have arranged them in decreasing order of CPC.

• Domains – Blogs on Internet Domains Like GoDaddy, Namecheap etc. It pays highest CPC.
• Gadgets – Tech Gadgets like Apple products
• Google – Google Products
• Microsoft – MS Office
• Banking
• Automobile
• Health
• Real Estate
• Home Loans
• Jobs
• Dating & Romance – It pays lowest CPC.

Content

Second thing is the content, you must write content that should answer readers query. So before writing blogs try to find what your readers are searching on the Internet and then try to present them with solutions.
 Remember you should always directly engage with your readers. Your content must be tailored according to your niche so that more and more readers can read your blogs. Hence good content will certainly ensure higher Adsense CPC rates. Moreover, Good content is what search engine loves, hence more click and more revenue if your ad is highly targeted and your traffic is from the countries like U.S.A, U.K. When you do a Keyword research, make sure to use Approximate CPC column.

Allow block ads:

In Google Adsense you will find Allow block ads. You can go there and see yourself how much each ad category is paying you. This will show you different ads category that are showing on your website. If you find that any ad category is not paying much then feel free to block that category.

Try to block those categories which are completely irrelevant to the content or niche of your blog. Suppose blog is about Technology then block the ad categories for Dating, Politics, Religion etc. This will surely increase your AdSense CPC.

Platform

Your blogs are read from different platforms like desktop, laptop, mobile etc. Although CPC is generally not much affected by the platforms on which ads are shown but you should try your best to target as many as readers. You will get most of the readers from desktop and laptop devices.
If you are able to reach to hand-held or mobile readers than CPC may increase as ads shown on cellphones are of higher quality. If you are blogging on WordPress platform, you can use any of these plugins to make your blog mobile friendly, and you serve AdSense ads which are optimized for mobile screen size.

Country

One of the most important factor that can increase CPC is the country you are targeting. For example a click on an ad from USA can pay you up to $2 to $3 and click on same ad from India can end up paying only 20 to 30 cents.
Hence, always tailor your blog and its content to audiences in English-speaking countries. It will also increase Page Rank of your website. So always keep in mind the country you are targeting.

Text & Image Format

Perhaps I should have explained this suggestion in the beginning of the blog. Anyhow, you must know to choose right format for your ad. If you can place three ads on a page then choose two 336 X 280 ads and one 468 X 60 ad.
Then ad format must be text because text ads have higher CTR (click through rate). You can even try ad format for both text & image simultaneously as it gives you more CPC. Image ads are usually less preferred for both reasons less CTR and lower CPC. Though at times, depending upon the niche and blog type, image ads perform better in terms of higher CTR but CPC won’t be as good as text ads. Anyways, as I mentioned above it differs from niche type and most important ad placement.

Placement

Never neglect the placement of your ads on the web page as it is directly proportional to your Adsense revenue. So where to place ads for maximum CPC? Answer is simple. Place 2 ads inside your blog post and 1 outside the post.As far as placing inside goes then place one 336 X 280 rectangle ad on the top of the blog just below the title and place second 468 X 60 ad in between the blog post. Remaining one ad you can place on your right side that is outside your post.



Though it should be your choice and depending upon your reason of blogging. For example, if you are a professional blogger and dependent on Adsense, you should not miss a chance to optimize ad and use maximum possible ad units on a single page. Though if you are a hobby blogger or blogging on personal blog, your first target should be giving quality content and less ads, as readers hate advertisement which distract them from reading.

Let me tell you the maximum clicks and higher CPC will come from 2 ads which are inside the blog post especially on the top.

Keep Experimenting

Always keep trying something new. Experimenting can really pay you high dividends. You can try out for different niches, choose different ad placements and finally take as many as advice from Google Adsense center. Never bogged down into one style always try something new.

Conclusion

In conclusion I would only say if you follow and implement these 10 tips then you can surely increase your AdSense revenue from 30% to 40%. It is completely legal and genuine way to increase your earning in short time. You can also search for highest CPC AdSense Keywords and compile one-two posts around it.
What others are reading:

Do let me know what’s one trick which worked for you to increase Adsense CPC? Do you believe niche and traffic from certain countries creates a huge difference in Adsense earning?

