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How to Reach Your First 10k Monthly Views on Your Blog

Last Updated: October 20, 2021 · Blogging

Starting a blog from scratch is a huge undertaking — and one you should be proud of doing! However, despite your best intentions for your blog, no amount of passion in the world can grow your blog to 10k monthly pageviews without a real strategy.

In this sweet and handy guide, I’m going to be sharing some of my top blogging tips for when you want to grow your blog within the first year of starting (or if you’ve already started and just can’t seem to get that traffic rolling in!). These tried-and-tested methods are what have enabled me to grow not one, but THREE, successful blogs in the last six years (I sold one a while back, though).

Blogging is a long-term project. Growing traffic, particularly organic traffic from Google, takes time and patience. However, there are ways to get eyeballs on your first posts and get your blog growing to 1k, 3k, 5k, and finally to 10,000 monthly sessions within the first 6 months – 1 year of blogging.

Here’s how!

Check out my new Bootstrap Blogging Master Course if you are looking for curated 1:1 blog coaching and a step-by-step program that will enable you to deep dive into the business of blogging full-time. Send me an email or Instagram DM (@bootstrapblogging) to book a complimentary 20-minute clarity call if you’re unsure if this 10-12 week blogging course is right for you.

Table of Contents show
How to Grow Your Blog to 10k with Organic Traffic
1. Implement SEO from Day One
2. Write + Publish Consistently
3. Always Add Value
4. Stop Trying to Sell So Much
5. Get Social!
6. Use Pinterest to Boost Initial Traffic
7. Make Sure Your Link Strategy is Tidy
8. Create Your First Newsletter Funnel
9. Don’t Forget About Image SEO
10. Long-Tail Keywords for the Win
Bonus: Improve Your Blog Format & Structure

How to Grow Your Blog to 10k with Organic Traffic

digital nomad girl working on laptop in cafe in antigua guatemala

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

1. Implement SEO from Day One

SEO — Search Engine Optimization — is the bread and butter of any blog. It is what enables your blog to be discovered by Google and other search engines.

There are tons of free SEO tools out there on YouTube and on blogs (like this one) to help get you started. In my Bootstrap Blogging course, we dive into the specifics of SEO including:

  1. SEO of your entire sites’ pages (i.e. categories, tags, headers, plugins, meta descriptions, linking strategy, etc)
  2. Your image SEO (yes, blog photos need to be optimized too!)
  3. Pagespeed + how to improve it
  4. The actual written content and how to write better with expertise, authority, and trust
  5. Your chosen niche and branding

SEO is absolutely crucial to growing your blog to its first 10k in monthly traffic — and beyond!

2. Write + Publish Consistently

If you want to blog, then blog! You’d be surprised at how many people start blogging without realizing they actually have to write… A LOT. 🙈

Writing and publishing consistently is going to be what propels your blog forward. Whenever you stay consistent blogging, Google sees that and places more trust in your site.

You can’t become an expert in your niche if you don’t actively research, write, and publish guides covering those topics. And I don’t mean one blog post per month!

My growth EXPLODED when I started a 30-Day Blogging Challenge in January 2021. I ended up publishing almost every day for 19 days and in just that one month, my blog grew exponentially by over 12,000 sessions! It was wild!

screenshot of blog growth graph over last calendar year

3. Always Add Value

Not only will your readers call bullsh*t on half-assed blog posts, so will Google! You will absolutely not rank above your competition in search results if you don’t add value.

In Bootstrap Blogging, I detail exactly how to add value in your blog posts and share with you my secret 12 Commandments of Blogging!

4. Stop Trying to Sell So Much

The biggest mistake some newbie (and existing) bloggers can make is trying to oversell their affiliate programs.

Yes, affiliate commissions are wonderful and you’ll need to sprinkle a few here and there throughout your content to get your readers to click and earn you $$$, but sometimes… It’s overkill.

Google needs to know FIRST and foremost that you’re here to show up and give real value — better than what’s already out there — and not to bank off a ranking post just because you did all those SEO must-dos.

