How Samanta Ferraro’s Food Blog Earns $8k/Month Through Local Networking and SEO

When Samantha Ferraro’s profession plans didn’t work out, she took a job as a cheesemonger at Complete Meals whereas she figured issues out. She began a meals weblog, Little Ferraro Kitchen, on the facet as a passion.

As she devoted extra time to it, her website began to develop, she was approached to put in writing a cookbook, and he or she labored very laborious to market herself domestically.

Samantha is a savvy businesswoman who understands the significance of connecting with each her on-line viewers and her area people. Right now, her meals weblog is incomes $8k monthly and rising. She’s additionally written two profitable cookbooks, and he or she’s an everyday on TV. 

Preserve studying to search out out:

• Why she created her web site
• How she landed her first cookbook deal
• How she promotes her private model domestically
• How she will get collaborations and sponsorships
• The place her revenue comes from
• Her ideas on search engine optimization
• What really moved the needle for her search engine optimization efforts
• What she realized throughout her audit
• How she approaches key phrase analysis and hyperlink constructing
• Her content material creation course of
• The instruments and assets she makes use of
• Her greatest problem
• Her biggest accomplishment
• Her principal mistake
• Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs

Meet Samantha FerrAro

I’m initially from NY and grew up in a Jewish household. After I was 14, my mother and I moved from Brooklyn to Hawaii (speak about tradition shock!). In my early 20s, I met my husband in Hawaii, and a yr after that, we moved to southern California, the place we lived for 10 years. 

Now we make the Pacific Northwest our dwelling! We have now pals all around the nation, and I like that I’m capable of take account of all of these locations and cuisines and share them on my web site! 

Why She Created Her Web site and Books

I began the Little Ferraro Kitchen (LFK) again in 2011 when blogs have been simply rising in popularity. On the time, I used to be additionally going by way of a couple of transitions. 

I failed nursing college and was making an attempt to determine what my subsequent transfer can be, and I used to be additionally lacking the Jewish meals and tradition with which I grew up. So I began cooking these recipes!

Like most OG bloggers, I began sharing recipes as a passion. It was an outlet for me to share the Jewish meals I missed and the meals I used to be studying to make.

Quick ahead to 2017. We moved from southern California to Washington state and I’m nonetheless running a blog, however as a passion as a result of I nonetheless had my full-time day job, which was at Complete Meals.

In Could 2017, I used to be approached by a writer to put in writing a cookbook, and a yr later, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen was revealed, which was featured in Cosmopolitan and Girls’s Well being.

It occurred a couple of months after we moved to Washington. I keep in mind opening my cellphone and seeing an electronic mail pop up with the topic line, “Little Ferraro Kitchen Cookbook?” I used to be immediately shocked and thought, “Why me?” 

After doing a bit extra analysis and asking different bloggers and authors if Web page Road was an actual publishing firm, I shortly realized it was a legit electronic mail. 

My husband and I talked about it, as that is one thing we may do whereas in search of a home to purchase, working full-time, and operating the weblog. And we thought, why not seize the second? 

We scheduled a Zoom name with the editor and writer and talked about completely different ideas based mostly on my area of interest, spices and trendy Jewish cooking, and agreed on Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen. 

On the time, my visitors and advert revenue was… okay. I used to be making about $400/month with Mediavine with roughly 40k pageviews, and once more, nothing was optimized. 

I used to be nonetheless treating the web site as a passion/journal. Nonetheless, I did achieve a loyal reader base with the Jewish group. Throughout that point, I might write recipes for The Nosher, which gave me extra publicity to a Jewish viewers. They might share my posts on social media and I might additionally visitor put up (keep in mind these days?).

Throughout this time, I used to be getting extra observed domestically, educating cooking lessons, doing an everyday cooking section on Seattle’s New Day Northwest, and choosing up model collaborations and sponsored content material, all whereas working my full-time day job. All of those “extras” have been taking place on my 2 days off. It was lots!

