How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply

January 3, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Taking the first steps to monetizing your new blog?

Then Google AdSense might be on your radar!

But are you ready to apply for AdSense right now? Or might your blog need a little bit of tweeking first?

No need to fear! Although, Google’s AdSense program is quite strict, meeting it’s qualifications is very doable.

So, let’s get started and get your approved as quick as today!

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links meaning that should you choose to purchase something using one of these links, I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

New bloggers often ask the same basic questions:

How do I apply for Google AdSense?

Does my blog qualify for Google AdSense?

What are the requirements for applying to Google AdSense?

What do I do if my application for Google AdSense was rejected?

Why was my application for Google AdSense rejected?

We’ll go over all of these questions and more in this post! So, let’s get your blog ready to go by getting it Google AdSense ready!

Common Reasons To Get Rejected For Google AdSense

1. Insufficient/No Content

This is probably the most common reason for rejection by Google AdSense!

Many new bloggers are often stunned to find that they’ve been rejected by an affiliate program or an ad network after launch.

But when you’ve only got a handful of articles, it can be tough for the specialists at Google or elsewhere to review your content.

Articles should be well written using proper grammar. Your posts should also be unique and provide value to your readers. Whether your are educating them or showing them something, keep your content fresh and use your own voice!

2. No About, Contact Or, Privacy Policy Page

These three pages are a necessity before applying to Google AdSense!

Your About, Contact, and Privacy Pages are a professional reflection of you and the brand you are building with your blog.

Describe who you are along with what your brand stands for in your about page. If possible, use a contact form on your contact page to allow visitors of your site to easily write you with any rave reviews or concerns.

As for your privacy policy, place it in an obvious place on your blog, and keep in mind that this is a necessary legal agreement between you and your readers. It should disclose:

If you collect any and what type of personal information you obtain from them

How you obtain, use, and store your visitors’ personal information

The reason you are requesting this personal information

If you allow any other third parties to collect such information as well

How you will update visitors if and when your privacy policy changes

If you would like to use a Privacy Policy generator to create this page for you, try iubenda. You can generate a basic privacy policy for FREE but including disclaimers for specific affiliate and ad networks will come at an additional fee.

3. Blog Design Or Layout

Some website layouts and pages are just not AdSense friendly!

Be sure to go through your site and add enough text to or simply remove any gallery style pages.

Your pages must have enough written content to be eligible for advertising on them!

When you are choosing a theme for your blog, make sure your opt for a professional theme that is AdSense friendly; think about where you’d like to see ads when you are a browsing themes.

Google is strict and like any professional company, wants the user experience to be positive when their product is involved. Messy sites that lack cohesion are a no-no.

Organize your blog posts using categories. Make sure to have a landing page and easy navigation for your users. Brand your site and brand using specific colours and fonts. And, always, be professional!

4. Your Site Does Not Comply With Google AdSense Policies

All sites that apply for Google AdSense must be compliant with their AdSense Program policies. This includes:

Being over 18 years old

Providing original content

Driving organic traffic

Not displaying prohibited content

Displaying ads in a supported language

How To Get Approved For Google AdSense

1. Write Enough Quality Content

Upon discussing this with other bloggers and in my own experience, the perfect number of articles to apply for Google AdSense in 20.

Be sure to edit your blog posts for proper grammar usage as well and make sure that your articles:

are original
provide a unique and informative visitor experience
are formatted properly (use headings, bullet points, etc.)
are long enough (generally, around 600+ words is a good guideline)

2. Create Your About Page

This is something I always thought of as more of a “fun” page until I realized how crucial it is for building your brand!

When I’ve visited new blogs myself, it’s actually always one of the first pages I check out to! As human beings, we’re naturally social and are naturally looking to learn more about other people we respect and admire.

Make your about me page great by trying the following suggestions:

Write in first person
Write two or three sentences about yourself
Include a high-quality photo that is cohesive with your brand
Use your blogging “voice”
Open with your readers’ interests
Write about your blog
Include a “call to action” and invite readers to subscribe

3. Create Your Contact Page

Your contact page should be in an evident spot on your landing page and available through navigation from any page of your blog, including blog posts.

I personally love contact forms for their high visibility and ease of use!

The best contact forms:

are easily reached and navigable
are straightforward
include options to leave an email and phone number
include a short form
link to social media accounts (including Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter)
redirect to a thank you page or message!

4. Create And Place Your Privacy Policy In An Obvious Location

As already mentioned, iubenda is a great free privacy policy generator! If you are interested in viewing more options though, check out this detailed article by Digital.com for a roundup of the Best Privacy Policy Generators!

Once you have generated, consulted a legal expert, and/or written your own privacy policy, be sure to then place it in an obvious location on your blog!

I personally decided to place mine in one of my navigation menus at the top of my site. Like affiliate disclosures, this information is extremely important and should be made available to your audience at the start of their visit.

Your users should not have to going looking for disclaimers!

I personally always find myself peeved when, after reading a review or recommendation for a product, I find a disclaimer at the bottom of the article. In the instance that users do not finish reading the post in its entirety, they could easily miss this information, which I feel is a dishonest practice by the writer or affiliate.

