How This 33-Year-Old Used SEO to Grow Her Recipe Blog to $5k Per Month

Callan Wenner was plugging away at her company job when she realized she wanted a inventive outlet.

She had all the time been very adept within the kitchen, and had even thought-about culinary faculty at one level, however in the long run she determined to take her ardour on-line.

She began a weblog known as The Cozy Plum as a spot to share her recipes. When she realized that running a blog may really be a profitable enterprise, she went all-in.

At this time her weblog earns $5k monthly and provides her the liberty and suppleness to work when she desires and keep house together with her son.

Hold studying to seek out out:

• What she thought running a blog was going to be like
• When she realized what running a blog was really about
• The place her revenue comes from
• How a lot visitors her web site will get
• Her important advertising and marketing methods
• Her ideas on search engine optimization
• How she conveys her experience
• Her detailed method to key phrase analysis
• Her inner linking technique
• How she creates content material
• How she grows her e mail record
• The sources and instruments she makes use of
• Her largest problem
• Her important accomplishment
• Her worst mistake
• Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs

Meet Callan Wenner

My identify is Callan (like calendar) and I come from a comparatively rural space in central Pennsylvania. 

I performed Division I water polo in faculty, which took me to northern California for about 6 years earlier than I moved again east to attend graduate faculty. 

I then lived and labored in Pittsburgh, PA for five years (the place I used to be relationship my now husband), and at last moved again to my hometown the place my husband and I lately had a child boy (our first little one). 

I’ve all the time been very adept within the kitchen and regarded culinary faculty (very costly), nevertheless it wasn’t till the pandemic that I made a decision to show my pastime into one thing extra.

Why She Created Her Web site

Like quite a lot of newer bloggers, I began The Cozy Plum in spring of 2020… the early pandemic days. I used to be searching for a inventive outlet and have all the time beloved being within the kitchen—it’s my joyful place—so I made a decision to begin a weblog to host my recipes as a facet mission. 

I naively thought my distinctive recipes had been wonderful and I may trick Google by simply offering a small quantity of textual content and a recipe card. I used to be all the time listening to individuals say they only wished to “get to the recipe,” so I believed I used to be giving customers what they wished.

I shortly discovered that no person was trying to find issues like mango coconut marshmallows, one in all my earlier recipes, and began diving into what actually goes into working a successful blog: key phrase analysis, search engine optimization, UX, digital content material creation, working a small enterprise, and so on. 

That’s after I realized that blogging is a very lucrative business and I may make an excellent residing doing one thing I beloved.

I invested in a running a blog mentorship program to assist me study the fundamental ins and outs of running a blog and shortly begin attacking errors I had been making. It was 1.5 years after this system that I certified for Mediavine and commenced making an revenue from my web site.

I additionally wished to have a job that allowed me to be at house with my youngsters when the time got here. I can now say that I’ve achieved that purpose. 

How A lot She’s Making

For the previous 12 months, I’ve averaged $5k monthly as a base revenue solely from my web site and one images shopper. 

I first monetized my web site in October 2022. You’ll be able to see right here the earnings distinction that one 12 months has made on my web site. This quantity will proceed to extend as I’ve honed in on my keyword research, search engine optimization practices, and general web site authority. 

I additionally tackle further freelance initiatives as my schedule permits. This contains recipe growth and images and videography for nationwide manufacturers, sponsored social media posts, and ghost content material creation for different bloggers or manufacturers’ social media. 

This varies by month, however I don’t settle for a mission for lower than $1500 solely attributable to my very own value of doing enterprise. One-off initiatives usually vary from $2,000 to $6,000.

As a result of I’m a meals blogger, particularly desserts and big day appetizers, seasonality impacts my web site. 

In the summertime months when there aren’t any main holidays and folks don’t wish to have their oven on within the warmth, I common round 50k classes. 

As soon as quarter 4 hits, that quantity doubles and I sit round 120k classes.

