14 min read

9 Smart Blogging Goals to Become a Full-Time Blogger

blogging goals

Have you ever wondered what your blogging goals should be? 

Well, guess what? You're in luck! 

In this short introduction, we'll explore some key goals that can help you find your place in the blogging community.

By following these goals, you'll not only increase your blog traffic, but also boost your social media presence, improve your search engine rankings, and even grow your email list.

Plus, we'll discuss how updating old blog posts, adding display advertising, starting a weekly email newsletter, and launching online courses or memberships can help you achieve even greater success.

So, if you're ready to take your blogging journey to the next level and belong to a thriving community, let's dive in and discover your blogging goals together.

Key Takeaways

  • Increasing blog traffic: optimize content for search engines, improve website's ranking on SERPs, conduct keyword research, create high-quality, engaging content
  • Growing audience engagement: offer valuable incentives for subscription, send regular newsletters or updates to subscribers, encourage reader engagement, maintain positive user experience
  • Diversifying income streams: set SMART goals for display advertising revenue, connect with subscribers on a personal level, diversify income with digital products, collaborate with brands for sponsored content
  • Increasing revenue: set SMART goals for display advertising revenue, optimize strategic placement of affiliate links, regularly publish high-quality blog posts, collaborate with brands for sponsored content
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Goal 1. Increase Blog Traffic with SEO

To increase blog traffic with SEO, you need to optimize your content for search engines. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a crucial aspect of achieving your blog goals and boosting your traffic. By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can attract more visitors and increase your blog's visibility in search engine results.

One of the key goals of any blogger is to increase blog traffic. SEO plays a vital role in achieving this goal. By optimizing your content, you can improve your website's ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs). This means that when people search for topics related to your blog, they're more likely to find and visit your website.

When setting your blogging goals, it's essential to include traffic goals. Increasing blog traffic not only helps you reach a wider audience but also increases your chances of monetizing your blog through ads or sponsored content.

To optimize your content for SEO, there are several steps you can take. Firstly, conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant keywords and incorporate them naturally throughout your blog posts. Additionally, create high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your readers. This will encourage them to share your content and link back to your blog, further improving your SEO.

Goal 2. Boost Social Media Traffic

Boost your blog's social media traffic by implementing effective strategies. Increasing your blog's online presence and attracting more visitors is crucial for achieving your blogging goals. By boosting your social media traffic, you can reach a wider audience and create a sense of belonging within your online community.

To boost your social media traffic, start by optimizing your social media profiles. Use keywords related to your blog's niche and include a link to your blog in your bio. Engage with your audience regularly by posting high-quality content that resonates with them. Encourage your followers to share your posts and interact with them by responding to comments and messages.

Another effective strategy is to collaborate with influencers or other bloggers in your niche. By partnering with them, you can tap into their audience and gain more exposure for your blog. Additionally, make use of relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts and engage with other users who are interested in your niche.

Goal 3. Update Old Blog Posts for More Traffic

Increase your blog's traffic by updating old blog posts.

One of the most effective ways to drive more traffic to your blog is by refreshing and optimizing your existing content. By updating old blog posts, you can give them a fresh lease of life and attract more organic traffic from search engines.

Updating old blog posts involves several steps.

First, review your blog content and identify posts that are outdated or could benefit from additional information.

Next, update the content with new statistics, examples, or insights. Ensure that the information is accurate and relevant to your target audience's interests.

Additionally, optimize your updated blog posts for search engines. Incorporate relevant keywords throughout the content, including in the title, headings, and meta tags. This will help search engines understand the context of your blog posts and improve their visibility in search results.

Updating old blog posts not only attracts more organic traffic but also improves the overall user experience on your blog. Readers will appreciate up-to-date information and find value in your content.

Goal 4. Grow an Email List

How can you effectively build and expand your email list as a blogger? Growing an email list is a crucial step for any new blogger. It allows you to connect with your audience on a personal level and keeps them engaged with your content. Here are some specific goals and achievable strategies to help you grow your email list:

  • Offer valuable incentives:
  • Create a compelling lead magnet, such as an ebook, checklist, or exclusive content, to entice readers to subscribe.
  • Provide a clear and prominent opt-in form on your blog to make it easy for visitors to join your email list.
  • Engage with your audience:
  • Regularly send out newsletters or updates to your subscribers with valuable content and insights.
  • Encourage your readers to share your emails with their friends and family, expanding your reach and potential subscriber base.

