Tools for Blogging The Ultimate Toolkit for Success

Starting a blog is an exciting journey towards financial freedom and global mobility. However, with so many software tools available, it can be overwhelming to know which ones to choose to get started. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the 47 best tools for bloggers who want to make money. These tools have been thoroughly tried and tested during our blogging careers, and we are confident in the blogging toolkit we have put together. So, let’s dive in and explore the ultimate toolkit for bloggers.

Best Tools to Launch Your Blog

1. Hover: The first step in setting up your money-making blog is finding a great domain name. Hover is a Canada-based company that offers affordable prices and top-notch customer support. Another great option is Namecheap, which has good prices, special offers, and is easy to use.

2. WPX: Your blog needs a place to live on the web, and WPX offers managed hosting services. They have a team of WordPress experts who will set up your blog or migrate it from another host for free. WPX is known for its speed and excellent customer service, making it worth the slightly higher price.

3. WordPress: WordPress is the best and most versatile blogging platform available. It offers flexibility, scope, and power, making it the top choice for many bloggers.

4. Kadence Theme: After installing WordPress, you’ll need a great theme to make your blog look professional and work smoothly. Kadence is a highly recommended WordPress theme for its speed, intuitiveness, and good looks. It also offers a fantastic set of blog starter templates that allow you to launch your blog in minutes.

5. Astra Theme: If you’re looking for an alternative to Kadence, Astra is another excellent choice. It is super fast, powerful, and easy to use. Astra also offers a great set of starter templates, although the range may slightly differ from Kadence. Both themes are compatible with Gutenberg Blocks, which is recommended over Elementor for page building.

Best Blog Analytics Tools

1. Google Search Console: Google Search Console is an essential tool for bloggers. It provides valuable insights into how your site is performing in search results and helps you identify and fix issues. It also allows you to submit your sitemap and individual URLs for better crawling and indexing.

2. Google Analytics: Google Analytics is another must-have tool for bloggers, especially if you want to make money with your blog. It allows you to track website traffic, see which posts are getting the most views, and discover what keywords are being used to find your blog. Google Analytics also lets you create custom reports and set up goals to track your blog’s progress.

Best Tools for Improving Your Blog’s SEO

1. Surfer SEO: Surfer SEO is an AI-powered tool that helps you find the best keywords to use in your blog posts. It analyzes the competition for those keywords, making it easier for you to choose the ones with the best chances of ranking. Surfer SEO also provides a Content Audit feature that compares your blog posts to those of your competitors and suggests on-page improvements.

2. Ahrefs: Ahrefs is a powerful tool for managing your SEO strategy. It allows you to track backlinks, domain rating, and blog traffic. Ahrefs is great for in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis, and spying on your competition. However, it can be quite expensive, so if you’re on a budget, consider using Ubersuggest as a more affordable alternative.

3. Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is a great tool for bloggers looking for an affordable alternative to Ahrefs. It provides detailed insights into website traffic, keyword rankings, and more. Ubersuggest is a great SEO tool to get started while you’re ramping up your blog.

4. Rank Math: Rank Math is a WordPress plugin that helps you optimize your on-page SEO for every blog post. It rates your blog posts on factors such as basic SEO, keyword density, internal links, images, and readability. Rank Math also includes additional modules like the Redirect Manager and Site Map module, making it a valuable tool for bloggers.

Best Tools to Help You Write Faster

1. Mac Voice Typing: Mac Voice Typing is a secret weapon for writing blog posts faster. It is at least three times faster than regular typing and can help you produce articles of 3000 or more words in a couple of hours. Simply hit the FN key twice to bring up the microphone icon, open a text document (like Apple Pages), and start speaking. The more you use it, the more accurate it becomes.

2. Apple Pages: Apple Pages works well with Mac Voice Typing, allowing you to voice dictate your blog posts. It is also great for offline writing and continued work on blog posts while not connected to the internet.

3. Jasper AI: AI writing tools like Jasper AI can be controversial, but they have their place in a blogger’s toolkit. Jasper AI offers a range of templates, recipes, and shortcuts for producing accurate and grammatically correct text. It can help with filling gaps and overcoming writer’s block, making it a valuable tool for bloggers.

4. Workello: If you prefer to outsource your blog writing, Workello is a convenient service that provides prescreened and highly relevant freelance writers. It takes the hassle out of finding the perfect writer and allows you to easily select someone to help take your blog to the next level.

Best Tools to Start Monetizing Your Blog

1. Calendly: Calendly is a scheduling tool that makes online scheduling seamless. You can share your Calendly link with clients, who can view your availability and book a slot that works for them. It integrates with Google Calendar or iCloud, making it easy to manage your appointments.

2. Zoom: Zoom is a video conferencing tool that is great for offering online consulting services. The free version allows for video calls up to 40 minutes, while the paid version offers longer duration and additional features like webinars.

3. Stripe: Stripe is a tool that allows you to accept online payments efficiently. It integrates with Calendly, so clients can book a slot and pay your consulting fee all in one easy process.

