Your first 10 blog posts matter more than most people realise — not because they need to be perfect, but because the mix of content you publish early tells Google what your blog is about and gives new readers a reason to stick around. I started thesidehustler.blog with no plan for my early content. This is the framework I wish I’d had — and exactly what I’d write if I were starting again today.
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Your first 10 blog posts matter more than most people realize. Not because they need to be perfect — they don’t — but because the mix of content you publish early sets the tone for your blog, signals to Google what you’re about, and gives new readers a reason to stick around.
Most new bloggers either write whatever comes to mind (random content with no strategy) or get so paralysed by the question of what to write that they publish nothing at all. This post gives you a third option: a simple, structured plan for your first 10 posts that builds something worth growing.
I started thesidehustler.blog with no real plan for my early content. Looking back, I wish I’d had a framework like this.
Why Your First 10 Blog Posts Matter
Before the list, a quick explanation of what you’re building toward.
Your first 10 posts serve three purposes:
1. Signal your topic to Google. A cluster of posts around a related theme tells Google what your blog is about. Ten random posts on ten different topics sends a confused signal. Ten posts that all relate back to your niche builds topical authority from the start.
2. Give new readers somewhere to go. When someone finds your blog and likes what they read, they’ll look for more. If you only have one or two posts, they leave. If you have ten, they explore.
3. Build your own writing habit. Getting to ten posts is harder than it sounds if you’ve never blogged before. Having a plan means you never have to ask “what do I write next?” — you just move to the next post on the list.
Your First 10 Blog Posts: The Plan
Post 1: Your Pillar Post
Your pillar post is the most comprehensive piece on your blog’s main topic — the one that covers the big picture and links out to every other post you write.
If your blog is about budget travel, your pillar might be “How to Travel Europe on a Budget: The Complete Guide.” If it’s about personal finance, it might be “How to Get Out of Debt: A Step-by-Step Plan.”
This post will eventually be your most linked-to, most trafficked page. Write it well, structure it clearly, and plan it to link out to the more focused posts you’ll write later.
Don’t wait until you have ten posts to write this — write it first. It gives you a hub to link back to as you build out the cluster.
Recommended reading: How to Start a Blog in 2026 (Simple Step-by-Step Guide)
Post 2: Your “About Me” Story Post
This isn’t the static About page — it’s a proper post that tells your story in a way that connects with your reader.
The best version of this post isn’t “here’s my CV and credentials.” It’s “here’s why I started this blog, what I’ve been through, and why I’m the person you should trust on this topic.” It’s personal, honest, and specific.
For Lee — thesidehustler.blog exists because of a cancer diagnosis, a decision to stop waiting, and a move toward a different kind of life. That story is the reason readers feel something when they read this blog. Your story, whatever it is, deserves the same treatment.
This post tends to be one of the most read pages on a blog over time. Don’t skip it.
Post 3: A Beginner’s Guide to Your Core Topic
After the pillar and the story, write a beginner’s guide to one specific aspect of your main topic. This is where you start building the cluster around your pillar.
If your pillar is about budget travel in Europe, Post 3 might be “How to Find Cheap Flights to Europe: A Beginner’s Guide.” If it’s personal finance, it might be “How to Create Your First Budget in 5 Steps.”
The beginner’s guide format works well this early because:
- It’s accessible to new readers who’ve just found you
- It answers a specific question people are Googling
- It gives you an internal link target to use in future posts
Post 4: A List Post in Your Niche
List posts — “10 Ways to…”, “7 Best…”, “5 Things Every X Should Know” — are among the most shareable and pinnable formats in blogging. They’re easy to scan, easy to share on Pinterest, and easy to write when you know your topic.
Write one early. It doesn’t need to be the definitive list on the topic — it just needs to be genuinely useful to your reader. Think about the questions people in your niche ask most often, then answer several of them in one post.
Post 5: A Comparison or Review Post
Comparison and review posts are your first real affiliate-conversion content. Someone searching “X vs Y” or “Is X worth it?” is actively making a buying decision — they have high intent and they’re looking for someone they trust to help them choose.
Write an honest review of a product you genuinely use in your niche, or compare two options your reader is likely choosing between.
For thesidehustler.blog, this was the Hostinger review and the Hostinger vs Bluehost comparison — posts built around real personal experience that also happen to convert well. The personal experience is what makes them trustworthy.
