My Second Year Mom Blogging: Traffic, Income Report & More Revealed

4.5K

After two years of growing Mama Has Her Mindful, when I tell people I blog, I’m still often met with an awkward pause while the person wraps their head around blogging. 

And then once they’ve processed it, I get reactions like:

Wait. Did you say you blog?

Why are you doing that?

Does anyone actually read it?

Does it make any money?

And finally, Why don’t you start a YouTube channel?

Many of these questions were the same ones I heard a year ago, and I shared them on my blog’s first anniversary.

I also set some pretty steep goals for myself a year ago. 

In this post, I’m taking a timeout from my regular content to reflect on how it’s going. 

This post is mostly for me. But judging from the reactions to my first anniversary blog post from my fellow friends in blogging, this post may be for them, too. 

I enjoy reading “how it’s going” posts from other bloggers, so hopefully, you’ll find this post as informational and entertaining as I’ve found similar posts to be. 

I’ll cover:

• My blog’s traffic
• My blogging income report
• My blog’s social media following
• My goals from last year (and whether or not I met them!)
• And what’s to come next year

As a reminder, I started Mama Has Her Mindful on my birthday two years ago. So every year I celebrate my birthday (this year it was my 40th!), I also celebrate my blog. 

So grab your favorite (plant-based) sweet treat and bubbly beverage and let’s kick off this party!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Thanks for the support!

Does anyone read your vegan mom blog?

As a writer, I always ask myself this question. And it’s one of the reasons why I spend time researching keywords related to what readers want to learn about before I write my posts. 

Readers have to find my information in order to read it, right?

So let’s look at my blog traffic.

Blog traffic terms

First, let me explain some terms so we’re all on the same page understanding this information. 

User: The number of people who have initiated at least one session on the website during the date range specified. (Therefore this number is usually lower than other terms.)

Pageviews: The number of times a page (or post) is loaded (or seen). Repeated views of a page (or post) are counted. 

Sessions: A session equals a visit to your site. So, when you visit my site and view several pages or posts, it counts as one session. If you come back to view the site a few hours later, it’s a new session. Since you may view several pages in one session, this number is usually lower than pageviews.

Unique Pageviews: This is the number of times a page or post is seen, minus any duplicate pages/posts seen by the same person during the same session. This value is lower than pageviews but higher than sessions. 

To sum up with an example: If you came to my site and looked at page 1 three times and page 2 once, it would be counted as 4 pageviews, 2 unique page views, 1 session, and 1 user. 

Here’s a look at my blog traffic in June 2022:

• Users: 3,098
• Pageviews: 5,738
• Unique Pageviews: 3,698
• Sessions: 3,581

My year 2 blogging traffic

Now that we have those terms in our vocabulary, let’s discover how I did in my second year of blogging. 

Here are my pageviews in Google Analytics from July 1, 2021 (one year ago) to June 30, 2022 (one year later). 

• Unique Pageviews: 39,288
• Pageviews: 55,136

Those spikes in pageviews you see below seemed to happen when a post was timely (like my going back to school mindfully when students went back to school, my vegan food at Disneyland when Disney opened up in California after the pandemic, or my list of Father’s Day gifts in June).

And here’s a comparison between my first year blogging (June 29, 2020 to July 1, 2021 in orange) and my second year blogging (July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022 in blue). 

As you guys may remember from my Spring Blogging Update, I haven’t posted much lately due to family commitments. 

So I’m honestly thrilled to see my numbers improve over the last year. My pageviews increased by about 124% and my unique pageviews increased by almost 125%.

How people find my blog

It’s great that people are reading.

But.

Readers need to find my blog in order to read it. And while some bloggers find the majority of their traffic comes from sources like Pinterest, for the second year in a row, most of my traffic comes from Google.

This is awesome because, with over 86% of the search market share, Google is definitely the most popular way to search for information. 

To help you understand the next graphic, let me define a few terms so you can better understand how my mom blog performs on Google. 

Total Clicks: This is how many times a user clicked through to my blog.

Total Impressions: This is how many times a user saw a link to my blog in search results. 

Average CTR: This is the percentage of impressions that resulted in a click. (From the research I’ve done, the average CTR for all industries is around 1.91%, but that’s likely based on weekly or monthly data, whereas the stats I have below are based on annual data.)

Average Position: This is the average position your site appears in search results.

Here’s my annual data (compared to last year). 

While it’s awesome my total clicks and total impressions soared above last year’s numbers, my CTR and Position dropped. That may be because I have more posts on my site than I did a year ago, but I’m not sure. 

How my blog performs in Google Search Results

The real goal though is to appear on page 1 of Google Search Results. And out of my 67 posts, I’ve done it! Last year I had 4 blog posts that appeared on page 1. This year, I have 10! 

