How to Start a True Crime Blog (and Get Away With it) – The 7 Step Formula

If you fancy yourself a bit of a detective and want to share your knowledge with the world, starting a true crime blog could be just the ticket.

One of the cunning few who can solve any mystery? Starting a true crime blog might be the best thing that you ever do.

Turn your passion for solving crimes into an income generating project by following the steps below and become a true crime blogger.

How to Start a True Crime Blog in 7 Easy Steps

Find more details on how to do each step below.

Diving head first in to the world of true crime blogging is a brilliant decision.

However, there are a couple of things that you will need to do before your blog is up and running.

First, Why Even Listen to Me?

Well, to start with I am a huge true crime fan.

In fact, I don’t think there is a netflix crime documentary that I haven’t binge watched.

Outside of this borderline obsession, I am an experienced online marketer.

I recently sold one of my affiliate blogs.

So, I know exactly what it takes to build a blog that captivates readers and makes money.

With that covered, let’s move on to the planning of your new blog.

Planning Your True Crime Blog

Do you have a knack for unsolved murders, cold cases, and forensics?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then a true-crime blog might be the perfect creative outlet.

Sharing your knowledge and fascination with the true-crime world can be a fun and rewarding experience, but starting a blog can feel overwhelming.

No need to worry.

Once you understand the basics of blogging and promoting your content, you’ll be well on your way to success.

In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to plan and create your true crime blog, including brainstorming content ideas, creating engaging blog posts, and promoting your content.

Picking a Niche

One of the basic steps of starting any blog is to pick a niche.

A niche is a specific topic or category around which you will create content.

Knowing your niche will help you focus your content and market your blog to the right audience.

When it comes to true crime, there are endless possibilities for niches.

True Crime Blog Niche Ideas

If you are interested in true crime, you could write about:

Unsolved murders
High-profile cases
Forensic science
Criminal psychology
The business of true crime
True crime books, movies and podcasts

If you’re wondering how to pick a niche for your true crime blog, start by brainstorming content ideas.

What topics are you passionate about?

What do you have experience with?

Once you’ve brainstormed a list of potential topics, narrow it down to one or two that you could write about regularly.

While choosing a niche, remember consistency is key.

It’s better to start small and focus on one or two topics that you’re passionate about rather than trying to cover everything related to true crime.

Spend a good amount of time reading up on and thinking about how to pick a niche for your blog.

About an hour is a good amount.

Don’t get too hung up here though.

Pick a subtopic and move on.

You can always come back later and expand the topics that you are writing about.

Find Competitors & Examples

Once you’ve chosen your niche, it’s time to research.

Start with a Google search for keywords like “true crime blogs” and create a running list of the sites you visit.

You’ll use your notes to help you build a scaffold for success.

Some good examples of successful true crime blogs are:

Another way to find true crime blogs examples is to search for specific keywords on Google, such as “unsolved murders”, “forensic science” or “true crime blog”.

This will help you find blogs that cover similar topics to those you’re interested in that are already ranking well in the search results (something you’ll want to do yourself to attract new readers).

As you look at other blogs, note what you like and don’t like.

What type of content resonates with you?

What kind of content turns you off?

Use this information to help you plan the content for your own crime blog.

You can also learn a lot from looking at unsuccessful blogs.

What kind of content are they posting?

How often do they post?

Are there any glaring errors on their website?

Use this information to help you avoid making the same mistakes on your blog.

Gather Keyword Data

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential competitors, look at their websites and see what kind of content they’re posting.

A great way to understand what makes your competitors thrive is to check what keywords they’re ranking for on Google. You can use a tool like Semrush to find out.

Just enter your competitor’s URL into the tool, and it will give you a list of their most popular keywords.

Doing so will help you understand what topics are most popular among readers of true crime blogs, which will help you plan the content for your blog.

Semrush will also estimate the traffic your competitor’s website is getting and their average monthly organic search traffic.

With traffic data, you can better picture the work you’ll need to do to rank amongst the most-read true crime blogs.

Starting a True Crime Blog in 7 Steps

Now that we’ve gone over how to choose a niche and find competitors, it’s time to start creating your true crime blog.

Follow these seven steps, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful true-crime blogger in no time.

1. Pick a Domain Name for Your True Crime Blog

The first step is to choose a domain name for your blog.

