Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News podcast. This week's show is hosted by Jared Bauman, from 201 Creative, and Jacky Chou, the digital asset investor entrepreneur behind Indexsy, Far & Away, and several other businesses. The episode kicks off with the latest about SGE, which can now be used when browsing and also offers users the option of summarizing the article they're reading. Jared shares a small experiment he did to see how well the summarization function works, comparing SGE with Claude and ChatGPT4, and they talk about the implications for content creators. Will this reduce the time on page? Will it lower ad or affiliate revenue? How will it affect smaller sites vs. authority sites and article length? Is this good news for end users or site owners? The conversation then shifts to how Tim Soulo, from Ahrefs, recently asked for feedback on Reddit. The company received a lot of backlash on the platform from unhappy users and Jared and Jacky talk about why they think that is and whether or not they believe it's justified. The next topic is a highly controversial tweet by Google's John Mueller, who says "A page doesn't have to be on a site that's "related to the niche" in order to be useful and helpful. You don't need to have a niche site in order to rank in Google, in fact, sometimes that's a good way not to rank." His tweet really waded into a ton of topics and, perhaps most importantly, contradicts the concept of topical authority. Jared and Jacky talk about why Google may have said this, if they think it's true or not, and whether or not users should pay attention to it or ignore it. In the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast, Jared begins by giving another update on this faceless YouTube channel which, sadly, still doesn't have enough subscribers to qualify for monetization. He does share some interesting statistics about the videos embedded on his website, he and Jacky talk about different aspects to improve on his channel, and he discusses his future plans on YouTube. Jacky then talks about parasite SEO and one of his side hustles where he's spinning up sites on Outlook India and redirecting penalized domains to them, the goal being to earn through Amazon Affiliates. If you want to know how it goes, follow him on Twitter. He also talks about a cold outreach strategy he's using at the moment and how it's going. As for their Weird Niche Sites, Jared shares The Hotdog which is, unsurprisingly, all about hot dogs. This DR31 site ranks for 12.8k keywords and has over 140 pages live. Although it doesn't appear to be monetized, it does look like a brand play. Jacky shares the site he found, Beaming Health, which helps users find specific therapists for their kids. He talks about how the autism services market is worth $7 billion and growing, and how search volume for these terms has been increasing by 50-60% each year. He shares a few business ideas related to this niche that he sees as potentially profitable. Thanks for tuning into another great episode of the Niche Pursuits News podcast. We hope you're feeling informed and inspired. See you next week! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Wanna hear tips on how to use your SEO prowess to grow a multi-million dollar eCommerce business? Michael Jackness joins the Niche Pursuits podcast today to tell host Jared everything he did to buy, grow, and sell an Amazon FBA and Shopify store in 3 years. They dive into a ton of awesome points that are crucial for success in this endeavor. And to illustrate the effectiveness of SEO in growing the store, Michael shares his personal experience. He transformed a 100% Amazon business with a minimal website presence into a successful e-commerce brand across organic search and Shopify. With the Shopify store reaching 20% of the business, significantly increasing the overall enterprise value when it came time to sell. His strategy involved thorough keyword research, focusing on terms with decent search volume, low keyword difficulty, and strong buyer intent (he shares some awesome tips you don't want to miss). Of course, creating high-quality content is key to turning this plan into a reality, though. And luckily, he doesn't give a vague explanation of what that means. He highlights the importance of hiring writers and a graphics person to produce original and engaging content for the website - including discussing how powerful Midjourney has become. The use of AI in content creation and social media marketing is also mentioned. And he discusses how AI can assist in generating content ideas, optimizing content for search engines, and automating social media marketing tasks. However, he expresses concerns about increasing competition and the potential impact of AI on the e-commerce industry. As more businesses adopt SEO strategies, the competition for top rankings becomes fiercer. And, of course, the rise of AI may disrupt traditional SEO practices, requiring businesses to adapt and stay ahead of the curve. Overall this is an important discussion with tips to help a business of any kind improve its SEO and enjoy the profits that come along with it. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Welcome back to another episode of Niche Pursuits News, with Spencer Haws and Jared Bauman of 201 Creative. This week, like every week, the hosts serve up the latest SEO news as well as inspiration for listeners. They started by addressing the changes Google announced to the how-to and FAQ rich snippets. Specifically, Google will be limiting how-to rich snippets to desktop results and reducing FAQ rich snippets, and the roll-out should be completed by next week. They talk about what this means for niche site owners and content creators, whether FAQs generally drive significant traffic, if this is Google's attempt to use SGE to provide that information, and whether or not creators should still include them in their content. Then Spencer shares a post on LinkedIn from the COO of Word Agents, David Peterson, where he talks about how AI put them out of business, causing them to lose 70% of their revenue. He talks about how Make Lemonade suffered a similar fate, as discussed in a previous episode. They talk about this unprecedented shift in the way content is created and how it's having a major impact on content agencies. Whether website owners are using AI to create their own content or taking a wait-and-see approach until the dust settles, major changes are happening and who knows what the landscape will look like in 8 or 9 months. The last news item they tackle is that Google is in talks with the Australian government as it wants to be able to scrape publishers' content and use it for AI training unless publishers specifically opt out. Spencer and Jared share their opinions on how they think they may affect content creators. In the Shiny Object Syndrome portion of the podcast, Spencer begins by giving an update on his faceless YouTube channel. His channel was doing very well initially, earning about $1800 in display ads in the first month, in particular thanks to a video that went viral. When Google found that video to contain copyrighted material, it had to be demonetized. Although Spencer appealed the decision, he could not reverse it. He talks about how he recently started adding more content to the channel, and earnings over the last month were $1.66. Spencer's not throwing in the towel, though. He's going to keep working on the channel though and is even starting a second faceless channel on YouTube. During Jared's turn, he talks about his faceless YouTube channel that he started and completely forgot about. He shares the strategy he used when he first created the channel. It currently has 23 videos and hasn't been touched in almost a year, yet it's got 400+ subscribers and 219k video views. He's very close to fulfilling the monetization requirements and he shares his strategy to move forward with this channel. Jared and Spencer then talk about their weird niche sites, and Jared goes first with Fail Army. This entertaining website shares people's "fails," like falling down and running into things. This DR47 website only ranks for 500 keywords and is more like a landing page. The action is over on their YouTube account, which has +16 million subscribers, and Jared talks about the potential they have to grow their website and drive traffic. When it's Spencer's turn, he shares his very weird niche site: Cyberspace and Time. He struggles to explain what this retro-looking website is all about, mainly because the creator also has trouble explaining what it is. What's really interesting are the stats: 500k visitors per month just a few months ago and 78k clicks from desktop users. All in all, the website is very weird! And that brings us to the end of another episode of Niche Pursuits News, with a lot of food for thought and no shortage of ideas for listeners! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want to hear some exclusive insights into the inner workings of the Amazon Associates program? Doug Cunnington joins the Niche Pursuits podcast to share with host Jared what he learned after interviewing an Amazon insider! This is never-before shared access into the biggest affiliate program around. Because despite being easy to join and get started, there's lots of uncertainty and many pitfalls to avoid. So, it's a real treat to have Doug back on the podcast to keep us informed! The convo covers a wide range of topics, including: Tips for maximizing conversions CTA best practices Common challenges faced by Associates Earning more by promoting Amazon to different countries And more... One key aspect discussed was the need to target the right traffic and create high-quality content to drive conversions. Doug also mentioned the importance of diversifying traffic and revenue sources to mitigate risks. He shares tips for improving visibility and providing context to enhance conversions, such as using the "mover and shaker" page on Amazon to promote popular products. The conversation also covers the topic of conversion rates and the types of call-to-action that can be used to drive traffic to Amazon. Plus the restrictions on linking to Amazon in emails and the rules around using images from Amazon on websites. Doug also Amazon's desire to expand into other countries and how this brings with it better commission rates for Associates in these markets. Overall, this is an optimistic look into the future of affiliate marketing. You not only get a comprehensive overview of the Amazon Associates program and a forecast of the future. But also lots of tips regarding various aspects such as labeling requirements, commission rates, traffic targeting, content creation, and the challenges faced by affiliates. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

It's Friday, so it's time for another episode of Niche Pursuits News, with your hosts Spencer Haws and Jared Bauman. This week, as always, they bring us the latest in SEO and digital marketing news. They kick things off with a big news item: Google has announced that it's testing live links in the Search Generative Experience. The good news is that it looks like an expanded featured snippet that may drive more traffic to our individual websites. Spencer shares an example of what it looks like currently and he and Jared talk about how Google may be testing different formats to see what users prefer. They also talk about Google's announcement of "new" things you can do with generative AI in search, the fact that AI-powered overviews are faster, and Google's focus on article publish dates. Spencer also shares a look at his SGE and he and Jared talk about whether or not the results they get are relevant and what the future might look like for SGE. The next portion of the podcast is Shiny Object Shenanigans. Spencer begins by talking about his Amazon Influencer side hustle, which earned around $1800 over the last month. He talks about how he obtained approval into the program for a Facebook page he's been building (and spoke about on a recent episode) and handed over the entire project to his oldest son. Jared then shares an update on his Amazon Influencer program, which is up to 329 videos and brought in $2870 in July. He only started in May, so growth is quite impressive, and he has plans to continue to add more videos and take advantage of this massive opportunity. The next topic is the Weird Niche Site they've both discovered. Jared goes first and talks about Marcas de Whiskey (Whiskey Brands, in Spanish), a whiskey review site that was started last year. It's a DR 9 and ranks for over 50k keywords. Although it started out in Spanish, it switched over to English and has seen its traffic triple over time, publishing over 1200 articles in a year. Jared talks about how well the author satisfies search intent and how this may be the main driver of traffic. Spencer nails it this week by finding a site that's both weird and very successful: Wheel of Names. This site, a DR 71, gets between 11 and 5 million visitors each month, according to Ahrefs and Similarweb, and traffic is growing. It's ranking for all kinds of "wheel" related queries and is monetized with Google Adsense ads. All in all, another great episode from Jared and Spencer with lots of interesting news, ideas, and advice. Tune in next week for more! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