This fluctuates but here are the posts that took turns being on page 1 this year according to my Google Search Console reports:

• 20 Funny Marriage Quotes that will Get Both Spouses Laughing
• Simple and Savory Vegan Artichoke Dipping Sauce
• How I Use Bilateral Music to Reduce Anxiety
• My First Year Mom Blogging: Income, Traffic & More Revealed
• 15 Ways to Foster Teamwork in Marriage
• Healing After Miscarriage: A Tender Note of Hope to Grieving Moms
• 17 Eye-Opening Benefits to Volunteering at Your Kid’s School
• 10 Thoughtful Father-Daughter Gift Ideas for Father’s Day
• Heavenly JUST Egg Vegan Quiche Recipe
• Kid-Approved Vegan BBQ Ideas + Beyond Burger Recipe

Does this mean I’ve made it and I can sit back and let the traffic flow?

Nope!

On the contrary!

It means I need to keep writing content that supports these posts so they stay on the first page of Googe Search Results because nothing is guaranteed. Just because they’re on page 1 today doesn’t mean they’ll be there tomorrow.

So, to conclude this section on traffic: Does anyone read this blog? YES!

Do you make money blogging?

Here’s the question you all want an answer to. (Especially if you’re a blogger!)

Did I make money this year?

Yes! 

Did it offset my expenses?

Weeeeeeell…. Let’s take a look.

My second year blogging expenses

When I started, I assumed, like many new bloggers, that there were no costs involved in blogging. That writing on the internet was free. And while that is possible, I can’t deny that some costs make blogging more seamless. Here are some of those costs.

• Termly (legal stuff): $120
• Bluehost hosting: $30
• Physical mailbox: $60
• Social Warefare (social media connection): $20
• Instagram support membership (helping me stay mindful on social media): $270
• Themeforest Support (customer support for my blog theme): $40
• Lightroom filters (presets so my photos look consistent): $20
• Blogging conference: $50
• Blogging courses: $150
• Vegan event: $60
• Canva (graphics): $120 

So my total expenses from July 2021-June 2022 were $940.
Note, this is about $500 less than my first year of blogging. The longer I do this, the more I know what expenses are more wants than needs.

My second year blogging income

Ok, now let’s talk about my income for this vegan mom blog. Like last year, there isn’t much, but I’m proud it’s growing!

• Amazon Associate: $50
• Ad Revenue: $140
• Blogging Challenge Winner: $60

My total income for July 2021-June 2022 was: $250

While it’s more than last year, I’m still in the negative $690. That’s less than half of what it was last year, so I’m getting better! But the goal is to make a profit. Heck, I’d be thrilled to break even!

Why I didn’t make a profit in year 2 of mom blogging

Can you make money blogging? 

Yes. I believe that more now than I did when I started developing this blog in 2019. 

Probably because I have a clearer picture of how I want to make money blogging moving forward. And why I didn’t make as much money this year as I would have liked. 

Let me explain.

1. Coming out of the pandemic, I was optimistic about having more time to write. My two older kids went back to school and my youngest started in-person preschool. However, I grossly overestimated my availability. With the return to school after over a year of distance learning and homeschooling, staying home due to sickness was rampant. Leaving me without solo time to write. 
2. There are many opportunities for affiliate income and sponsored posts. However, it takes time to search for them, negotiate terms for the work, and then complete the work. I struggled to keep up on leads and communication.
3. I didn’t put as many ads on my site as I could have because I’m still in the testing phase to see how I like having ads on my site.
4. I left opportunities like starting a YouTube channel, selling products, offering coaching services, and more, untouched. I didn’t foresee a way to dedicate myself to those revenue streams.

So, did I make a profit?

Eh.

Can I make a profit in the future? 

I think so.

Upon writing this, I’m realizing what the blog earns now. Veteran bloggers told me this was a long road. And I see why. 

Last year I didn’t have ad revenue and I made $10 in affiliate income. To see my work paying off, albeit slowly, is immensely rewarding. 

Is your social media following boosting your blog traffic?

I’m still trying to figure that out. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are funneling traffic towards my blog. But not much. 

Pinterest, which is arguably more of a search engine than a social media platform, sends the most traffic to Mama Has Her Mindful next to Google. 

While limited traffic comes my way from major social media platforms, I still put energy into maintaining a following on all of them. 

Partly because many sponsored post opportunities can be found via platforms like Instagram. 

But mainly because I’ve found blogging, mental health, vegan, and parenting support groups on all of the platforms. And that support is a critical ingredient in keeping me motivated. 

But since so many bloggers are curious about social media growth, let’s take a look at mine.

My friends and followers

Let’s compare where we’re at now to where we were on July 1, 2021: 

• Facebook: 748 followers (July 2021: 157 followers)
• Twitter: 396 followers (July 2021: 239 followers)
• Pinterest: 657 followers, 27K monthly views (July 2021: 459 followers, 27K monthly views)
• Instagram: 1,834 followers (July 2021: 1,277 followers)
• LinkedIn: 163 connections (July 2021: 144 connections)
• Email List Subscribers: 123 subscribers (July 2021: 78 subscribers)

👆If you’re not following me yet, please click through and say hi so we can connect!

