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Discover Sausalito 3 Year Report
[CASE STUDY]It's hard to believe that we're fast approaching the three-year mark from the start of the pandemic; for many of us who had hopes and dreams for our business in 2020, it's also a dark anniversary for all that we lost. For me, part of that experience relates to my third niche site, Discover Sausalito, which I launched in January 2020...
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London On My Mind 2-Year Report
[CASE STUDY]Time flies when you're having fun, right? I started London On My Mind in the middle of a global pandemic when I was really uncertain when my next trip to London might be – and here we are two years later! I've had the chance to visit London again, and am planning return trips in the year to come...
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5 Blogging Lessons I Learned in 2022
(& Tips for You in 2023!)One thing nobody ever tells you is that running a website or blog is a long, never-ending marathon – you launch a site, and then start creating content until... forever? Heck, I started my first site nine years ago and am still learning, still growing, and still trying to figure out what's next...
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5 Blogging Vanity Metrics to Throw Out in 2023
I've been in this blogging game long enough – almost a decade – to know that some parts of it are legit, and other parts are total trash. That's the way it is in every industry, and there's no way around it. Unlike other industries though, the blogging and website owner space is made up of a whole bunch of independent people working on our own projects and occasionally crossing paths when interests align...
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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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How to Write Blog Post Introductions to Keep Readers Reading & Prove EEAT
Imagine logging into your Wordpress and seeing another new traffic record. As bloggers, there are lots of small and large tasks we do to try and get traffic; if you've ever chatted with me about goals, you know that just producing lots of great content is a critical part of seeing growth on your blog...
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Eat Like Bourdain 18-Month Report
[CASE STUDY]It's hard to believe that it's been 18 months since I pulled the trigger on a bit of a hair-brained project: Eat Like Bourdain launched in mid-2021 to create the ultimate resource with details for travelers who want to eat at the same places (and enjoy the same foods) as Anthony Bourdain. While others have tackled this kind of project in the past – the r/AnthonyBourdain subreddit has some great resources – I aimed to do it as a writer instead of just from a data visualization perspective (such as a map)...
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Space Tourism Guide 5 Year Report
[CASE STUDY]One of the most incredible things about the night sky is how, when you're out under it, you don't notice the stars moving at all. It's only when you set up a camera and capture a few minutes of exposure that you realize how much the earth has turned – making the stars wheel overhead in the photo...
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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...
