Blogging Explained 2021 – Blogging 101 for Beginner Bloggers

Most people who want to start a blog have no idea what they are actually signing up for. They picture writing a few posts, slapping up some ads, and watching money roll in. The reality is that blogging done right is a business, and like any business, it rewards the people who understand the mechanics before they start swinging.

This post walks through exactly what Alston covered in his Blogging 101 breakdown: the real definition of a blog, the pieces most beginners skip, how search engines decide who shows up first, and the multiple ways a blog can generate income. If you are just getting started, this is the foundation you need before you write a single word.

What You’ll Walk Out With

The official definition of a blog and why it matters for how you set one up
Why blogging is far more than keeping an online diary
How keyword research works and why beginners should avoid large, competitive keywords
The basics of SEO and how to make it easier for Google to find your content
Every major way to make money from a blog, from ads to affiliate marketing
How affiliate cookies work and why the length of the cookie window matters to your income
The difference between high-ticket and low-ticket affiliate commissions
Not sure which online income method fits your background? Find out at finder.platformproof.com

What Is Blogging? The Official Definition

Wikipedia defines a blog as “a discussion or informational website published on the world wide web consisting of discrete, often informal, diary-style text entries.” Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so the most recent post appears first at the top of the page.

That is the surface-level definition. In practice, for anyone interested in passive income or affiliate marketing, a blog is the place where you convey useful information with the goal of converting a reader into a customer. The information is almost always built around a specific niche, sub-niche, or topic, and you position yourself as someone with real knowledge: a beginner sharing their journey, someone with a working understanding of the subject, or a full expert in the field.

Alston showed his own personal blog during the video as a real example. He noted that his last update was around Christmas, which is honest proof that even people who teach blogging sometimes fall behind on their own sites. The point was clear though: a blog is a living, ongoing body of work, not a one-time project.

Blogging Is Far More Than an Online Diary

Once you move past the Wikipedia definition, blogging gets complicated fast. There are multiple layers you have to understand and develop skills in if you want your blog to actually produce results. Alston broke them down clearly in the video:

Search engine optimization (SEO): Making your content easy for Google, Bing, and Yahoo to find and rank
Keyword research: Finding out what your audience actually types into a search bar
Writing quality: Knowing how to put together a post that keeps people reading and trusting you
Conversion strategy: Giving readers a reason to click an affiliate link or buy a product without being pushy
Advertising opportunities: Understanding which ad networks work for your traffic level
Passive income mechanics: Knowing which monetization models require ongoing work and which ones can run without you

The mistake most beginners make is treating a blog like a diary and writing about whatever comes to mind. That approach rarely works. The blogs that grow and make money are built on research, topic discipline, and a clear understanding of who the reader is and what they need.

Keyword Research: The Foundation of Every Post

Keyword research is the process of finding out what people are actually searching for before you write a single word. It sounds simple, but most new bloggers skip it entirely and end up writing posts nobody is looking for.

Alston used a Sharpie pen as a teaching example in the video. If you decide to blog about pens and you start with the keyword “Sharpie pen,” you are competing against Sharpie’s official website, BIC, every major pen manufacturer, and thousands of existing review sites. All of them have something called domain authority, which is essentially a measure of how trusted and established a website is in the eyes of search engines. A brand-new blog has zero domain authority, so trying to outrank those sites right out of the gate is a losing strategy.

The better path for beginners is to find low-competition keywords within your niche. Instead of going after “Sharpie pen,” you might look at specific questions buyers are asking: How long does this pen last? What happens to the ink after two million words? How does it compare to a similar pen at a lower price point? Those are the kinds of specific, question-based searches that a new blog can realistically show up for.

Google is the starting point for this research because it is the dominant search engine. Start with a broad keyword, see what Google suggests and what questions come up, and then look for the corners of that topic that are underserved. The goal is to write about things that real people are searching for, not about what you assume they want to know.

SEO Basics: Helping Google Find You

Search engine optimization is the practice of making your blog easier for search engines to find, understand, and rank. Alston covered the fundamentals that every beginner should know before they publish their first post.