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Top 10 Richest Musicians of All Time - Forbes.

The music industry is a difficult business to understand, from the outside and from the inside. pop stardom doesn’t guarantee endless riches for an artist. The musicians who make the most money from their careers are often just the ones who sign the right contracts, wisely invest the money they earn from hit singles, and find some way to maintain their longevity in a notoriously fickle industry
.
It also helps to diversify one’s resume with film or television appearances, as we can see from the names who made it onto the following list. These are the 10 richest musicians in ascending order, with adjustments for inflation back to the 1950s. All information is sourced from Business Insider.

10. Michael Jackson: $350 million

Michael Jackson | Carl De Souza/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Jackson made roughly $50 million a year at the peak of his popularity through the ’80s and into the ’90s, earning him vast sums from record sales, highly-publicized tours, and a $5 million dollar partnership with Pepsi. In his later years, the King of Pop became notorious for the outrageous ways he spent his money, and racked up $200 million in debt by 2003 — which was still far less than what he was worth.

9. Jimmy Buffett: $400 million

Most people probably only know one or two Jimmy Buffett songs, but he’s nonetheless turned those hits into a merchandising empire. The “Margaritaville” singer has been filling amphitheater seats since 1976 and continues to tour successfully, while simultaneously lending his name and brand to a lucrative chain restaurant, Cheeseburger in Paradise.

8. Dolly Parton: $450 million

Dolly Parton on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Much of Dolly Parton’s considerable fortune surely comes from her longevity in the world of country music, where she’s maintained a spotless image while continuing to record successful singles and LPs. But she wouldn’t be worth nearly as much without her additional branding. I speak, of course, of Dollywood, a Tennessee theme park she bought and rebranded in 1986.

7. Jay Z: $475 million

Jay Z | Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Jay Z has released an astonishing 12 No. 1 albums in his recording career, but as with most of his peers on this list, that isn’t the only source of his riches. The “99 Problems” singer was previously the CEO of Def Jam Recordings and co-founded his own entertainment company, Roc Nation Records in 2008.

6. Mariah Carey: $500 million

Mariah Carey | Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

Mariah Carey has 18 No. 1 singles to her name, more than any other solo artist in recording history. In recent years she’s kept her earnings up with acting gigs and a dramatic tenure as an American Idol judge. Now, with more than 200 million albums sold worldwide and 26 years of pop stardom under her belt, Carey holds the title of the world’s wealthiest living female musician.

5. Sean “Diddy” Combs: $550 million

Diddy performs on stage during Live Nation | Katopodis/Getty Images

Perhaps more than any artist on this list, Sean Combs’ music wasn’t all that essential to the vast sums he’s earned since stepping into the limelight as one of The Notorious B.I.G.’s chief confidants. Diddy was a major figure in late ’90s hip-hop, but the music industry only accounts for 20% of his earnings, eclipsed by his clothing line, Sean John and his stake in Ciroc vodka.

4. Bing Crosby: $550 million

Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in Road to Morocco | Paramount Pictures

Bing Crosby was a truly diversified pop star before such a thing became commonplace. He was already among the richest Americans in the 1930s, and his fortune only continued to expand in the following decades as he achieved movie stardom and founded an entertainment empire called Bing Crosby Enterprises.

3. Bono: $600 million

Bono | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Though U2 hasn’t produced the same stream of No. 1 hits as, say, Mariah Carey, their “360 Tour” did bring in an estimated $800 million in revenue between 2009 and 2011, making it the biggest tour in music history. Beyond his band’s touring success, singer Paul Hewson, aka Bono, has invested in a clothing line and a five-star hotel, among other things. It also doesn’t hurt that U2 owns all the rights to their songs.

2. Paul McCartney: $800 million

Paul McCartney | Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS

It should come as no surprise that a former Beatle is this high on the list. McCartney currently holds the record as the most successful composer and recording artist in known history, and he’s consistently bringing in new revenue from reissues of The Beatles’ back catalog and his worldwide tours as a solo artist. McCartney reportedly owns 25,000 other copyrights, and collected an inheritance of 200 million pounds after the death of his first wife, Linda.

