Sharing My Blogging Journey After One Month

Hi everyone,
On January 1, 2025, I started my first blog using WordPress.org, writing in Italian for my Italian audience. I began with 7 posts and by the end of January, I had 15. Normally, I plan to publish 6 to 8 posts each month while managing other responsibilities. My blog focuses on travel, and I’ve been learning about SEO with a free keyword research tool.

January Game Plan
For my first month, I aimed to publish as much content as I could to grow my site. I also have a YouTube channel and an Instagram account, both small (35 subscribers on YouTube, 344 followers on Instagram), that I plan to use for promoting my blog, even though I haven’t done much promotion yet.
I also:

  • Submitted my URLs to Bing for indexing (so far, only 3 have been indexed).
  • Applied for Google AdSense (still waiting for approval).
  • Joined an affiliate program for a travel insurance company.

February Game Plan
In February, I hope to:

  • Publish at least 8 posts.
  • Start using Pinterest as a beginner.
  • Promote more on Instagram and YouTube.
  • Apply for CJ and Booking affiliate programs.

January Results
Out of the 15 posts I published, 3 did really well and brought in almost all the traffic:

  • Two posts were seasonal about snowy mountain hikes, so I expect their traffic to drop soon.
  • One is a guide for a very popular hike, and apparently, no one wrote about it before.
  • The other posts, like those about Japan, have high competition, so I anticipated low traffic.

Google Search Console Data (01/01 - 31/01):

  • Total Clicks: 176
  • Impressions: 2,580
  • CTR: 6.8%
  • Average Position: 40.1

Google Analytics Data (01/01 - 31/01):

  • Active Users: 151
  • Pageviews: 640
  • Sessions: 446

What do you think? Am I doing anything wrong? Should I change my strategy or keep going? Are these results okay?

Nice work, you’re off to a great start with your planning! I wish you all the best :pray:.

I’m thinking about starting my own blog this month in the tech category. How do you come up with ideas for your posts? Are they random :thought_balloon: or planned? What tools do you recommend for a newbie like me

@Levi
Hi! Thank you! Since my blog is about travel, I write about trips and excursions I’ve taken, itineraries, places to stay, where to eat, and all things travel. Instagram reels, though, are a struggle for me. As for tools, I’m not sure what to suggest. I’m a developer but quite new to WordPress, SEO, and blogging, so I can’t help much there, sorry!

The planning alone is impressive. Many people only think about starting something but never actually get around to planning or doing it.

Dan said:
The planning alone is impressive. Many people only think about starting something but never actually get around to planning or doing it.

Thank you! I’m trying my best.

You’re off to a fantastic start! :rocket: Keeping a consistent schedule and using different platforms is a great plan. Your Google Search Console stats show good engagement with a 6.8% CTR. Focus on low-competition keywords, and Pinterest can really help with travel blogs. Keep it up! :muscle::chart_with_upwards_trend:

@kenmarkawey
Thank you so much! I’m doing my best. I will post a progress update at the end of February, so we’ll see how that goes!

Good progress! Can you help me with my blog journey?

Franky said:
Good progress! Can you help me with my blog journey?

Hi! Thank you! I’m still learning with WordPress, SEO, and blogging, so I might not be the best person to help. What do you need assistance with?

@trixiebecky
Did you get most of your traffic from search engines or social media?

Franky said:
@trixiebecky
Did you get most of your traffic from search engines or social media?

Most of the traffic came from Google.

trixiebecky said:

Franky said:
@trixiebecky
Did you get most of your traffic from search engines or social media?

Most of the traffic came from Google.

How long does it take to get your post indexed?

@Franky
Usually not more than 2-3 hours with Google, but I’m not sure about Bing.

trixiebecky said:
@Franky
Usually not more than 2-3 hours with Google, but I’m not sure about Bing.

You targeted long-tail keywords and got indexed in 2-3 hours? Did they make it to the first page of Google?

@Franky
Yes, the three best posts made it to the first page for low-traffic keywords. They were indexed quickly and hit the first page this month.

trixiebecky said:
@Franky
Yes, the three best posts made it to the first page for low-traffic keywords. They were indexed quickly and hit the first page this month.

That’s awesome I want to ask you some questions like this too. Can you DM me? I am starting my blog and need help.

I started my blog on the same date. Mine is about personal finance.

Google Search Console: January
Total Clicks: 37
Impressions: 100
Average position: 22

Google Analytics (January 2024)
Active users: 206
Page views: 800
Sessions: 352

I could use some tips to improve.

Your Next Rupee

I feel kind of lost.

I’ve been blogging on and off for two years with over 150 posts, but I barely get any traffic.

Out of all the SEO work I’ve done, only one random post ever ranked and brought in a handful of visitors a few days each month.

I’m just not doing well.

@winsteizsty
What’s your blog about?

PostPioneer said:
@winsteizsty
What’s your blog about?

I cover worldschooling, travel, and secular homeschooling.