Your audience will trust you more if you are always upfront with them about who is sponsoring your content! This is an essential practice in both social media and blogging and is the reason I: (1) always open my social media posts with #Ad or #Sponsored when I am being paid to promote or have been gifted a product and (2) open all affiliate blog posts with a disclosure.

5. Upgrade Your Blog Layout And Page

Image gallery style websites are fairly popular in the world of lifestyle influencers and bloggers!

If you are looking to create additional income using Google AdSense though, you need to choose a layout that is compatible with the block and banner style ads you’ve seen before on other websites.

There should also be a sufficient amount of text displayed on every page of your website! Pages must also be easily navigable and well-organized.

Check out Creative Market for beautiful WordPress, HTML, and other Themes! It’s where I found mine 😉

6. Display Less Or Remove Other Ads

Are you already displaying ads from another ad network? How many ads are displayed per page on your blog? Maybe we need to cut back a notch!

Removing ads from other networks may help your get accepted into the Google AdSense program.

While it’s completely understandable that bloggers want to get paid for their time and efforts (writing content, designing and uploading themes, downloading plugins, administrative tasks, etc… and the list goes on, right?!), as mentioned earlier, the user experience should always come first.

Your site needs focus on what it is you are creating content for not ad space!

While everyone wants to monetize their site eventually, and it is possible to make money from day one, (if I’m being completely honest, the reason I switched to self-hosting too – have you made the switch yet? If not, check out The Ultimate Guide To Starting A Money-Making Blog to get yours up and running), content production and originality always needs to come first!

Review your blog and do a review of how you’re using your ad space and make the necessary changes before applying to Google AdSense.

7. Use A “.com” Domain

Registering for a “.com” domain is always a good idea if you want to make it in the world of blogging!

Give your website a professional and credible start with just this simple addition.

As mentioned again and again, Google seeks professionalism in all of its AdSense Program applicants. And a “.com” domain shows that you take your blog and business seriously.

Like I mentioned in The 5 Golden Rules of Blogging, there are certain investments in time and assets that you should make in your blog if you are looking to make it a full-time career! Your “.com” domain name should definitely be on this list!

8. Verify Your Name And Email Somewhere Within Your Blog

Try and include this information on your About and Contact pages if not at the end of each blog post!

Verifying that you are who you say you are when applying to Google AdSense is another essential step in your monetization journey!

As I’m sure you are also familiar with in the comments section of your blog posts (I know I certainly am), spammy bots are everywhere! Verify that you are who you say you are by including these two essential details in relevant sections of your site before you are asked to speed up the application process.

Summary

To get approved for Google AdSense, you should have:

Written and published enough high-quality content before applying
Created an About page
Setup a Contact page
Created and display a Privacy Policy in an obvious location of your blog
Use an AdSense friendly theme
Remove other ads or limit the number of other advertisements you show on your site
Use a “.com” domain name
Verify your name and email by having listed it somewhere on your blog

Which of the above tips was most beneficial to you? Did you get you’re congratulations letter from Google recently? Were you accepted on your first application? Would love to hear about your experience with Google AdSense in the comments below!

To explode your blog traffic, check out 60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read

Blogging

60 Blog Post Ideas To Increase Site Traffic In 2019

December 27, 2018 • by NikkiSlivarich

Chances are that you’ve faced it at least once…

Writer’s block can be brutal!

Whether you’re just feeling uninspired or don’t know how to start your next blog post, browsing ideas is one of the most natural ways to get the creative juices flowing.

But not all ideas are created equally!

Rather than writing Top 10 Gift Ideas lists or other generic and subjective posts (um, yep, I’m still guilty of this one too!), let’s talk about what the people really want to read!

If you haven’t started your blogging journey yet, check out this post on How To Start a Money Making Blog to get going NOW! You’ll be glad you did!

First time visiting? Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂 You might also enjoy these posts:

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of these links, I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations are based on my own experience.