We got a true dose of inspiration for you today. Founder of The Wayward Home, Kristin Hanes joins the Niche Pursuits podcast this week to share with host Jared her amazing story: How she started her blog with no prior knowledge of website building and living in a broken-down sailboat to now running a successful online business. It all began after being laid off from her job as a radio news reporter. She decided to start a blog and share interview-based articles about nomads on social media platforms like Facebook and Pinterest. With connections at SF Gate, some of her early articles got republished on the site bringing her some quality traffic and links. After six months, Kristin joined Mediavine and started earning income from ads on her site. But it wasn't until early 2019 that she decided to prioritize SEO, taking courses to help her improve her website's rankings. Implementing SEO strategies and updating old posts, Kristin saw a significant increase in traffic, reaching 120,000 page views per month by May 2019. She continued to publish new content while updating old articles, and her website's traffic grew to 300,000 monthly page views by the summer of 2019. Kristin attributes her success to her focus on SEO, improved writing skills, and targeting low-competition keywords in her niche. Currently, The Wayward Home generally earns between $25,000 to 30,000 per month and has an average of 400,000 monthly page views. Initially, Kristin wrote all the articles herself, focusing on pushing out as much content as possible. However, as her blog grew, she hired writers to help with content creation. Now, The Wayward Home has around 430 articles, with a team of writers specializing in different areas such as RVing, tiny homes, and van life. To assist with formatting and uploading articles, Kristin also has a virtual assistant. One key aspect of Kristin's strategy is prioritizing relevant and experience-based content over high search volume keywords. This approach has helped her establish credibility and attract a loyal audience. Additionally, being quoted in major media publications has provided valuable backlinks to her blog. Kristin is also experimenting with AI-generated content on a new niche site, exploring innovative ways to expand her online presence. Kristin's passion for helping others live a nomadic lifestyle is evident through her blog and social media channels. She offers resources and support to those interested in this lifestyle. Overall, Kristin's journey from starting a blog with no prior knowledge to building a successful online business is a testament to her dedication, strategic approach, and passion for helping others embrace a nomadic lifestyle. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News podcast! This week Spencer sits down with Josh Blackburn, a growth marketer at Link Whisper with an extensive background in SEO to talk about the latest news for affiliate marketers, website owners, SEOs, and content creators. They kick off the show by talking about how Google recently released its earnings for Q2 and the CEO, Sundar Pichai, said that the Search Generative Experience is going to gradually get better, faster, and more accurate and that user feedback has been extremely positive so far. Spencer and Josh put those comments into context and were skeptical of his statements, but one thing is abundantly clear: SGE is here to stay. Spencer does a few searches using SGE and he and Josh talk about the results. The next topic is Twitter and Elon Musk's rebranding of the company as X. Musk has a broader vision for Twitter as a massive brand where, in the future, users would be able to send payments, message others, shop, etc. Spencer and Josh talk about the future trillionaire's plans and whether or not they think he'll be able to pull it off. In the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast, Spencer starts by talking about his new software, Rank Logic. He shares that it has done better than he expected since its launch and talks about how it works. He also mentions two new features that were recently added which allow users to see how content is performing based on their category or tags. Josh then talks about a niche site he's been working on. It had been growing until it got hit with an algorithm update and lost most of its traffic. Josh is currently experimenting with that site by uploading AI content, sometimes up to 200 articles per day. He reveals that his traffic has increased not from the new content but, rather, from the old content. He and Spencer talk about why this may be, how he does it, and what his plans are for the site. Then it's time to talk Weird Niche Sites. Spencer's site is not that weird, but it is very successful: PDF2go. The site ranks really well for PDF-converting keywords and has lots of display ads. It's probably getting 10 million visitors per month and may be making 6 or 7 figures, also per month. Spencer talks about how the website probably started out with a one, simple free tool and, over the years, grew into a very lucrative business. Josh shares his site for the week: PercentageCalculator. This is just a simple, free, 3-page website that gets between 220k visits per month, according to Ahrefs, and 2.4 million, according to SimilarWeb. Along the same lines as Spencer's example, they talk about the possibility of replicating these sites' success. And that brings us to the end of another great episode of Niche Pursuits News. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to join us next week! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Ready for a HARO (Help a Reporter Out) masterclass? HARO is a platform that connects journalists with 'experts' to include their insights into articles. This is great for link building but can lead to a lot of questions on how to do it right. Thankfully, Chris Panteli joins the Niche Pursuits podcast this week to shed light on: How and when you should respond to HARO queries, What you should say, How to vet reporters, How to follow-up, And a whole lot more... All to save you time, increase your success rate and land more links. Chris runs a purely white-hat, digital PR link building agency that averages 100 links per month. And he has a ton of awesome insights to share. He starts off by explaining some context. How valuable HARO links are for building credibility, increasing domain authority, and improving search rankings. And how to succeed with HARO, it's important to position yourself as an expert in your niche and have a well-optimized LinkedIn profile and website homepage. Success rates vary depending on the niche and competition, but having expertise and credentials increases the chances of winning pitches. He suggests starting by targeting websites your competitors have featured on their homepages and then expanding to high DR (domain rating) and high-traffic publications. Chris also believes vetting HARO queries is crucial to save time and increase success rates. The key is to look for relevant queries from reputable domains and avoid low-quality websites. Engage with journalists and editors to ensure your link is included in the final article. And don't be afraid to follow up to convert unlinked mentions into links. Timing is also important in HARO link building. And while subject lines are not a major factor, it's important to follow any specific instructions from the journalist. He even gives an awesome tip on how to use AI to assist with research and generating pitches in a way that'll work like a charm. It's really a great and valuable discussion you don't want to miss. And Chris also offers a free vetting resource (in the shownotes below) and a 20% discount for Niche Pursuits listeners on link building services and a HARO masterclass course with the code NichePursuits20. Hope you enjoy! Links & Resources Home - Linkifi freebie - Linkifi And as always, this podcast episode is hosted by Jared Bauman, co-owner of 201 Creative SEO Agency Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

This week's episode of Niche Pursuits News is hosted by Jared Bauman, of 201 Creative, and Shawn Hill, a previous podcast guest and the brains behind The Grilling Dad. The first topic they dive into is Ezoic's announcement of the end of its affiliate program and its plan to lay off workers. They talk about the blow to affiliates but also mention how it created an interesting juxtaposition in providing a financial incentive for referring people. They talk about the statement from Tyler Bishop, the company's CMO, about the discontinuation of the program, in which he shares some interesting data, as well as the letter from CEO Dwayne Lafleur about the layoffs. They also discuss whether there needs to be an entry-level ad provider for website owners. Jared and Shawn then move on to a different topic: the Claud 2 launch, by Anthropic. Claud is an AI language model which is gaining attention for having more human-like responses. Claud also allows users to upload files and ask questions about different documents, which is a unique feature. Shawn shares his thoughts on it after using it a little bit and comparing it with ChatGPT, and Jared has some ideas about how to leverage Claud for SEO. Listen in to hear what they have to say! Moving on, Jared and Shawn touch on the recent volatility in the SERPs, suggesting that a Google update is underway. While the exact cause of the update remains unclear, there is evidence that changes are happening in the search engine landscape. The next topic on the agenda is Wix's launch of its AI website generator. The tool allows users to create complete websites with just the press of a button. Jared and Shawn discuss the implications of this new tool and its target market, noting that it will help certain types of businesses establish a web presence. In the Shiny Object Syndrome portion of the podcast, Jared goes first with an update on his progress with the Amazon Influencer Program. He continues to rake it in and recently surpassed the 300-video mark. He also talks about taking a brief break from his Weekend Growth newsletter. Shawn talks about helping a friend build his first niche site and documenting the process publicly, and he also has a positive report on The Grilling Dad, which continues to grow and do well despite spending less time on it. As for the weird niche sites, Jared kicks things off with HEIC to JPG, which is a great tool for iPhone users, as photos are sometimes saved as HEIC files. They talk about the site's clean design and ease of use. It has a DR of 62 and only ranks for 5200 keywords, but it has a ton of number-one rankings and ranks for keywords with very high search volumes. They also talk about the idea of creating a tool that adds to your business or your website. Shawn then shares his weird niche site: Cooler Spy. He highlights how the site is dedicated to just one product, how it has lots of addictive YouTube videos, and has just 24 pages. He estimates traffic of around 10k and earnings of up to $1k per month, and although it's a small site, its quality is off the charts. And that concludes another thought-provoking and inspiring episode of the podcast, where you can learn about the latest in SEO and niche site news and what it means for you! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Have you ever considered building a project in public? In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Noah Bragg shares his journey of launching, growing, and eventually selling Potion. It's a website builder built on top of Notion that lets users create optimized sites in minutes. Noah started by using the "build in public" approach, sharing his progress and journey on Twitter. And with the support of an open-source community, his own software development experience, and a strategic marketing strategy grew the success story he shares today. Here's a quick rundown of Potion (although you'll want to jump down the page to watch the full interview): Noah initially priced the product at just $6 per site and gained his first 75 customers through Twitter. Of course, he wanted to further expand his customer base and continue building awareness. So, he strategically launched on Product Hunt once he already had a bit of a community to help him promote and upvote it. As Potion continued to grow, Noah focused on compounding growth and reducing churn. There were lots of ups and downs throughout this process though and Noah does a great job of highlighting what seemed to work best for him. In the end, he managed to reach $6k MRR (monthly recurring revenue) and sell it for $300k after just 2 and a half years of work. Noah is now working on a new project in the crypto space called TrustScore which aims to provide data and content to help users evaluate and trust different crypto projects. He plans to share his progress on Twitter and YouTube, and may even continue the build-in-public approach that worked so well for him with Potion. Noah's story is a great example of strategic planning and execution. And the way he thinks about things and solves problems will certainly help get the gears moving for your own projects. Hope you enjoy! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