By setting specific goals and implementing these strategies, you can steadily grow your email list and build a loyal community of readers. Remember, consistency and providing value are key to keeping your subscribers engaged and eager to hear from you.

Goal 5. Improve Search Engine Rankings

To enhance your blog's visibility and attract more organic traffic, focus on optimizing your content for better search engine rankings. Improving search engine rankings is essential for achieving your blogging goals and increasing your online presence. One of the first steps towards achieving this is conducting thorough keyword research. By identifying the right keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for, you can incorporate them strategically into your blog posts.

When it comes to content creation, it's important to create high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that not only appeals to your readers but also satisfies the search engine algorithms. This means providing valuable information, using proper headings and formatting, and including relevant images and videos. Additionally, optimizing your blog's metadata, such as title tags and meta descriptions, can also improve your search engine rankings.

It's crucial to remember that improving search engine rankings is a long-term goal. It requires consistency, patience, and ongoing efforts. Regularly updating your content, building backlinks, and promoting your blog through social media platforms can all contribute to improving your search engine rankings over time.

Goal 6. Add Display Advertising Revenue

Adding display advertising can be a good goal for bloggers looking to generate more revenue. Start by setting an achievable goal for the first year, such as making $100 per month in ad revenue within your first 12 months. This allows enough time to test different ad networks and placements without overly straining yourself. As you become more comfortable, you can set new long-term goals at the start of each year to steadily increase your ad revenue.

The best way is to start small - add a few banner ads or text links on your sidebar. Evaluate their performance on a regular basis, optimizing placement and ad types over time. As traffic and pageviews grow, dedicate a little bit more blog real estate to display ads. Strike a balance between site experience and revenue generation.

Over the long term, aim to double or triple your starting goal each year. While attainable, this still requires hard work testing and tweaking your display ads over time. Use key performance indicators like pageviews, click-through-rates and RPM to track progress. With smart goal setting and dedication, display ads can become an important source of income.

Goal 7. Start a Weekly Email Newsletter

One essential step in achieving your blogging goals is to establish a weekly email newsletter. By starting a weekly email newsletter, you can connect with your email subscribers on a more personal level and keep them engaged with your content.

This will help you build a loyal community of readers who are interested in what you have to say.

A weekly email newsletter allows you to set and track your weekly goals. You can use this platform to share your blog posts, updates, and exclusive content with your subscribers. It also gives you the opportunity to highlight any promotions or special offers you may have for your readers.

By consistently delivering valuable content to your email subscribers, you can establish yourself as an authority in your niche and build trust with your audience.

In addition to engaging your current audience, a weekly email newsletter is a powerful tool for attracting potential customers. You can use it to showcase your expertise, promote your products or services, and drive traffic to your blog.

By regularly connecting with your email subscribers, you can nurture relationships and convert them into loyal customers.

Starting a weekly email newsletter is a crucial step towards achieving your blogging goals. It allows you to connect with your audience, set and track your weekly goals, and attract potential customers.

So don't wait any longer - start your weekly email newsletter today and watch your blogging goals come to fruition.

Goal 8. Launch Online Courses or Membership

If you want to take your blogging to the next level, consider launching online courses or a membership program. This can be a great way to not only monetize your blog but also provide valuable content and resources to your audience.

Here are some reasons why launching online courses or a membership program should be part of your blogging goals:

  • Diversify your income: Creating and selling digital products like online courses or memberships can help you generate additional streams of income. This can be especially beneficial if you rely solely on ad revenue or sponsored posts.
  • Establish yourself as an expert: By creating and offering online courses or a membership program, you position yourself as an authority in your niche. This can help build your credibility and attract a loyal community of followers.
  • Increase the success of your blog: Offering online courses or a membership program can enhance the overall success of your blog. It provides an opportunity for deeper engagement with your audience and can lead to increased traffic, social shares, and overall growth.

