My Blogging Journey How I Built My Blog & Applied for Adsense
Why Build From Scratch?
When I decided to start blogging, I faced a choice that many aspiring bloggers encounter: use a platform like WordPress or build something custom. I chose the harder pathbuilding my blog from scratch using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Firebase Firestore as the backend.
Why? Because I wanted complete control. I wanted to understand every line of code, every design decision, every technical choice. Using a pre-built platform would have been faster, but building from scratch taught me more than any tutorial ever could.
The Tech Stack
Here's what powers my blog:
- HTML The structure and content framework
- CSS Custom styling for a clean, minimal design
- JavaScript Dynamic content loading and interactivity
- Firebase Firestore NoSQL database for storing blog posts and metadata
- Firebase Hosting Fast, reliable hosting with SSL built-in
This stack gave me flexibility while keeping things relatively simple. Firestore handles the backend without requiring a traditional server, and Firebase Hosting makes deployment effortless.
Implementing SEO: More Than Just Keywords
Building the blog was one thing; making it discoverable was another challenge entirely. I learned that SEO isn't just about stuffing keywordsit's about creating a technically sound, user-friendly website that search engines can understand.
Meta Tags
Every blog post includes carefully crafted meta tags:
- Title tags that accurately describe the content
- Meta descriptions that summarize posts in 150-160 characters
- Keywords that reflect the actual content
- Open Graph tags for better social media sharing
- Canonical URLs to prevent duplicate content issues
Mobile Optimization
With Google's mobile-first indexing, mobile optimization isn't optionalit's essential. I implemented:
- Responsive design using CSS media queries
- Fast loading times by optimizing images and minimizing JavaScript
- Touch-friendly navigation and buttons
- Viewport meta tags for proper scaling on mobile devices
Technical SEO
Beyond the basics, I focused on:
- Clean URL structure descriptive, readable URLs
- Proper heading hierarchy H1, H2, H3 tags used correctly
- Internal linking connecting related posts
- Sitemap.xml helping search engines discover all pages
- Robots.txt guiding crawler behavior
- Page speed optimization compressing assets, lazy loading images
Google Analytics Integration
Understanding your audience is crucial for improving content. I integrated Google Analytics to track:
- Page views and unique visitors
- Traffic sources (organic search, social media, direct)
- User behavior (bounce rate, time on page, popular content)
- Device and browser statistics
- Geographic location of visitors
The data from Analytics has been invaluable. It shows which posts resonate with readers, where traffic comes from, and what topics to explore next.
The Adsense Application Process
After building a solid foundation, I applied for Google Adsensea program that allows bloggers to monetize their content through ads. The application process taught me several important lessons:
What Google Looks For
- Original content No copied or duplicate content from other sites
- Sufficient content Generally recommended to have 15-20 quality posts minimum
- Consistent posting Regular updates show the site is active
- Clean design Professional appearance and easy navigation
- Policy adherence Following Google's content policies (no prohibited content)
- Privacy policy and required pages Contact, About, Privacy Policy pages
- Age of domain Typically 6 months old (though not a hard requirement)
My Application Status
I'm currently working toward Adsense approval by:
- Publishing more high-quality, original content
- Ensuring all posts provide genuine value to readers
- Maintaining consistent posting schedule
- Improving overall site quality and user experience
- Building organic traffic through SEO
Key Lessons Learned
1. Original Content is King
Every blog post needs to offer unique value. I write about my actual experiencesprojects I've built, problems I've solved, lessons I've learned. This authenticity can't be faked or copied.
2. Consistency Matters
Publishing sporadically doesn't build an audience. Setting a schedule (even if it's just one post per week) creates momentum and signals to search engines that your site is active.
3. Design for Users, Not Just Search Engines
While SEO is important, the primary focus should be user experience. If readers find your content valuable and enjoyable, the SEO will follow naturally.
4. Technical Skills Give You Control
Building my blog from scratch means I can implement any feature I want without being limited by a platform's constraints. Want to add a custom search? Implement a specific layout? Integrate with unique APIs? Complete control makes it possible.
5. Patience is Essential
Building traffic and getting Adsense approval doesn't happen overnight. It requires consistent effort, quality content, and time for search engines to discover and rank your site.
Future Plans
My blogging journey is just beginning. Here's what's next:
- Reach 15+ quality posts before reapplying for Adsense
- Implement advanced features comments system, search functionality, tag filtering
- Expand content topics more tutorials, project showcases, technical deep dives
- Build backlinks through guest posting and community engagement
- Explore affiliate marketing for relevant tech products
- Create video content to complement written posts
- Optimize for voice search as it becomes more prevalent
Advice for Aspiring Bloggers
If you're thinking about starting a blog, here's my advice:
Start today. Don't wait for the perfect setup or the perfect first post. Start with what you have and improve as you go.
Choose your platform wisely. If you want to learn web development, build from scratch. If you want to focus purely on writing, use WordPress or another established platform. There's no wrong choiceonly what fits your goals.
Write about what you know. Your unique experiences and perspectives are more valuable than trying to cover oversaturated topics.
Be patient with monetization. Focus on creating value first. Monetization opportunities will come once you've built an audience and established credibility.
Learn SEO basics. You don't need to be an expert, but understanding fundamentals helps your content reach the people who need it.
Engage with your readers. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and build a community around your content.
The blogging journey is challenging but rewarding. Every post teaches you somethingabout writing, about your topic, about connecting with an audience. Keep creating, keep learning, and keep sharing your knowledge with the world.