In December of 2021, I got here dwelling from working at Complete Meals and advised my husband we would have liked to consider an exit technique. It was the retail vacation season, which is all the time busy with inconsistent schedules, and because it was This autumn, I used to be doing recipe collaborations, cooking demos, and cooking lessons all on my 2 days off, and for sure, I used to be exhausted, each bodily and mentally. 

My ardour for working at my day job was dwindling quick. At this level, my visitors was 83k pageviews (actually, that was excessive for me) and I used to be incomes about $2600 monthly from Mediavine advertisements. However the majority of that quarter’s revenue was from freelance and collaborations and I knew that if we centered on search engine optimization extra, we may positively develop!

My final day at Complete Meals was June 3, 2022. I’ve been engaged on LFK full-time for a yr!

Within the final yr, I wrote and revealed my second cookbook, One Pot Mediterranean and now I’m focusing extra on search engine optimization, optimizing and updating older content material, and making the web site a precedence.

How Samantha Promotes Herself

As for the cookbooks, my husband Joe is absolutely good at advertising me. For instance, my first “massive interview” was in 2014 with the Fork Reporter Podcast, which was the highest meals radio present at the moment. We’d hearken to it religiously each week and someday we referred to as in. They adopted up asking if I may come to the studio and do an interview.

One other instance is, once we moved to Washington state in 2017, Joe reached out to Bellingham Enterprise Journal, a small publication that focuses on native companies. 

They wound up doing a full-page article on me, my background, and my web site and from there I used to be launched to different companies, such because the native grocery retailer, which has a reference to the native technical school and gives cooking lessons all all year long with native cooks and restaurateurs. 

They requested if I wish to educate cooking lessons and I jumped at it. Ever since, I’ve been educating a number of lessons all year long, which has opened me as much as much more recognition domestically. 

That article additionally related me with Alaska Gold Seafood, a seafood cooperative based mostly in Alaska, however which has a warehouse proper right here in Bellingham. I’ve labored with them for years doing freelance images, recipes, and so forth.

And in the case of different model collaborations, these are largely from social media. I’ll get a DM on Instagram or an electronic mail from a model that sees my social media presence, reels, and so forth. 

instance is Cakebread Cellars. I’ve labored with them for the final yr and a half, creating recipes and reels. 

We additionally reached out to family and friends with a attain or connections. When my first e-book got here out, my husband’s buddy was a radio DJ, and he related me to a different radio present in New Orleans. We actually depart no stone unturned and can all the time tackle a chance! 

Additionally wished to say that, in 2012, only a yr after I began the web site, I gained the Finest Vacation Cookie competitors from the LA Occasions. On the time, I adopted LA Occasions Meals on social media and noticed that they have been holding a contest for one of the best vacation cookie. 

I submitted my favourite cookie, rugelach, which is a Jewish cookie, however gave it a “Christmas aptitude” with blackberry jam (pink) and pistachios (inexperienced). A bunch of the winners have been featured within the LA Occasions and bought a non-public tour of their take a look at kitchen.

Since then, I saved in contact with one of many meals editors, who was good sufficient to put in writing an endorsement for my first e-book!

How A lot Cash She’s Making

My revenue from LFK is between $6k and $8k month-to-month. This fluctuates based mostly on what’s scheduled for the month however mainly, it breaks down as follows:

• Adverts: $2000-$2500
• Freelance and collaborations (Reels, occasions, and so forth.): $2k-$3k
• Cooking Lessons: $300-$500
• Cookbook: This final yr, I’ve been getting the advance from the 2nd e-book + quarterly royalties from the first e-book, averaging about $2k/month.
• Affiliate: Largely from Amazon ranges from $200-$300

The positioning will get over 100k pageviews monthly, up 48% YOY and 20% MOY and rising.

Under is visitors beginning June 2012, as I do not assume I had Google Analytics put in in 2011 after I initially began, up till June 2023 earlier than UA converted to GA4.

