So where does that money come from? Let\u2019s break down the top sources: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Ads:<\/strong> 44%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Courses:<\/strong> 25%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post sponsors:<\/strong> 11%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Affiliates:<\/strong> 10%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, 42.8% of the food blogs studied enjoyed 50,000 monthly sessions or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clearly, there\u2019s a market for food blogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to start one, study what the top earners are doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take Pinch of Yum<\/a>. This popular food blog rakes in millions of viewers per month. But it started out small, with a teacher and foodie publishing cooking tips and recipes on a personal blog. In September of 2011, when the couple behind the blog decided to actively monetize it, the blog made just $21. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pinch](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/18115813\/pinch-of-yum.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThree years later, it was making $30,000 a month<\/a>. By the end of 2016, that number rose to over $90,000 a month. While Pinch of Yum has stopped publishing monthly reports, the site still gets millions of monthly visits. We can only imagine what type of income this translates into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pinchofyum.com](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/18115815\/pinchofyum-domain-overview.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe blog\u2019s success took time to create. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pinch of Yum shared some of its secrets to success in a 2017 blog post<\/a>. We\u2019ll sum up three of its top tips for you here: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Blog about what you care about.<\/strong> For Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom of Pinch of Yum, photography, recipe development, and writing are all things the couple cares deeply about. This makes it worthwhile for them to spend time investing their time into a food blog. If you\u2019re not passionate about food, identify what you are <\/em>passionate about, and write about that. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Quality content is crucial.<\/strong> And it takes time. If you have 10 hours, writes Bjork Ostrom, spend them writing one really good blog instead of two shorter, less in-depth pieces. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Success takes time and consistency.<\/strong> There\u2019s a lot of trial and error. A lot of testing and implementing new tools. A lot of frustration. A lot of small but rewarding moments of success. Over time, they\u2019ll add up to bigger successes. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The food blogging industry was popular a decade ago and it\u2019s still going strong now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you love creating new recipes, taking pictures of your favorite creations, and connecting with your audience through food, start that food blog. Learn from those that have gone before you. Work on it a little bit every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With patience, consistency, and a dash of luck, you can build a successful business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Bloggers who report seeing \u201cstrong results\u201d from their blog publish posts daily<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How often should you blog? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every day, if you want to see the best results, according to Orbit Media\u2019s Annual Blogger Survey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the survey, 57% of bloggers who publish content daily report strong results. About 38% get similar results by posting 2-6 times a week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only 11% of bloggers say they get strong results with an irregular publishing cadence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lesson here is to publish great content as often as you consistently<\/strong> can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you publish a post every day for a month and then burn out and post nothing for two months, you risk losing the moment you built that first month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get around this obstacle by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Figuring out how many high-quality posts you can realistically write per month.<\/strong> Aim for at least two posts per week if you can. But even one steady, weekly post is better than random spurts of activity followed by total silence. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Picking set days to publish your posts.<\/strong> There\u2019s no single right answer to the question, \u201cHow often should I post on my blog?\u201d It all depends on your content and your audience. Start by picking days that work well for you. Post consistently on those days. Over time, your website analytics<\/a> will tell you which days of the week and times of day are best for your posts. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use scheduling tools to write posts in advance. <\/strong>Instead of waiting until the last second to write the blog post your readers expect by Tuesday morning at 8 am, write the posts ahead of time. Use your blogging platform\u2019s<\/a> scheduling feature to schedule posts ahead of time. This puts less stress on you and helps you nail that crucial consistency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you want to take advantage of this blogging statistic and post every day but can\u2019t quite swing it yet, start small. Establish a regular cadence for posting. As your blog grows and you start to make money from it, you can hire contract writers to help you create posts to publish every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more high-quality posts you publish, the better chance you have of standing out among the millions of posts published every month. It will also fast-track growing brand awareness\u2014and your reputation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Get the most organic traffic by publishing 2250-2500-word posts regularly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Longer blog posts are better for SEO for a reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several, actually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, they provide readers with more to sink their teeth into compared with shorter blog posts. When readers click a blog link, they\u2019re committed to gaining new information. Whether it\u2019s a story, recipe, how-to, or interview, a longer blog post offers more of the desired information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s that simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, longer posts mean more room for supplemental information. Things like images, graphs, and videos help clarify and expand on the written content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, more content means Google\u2019s web crawlers have more information to digest. This means they can gain a deeper understanding of what the content is and who it\u2019s helpful for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now for the statistics. According to HubSpot<\/a>, only a very small percentage of bloggers write 2,000+ word blog posts. The average length for a blog post was just over 1,400 words last year. It takes at least 5-6 hours<\/a> to write long-form content, and not many bloggers have that much time. Especially if they\u2019re publishing daily.
