12 Terrible Mistakes That Almost Every Amateur Blogger Make (Solutions Included)

Every Master Was Once A Beginner!!

That’s absolutely right and the same goes with the bloggers also. 

I have been blogging for 15 years now but I was once an amateur blogger too.

In the initial days of my blogging journey, I also made some of the common mistakes that almost every amateur blogger makes in the beginning.

But with each mistake I committed, I gained some great learnings and became much stronger and wiser.

That being said, things have completely changed in the past few years. There are over 500 million blogs out there and the number is only growing.

So to stand out from the crowd, you should try to avoid a few terrible mistakes that almost every amateur blogger makes during the start.

Hereby, presenting you with the common mistakes that amateur bloggers make.

Trust me, if you read this post till the end you will take away massive learnings with you. 

Learning you will be Getting from This Post:

• You’ll get to know the top 12 mistakes that every amateur blogger make
• You’ll also get to know the best way to overcome the mistakes that amateur blogger make
• If you are an aspiring blogger then you will be way ahead by not doing plenty of mistakes that almost every newbie makes
• And many more  

So without further ado, let’s get started knowing about these mistakes and their solutions.

Top 12 Awful Mistakes That Almost Every Amateur Blogger Make 

1. Not Self-hosting

The very first mistake that almost every amateur blogger makes is choosing not to self-host. 

Yes, there was a time when Blogger (blogspot.com) by Google used to be the first choice of every blogger. 

Even we started with the Blogger platform but later realized the drawbacks of using a free platform and eventually moved to the WordPress self-hosting platform.  

There are a huge number of limitations associated with free blogging platforms like Blogger, the major limitation of opting for a free blogging platform is that you don’t have any control over your blog.

Your blog may be banned or removed anytime even without intimidating you.

Recently, Google loses ownership of blogspot.in, and due to this over 4.4 million blog users are facing issues and are not able to gain access to their blogs.

Don’t let that happen to you.

That being said, here are some other critical issues you would be facing if you choose a free platform for blogging.

1. Building a Brand with a domain like blogspot.com is almost impossible. So if you stick to the free blogging platforms, you will be hurting your brand with your own hands.

2. The major source of traffic on almost every blog is organic traffic from Google.  And you know what, self-hosted blogs are given priority in the Google SERP. 

So if you are running a blog on a free platform then your blog will not perform well in Google. 

3. Having a blog on a free platform shows you aren’t fully committed that will make acquiring backlinks a challenging job for you.

4. You won’t be able to build an authority website which means you will have to struggle thought out your blogging journey 

5. Poor speed, limited customization, and fewer chances of monetization are just to name a few. 

So if you are serious about blogging and want to make a living as a blogger then I would highly recommend you switch to a self-hosting platform like WordPress.org.

2. Choosing a Cheap Hosting

Web hosting is something that your website’s performance completely depends on.

Moreover, it is the web host that gives you strength in tough times. 

Whether it is about setting up a blog from scratch, moving a blog to another server, or any other technical issue.

So even if you have opted for a self-hosted platform for building your site but hosted on any cheap web hosting then also you are making a big mistake.

Cheaper isn’t always better, remember that.

A cheap web hosting results in poor site speed and frequent downtime. Which will further leave your readers disappointed and ultimately they will move to your competitors’ blogs.

Fortunately, we never committed this mistake. If you are making this mistake then we will suggest you move to a reliable host.

Now you must be wondering, which is the best web hosting provider for amateur bloggers, right?

Though there are a ton of reliable web hosting options available in the market, we highly recommend Bluehost to newbies and aspiring bloggers.

Bluehost was founded back in 2003 and officially recommended by WordPress.org.

Currently, more than 2 million websites are hosted on Bluehost that makes it the first choice of bloggers.

Some of the reasons why Bluehost is the best option for amateur blogs.

• Free Domain Name
• Free WordPress Migration
• Free SSL
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• 50 GB SSD Storage
• Unlimited Bandwidth 
• 99.9% Uptime
• 24/7 Customer Support

All these features make a perfect package for beginners which is available at $2.95 per month only.

So why stick to cheap local hosting when you can get all of this at so much affordable prices?

Here is a quick guide to making a blog on Bluehost hosting services along with a free domain name.

1. Visit this exclusive link to go to Bluehost official website. Click on the Get Started Now button.

2. Select a Bluehost plan. As a beginner, the Basic plan is the best affordable plan for you. In this plan, you can host 1 website with a free domain name along with 50 GB SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth.