My husband and I work on the positioning 4 to eight Hours, 6 days every week.

Her Prime Advertising Methods

My principal advertising technique is connecting with my area people.

That is actually vital for me to be part of my group in numerous methods, whether or not it’s supporting the native farmers’ market and native farms, being featured in our native journal, and providing cooking lessons selling my cookbooks. Sharing/tagging the assorted farmers on social media and doing cooking lessons with the native co-op have additionally launched me to different native companies.

Additionally, I’ve been displaying up on social media (Instagram tales) and doing cooking segments each few months on King 5 Seattle. This has been instrumental in rising my model presence!

The Significance of search engine optimization

search engine optimization is essential! I didn’t actually concentrate on search engine optimization successfully till I had my website audit and took a key phrases course, on the finish of 2022. For the primary 10 years, I used to be simply winging it, and now I’ve a extra centered method. 

As a result of I’ve posts going again 10 years, I’m making it a precedence to get these up to date. I’m utilizing KeySearch and Google Search Console to see if a few of my previous posts are even price it. If not, they get deleted. 

If there may be key phrase potential, or I feel my viewers will benefit from the recipe, I do an entire overhaul with ingredient pictures, new pictures, and step-by-step course of pictures, and make it as optimized as I can. 

As of penning this, I’ve a complete of 513 revealed posts. Most of them weren’t optimized earlier than having my search engine optimization audit in March 2023. 

Beforehand, visitors was being pushed from some articles that I used to be fortunate sufficient to get ranked and I’ve been utilizing KeySearch for the final yr and a half, however once more, I used to be simply winging it. 

Apart from that, I had referral visitors from older pins and different social media shares (niched Fb teams) and was nonetheless lively on Instagram tales.

When it got here to deciding on the search engine optimization audit, after I left Complete Meals in June 2022 and for the next months, I used to be ending up the cookbook so I did not put an excessive amount of effort on the positioning but. I knew I wished to work on search engine optimization and had some kind of grasp on it based mostly on what different bloggers would share from their expertise. For example, I slowly began to include ingredient pictures and course of pictures, however I nonetheless wasn’t assured in my search engine optimization skills. 

Quick ahead to October 2022, we have been listening to a podcast with Casey Markee speaking about search engine optimization and optimization. Inside a couple of days, we scheduled an audit with Casey and bought on the 7-month waitlist.

He helped with cleansing up the backend of issues, including a printed date to weblog posts, and switching to Feast theme, which led to an enormous enchancment in speed and performance! We additionally realized how one can lay out posts accurately, the significance of the About Me web page, how one can optimize class pages, and how one can be extra intentional with anchor textual content. 

Casey additionally strongly advised taking the Cooking with Key phrases Course, which has been so useful.

He strongly encourages you to “write for the reader” and never for the advert firm. One of many issues we instantly modified was turning off the “bounce to arrival” unit that Mediavine has. It’s a characteristic the place if a reader clicks on “bounce to recipe”, they get led to an advert after which the reader has to scroll to that recipe. 

As a weblog reader myself, it’s one thing I didn’t like coping with, and when Casey talked about it, I knew I needed to flip it off. One other factor I gained’t do is pop-up electronic mail signups. I’d somewhat have a reader come again to my website as a result of it’s straightforward to navigate than possibly get an additional sign-up. 

One other factor Casey talked about once we have been doing the audit was that I had a reasonably good area authority, however my natural visitors wasn’t matching as much as my DA. So my DA was 49, but I used to be solely getting about 30k clicks from Google visitors, by which he mentioned that I ought to be +100k with a DA like that. I knew I had some work to do, however that I may positively up my sport!

Key phrase Analysis

For previous posts, I take advantage of Google Search Console to see what key phrases are getting impressions. Then I’ll do a bit extra analysis to see what different key phrases I can add into the put up when updating. 

