Here’s how a reader, Lisa, started a new blog and in just 7 months already has over 140,000 social media followers and sees over 70,000 page views each month. Enjoy!
Building a website and attracting consistent traffic is challenging, especially for beginners. There’s a vast amount of information to learn, skills to develop, and creative strategies to apply.
I’m Lisa from The Financial Cookbook. I’m sharing how I grew my blog to 70,000 page views per month within seven months while working a full-time job and starting from zero experience.
Below I outline the steps I took to reach this milestone, what helped me the most, and where I recommend investing your time for the best return.
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What is The Financial Cookbook?
I’m Lisa, founder of The Financial Cookbook. My mission is to help women understand personal finance, investing, and real estate in clear, practical ways so they can pursue the life they want.
I started this project because there’s no practical guide after school for managing money. Many women face a gap in knowledge that can feel overwhelming—my goal is to teach the financial basics and strategies we should have learned earlier.
I launched The Financial Cookbook as a side hustle about a year ago while recovering from a sports injury. The extra time on my hands allowed me to finally act on an idea I’d considered for years.
I work full time in a demanding tech role, so starting this blog meant using evenings and downtime to build something meaningful. It was a steep learning curve, but it’s been incredibly rewarding to teach and support women with practical financial guidance.
Starting a Blog With No Experience
When I say I had zero experience building a website or running a business, I truly mean it. Although I work in tech, my day job isn’t technical development, and I had very little familiarity with blogging tools or digital marketing.
Once I started, I was surprised by how much there was to learn—SEO, content structure, design, analytics, promotion—the list goes on. Blogging is a calculated effort: every post, headline, and sentence can affect search rankings and user engagement.
Still, if I could do this as a nighttime side project, anyone with commitment and focus can too. It takes hard work and patience, but it’s achievable.
Below are the key actions that helped me grow to 70,000 monthly page views in seven months.
How I Reached 70,000 Page Views on My Blog in 7 Months
Blogging requires long hours, persistence, and patience. It humbled me quickly, but also taught me a lot about systems and strategy. Here are the main steps I followed.
1. Set Up My Blog as a Business
From day one I treated the blog as a legitimate business. I invested in a self-hosted site and a professional design, knowing that credibility and user experience matter for both readers and search engines.
Making that initial investment felt worth it—it gave the site a polished look and made me take the project seriously. It also influenced how potential readers perceived my content and helped reduce bounce rates.
2. Set Expectations
I initially expected traffic to appear immediately after launch, which was unrealistic. After studying other blogs and industry reports, I learned that organic search traffic can take six months to a year (or longer) to build.
Once I adjusted expectations—committing to at least a year of consistent effort—I stopped obsessing over hourly analytics and focused on creating quality content. That mindset shift made the process enjoyable and sustainable.
3. Took Blogging Courses Right Away
I invested in courses from experienced bloggers to accelerate learning. These courses covered SEO, on-page optimization, Pinterest strategy, and monetization—skills that shortened my learning curve and helped me avoid common mistakes.
Some of the early resources I used included free and paid courses focused on SEO, on-page optimization, blogging fundamentals, and Pinterest marketing.
4. Started all Social Media Platforms
While many bloggers recommend focusing on one platform at a time, I launched across multiple channels—Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. It added complexity, but allowed me to repurpose content and reach different audiences.
Managing several platforms was demanding, but it helped me build a brand identity and cultivate a community. Reader feedback and messages kept me motivated and informed the content I created.
5. Took Pinterest Seriously
Pinterest was a major traffic driver. Compared to Google’s longer timeline, Pinterest can deliver quick spikes in traffic from a single successful pin. My early pins didn’t perform well, but after studying strategies and testing consistently, I found an approach that worked for me.
The key was daily consistency and experimentation—testing formats, images, descriptions, and timing until I discovered what resonated with my audience.
6. Consistent Blog Posts
Publishing consistently made a big difference. Quality posts can take 6–10 hours to produce—writing, editing, images, SEO, and promotion—so I set a sustainable goal of one post per week and stuck to it.
Regular publishing signals to Google that the site is active and gives readers new reasons to return.
7. Started an Email List Early
I launched an email list within the first few months. Email lets you reach interested readers directly with content and updates without relying solely on algorithms. I focused on intentional, value-driven emails and used reader feedback to shape future content.
8. Made it All About The Reader
I wrote with the reader in mind. Most visitors moved on to other pages on my site, which suggests the content addressed their needs and encouraged further engagement. Treating content as a service—helping readers solve problems—boosts trust and repeat visits.
9. Learned Continuously
I remained a student of blogging. I absorbed lessons from YouTube tutorials, podcasts, books, forums, Facebook groups, and other blogs. Constant learning helped me refine my approach and adapt as trends and algorithms changed.
- Watching YouTube videos about blogging
- Listening to podcasts focused on SEO and blogging
- Reading books about entrepreneurship
- Participating in forums and blogging groups
- Reading successful blog posts and learning from peers
- Listening to reader feedback and requests
How Much Can You Make with 70,000 Pageviews?
Earnings vary widely by niche and monetization strategy. When I reached 70,000 monthly pageviews, my blog was generating about $2,200 per month. It wasn’t a full-time income, but it was meaningful as a side business and proof that the strategies were working.
Monetization requires ongoing testing—display ads, affiliate offers, digital products, and email funnels all play a role. Time management and focused blocks of work helped me balance growth with a full-time job.
Driving Traffic to a New Blog Summary
Growing a new blog takes consistency, intentional effort, and time. My progress came from treating the blog as a business, investing in education, using social media strategically (especially Pinterest), publishing regularly, building an email list early, and always keeping the reader at the center of my work.
I often took on more than I could manage, but those combined efforts created a cohesive brand that attracted readers and search traffic. If you have questions about my approach or want to discuss personal finance topics, feel free to email me at [email protected]. You can also visit my blog at thefinancialcookbook.com.
Are you interested in starting a blog? Why or why not?