Kimmie Conner has at all times been a blogger at coronary heart. She’s additionally at all times had a ardour for pictures and journey.
She began when she was 22, and he or she knew proper out of the gate that she needed to earn cash from her web site, Adventures & Sunsets. She documented her life in London and Australia as an expat as she honed her writing and pictures abilities.
Between studying the ins and outs of Search engine marketing, getting hit by Google updates, and weathering Covid, Kimmie’s journey has been a bumpy one, however her methods work, and immediately, her weblog is incomes 5 figures a month.
Hold studying to search out out:
- How she began running a blog
- What she did throughout Covid
- The place her earnings comes from
- How a lot visitors she’s getting
- Her high advertising and marketing methods
- Her ideas on Search engine marketing
- Her key phrase analysis strategy
- How she creates content material
- How she manages her electronic mail checklist
- Her go-to assets and instruments
- Her greatest piece of recommendation for bloggers
- Her fundamental problem
- Her biggest accomplishment
- Her greatest mistake
- Her ideas for different entrepreneurs
Meet Kimmie Conner
I used to be born in southern California to a British flight attendant mom and an American pilot father, so I prefer to say journey and a global way of life had been in my blood from the beginning!
I grew up doing plenty of sports activities, and really acquired into UCLA as a monitor & subject athlete (heptathlete), which actually looks like a previous life at this level!
Sports activities took up a whole lot of my life and I at all times liked going to the seashores round my hometown.
Why She Created Her Web site
After I was about to graduate from faculty, I actually had no concept what I needed to do. I solely knew that I needed to journey and expertise different locations.
I undoubtedly needed to spend extra time within the UK (the place I’ve a whole lot of household), and in addition fell in love with backpacking after learning overseas my junior yr and doing a brief solo journey to Europe throughout my senior yr of faculty.
I had at all times been into pictures, ever since I might choose up my mother and father’ digicam and attempt to seize hummingbirds within the yard. I truly began to develop my Instagram account far earlier than I began running a blog.
I had a Tumblr weblog web page the place I might use Photoshop to make fascinating graphic artwork, too. I knew of some journey bloggers that I adopted on Instagram, and though it wasn’t tremendous fashionable but, I knew I needed to attempt to do the identical, because it combined my passions and abilities collectively.
After deciding to maneuver to London upon commencement, beginning my very own weblog appeared like essentially the most pure subsequent step. It took months to determine the most effective platform to host it on and I checked out tens of millions of how-to guides.
I started writing some opinion items for retailers like Elite Each day and Thought Catalog about my choice to maneuver overseas. I began treating my weblog like a journal after transferring overseas, telling humorous tales about making pals in London and even sneaking into the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool (my first viral article).
I used to be creating tons of content material however had no concept monetize for the longest time. I labored tons of journey jobs alongside the best way, from tour guiding to waitressing to gross sales. I passionately wrote about my travels, however it took me a couple of years actually to get a full grasp of Search engine marketing to determine truly earn money.
By 2019, I lastly stop my job in Melbourne to weblog full time, however I acquired hit by an enormous Google replace, after which Covid a couple of months later (which was clearly a large blow to travel bloggers)!
Not desirous to stop or pivot as that is actually my ardour, I labored my butt off via Covid to provide extra content material, hone down my area of interest, be taught an increasing number of, and strategize higher.
By 2022, I used to be lastly getting good visitors, and this yr is the primary out of 8.5 years that I’ve been really thriving simply from my weblog!
We (my boyfriend and I) now have two extra area of interest websites that we’re creating with heaps extra concepts for the long run.
How A lot She’s Making
I truly simply hit my first 5-figure month in August this yr, which felt unbelievable after 8.5 years. It’s like, lastly!
I might in all probability have made lower than $1 an hour in the event you truly measured out the hours I’ve put into my weblog, however to be at this level, it’s all worthwhile. And I can’t wait to go up from right here and maintain scaling, outsourcing, and rising.