January additionally has an enormous decline in web site numbers and income. Everyone seems to be attempting to wash up their consuming habits after the vacations and candy indulgences are at a minimal. 

I additionally see a major decline in “unfollows” on Instagram because of this.

Her Primary Advertising Technique

My advertising and marketing technique is consistency. 

I’ve a devoted schedule for every of the next: weblog posts, Google net tales, e mail newsletters, Pinterest, Instagram, and Fb. These are my highest-traffic drivers. 

This 12 months, I plan to be extra constant on YouTube, so I’m curious to see how that seems. I’m pushing out content material by means of as many channels as I can actively deal with, and the place I’ve probably the most devoted neighborhood who belief me as their kitchen skilled.

I additionally submit my recipes to FoodTalk, which might be controversial for meals bloggers because the platform basically scrapes your weblog publish to their web site. Nevertheless, I’ve by no means seen this compete with any of my precise weblog posts, so I don’t see it as an issue (proper now).

They’ve an extremely strong e mail record, and since I’ve a very good following to my profile, my recipes get featured of their e mail virtually each month. I can submit 3 recipes a month for a function, so I particularly select recipes that present excessive RPMs through my Mediavine dashboard. 

Once I land a kind of e mail options, I all the time see a spike in visitors and revenue. 

I work 30 to 40 hours per week on my enterprise. 

Previous to having a child, it was nearer to 50 to 60, however I’ve outsourced extra of my duties, which has freed up time. I’ve began working smarter, not tougher.

Her Ideas on search engine optimization

Web site visibility and a robust on-line presence are an enormous a part of the running a blog facet of my enterprise. The extra seen my web site, the extra visitors, and the upper my earnings.

When first beginning my enterprise, I had put quite a lot of concentrate on rising a social media following. Nevertheless, as soon as my web site was monetized and I had entry to extra earnings knowledge, I dove into search engine optimization greater than ever. 

For instance, common RPMs from natural search in October 2023 had been $34.79, whereas RPMs from Instagram had been $11.90. 

My apple crumble cheesecake went viral on Instagram with over 12 million views, which introduced round 67k to my web site in October from Instagram, however solely resulted in roughly $300 due to the RPM conversion. 

Due to this, I particularly concentrate on rising visibility for search queries organically. I additionally actually concentrate on internal linking which helps my EAT (experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness), reveals me as an skilled, and builds my general model fairness. 

I make certain all of my weblog posts and web site pages (together with class pages) and on-page components are optimized. 

I’m writing for the consumer… to offer them the data they’re searching for as shortly and clearly as attainable, relatively than simply key phrase stuffing to get into the SERPs. 

It’s a long-term technique, however when your YOY knowledge, it’s apparent that it pays off.

Key phrase Analysis

I exploit a couple of completely different strategies and packages to conduct my key phrase analysis. If I’m simply beginning out, don’t know what recipe I wish to make, and wish to get some concepts, I head over to Google, paired with a plugin known as Keywords Everywhere which populates month-to-month search quantities with queries. 

I’ll use the ABC methodology to create an inventory of concepts. 

For instance, if I do know I wish to make a cake, I’ll write down numerous sorts of truffles to do the strategy with: bundt cake, single layer cake, snack cake, layer cake, sheet cake, and so on. 

I put “bundt cake recipe” into the search bar then hit the house button. Google will robotically populate search queries about this with bolded phrases. I see “chocolate bundt cake” and that appears appetizing and is one thing I wish to discover additional.

I alter the search time period to “chocolate bundt cake” and hit the spacebar. I write down the entire bolded modifiers. Then, I’m going by means of each letter of the alphabet with the letters on each the again finish and entrance finish of the search time period and write down what populates. 

These are common search queries linked to your head key phrase. 

From there, I head over to KeySearch and search the phrases I’m fascinated with to test the month-to-month search quantity, competitor URLs and area authority, and associated search phrases. 