For brand new recipes/concepts, I’ll begin with a fundamental key phrase search similar to “charcuterie” and deep dive into different potential key phrases that match my area of interest. I have a look at the potential quantity and see what different posts are in SERPs and the way they’re laid out. 

I additionally use Google, the place I’ll sort in my principal key phrase after which begin a brand new phrase to see what phrases are being highlighted and looked for.b

Hyperlink Constructing

Constructing hyperlinks has been one other principal focus for the web site not too long ago. Throughout my website audit, Casey emphasised frequently including backlinks and internal linking. I do really feel fortunate, within the sense that as a result of I’ve had my website for thus lengthy, I’ve acquired some good backlinks, from Washington Put up, Huffington Put up, MSN, and so forth. 

I’m additionally submitting recipes to on-line articles in my area of interest, like Jewish Journal for instance, and different native on-line websites from native newspapers and magazines and King 5.

I additionally submit posts to Fb roundup teams. On the subject of inside linking, we’ve been utilizing Link Whisper to right anchor textual content and add extra inside hyperlinks to posts.

Samantha’s Content material Creation Course of

Proper now, I’m specializing in updating previous recipe posts, which I’ve been actually having fun with. As I’m doing a bit extra analysis into the previous posts, I’ll discover some new recipe key phrases that match my area of interest, and if it’s much like a recipe I’m already making, I’ll throw that into the day’s work. 

For example, I had a day the place I used to be making a couple of completely different charcuterie boards or one other day the place I did a couple of completely different Mediterranean mezze, the place I used to be capable of swap out substances right here and there for various recipes. 

As soon as the analysis is finished, I’ll make the recipe, which entails new course of pictures and recording brief video clips for a reel as nicely. 

After the recipe is cooked, I transfer to my workplace/images room and shoot the hero pictures whereas the meals appears to be like its greatest. 

And at last, as soon as that’s performed, I’m enhancing the pictures, enhancing the reel, making pins and net tales, which is new for me. 

Some days contain batch cooking days or batch enhancing days, however I often want to combine it up, the place I’ll be making the recipe after which transfer onto enhancing a reel, and so forth. 

For simply 1 recipe, it could possibly take wherever from 7 to 10 hours. That features procuring, writing and testing/cooking the recipe, capturing brief movies for a reel, photographing, enhancing, and writing the put up. 

My husband and I break up up some duties. He’ll do all of the meals procuring and prep. The night time earlier than a cooking day, I’ll depart him a complete prep checklist that he works by way of that morning. 

Then I’ll swoop in, get cooking, and from there, it’s all me. I’m the one photographing, writing, enhancing, and so forth. Someday I’d like to rent writers, however I’d wish to get my previous content material up to date first, then work in direction of that. 

Her E mail Record

To be sincere, that is one thing else I have to concentrate on. I’ve a signup kind on my web site and have it set to RSS feed, and I write up a extra customized seasonal electronic mail from time to time, however my purpose is to create an electronic mail sequence 

I’ve an opt-in, which is okay however I wish to create one thing extra helpful for my viewers. Nonetheless, I do promote my electronic mail checklist at varied occasions that I attend, similar to cooking lessons and workshops. 

Her Favourite Assets

I feel motivation and drive come first, however listed here are a couple of of my favourite meals blogging-specific podcasts: Meals Blogger Professional, Eat Weblog Speak, and The Vine Podcast.

Additionally, I like to achieve out to these already within the subject by way of Fb teams or conferences.

There are loads of food blogger enterprise teams on Fb which are full of data and folks asking questions as a result of this complete entity remains to be fairly new. There’s no “running a blog school” so to talk, like in different trades, and even 10+ years into running a blog, new and older bloggers have questions. 

There are such a lot of nuances to operating a web-based enterprise and traits and updates altering commonly that as on-line enterprise house owners, we must be aware about. 