To incorporate launching online courses or a membership program into your action plan, start by identifying the specific knowledge or expertise you can offer. Then, create a content outline and develop your digital product. Finally, promote it through your blog, social media channels, and email list to attract interested participants.

With dedication and strategic planning, launching online courses or a membership program can be a valuable addition to your blogging journey.

Goal 9. Increase Affiliate Marketing Revenue

Boost your blogging income by maximizing your affiliate marketing revenue. Affiliate marketing is a powerful way to monetize your blog and earn passive income. By setting a relevant goal and implementing effective strategies, you can increase your affiliate marketing revenue and take your blogging business to new heights.

Start by optimizing your affiliate links. Make sure they're strategically placed within your content and easily accessible to your readers. Incorporate them naturally into your blog posts, product reviews, or recommendations. By doing so, you can increase the chances of your audience clicking on those links and making a purchase.

Consistently creating new content is essential for increasing your affiliate marketing revenue. Regularly publish high-quality blog posts that provide value to your readers. By doing this, you can attract more traffic to your blog and increase the chances of your audience finding and clicking on your affiliate links.

Break down your affiliate marketing revenue goal into smaller goals. This will help you stay motivated and focused on achieving them. Set specific targets for the number of affiliate sales you want to make each month or the amount of commission you want to earn. By tracking your progress and celebrating your achievements, you'll be motivated to continue growing your affiliate marketing revenue.

How I Set 90-Day Blogging Goals

Every 90 days I take at least one or two days to do a quarterly review. It’s an opportunity for me to get a higher perspective on what’s working and what’s not in my online business.

Whether you are a full-time blogger or it’s your side hustle, I want to introduce you to the power of setting 90-day goals. I’ve been working this process for the past four years now and it’s been nothing short of amazing for me. Here are a few reasons why 90-day goals are so powerful:

  • You gain incredible clarity as to what needs to be accomplished right now
  • You are more motivated to work on your goals since you only have 90 days
  • You get the opportunity to hit the restart button every 90 days

If you are not accomplishing everything you’d hope to, it comes down to two reasons: lack of clarity and daily broken focus.

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Clarity for me comes through setting out in a very clear direction for the next 90 days. It’s hard for us to get clear on two and five year goals. In fact, it’s even harder to get clarity on our life’s purpose and calling. Setting 90 day goals gives me clarity on the path that’s already been illuminated before me.

Focus is what allows you to be productive in the moment. It’s easy for me to know how I should spend my time today if I’ve already established a few 90 day goals. The #1 enemy to you not accomplishing your dreams is broken focus.

Before I share with you my step-by-step process for setting 90 day goals, let me clarify how I structure my 90 day goals throughout the year. I divide them up into 4 quarters per year:

  • Quarter #1: January-March (April 1st deadline)
  • Quarter #2: April – June (July 1st deadline)
  • Quarter #3: July-September (October 1st deadline)
  • Quarter #4: October-December (January 1st deadline)

Sometimes we make this process more complicated then it needs to be. My process is pretty simple, but super effective. It provides me with the clarity, focus and motivation that I need to get my projects done.

1. Select no more than 2-5 goals

I know you have a million ideas you want to get done in the next 90 days, but reality tells us that won’t happen. You are better off to select only a handful of goals. If you are not sure what your goals should be, then go back to your original blog business plan. Don’t have a plan? Check out our one-page blog business plan PDF.

Keep in mind that these 90 day goals could be sub-goals of a bigger project. For example, if you want to write and publish a book this year, then a solid 90 day goal might be to create a book proposal.

2. Write your goals in a visible location

We all know that what’s out of sight is out of mind. To overcome this, I place my goals on a whiteboard that hangs right above my desk in my home office. It hovers over me like a boss and draws me back in when I get distracted. Make your goals visible.

3. Turn your goals into 1-2 week performance goals

Most of us fall short by just writing “outcome” goals. The problem is we often have ZERO control over outcome goals. However (and I learned this from Todd Herman), most high-performing athletes break their goals down into performance goals.

Your outcome goals now become something you can measure and improve. Here’s how I do this weekly. I use a Weekly Blog Planner Template that I created and one of the sections is called “weekly goals.”