It's been another busy week in SEO news, and Spencer Haws and Jared Bauman, of 201 Creative, explain it all here! Don't miss the latest edition of the best news podcast for SEOs, people in the digital marketing and niche site development space, and everyone in between. First, they talk about how Google was recently hit with a class-action lawsuit claiming that it stole data from millions of users to train its AI tools and seeking compensation. Jared points out that we'll have to wait to see how this all plays out and how we address issues like copyright infringement and content rights and ownership. They predict that, even if the suit moves forward, it won't stop AI or make much of a difference in the long run. That being said, lots of people are suing AI tools and there could be quite the legal battle ahead. Jared and Spencer then move on to talk about how Google has sent out emails notifying website owners of Core Web Vitals and INP issues on their sites, giving them until March 2024 to fix the issues. Then Spencer talks about how he was invited to use Google's new Search Generative Experience. By the end of the year, around 30% of all users will participate in a gradual rollout, and the remainder will be provided with access over time. Then Spencer and Jared do a few search queries live and talk about what it looks like, how it seems to work, and what they think of it. Spencer goes on to share a few podcast reviews before shifting to the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast. He starts by discussing a niche website he created with his kids, who eventually lost interest. However, he's been working on it for the last 6 months and has been able to build up a Facebook page to +30k followers. His strategy is to post short articles on the website, share them on his Facebook page, and drive traffic back to the website, which is monetized with ads. Although he hasn't seen much success so far, he did have an article go viral, registering 48k users in about a week. Spencer's still wondering what to do with this project and he offers listeners the chance to reach out and partner with him to take it to the next level. Jared talks about his side hustles, focusing on his experience with the Amazon Influencer Program. He talks about the impact of Prime Day on his earnings and clicks, and how he's increased his earnings to more than $2k in the last 30 days. He also gives some ideas of unique places to go to get content for your videos. Jared also talks about the YouTube channel he's developing with his wife and the progress they're making, particularly with regard to copyright issues. He briefly mentions a WordPress plugin he's considering developing. Stay tuned to hear more about it! In the Weird Niche portion of the podcast, Spencer talks about a single-page website with approximately 3.3 million visitors a month, Sleep Calculator. The simple site helps you figure out when to go to bed and explains the various sleep cycles and it's monetized with display ads. He and Jared talk about sleep as a niche and the potential it has as a niche. Jared shares his weird niche site, Dash Lights, which focuses on dashboard warning lights and what they mean. The design is quite generic, it has a DR of just 8, and it's monetized with ads, but it's ranking for 27k keywords, 2000 of which are number 1 rankings, and probably gets over 100k visitors per month. Jared's theory about the success of this website is the great way it has established topical authority, and he thinks it could be earning up to $5k per month. And that concludes another informative edition of the Niche Pursuits News podcast. We'll see you next week! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want to learn how to create a profitable media business via the Amazon Influencer program? Then don't miss the episode below! Thomas Smith joins the Niche Pursuits podcast today to share how he's making good money with the Amazon Influencer Program. He doesn't stop there, though, as he also profits by repurposing those videos for YouTube and transcribing them into a blog! He's a long-time Youtuber, an Amazon Influencer Program member, and an expert in creating effective content. And luckily for us, there's no shortage of tips he's willing to share. Here are just a few examples: He discusses how the information conveyed in the videos far outweighs the importance of production values. And he suggests finding low-competition or long-tail products to review, as they have a higher chance of standing out and driving sales (with examples that may surprise you). To create better shoppable videos, Thomas advises focusing on using the product in its context of use and sharing genuine thoughts and opinions. Demonstrating how the product is used in real-life situations helps contextualize it for viewers and converts better. Thomas also mentions how he uses Jungle Scout as a helpful resource for product research. And he emphasizes the value of authenticity and relatability in videos, as viewers prefer real people's opinions over highly produced content. He also mentions that the Amazon Influencer program offers various opportunities beyond shoppable videos, including live streaming, shoppable photos, and brand deals. And to maximize reach and monetization potential, Thomas repurposes influencer content for other platforms like YouTube and blogs. Overall, Thomas Smith provides really valuable insights and resources for creating successful influencer content. And his tips on authenticity, low-cost production, and providing useful information will help aspiring influencers stand out in the competitive market. Check out the full interview below! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Are you ready to tune into another exciting episode of Niche Pursuits News with Spencer and Jared Bauman? This episode was actually recorded live on YouTube, so if you missed it, you can check out the replay below. In this episode, Spencer and Jared talk about a new bill in Canada, Twitter's SEO fail, the new Threads platform, and how AI has run a known content agency out of business. They also share updates on their side hustles and discuss some weird niche sites. Let's jump in! The first topic they discuss is a new bill in Canada that was passed where digital properties and media outlets are able to charge Google to display their news. In response, Google has said that it will remove their news links from its search results and will stop sending traffic to their websites. They talk about the possible repercussions and how Canada might be the first country to take this step, but it might not be the last one. Spencer and Jared then move on to discuss Twitter's massive SEO fail when Elon Musk tried to reduce the number of bots crawling it and accidentally limited Google's access. This led to a massive drop in Twitter's search visibility in Google, which Twitter then tried to reverse. The next news item they discuss is Mark Zuckerberg's launch of a Twitter rival called Threads. With 30 million people signing up after its launch, Spencer and Jared talk about the use of a .net domain and a mobile model for the new platform and their plans to use it. Then they talk about niche-specific news, sharing how Niche Website Builders, which rebranded as Make Lemonade, has essentially filed for bankruptcy. The agency, which specialized in content creation for niche website owners, was overtaken by AI and run out of business. The key takeaway for Jared and Spencer is that content agencies must step up their game by offering unique strategies and top-notch content to stay ahead of the curve. In the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast, Jared talks about his YouTube project with his wife, copyright issues, and demonetization as that project moves forward. He also talks about the remarkable success story of the Weekend Growth newsletter, sponsorship opportunities, and his Amazon Influencer side hustle progress. When it's Spencer's turn, he talks about his RankLogic launch and his recent Facebook Live on using AI content and tracking its performance. In the last section of the podcast, Jared shares his weird niche site: Weird and Wild Pizza for Weirdoughs, which caters to people who like interesting pizzas. The pizza recipe site has a low DR but ranks for 4700 different keywords and a ton of images and has a solid social media presence. Spencer shares the site he found, Know Your Meme, which is a huge database of all memes ever created on the internet. It has a DR of 85, ranks for 3.9 million keywords, and gets over 50 million page views per month. Jared chimes in with some very interesting details about the site as well and both he and Spencer talk about using a similar strategy to create a niche website. Another episode filled with a wealth of advice and inspiration. Don't miss this week's Niche Pursuits News! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want the full rundown on the Amazon Influencer Program? Matt Donley joins the Niche Pursuits podcast this week to deep dive into this exciting opportunity. The Amazon Influencer Program is still relatively new and evolving, but as you'll soon learn, it provides great opportunities for content creators to make significant passive income. To apply for the program, you just need to link a social media account like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram with a following of around 1,000 or more. Then once approved, you must upload three videos for manual review to be eligible for onsite placement. Once these are approved you're off the races! Remember, the videos you make are placed on the product pages. Meaning the people watching them are highly qualified and almost ready to buy. The key to success according to Matt lies in creating videos that provide valuable information and help customers make purchasing decisions. And so, videos should focus on answering customer questions and showcasing the product in a conversational and authentic tone. And since people on the Amazon pages can be swayed by real people showing off the actual product, the quality of the videos don't even need to be high production, and can be shot using your phone. Earnings are based on commission percentages for each product category. And so, if your goal is to reach $100 per day, you'll want to start reviewing high-quality and profitable products from the start. This is why product selection is crucial, not only in terms of price, but also focusing on products that have a demand for video reviews and may require more explanation or demonstration. Starting with products you already own is a good way to get started and gain instant validation. And Matt also forecasts, and shares important advice on what sorts of content he believes Amazon may crack down in the future. Currently, the program is only available on the US Amazon site, but there are plans to expand to other countries in the future. For those interested in learning more about the Amazon Influencer Program, Matt has created a great Amazon Influencer course to help you get started and set up for success. But don't miss the full episode below to learn the full scoop! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast with Spencer and co-host Jared Bauman, of 201 Creative. This week they talk about the latest problems for Google, their side hustles, and some very strange niche sites. You won't want to miss this one! They kick off this episode by talking about how Google employees recently expressed their dissatisfaction with search results after the Reddit blackout. In response, Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the issue and introduced a new feature called "perspectives" to address it, a move that shows that Google is trying to balance AI-generated content with human perspectives. Jared and Spencer discussed how bloggers who provide unique human perspectives and hands-on experiences can benefit from this change, highlighting the importance of honesty, expertise, and authenticity in search results. Spencer also shared his thoughts about Google's plans with its search generative experience, as it's clear that people want well-researched human reviews in the search results. Also, the fact that the Reddit debacle has got Google's attention is great news for content creators and bloggers. Jared and Spencer then talked about more bad news for Google. Google is getting in hot water on YouTube and across the web as they haven't been complying with the agreed characteristics of the ads they display on websites. This is relevant for content creators and niche site owners as they often have ads displayed through Ezoic, Mediavine, or AdThrive. Tons of companies, large and small, have been paying for video ads and Google has been charging them but hasn't been complying with the agreed characteristics of the ads and hasn't been transparent or accurate in how the videos are being displayed. The big question that Spencer and Jared ask is how this affects us as website owners and content creators. Listen in to hear more about their thoughts on this topic. Then Spencer shared some reviews of the podcast on Apple Podcasts Reviews and asks people to leave a review and he will read your name and website on their next podcast episode. In the Shiny Object Syndrome portion of the podcast, Spencer begins by talking about his new WordPress plugin, Rank Logic, which is now available. He talks about the challenges behind creating a plugin and preparing for the launch. Rank Logic offers users a better way to track their SEO performance. Jared talked about his side hustle using the Amazon Influencer Program, of which he has officially been a member for 30 days. He was happy to report that he broke the $1000 mark in his first month, a trend that will likely continue even if he doesn't keep uploading videos. He also talks about his daily earnings and the possibilities of growing his income even further. In the Weird Niche Site portion, Jared goes first and talks about Hire Goats, a site that lets you rent goats and have them come and manicure your property. The site was created in 2017 and has a DR of 26 although it's only ranking for 260 keywords. The 7-page site does, however, rank number one for all keywords related to renting goats, and although it's a very glitchy experience and it's a directory website, it's very possible that they're earning some money from it. When the hosts click around, they see that the goat landscaping website links to HireSheep.com. It's a whole world of possibilities! Then Spencer talks about his weird niche site, Random Word Generator which, as the name suggests, lets you generate random words, numbers, and phrases with certain characteristics. It's monetized with ads and gets 1.3 million organic visitors per month from Google and potentially 3 of 4 million visitors per month in total. It has a DR of 72 and has really capitalized on all kinds of random generators, from dinner ideas to Bible verses, and could be earning at least $50k per month. As Jared and Spencer dig a little deeper, it looks like the creator has a whole network of successful sites. This conversation and Spencer and Jared's ideas are sure to get the creative juices flowing, so don't miss this episode! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Interested in 10x'ing your niche site profits? Garrett Yamasaki joins the podcast today to share how he started a dog site in 2018 and grew it into a massive success thanks to his strategic use of Amazon FBA. In the first three months, he wrote close to 100 articles targeting low-competition keywords before and after work. He saw exponential traffic growth around months four through six and knew it could be a viable business long-term. So he started hiring others to scale the business and started putting money into it. By 2019, he had 10 writers, one editor, and one virtual assistant. (He also lays out the simple yet effective workflow he uses to this day that any site operator should take note of.) In 2020, the Amazon affiliate side was growing rapidly, and by 2021, they were earning around $10,000 per month. That's when Garrett realized they could create their own product and make more money. He chose to go the private label route for a faster time to market. He identified manufacturers and branded the products for their market. And chose middle-priced products on Amazon to avoid competition from affiliates and generate external traffic to sell their products. To make it all work, he went with Amazon FBA for logistics, fulfillment, and storage and hired a VA to handle customer service. Garrett explains how Amazon FBA offers you 30-40% profit margins, compared to the 2-4% commissions as an affiliate. Plus, with Amazon's Brand Referral Bonus, you get 10% back for external traffic to their site, making it more profitable than going with a Shopify store. He also shares what the most effective type of Amazon ads are for generating sales and bestseller status. Plus, he discusses how adding FBA to his business has helped build a brand and traffic source outside of SEO. A much more profitable alternative to say, focusing on social media for brand building. It hasn't always been easy though, and expanding this business requires some experience. He discusses how going from one to now eight products have benefited from hiring a mentor and outsourcing to agencies to help with PPC and listings. Inventory management has also been difficult due to unpredictable sales curves. But he mentions that ordering a lot can help prevent stockouts. As such, Garrett keeps inventory in his garage in case of emergencies, as selling out affects his bestseller rating on Amazon. Overall what started out as a dog site has become a full-blown business. And although he's already making great money, he's still in growth mode. He reinvests much of the 20% profit margin he could be taking home back into the eCommerce side of things. And on top of all of this, his website generates at least $500,000 a year in passive income from ad revenue. This is a really great success story. Garrett shares tons of valuable tips, strategies, and things to consider adding to your own business to make way more money! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Get ready for an exciting new episode of our podcast, where Spencer and co-host Jared Bauman of 201 Creative dive deep into the fascinating world of AI, SEO, and website building! First up on their agenda is Google's policy on AI-generated content and EEAT. At the moment, Google does not distinguish between AI and human-generated content and is not requiring creators to label their content. The hosts talk about why this may be and about how Google has also shifted its position on this topic and will probably continue to do so. They also discuss EEAT and AI, as artificial intelligence-generated content can't claim any kind of experience. As this is a topic that is constantly evolving, they agree to discuss it as changes arise. The next topic Jared and Spencer talk about is OpenAI's potential plans to open an AppStore for ChatGPT. This could include customized AI chatbots, which several companies are already selling. The hosts then briefly talk about how the INP report has now been added to Google Search Console and is now a part of the Core Web Vitals report. GA4 comes up when Jared asks Spencer about his thoughts on the new analytics, and the hosts talk about their experience using it. In the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the episode, Spencer talks about his new side project, the WordPress plugin Rank Logic, which helps users track their SEO performance. It's a real game-changer that enables content creators to understand what's working and what's not and tracks changes they make as well as content and author performance. He's even considering incorporating GA4 into the app to make it the data user-friendly. The launch is imminent, so stay tuned! Jared talks about his new side hustle using the Amazon Influencer Program, reporting that in his first month, he will have made around $1000 from 229 videos. He talks about how daily earnings from the program fluctuate a lot and how inspiring it is to be able to build such a lucrative income stream in just one month. As for Weird Niche Sites, Jared goes first and talks about the site People of Walmart, which features user-generated photos of the people that shop at Walmart. He talks about how a site like this could be created for any number of stores, although he and Spencer point out how normally it's very risky to use the name of a company as part of your domain name. Spencer shares his site, which is Psychic High School, a humorous site. It's updated actively but is a low-traffic site that's ranking for very few keywords. The hosts talked about why the site might have been created and they have a good laugh about the content. You won't want to miss this episode, where the hosts share insight, opinions, and a few surprises along the way!