The first is using proper headings. In blog writing, these are called H1 and H2 tags. The H1 is the main title of your post. Subheadings throughout the article use H2 or H3 tags. Search engines read these headings to understand the structure of your content, so using them properly signals that your post is well-organized and covers the topic clearly.

The second is staying on topic. This applies both within a single post and across your whole blog. If you are writing a post about how much ink a particular pen holds, stay on that topic. Bring in relevant information, cite related studies or examples, and do not drift into unrelated territory. Search engines reward focused, thorough content. A post that clearly covers one topic in depth will outperform a post that jumps around between subjects.

The same principle applies at the blog level. If you start a pen blog and begin publishing posts about tape, wireless mice, and gum alongside your pen content, search engines will struggle to categorize your site. That confusion slows your ranking progress. Early on, Alston recommended keeping nearly all your posts within your chosen niche. You can branch out later once you have established what your blog is about.

Why It Takes Time to Gain Traction

One of the most frustrating parts of starting a blog is the time it takes before anything seems to happen. Alston addressed this directly in the video, and his explanation is honest: the slow start is structural, not a sign that you are doing something wrong.

There are millions of blogs starting every day. Because so many are being created, there is a significant amount of low-quality content out there. Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo have to sort through all of it to find what is actually useful and trustworthy. That sorting process takes time, and a brand-new blog gets very little benefit of the doubt at the start regardless of how good the content is.

Alston made an important point here: you could be the literal inventor of the product you are writing about, and if you have no existing following, you will still face a slow ramp-up period. Domain authority is earned over time through consistent, quality content and links from other trusted sites. There is no shortcut that bypasses this process.

The practical response to this reality is to focus on low-competition topics early on. Find the questions that nobody is answering well yet. Win those first. As your site builds authority, you can gradually take on more competitive keywords.

How to Make Money from a Blog

Alston walked through every major monetization method in the video. Here is a breakdown of each one, including how passive it actually is.

Display Advertising

Google Adsense is the most widely known ad program for bloggers. You place ads on your site and earn money based on impressions and clicks. The catch is that ad networks generally want to see real traffic before they take you seriously or offer better rates. You can apply to Adsense early, but your earnings will be minimal until your traffic grows. Other ad agencies, including premium networks like Mediavine and AdThrive, have minimum traffic thresholds before they will even accept your application.

Info Products

Info products are digital products you create or purchase rights to and then sell through your blog. An e-book is the simplest example. You could also sell a special tool, a checklist, a course, or a widget that is only available through your site. This model can be highly profitable because there are no inventory or shipping costs, and once the product is built, sales can come in without additional work on your part.

Physical Products and Services

Some bloggers sell physical products or offer services directly through their sites. Alston described this as semi-passive at best. Shipping physical goods or delivering a service requires ongoing time and effort. It can work well as part of a larger business model, but it does not fit the classic passive income picture the way ads and affiliates do.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the model Alston spent the most time on, and for good reason. It is probably the most common income source for bloggers, and if you have ever searched for something online, read a review, and then clicked through to Amazon or another retailer, you have almost certainly used an affiliate link without knowing it.

Here is how the whole chain works: A reader has a problem or a need. They search Google. They land on your blog. You provide genuinely helpful information about a product or solution. The reader trusts your recommendation, clicks your affiliate link, and makes a purchase. The retailer gets a sale. The reader gets the product. You receive a commission, which is a percentage of the sale price. Everyone benefits.

Alston was clear about one important rule: do not overload your posts with affiliate links. Too many links reads as promotional rather than helpful, and search engines penalize it. The best affiliate content leads with useful information and lets the link come naturally at the point where the reader is ready to act.

Not sure which online income path makes sense for your background and schedule?

Answer seven quick questions at finder.platformproof.com and get a specific recommendation built around the skills you already have.

How Affiliate Cookies Work

One detail that surprises a lot of new affiliate marketers is the concept of the cookie window. When a reader clicks your affiliate link, a small tracking file called a cookie is placed on their browser. That cookie tells the retailer that your link was responsible for sending the customer. The commission is only paid if the customer completes a purchase before that cookie expires.

