My 7-step blueprint to create a $10,000 per month niche blog:
1) The Niche Dilemma
Your first step is to choose a niche for your blog.
Your niche shouldn't be too broad or too narrow.
But it can have the potential to get broader in the future.
Ex:
• Too broad: "Pets"
• Too narrow: "Toys for German shepherds"
Find a middle ground.
Pick a domain name that aligns with your niche.
When done right, your domain can be your advantage.
Keep it general enough so you can pivot later if needed.
Use tools like Namecheap to find available domains.
Lock down a niche and a name, then move on to the next step.
2) The Keyword Alchemy
Research keywords within your niche.
Find what your potential readers are looking for:
• Use tools like Chef and Ahrefs
• Create a cluster around one main topic
• Start writing articles
Use keywords to guide your content but don't let them limit you.
3) Your Inner Genius
Don't just rely on tools and analytics.
Your unique perspective is your biggest USP.
• Review your keyword list
• Brainstorm topics not covered elsewhere
• Mix and match ideas in and outside your niche
Your brain is the best tool you have - use it.
4) The Unforgettable Factor
Readers are more likely to engage with blogs with their own style.
When writing articles, add:
• humor
• personal stories
• your unique presentation style
Funny bloggers are often rich.
5) Your Content Ecosystem
Post your articles and interlink them.
It helps in SEO and keeps in your blog for longer.
→ Create a pillar post that puts all articles together
→ Make sure each article has at least one link to another article
Treat your blog like an ecosystem.
6) The Quality Quotient
Optimize content for both search engines and readers.
It'll help you rank higher + keep readers engaged.
Use Market Muse (or a comparable content optimizer) for optimization.
Check readability scores.
Make it irresistible for both Google & human eyes.
7) The Outreach & Upgrade Cycle
To consistently grow your reader base:
→ Reach out to other bloggers for cross-promotion
→ Update old articles with fresh info every 6-12 months
→ Use email lists to promote new articles if you have them
This will make your progress compound.
Thanks for reading!
I covered each of these steps in more detail in my free course.
Check it out if you want to learn how to start your own $10k niche blog.
I'm finally coming up for air after an intense 4+ weeks of creating new content prototypes and workflows.
I just sent the final training videos and instructions to everyone to take the baton. Many people are involved.
Here's how I develop complex content workflows:
1. Article concept
The content production process depends on the type of article. Some are very easy to produce. Some have many moving parts.
This past month I rolled three complicated article types into my content mix.
2. Keyword research
Once I have an article type in mind, I do extensive keyword research seeking out the best opps.
The best opportunities are higher search volumes that are easy to rank. If it's for a site with good authority built into it, I'll go for more competitive opps.
Here's a worthy challenge for all you niche site publishers looking to scale while working less.
Figure out how to delegate/outsource every part of your content publishing process.
This allows me to do more working fewer hours each week.
Tips...
Break up each part of the content production process into steps.
Create training videos (Loom) for each step. Shorter videos are best because that makes it easier for people to go back and find any instructions they need to go over again.
Content:
Hire writers. Easy. I hire in-house (Problogger and referrals from current writers) and use WriterAccess.
I accidentally jumped two feet into a somewhat seasonal niche. I didn't realize it was seasonal until the off-season hit.
It's not horrible but definitely an oversight on my part.
Seasonality happens. Here's how I deal with it:
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1. Budget
I loathe budgeting but it's necessary with seasonal sites. Best case scenario is get by on lowest earning months. That way the big months are bonanzas.
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2. Scramble for any KWs that get traffic in the off-season. Usually, there are options. I do my best to balance out traffic as much as possible.