Hosting, SEO, keyword research, analytics, the works. This is the actual setup I use for my own blog and the client blogs I help build. Nothing here is theoretical.
A preview of what's coming below. The full list of vetted picks, affiliate links, and use-case notes lands here soon.
My pick for bloggers who want reliable WordPress hosting without the enterprise price tag. Speed, security, and support that actually responds. This is what runs danaskalin.com.
Try HostingerThe SEO tool I use to find low-competition keywords my clients can realistically rank for in Google. RankIQ scores each keyword and tells you exactly which terms to use in your post so it has a real shot at page one.
Try RankIQThe email platform behind my Unleashed newsletter and most of my client setups. MailerLite is clean, affordable, and gives you proper automations without making you build them in some unintuitive maze. Their free tier is generous enough to get started.
Try MailerLiteBoth free, both essential. Analytics 4 tells you what visitors do once they land on your blog. Search Console tells you what they searched for to get there. If you're blogging without these two set up, you're flying blind.
Set Up GA4A note on affiliates: Some links above are affiliate links. Your price stays the same and a small commission helps keep this site running. I only recommend tools I actually use in real client work.