Want the step-by-step strategy a link-building expert uses to exponentially grow the traffic of sites? Alan Silvestri of Growth Gorilla joins the Niche Pursuits podcast to share some of his awesome growth tips. He got into SEO and affiliate marketing in 2013 after searching for ways to make money online. He started with affiliate websites and was eventually hired to help the same course creator Alan followed to learn SEO... From there, he found his passion for link-building and started Growth Gorilla. He now works with 10-15 clients in the B2B, SaaS space and has ranking content down to a science. In his interview, he breaks down his holistic approach. Alan describes the 3 main reasons pages may end up in the "content graveyard" (bottom of page 1, page 2, etc.): Not having backlinks Targeting the wrong keywords Not matching search intent or content type with the top 10 ranking results. And he stresses that content quality is important and should be optimized before building backlinks. To fix all these issues, he describes his content promotion roadmap. It's a quarterly process that helps prioritize target pages to build links to over the next 3 months. First, there's the backlink analysis of competitors. He recommends analyzing two competitors, one realistically beatable and the other a North Star competitor that can represent an authority in the niche. This backlink data will help show the difference in percentages of backlinks pointing to the homepage versus internal pages. If competitors are being more proactive with content promotion, they'll likely have more links to their internal pages. But if a website is not ranking, it could also be the site has a lower domain rating (DR), which can be improved by building more backlinks to the homepage. From this data, he describes how you can put together a link analysis report. He uses a three-step process for this, including identifying the link gap, identifying the type of backlinks, and identifying the topical relevance of those backlinks. One tip is to prioritize both page relevancy and domain relevancy for backlinks, but if you can't get both, prioritize page-level relevancy. Plus, he shares that while no follow links may not have a direct impact on rankings, they can bring in a trust signal that is important for a website to have. Building nofollow links can help dilute the backlink profile and build trust for the site. Good places to get nofollow links include directories, social media links, forums, and Q&A sites like Quora. He also shares how to spot and avoid bad links from link farms by looking at content quality, links that the content has, and the main business model of the site. And he also has some great tips on anchor text which can be classified into four main buckets: exact match, partial match, URL, and generic. To improve anchor text, export the backlinks of the top 10 ranking pages for target keywords and classify them into the four buckets to determine the ideal distribution. Throughout the episode, Alan has a lot of great tips and tactics to share and isn't afraid to get into the nitty-gritty details. So be sure to check out the full episode below! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper And as always, this podcast episode is hosted by Jared Bauman, co-owner of 201 Creative SEO Agency - https://www.nichepursuits.com/201creative

Interested in setting up a YouTube channel? Spencer and co-host Jared Bauman of 201 Creative explore some exciting updates for content creators today on Niche Pursuits News. First up is a new announcement from YouTube that they're lowering the threshold for channel monetization! While content creators used to need 1000 subscribers and 4000 long-form watch hours, now you need just 500 subscribers and 3000 long-form watch hours in the last 12 months to start earning money on the platform. Jared and Spencer talk about why they think YouTube changed the rules, and they also discuss other ways to monetize using the platform, such as channel memberships. Then they move on to talk about how Time magazine announced its plans to remove its digital paywall and give everyone their content for free. Their plan is to monetize with display ads, using the same model many bloggers and content creators are using. The hosts move on to discuss data in a SEMRush report that revealed interesting statistics about search engine users, like the percentage who change their keywords before clicking and how very few searches led to clicks on the first result in the SERPs in 2022. It's clear that user patterns of search are changing. What does this mean for us? Jared and Spencer also discuss a recent article in Search Engine Journal about Google making its feedback form more robust. According to Twitter, this move will set the stage for more negative SEO, and the hosts share their thoughts on the implications. Will the positives outweigh the negatives with this new move from Google? In the Shiney Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast, Spencer talks about recent developments with his faceless YouTube channel. Although the channel was making $80 to $90 a day, a copyright claim has almost eliminated all of his earnings. His appeal was ultimately denied, and he talks about his plans for moving forward, as well as other ideas for faceless YouTube channels. Jared finally reveals more details about his YouTube project, which will revolve around read-alouds for social-emotional learning by his wife, a seasoned school counselor. She'll be working on this project all summer and Jared will report back on their progress. In the last section of the podcast, Spencer talks about a weird niche site he found years ago based on a scene from Star Wars where Darth Vadar screams. The site was getting around 30k visitors per month back in 2015. Although the original website no longer exists, there's a copycat site now, but it only gets a few thousand visitors per month. Jared talks about the site he found called Awkward Family Photos, created with user-generated content. He talks about how the site is monetized using ads and how it's ranking for 20k keywords even though it's just a photo site. As it turns out, Spencer and his family play the Awkward Family Photo board game all the time. This example certainly makes you think about creative monetization opportunities you might not have thought about before! Once again, Niche Pursuits News is coming at you with a thought-provoking episode on YouTube, legacy publisher strategies, changes in Google, unique side hustle ideas, and creative monetization techniques. Don't miss out! Tune in and listen now! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