Recommended reading: Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers: 7 Simple Steps to Your First Commission
Post 6: An “Answer a Specific Question” Post
By post 6, you should have a sense of what questions your target reader is asking. Go to Google, type your niche topic, and look at the People Also Ask boxes. Every question there is a post.
These focused Q&A posts tend to rank well because they match search intent precisely — the reader types a specific question and your post answers it directly. They’re also quick to write, which matters when you’re building momentum.
Post 7: A Personal Experience Post
By now you’ve published a mix of guides, lists, and reviews. Post 7 is a chance to write something more personal — a story, a lesson learned, a thing you tried that worked or didn’t.
Personal experience posts build trust in a way informational guides don’t. They show there’s a real person behind the blog. They give readers a reason to invest in your journey. And they often generate the most comments and email replies.
Don’t overthink it. Pick something real that happened — a mistake you made, a result you achieved, something that surprised you — and write it honestly.
Post 8: A Deep-Dive Tutorial
A step-by-step tutorial on a specific process in your niche. This is longer and more detailed than your earlier guides — it walks the reader through something from start to finish, with clear steps they can follow.
Tutorials rank well for “how to” searches, which tend to have strong commercial intent. They’re also natural homes for affiliate links — if you recommend a tool at Step 3, your reader is in exactly the right mindset to act on it.
Post 9: A Roundup Post
A curated list of the best resources, tools, or examples on a topic in your niche. “The Best Budget Travel Blogs to Follow,” “10 Personal Finance Books Worth Reading,” “The Top Free SEO Tools for New Bloggers.”
Roundups serve two purposes: they’re useful to readers as curated guides, and they can generate backlinks if the people or sites you mention share or link to your post.
Keep it genuine — don’t pad it with mediocre inclusions just to hit a round number.
Post 10: An SEO-Targeted Post on a Long-Tail Keyword
By post 10, you’ve built a real foundation. Now it’s time to deliberately target a longer, more specific search phrase where a new blog can realistically rank.
Long-tail keywords — phrases of four words or more — have lower search volume but lower competition. “Cheap places to travel in Europe in autumn” is easier to rank for than “cheap travel in Europe.” “How to stick to a budget when you live with a partner” is easier to rank for than “budgeting tips.”
Use Google autocomplete, Google Trends, or a free keyword tool to find a specific phrase in your niche with clear intent. Write the best answer to that specific question that exists on the internet.
Recommended reading: SEO Guide for Beginners: 8 Simple Steps to Get Your Blog Found on Google
A Few Rules for All 10 Posts
Write for one reader. Picture a specific person — your ideal reader — and write every post as if it’s for them. Not “bloggers” in the abstract. A specific person with a specific problem.
Optimize every post for SEO from day one. Focus keyword in the title, first sentence, at least one H2, and meta description. Internal links throughout. It takes ten minutes per post and compounds over time. Install Rank Math to make this automatic. Also set up Google Search Console before you publish your first post — it’s free and essential for tracking how Google indexes your site.
Link your posts to each other. Every post should link to at least three others on your blog. Build the web from post one — don’t leave it until you have fifty posts and a messy linking structure to retrofit.
Don’t wait for perfect. Post 1 doesn’t need to be your best work. It needs to exist. You’ll improve as you write. The bloggers who succeed aren’t necessarily the best writers — they’re the ones who showed up consistently and kept going.
Recommended Reading:
- How to Write a Blog Post: A Simple 10-Step Guide That Gets Results
- Blog Design for Beginners: 8 Simple Rules for a Blog That Looks Good and Converts
- How to Choose a Blog Niche: 5 Simple Steps to Find the Right One
What Comes After Post 10?
Keep the pattern going. Alternate between pillar-supporting posts, comparison and review content, personal posts, and SEO-targeted long-tail pieces. That mix builds authority, trust, and traffic simultaneously.
Also: start your email list if you haven’t already. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is free up to 10,000 subscribers — sign up here. Even with a small blog, an email list compounds faster than almost anything else you can build.
And once you’ve published those first ten posts — get your hosting sorted if you haven’t already. A blog you own and control is the only kind worth spending time on.
Recommended reading: Blog Content Strategy: How to Plan Posts That Actually Grow Your Traffic
Which of the 10 post types are you most looking forward to writing? Drop it in the comments.