At this level, most of my earnings comes from advertisements, affiliates, sponsored posts, and a little bit of social media model offers and vacation spot press journeys (however not almost as a lot as I would love).
I’m completely satisfied to interrupt down my superior August month under, however let’s not discuss Google’s September updates simply but!
$2557 – Advert Earnings
$3764 – Affiliate Earnings
$4283 – Sponsored Posts
$1500 – UGC/Model Offers
That was actually a crazily fortunate month by way of sponsored posts and concerned a couple of bigger funds from a couple of months of associates, however I couldn’t be extra stoked and hopeful that we are able to solely go up from right here!
I simply ticked over 100,000 pageviews in January this yr (which additionally felt wonderful) and I truly reached as much as 150,000 pageviews and 127k classes in August.
Kimmie’s High Advertising Technique
I might say mastering Search engine marketing and rising the output of high quality content material is my fundamental technique.
I spent manner too a few years crafting immaculate journey guides from my expertise that acquired no visitors as a result of: 1- the Search engine marketing was not ok, and a couple of – they had been manner too lengthy, due to this fact they didn’t actually reply anybody’s person intent.
I’m one of many few bloggers I do know who struggles to write down shorter posts! My content material was complete and nice high quality, however nobody was looking for it.
Since 2022, I’ve been publishing a minimum of two 2-3000 phrase posts per week following a couple of choose themes I’ve selected for my website, together with the assistance of a author I lastly employed (outsourcing sooner can be one thing I want I had achieved). This helped me scale quicker and higher than ever earlier than.
I taught my author my Search engine marketing analysis methodology (which pulls upon sure platforms for analysis in addition to different high 10 outcomes) and hope to convey extra writers onboard quickly too for my fundamental and area of interest websites.
Oh, and one thing that helped me scale rather a lot too was lastly understanding that I would want to publish content material about locations I had not truly been to maintain up the article quantity I wanted to scale.
Sharing research-based content material (somewhat than private expertise) is a no-no for a lot of journey bloggers, however I need to earn money and reside off of this factor!
And as soon as I began doing this, I can’t even stress how shortly my earnings went up. I believe it’s a tough hurdle to recover from, realizing {that a} journey weblog isn’t a private diary however, somewhat, a useful assortment of ideas in your area of interest.
I’m additionally one of many solely bloggers I do know that has a big deal with festivals. I’ve been to music festivals on 6 continents and have developed my very own sort of article I name a “review-guide” that critiques my expertise at a pageant in addition to serves as a information for others who go sooner or later.
I break down 17 classes of the pageant from the style, genres, crowd, safety, cash, timings, and extra to function essentially the most informational useful resource on that occasion on the web. My pageant review-guides normally do very well on Google.
I’m additionally an element proprietor of a brand new Croatian crusing firm offering reasonably priced luxurious for younger (and younger at coronary heart) vacationers, referred to as Fjaka Sail.
I used to be a tour information in Croatia for 3 summers and joined an previous coworker on his mission with my boyfriend after his associate dropped out. We’re going into our second season this yr and I’m the advertising and marketing/content material lead of the enterprise.
Her Ideas on Search engine marketing
Search engine marketing is of absolutely the utmost significance!
I primarily narrowed down to a couple article themes that I repeat time and again for various locations, primarily based on search quantity.
My technique is mainly utilizing Google’s different high outcomes for my key phrase (so long as they align) to see which headings are talked about most, and creating an overview from that (it’s extra difficult than that, however that’s the gist).
I be sure that to incorporate often-mentioned headings in addition to different distinctive ones that align with person intent and to incorporate loads of related key phrase variations that even have quantity, relying on the main keyword.
My ardour nonetheless lies in writing about my very own experiences, which I nonetheless do as usually as I can! However the laborious reality is {that a} journey blogger can not merely expertise (or afford) as many locations and issues as the quantity of content material required of them.
It took me 4 years of writing about my very own experiences to make a couple of pennies! However my favourite factor is occurring press journeys and writing Search engine marketing-researched articles concerning the vacation spot, together with pictures and social media.
