Valerie
Valerie has been blogging since 2001, and has been running her oldest travel blog for a decade. You can find her across the internet on her various niche sites, but she started Site School to help fellow bloggers grow and create better content.
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8 Powerful Ways to Demonstrate EEAT in 2023
SEO is a world of acronyms. Heck – SEO itself is an acronym (Search Engine Optimization) though most of us forget that as we talk about and work on our SEO every single day. Unfortunately, SEO is an active process for most website owners – after all, the word is "optimization," not "optimized." The SEO strategy that used to work for you might not work anymore, and you need to be constantly learning and adjusting to help your website succeed with Google...
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Q2 2023 Check-In: Accountability on All My Sites
Three months ago, I sat down with myself to check in on all of my sites; as part of each site I run, I do case study recaps – usually at 6/12/18/24 months and then every year thereafter. During these, I set areas of focus for the coming period/year between recaps. But I wasn't really checking in on those much – and then was actually surprised I wasn't completing them...
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Income Report June 2023:
Sweet Summer SuccessAs I spent about half of June on the road traveling for work, I don't have many computer shots to share – but I did spend time on my computer in a diner in Montana one morning; the work never stops!...
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July Newsletter Ideas (2023): What to Send Your List This Month
As the heat of July rolls in, it’s a perfect time to add a dash of summer zest to your newsletter content. Whether it’s sharing tips for beating the heat, showcasing summer product launches, or simply sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team's summer activities, July is ripe with opportunities for engaging newsletter content. Remember, the goal is to create a sense of community, offer value, and most importantly, ensure your brand stays top of mind in a fun, relevant way...
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Eat Like Bourdain 2-Year Report
[CASE STUDY]It's hard to believe it's been five years since Anthony Bourdain died. Back on the first anniversary, I wrote a post on my travel blog about how his death inspired me to leave my traditional office job and strike out on my own to do this blogging thing full-time. At the three-year mark, I launched my site Eat Like Bourdain to create the best possible resource for people like me who are (still) inspired to travel and eat at the places Tony did...
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Income Report May 2023: The Pinnacle of the Year? Probably.
I kid you not people, this is me: sitting by the pool, tropical drink within reach, epic sunset going down... and I'm tapping away on my computer. Say hello to my May!...
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10 Travel Blog Monetization Strategies – Even If You’re Not an Influencer
The waters are muddy, y'all. Anymore, it's easy to see why brands get confused when everyone's a content creator/influencer/travel blogger, no matter what platform they publish on, whether they have a website, and how many people actually engage with their content...
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June Newsletter Ideas (2023): What to Send Your List This Month
As we usher in June, a month synonymous with the vibrancy of summer, the possibilities for your newsletter content bloom like flowers in the sun. (Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere, of course! I've got some ideas for southern hemisphere folks too...)
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Jordan Traveler 2-Year Report
[CASE STUDY]Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? I've been thinking a lot about how much I enjoy working on different sites, and using that as part of how I decide what to work on going forward. One site that's high on the list whenever I look at old photos and think about future trips? Jordan Traveler, my travel blog dedicated to helping people visit the country of Jordan...
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“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...