1. How To Start A Blog

2. Ways To Increase Blog Traffic

3. How To Use Pinterest Like A Pro

4. Why You Need Tailwind To Promote Your Blog

5. How To Use Instagram For Your Blog Or Business

6. Best Accompanying Apps For Instagram

7. Favourite Blogs/Websites/Instagram Accounts To Inspire You

8. How To Use Facebook For Your Blog Or Business

9. Why You Started Blogging/Your Business

10. How You Made Your First X Dollars Blogging/With Social Media

11. Best Inspirational Podcasts For Boss Babes

12. How To Edit Photos For Your Blog/Social Media

13. Where To Find Great Stock Photos For Your Blog or Business

14. How To Use Affiliate Marketing

15. Why You Need And How To Use Google Analytics

16. How To Use Twitter For Your Blog Or Business

17. Social Media Hacks

18. Lessons You Learned During Your First Month/Year Blogging or Running Your Business

19. Favourite Plugins For WordPress

20. Website Builder Comparison

21. WordPress.com Vs. WordPress.org

22. Share An Infographic

23. Create A Printable Or Freebie For Your Readers/Followers

24. Website Hosting Comparison

25. What’s Trending On Pinterest In Your Niche

26. What Is SEO And How to Do It Correctly

27. Things You Wish You Knew When You First Started Blogging/Your Business

28. Your Daily Routine For Optimal Productivity

29. Organizational Accessories You Can’t Live Without

30. Reasons Why You Love Blogging/Managing Your Business

31. Share A Roundup Of Your Most Popular Blog Or Social Media Posts

32. Blogging/Social Media Tools You Can’t Live Without

33. Beautiful Themes You Can Download For Your Blog

34. How To Use Instagram Stories For Your Blog Or Business

35. Why You Need Instagram TV For Your Blog or Business

36. Favourite E-Books That Have Helped You In Your Blogging/Business Journey

37. A List Of Profitable Niches For Bloggers/Social Media Influencers Who Are Just Starting Out

38. Share How You Organize Your Agenda

39. Your Golden Rules of Blogging/Managing A Business

40. How You Manage Your Home And Personal Life Between Blogging/Managing A Business

41. A Tour of Your Work Space

42. How You Organize Your Desktop

43. Share Information About The Camera And Lenses You Use For Photography

44. Do a Comparison Between Two Products Relevant to Your Niche

45. Share Your Monthly Income Report

46. Create A List Of Blog Post Ideas 😉

47. How You Went from X to XA Monthly Viewers On Pinterest

48. A Tutorial On Creating Board Covers For Pinterest

49. How To Create Story Covers For Instagram Stories

50. Tips For Starting A Youtube Channel

51. How You Create And/Or Shoot Content For Your Blog Or Instagram Page

52. Tips For Saving Money On Social Media Or Blogging Resources

53. How To Join Pinterest Group Boards & The Best Ones To Join

54. Your Favourite Resources For Getting Paid Sponsorships For Your Blog or Social Media Account

55. How To Work With Brands As A Blogger Or Social Media Influencer

56. Things All Brands Should Know About Working With Bloggers Or Social Media Influencers!

57. Best Tips For Being Successful As A Blogger Or Business Owner

58. Side Hustles And Money Making Tips That Actually Work

59. Reasons For Or Against Using Paid Marketing Campaigns To Promote Your Blog Or Business

60. Share The Affiliate/Influencer Networks You Are A Part Of And How To Get Started Using Them

Have an idea for a blog post? What has been your most shared article? Let me know in the comments below!

Want to really explode your blog traffic?

Signup for Tailwind using this link and experience how I went from 5 to 300,000 monthly viewers on Pinterest in just two months!

Blogging

How To Start A Blog in 2019: The Ultimate Guide To Blogging For Beginners

December 27, 2018 • by NikkiSlivarich

Today is the day! Are you ready?

We’re starting a Blog that’s capable of making money from day one!

We’ll start by setting up a self-hosted WordPress.org website through Siteground, who offers an incredible 99.99% uptime (I’ll explain what this means in a bit for those who are brand new to blogging)!

But why WordPress.org and why Siteground?

As I’ve had experience with various website builders, I can honestly say that self-hosting is the way to go if you want to make real money from day one! This is exactly how I did it!

Before moving my WordPress.com site over to Siteground for WordPress.org hosting, I previously tried Wix due its reputation for being easy to use!

Wix is a drag and drop website builder but I learned quickly that doing things the easy way wasn’t going to get me earning anytime soon. WordPress.com was a different story!

In my earlier blogging days, there were some months where I had hundreds of viewers and somehow earned less than I did during months with fewer readers.

I was stumped but later learned that I would always make far less displaying ads on my site with WordPress.com than I would make if I made the switch to a self-hosted website (when you go with self-hosted, you own your content as well – if you’d like a better understanding of WordPress.com’s terms, please review them here).

In order to gain access to AdWords, you have to upgrade to at least the Premium plan. Views are paid based on the geographic location of the user (for example, readers based in the United States earn you the highest rate per ad view), so, if your blog is catered to a non-US local market, you’ll also earn less due to this factor.

I chose WordPress.com because I was a busy mom who didn’t have time to learn how to html, install a theme, get to know plugins, etc.

Sound familiar?

With enough effort, it will pay off sooner than you think!

The decision to start a blog for me came from my love of creating and sharing recipes. But what I learned about myself during that experience was something completely different…

I actually love to teach more than anything! And thus, Nikki Blogs was born!

Between blogging and social media, I earn a full-time income from home where I can happily raise my family! A fulfilling career that I am passionate about plus the opportunity to watch my little one grow up is all I could ever ask for.

Starting a blog was the best decision I EVER made!

Maybe you have similar ambitions.

Or maybe you’re just looking for an additional income stream.

Whatever the reason, I really can’t wait to help you get started and am looking forward to sharing the exact steps I took to start a blog that made money from day one with you!

First time visiting? Can’t wait to get started on creating amazing content for your brand new blog and social media? Check out these posts for more inspiration!

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links and, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use them.

So, you want to start a blog. But what do you want to write about? This is a very important thing to consider earlyin your blogging journey!

While I personally describe my blog as a lifestyle blog, my focus is centred around Blogging and Social Media. I do occasionally talk about my little girl and motherhood but my niche is very clear.

Do you have a passion for beauty? Cooking? Twitter?

Whatever your favourite topic is, stick to it!

Look to the future a bit: imagine you’re sending out your monthly email newsletter! What is your audience expecting?

It is far easier to build a brand and following when you have focus and your readers recognize you for being exceptional at something.