3. Next you need to enter the desired domain name to check for its availability or you can use your existing domain name. 

4. Provide your basic details such as name, email address, etc.

5. Select an account plan. For a 36 months plan, you will have to pay just $2.95 per month. This way Bluehost’s basic plan will cost you $106.20 only for 3 years.  

6. Ensure all the add-ons are unchecked so that the total cost would remain the same ($106.20). 

7. Finally enter the payment details. You can either pay via credit card or PayPal. Tick mark that you agree with Bluehost policies and click on the submit button. 

So, this is how you can easily sign up for a Bluehost plan.

Quick Note:  Bluehost has launched free migration services along with a free domain name.

So even if your site is already hosted on any other web host and you are not happy with their services, you can enjoy the free WordPress migration with Bluehost. 

3. Ignoring Blog Design

First impression is the last impression!!

Yes, it is true. So even if your site is hosted on a reliable web host, if your site looks ugly then my friend all the money you are spending on hosting services is not worth it.

Having a premium theme not only makes your blog look impressive but also important from an SEO point of view.

Though there’s nothing wrong with starting with a free theme and later switching to a premium one. The problem arises when newbies like you end up using nulled themes.

Here is why a premium theme is important for your blog?

Reason #1: Gives your site a professional look that grabs users’ attention

Reason #2: Rich in built-in functions that helps easy customization

Reason #3: Typically faster and better for SEO

Reason #4: Will get regular updates for any bugs and improvisation

Reason #5: Mobile friendly, and

Reason #6: Unbelievable support 

I hope you have understood how important it is to opt for a premium theme.

So if you are using a pirated or null theme, we would advise you to switch to a reliable theme immediately if not premium.

And if you are already using a reliable free theme, go and grab a premium theme for your blog to take your blog to the next heights.

Now the question comes which theme you should go with?

Here is the straight answer!

1. GeneratePress

GeneratePress is the most popular WordPress theme across the globe with 2,968,929+ downloads, 1000+ (5 ratings), 300,000+ active websites, and 70,000+ happy customers.

We have been using the same theme from the beginning. Here is why we recommend it to everyone;

• Secure & stable
• Less than 10kb
• Top-tier speeds
• No dependencies
• Search engine optimized
• Accessibility ready

You can get a GP premium just at $49.95 for unlimited websites.

2. Astra       

Astra is another theme that we use on our subdomains and recommend to everyone.

It is the fastest-growing theme already opted by 1,000,000 users to build awesome websites.

Here are some reasons why people love Astra;

• No jQuery
• Less than 50 KB
• Loads in just 0.5 seconds
• Accessibility Ready
• Hooks & Filters
• SEO Friendly Markup
• Translation & RTL Ready
• Developed on Github
• Made for Page Builders

Astra Pro that offers next Level customizability and flexibility will cost you $47 for unlimited sites.

4. Copying Others Content

This is another very common mistake that nearly every newbie blogger makes.  

Google loves content. Content here I mean, quality, and unique content that adds some value to the readers’ life.

But creating quality content may seem a challenging job especially for beginners, thus end up wasting their time copying others’ content.

Copied content is considered plagiarism and it is impossible to rank copied content on Google.

So, if you are committing this mistake, either stop doing the same immediately or leave blogging. 

Little harsh but the truth!

Though it’s a good practice to keep an eye on your competitors to check what they are up to, copying the exact content from your competitors’ site without proper citation is an offense and one should avoid it.

So if you really want to make money blogging then you have to come with your own unique and engaging content.

Here are some quick tips to master copywriting skill;

• Master short-form copy first, make a routine of writing at least 500 words each day
• Follow the 80/20 rule, spend 80% of your time on research, and 20% of your time on writing
• Don’t use jargons, try to write the way you talk
• Practice, Practice, and Practice

Added to that, if you want to include some content or images from any other blog, don’t forget to mention the name of the blog or blogger.

Indeed, giving a backlink will do your job perfectly.

5. Not Being Consistent

This is one of the biggest mistakes why most of the amateur blogs fail.

You know, blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.

So to become a successful blogger you will have to be consistent.

We have seen so many bloggers, who start blogs, write a few posts, and then start expecting good results. This is not going to happen anyway.

If you really want to conquer the blogging world, get some inspiration by seeing the hard work pro bloggers put in, not their earnings.