How do you balance your focus between driving traffic and conversions? If you ever struggle to find a happy medium for your SEO and CRO efforts, you'll want to check out this great convo with Shaun Els. Shaun has been building online businesses and helping others with web design since he was 18. Over the years, he's tried all sorts of marketing tactics. But as an agency and niche site owner, he's found SEO and content creation to be the key foundation for success. And because of his background in design, he takes an interesting design-first approach. He recommends building a pyramid structure for a website, with the homepage at the top, followed by money pages, and then supporting content. The supporting content adds tons of design and content value by building internal links and what he calls 'themed content', which helps create a useful resource for users and increase your site's authority in Google's eyes. Shaun discusses how many people are hesitant to engage with marketing content that is too sales-focused. And so blogging can be a solution to this problem, as it provides valuable information to potential clients. By creating blog posts that address common problems or questions in your industry, you attract search traffic and more. He also shares a framework for getting the most out of this content by repurposing it into smaller pieces for easy sharing. These include posting counter-arguments, summaries, and bulleted lists. The process of repurposing content for social media takes about half an hour and can be done using tools like ChatGPT. And he mentions how it's important to intersperse blog post links with other types of content on social media to avoid penalties. Shaun uses this content structure to funnel visitors to money pages with great lead magnets to grow mailing lists. He uses email marketing to stay in touch with potential clients and nurture relationships. He argues that emails should be informational and include quick resources to help readers achieve their goals. And the ultimate goal of email marketing is to build trust with potential clients. So while his strategy is grounded in SEO, he understands that marketing requires several touch points before earning a conversion. But by building a content ecosystem that includes search engine optimization, social media, and email marketing, you can create a flywheel of lead generation. Don't miss the full interview to get his tips on how to turn this strategy into a reality! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want to hear about the latest developments in AI and the potential impact on website owners? Don't miss the latest episode of Niche Pursuits News! Once again, Jared and Spencer team up for an engaging and informative discussion that covers a range of exciting topics. They start by talking about how the WordPress Jetpack plugin incorporates an AI assistant directly into the editor. This feature will allow users to generate text directly in WordPress and also correct spelling and grammar, generate titles, and uses several different prompts for tone, all for $10 a month. Then they discuss a report on the Search Generative Experience, the "new featured snippets," and how quotes may be pulled directly from websites without any attribution or backlinks. This would cause quite a stir among SEOs and publishers, and Jared and Spencer discuss the implications and concerns surrounding this development. On a potentially positive note for some, they share a recent tweet by Cyrus Shepard, who crawled millions of URLs to compile a list of 7 categories of searches that are unlikely to trigger AI results in the SERPs. Google Bard is also a topic of conversation in this episode. Jared and Spencer discuss the new location settings, which have been added to help localize queries, and new developments in exporting tables to Google Sheets, which is now easier than ever. The discussion then shifts to Spencer and Jared's side hustle projects. Spencer talks about his idea for a YouTube series, where he acts as a mentor and host in a competition between two or three people. Their challenge? To start a small online business in just 30 days, with the winner taking home a monetary prize. The journey would be documented in a single, well-edited, and inspirational video. Speaking of inspirational, Jared and Spencer share their experience being part of the Amazon Influencer program. Both believe this is a great program for quick financial wins, and they talk about content ideas as they continue to upload videos to see where this side hustle leads. Jared briefly shares his other side projects, including a YouTube channel he's working on at the moment. In subsequent episodes, he expects to give listeners a better status update. In the final segment of this episode, Jared and Spencer talk about some of the weird niche sites they've discovered. Jared reviews a website called Best Love Text Messages. It was likely originally created as a source of messages for loved ones but eventually expanded into a wider variety of messages, quotes, and captions. The website used to get 300,000 organic page views until a Google update, and although it still boasts a substantial number of keywords and page views and could be easily replicated with AI nowadays, there are also areas for improvement. Spencer shares a website with several web-based games he used around 2010: QWOP. It's a video game that was extremely popular back in the day and still manages to attract almost 50,000 organic visitors per month. With a DR of 64 and a substantial Twitter following, Jared and Spencer discuss the potential of supporting it through a Patreon-like platform. As always, this is another episode filled with thought-provoking discussions, innovative ideas, and actionable tips. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn and be inspired by this episode of Niche Pursuits News. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Is Google at war with affiliate marketers? Head of SEO Branding at Wix and SEO Consultant for Semrush, Mordy Oberstein, joins the podcast today to share his high-level perspective and valuable insights to help you mitigate risk and save your rankings. In the last 12 months, there have been core updates, review updates, and spam updates. And he believes it's important to look to data for patterns to better understand the SEO ecosystem. In his roles, he has access to huge swathes of data, and to help site owners succeed, he has a vested interest in unpacking what Google seems to value in the content it rewards. Here are just a few examples of important recommendations he shares in the interview: Read the content of competitors who outrank you after an update to understand what replaced you. Use the brand sniff test to determine if your content is of high quality. Use internal linking and semantic understanding to build topical authority. Hire a content marketing agency if needed to help translate your expertise into digestible content because readability is important for user experience. He also discusses the continuing rise of AI-written content that is largely generic using similar language structures. And how adding real human experiences is key to providing unique insights and quality content. He even offers a great example people can use in product reviews to accomplish this. But Mordy says quality is a domain-level analysis, not just at the page level. And so, to improve domain-level quality scores, it is important to focus on technical health, content, and user experience. Predicting and understanding user needs is crucial. He believes quality content means targeting the audience and offering the right amount of nuance to predict their needs. And while links are a secondary signal, they may become less important as Google gets better at understanding content, with relevance and domain quality playing a more significant role in ranking in a scenario where content is generic across the web. He does believe that leveraging AI can help automate tasks that were not possible before though. AI can be used for research, understanding topics, organizing information, rewriting content, and automating tasks like writing headers and product descriptions. However, users have become more skeptical of web content due to issues such as data privacy and fake reviews. As a result, the bar for acceptable content has risen, and web content creators need to up their game. So if you're a site owner or online content creator, you'll definitely want to check out the full interview and take lots of notes! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Will Google's new Search Generative Experience (SGE) help or harm site owners? Spencer and Jared kick off the latest episode of Niche Pursuits News pondering this question with some interesting findings as they look at various examples of search queries. They also reflect on a recent Twitter poll by Lily Ray and contemplate whether or not SGE seems to be an improvement over the existing Google search experience. For instance, in the event it turns out to be a glorified featured snippet and not so much AI as it is displaying site content directly on the SERPs, will Google provide attribution to site owners? They also consider how this GSE may work in YMYL niches. But in hopeful news, Bing AI has added links to sources of information within their AI results which could help put pressure on Google to do the same. The discussion then moves onto their shiny object shenanigans. Spencer shares some recent troubles he's run into with his faceless YouTube channel and what they're doing to fix it. Plus, he discusses how his upcoming plugin Rank Logic is coming along after beta testers finally got to use it. Then Jared gets into how he decided to jump into the Amazon influencer program and how he and his 201 Creative business partner Kaitlin managed to create 100 videos within a few days reviewing items in their homes. And as always, they close things out with some great niche site discoveries. Jared starts with Snake Dreams, a site that focuses on interpreting dreams about snakes. And although it's not doing so well these days, according to Ahrefs - back in 2017 it was receiving an average of 56,000 organic monthly visitors. Then it's onto Spencer's site highlight, Dimensions.com. This is a reference database for product dimensions founded by an architect that provides dimensions for various objects and people, including celebrities and fictional characters. The site is monetized via display ads and a subscription service that offers 2D and 3D downloads, no ads, easy download access, and support. And it appears the site is getting lots of traffic! So, it makes you wonder what's an problem or issue that people like have that could be turned into a helpful niche site! Overall, it's another helpful episode to wind down for the weekend, hope you enjoy.

