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This Travel Blog Makes Over 52,000$/Month

Pursuit Of Freedom

In Partnership with The Daily Upside

Issue #
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Reading time:
13 mins

Hi 👋, this is the Pursuit Of Freedom™. The newsletter bringing you one step closer to your own thriving online business. 

We analyze a wonderful, small, online business each week with a full breakdown of how it makes money, why it makes money, and its opportunities to grow. Below that, we give you the action steps to build a business like this to create freedom for yourself.

This is the best way to learn the tactics, skillset, and nuance of making money online.

Let’s get to the good stuff you'll see in this email:

  • A monthly income of 52,000$
  • An SEO strategy based on BEST practices
  • A step-by-step guide on how to build a similar business

But first, let me introduce our partner for this email, The Daily Upside

Insightful business news that respects your time and intelligence.

The Daily Upside is a business newsletter that covers the most important stories in business in a style that's engaging, insightful, and fun. Started by a former investment banker, The Daily Upside delivers quality insights and surfaces unique stories you won't read elsewhere.

Sign up for the daily upside here.

The What 🚀

A blog that made around 275,000$ in a single year!

This week's newsletter will feature a detailed analysis of a travel blog that is both simple and effective. We will examine each of the revenue streams in greater detail below.

The How 💻

This particular travel blog successfully generated revenue through a combination of affiliate marketing and display ads. 

Through a well thought out placement of affiliate links within their blog posts and partnering with businesses relevant to their niche, including hotels, car rentals, tour operators, and travel insurance agencies, this blog was able to earn a commission for each sale made through their referral.

Not only that, but the incorporation of display ads also served as a highly effective strategy for generating revenue on this travel blog. By diversifying their income streams through both affiliate marketing and ad displays, they were able to increase their earnings and maintain a consistent flow of revenue.

The Why 🔥

Targeting less competitive, long-tail keywords rather than highly competitive keywords with high search volumes was this travel blog's unique method of generating income. 

To make their content more relevant to the particular needs and interests of their audience, they gave careful consideration to the buyer intent for each keyword. They were able to reach a larger audience and make money from a variety of sources by concentrating on niches within the travel industry. 

This strategy assisted the blog in achieving high rankings for numerous keywords, which brought a steady flow of organic traffic to their website.

Data generated via SEMRUSH

The site also adopted a best practice method of creating articles rich in relevant keywords to top up their SEO efforts. They developed content around these keywords and built backlinks to their website to boost their ranks even further.

Furthermore, they strategically included affiliate links throughout their blog entries, tailoring the content to both draw attention and serve as an affiliate enticement. This strategy enabled them to effectively monetize their blog, with a continuous flow of cash from many sources.

Noteworthy points:

  • The travel blog chose less competitive, long-tail, keywords instead of highly competitive ones with high search volumes.
     
  • The buyer intent was carefully evaluated for each keyword to adapt the content to the specific demands and interests of the audience.
     
  • The blog focused on niches within the travel industry to reach a larger audience and make revenue from various sources.
     
  • The blog utilized best practice SEO techniques, emphasizing the creation of content rich in relevant keywords.
     
  • Backlinks were created to the website to rank well for a wide range of keywords.
     
  • The blog created content that served as an affiliate "enticement" and attracted traffic.

The Opportunities 🔥🔥🔥

Underwhelming Social Media Usage:

Despite their success, surprisingly, this travel blog does not put much effort on Social Media. As an illustration, we'll take a look at their Instagram page since this platform would be the one with the correct target audience for this business. 

The data generated by Not Just Analytics reveals a stark reality: this business seems to have zero interest in properly utilizing social media. Their audience is not relevant, and they are severely lacking in engagement. Moreover, it is a disappointment to see that they have not uploaded any content since July 21, 2021, despite the fact that the platform has a staggering 2 billion active monthly users (based on Hootsuite). It's a wasted opportunity, to say the least.

Furthermore, they have not established a presence on YouTube, which is a lucrative platform for their industry. They could earn several thousand dollars simply by incorporating this platform into their business model.

Optimizing Content for Higher CTR:

Although the blog is well-known for its comprehensive and informative content, it is important to acknowledge that excessive content can sometimes be overwhelming to readers. After reading lengthy paragraphs and detailed descriptions, readers may experience fatigue, causing them to lose interest in the content. 

Keyword Surfer's findings

To keep readers engaged and interested in the content, implementing a comparison table at the top of the page could prove to be a valuable addition. The comparison table allows readers to quickly compare and contrast different products or services, enabling them to make informed decisions quickly.