So make a habit of publishing valuable content consistently. Posts frequency may vary from niche to niche.

Moreover, it is not always about posting new content. Prefer quality over quantity. Updating old posts, removing thin content, promotions, and all are also equally important.

We know, it may seem a challenging job in the beginning. But as we said in the above point, make a habit of writing 400-500 words a day.

And once you will start loving the process, you will eventually end up writing 1000+ words easily.

In case you are struggling to write good blog posts or coming up with posts ideas, here are some proven tips that you can use to overcome this;

Tip 1: Competitors’ research is one of the best ways to come up with new blog posts ideas. You don’t need to reinvent the wheels.

Simply, keep an eye on your competitors’ blogs, what they are doing, and get amazing posts ideas.

You can take advantage of question-and-answer websites like Quora, Reddit, etc.

Tip 2: Once you have finalized the topic, study the top 10 results on the same topic in Google SERP.

Make an outline of the post and try to write 10x content as compared to the existing results.

Tip 3: Try to write shorter paragraphs, use H1-H5 headings efficiently.

Tip 4: Google Docs along with Grammarly is enough to write smooth and error-free content.

Tip 5: Use Table of Content to facilitate your audience, easy navigation.

So be consistent and feel the difference.

6. Neglecting Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Having a self-hosted, well-designed blog on a reliable web hosting with massive valuable content is not worth it if nobody is reading it.

Here is where search engine optimization comes into play. You can say SEO is the backbone of any blog.

SEO is a process of optimizing your blog posts in such a way that they can rank on Google for the targeted terms.

If you are not doing your blog SEO in the right ways, then you are making a big mistake. It’s like committing SEO suicide.

Though SEO is an ocean and one can’t learn it overnight. Still, there are some basic on-page and off-page SEO techniques you must implement in each post from day one.

SEO Tip 1: Optimize Meta title and Meta description of your post for the target keywords

SEO Tip 2: Use your target keyword at some prominent places along with LSI keywords throughout your blog post

SEO Tip 3: Utilize H1-H5 tags efficiently

SEO Tip 4: Optimize your post URLs for SEO

SEO Tip 5: Take advantage of internal links and external links        

SEO Tip 6: Include alt text on every image

All these tips are basic yet effective tips that will certainly help your content rank higher in search engines.

So if you have been avoiding SEO so far, start implementing all these tips and be ahead of your competitors.  

7. Forgetting Blog Posts Distribution

Have you ever heard about the Pareto principle or 80/20 rule?

This rule simply says that roughly 80% of results come from 20% of the efforts you put in.

What does it mean to you in blogging? 

It means that as a blogger you need to give 20% time in content creation and 80% of your efforts should go into promotions.

But in reality, almost every newbie does its opposite.

Are you getting me?

Publishing quality content is not enough alone. 

Even if you have published really awesome content, what about letting know your readers about your awesome content?  

The simple answer is social media! 

In order to get initial exposure on your blog posts, you will have to share your latest posts on social media.

You can take advantage of relevant Facebook groups, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

This way you will not only be able to get massive traffic but also some of the traffic will get converted into your loyal readers.

Just remember that nobody will be coming to read your new blog, you will have to reach them!

So if you are making this mistake, STOP immediately!   

8. Not Having a Content Creation Strategy

Blogging is all about publishing valuable content regularly.

And planning ahead is very important, as it will help you to maintain the momentum.

If you don’t make a proper content creation strategy then you will struggle throughout your blogging journey.

Furthermore, posting random stuff does not work these days. You will have to do some strategic planning around content.

What would be the pillar content, content that will help driving traffic, content that will help you get some sales, and so on?

So if you are not having any schedule and plan, start creating one immediately.

It may seem hard, but if you want to see yourself on the list of top bloggers, you will have to do it anyhow.

And trust me, having a content creation strategy will help you a TON and will make your blogging journey much easier.

9. Ignoring Email List Building

It is said that money is the list!

In fact, an email list is something that you own yourself and have full control over it.

Unlike other traffic sources, where there is no guarantee of stable rankings in SERP and your social media accounts may get banned anytime, one thing which cannot be affected is your email list. 

And you know what, email marketing is one of the best ways to reach out to your target audience.

But most of the amateur bloggers do not take it seriously.

We know a lot of bloggers who did not focus on building an email list from day 1 and now regret it.

