Casey Rooney is the right instance of how vital consistency and dedication are in pursuing success. She’s a part-time trainer and busy mother of three who nonetheless discovered the time to create a profitable meals weblog on the facet, bringing in additional than $7.5k per 30 days.
She shares recipes for different busy mothers on Get On My Plate, and her sensible technique enabled her to extend her pageviews from 4k to +255k in only one yr.
On this interview, she tells us:
- How she began her weblog
- The place her income comes from
- Her enterprise development methods
- How she prioritizes her duties
- Her technique for organizing her week
- Her ideas on Web optimization and hyperlink constructing
- How she approaches content material creation
- Her favourite instruments
- How she optimizes and ranks her posts
- Her biggest problem in rising her weblog
- An vital accomplishment she’s pleased with
- Her greatest mistake up to now
- Recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Casey Rooney
I’m a spouse (married nearly 20 years), mother of three (fifth grade, eighth grade, and highschool senior), part-time trainer/studying specialist, and meals blogger!
I began my profession in promoting and advertising, working at an advert company in San Francisco and several other journal publications in Chicago.
Once I had sufficient of company life’s price race, I returned to highschool and received my particular schooling educating credential. I’m now in my sixteenth yr of educating. I work part-time (2-3 days every week), and I’m blessed to work on the Ok-8 faculty all of my children have attended.
With two of my children in ultra-competitive sports activities and one on the brink of go to school, it’s a continuing battle for hours within the day. My calendar is full, however so is my coronary heart! I wouldn’t have it some other method! I like how running a blog has given me the pliability to work by myself time.
Why She Created Her Weblog
I fell in love with running a blog in 2008 when my oldest daughter was 3 years previous.
Each week I’d doc cute pictures and household happenings on my blogger.com weblog. Family and friends would go browsing and remark. I used my weblog in 2008 like we use Fb now!
Over time of “running a blog” (mainly, journaling), I actually began to like sharing issues with folks–whether or not it was cute outfits, family hacks, or nice recipes.
Once I began posting recipes on my Blogger weblog, I observed these have been the posts folks LOVED! I did this for a number of years and really loved it. However once more, it was identical to Fb—I used to be solely sharing with family and friends, and that’s it.
Then life received actually busy. I had extra children, went again to highschool, and had no free time, so my little Blogger weblog was left unattended for years.
It wasn’t till the pandemic (fall of 2020) that I felt like I wanted a pastime and outlet. I wished to do it “proper” this time, so I purchased a WordPress theme and picked up the place I left off, posting about style, residence, household, and meals beneath the URL caseyrooney.com.
The one method I used to be getting site visitors was from social media. I had by no means heard the time period Web optimization in my life, nor did I’ve any aspirations to make cash after I began.
As I began studying extra about running a blog, I noticed it could possibly be greater than a pastime.
It quickly turned clear that I wanted to area of interest down and focus my weblog on a particular matter. And meals continued to be what was resonating with folks.
I spent December of 2020 cleansing up my posts and altering my web site format and URL to suit the meals weblog area of interest. I launched Get On My Plate on January 1, 2021.
That day I had 275 web page views and 73 periods. Thanks, Mother, Dad, and good associates!
The extra I blogged about meals, the extra I knew I had made the precise selection with my area of interest. I do know as a busy mother, getting dinner on the desk could be a actual wrestle, particularly once you don’t wish to prepare dinner.
I like speaking to these mothers and serving to them discover methods to place scrumptious, straightforward recipes on their desk in a minimal period of time. Seeing my readers’ confidence develop within the kitchen has been so rewarding!
Casey Rooney’s Present Income
At the moment (as of July 2022), my weblog is making just below $8,000. The breakdown is as follows:
Mediavine advertisements: $6,220 (78%)
Sponsored work: $1400 (18%)
Affiliate earnings: $314 (4%)
Complete: $7,934
Word that these numbers fluctuate a bit from month to month.
There are some months I don’t do any sponsored work and a few months the place I make $1,000 – 2,000 on sponsored work. It simply actually is dependent upon what choices can be found.
I usually undergo an company like Sway or Social Material for this kind of work.
Her Enterprise Development Methods
There are two issues that I actually attribute to rising my weblog pretty rapidly: consistency/laser focus, and Web optimization.
Consistency: Running a blog and rising a enterprise takes onerous work and doing duties that transfer your enterprise ahead… then repeating that each single day.
I discovered rapidly that I couldn’t do all of it with my busy life.
There’s loads that goes into it like:
- Recipe take a look at,
- Write weblog posts,
- Take and edit pictures, m
- Make Instagram Reels,
- Put up on Fb,
- Handle Pinterest,
- Make movies,
- Handle bills,
- Reply emails,
- Do key phrase analysis, a
- Settle for sponsored work…
I attempted for a short time and drove myself and my household completely loopy!
