This is our Traffic and Income Report for April 2018. I began publishing these monthly reports to stay focused on one clear objective: reach 500,000 page views per month by December 2018.
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These monthly updates function as a personal record: what worked this month, what didn’t, and which areas need adjustment. They’re also meant to help other food bloggers learn from our experiments and adapt strategies that might work for them.
Let’s jump into the numbers and highlights.
It’s all growth
April improved slightly over March. At this stage, any upward movement feels like a win. I only published once a week during April, and one of those posts was the March Income Report, so I didn’t expect dramatic traffic gains. Still, steady growth is encouraging.
Wise Investments
In February I recognized that reaching 500k page views by December required focused investment. There are many worthwhile upgrades—custom web design, refreshed branding, or a new logo—but I used a “what’s best next” approach to prioritize the single change that would move the needle most.
I booked an SEO audit with Casey Markee at Media Wyse, and it proved to be a smart decision. Improving SEO can unlock consistent, sustainable organic traffic growth, which is essential for scaling a blog.
Income
MediaVine Ad Network: $163.53
Amazon: $0.80
Freelance jobs: $528.36
Total: $692.69
Stretch Goals
Because the primary goal is increasing page views, I focused on getting in front of new audiences. I reached out to non-food lifestyle and design blogs I admire and offered to contribute content that complements their audience rather than competes with them. This approach helps introduce new readers to the blog while providing value to the host sites.
I’m now a regular contributor to Coco Kelley, producing three to four posts per month for that site. That collaboration has driven additional page views and attracted new readers.
My second stretch goal was to take on work outside my comfort zone. Freelance recipe development can be demanding when your kitchen isn’t set up for client shoots, but I accepted a project with Bea. It was a valuable opportunity to collaborate with other creative women and it felt motivating and inspiring.
Getting to know the Numbers
For April through June my focus is analytics: understanding which posts perform best, what content succeeds on Pinterest, and which topics I should prioritize going forward. Gaining clarity on these metrics over the summer will let me plan effectively for September and beyond, when blog traffic typically ramps up.
If you follow other income reports, you might also be interested in Sewrella, Sarah Titus, and 40 Aprons for comparison and ideas.
Thanks for reading. If you have questions, leave them in the comments—I’ll be happy to respond.
See you next month!