If the question ticks my private bins (greater than 1k month-to-month search quantity, means to rank prime 10, aligns with my model, and so on), then it goes on my working key phrase record for consideration. 

I then consult with that key phrase record to consider seasonality and holidays, as I’m planning out my recipes every month. 

Along with this methodology, I additionally use RankIQ to construct supporting posts and in addition analysis queries to make use of as H2s in associated posts. 

In the event you’re fascinated with meals running a blog, I extremely recommend taking the Cooking with Key phrases course, which is how I discovered the right way to effectively and efficiently conduct key phrase analysis.

Inner Linking and Hyperlink Constructing

Hyperlink constructing is extremely essential, particularly for EAT. 

Inside my very own web site, I exploit the LinkWhisper plugin to advocate inner hyperlinks that I ought to contact on primarily based on what I’m writing about.

Once I first began, I used to be all the time linking to different weblog posts through the precise recipe identify. Nevertheless, this wasn’t actually benefitting me as a result of I used to be continuously linking to the identical precise key phrase. 

There are lots of, typically 1000’s of key phrases that every recipe can rank for, so I needed to adapt my technique to hyperlink these posts to different rating key phrases. 

For instance, if I’m writing a brownie publish and describing “fudgy brownies” I’ll hyperlink one other brownie publish to the phrases fudgy brownies, as that may be a key phrase I’d prefer to rank larger for. 

To build links externally, I submit recipes to recipe roundup teams on Fb, converse on podcasts, and do interviews.

Callan’s Content material Creation Technique

After deciding on my key phrase and normal recipe, I write out the recipe and check. 

If I’m utilizing a base recipe that I have already got, I just about know it’s going to work out. Nevertheless, typically I’ve to check recipes a number of instances, particularly baking recipes.

Throughout this course of, I take each course of pictures and movies concurrently. This enables me to condense the method so I get all of the digital content material I want in a single go. As soon as the dish is completed, I take last images and last movies.

From there, I export, cull, and set up all recordsdata. Images get exported from Lightroom and despatched to my photograph editor. I edit every recipe into 3 movies (1 minute, 30 seconds, and 10 to fifteen seconds). 

As soon as the images come again, I load them into WordPress and into the bottom recipe template, together with the ultimate recipe within the recipe card and the step-by-step-instructions inside the weblog publish.

From there, I ship my key phrase analysis spreadsheet to my author, who writes the remainder of the weblog publish, incorporating obligatory key phrases and descriptions.

I evaluate the weblog publish, publish, add the 1-minute video to my recipe card, then add the recipe to my schedule to advertise through Google net tales, Pinterest, Instagram, and Fb. 

This will get repeated for each recipe, which is as much as 8 monthly.

Her Electronic mail Checklist

I at present have virtually 3,000 subscribers on my important e mail record. I name these my MVPs, as these are the parents who’re actually tuned in to my choices and are more than likely to make my recipes. 

I ship out a bi-weekly e mail with new and featured recipes, in addition to tidbits of what’s happening behind the scenes.

I exploit numerous CTAs on completely different pages of my web site, pop-ups if I’m providing one thing particular (like a information), a highlight function in the midst of each weblog publish, and in Instagram tales. 

My important viewers sign-up has an intro e mail sequence which sends out a sequence of three emails after signing up. 

This contains what they’ll count on from The Cozy Plum, the right way to discover success in my recipes, and the highest 10 recipes from the previous 12 months to get them began.  

I additionally lately joined the ConvertKit creator program, which lets you recommend different creators your viewers could get pleasure from (upon sign-up) and vice versa. I don’t have sufficient knowledge on this, but, however I’m hopeful that it’s going to convey extra subscribers. 

Lastly, I’ve an extra e mail record that goes particularly to manufacturers or shoppers I’ve labored with prior to now. 

This goes out twice a 12 months and contains current initiatives and what I’ve been as much as in a contract capability. It helps to maintain me top-of-mind for initiatives and permits manufacturers to see what I can provide them.