Making money this early in the game is not going to prove fruitful long-term. Once you start to garner TRUST with your readers, that’s when you’ll see commissions truly start to fill up the piggy bank. 🐖 🏦

5. Get Social!

My golden Bootstrap Blogging student, Haleigh (@_wherewewentnext), is proof that getting social brings in awesome traffic to your blog. Within one month of her STARTING her blog and publishing — with only 5 or so blog posts — she was able to grow her blog already up to 3,000+ sessions (and counting 😭). I couldn’t be more proud!

Whether you choose Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok (definitely get on TikTok) — getting social and putting in the time to connect with your existing audience on those platforms can really attract your most loyal followers (and new “interestee’s”) to read your blog and support you.

Social traffic can lead to big blog milestone wins, new Newsletter sign-ups, AND show Google that your baby blog is worth ranking because people are already lovin’ it! 🎉

female digital nomad in front of the "follow that dream" sign in tulum, mexico

6. Use Pinterest to Boost Initial Traffic

Since it takes several weeks, or full-blown months, for Google to even take notice of your blog 👀 , there is one other way to rake in juicy organic traffic — behold, Pinterest!

Pinterest is a search engine, and therefore can rank your *images* and Pin graphics which all point back to your blog post URL (= blog views). This means you can get blog views ASAP, even on the same day of publishing. No need to wait for Google to index your site/posts!

Growing on Pinterest can be a hit or miss sometimes — gurus will tell you different methods work like a charm. But what I’ve found over my first year of travel blogging is that,

  • Tailwind (a Pinterest scheduling automation tool) doesn’t work for everybody but it can be a huge help for automatizing your Pin schedule;
  • Manually pinning to your most relevant board is the most-backed growth strategy;
  • I haven’t been able to rake in more than 5k per month in traffic from Pinterest (but that’s already a boost of free, reoccurring monthly traffic!)

7. Make Sure Your Link Strategy is Tidy

To reach your first 10k monthly pageviews blogging, you absolutely have to have a solid linking strategy. This goes for:

  • Internal links (linking to content within/existing on your blog)
  • External links (linking out to relevant, trustworthy sources in each post)
  • Permalinks (shortening and cleaning up your URL link for the blog post)
  • Backlinks (links from other websites, media, etc that point to your blog!)

If you aren’t sure how to set up your permalinks — or your permalinks are super long, include way too many filler words — send me a DM! Once you improve your link strategy, your blog as a whole will benefit which means more organic traffic.

8. Create Your First Newsletter Funnel

Everyone says “START YOUR NEWSLETTER DAY 1 OF BLOGGING!”, and frankly, I get it! Yes, yes, yes — your newsletter is yours. You have full control over your email list and it doesn’t rely on a stupid algorithm.

Those who sign up for your newsletter should be treated like VIP readers because they are here for YOU and YOUR STORY and the VALUE you have to share.

When you send out newsletters to your subscribers, you will often get a % of those who will click back to read your latest blog post. Return visitors send a major positive signal to Google that people aren’t just visiting your blog once and forgetting you, but are actively coming back to soak up more!

Learn how to create email automation, branded sign-up forms, incentive sign-up freebies, and more in my Bootstrap Blogging course!

9. Don’t Forget About Image SEO

Creatives and bloggers typically hate SEO because there’s nothing very creative about it. It’s technical, boring, confusing even! But, SEO is vital and so it extends its vital limbs to another important area of blogging — photos!

Without image SEO, you’re potentially leaving massive amounts of organic traffic on the table. Yes — your blog images can rank for keywords, too!

10. Long-Tail Keywords for the Win

Keyword research is massively overrated and overdone. People spend hundreds of dollars on keyword tools and, sure, while some have obliterated their competition doing this, others don’t see much reward.

That’s because keyword research is rather simple. Keywords are topics that you target when you’re writing your content.

Many people believe so strongly in keywords that they think dropping a few throughout the written content = guaranteed rankings in Google and other SERPs.

Nooooo.

Keywords are starting points — they give you phrase ideas but you don’t need to copy them letter-for-letter. Google is getting smarter and can see right through this tactic.

What Google is looking for is SEARCH INTENT.

You can’t know someone’s search intent unless you’re thinking like your reader. That expertise — and being able to take that information and create a well-structured, valuable blog post out of it — is what you’ll master inside Boostrap Blogging.

female travel blogger working remotely on laptop at home on couch

Bonus: Improve Your Blog Format & Structure

Lastly, if you want to grow your blog to 10k and beyond, you absolutely need to rethink and reorganize how you are formatting and structuring your blog posts and site in general!