Ask yourself a couple of questions:

(1) What am I truly passionate about?

While this can be fairly easy for some, it may be more difficult to narrow down for others!

People start blogs for all sorts of reasons. Let your passion guide you and you’ll never be short of inspiration for new content. Because content is the epitome of any successful blog!

(2) Can I make money from this?

Blogging can be a super fun and amazing outlet. In a way, it’s almost like having a journal!

But if you really want to take it seriously and work from home, you need to ask yourself the tough questions now:

How do you plan to make money from your blog?

Will you offer a service?

Will you show ads?

How about affiliate marketing?

Do the research and you’ll be on your way to making money from day one of your blog’s launch!

(3) Is there a need within my niche?

While starting your new online adventure is an exciting feat, you need to separate yourself from others in your category.

Finding a need within your niche is the best way to do so.

Is there a question to be answered that you have a new take on?

Is there a problem to be solved that you’ve developed a creative solution for?

Both of these thoughts are wonderful starting points!

How do you want your blog to be perceived?

How do you want to make people feel when they experience your content?

Like a beautiful, cohesive Instagram feed, a blog with clear branding not only makes you look more professional, it builds trust in your audience.

You know who you are and therefore your readers know that they can count on you to deliver consistent content.

Start with something as simple as your colour palette:

How many colours will you use?

What are you main colours? What are your accent colours?

What font will you use?

Are you more modern or traditional?

How do you want your logo to look?

Do you want to have it designed for you or use an app to generate it? Will you have a slogan?

What will you name your blog?

This is one of, if not your most essential key branding element!

You want your blog name to be memorable! So, ideally, try to stick with two or three words (and name your domain accordingly).

Make it memorable and relevant to your niche.

Also, choose “.com” for your site!

This not only makes you look more reputable which, of course, builds trust, it’s also that much easier for blog readers to remember and could result in an email subscription (a seriously valuable asset for digital marketing that we’ll get into later on)!

You can check to see if your ideal domain name is available using this link.

Will you take your own photos or use stock photos?

Start considering some of the basics now and look like a pro from the get-go. Remember, first impressions count!

Trust me when I say that this part is not as hard as it may seem!

And I avoided making the switch to self-hosting for as long as possible because I was afraid of the technical stuff!

To get started in creating your self-hosted blog, you require two things:

A Blogging Platform

Your blogging platform is the service or application you will use to actually create your blog.

You will use it to design your website, choose your theme, add pages, and create posts. It allows you to manage your blog and to reply to comments on your posts. In this case, we’re setting your blog up with WordPress.

Hosting

Your host provides the servers where the data that makes up your website resides; in English, it’s a little space on the internet where your website lives, like renting an apartment!

After experimenting with different platforms and seeing what other successful bloggers were using, I finally made the choice to switch over to WordPress, and then to a self-hosted WordPress.org website through Siteground and the whole process was a breeze.

Why This Combination Works For New and Experienced Bloggers

WordPress hosts 1/3 of all sites on the web including some very notable brands. This includes:

The New Yorker
BBC America
Sony Music
MTV News
The Walt Disney Company
Facebook Newsroom
Time Inc.

WordPress is incredibly user friendly and was designed with the non-tech saavy blogger in mind. Get to sharing the content you want to publish without having to learn any coding!

With WordPress, you get access to:

Thousands of free and premium plugins
Thousands of free and premium themes

And the answer to any questions that might come up are only one Google Search away.

That’s what you get when you used the world’s number one Content Management System.

Now, let’s learn more about the benefits you’ll get when you to choose Siteground hosting.

Why Should You Choose Siteground?

They have an amazing 99.99% uptime

Blog down time is the worst thing EVER!

You could be losing potential readers, subscribers, and followers while your website is not up and running!

Your readers are the ones who keep you in business and count on you for guidance. Don’t leave them hanging by making sure you have the best in hosting and always have your blog up and running!

They Have 24/7 Support for All of Your Questions

This was definitely my favourite feature when I switched over from WordPress.com to a self-hosted WordPress.org site!

I had a little trouble transferring my domain and simply called Siteground’s 24/7 support team for help with the final steps. They literally just did EVERYTHING for me! It was AMAZING! Since then, I’ve even phoned them for other technical support and I’m not even kidding you, within five minutes or less, they’re always able to fix any issue I’ve been trying to find a solution for on Google.

If you prefer to chat online though, simply visit their site for on-demand support.

No matter your experience level or the trouble you may have, Siteground’s incredible tech support will be able to help you resolve your issues!

Siteground Comes Equipped with SuperCacher

Your website will be able to handle “up to 100 more hits” and be 4x faster!

Meaning, if one of your pins or blog posts goes viral, your viewers won’t experience a delay due to an increase in your blog traffic.

SuperCacher is also multi-application optimized and users can “enable multiple caching levels”!

So, are you ready to start your blog?

Click this link and save 70% off your first year of hosting with Siteground now and let’s setup your blog together!

Create Your New Blog With Siteground

Step (1) Choose A Plan

Siteground offers three different plans to choose from: in order of most basic to most advanced, your options are StartUp, Grow Big, or GoGeek.