In my first yr (and nonetheless at present), my objective is pageviews and money-making actions. I made a objective of 500,000 web page views earlier than I began to essentially concentrate on different income streams.
So I sat down and requested myself: What are the principle issues that transfer my enterprise ahead by way of web page views and money-making actions? Then I made a listing which is now what I name my “Weekly Workflow.”
I made a decision that spending time doing key phrase analysis, writing and photographing weblog posts (posting high quality content material), doing Google net tales, and an occasional sponsored put up have been the actions that introduced in probably the most web page views and made me probably the most cash. So I centered on that.
That meant I finished stressing about social media (I solely put up 2x every week), movies, reels, TikTok, and even perfecting my pictures. All of that glided by the wayside. These have been time-consuming actions that weren’t straight including to my backside line.
As soon as I had all of my “duties” so as, I created a Weekly Workflow on Monday.com. I plugged within the duties round work and household actions. For instance, I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I do smaller duties then, and save taking pictures recipes and modifying for my days off.
I’ve stayed laser-focused on this listing for almost a yr. From July 2021 to July 2022, my weblog grew from 4,451 web page views to 255,666 web page views.
Wanting again on these numbers offers me chills to consider what is feasible with onerous work, consistency, and laser focus!
Web optimization: For about 4 months into launching Get On My Plate, I had by no means heard the time period Web optimization. I used to be simply posting no matter recipes I wished, hoping folks would discover me on social media!
I lastly realized the time period in April of 2021 on a High Hat Rank Webinar and thru the Meals Blogger Central Fb group.
After that, I dabbled in key phrase analysis right here and there and I began seeing the profit. It wasn’t till the tip of September 2021, after I took the course Cooking with Key phrases that I began to essentially concentrate on correct key phrase analysis.
I inform everybody that the course is “key phrase analysis on crack!” I realized a lot in that course and began writing higher Web optimization-optimized posts. My site visitors started to take off! Solely two months later, I had certified for the Mediavine advert community with 50,000 periods – a objective that had appeared futile simply 4 months earlier!
Immediately, over 70% of my site visitors comes from natural search.
Casey Rooney’s High Advertising and marketing Technique
My #1 advertising technique is Web optimization! I wish to name it my “anti-marketing” technique! I used to drive myself loopy making an attempt to put up on my Fb web page, in one million Fb teams, on Instagram, and on Pinterest on daily basis!
Now, I do the naked minimal to market my posts on social media and focus 99% of my effort on Web optimization–doing stable key phrase analysis and creating absolutely optimized weblog posts.
I feel most newer bloggers spin their wheels with social media looking for the brand new, scorching strategy to get their weblog posts observed. Whereas that may undoubtedly get you quick bursts of excellent site visitors, I’ve taken a longer-term method.
An incredible instance is Instagram. Once I put up a recipe, and the put up does nicely, I get somewhat site visitors enhance. Nevertheless, after a day, that site visitors is gone. With Web optimization, folks will search every day, and yr after yr in your optimized weblog posts.
The Significance of Web optimization
My Web optimization technique is an important factor in my enterprise. I search for low-competition key phrases with a good quantity of search quantity. I hardly ever write a put up that I don’t assume I can rank for.
The method often begins with a broad concept for a recipe. For instance, “pasta recipe.” As a result of I do know I can’t rank for “pasta recipe,” I’ll go into Keysearch and search for variations on that key phrase. For instance, “pasta recipe with tuna” or “pasta with lobster.”
One other factor I do is sort the phrase into the Google search bar and see what automated options come up. I’ll write the options down and analysis them additional in Keysearch.
It’s additionally vital to me that I make recipes that *I* wish to make and that my viewers desires and expects. I’m a fast and straightforward consolation meals blogger so I’m not going to make a vegan recipe as a result of I feel I can rank for it.
As an alternative, I search for modifiers I can use to make my favourite recipes. I may not be capable of rank for “Sloppy Joes.” However I’d be capable of rank for “Sloppy Joes With out Ketchup.” Little modifiers like these enable me to maintain my weblog’s concentrate on precisely what sorts of recipes I need with out veering off into one other area of interest only for the sake of rating.
With the most recent Google algorithm change, being an “authority” and staying in your area of interest is much more vital!
Hyperlink Constructing
Hyperlink constructing is form of my nemesis and I’d love to have the ability to spend extra time on it. My greatest backlinks come from my #1 and #2 rating posts. Among the best “methods” for hyperlink constructing is to have a #1 rating put up! Simpler stated than achieved, proper!?
I’ve gone on native TV twice and achieved one meals running a blog podcast, which has helped with backlinks and total authority. Actions like which have actually challenged me to go exterior my consolation zone.