  • How can the answer to the reader’s ultimate question be BEST explained/displayed/expressed/represented in your content?

That’s how you grow your traffic.

SEO checklists help (and those are freebies inside the BB course, too!), but in the end, it’s what you say — and how — that makes the difference in your ranking position and, thus, your organic blog growth.

I hope you found this mini-guide for growing your blog to 10k helps pave the path toward lots and lots of blog growth in your future. Again, if you want to chat blogging, drop me a DM, or go ahead and learn more about each module inside Bootstrap Blogging.

x, Bri

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By: Bri · In: Blogging

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  1. shannon colclough says

    June 23, 2022 at 2:35 pm

    Thank you for this. We can often get caught up in other bloggers and there now and how much they’re making. When everyone’s niche and journey isn’t the same.

    Reply

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I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

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Tips from a long-time nomad ⬇️✨ 💻 WORKIN Tips from a long-time nomad ⬇️✨

💻 WORKING ONLINE
While not all nomads/remote workers have online-specific jobs, it’s the easiest way to sustain an income for full-time or long-term travel. Here are some jobs you can do as a digital nomad!

• Blogging (This is what I do full-time!)
• Content Creation / Brand Sponsorship
• Virtual Assisting
• Social Media Management
• YouTube or Podcasting
• Graphic / Web Design
• Coding / Development
• Photography / Videography
• Freelance Writing (How I started)
• Marketing / Amazon FBA / Ecommerce

📍PICKING YOUR DIGITAL NOMAD DESTINATION
There are many countries out there offering digital nomad visas, but you don’t even need one to just travel as a tourist and stay in-country for 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. Nomads go everywhere as long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection, some countries you may consider are Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Croatia, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Brazil, and beyond! Even lesser-known places such as Namibia are starting to offer nomad visas to entice long-term travelers to visit.

🏡 FINDING HOUSING ABROAD
Read my blog post for the full guide on this, but basically, check local Facebook groups for renting local housing for extended stays and then use Airbnbs for shorter stays or to negotiate longer contracts with the owner. There are even more “nomad rental websites” these days to make finding accommodation even easier. Don’t overlook co-living/working spaces too like Selina where the digital nomad community tends to congregate.

💛 EXPLORING LOCALLY/RESPONSIBLY
As always, be mindful and respectful when you visit these communities. Many small towns are struggling with rapid growth and overdevelopment so be mindful of your choices of where you stay, how you spend your money, and who you support.

My best advice + detailed guides are all on the blog, free for you to use! Let me know if you have any questions about digital nomad life! 

Lastly, don’t overthink it. Moving countries isn’t as intimidating as you may think! It’s become second nature for us now after several years! 🐈‍⬛💃🌎✨
I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to discover t I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to discover this incredible country beyond the resorts and beaches, having lived temporarily in 5 out of the 32 Mexican states (Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and now Baja California Sur) as a digital nomad who’s been slow traveling/living in and out of Mexico since 2018. 

There is so, so much cultural and natural beauty in Mexico — I wish more people could experience this country for themselves and not through the eyes of the media.

***Please visit Mexico as a digital nomad (or tourist in general) responsibly and mindfully. Stay local, eat local, drink local, shop local, support local. Leave No Trace and be conscious of your choices and impact!*** 

Here are the cities/towns we’ve slow traveled/lived in for extended stays.

• Oaxaca City — a colorful, historic open museum rich in indigenous culture and gastronomy 
• San Cristóbal de las Casas — an endearing pueblo mágico in the Chiapas Highlands
• La Paz — the capital city of BCS teeming with marine life, diving, fish tacos, and desert vibes
• San Pancho — an eco-conscious town in Nayarit famous for its sunsets and community
• Tulum — no introduction needed (and I wouldn’t go back here as a nomad due to overdevelopment)

Other great cities/towns/destinations for digital nomads are:

• Guadalajara (state of Jalisco)
• Santiago de Querétaro (state of Querétaro)
• San Miguel de Allende or Guanajuato City (state of Guanajuato)
• Playa del Carmen (state of Quintana Roo)
• Valladolid or Mérida (state of Yucatán)
• México City/CDMX (state of México)
• Sayulita (state of Nayarit)
• Puerto Vallarta (state of Jalisco)
• Puerto Escondido (state of Oaxaca)

I’d love to know what you think about Mexico and where you’ve been in the comments! 🇲🇽💛

And for the detailed guide of 13 places to live/visit, read my blog @bucketlistbri .com (just type in “places to live mexico” in the quick search bar if you can’t find the post under my “Mexico” category).