This is the URL that people will use to access your website.

Think of your domain name as the first step in creating a blog brand.

You’ll want one relevant to your content and memorable for your audience.

Tips on Selecting a Domain Name

Keep it short and easy to remember.
Make sure it’s available as a .com domain.
Use relevant keywords.
Avoid using hyphens or numbers.
Choose a name that’s catchy and memorable.
Ensure it is available and not already taken.

Spend an hour or two selecting your domain name.

Your domain can be changed later, but this wouldn’t be ideal. So it is worth spending some time selecting the right name in advance.

Once you have a list of potential domain name ideas, you will need to check that they are available to register.

Companies like SiteGround let you easily check if your desired domain names are available.

Use the tool below to do this now.

A domain name from SiteGround will only cost you a few dollars per year.

So you will be able to get a cool and professional domain name without breaking the bank.

2. Select Your True Crime Blog Hosting

Getting hosting for your blog is the next step.

Your hosting site is where you’ll store all of your website’s files and data.

When selecting hosting, there are a few things you need to consider:

The type of hosting you need (shared, VPS, dedicated, etc.)
How much storage space and bandwidth you’ll need
Customer support needs
The price of the hosting plan

There are many hosting providers, each offering different features and plans.

Do some research and select the one that’s best for your needs.

While some hosting plans are free, we recommend a paid program.

Free plans often have certain limitations, such as not allowing you to use your domain name.

Most free plans give a domain name with their branding (e.g., yourblog.wordpress.com).

This can make your blog look less professional and deter potential readers from visiting your site. It also affects your blog’s ranking in search engines.

On the other hand, paid plans allow you to use your domain name and generally have more features than free plans.

If you want to give yourself the best chance of success, go with an affordable paid hosting option like SiteGround.

They’re also more reliable and offer better customer support.

Most paid plans are billed annually, but some providers also offer monthly plans.

If you’re on a budget, many affordable hosting plans are available.

Just be sure to compare the features of each program before making your decision. Sift through the different options and find the best one for you and your blog.

Some popular hosting arrangements include:

Shared hosting: With shared hosting, your website lives alongside others on a single server. All sites share the resources (storage space, bandwidth, etc.) available on the server.
VPS hosting: VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a step up from shared hosting. In this type of hosting, you share a server with other websites. However, the resources are divided up so that each website has its own “virtual” space, providing more stability and security for your website.
Dedicated hosting: Dedicated hosting is the most expensive type of hosting. Your website is the only one hosted on the server in this arrangement, providing you with exclusive access to all the server resources.

3. Install WordPress

Now that your domain name and hosting are set up, it’s time to install WordPress.

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that helps you easily create and manage your website’s content.

WordPress also has a vast range of plugins and themes available, which allows you to customize your website to suit your needs. These include plugins for social media integration, e-commerce, security, search engine optimization (SEO), etc.

Themes allow you to change the look of your website without having to edit any code.

There are many free and premium themes available. Once you’ve found a theme you like, simply install it on your WordPress site.

There are two ways to install WordPress:

The Easy Way: Many hosting providers offer a one-click install of WordPress, such as Softaculous (provided by SiteGround), making the process much easier.
The Hard Way: If your hosting provider doesn’t offer a one-click install, you can manually install WordPress yourself. The process is a bit more technical, but plenty of resources are available to help you do the installation correctly.

4. Find a True Crime Blog Theme

A WordPress theme is a collection of files that determine the look and feel of your website. They add personality to your blog and play a role in the overall user experience.

When choosing a theme for your true crime blog, it’s essential to find one that is:

Responsive: The theme will look good on all devices, from computers to tablets to smartphones.
Easy to use: It should be easy to customize without editing any code.
SEO friendly: The theme should be optimized for search engines so that your website can rank higher in search results.

Selecting a theme for your true-crime blog is an important decision. Take your time and choose one that you think will tell your website’s story while offering your audience an easy-to-use interface.

For beginners to the blogging scene, it’s often best to choose a simple theme that’s easily customized.

Without necessarily having to be a website developer, a customizable WordPress theme will allow you to change your website’s colors, fonts, layouts, and other aspects with just a few clicks.

Free WordPress themes are great for starting, but they often don’t have as many features as premium themes. Premium themes include more options, such as pre-made layouts, custom widgets, etc.