Additionally, incorporating a comparison table at the top of the page can result in an increase in clickthrough rates for the affiliate program. When readers find the information they need quickly and easily, they are more likely to click through to the affiliate program, resulting in potential revenue for the business.

The Big Reveal 👀

Drumroll Please... we're thrilled to announce that Travel Mexico Solo was the star of the show in this edition of our newsletter. Behind this business is Shelley Marmor, a former travel magazine editor who left her office job to pursue a life of travel. She has since created multiple traveling blogs focused on Mexico that shares her experiences and provides advice to help others explore the country.

The Takeaway, What We Learned 🎓

Here are practical insights you can apply based on this analysis:

  • Revolutionary SEO tactics with a personal touch can yield astonishing results;
  • Incorporating various marketing strategies can significantly boost your revenue;
  • Diversifying your marketing channels can never go wrong;
  • Remember, SEO content ultimately serves your audience's needs.

Action Steps, From Day 0 To ∞👩‍💻

So, you will have your own website, hosting account, and a good grasp of digital marketing fundamentals if you are a student/graduate of Max Business School.

If not, get started here, it’s totally free and will teach you all the skills you need to build yourself a business (and the freedom it provides you) similar to the one we’ve analyzed today.

Day 0

You’ve read this email and love this particular business model and/or niche.

If not, we'll be sending more ideas in our next email or check our archive here.

If yes;

Consider if this is a business you can happily commit to for 3-5 years?

If yes;

Is it a customer/topic/day-to-day activity you can't get passionate about?

If yes;

Would starting this business cause you to lose focus on the business that you are currently building?

If yes, don’t do it.

Focus on building what you have and take lessons from my analysis above to implement them into your current business.

But if not, then move to day 1.

Day 1

  • Define the purpose and goals of your blog. Identify what you want to achieve and how you plan to measure success. This could include building a following, generating revenue through advertising or affiliate marketing, or establishing yourself as an authority in your niche.
  • Choose a niche or topic for your blog that you are passionate about and that has a sizable audience. This will make it easier to create content that resonates with your readers and build a loyal following. Use a keyword tool and ad spy tool to research your niche and identify popular keywords and topics.
  • Determine the tone and voice of your blog that reflects your personality and resonates with your target audience. This will help to create a consistent brand identity and make your blog stand out from competitors.
  • Choose a name for your blog and register a domain name for your website. We highly recommend using our fascinating DreamHost deal. Keep in mind that your blog's name should be memorable, easy to spell, and relevant to your niche.
  • Select a CMS such as WordPress and set up your website. Module 1 of our course can provide guidance on this process. Customize your website's design, layout, and branding to match your niche and target audience.
  • Opt for tools that will help you reach more readers, improve engagement, and optimize your blog content. Use CRM/email tools such as HubSpot and Sendinblue to manage customer relationships and email campaigns. Use keyword research tools like SEMrush to optimize your blog posts and analyze successful ad campaigns.

Day 2

  • Using tools such as LeadPages or Elementor to create landing pages with clear "call to action" optimized for conversions. Also, consider showcasing your partners' products or services and capturing leads. Reach out to potential affiliate partners on platforms like Alibaba.
  • Develop ad campaigns using platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads to drive traffic to your landing pages and blog. Use recommended resources to create effective ad copy and graphics.
  • Create high-quality and engaging content, such as blog posts, videos, or social media posts, to engage with your target audience and establish your brand. Align your content with your strategy and goals.

Day 3 to ∞

  • Keep publishing content regularly on your blog and promote it on social media to attract and retain readers.
  • Continuously monitor and optimize your posts, landing pages and ads to improve conversions and attract more visitors to your blog and affiliate links.
  • Engage with your readers by responding to comments and actively participating with them on social media.
  • Explore additional ways to monetize your blog through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or display advertising.

Before You Go 👋

Thank you for reading.

In my next email, I’ll have another business breakdown for you. 

Remember, if you know someone who might like this newsletter, sharing is caring.

If you are ready to get started with your own business, one of the first steps is always a website. Click here for our exclusive hosting deal and click here for an invite to our Max Business School community where you’ll hang out with thousands of fellow ambitious business builders.

Remember to check out the classroom tab (top left corner) for all of our free courses teaching you all you need to succeed online.

Bye for now,

Scott Max

14 Cool Stuff Road

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