Just lately, I additionally employed a VA to do some hyperlink dropping for me in Fb teams. As I discussed earlier than, I’m staying laser-focused on rising pageviews. Due to this fact, I don’t spend loads of time proper now actively pursuing hyperlink constructing. Nevertheless, it is going to undoubtedly be a spotlight sooner or later.
Her E-mail Checklist
I’ve a small listing (just below 1,000), however I’m so glad I began rising the listing early. Two issues have contributed to my listing development:
- Providing a helpful opt-in incentive I knew my viewers would love
- Numerous locations to subscribe on my weblog, each inside posts and all through the weblog
Content material Creation
I attempt to preserve this as streamlined and so simple as potential. Whereas I take a look at a number of recipes without delay, I usually work by way of one weblog put up at a time from begin to end: taking pictures, modifying, writing, and publishing.
I don’t batch my content material. My mind simply doesn’t work that method. I must see a challenge (put up) by way of from begin to end.
I do key phrase analysis on Fridays and make a listing of all of the recipes I want to check. As soon as examined (and accepted), they transfer over to my essential calendar, and I assign a shoot date for the recipe.
I often work about 3-4 months prematurely, so I began vacation recipes proper after the 4th of July this yr!
Reaching Present income ranges
It took me lower than one yr to succeed in 50,000 periods and get accepted by the Mediavine advert community.
From there, my site visitors has continued to develop steadily. Get On My Plate is presently 20 months previous and will get 255,000 web page views per 30 days.
There are three essential instruments I exploit in my enterprise that I really feel are important:
RankIQ
I began utilizing RankIQ in 2022, which has saved me a ton of time with key phrase analysis. It’s an enormous database crammed with low competitors, excessive quantity key phrases. It spans a number of niches from meals to finance and every little thing in between.
If I’ve an concept for a key phrase, I can do a RankIQ search, and tons of concepts pop up! It’s also possible to run your written weblog put up by way of their optimizer program and it will provide you with a “grade” on how nicely you lined your matter and associated key phrases. I don’t publish any posts with out operating them by way of the Optimizer.
Almost each put up I write with Rank IQ ultimately ranks on the primary web page. Generally in a single day! Sometimes it takes a number of months, although.
Keysearch
At this level, I’ve by no means invested in any fancy key phrase analysis instruments apart from Rank IQ and Keysearch. They’re each easy, inexpensive, and do the job. If I discover key phrases in RankIQ, I at all times cross-check them in Keysearch. It’s good to have multiple device to cross-check key phrases.
Monday.com
Whereas Monday.com is constructed extra for a crew of individuals, I nonetheless discover it extremely helpful to accommodate my weekly workflow. I’ve on daily basis of the week listed, and beneath the times, I listing my duties for these days. I simply examine them off as I full duties. The interface is tremendous user-friendly and enjoyable, too!
Her Greatest Problem
My greatest problem is time. Nevertheless, as an alternative of utilizing that as an excuse, I exploit it to my profit.
Most individuals have a listing of duties and attempt to cram them into their restricted time. I work backward. I work out how a lot time I’ve every day and match my duties into that timeframe.
This has helped me concentrate on money-making actions transferring my enterprise ahead. Earlier than assigning a job, I at all times ask: Is that this making me cash or transferring my enterprise ahead?
Casey Rooney’s Best Accomplishment
I’m most pleased with with the ability to concentrate on an important enterprise actions and never get caught up in “all of the shiny objects.” To not say I haven’t wished to or tried to, I simply at all times return to the principle query about how sure actions are transferring the needle and rising my weblog.
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
I want I’d have identified about Web optimization from day 1. That may have saved me so many poorly written weblog posts that ended up deleting!
Casey Rooney’s Greatest Mistake
Ha! There are too many to rely, however really nothing I couldn’t change fairly rapidly! I firmly consider each mistake is a “studying expertise” that may transfer you ahead.
My two greatest “studying experiences” weren’t investing in a high quality, quick, optimized web site and a high quality host proper off the bat.
My different mistake was chasing after social media clicks as an alternative of specializing in Web optimization from the very begin.
Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
When you’re beginning out or are a brand new enterprise proprietor or blogger, my recommendation to you is:
- Follow the easy duties that transfer your enterprise ahead
- For bloggers, make Web optimization your essential precedence
- Get assist and put money into your enterprise from the beginning. While you begin making somewhat cash, make investments somewhat extra. However be a sensible CFO. Don’t waste cash on frivolous issues. Do make investments cash correctly on issues that can assist develop your enterprise.
- Be keen to shift, pivot, and fail. When you can’t deal with criticism, failure, and alter, proudly owning a small enterprise will likely be powerful to deal with until you modify your mindset.