We wouldn’t recommend a paid theme right off the bat, though. Once your blog grows and you better understand what you need, you can upgrade to a premium theme.

However, we recommend doing a little research before settling on a theme. Read online reviews and look for demo sites of the theme to get an idea of what the user experience is like.

5. Personalize Your True Crime Blog

Customizing your website is one of the most fun parts of starting a true crime blog. This step is where you get to make your website look and feel like your own. It is also crucial since it determines how appealing your blog will be to potential readers.

Your true-crime blog should reflect your interests and style. Choose a color scheme, font, and overall design that you think represents you and your website well.

WordPress Customizer Panel

The Customizer panel in WordPress allows you to customize your website without editing any code. Simply go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard to get started.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to customizing your website. However, we recommend starting with the basics, such as adding a logo, changing the colors and fonts, and adding social media buttons.

Once you’ve made all the fundamental changes, take some time to explore all of the other options and see what else you can do to personalize your website.

The Customizer panel is a great way to experiment with different looks for your website without having to make any permanent changes.

6. Carry Out Keyword Research

Once you’ve defined your blog’s purpose and target audience, it’s time to conduct keyword research to determine what topics your blog should cover and what keywords you should use in your blog posts.

There are several different ways to carry out keyword research. Using a keyword research tool like Semrush is a great way to start. The tool allows you to enter a keyword and see how many people search for that term.

While using Semrush for keyword research, use the list of previously compiled competitor blogs to get an idea of the most popular keywords that they are targeting. Try to find keywords that have a high search volume but low competition.

Long-tail keywords are usually easier to rank for and can be more specific.

Semrush also offers a keyword magic tool that is a great way to understand your target audience’s interest. Keywords that users actively search within the true crime niche are displayed, along with related keywords so you can expand your content portfolio.

Keyword research is a great way to understand what content you should be creating for your blog. It’s important to remember that your blog posts should be engaging, informative, and keyword-rich to rank higher in search engines.

By carrying out keyword research, you will understand what topics are most popular within the true crime niche and how you can make your blog stand out from the rest.

7. Publish Your First True Crime Blog Post

After conducting keyword research and coming up with a reasonably low competition keyword, it’s time to write your first blog post.

When writing your blog post, be sure to include the keyword in the title, throughout the body of the text, and in the meta descriptions. However, don’t overuse the keyword, as this can result in your blog post being penalized by search engines.

Ensuring the blog post is well-written, informative, and engaging is essential. No one wants to read a poorly written blog post, no matter how attractive the topic may be.

A great blog post answers the reader’s questions, provides valuable information, and is entertaining to read. Before publishing it, proofread your blog post, as errors can make your blog look unprofessional.

Authenticity is also essential when writing blog posts. Write in your voice and be yourself. Maintaining a unique author’s voice will make your blog more relatable and enjoyable to read.

An original blog post also means you’ve taken time to research the topic and provide your insights, rather than regurgitating information that your audience can find elsewhere.

Here are some tips on writing and publishing a great blog post:

Research: Take the time to research your topic inside and out. The more you know about a subject, the easier it will be to write about it.
Plan: Before you start writing, take some time to plan out your blog post to make the writing process smoother and help you stay on track.
Outline: Once you’ve planned out your blog post, create an overview of the main points you want to cover as a guide while writing. It can also help keep your thoughts organized.
Write: Now it’s time to start writing. Be sure to include your keyword throughout the blog post, but don’t overdo it.
Edit: Once you’ve finished writing, take some time to edit your blog post by cleaning up any typos or grammatical errors. At this stage, remember to check for any hints of plagiarism and make sure you’ve correctly cited all sources.
Publish: Your blog post is now ready to be published. Hit the publish button and share your post with the world.

Marketing Your True Crime Blog

Now that your blog contains well-written and informative content, it’s time to let the world know it exists. Marketing your blog is crucial in driving traffic and ensuring your blog is successful.

There are several different ways to market your blog, such as:

Social media: Share your blog posts on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience.
Email marketing: Send regular emails to your subscribers featuring your latest blog post. Include a call to action to encourage them to read the post.
Guest blogging: Write guest posts for other blogs in your niche. Include a link back to your blog in the author bio section.
Paid advertising: Use paid advertising platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads to reach a wider audience.