Ready to take a bunch of notes that could help give your site a competitive advantage in the SERPs? Tony Hill joins the Niche Pursuits podcast to share his experience recovering a website from a Google update. Tony's been building niche websites since 2005 and is very familiar with core updates. For instance, he had some health sites doing big numbers wiped out by the Medic Update. However, it was the May 2020 core update that was particularly devastating, causing his main 18-year-old site to lose almost half its traffic in just a few weeks. To recover from the update, Tony and his 10-person team formulated a bullet-proof game plan to recover the site. The strategy included a comprehensive process to improve the site's existing 1200 pages. They started by using Google's NLP API to analyze their content and improve its salience score. They found that word order is crucial to help the algorithm better understand your content. So at the sentence, paragraph, and article level, they made a deliberate effort to put the subject first. An academic tool called Sketch Engine also helped them to analyze language patterns in top-ranking articles on some of the biggest sites in the world. And found that using second-person language and specific, confident wording can improve content quality. So Tony and his team then reviewed their content to make it clearer and more confident, using specific and directive language. They didn't delete any articles but rather cut out fluffy sentences and paragraphs and added more information when needed. Other specific tactics included improving readability, adding more visuals, and updating outdated information. They also added more categories and subcategories to their website to help users navigate content. By focusing on updating content one category at a time, they continuously experimented and tested to see what worked. They also read competitor's articles word for word to see how they structured their content to make improvements to their own. They also worked with expert writers and editors to ensure quality and establish a persona for the site. They also created a contributor's page, an Ask an Expert section on the site, and paid experts to answer questions on Quora and Reddit. He also made a point to flesh out the schema of every article, going above and beyond the typical author schema and entity data. They also made great use of internal linking, aiming to include at least one internal link in every paragraph of an article, sometimes even linking to the same article twice in an article. Considering their substantial success in Google Discover, they also analyzed their most successful articles and found that related topics were being featured, so they created new articles on related topics and grew their success in Google Discover. And after a year of consistent effort and multiple Google updates, Tony's site not only recovered its lost traffic but experienced significant growth, now receiving nearly 8 million page views per month. Tony's interview is a high-level masterclass in site operations and site recovery that can help site owners at all levels. The way he thinks outside the box to improve the strength of his content will not only inspire you to do the same but also give you actionable steps you can start using today! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Welcome to another great episode of Niche Pursuits News. This week Jared is joined by his 201 Creative agency co-founder Kaitlin Cooper to unpack all of the latest developments from the week that may impact online publishers. And there was surprisingly a lot to go over. They start by discussing the integration of ChatGPT and Bing, which is powered by Microsoft's Prometheus and offers current results. Kaitlin highlights the composition feature in Bing, which allows for AI writing prompts, while Jared dives into the Expedia and Zapier plugins and their various, exciting use cases. The conversation then turns to Google's public acknowledgment of topical authority in the context of news sites but most certainly all kinds of sites. And they share some interesting takeaways you won't want to miss. They also discuss some of the unfortunate issues happening this month regarding video searches. A reported Google search bug has caused a drop in video traffic, and Google seems to now only show video thumbnails next to search results when the video is the main content of a page. Google's testing reportedly shows that the recent change in video thumbnails will have minimal impact on publishers, but there is still debate about the actual impact. But in more hopeful news, Google Bard is now including relevant images in responses and highlighting the source of the image. Bard is emphasizing the importance of images in communicating ideas effectively. And as a reward, Bard is even sourcing smaller sites for queries that larger websites typically dominate in image search or regular web search. This a potentially cool development if publishers can manage to improve their images for Bard. Next up, they dive into their shiny object shenanigans. Jared shares an update on their newsletter where they've managed to surpass their goal of reaching 1,000 subscribers in 12 weeks. And they get into how it is they're able to average 40-50% open rates and what their next goals may be. Kaitlin shares how she's transitioning her side hustle wedding photography business site Kaitlin Cooper into a content affiliate site, and discusses some issues that others may relate to. As always, they close out the show by discussing a couple of fun and weird niche sites found. Kaitlin shares Hold The Magic, which is certainly not your typical niche site. It's a site created by a mom who wanted to give her daughter something other than money from the tooth fairy. The website sells tooth fairy gifts, has an influencer program, and they even set up booths at dental conferences. Jared then shares his website which specializes in treehouse rentals. Treehouse Trippers is a site dedicated to finding good treehouses to rent for vacations. At first they debate what qualifies as a treehouse and whether some of the site's offerings fit the bill. But then they praise the site's targeted approach to SEO. The site does a good job of producing long-tail targeted content specific to certain states and types of vacations and monetized by offering affiliate links to online booking platforms. But as always, it's possible that these sites are leaving money on the table and so the hosts brainstorm some ways they could boost monetization. Overall, it's another great episode of Niche Pursuits News, covering a wide range of topics related to SEO and niche websites. So be sure to watch the full episode below! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Ever wonder how to improve your affiliate content and boost conversions? I'm sure we all do. That's why we asked Kevin Meng to join the Niche Pursuits podcast today to share his insights. Kevin's been a web content and copywriter for 7-8 years. During that time, he's honed his skills and reputation for writing content that sells. He's worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, and today, he lets us in on some secrets you don't want to miss. Things like: The general checklist he follows for affiliate content A formula for describing the benefits of features Importance of clarity in web content How to sprinkle in personality And much more... He also explains the importance of being honest with readers and not presenting a product as perfect. Allowing you to build trust and overcome consumer objections. The discussion also includes tips on how to find the sweet spot between writing for Google's algorithm and actual humans. Plus, ways to scale this out with a team using SOPs. And of course, AI is brought up regarding content production and velocity. Kevin shares how the job of an SEO content writer may likely evolve to become more like an editor for quality assurance, with some hopeful and comforting perspectives for writers in the industry. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights and techniques for improving your web content writing regardless of whether humans or AI creates it. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want to learn about the new ChatGPT plugins and other new updates that could affect for site owners? Don't miss this week's episode of Niche Pursuits News! Spencer and Jared kick things off by discussing new ChatGPT plugins brainstorming the various ways they can help users automate everything from email to SEO. Plus, the new opportunities for entrepreneurs with plugin ideas. They also discuss OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's hearing before Congress earlier this week concerning the possible risks and implications of AI. A four and a half hour testimony covering everything from the dangers of misinformation to political fallout, with one conclusion being that 'AI is more dangerous than you think'. But since Google Bard is now available to the public, the guys were able to test it out with some fun prompts including asking it to compare itself to ChatGPT with some surprising results. They also unpack Google's upcoming Core Web Vitals metric InP, which will offer insights into the 'interaction to next paint' rather than just 'first input delay', which could change the game in user experience metrics. Then it's onto the side hustles, where Spencer unveils his year in the making WordPress plugin, Rank Logic, a powerful tool for tracking keyword rankings and content performance which is now open for a limited number of beta testers. Meanwhile, Jared introduces his new service on Weekend Growth that creates email newsletter funnels for niche websites and is already receiving orders and positive feedback! And as always, they wind things down by looking at peculiar niche sites starting with Unnecessary Inventions. A site created by an inventive content creator who turned his unique thinking into a profitable business followed by millions of fans on YouTube and Instagram. They also discuss Reality Steve, a site dedicated to spoiling the results of the dating reality show The Bachelor. In both cases, the sites have sparked interesting careers for their creators but the guys ponder the various ways they could boost their monetization. So, sit back and enjoy another episode of industry insights, personal projects, and peculiar niches to help you get ready for the weekend! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want some unique insights on what's working for high-earning affiliate and lead gen sites today? Shane Dutka joins Niche Pursuits podcast to discuss his journey going from an accountant to a successful site owner making $50k+ per month. He discusses how he's sold sites for 7-figures, and what he does now to grow sites as VP of SEO for a company generating $100-200 million from affiliate and lead generation offers! You'll learn the interesting story of how he got into the business and how he's managed to consistently grow successful sites faster than most. He shares how to uncover a keyword goldmine through data analysis and tracking conversions on affiliate platforms. Plus how he's managed to compete even in tough niches like jewelery by focusing on the fundamentals of high-quality content and links. And Shane is very generous with tips on what strategies you can use to get both! Shane shares invaluable insights on serving diverse user avatars and the SEO benefits that come along with this. He emphasizes the significance of matching keyword intent and targeting one keyword per page and sheds light on the importance of fresh content and routinely updating to maintain relevance. He also shares how he builds engaging, newsworthy content for successful link-building, helpful to mitigate the potential pitfalls of paid links. When discussing paid links, Shane shares strategies to overcome toxic links with the use of 410 and 404 pages. And really a ton of helpful and actionable tips and tactics to help sites of all sizes grow. So don't miss this awesome episode. You'll learn what's working today, from someone with unique access to massive data and exactly what you as an independent site owner can do to grow and profit! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

They say once you've got the winning formula, the sky's the limit, and that's very true for Amanda O'Brien. In this interview, Amanda talks to me about how she created her travel site and grew it into a profitable business. When Covid hit, she pivoted and started a second site in a completely different niche: pets. After that one took off, she created a third site around a similar topic. And as that site found success, she created a fourth site in the informational niche. Amanda shares insight into creating and running 4 different sites in 3 different niches, all of them monetized with Mediavine and bringing in a total of $25k per month. She talks about the importance of SEO as well as E-E-A-T, and how she infuses authenticity into her content. She shares her unique strategy for getting her travel blog off the ground and she tells me what she did when she discovered that another site had copied all of her work. Amanda tried to fast-track her growth, so she built out two of her sites on domains she purchased on Flippa. In this interview, she shares what she learned from that experience. She also talks about her link building strategies, her thoughts on topical authority, and why she has the best boss in the world. Don't miss this fantastic episode with a seasoned blogger in a wide variety of niches, as Amanda has a lot of great advice and great tips to share. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Curious how Google's upcoming AI search engine may affect site owners? Today's episode of Niche Pursuits News has you covered with an in-depth and wide-ranging discussion between hosts Spencer, Jared, and guest-host and MarketMuse founder Jeff Coyle about Google's recent unveiling of Magi. The guys consider how this new generative AI search feature will account for: Intent Links Biases Learning curve Authenticity And more... And, of course, they brainstorm how these changes may impact site owners and the display ad networks that so many rely on for income. The discussion then goes to the increasing importance of brand and community building through various channels, such as email and social media marketing. And the benefits these technological evolutions bring for those willing to persevere. And as a special bonus, listeners can sign up for MarketMuse using promo code 'niche20mm' for a 20% discount! Spencer also shares an exciting update about his faceless YouTube channel and how it's now consistently earning over $100 per day - far exceeding his expected earnings of $80 in the entire month of May. And Jared discusses how he recently launched a free tool during his latest interview on the Niche Pursuits podcast, which has had some excellent results. The discussion then gets into weird niche sites where Spencer shares a super niche site called Western Mining History with a DR 59 and monetized with both Mediavine ads and a membership option. Jared then shares his niche site find PenVibe.com, which focuses on pens and related products. The site has a basic design and appears to have quite an interesting history, but it started picking up traffic in 2018, with a surge in March and April 2023. Overall it's a fascinating discussion with lots of nuggets of wisdom forecasting the future of blogging and search in the age of AI. So make sure to listen to the full episode to learn more! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Thomas Jepsen joins the Niche Pursuits podcast today to share insights and findings from 12 years of SEO experience, some of which may differ from what you typically hear on topics like: Topical authority E-A-T And structured data Overall, it's a thought-provoking discussion covering a wide range of topics regarding on page, off page, and technical SEO concerns. Thomas explores the secrets behind low DR, high traffic websites and how they can be used as models for content structure. Sharing the importance of internal linking, recommending Link Whisper to quickly help for improve crawlability and avoid orphan pages. He shares a glimpse into his site audit process, including understanding clients' goals, analyzing their website and competitors, and presenting his findings. He also addesses issues of bloat – like tags, category pages, and thin content pages being indexed. Shares insights into indexation issues found in Google Search Console, like crawled currently not indexed, discovered currently not indexed, and duplicate pages. And advises when it's best to delete or improve content that doesn't drive organic traffic or impressions from any keywords in Ahrefs. You'll also learn about the Google Sandbox and its connection to core updates, link accumulation, and quality content creation. In a nutshell, Jepsen's expertise on website quality and optimization offers indispensable knowledge for website owners and SEO professionals alike. In the age of AI he emphasizes the importance of white-hat practices, believing high-quality content, natural links, and internal linking to enhance crawlability and site structure, will help. And don't overlook indexation issues – delete or improve content that fails to drive organic traffic or keywords. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want some tips on how to succeed with affiliate marketing? Mark sat down with me to share tons of valuable insights into how he's grown Aquarium Store Depot. He discusses how it was originally supposed to be a drop shipping and eCommerce store when he started back in 2017 but had to pivot to an affiliate focus to not compete with Amazon 2-Day Shipping. He followed some courses to learn about SEO, but it wasn't until he joined The Affiliate Lab by Matt Diggity that he started to find success growing an affiliate site. He eventually grew the site to generate more than his full-time job but has kept both. And today Mark shares his wealth of knowledge and experience in affiliate marketing and content creation, providing valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. He discusses the importance of passion and quality in niche writing. And how being passionate about the topic you choose to write about is essential to creating engaging and high-quality content. He also dives into the differences between content sites and YouTube creators. And shares some of his thoughts about what the future of affiliate marketing will be like. Overall, it's an interesting discussion filled with valuable insights and strategies for those just starting out or even seasoned pros. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want an in-depth look and summary of the key findings from Semrush's State of Search 2023 report? Spencer and Jared sit down today to discuss it all, sharing key insights that are sure to help site owners and niche site enthusiasts in all sorts of ways concerning: Niche traffic trends The number of new sites indexed Google Update and search volatility trends Important CTR data And more. Plus, they highlight some interesting findings in the report about the differences between paid and organic traffic. The conversation then shifts gears to discuss their side hustles. Spencer shares how his Amazon influencer project is going, including diving into some of the numbers and discussing whether it's likely to be a profitable niche pursuit. Jared also touches on one of his side hustle successes, discussing how he reached 1000 email newsletter subscribers in just 8 weeks. And of course, they dive into interesting niche site finds, including BetterSheets.co, a site that offers a course on how to use Google Sheets that is making over $100,000 a year. And a Mai Tai niche site that documents different types of Mai Tais from around the world, including recipes and history. The guys suggest potential ways to expand the site, such as creating a directory of Mai Tai bars in Hawaii and other ways to better monetize the site. So make sure to listen to the full episode to gain lots of valuable info to help you kick off a productive weekend. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