4. Wise: Wise is a tool for getting paid globally. It allows you to accept payment using local bank details and easily exchange those funds into your home currency. Wise is convenient for bloggers who handle multiple currencies in their daily lives.

5. Gumroad: Gumroad is a platform for selling digital products. It is easy to use and set up, making it a great option for bloggers who want to sell e-books, courses, or other digital products.

6. Ezoic: Ezoic is a tool for monetizing your blog with display ads. It offers better earnings potential than Google AdSense and uses AI to show ads only to those who will engage with them. Ezoic has a supportive team that will guide you through running ads on your site.

Tools for Building an Audience for Your Blog

1. Twitter: Twitter is a powerful social media platform for bloggers. It allows you to build a strong personal brand, connect with potential clients, and drive traffic to your blog posts.

2. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is not just for job networking; it is also a great platform for bloggers. You can write long-form posts to promote your ideas, build your personal brand, and drive traffic to your blog.

3. Zlappo: Zlappo is a social media scheduling tool that allows you to schedule posts in advance on Twitter and LinkedIn. It offers a lifetime plan at an affordable price and will soon introduce a LinkedIn composer feature.

4. Oneup: Oneup is another social media scheduling tool that allows you to schedule posts on Twitter and LinkedIn. It offers an affordable monthly plan, but analytics are only available at an additional cost.

5. ConvertKit: Email marketing is a powerful way to connect with your audience, and ConvertKit is a great tool for bloggers. It helps you grow your email list, segment your subscribers, and send targeted emails. ConvertKit also offers automation features to streamline your email marketing.

6. Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform that offers a free plan for up to 2,000 subscribers. It is easy to use, integrates with WordPress, and provides customizable templates, autoresponders, and segmentation features.

7. Mixmax: Mixmax is a tool for email outreach. It allows you to track opened emails, create email templates, and schedule emails in your GSuite account.

8. Hunter: Hunter is a tool for finding email addresses for outreach campaigns. It helps you find email addresses for a domain and includes a verification feature to ensure the address is valid.

9. GSuite: GSuite is a tool for business emails. It allows you to create custom email addresses linked to your blog’s domain, manage multiple email accounts, and access Google Calendar and Google Docs.

Best Form Builders & Project Management Tools

1. Carrd: Carrd is a tool for quickly building one-page websites, landing pages, and forms. It offers visually appealing and functional templates, making it great for testing new product ideas or creating lead magnets.

2. Evernote: Evernote is a versatile tool for capturing ideas and information from around the internet. It allows you to take text and voice notes, store links and images, and search your entire database easily.

3. Notion: Notion is an all-in-one workspace tool that offers note-taking, project management, and collaboration features. It allows you to create notes, sketch out projects, and keep track of your blog’s development. Notion also offers templates for extended functionality.

4. Google Sheets: Google Sheets is a free and convenient tool for keeping track of important information. It is great for managing leads, recording content, and guest post outreach.

5. Zapier: Zapier is a powerful tool for automating your workflow by creating ‘Zaps’. It allows you to link different software tools and automate tasks, making it a valuable tool for bloggers.

6. Paperform: Paperform is a tool for creating forms, quizzes, and surveys. It offers customization options and smart logic features, allowing you to segment and filter leads based on their answers.

Best Tools for Bloggers to Create Graphics & Video

1. iMovie: iMovie is a free video editing tool for Mac users. It allows you to edit videos and enhance your blog with video content. iMovie is great for creating an introduction video for your blog or adding relevant videos to your blog posts.

2. Canva: Canva is a graphic design program that simplifies the process of creating professional-looking images and visual elements. It offers a wide range of templates, customization options, and a vast library of images.

3. TubeBuddy: TubeBuddy is a browser extension for YouTube content creators. It helps optimize videos for SEO and provides tools for improving video thumbnails and creating end cards.

4. Lapel Microphone: A lapel microphone is a small and convenient microphone for recording high-quality audio. It is recommended for YouTube videos or podcasts to ensure good sound quality.

5. Condenser Microphone: A condenser microphone is a more powerful option for recording audio, especially for frequent video creation or podcasting. It plugs into your computer via USB and sits on your desk.

Best Online Courses for New Bloggers to Learn Fast

1. Adam Enfroy’s Blog Growth Engine: Adam Enfroy’s Blog Growth Engine is a comprehensive course that teaches everything you need to know to grow a profitable blog. It covers various ways to make money, including ads, affiliate marketing, consulting, and more.

2. Authority Hacker: Authority Hacker is a course created by niche website and SEO professionals. It focuses on building profitable niche websites through affiliate marketing. While it is great for SEO, Blog Growth Engine is recommended for bloggers aiming to build a broader blogging business.

In conclusion, starting a money-making blog doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right tools, you can set yourself up for success. The tools mentioned in this guide cover a wide range of needs, from launching your blog to monetizing it and building an audience. Choose the tools that best suit your goals and budget, and get started on your blogging journey today.