• Mediavine Requirements Hero

    “Should I Hold Out for Mediavine?”
    An Honest Assessment of Mediavine Requirements (2023)

    Maybe you pressed publish that first time without realizing what was next. If you're like me, you just wanted to start a blog, share your perspective on the world, and maybe get some niche-dependent perks on the side. (A lifetime of travel is one great one for me as a travel blogger!) But there is so. much. more. to being a blogger than just writing and hitting publish...

  • SHE Media Review Hero

    SHE Media Review: Is This A Good Ad Network for Bloggers?

    For many bloggers and site owners, reaching the level of traffic where you're able to start running ads is the first step in living "The Dream;" it's a chance to start earning income passively and perpetually for work you've already done. It's that first paycheck from an ad network that makes you realize decoupling your time and earnings is possible – and blogs or websites are a great way to do it...

  • Create Your First eBook Hero

    How to Easily Create Your First eBook from Idea to ISBN

    If there's one area that most bloggers and site owners are missing out the most, it's in the area of products and services. Many people can master SEO enough to earn advertising revenue, figure out an email system that works for them, and do some affiliate marketing. But the fifth pillar of Site School is all about creating products and services...

  • December Traffic Bump Hero

    8 To-Dos to Prep Your Blog for the December Traffic Bump (2022)

    Here we are, in the early days of winter, as the darkness descends and we all feel a little bit down. If your blog is anything like mine, you’ve probably been feeling the squeeze of seasonality since school “started” in September. (You can see what I mean in my October recap too.) My traffic always goes down this time of year, and I’m left feeling a bit low...

  • June 2022 London On My Mind Income Report

    As I've now officially passed the 18-month mark since starting my London-focused travel site, London On My Mind (LOMM), I'm finally getting a sense that the site has moved out of the tumultuous early/newborn phase and into a bit more maturity. While 18 months is not long in the lifespan of websites, it does have enough tenure with Google that content tends to rank better and faster – and has a body of work that readers can use and trust...

  • June 2022 Recap Hero

    June 2022 Valerie & Valise Income Report

    It's gone from zero to sixty around these parts – how about you? Just like in April, I spent most of June on the road, trying to fit in my (admittedly monstrous pile of) "desk" work around two major trips – which were also work! After starting the month in Alaska on a partnership trip with Windstar Cruises, I ended it on the other almost the literal other side of the world in the Maldives...