I highly recommend the Grow Big Plan as it is a reasonable price and offers the best bang for your buck including: both Essential and Premium Features (like SuperCacher), 20GB of Web Space, and up to 25,000 Monthly Visits! All of this for the cost of one Starbucks coffee a month!

This is more enough if you’re just starting out and will allow your blog to grow exponentially if you have the means and are willing to put the work in!

However, if you’re trying to save your pennies and need to stick to a more budget friendly option, the StartUp Plan is only $3.95 a month making it perfect to get you into the blog game.

If you’ve already built somewhat of a following though, or expect massive amounts of traffic from the start, the GoGeek Plan is $11.95, includes Advanced Features and can handle up to 100,000 monthly visits! Holy Cow!

While Siteground is known for their amazing support system, do keep in mind that users of the Grow Big and GoGeek plans do receive priority support though!

When I called in about my domain transfer issue, it took less than 5 minutes to get me connected to someone at tech support! It takes me longer to pay a bill online, haha!

Step (2) Choose A Domain Name

Have you been thinking about your blog name during our walkthrough?

Did you narrow it down to two or three words? Does it represent the brand you are going to create for your new awesome blog? Yes? Fabulous!

Let’s plug your domain name into the Please Enter Your Domain field.

If you didn’t already plug your potential domain name into the availability checker earlier, you’ll find out if it’s available now 🙂 Again, I really recommend choosing a “.com” for its professional appearance and memorability.

If your ideal domain name is available and/or you are happy with your choice, let’s wrap up the final details and move onto step 3 next.

Step (3) Fill In Your Account Info

Now for the easy part!

Fill in your Account and Client Information.

Now, fill in your Payment Information.

Next, confirm your Purchase Information and be sure to choose at least a 12 month term to get that 70% off discount for your first year!

Now, choose whether or not to include a couple of Extra Services in the form of Domain Privacy and/or SG Site Scanner (I personally like the added security that these additional features offer but if you don’t need them, you can save a couple of bucks).

Check the box to confirm that you agree to Siteground’s Terms of Service and click Pay Now to complete your purchase.

Congratulations!

You’ve officially got hosting for your blog and are ready to rock!

You’re now ready to start customizing your blog.

First things first, let’s install WordPress!

Want to make this as easy and as quick as possible? Let’s hit Live Chat and contact a Siteground Tech to set it up for us! Sweet!

Simply ask the Siteground Team Member to setup your WordPress site and send you the login details for your account. Presto!

In the 15 minutes it takes for a Siteground team member to do this, you can be checking out beautiful themes for your blog at Creative Market or this selection of 25 Beautiful & Feminine WordPress Themes For Your Blog that was curated by yours truly!

Life is good, right?

However, if you are feeling adventurous or simply want to setup WordPress on your own, you can do so by hitting the tab labelled My Accounts and then the Go to cPanel tab.

Once you’re here, move down to the Autoinstallers section and click on the WordPress icon near the centre.

Click on the Install button.

And after installing, enter your information on the next screen.

Software Setup

Choose Protocol: Keep it simple using http://

Choose Domain: Select your domain name from the drop down menu

In Directory: Leave this blank unless you know you want it

Site Settings

Site Name: This is your website’s name

Site Description: Enter a brief description for your site; or return to fill it in at a later time!

Admin Account

Admin Username: This is the name you use to log into your WordPress Blog

Admin Password: This is the password to log into your WordPress Blog (there is a separate login entity from your Siteground login)

Admin Email: This is the email address that will be attached to your WordPress Blog

Select Plugin(s)

Limit Login Attempts (Loginizer): A security precaution that limits the number of attempts there is available to try entering your WordPress password before the account is frozen.

Classic Editor: Choose classic editor if your prefer a more simplistic approach to formatting your blog posts (personally, I favour the Classic Editor over the new Block Editor).

Easy setup

WordPress Starter: Provides easy setup in selecting themes and/or plugins.

If you will use a custom theme like the beautiful ones offered through Creative Market, you’ll also need to take additional steps when installing your themes (like downloading the necessary plugins, etc.).

Now, let’s checkout our Dashboard!

Log in to WordPress

Let’s log in to to your new WordPress Account by heading back to the My Accounts tab in your Siteground User Area.

Click on the Installations tab below and then click on Go to Admin Panel.

Enter the details from your WordPress account setup earlier.

Welcome to your Dashboard!

This is where you’ll spend most of your time navigating in and out of your Blog Posts as well as setting up your Theme and downloading cool plugins for your site.

To add a New Page, move your cursor over to the menu on the lefthand side of your screen and highlight the Pages link where a tab that reads Add New will appear on the righthand side. Click this button.

In the next screen, add a title to your new page.

The first pages you should create are an About Me page and a Contact page.

Write Your First Blog Post

To write your first blog post, move your cursor to the lefthand menu once again and highlight the the Posts link until the tab that reads Add New appears to the right. Click this link.

And there you have it, you can start working on your first blog post!

If you’re like me and prefer to keep it simple though, move your cursor to bottom the right hand side of your screen and highlight the text that reads Switch to Classic Editor to use the basic editor.

Pro Tip: Plan out and write your first ten blog posts before you launch your blog!

This will help you maintain readership by having enough articles for your readers to browse and enough internal links for you to use within your posts.

