Today, WriterSanctuary has published 1,000 posts since its creation in 2013. And over the years, I’ve done a lot of great things for the brand as a whole. However, I think hitting this milestone is perhaps one of the most impressive achievements.
While about 80% of blogs will fail, I figure this one is a success as it continues to grow. No, I’m not making enough from the site to become a full-time blogger. In fact, about 1% of my income in 2025 is from the blog and YouTube channel combined.
But I’ve helped a lot of people with freelancing, blogging, and self-publishing. That’s what drives me to keep moving forward.
What I Learned By Publishing 1,000 Posts
In reality, writing 1,000 pieces of content for a blog is quite a feat. Then consider that most posts nowadays average over 2,000 words, and that’s a lot of time.
Nonetheless, it hasn’t been a flowering example of exceptionalism. Truth be told, it’s been a tough ride of learning through both successes and failures. Still, maintaining the site gives me an immense amount of joy, especially if I can help just one person with something writing-related.
Some of the things I’ve learned over the past 1,000 posts include:
Not All Posts Land the Same
Even if you use the best keywords Ahrefs tells you, there is a good chance your blog post won’t get seen. There are simply too many cogs turning in the grand scheme of SEO management, and you have a lot of competition to surpass.
Not all of your topics will land the same with your direct audience, either. Some will follow your site for very specific content, which means a lot of your posts may not get any traction at all.
Then again, you might write something you’ll figure is a flop that winds up pulling in a huge audience.
My point is that not all of your published posts are going to be as effective for your blog in terms of viewership. A review might get 1,000 views per month, while a motivational post might receive fewer than ten. It all comes down to the type of audience that you’re attracting.
Reviews, Tutorials, and Lists
Technically, I own several websites. Among all of the websites spanning across several different industries, reviews, tutorials, and lists are the most effective types of content.
You can see for yourself what content is popular every day on this website in the “What’s Trending Today” widget. For the most part, these three types of content make up the top ten on the site.
Because these types of content are the most effective, they make the most amount of money according to AdSense. This year alone, the best writing apps for authors post (a list of writing apps) has made over $90 in ad revenue.
This doesn’t include anything I make from sponsored posts or affiliate sales.
Regardless, these three types of content are money makers regardless of your blog’s niche. Success comes down to the popularity of the product and industry.
Consistency Matters
Being consistent with publishing content is important for two main reasons: Google and subscribers/followers. You want to appease Google to demonstrate your blog isn’t abandoned, and your regular readers want more from your content.
I performed a case study with a client several years ago, demonstrating how a consistent blogging schedule improved the entire site’s performance in search. I’m not sure if the same data is usable today, simply because of AI Overviews and the massive changes to SEO as of late.
Nonetheless, a consistent blog often drives regular viewership. So, even if you don’t perform well in search, those who follow the account or perhaps subscribe using push notifications will keep reading.
I know that when I have a consistent flow of content, I gain more views and make more money overall than without. That’s one of the reasons why I’m constantly trying to maintain a predictable schedule for both search engine bots and followers.
Setting a goal for views doesn’t help, as I can’t control who reads the content. However, I can set a goal for publishing a certain number of posts each week, which often leads to more views anyway.
Trends Matter
When I started WriterSanctuary, one of my keys to gaining momentum was the posts focusing on content mills. At one time, I was the go-to source for all things Textbroker. Nowadays, content mills are less popular thanks to platforms like ChatGPT.
Almost every industry will see the rise and fall of certain trends. And if you’re not active enough to switch gears in your niche, you could lose a lot of traffic and income.
Unfortunately, you might be part of a niche that isn’t as popular as others. But that doesn’t mean popular trends are easier to break into. A lot of people are starting blogs, jumping on those popular trends, which means you’re facing a slew of competition.
In my case, I figure there will always be writers out there who need help setting things up or exploring their potential, void of artificial intelligence. So, although the niches aren’t as popular today as they were three years ago, I’ll still keep doing what I do.
I am a writer, after all. And I plan to continue doing so until the day I die.
Niches Matter
The niche you decide to focus on can make a huge impact on traffic numbers every week. Some industries are just more popular than others. What you’re interested in may or may not be very popular online. Well, in comparison.
You can use Google Trends to peek at the interest in different industries if you’re on the fence. But remember, a popular trend also means far more competition. It’s often much more difficult to compete for certain keyphrases, especially considering some sites have been around for decades.
There are times when I feel that I might have been too broad when starting this blog. I want to encompass all things writing. But when some sites focus purely on self-publishing or blogging, they often outperform me on Google simply because of perceived expertise and authority.