The tables have turned! In this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, host Jared Bauman sits down with Spencer to share his latest niche site success story. Co-founder of marketing agency 201 Creative, Jared discusses how his company acquired a 20-year-old website making $2,500/month from a client and grew it to $9,000/month (and likely more soon) within two years. He discusses the pros and cons of the site when they decided to buy it and dives into all the changes they made to help it grow... including deleting over 3,000 articles! He then talks about how he and his team then shifted their focus to updating and publishing more content, growing traffic, and making more money. And as he shares in the interview, this wasn't always easy. It took over a year before traffic started to grow consistently. But luckily once it did, things started to take off. And Jared shares many great insights into the creative ways they continue to grow the site's revenue alongside its traffic, emphasizing the importance of testing and tweaking strategies to find what works and produces results. He discusses the significance and effectiveness of email marketing as a reliable source of income, estimating 25-30% of the total revenue comes from email. Overall it's a fascinating look into website building and improving monetization. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Eager to stay up to date on the latest news in the world of niche sites? Join hosts Jared and Josh as they dive into various topics related to website creation and traffic generation. First up is their discussion of the recent Google update, the April 2023 Review Update, which now includes local, travel, film, and other types of reviews. They discuss the importance of keeping your content up-to-date to get the most out of these Google updates. And Jared shares how updating his website's old content helped improve his rankings. Next, the hosts explore the adoption of AI and its implications for website creation and traffic generation. They discuss Hugging Face's new ChatGPT competitor, Hugging Chat, and ChatGPT's introduction of incognito mode with new data sharing and privacy controls. The guys also discuss their YouTube side hustle projects and share their plans to experiment with creating shorts from their long-form videos, emphasizing the importance of diversifying content and growing an email list to own your site's traffic. But that's not all! They also talk about the success of a site centered around donuts which ranks for over 700,000 keywords and gets close to a million visits a month. The conversation then turns to the use of AI in programmatic SEO, with the example site "How Many Syllables". With a DR of 44 and ranking for 138,000 keywords, this website gets an estimated 26,000 organic traffic per month from 35,000 pages. And they contemplate the potential of AI in programmatic SEO and the longevity of this particular website's traffic. This podcast episode covers a wide range of topics related to website creation and traffic generation, offering valuable insights and practical tips. So, what are you waiting for? Listen now and take your website to the next level! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create truly engaging content that keeps your audience coming back for more? If so, you're in luck. Because the hugely successful and inspiring online entrepreneur and founder of Smart Passive Income (SPI), Pat Flynn, is back on the Niche Pursuits podcast to share his valuable insights. This time, it's all about YouTube and how to succeed on the platform. Pat's a family man and joined his kids down a Pokemon Rabbit hole. Eventually, his YouTube suggestions were monopolized by related content, and after reading through comments in the community, he discovered there was still untapped potential. So he started his Pokemon-focused channel Deep Pocket Monster in January 2021 and, within a year, had 100k subscribers. Fast forward to today, and his channel has well over 600k subs and has become his most profitable venture to date. In today's interview, he dives into how he did it. He provides tons of actionable advice on: Why he chose the niche The importance of community and connection in the age of AI How to hook an audience at the beginning and end of a video The 2-3 most important YouTube metrics to focus on Whether you should focus on long-form or short-form content And also deep dives into the power of story - and how it will always outshine production value. He recommends keeping a close eye on performance after publishing and gives tips on when to try different thumbnails and titles for a second wind in the algorithm. And Pat offers sage advice on what metrics really matter for your success. Pat's phenomenal success as a YouTuber in the Pokemon space can be (at least partially) attributed to his deep understanding of YouTube's inner workings and his audience's desires. His strategy of continually experimenting with video formats and analyzing data has paid off in spades. Even with a lean team behind his YouTube channel, he's managed to amass a loyal following and generate impressive profits. And this is an excellent interview to inspire you to do the same. Don't miss it! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

More good news from Google. They've announced they'll be removing the Page Experience report and mobile-friendly test from Search Console in the coming months. So how will this affect you and what workarounds can you use instead? We've got you covered! In today's episode of Niche Pursuits News, Spencer and Jared dive into all sorts of important developments in the world of online business and niche sites. The guys discuss the recent Google algorithm update - which has impacted an estimated 40% of sites, including some non-review pages. And of course, they delve into Google's decision to replace the page experience report and mobile-friendly test with a more holistic approach. You'll get some help on how to optimize your site for a great page experience, unraveling the confusion surrounding core web vitals, general page experience, Google Page, and speed insights. Including some important pointers on which alternative tools can help with website audits. Also important to site owners, AdThrive has rebranded as Raptive, shifting its focus to enterprise customers and possibly expanding into an influencer network. Learn how this company has evolved over the years, from CafeMedia's acquisition in 2016 to being acquired by private equity firm ZMC in 2018, and how it strives to meet the needs of creators and enterprise publishers. Spencer also shares his experience running the Boston Marathon, and why it's the most prestigious marathon in the US. We also get a sneak peek into their exciting new projects. Spencer shares an update on his faceless YouTube channel's monetization journey, while Jared discusses his newsletter. Finally, we learn all about two unique niche sites: cockroachfacts.com and marathoninvestigation.com. The former is a surprisingly well-developed site with a range of content on cockroaches, while the latter investigates and exposes marathon cheaters. Overall, it's another great episode, full of insights and pointers to help you stay on top of things and make the most of your marketing efforts. This Episode is Sponsored by https://search-intelligence.co.uk/ Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Do you want to know the optimal number of internal links you should build to new pages? Or how about which anchor texts will get you the best results? In this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, long-time SEO expert Cyrus Shepard shares some very interesting answers to these questions you won't want to miss. His findings come from an in-depth study he did on the impact of internal linking on a website's ranking and traffic. He analyzed 1800 websites and 23 million internal links and found a positive correlation between internal links and Google traffic. But there's a catch. After a certain point, the relationship between internal links and traffic diminishes. So, how can you make the most of your internal links? Cyrus emphasizes the importance of controlling both popularity and relevance in internal linking. He shares insights on Page Rank Sculpting and advises starting with a plan and adding links as soon as possible to avoid playing catch-up later. He also believes updating old content and internal linking should be a continuous part of your site management process. Cyrus then shares tips on where to place internal links and the importance of varied anchor text. Plus, he shares his thoughts on keyword cannibalization and an example of how linking multiple pages together using keyword-rich cannibalization keywords improved the ranking of all pages. But internal linking isn't the only factor at play. Redirecting 404 pages with a 301 redirect to a highly relevant page is important. Plus, he recommends automation tools like Link Whisper to help find internal linking opportunities. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Get ready for an exciting episode of This Week in Niche Pursuits News, where we dive into a rollercoaster of digital marketing stories: From a $9 million employee theft scandal at Ezoic to weird niche websites and ad network comparisons. This episode is a treasure trove of interesting discussions to help close out another week! Things kick off with a jaw-dropping case of employee theft at the popular ad tech company Ezoic. The guys explore how one crafty individual tried to steal $9 million by altering the bank account details on the company's Google AdSense account. Luckily his plan was foiled, but not before Ezoic faced layoffs and cash flow struggles due to the incident. The conversation then switches gears to continue last week's discussion on Google's latest update, and how it's expanded to encompass all types of reviews, not just products. The conversation also gets into the fascinating world of weird niche sites, like sleepinginairports.net – a handy guide for those seeking a good night's sleep during layovers or as a hotel alternative. This unconventional site thrives on crowdsourced reviews and enjoys a whopping 46,000 organic traffic per month (according to Ahrefs, so for sure, their real traffic is much higher)! They also cover a mysterious travel site whose social media presence is suspended and a Lego site with untapped potential in email marketing and social media. And the question on every site owner's mind is: which ad network pays more? We tackle this question head-on, comparing Ezoic and Google AdSense, considering factors like ad setup, programmatic display, and site speed. Spencer then dishes on his latest side hustle – outsourcing product review videos for the Amazon Influencer program. With a team of five videographers and a video backlog, Spencer is set to rake in commissions from product page views. To wrap things up the guys discuss the perks of starting with ads on a website for that initial burst of energy and income and share an SEO tactic that involves hunting for unlinked mentions and requesting links. In a nutshell, this latest episode of This Week in Niche Pursuits News covers a wide array of digital marketing topics that are both fun and interesting for anyone involved with online businesses. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Do you have e-Commerce or dropshipping experience and want to learn how to leverage your knowledge to grow profitable niche sites today? Or how about some tips and prompts to create great AI-powered content? If so, you're lucky because James Beatty is on the Niche Pursuits podcast with tons of golden nuggets to share. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James has been building online businesses for years, mostly with dropshipping and YouTube. But when 2020 disrupted the global supply chain and Facebook ad costs, he started looking for something more passive and hands-off. And so, in 2021, his niche site was born, ticking all the right boxes for his ideal business model. He focused on tutorial-style articles, answering questions related to the niche, and later hired a writer to create affiliate content. The website's main source of revenue was Ezoic ads, with some income from Amazon. James hired writers to scale up content production and reinvest profits from the website. While James says he was in no way an SEO expert, his site reached 96,000 page views in its first year generating $3,000 in monthly profits. It eventually peaked at 365,000 page views, $7,700 in revenue, and $5,000 in profit. Then the site got hit by a Google update, and James decided it was time to sell. He soon after successfully exited for just over six figures, with an ongoing 6-month performance bonus. And in his interview, James shares lots of great advice and insights into: Why you should have a passion or some prior experience in your niche. How incorporating video content can boost rankings and engagement. Handling the emotional rollercoaster of growing and selling a site Deciding when to sell How he now decides what niches to go after in the age of AI And more... He believes anyone can create content if they are one step ahead of their audience and can provide value. He also discusses his use of AI in content creation. He's been testing out GPT-4 and shares some tips he's been using to produce surprisingly good articles. And he shares some great prompts you don't want to miss! So, tune in to the full episode to learn more and get inspired to scale your niche site today. Topics James Beattie Covers Why he transitioned from eCommerce to content sites Differences between paid and organic traffic How his eCommerce experienced helped his current work His first content site revenue numbers The ups and downs of SEO How he chooses a niche Being one-step ahead of the audience Using video content Creating helpful and logical topical silos The emotional involvement when building content sites Diversifying content types Selling after a Google hit Tips for using AI for written content And more... Links & Resources James Beattie (@jamesybeattie) / Twitter James Beattie on YouTube LowFruits : Analyze the SERPs faster Empire Flippers - Website Brokers | Vetted Marketplace