1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: $1.2 billion

Bet you weren’t expecting that one, huh? Unlike the others artists on this list, Andrew Lloyd Webber made his money working in musical theater rather than pop music, which means his most prolific plays — Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Jesus Christ Superstar — are consistently bringing in new revenue from theatrical reimaginings, soundtrack recordings, and film adaptations. Webber also owns The Really Useful Group, a diverse international entertainment company.

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10 African Richest Musicians - Forbes.

Forbes Africa has released its list of richest African musicians.

The list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, influence and others.

Nigerian artistes, Don Jazzy, Wizkid and Davido,
are among the top 10 richest African musicians.

The top ten are:
1. AKON

Akon has over 35 million albums sold worldwide. He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Award nominations and has 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt. He tops the list according to Forbes Africa.
2. BLACK COFFEE, SOUTH AFRICA

The multi-award-winning artist’s real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo. He was born in South Africa’s house music province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and raised in the Eastern Cape province, where Nelson Mandela hailed from, before moving back to KZN to study music.
3. HUGH MASEKELA, SOUTH AFRICA

Hugh was born in Witbank, east of Johannesburg. He has released more than 43 albums and performed with Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba.
4. DON JAZZY, NIGERIA

Don Jazzy is ranked fourth richest in Africa and also first in Nigeria. Like many artists, his real name is Michael Collins Ajereh, and he started playing music as a child in church before moving to the UK to pursue his career.

5. TINASHE, ZIMBABWE-AMERICAN

Tinashe was a child model by the age of three. The twenty-four-year-old sang before she could talk and made her first appearance in 2000 in the film Cora Unashamed. Her voice also starred in the cartoon feature film The Polar Express alongside Oscar-winning actor, Tom Hanks.
6. JIDENNA, NIGERIAN-AMERICAN

By the age of 10, Jidenna Theodore Mobisson knew he wanted to do music but was afraid to tell his father who wanted him to be an engineer. He is ranked sixth according to Forbes Africa.
7. WIZKID, NIGERIA

Wizkid is arguably currently the uncrowned king of African music. Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, danced to his songs Ojuelegba and Caro, with Keys posting a video on her Instagram account with the caption, “This song makes me happy”. Kylie Jenner also posted a video of herself dancing to Wizkid’s music on Snapchat.
8. DAVIDO, NIGERIA

Davido has claimed a high status in just five years. He said it was people like P-Square and D’Banj who made him believe this was possible. He became famous for his widely acclaimed 2012 debut album “Omo Baba Olowo”.
9. SARKODIE, GHANA

Michael Owusu Addo started out as an underground rapper and through the help of Duncan Williams, his former manager, his career was launched. Staying true to his identity, he is a big advocate of Azonto, a Ghanaian genre that is said to have been born out of Kpanlogo, a traditional dance.

His first single off his fourth album, Mewu, sold almost 4,000 copies on the first day of its release in Ghana. He was also the first Ghanaian to win a BET award.
10. OLIVER MTUKUDZI, ZIMBABWE

Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi has 65 albums under his belt, more than the legendary Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. It’s a remarkable career stretching back 41 years with songs that have enlivened parties all over the world.

He is ranked 10th richest musician in Africa.

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2017 Top 10 Billionaires World Wide - Forbes-

Forbes Magazine has released their highly anticipated The World's Billionaires list, so check who made the list (again) and who is making their way to the top.

 The business magazine found 2,043 living billionaires, a jump of 13 percent from last year. The increase in the number of billionaires - up 233 since 2016 - marked the biggest gain in the 31 years Forbes has been tracking billionaires globally.

Here are the 10 richest people and their net worths, according to Forbes' annual list.

1. Bill Gates, $86 billion

 

2. Warren Buffett, $75.6 billion

3. Jeff Bezos, $72.8 billion

4. Amancio Ortega, $71.3 billion

5. Mark Zuckerberg, $56 billion

6. Carlos Slim Helu, $54.5 billion

7. Larry Ellison, $52.2 billion

8. Charles Koch, $48.3 billion

 

9. David Koch, $48.3 billion

10. Michael Bloomberg, $47.5 billion

 

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