I mean, would you trust a gardener to work on your plumbing because he’s “done it before,” or would you prefer to go with a well-trained, highly-rated plumber?
Nonetheless, I will keep working on those various aspects of writing because it’s who I am. Yet, there are times when I wonder if a WordPress-focused blog would do better for some of my audience.
Keep a Thumb on Google’s Pulse
Perhaps one of the most difficult lessons to learn after publishing 1,000 blog posts was managing SEO for Google. The goalposts are constantly shifting, and what works today to get seen in a search may not work three months from now.
The bottom line is that it’s a pain in the ass to work with Google’s search criteria. And now with the addition of AI Overviews, it’s even worse.
That’s why it’s good to promote your website elsewhere. Yes, you still want to at least implement the bare minimum for a Google search, but you can drive traffic to your blog through other means.
I’m not just talking about social media. In reality, social sites like Twitter, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok may not drive a lot of views. That’s because social platforms don’t prioritize links that take people off their sites. In reality, I get more visitors from the YouTube channel and Pinterest than from any other social platform.
Still, it’s good if you at least keep an eye on what Google is doing periodically, especially if you’re trying to make money from your blog. More views equate to more income.
A good site to follow is Search Engine Land. They usually keep up with everything Google-related and can be quite insightful for helping you grow.
Paying for the Extras
You can do a lot with your blog for free. Most of the best plugins for WordPress have a free version that can help you get the ball rolling. However, you’ll eventually want to upgrade certain plugins for additional tools.
For example, Yoast SEO is a great free plugin to help you write better content while addressing the most common SEO practices. Yet, the premium version gives you further insights into how search engines and viewers interpret your content.
Most premium templates and themes come with greater design tools.
The trick is to pick the plugins you want to upgrade that will have the most impact on growing your blog. This will be different for everyone, depending on goals and needs.
I usually wait until the blog can pay for its own tools. The website should pay for itself, especially if you’re trying to replace a full-time income. By upgrading to premium tools without that income, blogging becomes quite an expensive hobby for some.
So, before you upgrade a plugin or theme, weigh whether you’re going to get the most out of it after paying those fees.
Building Up the YouTube Channel-Ish
I originally built the YouTube channel to accentuate the blog. Essentially, I wanted to give visitors a choice to either read or watch the content. Well, the YouTube channel grew its own audience of people who have no interest in reading a blog.
That’s fine. That only means I can engage a wider audience with the same content.
The drawback to this plan, though, is that both the blog and the YouTube channel have their own audience types. A blog post that does amazingly well in Google search may not even rank in the top 100 for the YouTube channel, and vice versa.
Regardless, building the YouTube channel to accompany WriterSanctuary’s blog has been an incredibly fun and lucrative experience. I’ve gained more freebies and income from YouTube this year alone than I have with the blog.
In a lot of cases, I use the blog as a script for the videos. So, it’s literally the same content.
Beyond Ad Revenue
AdSense isn’t the end-all, be-all form of monetizing the blog or the YouTube channel. In reality, AdSense doesn’t pay out well at all, and most successful creators will use other platforms to make money.
Don’t get me wrong, having AdSense on content has helped me pay a few bills. It’s a nice residual income that is passive once your content is published. However, I’ve made far more money in the form of affiliate sales, sponsored content, and product sales than I have with AdSense.
My point is that you shouldn’t put all of your proverbial “eggs” in one basket. There are a lot of ways you can monetize a blog, and the more traffic you drive to the site, the more money you’ll make from them.
Adding more revenue streams is something I’m working on myself. I am just trying to squirrel away enough time to implement a lot of the things I’d like to try. And that’s one of my biggest failings: not having enough time.
While some can claim they work two hours per week and bring in enough money to sustain themselves, I have morals. I’m not going to peddle products I don’t use, and I never fake knowing what I don’t know.
It’s Not Always About Google
After publishing 1,000 articles (and having to deal with Google), I’ve realized that posts don’t need to focus purely on search engine optimization. Some of my most treasured comments and interactions have been from people reading the more personable content.
Yes, you absolutely need to do your best to deal with search results if you want to build a popular and lucrative website. But not all of your content needs to appease the search engine gods.
Sometimes, your regulars just want to know how well you’re doing, what you’ve discovered, and even appreciate failings to help them avoid the same mistakes. It’s all part of building a community for your niche; those who love your writing style will keep coming back for more.
In fact, I personally know a few bloggers who drive more traffic than I do simply by blogging about their day. It’s not SEO friendly, but it’s more personable and engaging for their audiences.