Ready for another update, 'This Week In Niche Pursuits News'? Guest hosts Jared Bauman and Josh Blackburn join the podcast while I'm away this week to cover a wide range of topics related to AI, content creation, and dive into some fun niche site discoveries! You'll learn how to use Google Trends as a tool for researching and creating content around landmarks and historical events. Also, in relation to my new faceless YouTube channel reaching the 1,000 subscriber milestone, the guys discuss the benefits of creating this style of channel, that focuses more on content rather than any personal branding. And if you're interested in improving your website's SEO and user experience, there's a deal for the Link Whisper WordPress plugin with a special coupon code offer for listeners you don't want to miss. The use of AI in content creation is also discussed at length in this episode. You'll learn how Midjourney V.5 can create realistic photos and can replace the need for stock photos. As well as discussing the AIPRM plugin, which provides expert prompts for generative AI tools. You'll hear about its success in the market, including some speculation on the potential for there to be paid prompts in the future. The winners and losers of Google's March 2023 core update are also discussed with tips on highlighting the relatively new Experience element of E-E-A-T on your websites. You'll also hear about unique niche websites, including a Canadian candy store that freeze-dries candy and a website dedicated to the Titanic. And, of course, the guys discuss the potential for creating content and building businesses around these niches! Overall, the episode provides useful insights and tips for creating successful websites and content using AI and other helpful tools. Hope you enjoy it!

Looking for tried-and-true tips for how to grow your business? Look no further than Steve Chou, online entrepreneur extraordinaire and master of email marketing, YouTube, SMS texting, and marketing online businesses in general. You may already know of him from My Wife Quit Her Job. And in today's podcast episode, Steve shares key insights into: Lead generation, Creating effective email lists, Using YouTube to grow your subscriber base Repurposing content And a whole lot more... One of his secrets to success is his focus on one thing at a time. He creates systems for each task before moving on to the next, allowing him to outsource tasks to a virtual assistant and streamline his workflow. He also repurposes content across different channels for long-term leverage. And if you're looking to grow your YouTube channel, Steve has some great advice. He recommends having a website as a home base to gather emails and using YouTube to grow your subscriber base. The most important part of YouTube? The title and thumbnail! Steve also suggests repurposing blog posts into YouTube content and switching up camera angles every 3-4 seconds to keep viewers engaged. And if you need help generating ideas or scripting your videos, Chat GPT using AI PRM can help. He offers tons of email marketing tips including building an email list before having something to sell and using it to get feedback from your audience. Plus he talks about how he uses SMS marketing to drive action, as he's found it to have a higher open and click-through rate than emails. Steve encourages cross-pollination of contacts across different platforms to increase the chances of reaching them, and he uses SMS marketing differently for e-commerce and content, sending offers and promotions for the former and event-related messages for the latter. But in the end, Steve's success comes down to his focus on building relationships, providing value to his audience, and staying consistent. And if you're interested in following in his footsteps and achieving financial freedom without sacrificing what matters most (who doesn't), be sure to check out Steve's book, The Family First Entrepreneur. So if you're looking to take your business to the next level, be sure to listen to this episode and take notes! Topics Steve Chou Covers How he got into online business His 3-pronged approach to growing his eCommerce store Targeting repeat customers His business portfolio How he grows his brand across multiple channels SMS marketing His email marketing strategy 'Build the list before you sell' Tips to make affiliate earnings from email How to build on YouTube How YouTube helps his business YouTube tips How he's using chatbots in his business How he optimizes his time and efforts Publishing his first book with traditional publishing The importance of taking a profit-first approach Links & Resources How To Start An Online Store And Spend More Time With Your Loved Ones - MyWifeQuitHerJob.com The Family First Entrepreneur - The Family First Entrepreneur How to Earn Your First Love Dollar – Steve Pavlina AIPRM for ChatGPT - Chrome Web Store

In today's episode of Niche Pursuits News, we cover several digital marketing topics. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper Jared and I cover the following topics during today's podcast: The March 2023 Google Core Update Finishes rolling out and I have poll results to share that show how many sites gained or lost traffic. Elon Mush and 1,000 other tech leaders sign a pledge to pause AI developments for 6 months. Adobe Launches Firefly Google Launches About this Author and Perspectives How Much Money Noah Kagan Makes on YouTube (and how much he spends). Quick Update Spencer's "Faceless" Youtube channel experiment Jared continues to grow his Weekend Growth Newsletter at: https://www.weekendgrowth.com The incredibly weird niche site: CostcoHotdog.com 9. Another weird niche site: SendCatFacts.com We hope you enjoy the show!

Are you dreaming of launching your own profitable online business? If so, you need to listen to this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast! Emil Shor joins us to share how he leverages his SEO and website-building expertise to grow a business that's largely outsourced. He left work as an in-house SEO and started his own agency in 2021. And with the smart and crafty business structure he's used from the start (which he touches on), he's enjoying big profits while living and working on his own terms. There are a ton of nuggets of wisdom here: He emphasizes the importance for niche site owners to build quality links to establish a brand that's better protected from Google updates. He suggests choosing the easiest keywords to build a cluster within a niche rather than just going after the lowest competition keywords. He reveals his strategy for creating assets and investments outside of his agency. He highlights the criteria he uses to choose which sites to buy. And a whole lot more... Emil provides valuable insights for those looking to start their own online businesses. And his advice can help you achieve long-term rankings in search and potentially fast-track you to success. So, if you want to learn the secrets of building profitable online businesses, don't miss it! [toc] Topics Emil Shour Covers His background in SEO Starting his own agency How his agency is set up Pros & cons of being an in-house marketer vs business owner Revenue numbers Building his sites on the side Acquiring a site Topic clustering Content growth strategy Tips for buying a site Digital PR campaign Niche sites vs brand sites Gambling in the parenting niche Balancing agency work while growing niche sites Plans for the future And much more... Links & Resources Catalyst Content - SEO-Focused Content Agency by Emil Shour Seeking Profit emilshour on Twitter Fat Stacks Blog Lasso This Episode is Sponsored by Search Intelligence & Nichesites.com

Welcome to another episode of "This Week in Niche Pursuits News!" This is a show where we talk about the most recent industry news, share success stories, discuss our shiny objects, and reveal a few weird niche sites we've run across. In today's episode, I'm joined by co-hosts Jared Bauman and Jake Cain. Watch Niche Pursuits News https://youtu.be/0dTNKm6LI2k "This Week in Niche Pursuits News" Google Bard opens up to beta users. Only US and UK Only in English Rarely cites sources "With Bard having Google's entire index at hand, it is interesting that it struggles to understand areas of content with multiple meanings." OpenAI release paper theorizing which jobs will be eliminated by AI: "An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models" "Now That's Impressive!" Koala AI tool Baremetrics sold a year ago. The new owners increased price 2.5x and saw a huge spike in revenue. However, the MRR is now in a sharp decline. Ian Nuttal sells a 2 site package for mid-6 figures using programmatic SEO. https://visualfractions.com/ and https://worksheetgenius.com/ . Press release from FEI. Shiny Object Shenanigans Spencer's "Faceless" Youtube channel now has over 580 subscribers. Jared continues to grow his Weekend Growth newsletter Jake is using Hubble AI tools to create a trip planner, hashtag generator, and more "One Weird Niche" SaveTabSoda.com/. Tab Soda was discontinued by Coca Cola in 2020. Passionate fans are trying to bring it back PrisonInsight.com. Making $3,500/month - 100k pageviews. Ads only. Dog-Checks.com If you want to get more of this type of content, be sure to join the Niche Pursuits Newsletter here where I share similar topics 3 times a week.

So much has been happening in the "niche" digital marketing world lately that I decided to try something new. I've decided to release a 2nd episode EACH WEEK of the Niche Pursuits Podcast to highlight the most recent online marketing news, stories, shiny objects, and interesting niches we've found. I'm excited to announce what I'm calling, "This Week in Niche Pursuits News!" So, what's some of the latest news that we covered on the show? GPT-4 is released by OpenAI. How does this impact bloggers? Should you use ChatGPT-Plus to write articles for you? Google starts rolling out the March 2023 Core Update. 2 Impressive Success Stories: Someone trying to turn $20k into $500k in just 1 year and they are 6 months into the project. Another business gets 242% lift in revenue by adding a single text message to their process. We share 3 "Weird" niche sites we've run across lately Oh, and we also share a couple of "shiny object" projects that we are working on.

Mike Donovan returns to the Niche Pursuits podcast for an update on his site. He recently sold a 3-Year-Old Tech Blog for high 6 figures and joins us to discuss all the ups and downs he experienced along the way.

Today's guest on Nichepursuits Podcast is Shawn Hill. Shawn started a website in the BBQ niche and was able to grow it primarily through SEO to $25k/month in about 2 years! Oh, and he also reveals the site URL publicly for the first time. Listen in to learn Shawn's SEO, link building, keyword research, and other site building strategies.

Today's guest on Nichepursuits podcast is Kevin Espiritu. Kevin has grown an incredible brand and 8-figure-a-year business, dominating the gardening niche in many significant ways, and he shares how his gardening niche site grew a community of loyal brand followers and got into selling products.

Today's guest on Niche Pursuits podcast is Shane Sams. He shares how he became a millionaire by reversing the usual approach to bootstrapping an online business.