I still remember the first time I saw a few dollars show up in an AdSense dashboard. It wasn’t a lot, but it was real. That moment flips a switch in your brain: “Wait… the internet can actually pay me.”
Since then, I’ve watched something even more interesting happen. People I helped with blog websites ended up earning more than I did, because they stuck with it and treated the blog like a long game, not a lottery ticket.
If you’re wondering if blogging still works now that AI is everywhere, the honest answer is yes, but the bar is higher. AI can answer basic questions fast, but it can’t replace a useful, experience-based article that feels like it was written by a real person who tested things, made mistakes, and figured out what works.
The 6-Step Plan
Step 1: Pick a Niche That Google and Humans Understand
A common beginner mistake is writing about everything: travel today, fitness tomorrow, tech next week. The problem is not that those topics are “bad”. The problem is that your site has no clear identity. Google doesn’t know what you’re trying to be, and readers don’t either.
Instead, start narrow and become the “go-to” for a specific type of person. It makes your content easier to plan, your SEO easier to win, and your blog easier to trust.
A simple niche formula
Audience + problem + context
Examples that work
- Immigrants in Europe trying to earn online
- Budget travel for first-time solo travelers
- Healthy meals for night-shift workers
- Career growth for healthcare assistants in Ireland
A EuroSideHustle-style niche
Practical online income in Europe for immigrants with limited time.
It’s specific, realistic, and gives you endless content ideas.
Step 2: Find Keywords People Already Type Into Google
A keyword is just a search phrase. If your article matches what people are already searching for, you have a chance to get traffic. If it doesn’t, you’re basically writing into a void.
Start with seed keywords
Pick 3–10 phrases related to your niche:
- make money online in Ireland
- side hustle Europe
- remote jobs Europe beginners
- how to start a blog in Europe
- affiliate marketing Europe taxes
Expand with keyword tools
You can use:
- Google autocomplete
- “People also ask”
- AnswerThePublic
- Ubersuggest (free version is fine)
- LowFruits (good for low competition keywords)
- Clear intent (you know what the searcher wants)
- Low to medium competition (especially early on)
- Topics you can genuinely write better than what exists
Step 3: Write Content That Deserves to Rank
Forget “SEO tricks” for a second. Content is still the core. The easiest way to lose motivation with blogging is to publish a bunch of posts that don’t help anyone and then wonder why nothing happens.
What good blog content actually looks like
- Specific
- Practical
- Easy to read
- Clearly structured
- Based on real experience or real research
A simple post structure that works
- Quick intro (promise the result)
- The answer in plain English
- Step-by-step process
- Real examples
- Common mistakes
- Tools/resources
- Mini FAQ
- Conclusion + next action
Step 4: Using AI Without Destroying Trust
You can use AI. The goal is not to “beat detectors”. The goal is to publish something that’s actually useful and sounds like a real person.
Use AI for
- Outlines
- Topic expansion
- Rewriting messy paragraphs
- Checking clarity
Then add the human layer
- Your opinion
- Your real context (Europe, budgets, limited time, real tools)
- Specific examples
- Your mistakes and what you learned
That human layer is what makes content rank and convert. It’s also what makes readers come back.
Step 5: Setup Your Blog (Domain + Hosting + WordPress)
To start a real blog, you need two things: a domain (your site name) and hosting (where the site lives).
A simple option that gives you both in one place is Hostinger. If you want to use the same setup many beginners use, you can start here:
Recommended starter setup
Hostinger (domain + hosting) is a straightforward way to get online fast.
Note: This is an affiliate link. If you use it, it supports my work at no extra cost to you.
Quick setup steps
- Buy hosting (pick a plan you can afford)
- Claim your domain
- Install WordPress (1-click install)
- Choose a lightweight theme (Astra or GeneratePress are fine)
- Create basic pages: About, Contact, Privacy Policy
- Publish your first post
Keep it simple. Your blog can look basic at first. The content matters more than design early on.
Step 6: Simple On-Page SEO (The Stuff That Actually Helps)
On-page SEO is just making your article easy to understand for Google and easy to read for humans.
- Keyword in the title
- Short, clean URL slug
- Headings (H2/H3)
- Short paragraphs
- Internal links to your own posts
- 1–3 external links to useful sources
- Optimized images (compressed)
- A meta description that makes people click
Plugins like Rank Math are useful, but don’t obsess over “100/100”. Focus on clarity and value.
How Blogs Actually Make Money (The Real Paths)
Most blogs make money in stages. The fastest path is usually affiliate income, then ads, then your own products.
1) Affiliate income (often the quickest)
You recommend tools you already use, and earn commission.
2) Ads
Ads work, but you need traffic for it to matter.
3) Your own products/services (best long-term)
- Templates
- Guides
- Mini-courses
- Freelance services
- “first €50 online” starter kit
- CV/LinkedIn templates for Ireland/EU
- “how to start legally” checklists for beginners
A Realistic Posting Plan
Forget “2 posts a day”. Most people burn out. A better plan is 2 strong posts per week, or 1 strong post per week if you work full-time. Consistency beats speed.
7-Day Starter Plan
- Day 1: choose niche + write your blog promise in one sentence
- Day 2: find 30 keyword ideas
- Day 3: outline your first article
- Day 4: draft it
- Day 5: edit for clarity
- Day 6: publish + basic SEO
- Day 7: promote it in the right places
Then repeat weekly.
Final Thought
Blogging still works, but it rewards people who treat it like a real project: clear niche, helpful content, consistency, and trust over time.
Want help planning your next posts?
If you tell me your niche (or 3 niche options), I’ll build a list of 20 keyword-driven titles, a simple category structure, and a “first €50” monetization path that fits your audience.