Amazon Associates, which is the affiliate program for Amazon.com, uses a 24-hour cookie. That means the customer has to buy something within 24 hours of clicking your link for you to earn a commission. If they click your link on Monday and buy on Wednesday, you get nothing.

Other affiliate networks are more generous. Some programs offer 60-day cookies. Others offer lifetime cookies, meaning if a customer you referred ever buys from that company, you get credit. The length of the cookie window is a real factor to consider when choosing which affiliate programs to join. A 60-day cookie gives your readers far more time to make a decision, and your conversion rate reflects that.

High-Ticket vs. Low-Ticket Affiliate Commissions

Not all affiliate commissions are created equal. Alston broke this down into two categories in the video: high-ticket and low-ticket.

Low-ticket commissions are anything under $100 per sale. Amazon is the most well-known example of this category. Commission rates on Amazon vary by product category and are generally in the low single-digit percentage range. You need significant volume to build meaningful income from low-ticket programs alone.

High-ticket commissions are anything at or above $100 per sale. These programs are usually tied to premium services, software subscriptions, or courses that carry a higher price point. Many high-ticket programs also have a recurring element, meaning you earn a commission every month the customer keeps their subscription active. A single referred customer can pay out for months or years, which changes the math on how many referrals you actually need.

Neither model is automatically better. Low-ticket programs like Amazon have the advantage of brand recognition and consumer trust. Readers are comfortable buying from Amazon. High-ticket programs require more trust-building but pay out significantly more per conversion. Most successful bloggers mix both over time.

Project 24 by Income School

At the end of the video, Alston recommended a specific resource for beginner bloggers: Project 24 by Income School. He noted that he was enrolled in Project 24 himself when he made this video, so this comes from direct experience rather than speculation.

Project 24 is a course system that walks you through the entire blogging process from scratch. The curriculum starts with the basics: choosing a domain name, setting up a website, and understanding your niche. It then takes you through the process of writing and publishing your first 30 blog posts, with guidance on what types of posts to write, what lengths to target, and how to structure content for both readers and search engines.

The program also covers adjacent channels including YouTube and Pinterest, which Alston mentioned as part of the broader content strategy Income School teaches. The keyword research and niche-finding components of Project 24 were specifically highlighted as strong parts of the curriculum.

The “24” in the name refers to the program’s central promise: if you follow the process consistently, you can realistically replace your full-time income with passive income within 24 months. That is the goal the program is built around, and Alston endorsed it as a legitimate pathway for people who are serious about blogging.

A Step-by-Step Starting Plan for New Bloggers

Based on everything covered in the video, here is a practical sequence for someone starting a blog from zero.

Pick a niche with staying power. Choose a topic you can write about consistently for at least two years. Make sure there is a real audience searching for information in that space.
Do keyword research before writing anything. Use Google to find what people are actually searching for. Look for low-competition, specific questions rather than broad, high-traffic terms you cannot rank for yet.
Set up your blog properly. Buy a domain name and hosting. Use WordPress. Keep the structure clean and focused on your niche from day one.
Write for readers, structure for search engines. Use H1 and H2 headings. Stay on topic within each post. Cover your keyword thoroughly and bring in relevant supporting information.
Build your first 30 posts before worrying about monetization. Income School’s Project 24 framework emphasizes getting content on the ground first. A blog with 30 quality posts has something for search engines to index. One or two posts does not.
Join affiliate programs that fit your niche. Start with Amazon Associates for product reviews. Research whether there are high-ticket programs in your space that could supplement that income.
Apply for display ads once your traffic grows. Do not stress about ad income in your first six months. Focus on content. Traffic follows content, and ad income follows traffic.

Honest Drawbacks of Blogging

Blogging is a legitimate business model, but anyone who tells you it is easy or fast is not being straight with you. Here is what the video made clear that many blogging courses gloss over.