Key phrase Analysis
I persist with my matters and maintain writing related articles with totally different locations. I exploit KeySearch for my fundamental analysis and I at all times cross-check key phrase quantity/issue with Semrush to ensure it’s a minimum of related and value writing.
I ought to in all probability pay for Semrush by now, however I normally don’t want greater than their each day free search quota or I steal my boyfriend’s Semrush/Ahrefs subscription as he has been an Search engine marketing skilled for a few yr now!
Hyperlink Constructing
I’d say it’s fairly very important to have loads of good links, however good content material that matches person intent is a very powerful. For me, a small variety of tremendous excessive authority hyperlinks helped me greater than enormous quantities of decrease authority hyperlinks.
I exploit HARO and Sourcebottle as a lot as I can, contribute to blogger collaboration posts, and do some hyperlink swaps (ideally 3-way).
The humorous factor is, my greatest hyperlinks and largest weblog increase truly got here from a brilliant viral TikTok video that I had that information media retailers picked up. You’ll discover some in the event you Google “KFC pyramids,” it was such a random video that blew up.
I reached out to every journalist writing about my video and requested them to credit score my weblog. My DA went up 6 factors inside a couple of months! Getting press mentions/consideration in different methods generally proves essentially the most useful.
Her Content material Creation Course of
Irrespective of if I’m writing an article from expertise or analysis, I at all times create an overview utilizing my very own Search engine marketing information and in addition what Google considers to be the highest outcomes for the key phrase already, as a result of if I already know what Google desires/expects, I can merely make my content material related however higher.
I additionally get a whole lot of sponsored posts, however at all times put tons of labor into them to make them useful, related, and keyworded in my area of interest. I attempt to publish a minimum of two articles per week and I don’t thoughts precisely what they’re so long as they’re useful.
Her E mail Record
I’ve an email list however I’ve been identified to neglect it a bit. I’ve a couple of opt-ins to do with sure content material matters I’ve a whole lot of (reminiscent of Melbourne, Australia) and Mediavine’s highlight Subscribe.
I’ve but to essentially make the most effective use of my lists, to be trustworthy. I do newsletters each month or each few months with my latest content material/what I’ve been as much as, journey offers of the second (which I normally get from emails from my associates), featured merchandise, and featured vacation spot/weblog posts.
How A lot Time She Spends on Her Weblog
I’m going full-time, however after I’m touring a lot, it’s laborious!
I’ve at all times been identified to prioritize a little bit of an journey in a brand new place over work (which may at all times result in content material!), which is why it’s essential even for journey bloggers to calm down generally!
Even when my schedule and routine are all over (like they at present are on my USA street journey), I nonetheless persist with engaged on weblog and electronic mail stuff on Tuesdays and Thursdays (updating previous posts, publishing new ones, answering emails, pitching, and so forth.), Instagram planning and photograph enhancing on Mondays, TikTok and video creation/enhancing on Wednesdays, and tying up free ends on Fridays.
Her Favourite Sources
Personally, I utilized a whole lot of different bloggers’ guides to begin a journey weblog that had been free on the Web, and have since created my very own guide to starting a travel blog.
I additionally acquired rather a lot out of Make Site visitors Occur’s Search engine marketing books and even a personalised audit that helped me flip my route again in 2021.
There are a whole lot of running a blog Fb teams that present an excellent sense of group and assist for each new and established bloggers. I like the “This Week in Running a blog” electronic mail e-newsletter that I just lately subscribed to.
However the greatest factor I might say right here is to attend running a blog conferences as these are actually the very best technique to launch your self into motivation and success. Not solely are there tons of informational classes on precisely do issues, however you get to hang around with and chat with different established bloggers and creators, all studying one thing from one another.
I at all times really feel so at residence at running a blog conferences, lastly being surrounded by “my individuals” when many at residence don’t even perceive what running a blog is. My first TBEX in 2017 actually lit a fireplace underneath my butt to get higher, and I did. I like to recommend TBEX, Traverse, and WITS, from expertise.
