If you’ve been in any blogging group lately, you’ve probably heard the same thing over and over:

“Google only ranks big brands now.”
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​“SEO is dead for small bloggers.”
​​
​“Affiliate marketing is impossible because we can’t rank anymore.”

But… what if I told you that’s not actually true?

While I understand and empathize with the fact that Google can be a huge rollercoaster..

... the truth is that Google’s recent updates have made it EASIER for small or new blogs to rank.

And I have proof -->

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The Evidence

Let’s talk about some of the most competitive search terms in travel blogging. These are the kinds of keywords that people say only big sites can rank for (and they've been saying this LONG before any Google updates):

• Things To Do in Paris​
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  → A DR 38 blog is ranking #7
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  ​(DR = "Domain Rating," a metric from Ahrefs that attempts to measure how much Google trusts websites. It's a scale of 0-100.)

• Hidden Gems in New York​
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  → A DR 0 (yes, ZERO!) blog is ranking #1

• Where To Stay in New York City​
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  → A DR 30 affiliate post is ranking #3 (making BANK $$$)

• Things To Do in Phoenix​
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  → A DR 28 blog is ranking #7

• Things To Do in Berlin​
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  → A DR 17 blog is ranking #4

And remember…

These aren’t high-authority, well-established websites. Some of them are brand new, with ZERO authority, yet they’re outranking massive publications.

Now, if these blogs can break into the most competitive travel keywords, imagine how much easier it is to rank for niche, less-saturated topics.

Not only that, but when I put these sites into Ahrefs (a keyword research tool that can help you understand how some blogs are growing), I saw something else that no one is talking about:

FAST traffic growth.

Here's a "rollercoaster"🎢 view of one of the websites:

.. and one of those blogs even got hit by a Google update and has seen recovery:

What's The Consensus?

• New, smaller blogs are still doing well -->

BUT...

• It’s not just about SEO.

Yes, small/new blogs are winning with Google.

But if you want to make sure you stay in the blogging game long-term, you need to retain your audience, which means building an email list.

Should You Start A Blog... Honestly?

Yes, this is actually a great time for new blogs.

But if you’re relying 100% on Google, you’re playing a risky game.

Here’s what you should do instead:

Start Your Blog the Right Way

→ Set up your blog on WordPress.org with a self-hosted platform. The one I recommend is A2 Hosting because it’s fast, reliable, and affordable.

👉 Check out A2’s cheap hosting deals here!​

​

Grow Your Traffic Beyond Google

→ Use a mix of Google/Bing SEO and Pinterest to drive traffic.
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→ Bonus tip: Another SUPER simple platform to incorporate into your strategy for almost no extra effort is Flipboard.

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Retain Your Traffic (AKA: Build Your Email List)

→ The best way to create a successful blog long-term is by capturing your readers' email addresses and sharing valuable content through email each week.​
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→ Right now, I use Kit for this, but I’m thinking about switching to Beehiiv soon.

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Work Toward Full Self-Reliance

→ The ultimate goal: an email list that sustains your blog, so you’re not dependent on Google, Pinterest, or any other platform.
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→ This takes some time, but once you have an engaged email audience, your blog becomes algorithm-proof.

🚨 How Scale Your Travel Blog student Robyn earns $900 per month with only 6,000 monthly readers 😳

🚨 Learn how to design a blog you’ll LOVE, without sacrificing user experience or site speed (without Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Divi)

Talk to you soon,

Laura

P.S. Here are my top recommended blogging resources.
​(Links anywhere in this post could be affiliate/sponsored links. If you make a purchase using our links, we may earn commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products or services that we genuinely recommend ourselves.)

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