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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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May 2022 London On My Mind Income Report
It's hard to believe that, all in, I've been blogging for almost nine years – and as a full-time role for four years. When I left my last traditional job, it was a leap of faith, and the pandemic certainly made me question my plans (as it did for many). However, by starting new sites – including London on My Mind (LOMM) – I've been able to weather the storm and actually grow in the past few years...
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May 2022 Valerie & Valise Income Report
After a travel-filled April, May was delightfully slow – a few days of travel at the beginning and end of the month bookended a month of home time, catching up on work and with friends. While I am rekindling my love of travel and of being a travel blogger after 2+ long years of slogging it out, it's nice to be home with J and the kitties, and have my routines to keep me sane...
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tRPM: The Most Valuable Blogging Metric You’re Not Tracking
In the world of blogging and running websites, there are so many metrics to keep track of. Traffic numbers and follower counts. CTRs and ROIs. Engagement rates, view rates, ad rates, oh my! At the end of the day, there's only one metric I really care about for my websites (and their associated social media accounts): tRPM...
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April 2022 London On My Mind Income Report
When I started receiving requests to do monthly recaps for Valerie & Valise, part of me wondered: would it not also be helpful to have a look 'under the hood' of a newer site? Would people want to see how you can start a site and how it will grow – not just what an almost decade-old site can do today?...
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April 2022 Valerie & Valise Income Report
Busy, busy, busy – that's how April sticks out in my memory. For the first time in two years, I feel like April began to give us a sense of returning to some normalcy. I spent a lot of time on planes, some of it not even wearing a mask; I went to conferences and events, many of which not even wearing a mask; I ate in restaurants and went to parties and traveled almost-normally...
