If you’re just starting your travel blog and wondering how on earth people make money from this – you’re not alone. It took me ages to figure things out, and I made plenty of mistakes along the way. So here’s a quick, honest guide to what actually works (and what I’d do differently if I started again).
Full Disclosure: Some of my content may contain affiliate links for companies I use and love and recommend to awesome readers like yourself. If you take action, (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn a small amount of pocket money (at no extra cost to you), so I can buy a coffee while creating more helpful content like this.
1. Choose Your Blog Name Carefully
Your name needs to be memorable, niche-friendly and something you won’t want to change later. I didn’t get this right the first time but once I changed it, my blog traffic increased dramatically – I still need to change my website address. Avoid that headache if you can!
2. Set Your Blog up Properly from Day One
Use WordPress.org if you want to grow and monetise. Pick a theme like Kadence – it’s fast, clean, and user-friendly. A good setup saves you endless frustration later. I wish I’d known this from the start – changing my host and theme is going to be a mammoth task.
3. Write for Search, Not for Yourself
I spent too long writing diary-style posts (“we did this…”) instead of writing the helpful, keyword-focused guides people actually search for.
Use tools like Keysearch and ask ChatGPT for SEO-optimised headings. It will genuinely speed things up.
4. Show Authority with Multiple Posts per Destination
Google loves topical depth. Aim for at least 7 posts per place:
- Things to do
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- What to pack
- Getting around
- An itinerary
- Reviews
I used to publish one post per location – and it just didn’t cut it.
5. Start Earning Straight Away
Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Add affiliates from day one.
My top earners are: Stay22, Get Your Guide, and Viator.
Stay22 is my biggest income source – it’s easy to use, converts well and fits naturally into destination posts.
👉 Join Stay22 here using my referral link
If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll receive a $100 bonus once you hit 100 confirmed travel bookings (and of course I’ll get a sweet bonus too!)
6. Promote Your Posts on Pinterest & Facebook
These two platforms drive the fastest visibility, especially while you’re waiting for SEO to kick in. Pinterest in particular is gold for travel bloggers but generally it takes around 3 months for a pin to gain traction – so don’t expect instant results.
7. Build an Email List Early
Even a small list gives you consistent traffic and loyal readers who click your affiliate links because they trust you.
8. If You Can Afford it – Invest in The Best Training
I’ve attended Mike & Laura’s Online Blogging Summit and any freebie training sessions they offer – I snap up. Laura is a fantastic teacher and her ideas are top notch. If you’re really serious about making money from travel blogging – take a look at their program: Scale Your Travel Blog
Top 5 Takeaways for Beginners
- Pick a strong blog name you won’t outgrow.
- Write helpful, search-focused content using a tool like Keysearch (not diary entries).
- Build clusters of posts per destination.
- Sign up to Stay22, Travelpayouts & tour affiliates early.
- Be patient – growth takes time, but it does come.
If you’re just starting out: Be patient, stick with it, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to monetise quickly.
And honestly – signing up to Stay22 early was one of the best decisions I made.
👉 Here’s my referral link again if you want to get started
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I’m always happy to help 😊
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