SEO For Your True Crime Blog

The success of your true-crime blog also depends on how well you’ve optimized it for search engines. This process, known as search engine optimization (SEO), is vital in ensuring your blog appears as high up in the search results as possible.

There are several things you should consider when optimizing your blog for SEO, such as:

Keywords

It is important to include relevant keywords throughout your blog, such as in the title, meta descriptions, and body of the text. However, don’t overuse keywords, as this can result in your blog being penalized by search engines.

Links

Include links to other websites and blogs in your niche to help improve your blog’s SEO. Just be sure to use quality websites that are relevant to your topic.

Images

Include images in your blog posts as they can help break up the text and make your post more visually appealing. Include keywords in your images’ file names and alt text to improve your blog’s SEO.

Formatting

The way your blog is formatted can also impact its SEO. Use headings and subheadings to break up your text, and use short paragraphs to make your content easier to read. The average visitor only spends a few seconds on a website, so making sure your blog is easy to scan is essential.

Search engine optimization is a complex topic, but following these simple tips will help ensure your blog is successful:

Create informative content that is well-written and relevant to your niche.
Use keywords throughout your blog, but avoid keyword stuffing.
Include links to other websites and blogs to help improve your blog’s SEO.
Make sure to include images in your posts, and ensure they are relevant and well-attributed.
Format your blog posts in an easy-to-read format, using short paragraphs, bullet lists, and headings to break up the text.

Social Media Marketing For Your True Crime Blog

Social media is a powerful tool that you can use to market your true crime blog. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have millions of users, which allows you to reach a broad audience.

Sharing your blog posts on social media is a great way to drive traffic to your website. The shared links will direct people to your blog, where they can read your latest post.

Having your blog integrated with social media is also beneficial for SEO. Search engines like Google consider social signals when ranking websites, so the more your blog is shared on social media, the higher it will appear in the search results.

Social media marketing can be paid or organic. Organic social media marketing involves creating informative and engaging content shared on social media platforms. Paid social media marketing, on the other hand, involves paying for ads that promote your blog post.

Both methods can be effective in driving traffic to your website. It’s essential to experiment with both to see what works best for your blog.

When using social media to market your blog, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

Create shareable content: Write blog posts that are informative and interesting, and include images or videos to make them more shareable.
Use hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to reach a broader audience on social media.
Share regularly: Don’t just share your blog posts once and then forget about them. Share them multiple times, and mix up the content you’re sharing (e.g., share a blog post, followed by an image, followed by a quote, etc.).
Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and messages from your readers. Showing that you’re active on social media will help encourage people to follow and interact with you.

Content Marketing For Your True Crime Blog

Content marketing is another effective way to market your true crime blog. Content marketing involves creating and sharing content that is relevant to your niche. This content can take the form of blog posts, infographics, videos, or even podcasts.

It is a great way to drive traffic to your website and improve your blog’s SEO. When you create informative and engaging content, people will want to share it with their friends and followers. This will help to increase your blog’s reach and visibility.

Some of the essential content marketing prerequisites for your true-crime blog are as follows:

Understand your audience: The first step to creating compelling content is understanding your audience and what they’re interested in.
Create valuable content: Once you know who your audience is, you can start creating content that is relevant and valuable to them to ensure that your content is shared and read by people interested in it.
Analytics: Use analytics to track the performance of your content, so you can understand what’s working and what’s not to adjust your content accordingly.
Pillar content: Pillar content is a type of content that is evergreen and informative. It’s the kind of content that people will repeatedly want to read, share, and reference.
Data-backed content: Data-backed content is another popular type of content among readers that uses data and statistics to provide valuable insights.
In-depth content: Your true-crime blog should also include some in-depth content, which is usually longer and more detailed than other types of content. It’s perfect for readers who want to learn more about a specific topic.

Email Marketing For Your True Crime Blog

Another way of marketing your blog is through email marketing, which involves sending out emails to your subscribers with the latest blog posts, updates, and promotions.

Email marketing is a great way to keep your readers updated on what’s new on your blog. It’s also a great way to build relationships with your readers. When you send out regular emails, you’re more likely to keep your readers engaged with your blog.

To get started with email marketing, you’ll need to set up an email list. There are several ways to do this, but the most common way is to use an email service provider. Once you’ve set up your email list, you can start creating and sending out emails.