#mexicomagico #digitalnomad #visitmexico #livingabroad #fulltimetravel #mexicotravel #mexicodestinations #nomadadigital #nomada #mexicomaravilloso #slowtravelling #mindfultravel
PSA: Your anxiety, problems or (bad) habits will f PSA: Your anxiety, problems or (bad) habits will follow you around the world until you face them no matter how much you travel or move countries 🙃 

I know I’m not the only one that feels restless at times and idolizes moving to a new region/country/continent to shake my feelings of anxiety or self-doubt or fear! (Also, I tend to think about moving to another country even when I just moved to a new one 😅)

I know because I have lived abroad for 8+ years. I used to try to drown out my icky feelings and past traumas with lots of alcohol but now I carry them with me like I do my mismatched socks — they add to the quirkiness and remind me I don’t have to be, and am not, perfect. 

And that life is more interesting that way, anyway. 

Anddd that most importantly, whenever I get lost, I can and will be found again — I just may look and think differently after new adventures but I am still loved and never lost forever 🧦 ✨💛 

In sum, whether you travel full-time or not, take care of yourself ✨💛

#nomadness #nomadlife #lifeofadventure #livingabroad #fulltimetravel #offbeattravel #remoteworklife #homeawayfromhome #slowtravelstories #mentalhealthawarness
The 4 core ingredients to a recharged Bri: 💛 P The 4 core ingredients to a recharged Bri:

💛 Paul
😻 Yoda
🌍 Traveling & adventuring
👩🏼‍💻 Blogging & writing

Among other things like nature, photography, reading, animals, journaling, art, playing Zelda/games, dancing/music, culture/languages, enjoying rly good food and drinks! 😋 

What about you? What recharges you?? 

#rechargemysoul #blogging #adventures #writing #soulfulliving #mindfulliving #mindfultravel #nomadcouple #creativeliving
1 WEEK COSTA RICA ITINERARY👇🦋✨ 🌋 ARENA 1 WEEK COSTA RICA ITINERARY👇🦋✨

🌋 ARENAL // LA FORTUNA (2 days)
- Hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park
- Indulge in a local chocolate/coffee tour (s/o to @northfieldscafe)
- Go on a wildlife safari float (s/o to Raúl for pura vida vibes!)
- Lounge in natural hot springs (highly recommend the budget-friendly Relax Termalitas in Fortuna)
- Visit La Fortuna waterfall
- Check out the Butterfly Conservatory

🦥 QUEPOS // MANUEL ANTONIO (2-3 days)
- Take a guided or DIY tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Chill out on the Espadilla beach
- Explore the cute towns
- Watch for wildlife in the trees!

🌿 MONTEVERDE // SANTA ELENA (2 days)
- Visit/hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Go ziplining
- Birdwatching on a canopy tour
- Monteverde coffee tour
- Do a nature night walk

My sister and I surprised our mom with this bucket list trip on her birthday, and we had a blast! 🥹

Send this itinerary to someone you know who has always wanted to go to Costa Rica 🦋💛✨🌿🦜🐒

#costarica #bucketlisttrip #puravida #costaricaitinerary #lafortuna #manuelantonio #monteverde #ecotourism
Swimming with the biggest fish in the world is a q Swimming with the biggest fish in the world is a quite a humbling experience, and one that’s been at the top of my bucket list for ages! 🥺

Right now is prime whale shark season in La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico, so Paul and I made sure to go before we jetted off to see family for the holidays! I’m still in awe of these gentle giants and the fact that we got to swim alongside them!

Read all about the best whale shake tours in La Paz + ethical whale shark tourism in my latest blog post! Link in bio 💛

Send this to a friend who loves whale sharks! 🐳🦈

#whalesharks #lapaz #bajacaliforniasur #ethicaltravel #responsibletravel #ecotourism #golapaz #mexicotravel #bucketlist #seaofcortez
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