First, the slow start is real. Millions of blogs launch every year. Search engines are cautious with new sites because there is so much junk to filter through. Even excellent content from a credible writer can sit unranked for months. This is not a sign of failure; it is the normal pattern. The people who succeed are the ones who publish consistently through that quiet early period.

Second, domain authority cannot be bought or faked. It is built over time through consistent quality and legitimate links from other sites. No amount of clever tactics replaces that foundation.

Third, topic discipline is harder than it sounds. When you are deep in a niche and a related topic looks interesting, the temptation to write about it is real. But jumping outside your niche too early hurts your ranking in the long run. The 24-month framing of Project 24 is actually helpful here: it sets a realistic timeline and keeps you focused on the process rather than short-term results.

Fourth, passive income from a blog is not truly passive in the beginning. Building the asset requires consistent active work. The passive part comes later, once the content library is large enough and the domain has enough authority to bring in organic traffic without constant new posts.

Find Your X

Blogging is one path to online income, but it is not the only one and it is not right for everyone. The right starting point depends on your background, your skills, and how much time you can realistically put in each week. If you want a concrete answer tailored to your situation, head over to finder.platformproof.com, answer seven quick questions, and get a specific recommendation. No generic advice, no upsell, just a straight answer based on what you already bring to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a blog to make money?

Most honest sources, including Income School’s Project 24 framework that Alston referenced, put the realistic timeline at 18 to 24 months before a blog generates income that meaningfully replaces other work. Some niches move faster, some slower. Plan for the long haul and treat the first year as building the foundation.

Do I need to be an expert to start a blog?

No. Alston mentioned three positions you can write from: a beginner sharing their journey, someone with a working understanding of the topic, or a full expert. Many successful blogs are built by people who are learning alongside their readers. Honesty about your experience level actually builds trust.

What is domain authority and why does it matter?

Domain authority is a measure of how trustworthy and established your website is in the eyes of search engines. A brand-new blog starts at zero. Sites like Amazon or major publishers have high domain authority built over years. Higher authority makes it easier to rank for competitive keywords. You build it by publishing quality content consistently over time and earning links from other sites.

How does Amazon’s affiliate cookie work?

When a reader clicks your Amazon affiliate link, a 24-hour tracking cookie is placed on their browser. If they purchase any product on Amazon within those 24 hours, you earn a commission. If they return the next day without your cookie still active, you earn nothing. The 24-hour window is short compared to many other affiliate programs, which is worth keeping in mind when choosing programs to promote.

What is the difference between a blog niche and a sub-niche?

A niche is a broad topic area, like personal finance, fitness, or cooking. A sub-niche is a more specific corner of that topic, like budgeting for single parents, strength training for people over 40, or gluten-free meal prep. For new bloggers, targeting a sub-niche is usually smarter because competition is lower and you can build genuine authority faster within a defined space.

Can I have too many affiliate links in a blog post?

Yes. Alston was direct about this in the video: too many affiliate links is a negative signal for both readers and search engines. A post loaded with links reads as promotional rather than helpful. The standard guidance is to lead with genuinely useful information and let the affiliate link appear naturally at the point where the reader is ready to take action.

Is blogging still worth starting in 2025?

Yes, though the bar for quality has risen over time. Search engines are better at filtering out thin or poorly researched content than they used to be. A blog built on thorough keyword research, focused topic selection, and genuinely helpful writing still has real opportunity. The blogs that struggle are the ones treating it like a volume game with no attention to quality or reader intent.

What is Project 24 and is it worth it?

Project 24 is a course system from Income School that teaches you how to build a blog from scratch with the goal of replacing your full-time income within 24 months. The curriculum covers niche selection, keyword research, post types, writing structure, and distribution across blog, YouTube, and Pinterest. Alston was enrolled when he made this video and recommended it specifically for people who are just starting out and want a clear, structured process to follow.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “Blogging Explained 2021 – Blogging 101 for Beginner bloggers,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/VAL60coErgI
Wikipedia, “Blog,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Google Adsense overview, https://adsense.google.com
Amazon Associates Program, https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
Income School, Project 24, https://incomeschool.com/project24