When creating your emails, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Subject line: The subject line of your email should be interesting and attention-grabbing.
Content: Your email content should be well-written and relevant to your audience.
Call to action: Include a call to action in your email so your readers know what you want them to do.
Images: Include images in your email to make it more visually appealing.
Design: Make sure your email is designed well and easy to read. You can use color psychology to improve the design of your email by creating a particular feeling and mood for your subscribers.

Paid Advertising For Your True Crime Blog

Paid advertising allows you to place ads on other websites or blogs and is an excellent way to drive traffic to your site. These ads can be in the form of banner ads, text ads, or even video ads.

Paid advertising can be a great way to drive traffic to your website. However, it’s crucial to choose the right type of ad and target it to the right audience. Otherwise, you may waste money on ads that no one will see or click.

To get started with paid advertising, you’ll need to choose an ad platform. There are many different ad platforms available, so it’s essential to research the right one for you. Once you’ve chosen an ad platform, you’ll need to create your ad.

When creating your ad, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Targeting: Make sure you target your ad to the right audience. Otherwise, you may waste money on ads that no one will see or click on.
Budget: Set a budget for your ad, so you don’t overspend.
Ad format: Choose an ad format that’s right for your website or blog.
Testing: Test your ad before launching it to ensure it’s effective.

Monetizing Your True Crime Blog

The ultimate goal of any blog is to make money. There are a few different ways to monetize your true crime blog. Monetizing a blog involves earning money through advertising, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or selling products.

Advertising

You can monetize your true crime blog through advertising. Advertising allows you to place ads on your blog or website. These ads can be in the form of banner ads, text ads, or even video ads.

Sponsorships

Another way to monetize is with sponsorships. Sponsorships involve partnering with brands and businesses willing to pay you to promote their products or services on your blog.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services on your blog and earning a commission when someone buys something through your affiliate link.

Selling Products

Merch is a huge source of income for your favorite online personalities, so once your true crime blog has a large enough audience, consider investing in designing and manufacturing branded products.

Here are several things to keep in mind when monetizing your true-crime blog:

Do your research: Find the right strategy for you, as not all monetization routes will work for every blog.
Test different strategies: Try out different monetization strategies and see what works best for you and your audience.
Don’t overdo it: Don’t try to monetize your blog too much. Otherwise, you may turn off your readers.
Be transparent: Be transparent with your readers about how you’re monetizing your blog.

True crime is a trendy genre that has a broad appeal. If you’re thinking about starting a true-crime blog, this guide should help you get started. Launch your blog today and start sharing your true crime passion with the world!

Starting a True Crime Blog FAQ

What is a Crime Blogger?

A crime blogger is someone who writes about and publishes any content related to crime or criminals on a blog.

The best crime blogs will focus on missing person cases, the hunt for serial killers or prolific criminals, breaking crime stories and/or newsworthy trials.

How Do You Write a True Crime Blog?

Writing a true crime blog, or writing about true crime in general, can be great fun and hugely successful if you do it right.

You will want to keep some things in mind though whilst you’re writing your content.

Remember Your Characters Are Real People

Never forget that you are writing about real people, not fictional characters.

Spare some thoughts, empathy and consideration for the families of both the victims and the criminals. Keeping this in mind will go a long way in not causing any unnecessary upset, and resonate with your readers.

Use The ‘So What?’ Test

Unfortunately crime is all too common in todays society.

Use the ‘so what?’ test to discern if your story will grab attention or be of any real interest to the general public.

Crafting newsworthy content or stories is a skill to be practised and refined, so always ask yourself ‘so what?’ before publishing so you can tie your content to your readers and make it obvious why they should care about what you’re writing about.

Practise, Practise, Practise

Compelling writing is a skill like any other, and the key thing you need to do to get better at it is practise.

Keep a journal and make sure you are writing daily.

Don’t overthink it though, you will need to hit publish at some point so it might as well be sooner rather than later!

Where Can I Research True Crime Cases?

True crime cases can be researched from a wide variety of sources.

For example, freedom of information requests can be used to get new and compelling information that will help you set your blog apart from any other true crime blogs out there.

You can also look at other true crime websites such as Murderpedia, The Crime Museum or True Crime Report for ideas and inspiration.