Her Favourite Sources

My go-to sources are:

• Podcasts/Webinars: Meals Blogger Professional, Eat Weblog Speak, search engine optimization for Bloggers
• YouTube: The Chunk Shot 
• Paid programs: Cooking with Key phrases, meals running a blog mentorship packages, enterprise teaching

Her Favourite Instruments

Essentially the most helpful instruments are my mission administration techniques. 

I particularly use these packages as they permit me to automate my processes, cut back pointless communication with my workforce, and preserve me on observe with weblog posts and mission deadlines.

Asana: I exploit this as my private mission administration system to make sure no items are falling by means of the cracks. 

For instance, I’ve a 26-step guidelines for each single merchandise I want to finish per recipe with date-specific deadlines.

AirTable: These spreadsheets are used to compile all knowledge for my weblog posts, together with focused key phrases, months to advertise, and publish IDs, which helps me simply add the posts into custom-made blocks on my homepage. 

I additionally use them to create and share schedules with my contractors, which I embed with e mail triggers upon standing adjustments (i.e. “publish loaded to WordPress,” “weblog publish full”). 

These are used for my author, Pinterest VA, and Google Net Tales VA. 

Honeybook: I exploit this program as my CRM to maintain observe of shopper data and communication, and my invoicing system. 

It robotically sends reminders to shoppers to pay an bill so I might be completely hands-off. 

Callan’s Greatest Problem

The largest problem was studying the right way to be my very own boss and adapting to the flexibleness. I’d say it’s the very best and worst half about working a web-based enterprise. 

It’s really easy to offer in to the sensation of not desirous to work on a selected day, however selecting to work anyway.

At the start, it was troublesome to have fluctuating month-to-month revenue after getting used to a really regular revenue in my company job. 

It took a while to determine precisely what I wanted to run my enterprise and which bills may wait till I used to be bringing in extra money. 

Her Best Accomplishment

Constructing my enterprise from the bottom up. 

I knew the right way to create an superior, attractive recipe…I didn’t know a lot else. 

I taught myself the right way to construct and keep my web site, the right way to keyword research, market myself on social media, negotiate contracts, study drool-worthy images and videography, web site analytics, handle a workforce, and keep on prime of the altering panorama of the net world. And a lot extra!

Once I really feel like “I’m not profitable sufficient but,” I remind myself that I’ve constructed all of this from my very own willpower and can solely proceed to develop.

What She Needs She Knew When She Began

I want I had identified about search engine optimization. 

I spent an excessive amount of time with my head buried within the sand and would have monetized my web site a lot sooner if I had taken the time to study extra about key phrase analysis and search engine optimization greatest practices. 

I’m nonetheless paying for that naivety by updating previous weblog posts after I could possibly be spending time specializing in different methods to usher in revenue or diversify. 

However skinny content material will not be useful to my web site, so I must get these updates achieved. 

Her Greatest Mistake

I don’t suppose I can say that I’ve made any big errors up to now, however there are undoubtedly some issues that I want I’d achieved in a different way. 

Second, I’d discover ways to worth my companies and negotiate contracts with manufacturers proper off the bat. 

I’ve undoubtedly underpriced myself on various initiatives just because I didn’t perceive my very own value of doing enterprise and what my absolute baseline worth per mission wanted to be.

Third, I want I had outsourced sooner. Whenever you aren’t making some huge cash but, it’s straightforward to wish to tackle that work your self. However for my enterprise, time is cash. 

Paying different individuals to do the work that I don’t wish to do (or takes quite a lot of time) frees up my schedule to run the elements of my enterprise that permit me to proceed to usher in cash.  

Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs

Constructing a enterprise from the bottom up is a marathon, not a dash. I nonetheless inform myself this day-after-day. The to-do record is limitless, and a few days you get extra achieved than different days. 

All through yearly, there will likely be highs and lows, and it may be lonely while you’re placing within the lengthy hours.