I’ll look up at my whiteboard to glance at my current 90 day goals and establish a performance goal. This will be something I can measure and improve week to week.

4. Crush procrastination with the who, when, where, and what principle.

Have you heard “what gets scheduled, gets done”? Why is that? Because you accomplish things when you set some intentionality to the whole process. You’ll never make progress on your goals until you answer the following questions:

  • Who? (Who needs to do this? Who do I need to call?)
  • When? (When can I do this?)
  • Where? (Where do I need to go to work on this?)
  • What? (What do I need to work on this?)

When you take that outcome goal and filter it through the who, when, where and what, you’ll be amazed at the progress you’ll make.

5. Start each day with a focus session to crush your goals

If you want to super-charge this whole process, start each work day with a focus session. It will become your built in who, when, where, and what like I mentioned earlier.

Back when I had a day job, I established my focus session between the hours of 5:00-7:00 AM each morning. I would tell myself “Work for yourself first.”

Once I started blogging full-time, I shifted this philosophy of an early morning focus session to the first part of my day.

When I sit down to work each morning, I first spend 60-90 minutes working on one of my 90 day goals. I do this before I check email or social media. This one habit alone has propelled me to finish more projects than you can imagine.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Monetize My Blog Through Display Advertising Revenue?

Looking to monetize your blog through display advertising revenue? One effective way is to strategically place ads on your website that align with your niche and target audience.

By partnering with ad networks or using platforms like Google AdSense, you can earn income based on the number of clicks or impressions your ads receive.

Additionally, optimizing your website for search engines and increasing your traffic can help attract more advertisers and increase your earning potential.

What Are Some Effective Strategies to Grow My Email List?

Looking to grow your email list? There are several effective strategies you can try.

Start by creating valuable and relevant content that your audience will find useful. Offer incentives, such as freebies or exclusive content, in exchange for email sign-ups.

Promote your email list on your blog and social media platforms to reach a wider audience. Engage with your subscribers regularly and provide them with valuable content to keep them interested and coming back for more.

How Can I Improve My Search Engine Rankings and Drive More Organic Traffic to My Blog?

To improve your search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic to your blog, there are several strategies you can implement:

  1. Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that includes targeted keywords. This will not only attract readers but also search engines.
  2. Optimize your blog posts by using meta tags, headers, and internal links. Meta tags provide search engines with information about your content, headers help organize your content, and internal links improve navigation and user experience.
  3. Promote your blog through social media platforms. Share your blog posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to increase visibility and reach a wider audience.
  4. Engage with your audience to encourage shares and backlinks. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and encourage readers to share your content with others. Backlinks from reputable websites can significantly improve your search engine rankings.
  5. Regularly update your content. Fresh and up-to-date content is favored by search engines, so make sure to regularly add new blog posts and update existing ones.
  6. Monitor your website's performance to identify areas for improvement. Use tools like Google Analytics to track your traffic, bounce rate, and other metrics. This will help you understand what is working and what needs improvement.

What Are Some Tips for Starting a Successful Weekly Email Newsletter?

Starting a successful weekly email newsletter can be a great way to engage with your audience.

To begin, make sure your content is valuable and relevant to your subscribers.

Use an eye-catching subject line to grab their attention.

Keep your emails concise and easy to read.

Personalize your messages to make your subscribers feel special and important.

Lastly, don't forget to include a clear call to action to encourage your readers to take the desired action.

How Can I Increase My Affiliate Marketing Revenue Through My Blog?

To increase your affiliate marketing revenue through your blog, focus on creating valuable content that resonates with your audience. Promote products or services that align with your niche and provide helpful reviews or recommendations.

Utilize persuasive copywriting techniques to encourage your readers to click on your affiliate links. Build trust with your audience by being transparent and authentic.

Track your results and make adjustments based on what works best for your specific audience. Consistency and patience are key to achieving success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, by implementing these blogging goals, you can significantly increase traffic to your blog and maximize your revenue potential.

With a focus on SEO, social media, email marketing, and improving search engine rankings, you can attract more readers and expand your audience.

By updating old blog posts, incorporating display advertising, launching a weekly newsletter, and exploring online courses or membership options, you can further monetize your blog and achieve your blogging goals.

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