How This 33-Year-Old’s 2 Travel Websites Earn Up To $6.5k/Month Via SEO and Her Podcast

Kat Weiss Butler can hint her love of journey all the way in which again to 2012 when she spent a semester overseas in France as a part of her college research. 

Bit by the journey bug, she had a really exhausting time settling into her real-life accounting job after graduating because it took her away from her ardour. 

Kat launched her first weblog again in 2017 and lived as an accountant by day and a journey blogger by night time. Though that weblog did not work out, she did not surrender.

Just a few years later, she felt impressed whereas planning her wedding ceremony and determined to offer running a blog one other shot with a {couples}’ journey weblog known as World Wide Honeymoon. 

When she began to get some traction, she launched a second weblog, France Voyager, so she might share her love of touring across the nation.

Right now she runs the 2 blogs and a podcast and brings in between $5,500 and $6,500 each month.

Preserve studying to seek out out:

• How she navigated her job search
• How she managed work and her ardour for journey
• How she got here to start out her {couples}’ journey website
• The place her revenue comes from
• How she pivoted in the course of the pandemic
• How a lot site visitors her websites get
• Her primary advertising and marketing methods
• Why she launched her podcast and the way she makes use of it
• Her ideas on web optimization
• Her strategy to key phrase analysis and hyperlink constructing
• How she grows her e mail lists
• Her favourite sources and instruments
• Her greatest problem
• Her best accomplishment
• Her primary mistake
• Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs

Meet Kat Weiss Butler

I used to be born and raised in Kentucky in a small, rural city about an hour southeast of Cincinnati. 

I’m the youngest of three and found my love of journey again in 2012 once I spent a semester overseas dwelling in Grenoble, France. I traveled as a lot as I might, and even after I graduated from college, I spent 5 weeks solo backpacking round Europe. 

Right now, I like touring all over the world with my husband, Chris, and I’ve 2 blogs: World Wide Honeymoon and France Voyager, in addition to a podcast devoted to {couples}’ journey known as the World Wide Honeymoon Travel Podcast.

In my free time, once I’m not working or touring, I like figuring out and working, watching interval drama exhibits and flicks, and cuddling with my cat, Professor. 

I at the moment dwell in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Why She Created Her Website

It was again in 2016 once I was working at a Huge 4 public accounting agency and I spotted I hated it. I had simply come off the busiest “busy season” of my life, the place I used to be working upwards of 100+ hour work weeks. I used to be burnt out and drained.

I knew I couldn’t do it anymore, so I began interviewing for different jobs within the space. There was one which appeared interesting, however I actually solely needed it as a result of it supplied ample break day so I might do what I cherished most: journey. 

After I sadly didn’t get that job, the recruiter informed me it was as a result of I didn’t appear that . 

Whereas I felt horrible that I got here throughout that method unknowingly, he had some extent. I hated accounting and wasn’t enthusiastic about it. My then-boyfriend (now husband) inspired me to look into what I did love doing and take a look at pursuing that. 

However I nonetheless felt misplaced career-wise. I had no thought what I needed to do. 

I spent most of my life working as exhausting as attainable to get scholarships, levels, and so on. to work at the most effective accounting corporations on the earth. Might I do anything? 

Then, throughout my subsequent job interview, an individual requested me what my absolute dream job could be. I by accident blurted out that I needed to be an expert journey blogger. The man appreciated my honesty (as a result of who actually desires to be an accountant?) and I received the job. 

Then, it hit me. If that is what I actually needed, why wasn’t I preventing tooth and nail to make it occur? So, I might come house from work from my new 9-5 much less anxious accounting job to attempt build up my weblog from scratch. 

And I began… Kat and a Backpack. 

As you possibly can think about, making a journey weblog in 2017 about normal journey wasn’t going to work. Add on the truth that I had no clue what I used to be doing, and my site visitors was principally family and friends. 

However it was round this time that I received engaged and began wedding ceremony planning. I rapidly realized how costly that was and began journey hacking and accumulating factors to have the ability to get enterprise class flights for our honeymoon to Southeast Asia. 