Here are some reasons why creating an email list is a must for your blogging business;

• You own your list
• You can control what to send, whom to send, and what to do next when people open your emails
• An email inbox is more private as compared to the social media platforms
• Automation makes email marketing awesome
• Email converts better than anything 

So start building your email list as soon as possible to connect with my loyal subscribers. For doing so you can subscribe to any reliable email marketing tools. 

We have been using Drip from the beginning but recently moved to ConvertKit. 

And now we must say that we are quite happy with their services and that is why we highly recommend everyone to go with ConvertKit as well.

10. Building Backlinks Like Crazy

Are backlinks crucial for your blog success?

Yes, they are!

But here, our main concern is the approach most of the amateur bloggers follow to build backlinks.

They think that building a huge number of backlinks is the only way to rank higher in the SERP and because of this misconception they start building tonnes of backlinks to a newly launched blog having a couple of blog posts only!

This is completely a wrong approach but most of the newbie bloggers make this mistake.

Wondering what should be the right approach?

For the first 6 months at least, your main focus should be on publishing quality content. Along with that, you can build 2-3 do-follow backlinks and a number of no-follow links by commenting on the relevant blogs.

Once you have around 40-50 quality posts on your blog then you start link building.

Skyscraper technique, Guest blogging, broken link building, HARO, Blogger Outreach, are some of the best ways to get backlinks.      

11. Missing Proper Linking

This is another very common mistake amateur blogs make. 

Undoubtedly, link building can help you boost your domain authority and that will further help you achieve better rankings.

But this is all possible only if you follow the right practice.

But most amateur bloggers look for shortcuts that impact them in so many ways without them realizing it:   

1. Buying Backlinks

Trading backlinks or using Private Blog Networks (PBNs) to build backlinks is the most common mistake made by amateur bloggers.

Usually, backlinks you will be getting this way would be from fake or irrelevant sites. And Google is smart enough to catch you if you follow any wrong approach for building links.

This is not going to help your blog anyway rather it will affect your site reputation and overall rankings.

So, from next time build backlinks organically. Though it may take time but this is the way you should be doing.

2. Not doing Inter Linking

This is again a big mistake most amateur bloggers make. 

There is a misconception among newbies that backlinks are everything, thus ignore linking to their own content. But this is totally wrong.

Interlinking is equally important. Linking to your own posts allows your readers to keep sticking to your own site. It will result in a lower bounce rate and better rankings.

So if you have been doing this mistake, start including relevant internal links (aka links to your own site) in every blog post.  

3. Not linking to other sites

You know blogging is all about Give and Take!

As a newbie, you have to learn the art of giving first then only you can expect something in return.

If you’re not linking to others then do not dare to expect others will link to you.

Linking to relevant sites in your niche will not only help you to build relationships with other bloggers but also help you in getting backlinks.

Read: Pet Blogging 2025: How To Start & Earn Writing For Pets?

12. Not Investing Your Money Back

Lastly, not investing in the necessary things is another biggest error that almost every amateur blogger makes.

You know, every business demands some investment to see the desired results. 

And if you explore, you will see every pro blogger invest a portion of their earnings on their blogging business. Whether it’s content creation, promotions, designing courses, plugins, or other blogging tools.

In the beginning, I made the same mistake. But once I realized that without investing some money in my blog I cannot scale my blogging business.

The day I understood the value of the investment, I started investing almost half of the money I earn on my blogs.

And now you can see the results, we are able to generate $10,000+ every month. This is all possible because I invested in the right resources.

If you really want to take your blog to the next level, you will have to change your mentality and start investing in your blog right away.

Here are some necessary investment for new bloggers;

• Starting a blog on a reliable host like Bluehost
• Opting for an SEO friendly and impressive theme such as GeneratePress, Astra
• Grammarly for proofreading
• SEMrush (All-in-one Marketing Toolkit) 
• Email marketing software like Convertkit

 So what are you waiting for? 

Read: Future Of Blogging 2025: Is Blogging Evergreen or Dead?

Final Thoughts on Amateur Bloggers Mistakes

So these are the most common mistakes that almost every amateur blogger makes.

And because of these awful mistakes, most of the amateur blogs fail.

We hope you have learned something new today and will add some value to your blogging journey. 

At last, we would say, if you’re doing any of these mistakes, stop making them straight away and see yourself way ahead of most of the newbie bloggers.

There’s never a perfect time, remember that!

So, show some courage and start avoiding these common amateur blogging mistakes.