As bloggers, we want to ensure low bounce rates and many well written articles is your best arsenal for making this happen!

How will you promote your blog? And how will you make a profit?

Will you apply for Google Adsense?

Do you want to try Affiliate Marketing?

Or will you strictly provide a service?

These are all crucial things to consider when it comes to how you will make money blogging and your monetization plan needs to be clear from the start.

If you are looking to learn more about how to make money with your new blog, check out the Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog to see how I’ve utilized all of them as part of my work at home/full-time mom income plan!

If you plan to sell a product, make sure you’ve created a listing for it on your blog before your launch.

If you will do affiliate marketing, decide what programs you will apply for and start referencing links to those products in your posts while you are writing them from the start.

Get your copy of the totally FREE and totally fabulous Blogger Bundle to see exactly how I plan my blog posts PLUS the exact checklists I use before and after publishing new content!

Pro Tip: Get to know the rules of the Affiliate Programs you have signed onto before you start including these links in your posts.

Amazon, for instance, has very strict guidelines! Know your rules and don’t get banned before you’ve even gotten your feet wet!

Before you start promoting your blog posts to Pinterest, Instagram, and other Social Media platforms, go over some details.

Do a couple of final edits on your articles to make sure you’re happy with all of the visual and written components!

And for a list of 60 Awesome Ideas for Blog Posts for Content that Actually Gets Seen, click here!

And once you’ve done the above, you’re ready to launch your blog!

For my favourite way to promote my blog posts, check out Tailwind!

I used this incredible app to help me grow from 5 to 375,000 monthly viewers on Pinterest and triple my blog traffic!

This is your year and it’s going to be amazing!

Once you’ve setup your blog, leave a comment below or come find me on Facebook or Instagram to learn more about using Social Media for your blog 🙂

You may also find the following posts useful for promoting your blog on social media once you’re ready to launch:

Please also don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at contact@nikkiblogs.com should you have any additional questions about setting up your blog.

Congratulations and happy blogging!

Blogging Lifestyle

The 23 Best Places for FREE Bright & Feminine Stock Photos

November 15, 2018 • by Nikki Slivarich

They’re the face of your brand and the first impression your audience gets as to what you’re about. Yes, we’re talking about your Pinterest pins! So, it’s essential to use only the highest quality images for every single one of them.

Beautiful, feminine images without watermarks can also be hard to come by though so, I’ve provided a roundup of My Favourite 23 Places for FREE Bright White Stock Photos for Pinterest.

Every single one of these sites offers gorgeous, feminine, high quality photos that leave plenty of room for you to create Pinterest graphics using Canva.

When I first started blogging, I felt tremendous pressure to do it all. I thought I had to write articles, take photos, edit those photos, and then advertise it all on my own. Then came the discovery of FREE feminine stock photos and Tailwind (can’t wait to tell you about this one later too)!

These two discoveries changed my blogging game BIG TIME!

There’s four main reasons I love using stock photos:

(1) I have more time for actually writing posts
(2) I have more time to work on my Instagram (which I’ve monetized, yaas!)
(3) I have more time to manage my home
(4) I have more time to spend with my family.

What do these four things have in common? You guessed it, time! There are only 24 hours or 1440 minutes in a day (wow, right?) so, it’s crucial to use what you’ve got wisely, especially if you have other priorities and obligations. Check out my post on How to Get Organized Like a Mom Boss for more time management tips!

New here? Thanks for stopping by! You might also enjoy:

And on that note, let’s dive right in!

(1) Haute Stock

Probably my favourite of all! I just love checking my email to find haute mail in my inbox.

At the time you signup for Haute Stock‘s mailing list, you’ll receive a FREE photo sampler pack with your subscription. PLUS you’ll receive 3+ FREE stock photos sent right to your inbox. EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH! Convenient? Yaas!

(2) Moms Make Cents

On top of running a fabulous blog full of amazing advice and resources, Moms Make Cents also offers a bundle of 25 FREE Stock Photos when you signup for the mailing list.

A dream come true for new mom bloggers looking to create a cohesive new brand!

(3) Pexels

With as little as one word in your keyword search, you’re on your way to discovering the hundreds of thousands of FREE photos Pexels has to offer. Browse from countless featured photos on the main page or get specific to find exactly what you’re looking for!

(4) Unsplash

One of the largest and best sources for finding anything under the sun (whether it be a search for white, girly, feminine, you name it!) when it comes to stock photos, Unsplash offers over 300,000+ photos to choose from. Have fun as you explore the endless possibilities!

(5) A Prettier Web

In addition to offering FREE Desktop and Styled Stock Photos to those who signup for the mailing list, A Prettier Web also offers more free resources in the form of ebooks. Topics range from WordPress Plugins and E-Courses to other invaluable Tools for Online Entrepreneurs.

(6) Styled Stock

Offering a stellar library of beautiful flatlays and other gorgeous stylized images, users of Styled Stock can browse the collection through it’s pages or search for specific content without signing up for anything! If you do signup though, you’ll receive exclusive content sent directly to your inbox.

(7) Burst

Catered to e-commerce businesses and other online entrepreneurs, I first discovered Burst when I learned about DropShipping (a topic that deserves an entire post to itself).