But regularly publishing 2,200-word posts puts you in a potentially profitable minority. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOf course, you don\u2019t have to publish posts this long all the time. Make sure they\u2019re simply a strong part of your mix of media and content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re wondering what to write for 2,200 words, here\u2019s a quick list of content that benefits from the long-form medium: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Case studies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comparisons<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Listicles<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tutorials<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Data studies\/original research<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Complete guides<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
For shorter posts, you can publish: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Infographics<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cheat sheets<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Checklists<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Personal\/brand news<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Interviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Behind-the-scenes posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stories\/narratives<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Rotating through different types of content keeps things fresh for your audience. Just make sure you consistently publish long-form content. If you publish three blog posts a week, for example, two could be long-form and one could be short-form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. High-ranking blog posts have primary and related keywords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The #1 tactic for ranking high in search engine results pages (SERPs) is to research and use related keywords and primary keywords in your posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing customer questions within your posts comes second. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third tactic is adding more images and videos to help you rank highly in SERPs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want any chance at getting some traffic from Google or other search engines, every post should have a well-researched primary keyword and a couple of related keywords attached to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re wondering why keywords are so important, here it is: a keyword is simply a word people use a lot when they run searches on Google. If a lot of people are searching for a specific word or phrase, it means there\u2019s an audience ready and waiting for content related to that word or phrase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doing basic keyword research is easy. Just log onto a keyword research tool<\/a> like Mangools, Semrush, or Ahrefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter the topic you want to write about and you\u2019ll get a big list of keywords people are searching that relate to the topic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Ahrefs](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/18115816\/tofu-keyword-ideas.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s say we wanted to start a food blog. Within the food blogging scene, our niche is quick and easy vegetarian meals. We decide to feature one vegetarian-friendly ingredient per week, starting with tofu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our first recipe will be about how to fry tofu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We run the keyword \u201ctofu\u201d through the tool. We get a nice mix of easy, medium, and hard-to-get high-volume keywords, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- How to fry tofu (medium)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to make tofu (medium)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to cook tofu (hard)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How long to fry tofu (medium)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tofu recipes (hard)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Air fryer tofu (hard)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fried tofu (easy)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What does tofu taste like (easy)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tofu (hard)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
We decide to use \u201chow to fry tofu\u201d as our main keyword. We go with the title, \u201cHow to Fry Tofu: A Foolproof Guide to Crispy Tofu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But after checking it with CoSchedule\u2019s free headline analyzer, we come up with a snazzier and SEO-friendlier alternative: \u201cHow to Fry Tofu: A Foolproof Guide to Crispy Bliss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"HeadlineStudio](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/18115812\/headline-studio.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ll weave those other keywords into our blog post so the right readers find our content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. 73% of people skim blog posts, only 27% pay close attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This important stat comes to us from HubSpot<\/a>. And it doesn\u2019t <\/em>mean you should make your blog posts as short as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best bloggers know how to make their posts skimmable by using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- H2, H3, and H4 headlines <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 200-300 word sections<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Jump links<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Short paragraphs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bullet points<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Images<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Infographics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
No one wants to read a giant wall of text. Especially not on a mobile device. But really, not ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make skimming easy by using formatting that\u2019s friendly to the eye\u2014and the busy brain. Even better if you give readers a choice. Invite them to skim or jump to sections for quick info, or to grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a deeper read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Spending $4,000 or more per post have more success than $0-$500<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ve got to spend money to make money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At some point, you won\u2019t be able to shoulder all the research, writing, and designing involved with running a successful blog. Thankfully, the money you spend to hire bloggers and pay guest bloggers is a good investment, according to SiegeMedia\u2019s 2024 Content Marketing Trends Report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report states that 20% of the companies spending $0-$500 per post report their blog \u201cunderperforming slightly.\u201d Businesses spending $4,000+ on posts don\u2019t report this at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bottom line? Carve out a budget to pay great writers for blog posts. You can get started by using freelancers and paying them per post. Then, eventually, build a team of bloggers as your revenue increases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. 57% of bloggers who made link-building a priority were successful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Link-building is a strategy where you get websites to link back to your blog posts or site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only 11% of the bloggers who didn\u2019t prioritize link-building had similar success with their content marketing strategies, according to the SiegeMedia 2024 Content Marketing Trends Report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who reported success relied on organic link-building more than manual outreach strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But organic link-building only works if you have an internal linking strategy, high-quality content to link to, and a content library with a link to it in your main navigation bar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These things make it easier for people to find and choose you to link to.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Need help getting started? Check out our guide to getting quality backlinks for SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Only 3.45% of all pages get monthly traffic from Google<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This Ahrefs Search Traffic Study<\/a> found that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 96.55% of pages get ZERO traffic from Google<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1.94% get 1-10 visits<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1.08% get 11-100 visits<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 0.36% get 101-1000 visits<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 0.07% get over 1000 monthly visits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Yikes, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the takeaway: if you\u2019re getting any <\/em>consistent traffic from Google, consider your posts to be some of the best ones out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Posts that rank on Google have search demand. They have backlinks. And they have content that matches the keywords they used\u2014in other words, the posts match search intent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. The best-performing blogs incorporate video, short-form content, and success stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re relying solely on long-form blog posts, you\u2019re targeting the 4th best-performing type of content. You\u2019re leaving the top three best-performing types of content on the table, according to the Semrush State of Content Marketing Global Report<\/a>. The top three are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Picking set days to publish your posts.<\/strong> There\u2019s no single right answer to the question, \u201cHow often should I post on my blog?\u201d It all depends on your content and your audience. Start by picking days that work well for you. Post consistently on those days. Over time, your website analytics<\/a> will tell you which days of the week and times of day are best for your posts. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Quality content is crucial.<\/strong> And it takes time. If you have 10 hours, writes Bjork Ostrom, spend them writing one really good blog instead of two shorter, less in-depth pieces. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Courses:<\/strong> 25%<\/li>\n\n\n\n