👇If you aren’t subscribed to my email list, you can sign up below and get the latest mindful living and plant-based eating tips!👇👇👇

My online support

One of the best perks of blogging is the opportunity to assemble a support network. Be it dedicated bloggers, encouraging vegans, compassionate parents, or mindful humans. I’ve found much of that online. 

Here are some people I go to and places I hang out at to get loved up and/or inspired:

Facebook Groups:

• Becoming a Blogger Facebook Group
• Women Inspiring Kindness
• Vegan Blog Share by A Blog About Stuff
• VIP Rebels Blogging Engagement Group
• Healing Over Everything
• Mamavation

Blogs:

• Keirsten at A Blog About Stuff
• Cindy at Journey with Healthy Me
• Start a Mom Blog
• Smart Blogger

My reservations about social media

Is social media helpful (and necessary) to grow your blog? 

Maybe. 

But does engaging on social media come at a cost?

For me? Definitely.

Honestly, the obligation to post routinely, share my personal experiences, and grow my following on social media is the biggest energy suck for this introvert. 

It’s so draining that I contemplate if continuing to blog is for me. 

So what happens when you dread posting online? 

Are apprehensive about sharing your family with the world? 

Feel the need to connect with people in a digital capacity at the cost of experiencing the people who are physically in front of you?

Well, frankly, you reconsider if blogging is for you.

But, before I go down that rabbit hole, let’s check this out. 👇

Do you set blogging goals?

Dang, right I do! Let’s see if I met my blogging goals from last year and what goals I want to set for next year.

A look back: Last year’s blogging goals

Here are the goals I set for the blog last year, with either a ✅ emoji if I met the goal or a 🚫 emoji if I didn’t. 

Blogging Traffic Goals:

• 10,000 pageviews per month 🚫 *I was around 5,700 in June 2022.
• 50K monthly views on Pinterest 🚫 *Pinterest’s algorithm is still confusing.
• 6 blog posts on page 1 of Google Search Engine Results Page ✅ *I had 10!

Blogging Income Goals:

• Book one sponsored post ✅ *I wasn’t paid monetarily, but I received a free product for two posts with Javy Coffee.
• Discover more affiliate income opportunities 🚫 *Amazon continues to be the main affiliate I receive payment from.
• Consider selling a product ✅ *Technically, yes, I’ve considered it.
• Make enough to cover my expenses 🚫 *I was about $600 short this year.

Blogging Social Media Goals:

• Interact more purposefully on social media ✅ *I’ve done this but it’s been mentally exhausting.
• Double my followers on all accounts 🚫 *I’m close! My total number of followers last year was 2,399. This year it’s 3,921.

Creativity Goals:

• Start a YouTube Channel 🚫 *I’m still debating this.
• Research TikTok 🚫 *With my disinterest in spending more time on social media I haven’t looked into this. 
• Create 2 new opt-ins for email subscribers ✅ *I created 1 new one and updated older ones, so it’s close enough. Check out my thankfulness craft freebie.

New Connections and Friendship Goals:

• Attend one blogging conference ✅ *I purchased the tickets and it was postponed until this fall, so I’m giving myself this one!
• Do one podcast interview 🚫 *I didn’t go looking for this either.
• Meet 2-3 new blogging friends ✅ *With my main blogging group closing, and a new one starting up, I’ve made more than 3!

A look ahead: Next year’s blogging goals

My goals for next year are different from last year. Mostly because I’m in the discernment process on a few things. So, here goes…

Blog Traffic Goals:

• 6,000 monthly pageviews
• Maintain 10 blog posts on page 1 of Google search results
• 30K monthly views on Pinterest

Blogging Income Goals:

• Double affiliate income 
• Double ad revenue
• Make enough to cover my blogging expenses

Blogging Social Media Goals:

• Build meaningful connections on social media.
• Feel inspired to create content to help others.

Creativity Goals:

• Design a printable.
• Post at least once a month.

Personal Goals:

• Keep writing.
• Consume content that motivates me to create.

Do those goals look a bit different from last year? Here’s why…

Conclusion: Will you continue blogging?

Have you ever reflected on a job you did? 

And realized you did better than you expected?

Felt your chest swell with pride? 

Noticed your confidence grow?

That’s how I feel as a write this post on my second year of blogging. Even though I worked hard, I guess I didn’t expect myself to do this well. 

I know I didn’t make an income fancy enough to flaunt all over this post. 

But. 

More people saw my content than they did last year. And getting a message out about living mindfully was always the purpose. As was fulfilling my need to write. 

Those goals were met. And arguably exceeded. 

So what’s next? 

At this point, I sense the need to take a slight break while I work on another project. I’ve shared with you all that I’ll be posting less while I enjoy this time with my kids before school starts. 

But after that, I feel a calling to devote time to something else. 

I’m not sure if it’s tied to me turning 40 this year and feeling the need to try something I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet. I’m not sure yet if what’s next will be in tandem with this blog or pull in front of it for a while. 

But you can rest assured I’ll still be here. I’ll keep you informed. And I’ll keep writing. 

Cheers to year two!

Stay mindful, even when your mind is full,
~Chelsea