Her Go-To Instruments
My favourite instruments are:
Trello: I’ve totally different Trello boards for planning upcoming weblog posts, holding all my vacation spot/model pitching organized, affiliate applications to maintain monitor of, and sponsored posts.
My cameras: I used to be crew Nikon for years till I lastly might afford a Sony a7riii. Oh my goodness, this machine is unbelievable. I’ll by no means go away Sony and I completely adore this digicam. I’ve the 28-75 lens which is nice for something, and just lately acquired a 70-300. I additionally love my DJI Mavic Professional drone.
Adobe Lightroom: I’ve my very own presets and have gotten very proficient at Lightroom over time, even via some occasion pictures jobs. I exploit it to edit all my photographs and have an identical vibe to my weblog posts and Instagram.
SEOTesting: I pay about $30/month for a subscription to a service referred to as SEOTesting, which I truly love. You may run timed exams whenever you replace posts, examine URLs, get month-to-month updates on content material teams, and extra…
However my favourite factor about it’s that you simply get each day emails about your visitors/click on numbers and the way it in comparison with the week earlier than, weekly emails on successful and dropping posts and different updates, and in addition an electronic mail every time Google Search Console has found a brand new URL in your website, which is nice to ensure new posts are getting crawled.
I even have a complete checklist of my favourite merchandise in my “What’s in my Bag” article on my web site.
Her Largest Problem
Truthfully, I might say essentially the most difficult factor is by no means actually figuring out if I used to be doing the appropriate factor, or being confused why issues weren’t rating or working or getting visitors (as a result of within the blogging world, one thing may very well be going mistaken or not working for 1,000,000 totally different causes, as everyone knows).
Some careers have a cut-and-dry path to success, however on this subject, you by no means know.
Google may very well be having a nasty day, you could possibly have a literal coding concern in your website, your host may very well be messing one thing up, or one thing may very well be caching mistaken because of a plugin…. And it’s laborious to ever pinpoint a problem’s origin.
I believe if I employed a coach or an skilled to inform me issues I used to be doing mistaken manner earlier, I might have been doing a lot better extra shortly. Hiring a developer was the most effective issues I might have achieved to unlock my very own time and confusion!
Her Best Accomplishment
I might merely say that having the ability to say that I reside comfortably full-time off my weblog is my most essential accomplishment.
After a ridiculous quantity of ups and downs, an enormous blow with Covid, Google updates, and having all my household and pals at residence confused as to what precisely I used to be attempting to do and if I might ever cease… It’s superior to have the ability to present the world that it may be achieved.
I additionally like to encourage others to comply with their passions, too, since you actually could make a life out of what you like… In my case, it was adventures & sunsets!
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
Oh my gosh, so many issues!
I want I had centered laborious on Search engine marketing and monetize proper off the bat; running a blog isn’t journalism!
I want I had identified to rent a coach or ask for assist beginning out or studying the appropriate technique to go about issues from the beginning (which, to be honest, is far simpler in 2023 than in 2015).
I want I had taken the time to find out about key phrases, backlinks, hyperlink rel tags, internal linking, niching down, and so many different issues earlier than I blindly began writing about my life on the web.
However I actually wouldn’t change my journey for something.
Her Fundamental Mistake
As I discussed earlier, my greatest mistake was attempting to do every part myself.
Rent coaches, make pals in your subject, go to conferences, community, and outsource as quickly as you presumably can if you wish to fast-track your success.
I did none of this stuff and my weblog was useless within the water for a lengthy time!
Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
Hold going!
It’s an absolute load of labor, however whenever you lastly create passive earnings streams for your self and get the hold of it, there couldn’t be a greater feeling ever, particularly in the event you left behind a restrictive job and now have all the liberty on the planet.
There are infinite methods to earn money running a blog, and there may be a lot room for all of us right here.