It was then that the concept of a pair’s journey weblog and subsequent podcast (which got here out in 2019) was born. I needed to speak about romantic locations and nice concepts for {couples} that don’t essentially break the financial institution, particularly after wedding ceremony planning. 

I’ve had that weblog since 2017, and in 2021, I started France Voyager as a result of I needed to have a extra area of interest weblog, but additionally get to share my love of France journey with the world! 

Now, each of those blogs are on Mediavine and are fairly profitable each in advert income and affiliate income. 

How A lot She’s Making

Between each blogs, I make about $5,500-6,500 per 30 days. Nevertheless, I simply received France Voyager onto Mediavine in December, and haven’t acquired my first pay for that but. 

I might say that my advert income is about 70% of my revenue, whereas my affiliate income makes up about 29%. I make a tiny little bit of advert income from my podcast (round 1% of my month-to-month revenue). 

My affiliate income largely comes from Stay22, Amazon, CJ, Awin, Get Your Information, and World Nomads. 

It will increase annually with extra work and weblog posts. I actually began to seek out my groove round 2019 after I used to be capable of stop my job and we might dwell off my husband’s revenue for a bit. 

It gave me time to study web optimization, advertising and marketing, and learn how to write and edit, which made an enormous distinction in additional site visitors. This, in flip, meant more cash. 

Clearly, in 2020 I took an enormous hit, however I pivoted to creating extra native and US journey which helped quite a bit. And my revenue elevated additional after 2021 as soon as I began France Voyager and had one other weblog for adverts and associates. 

Even in comparison with this time final 12 months, I’m up 35%. I’m hoping to interrupt 5-figures a month ultimately, but it surely takes time and there’s a little bit of a studying curve. 

I work about 30-35 hours per week these days on my enterprise. 

And once I’m on the street I attempt to solely examine emails, take notes, and take pictures. I do most of my work whereas again house. 

Earlier than I streamlined issues a bit, I used to be working between 40-50 hours per week. 

How A lot Site visitors Her Websites Get

France Voyager will get round 40-50,000 pageviews a month, whereas World Huge Honeymoon will get round 60-70,000 pageviews a month. 

The podcast will get round 6-7,000 downloads per 30 days, with round 200-300 downloads within the first week an episode is launched.

Kat’s Essential Advertising Technique

web optimization is my primary technique. I like utilizing KeySearch for keyword research and ensure I incorporate loads of my key phrases inside a put up whereas additionally maintaining it pure. I additionally attempt to present as a lot high quality content material as attainable. 

It additionally helps to have a quick web site. Don’t get a theme that slows the positioning down, and it’s value it to pay somebody to make things better to maintain the whole lot transferring rapidly. 

I’ve discovered that staying the course, tuning into web optimization ideas from locations like Mediavine, and going by way of previous posts to replace them actually helps. Then, I can work out learn how to make my posts higher so that they’ll rank greater. Generally it really works, and generally it doesn’t. web optimization generally is a little bit of a thriller at occasions. 

However one other nice advertising and marketing technique I discovered by coincidence is my podcast. Podcast listeners get to know you personally in a method that many weblog posts can’t do. 

Most individuals coming to learn a weblog put up are coming in from Google and wish a solution to a selected query like “How do I spend 3 days in X.” They need helpful data and useful ideas, however not essentially your private tales. 

Nevertheless, in podcasting, folks benefit from the private tales. They like attending to know Chris and myself and our banter forwards and backwards as we talk about journey ideas, embarrassing moments, and our private experiences touring someplace. This builds a bond and our listeners are our superfans. 

They attain out essentially the most, subscribe to the whole lot, and browse the weblog quite a bit. That is nice as a result of if they’re contemplating going someplace, they try the weblog and podcast first earlier than anybody else. Podcasting doesn’t earn a lot cash straight for us, however we’ve been capable of construct one of the best relationships with our listeners and earn money from the oblique site visitors it drives to the weblog. 