What I Have Planned for WriterSanctuary Moving Forward
There are times when I wish I had put in far more effort to grow WriterSanctuary as a brand. Then again, my time is quite limited. Considering everything on my plate, it’s impressive that I published 1,000 posts in 12 years.
At any rate, I plan on doing so much more with the blog in the coming years. And now that I’ve scheduled more time for this blog, perhaps I can make them happen within the next decade.
For instance, some of my plans include:
More Reviews and Tutorials Inbound!
Reviews and tutorials are obviously the site’s bread and butter. And there are a lot of writing apps, products, and services out there that I can utilize for content. These often take the most time to produce, but they are the most effective.
In other words, the traffic and AdSense revenue make diving into reviews and tutorials worthwhile. Not just for Google’s sake, but also for those who follow the blog.
Keep in mind, my primary directive is to help other writers with this site, even at the cost of making money. I’m helpful by nature, and I relish the comments on how I’ve helped someone in some way…AdSense be damned.
College-Level Progression Posts
Although most of my writing centers on freelancing, blogging, and self-publishing, I want to share the things I’ve learned in college as well. Of course, I’m figuring out how to work those elements into what I normally create.
For instance, I was given a lot of resources in class regarding spotting and avoiding writing “fake news.” Not to mention the critical analysis elements of the Storytelling course.
I’ve already started a few of them, such as the post for writing a college-level essay. But I want to go much deeper than that in the coming months.
Community Writing Challenges
I love the idea of building a community where all writers feel safe while helping each other. The first step to the things I would love to achieve on my roadmap for WriterSanctuary is setting up writing challenges.
I just don’t want to challenge people to write, though. I also want to share those stories with others while promoting authors. The trick is to do so in a way that doesn’t cause spamming issues.
Regardless, writing challenges are coming soon, and I’m pretty excited to get them going. I’d love to read what you’ve written.
Updating Older Content…Again
I didn’t just write and publish 1,000 blog posts and call it a decade. In reality, I’ve updated several posts to the point of being completely rewritten. That means I’ve probably published more than 1,000 over the years.
In any case, updating older content is still a valuable task for both search engine bots and human readers. It’s all about providing the best content possible, and I want to ensure you’re getting the most up-to-date information I can provide.
Perhaps I’ll create another case study and actually see it through to the end. I’d like to show the effects of updating old content for individual posts and on the website as a whole.
Setting Up Milestones for YouTube
I would like to set up some milestones we can celebrate for the WriterSanctuary YouTube channel. These might be further down the road, as I am currently working on getting regular videos published again.
The tentative idea would be to perhaps create giveaways or discount codes when the channel hits certain milestones, such as hitting 10,000 subscribers. There are quite a few things we can do as a community to celebrate our successes.
As I said, though, these might be further down the pipe. I need to stabilize the channel first.
Planning the Logistics of Online Courses
I’ve been asked several times over the years to create online courses on everything from freelance writing to WordPress usage. And the more I think about it, the more I want to set them up.
However, there is a lot involved when creating an online course. Well, that is, as long as you want to create one that people will appreciate and use. Your “students” need to walk away with value if you want courses to be successful.
Nonetheless, it’s something that others have been pushing relatively hard on me for the past few months, and I think I am about ready to cave in. The trick is to set aside time to create a course people will want to pay for, which is the most difficult aspect for me.
Why the Blog Isn’t More Popular
So, after publishing 1,000 posts, why isn’t WriterSanctuary more popular? You’d think there would be plenty of content to drive in the traffic, right?
Well, it doesn’t always work out like that.
There are a lot of cogs turning that help drive a successful website forward. In other words, there are simply too many variables to break down why any one particular blog would fail. However, there are some universal truths that can easily hinder a website’s performance.
In the case of WriterSanctuary, most of its hindrance was due to the fault of:
Trends Flatlining or Dropping
Writing topics simply aren’t as popular as they were when I first built this website. Sure, there are a few topics that help drive in some visitors or perhaps get a like or two. But as a whole, a lot of folks are more interested in what generative AI can do for them.
Generative AI is something I will NEVER implement or condone. So, I don’t get the same attention as so many other blogs out there. I focus more on helping people build up their skills, not replace them.
At the end of the day, my niche just isn’t as popular today, which leads to a lack of interest and visitors.
A Lack of High-Value Content
A lot of what I write is more geared toward my regular readers, meaning I don’t often write about high-value-keyword topics. Perhaps the biggest reason is related to time. Writing about highly searched terms and topics takes a great deal longer than simply being personable about writing.
