Category: Blogging

How to Succeed with a Broad Topic Blog

How to Manage a Successful Mom Blog without a Specific Niche

If there’s one worry I hear the most from fellow mom bloggers, both new and old, it’s this: “I think my blog’s too broad. I need to niche-down but I don’t know how.”  This worry has haunted me from the very beginning of my first blog…and to this day, it still sneaks into my head sometimes.

But the reality is that this just isn’t true!  You don’t need a well-defined niche to have a successful blog.  Some of the most successful blogs out there are massive, with so many different topics and categories that they basically become experts in everything.

You can succeed with a broad topic blog.  People do it everyday!

(more…)

6 Things You Can Do to Increase Your Blog’s Site Speed Right Now

How to Increase Site Speed on Your Blog

It took me a really, really long time to accept that site speed is one of the most important factors when it comes to increasing traffic to your blog. Google likes it, Pinterest likes it, users like it. Any longer than 3-4 seconds for your blog to load and (supposedly) your traffic starts dropping off by double digit percentage points.

That means that for a lot of us, increasing site speed could increase our traffic by double digit percentage points.

The pot gets even sweeter from there because most ads run smoother when your site loads faster, so if you’re on an ad network, you could also start seeing higher RPMs.

(more…)

How to Successfully Start a Second Blog

Should You Start Another Blog?

There’s a really easy way to know if blogging is for you – you start a blog.  You go through the ups and downs, you survive some spells of burnout, but you power through.  And before long, little thoughts creep into your head that you could (and maybe should) start a second blog.

That’s when you know it’s for you.  When you want even more of the craziness, the ups and downs, and the unbelievable fulfillment.

And you should start a second blog.  When done the right way, a second blog will make your first even better and will achieve profitability (or whatever metric of success you are using) in a fraction of the time your first did.

(more…)

The Best SEO Course for Mom Bloggers

How to Get Better SEO on Your Parenting Blog

There’s no question that the right course can be a game changer for whatever topic you’re looking for. For blogging, they can be even more powerful because little changes can have exponential impact. And that is exactly what happened for me when I finally discovered Kelly’s SEO course and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that it’s the best SEO course for mom bloggers (and really anyone) that you can find (and ironically, it’s not nearly as expensive as many of the courses being marketed these days).

But first, let me just emphasize how important SEO is for bloggers, website builders, and small businesses. Pinterest may be quick and simple and word of mouth may be potent, but SEO can skyrocket your success. And better yet, it’s stable, so the growth will stick. 

Not only will it help you to show up on Google, it will also help you with social media platforms like Pinterest and Facebook. And best of all, it will increase the quality of your website because, really, that’s what Google is all about – providing the best content for whatever your question or need is.

(more…)

5 Six-Figure Business Ideas for Stay at Home Moms

How to achieve financial freedom if you're a stay at home mom

My husband recently said to me that if I were to become the breadwinner, he’d take over all the cooking.  WHAT. This man was serious.  Needless to say, I haven’t stopped writing since.  It also got me thinking about all the other women that are in the same boat as me. So it’s time to come up with a list of six-figure business ideas for stay at home moms!  Jobs and businesses that can be started during nap time or when Moana is singing.  Businesses where we retain full control over our schedule so we can take the whole day off for a sick kid or all of a sudden spend 8 hours a day during a week of camp.

This is that list.  Not only are these six-figure businesses possible, but they’re happening each and every day. We’re not talking about becoming the next J.K. Rowling or Sara Blakely.  Sure, that would be fabulous. (And please, please, please come back and tell me that I helped you make that dream come true.)

What we’re talking about are good, high-quality six-figure businesses for stay at home moms that already have proven business models and case studies in place.  Businesses that won’t necessarily make you enough to end world hunger, but are actually enough to support your entire family, make more than your husband, and potentially change the trajectory of both of your lives. And most importantly, jobs and businesses that you can do while you’re also staying at home with your kids.

(more…)

The Quick & Dirty Guide to Starting a Blog

How to Start a Blog Quickly

When I started my first blog (this one), I prepared and prepared and prepared. I had tons of posts drafted, I took my time setting things up, I made mistakes that then had to be fixed.  I learned from trial and error and experimentation.  It was an amazing experience, but I paid the price in time. So when my husband and I decided to start another blog together (Documentary Reviewers), I knew I wanted it up quickly.  There was no reason to play around with things I already knew we’d need and want.

So if you’re considering starting a blog and want to just get it up quickly, here’s what we did and what you need to do too:

(more…)

10 SEO Tips to Increase Your Blog’s Google Ranking

10 SEO Tips to Increase Your Blog's Google Ranking

SEO has always been king. Claiming the #1 Google spot for just about any search term will almost always bring success and stability.

And now that Pinterest is attempting to model the search engine giant, SEO is even more important.

If you’re a decent blogger, you’ve probably accidentally found yourself showing up in Google searches and getting a hand full of organic search traffic. But at some point, you need to start being strategic.

Let me be clear – you can not game Google. You can not follow a list of tips and turn up in new search results tomorrow.

You can, however, set yourself up for long-term success by being SEO-friendly and focusing on the right topics.

What follows are SEO tips that will help your overall SEO strategy, whether you’ve got a blog or website.

Good luck!

(more…)