Her Ideas on web optimization

For World Huge Honeymoon, I get numerous site visitors each from web optimization and Pinterest. For France Voyager, most of my site visitors comes from web optimization, so it’s essential.

Once more, keyword research is essential. You have to know the way typically individuals are searching for your key phrase, what your rivals are like, and what your chances are high for rating. 

Then, it’s about high quality content material. Create high quality content material that solutions precisely what the consumer is searching for and it helps. Once more, web optimization generally is a little bit of a thriller, however I like to recommend buying a course or e book to study extra about how one can higher use it to your weblog. 

I cherished Make Site visitors Occur’s books, however they’re sadly now not accessible. 

Additionally, having a distinct segment actually helps for web optimization. World Huge Honeymoon was about journey itineraries with a lightweight sprinkling of {couples}’ journey ideas and honeymoon stuff. That doesn’t rank a lot, although, in comparison with greater websites. 

As a substitute, I began focusing extra on honeymoon-specific issues together with my itineraries to rank extra.

So I knew going into France Voyager that I might stick to only France and write some implausible content material about France to encourage folks to go there and plan their journeys. 

Key phrase Analysis

I exploit KeySearch as a keyword research tool. My course of isn’t terribly sophisticated. I’ve an thought of what I’d like to jot down about based mostly on my niches and the place I’ve traveled. 

So I kind in key phrases and see which have the upper search quantity with much less competitors. 

Then, I write down as many steered key phrase variations that KeySearch tells me and ensure to include as a lot of those who sound pure in my weblog put up as attainable whereas nonetheless offering high quality content material. 

Hyperlink Constructing

I ought to in all probability do higher at this, however I largely simply use Fb hyperlink constructing teams the place folks will put out a name for collab posts. You recommend a vacation spot for the collab and also you write a 200-300 phrase blurb and ship a photograph for the collab put up and so they’ll embrace a hyperlink to a related put up. 

Is it one of the best? No, but it surely does construct hyperlinks again to articles, which is at all times good for Google. 

I used to do visitor running a blog for hyperlinks to weblog posts, however I don’t try this anymore. To begin with, that’s numerous work for $0. Secondly, I might simply as nicely write that for my very own weblog and get the advert income and site visitors quite than have it go elsewhere for my exhausting work. 

Her Content material Creation Course of

I attempt to put up a brand new weblog put up every week for World Huge Honeymoon and a pair of to three occasions a month for France Voyager. I checklist out potential article concepts and attempt to write the next month’s articles the month earlier than.

For instance, I wrote all of my articles for February again in January, edited them, and already scheduled them out. Now, in February, I’m engaged on March and a few of April, as I prefer to have weblog posts go dwell even once I’m touring, which I will probably be quickly. 

I’ve 268 posts dwell on World Huge Honeymoon and 56 dwell on France Voyager.

Her E mail Record

I’ve nearly 1,000 subscribers on World Huge Honeymoon and nearly 100 on France Voyager. To be honest, I actually didn’t begin doing e mail stuff with France Voyager for a bit. 

So far as rising it, for World Huge Honeymoon, I do have a freebie folks can get after they subscribe. I additionally use Mediavine’s Develop subscribe widget. It robotically inserts it into my weblog put up the place they suppose it’ll do greatest and it really works. 

I solely use Mediavine’s Develop subscribe widget for France Voyager and no freebie. I discover that I’ll get extra folks unsubscribing to World Huge Honeymoon after I ship out my month-to-month e-newsletter as a result of they solely needed the freebie. 

As a substitute, nearly none of my subscribers from France Voyager unsubscribe once I ship month-to-month newsletters as a result of they signed up particularly for these updates. 

I assume I additionally do use a Mailerlite subscribe kind on the backside of my weblog posts, too, which does herald subscribers generally, however not practically as many as Mediavine’s widget. 

Her Favourite Assets

In case you’re making an attempt to build a travel blog, I like to recommend getting the Celebrity Running a blog Course. That’ll allow you to get your web site up and working. And investing in an web optimization course is useful, too. 