For example, it often takes about three to four hours to write a review, as I get screenshots and pictures while actually testing the product or service. Whereas sharing my experiences or giving tips or advice takes less than two.
I don’t write about things I haven’t used or tried out.
When you’re as busy as I am, every minute counts. So, that affects the high-value content simply because I don’t have a lot of time to put into researching or testing something.
However, that’s something I am trying to change as of late. I am pushing for better time management skills to help me get enough time to write a good review, tutorial, or even a list of products I’ve tried.
Proper Marketing and Outreach
I rarely have time to market anything properly, let alone the blog. As such, I rarely write guest posts to earn backlinks. All of this means that WriterSanctuary isn’t exactly a popular name.
Sure, if I had the time, I wouldn’t mind writing a few guest posts for other websites. But when you have as little time as I have, you’d rather spend it writing your own content. Otherwise, nothing would ever get published.
Well, what about social media? In reality, social hubs like Threads, Twitter, Facebook, and others don’t often share posts that lead people off of their platforms. They want people to stay engaged for as long as possible, which means links to blogs or books don’t work nearly as well as a cat meme.
The Niche Being a Bit Broad
I focus on everything related to writing in general. That’s why I cover topics for freelance writing, blogging, self-publishing, and even screenplay writing. And I have more slated for the coming years.
This means my niche is slightly too broad.
If I were to create an entire site dedicated to WordPress content, it would perform far better in search. That’s partly because of how Google calculates authority and expertise.
Plus, people who follow a WordPress website know what to expect. I don’t get the same types of subscribers and followers because someone who is interested in blogging might not care about self-publishing.
A Lack of Time
As I’ve pointed out several times, I don’t have a lot of time to manage the site. Between work, school, YouTube, writing books, writing clients, and being a home health care provider, my time is exceptionally limited.
However, as I also said before, I am working on getting more time dedicated to working on the blogs and channels that I have. A lot of it comes down to breaking old habits and not getting sucked into doomscrolling on Threads.
If I put in as much time into the site back in 2014 as I have the last couple of years, WriterSanctuary would have been far more popular overall.
9 Pieces of Advice for New Bloggers
WriterSanctuary isn’t the only blog I work on or own. I’ve written blog content for numerous clients stretching the globe. I’ve only published 1,000 posts on this website. In reality, I’ve probably published more than 12,000 articles throughout my career.
Setting up a blog is often unique to the company or individual based on goals. Not everyone is going to view “success” in the same manner. Some people might focus more on making X amount of dollars each month, while others simply want engagement from readers.
However, there are a few things I’ve noticed that are relatively universal with my clients and myself.
- Create Realistic Goals
When I say “realistic,” I mean goals that you can control. Don’t focus on making X amount of dollars. Instead, concentrate on something like publishing X number of posts each week. - Choose a Clear Niche
Niche sites often perform the best, especially when it comes to repeat visitors. Having a clear idea of what you want your blog to cover can also help you strategize content. - Your Audience Comes First
Although you want to implement good SEO practices, your human audience is far more valuable than search engines. Cater to them first, then worry about the bots. - Be Consistent
Maintaining a realistic publishing schedule for your blog is ideal. Your regular readers and search engines will appreciate the content. And try not to stray too far from your blog’s primary niche. - Go Beyond AdSense
AdSense is the easiest way to monetize a blog, but it’s also the weakest in terms of payouts. That is, as long as you work to include affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and other forms of making money. - Don’t Expect Instant Success
It can take more than two years before a blog can generate 100 visitors per day. Be patient with the process. Niche, topics, and a publishing schedule will all contribute to generating visitor interest. - Build a Good Content Strategy
Every blog is different, as is its content strategy. While there are a lot of tips out there that can prove helpful, not every method is going to work the same for everyone. Build a strategy that works best for you. - Always Write High-Quality Content
High-quality content means providing as much information about the topic as you can while always citing sources and facts. And don’t use filler and fluff to hit a certain word count. - Always Keep Learning
Don’t assume that you know enough to get by. Keep learning all you can about your topics, as well as SEO and how Google’s algorithm works. The more you know, the better off you’ll be overall.
Here’s to Another 1,000 Posts!
It took me almost 12 years to the day to have 1,000 posts published on this blog. I’ve come a long way from the days of working with Textbroker to publishing my first books. And I love every moment of working on this website.
I started with personal experiences using Textbroker as a type of online journal documenting the process of turning into a freelance writer. Nowadays, I include reviews and tutorials while sharing my experiences as a self-published author.
It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of it with you in the coming years.
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