{"id":23409,"date":"2024-04-02T15:47:34","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T12:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/?p=23409"},"modified":"2025-07-23T17:05:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T14:05:06","slug":"jackie-of-jou-jou-travels-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/jackie-of-jou-jou-travels-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Jackie of Jou Jou Travels Reveals Secrets to 5-Figure Blogging Income"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How SEO Changed My Life (and My Bank Account)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before I started blogging full-time, I was the head of digital analytics at various companies, including CNN, Cartoon Network, Samsung, and The Weather Channel. Since I loved to travel and create valuable tips for others, I thought, \u201cWhy not start my own blog?\u201d I started out for fun during the pandemic and just grew my Instagram tremendously.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Screenshot\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
The Jou Jou Travels homepage<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

At first, I knew nothing about SEO. My blog received little traffic, and I didn\u2019t know where or how to start monetizing. Also at this time I started to feel burned out from my 9 to 5 so I wanted to take things seriously and  invested in a course called Blogging Fast Lane<\/a> to take my blog to the next level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And wouldn\u2019t you know it, the course helped me tremendously! Before, I wrote for fun and definitely not for SEO \u2014 I embarrassingly wrote cute blog titles like \u201cSoaring Through the Sky in Cappadocia\u201d. After the course, I updated all my old content for SEO and wrote new posts with the help of keyword research so I could rank on the first page of Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These new strategies resulted in immediate growth. SEO is a long game, but after fixing old posts, I boosted my traffic five times in five months. And now, nearly four years later, I\u2019ve gone from 2,000 page views a month to up to 50K page views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did everything from scratch, setting up a WordPress site with a customized Kadence theme. It\u2019s a lot of work, but I really love it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optimizing Your Blog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trial and error is the best way to learn how to get the most out of your blog. I\u2019d recommend starting with SEO, which is the primary method I use (Google is 75% of my traffic). Here are some other handy tricks I\u2019ve picked up on my blogging journey: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keyword Research <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Use keyword research to figure out what people search in relation to your blog topics \u2013 I use KeySearch and RankIQ to research low-competition and high-volume terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve got the keywords, it’s all about creating great content people want to read. Good content not only keeps readers coming back for more but also helps blogs rank higher in search results. I\u2019d also make sure to use the keywords in titles, headings, and naturally throughout your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diversify Your Platforms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Social media is key to spreading the word, but it doesn\u2019t generate nearly as much traffic as Google. I share my posts on platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also built up my email list, sending newsletters or updates whenever I drop a new post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s All About Data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, my former life as a digital analyst gave me a good foundation for my blogging journey \u2014 namely, how to better track my stats and understand my analytics. So I know the value of keeping an eye on your stats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools like Google Analytics have helped me monitor my blog’s performance, and they can be invaluable in helping you see what’s working and what’s not so that you can tweak your strategy accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Keywords to Boost Your Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After traveling to a place, I\u2019ll go to KeySearch to search for terms associated with that place with low competition and high volume. This means I pick specific topics like \u201cBest Lake Como Hotels with a Lake View\u201d rather than something like \u201cbest hotels Lake Como\u201d, which is too broad and highly competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the Top 5 articles that get the most traffic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. A Solo Female Travelers guide to traveling Italy Alone<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The Only 2 Week Bali Itinerary You Need for First-timers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Things to do in Vietri sul Mare, the hidden gem of the Amalfi Coast<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. 7 Amazingly Cheap Places to Visit in Italy in 2024<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Perfect Weekend Trip: How to Spend 2 days in Budapest<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you write a lot about one topic, Google will favor you over someone who\u2019s written little about it. That\u2019s why three of my top posts are about Italy \u2013 I\u2019ve built topic authority on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The other posts center around fairly low-competition keywords. Vietri sul Mare, for example, is a hidden gem in Italy, so fewer people wrote about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pro tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Write for user intent. A person browsing \u201chotels in Egypt with a view\u201d is more likely to generate hotel bookings than a post called \u201cEgypt Itinerary\u201d. That\u2019s because someone researching \u201cEgypt Itinerary\u201d has likely already figured out accommodation and is now planning the trip’s details. These informational posts are still great drivers of traffic and engagement and will still result in sales \u2014 but not nearly as many as with buying guides. Still, it\u2019s good to have a mix of content to remain authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My Start With Affiliate Marketing  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Travelpayouts has made it easy for me to partner with companies like Booking.com and GetYourGuide to promote tours or hotels in my blog posts. For example, I get the most hotel bookings from my buying guides, such as the 10 best trullo hotels and masserie in Puglia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    And unlike individual platforms, which are cumbersome and confusing, Travelpayouts is easier to navigate and more sleek in design. I used to work directly with Booking.com, but when I realized I could switch to Travelpayouts using the LinkSwitcher tool, I did so immediately. The tool is great as it switched everything over with one simple code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Would I recommend Travelpayouts to travel bloggers? Definitely! It\u2019s super easy to get set up, links are easier to create with the toolbar, tracking is simple with one dashboard, and you get paid faster.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    <\/div> \n \n
    \n
    \n
    \n Join the Travelpayouts partnership platform\n <\/h5>\n\n \n\n \n Join today\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n
    \n Powerful<\/i> AI tools for grow<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
    \n 600k<\/i> partners already trust us<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
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    brands<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

    Where My Money Comes From<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I don\u2019t only depend on my blog for income. Right now my sources of income include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Affiliate marketing (blog) <\/strong>\u2013 I make about $1,000 a month from affiliate marketing. I started using it right away because it\u2019s the easiest way to earn even when your blog is small! <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Ads (blog) \u2013<\/strong> I\u2019m currently on SHE Media and earn $300 a month from ads. I hope to increase this when I hit Mediavine. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Paid sponsorships <\/strong>with tourism boards. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Sponsored ads<\/strong> on Instagram<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Social media for other brands<\/strong> \u2013 Sometimes companies pay me to write about their products or experiences. I keep it authentic and only partner with brands I genuinely believe in and think my audience will love.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Digital products<\/strong> \u2013 I have e-books on my site as well as digital templates for social media. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      If there\u2019s one thing I want you to walk away with, it\u2019s this: anything is possible if you don\u2019t give up. At the start of my blogging journey, I struggled to manage my time and work a full-time job. But I dedicated all my free time to blogging and monetizing so that I could turn my passion into my job. It was a long process, as you need dedication and a love of writing, but I stuck through it. And now, I earn five figures in affiliate marketing and ad revenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Meet Jackie, the creator, owner, and writer of Jou Jou Travels<\/a>, as well as a Travelpayouts partner. She\u2019s sharing her unique blogging journey, including how she went from being a full-time digital analyst at big-name companies to making five figures as a travel blogger. Learn the techniques she used to propel her blog, supplement her income, and become a successful travel affiliate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":23411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[527],"tags":[541],"class_list":["post-23409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-success-story"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23409"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28178,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23409\/revisions\/28178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}