Then, I might attend journey conferences just like the Ladies in Journey Summit, TravelCon, TBEX, and so on. This offers you an opportunity to get to know others, create pals and mentorships with different bloggers, and community with manufacturers and tourism boards.

Her Go-To Instruments

The three most helpful instruments for me embrace KeySearch, Adobe Lightroom, and my planner. 

KeySearch is my go-to in terms of performing key phrase analysis. It helps me see what my chances are high for rating and compares the competitors together with their key phrases, their area authority, what number of hyperlinks they’ve, and so on. 

It offers me an thought of how I can create one thing higher and the way I can get it to probably rank. 

It additionally offers me associated key phrases to make use of as nicely. 

Adobe Lightroom is a should for enhancing pictures. I take pictures each on my iPhone and Olympus Digicam, and pictures from each at all times want a contact of enhancing to make them look pretty much as good as actuality. 

I don’t prefer to overedit, however I do prefer to make my pictures sharper and fascinating. 

And lastly, I dwell by my planner. I’ve an enormous weekly/month-to-month planner the place I write my targets for the 12 months after which divvy out what I need to do every month based mostly on these targets. 

Then, I work out what to do every day to succeed in my month-to-month targets. I like having one thing to scratch off on the finish of the day, it’s so satisfying. And I checklist out the whole lot I must do the subsequent day so I can absolutely flip off and never give it some thought that night. 

Her Greatest Problem

I really feel like the largest problem is making the primary greenback on-line. It took me a full 12 months to earn only a single greenback, and after that, it received quite a bit simpler. 

When you’ve accomplished that, it’s simpler to maintain incomes extra. 

You discover ways to develop your viewers and month-to-month viewers till you possibly can lastly get on an advert community, you determine learn how to correctly incorporate affiliate hyperlinks to generate gross sales, and also you study to create worth for readers. 

However the timeframe from saying you’re going to start out and getting to some extent the place you really earn cash is a problem.

Her Biggest Accomplishment

Oh goodness, I really feel like all time a reader or listener reaches out and thanks me or says they took my recommendation. I really feel so grateful. The truth that somebody really took the time to learn the issues that I wrote or take heed to the issues that I produced means a lot. 

I actually wouldn’t be doing this full-time with out their help.

What She Needs She Knew When She Began

I want I had recognized that this isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme by any means. It really is a labor of affection. 

I’m simply now surpassing the revenue I made in my previous profession, and I’ve been doing this for 7 years! Issues simply take time. 

However not simply that, your success is just not measured by another person’s. If somebody began across the similar time as you and is doing much better, that’s okay. Belief me, there are many different individuals who aren’t in that spot, too. 

It’s like working a race. There’ll at all times be folks forward of you and folks behind you. Nevertheless, when you simply maintain going, you all can attain the top aim! 

Additionally, have fun each win! Have fun each new subscriber, a rise in pageviews, extra revenue coming in, and so on. It helps maintain you going to have fun each accomplishment, each tiny and enormous!

Her Essential Mistake

Beginning a enterprise that earns zero {dollars} is a weak place to be. And sadly, there are lots of people who prefer to benefit from that. 

I wasted fairly a bit of cash on a “life teaching” course, and I nearly received sucked right into a pyramid scheme-like factor that didn’t look that method at first. 

I even paid for a course on learn how to develop my Fb web page, just for it to be principally learn how to purchase followers, and by the point I spotted it, I had all these random followers who weren’t my audience in any respect. I’ve nonetheless not been capable of clear all of them out. 

Don’t buy a course from somebody who is simply profitable of their enterprise as a result of they declare to make you profitable in your online business. Make certain they’re profitable previous to their course. 

Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs

Don’t surrender! Generally issues don’t work out and also you’ve received to pivot a bit, however don’t surrender! 

Keep on the course and also you’ll get there ultimately. Simply be prepared to study out of your errors and course right alongside the way in which.