Her Go-To Instruments

My most vital instruments are:

1) Folks, because it’s the specialists and pals within the trade who change into one of the best place to go. 

2) TV and social media, as they play an enormous half in connecting with my viewers and group. 

3) Occasions, so I can community at conventions and occasions with specialists within the subject.

Her Most important Problem

My greatest problem is time administration. I’m a lot better at it now that I can concentrate on LFK full-time. 

For the primary 10 years, it was extra of a ardour and fewer of a enterprise, and now it’s each.

After I was transitioning from Complete Meals to the weblog and enterprise, I believed I might implement the right work week: admin on Mondays, recipe testing on Tuesdays/Wednesdays, enhancing on the opposite days. 

However I shortly realized that’s not how I work! There are days the place I’ll batch prepare dinner or edit, however I work a lot better with doing issues which are precedence first after which a number of completely different duties every day. 

Her Most Necessary Accomplishment

I’m most happy with three issues:

• Writing two top-selling cookbooks
• Having a month-to-month section on a serious TV station in Seattle, and 
• Having the ability to work for myself

Having the chance to put in writing 2 cookbooks was only a dream, nevertheless it’s additionally an enormous purpose that I’m so grateful I used to be capable of obtain! It exhibits authority and belief and gives one other extension of my enterprise. 

When my first e-book got here out, I additionally had a purpose of being on TV. I take pleasure in public talking and love getting individuals enthusiastic about flavors and recipes and have gained expertise in speaking to an viewers from my cooking lessons and sharing on Instagram tales. 

Being an everyday on King 5 Seattle has additionally opened up doorways and helped me achieve much more expertise in entrance of the digital camera, in addition to permitting me to achieve extra of an viewers. 

And having the ability to work for myself has been such a tremendous problem!

I’m nonetheless studying one thing new on daily basis whereas preserving an open thoughts and rolling with the traits. I’m actually happy with the place I/we’re and excited to proceed rising much more!

What She Needs She Knew When She Began

I want I had recognized that it may change into a full-time job if I centered 100% sooner somewhat than later. 

Additionally getting a website audit with Casey Markee was eye-opening and I want I had performed that sooner!

Like many bloggers, all of us began it as a passion and didn’t even assume creating wealth was a risk. Even when my first e-book got here out in 2018, I didn’t concentrate on the web site like I may have. I let the web site run by itself and I might share no matter I “felt” like sharing. 

This was enjoyable and it was an excellent outlet for me on the time, but when I actually understood how search engine optimization, optimization, and general dealing with an internet site can be, on the time, I do know my visitors would far exceed the place it’s now. 

Everybody’s journey is completely different and although I’m a bit late to the sport in contrast with different bloggers who began across the similar time as me, I’m actually appreciative that it took me years to actually perceive that this could possibly be a enterprise and we may work for ourselves. 

Her Worst Mistake

My principal mistake was not making search engine optimization a precedence sooner and specializing in optimizing posts correctly.

Additionally, I ought to have had a community of different bloggers I may join with. I had some blogger pals through the years, however some have moved on or shifted gears and I actually valued the connection.

Samantha’s Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs 

My recommendation can be to focus, handle, and plan every workday. 

Give your self objectives and attain for them. For example, one among my objectives this yr was to lastly get to 100k pageviews and now that I’ve hit that, my subsequent is 250k. This retains me motivated.

Suppose outdoors the field. 

Attain out to one of the best within the trade for assist and route, and don’t be afraid to rent one of the best within the enterprise! You are investing in your online business in the long term. I held off from getting an audit as a result of I believed I knew what I used to be doing, however boy was I unsuitable! Having an audit is each a monetary and time dedication and to this point has already paid itself off!

Spend money on your self!

Have a plan for every workday. Make a listing of duties to do the night time earlier than or very first thing within the morning so that you keep on activity and centered. 

The put up How Samanta Ferraro’s Food Blog Earns $8k/Month Through Local Networking and SEO appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

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