Like the other major stock photo players mentioned above, Burst offers hundreds of thousands of images for website and commercial use however, it does have more of an editorial/retail feel to its photographs.

(8) Carmen Creative

By signing up for the mailing list, users will receive Carmen Creative’s gorgeous FREE stock photos for the current month in addition to being subscribed for even more of such freebies in future emails. Yay for monthly freebies!

(9) CreateHER Stock

With an email subscription, users have access to CreateHER Stock’s 2018 photo packs. However, if you’d like to check out the Original Freebie Gallery and access more than 230 images with the ability to choose and save only the images you want, you can do so by checking out the in-site Stock Pile.

(10) City Girl Searching

These are among my favourite clean, crisp white images! City Girl Searching offers a gorgeous selection of super feminine and chic FREE stock photos for your pins. Preview some images on the site or subscribe to the mailing list for access to the CGScreative Resource Library.

(11) Creative Convex

Simply hit the Download Now button in the centre of the page linked above and you’re on your way to receiving over 20 lovely new FREE stock photos courtesy of Creative Convex for your next pin creation. Wasn’t that easy?

(12) Hello You Designs

Featuring some of the brightest, whitest, and feminine FREE stock photos available, Hello You Designs provides all email subscribers with a password to their freebies section which features 45 different beautifully curated images. Totally cute, totally Pinterest and Instagram worthy!

(13) Girl Boss Stock

With an email signup, you’ll have 10 FREE new stock photos for your blog or Pinterest account waiting for you in your inbox when you subscribe to Girl Boss Stock’s mailing list! I just love the clean stylized look of these photos!

(14) Simply Embellished

Signing up for the mailing list at Simply Embellished entitles users to one FREE stock photo every month! It’s as “simple” and fabulous as that!

(15) Styled Stock Society

Receive 10 FREE Styled Stock Photos right now when you signup for Styled Stock Society’s mailing list. Plus, get new freebies every month that you’re a subscriber! Totally winning!

(16) Ivory Mix

Get immediate access to more than 550 FREE stock photos when you subscribe to Ivory Mix’s newsletter. And bonus! You’ll get up to 70 new stock photos to use for your bizz every month! Not one or two, you read that right… up to 70!

(17) Stockshop

Become an SC Insider by signing up for Stockshop’s mailing list and get 20 FREE Styled Stock Photos sent directly to your inbox. Plus they send new styled stock photos every month! Woohoo!

(18) Pixabay

With a library of over 1.5 million FREE stock photos, you’re bound to find something that suits your brand at Pixabay! Simply browse the featured images on the homepage or do a search for something more specific.

(19) Make Your Blog Beautiful

Get 20 Styled Stock Photos when you subscribe to Make Your Blog Beautiful‘s mailing list. Plus, receive additional FREE stock photos, tutorials, and printables while you’re signed up!

(20) Wonderlass

I just love the bright, vibrant, and BEAUTIFUL style of Wonderlass’ images! To get 15 of these gorgeous FREE stock photos delivered to your inbox right now, become an email subscriber. You’ll also get strategy ideas and tips to grow your brand about once a week!

(21) picXclicX

Choose from Styled Stock Photos or other categories by visiting picXclicX‘s page using the hyperlinks above! No signup required, just browse, click, download, and enjoy!

(22) Oh Tilly

By signing up for the mailing list, subscribers will receive 15 FREE stock photos from Oh Tilly Styled Stock Photography. And then you’ll receive even more beautiful high quality stock photos in your inbox every month thereafter! Woot!

(23) She Bold

Let’s end this one with a bang! Want 100 more chic feminine stock photos for your brand? She Bold has got you covered! By signing up for the mailing list, you’ll get access to the resource library where you’ll find 100 FREE downloadable stock photos, an ebook, and other incredible tips to grow your presence on Pinterest!

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And there you have it, my roundup of The Top 23 Websites to Find Free Bright & Girly Stock Photos!

* Please note that while stock photo usage is generally flexible for the vast majority of personal and commercial purposes, creators may set unique restrictions on their content including mandatory attribution and/or rules against using their work to generate income (for example, using it in printables or in an e-course).

Always check the Terms & Conditions or contact the rightful owner if you have any questions about using their intellectual property!

Thanks for reading and enjoy all of your new beautiful stock photos! How will you use yours? Let me know in the comments below!

Blogging

The 5 Golden Rules of Blogging

November 13, 2018 • by Nikki Slivarich

Thinking about starting a blog? Already have one but feeling a lack of motivation? Or do you just want to see what others out there are up to? Whatever the reason, I’m glad you’ve decided to check out my 5 Golden Rules of Blogging!

By implementing this set of strategies, I’ve seen an explosion in my blog traffic (an increase of over 868% in my page views, yaas!) and feel more motivated than ever to keep on creating content.

I’m happier, am getting more sponsored post offers than ever, and am truly enjoying the entire process of blogging, from start to finish.

Use the following list of tips to spark that flame and take your blog to the next level!

(1) You Get Back What You Put In

Whether it be time or money, this is possibly the most important rule of all!

A lot of bloggers I know have quit because they haven’t monetized enough or as quickly as they had hoped.

In my case, I had a number of family members continue to ask me, “How many hours have you put in?” or “It costs you that much to run your website?”

However, what these people don’t understand is that a blog, like any startup business, takes time to grow. You need product and you need to promote! So, consider your blog posts your inventory!

Finding hosting takes time. Arranging that hosting and getting a domain costs money. Setting up your website takes more time.

Creating content including writing posts and taking your own photos (if you choose to do so) also takes time. The list doesn’t end! If blogging were as easy as paying for a website and watching the money roll in, I’m pretty sure everyone would be doing it!

Plan of Action: Commit to your blog and work on it every single day.

When I first started blogging three years ago, I had a newborn baby and many other accompanying responsibilities. I thought it was difficult to put time and effort into my blog and didn’t know what to write about!

I now have an active toddler and looking back at the newborn phase, though overwhelming for a brand new parent, I could have planned my days much more efficiently as far as keeping up my blog.

Experience, right? Haha!

Try doing the following every single day:

A five-minute content brainstorming session – think of new ideas for your site or social media; write everything down in the notes section of your mobile device or in a book of ideas
Planning all blogging tasks in an agenda – rather than having no idea where to start when you sit down to work, planning in advance helps you get focused immediately
Accomplishing one thing for your blog whenever you can squeeze it in – it could be something as simple as changing your feature images on one or more posts

(2) Be Real, Be Unique, Be YOU

If you want to create a loyal fan base, the first thing you’ll want to do is find your own voice.

There are a TON of blogs out there! But what separates you from them? What makes YOU special? Invite people to see this!

Are you wicked talented at DIY-ing to the point of being a MacGyver? Do you up-cycle like it’s nobody’s business? Are you a raw vegan chef with a knack for creative displays and presentation? Show us!

Everyone has a story. Use your blog to start sharing yours!

Plan of Action: Create and promote your content in an original way.

Write compelling titles and meta-descriptions in your own voice. Create beautiful pins or Instagram stories to accompany and showcase your work.

Capture the essence that is you.

(3) Never Stop Learning

Just like ever-developing Social Media platforms (think back to when Instagram Stories and Instagram TV were introduced), keeping up with trends is incredibly important.

But while you’re learning what’s new, why not perfect some skills you’ve already been working on? Improve your knowledge of Affiliate Marketing and SEO! Investigate and signup for some more Blogger or Influencer Marketing Platforms.

Love photography and photo editing? Check out what other bloggers are doing! Do you do predominantly all of your work on your phone with Snapseed and VSCO? Compare Lightroom and Photoshop and see if photo editing on your laptop could improve your image game!

Plan of Action: Once a week, or as much as you’d like to, sit down at your laptop and take an hour to see what’s new in your field.

Discover what’s trending or if there’s a lack of information regarding it and be a pioneer in your field!

(4) Be Consistent

I used to be so guilty of this one and quite honestly, this had the most impact in exploding my page views in that one short month!

It’s so easy to get caught up in life and on various social media platforms but if you want to make it as a blogger, you need to blog!

There is no easy way out or trick. Creating exciting and unique content is part of the job!

Aiming for at least one new post a week is a good starting point because chances are, your email subscribers want to hear from you! That’s why they signed up for your mailing list in the first place, right?

Using an agenda and writing a schedule is an excellent starting point. There are even planners just for blogging available!

If you’re like me and have a busy family life with kids, using a generic planner with detailed overviews for each day of the week might be more realistic. Use that planner to see where you have time and devote one or two days of the week to blogging! Maybe 2 hours during your little one’s naps or after he or she goes to bed could work.

Those who plan ahead plan to succeed.

Plan of Action: Release a minimum of one new blog post a week!

Google and Pinterest have this in common; they favour blogs that frequently release new content.

While creating new pins for old posts is common practice and an effective means of driving traffic to your blog, you’ll make even more of an impact and receive the most favourable results when you create content frequently.

(5) Perfection is Overrated

I’ll never forget how mortified my husband was the first time he watched me write an email. I have a tendency to overanalyze just about everything!

Choice of words, how my tone may be perceived, etc. And though you may be thinking that being this detail-oriented is actually somewhat of positive characteristic, over-editing your work can result in stress, fatigue, and a future lack of enthusiasm for your projects.

Knowing when enough is a enough is an acquired skill and a part of our self-control that needs to be worked on regularly.

The ability to cut down the time it takes to complete a simple task such as writing an email from one hour to 20 minutes, for instance, can be the difference between responding to one or three potential sponsored posts! Especially important if you, as I do, have a limited amount of time to devote to your blog.

Plan of Action: Don’t sweat over the small stuff!

You don’t have to be perfect to release an awesome and helpful article.

But remember, there will always be critics. Take everything they say with a grain of salt but if there’s room for improvement, consider making a change.

As long as you are progressing in your blog and business plan, you’re doing great and are on your way to amazing things!

So, there you have it, the Five Golden Rules of Blogging.

In summary, I grew my blog page views by 858% in one month doing the following things:

Treating my blog like the full-time job it is today
Using my inner voice to write posts with emotion
Staying up to date on new information and pioneering content related to my niche
Producing at least one new piece of content a week
Ditching the urge to be perfect and increasing my productivity

Let me know how implementing this set of strategies helped improve your blogging experience. Do you have any Golden Rules of your own? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!