My Traffic Growth Toolkit
Everything I use to build, maintain and grow my blogs
Affiliate disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. I’ll get a commission if you use them to buy something (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend products that I’ve used personally and think are awesome. Thanks for your support!
WordPress
The world’s most popular blogging platform is the best choice to get your blog started fast. Make sure you choose the self-hosted version rather than the dot com version.
Namecheap
Every blog starts with a domain name – and Namecheap is a great place to get yours. Great customer support plus a wide selection of domain names at affordable prices.
Siteground
Decent, low-cost shared web hosting for beginners on a budget. Easy set up, helpful support and low prices make Siteground a no-brainer for getting your blog off the ground.
WPX
When your blog starts gaining traction, consider switching over to managed WordPress hosting. I like WPX for its fast speeds, managed migration process and customer service that goes above and beyond.
ConvertKit
You should start building your email list early on, and
Kadence
WordPress comes with a dazzling array of themes. But not every theme is created equal, so it’s best to choose a simple reliable option. Kadence is my top pick. It’s clean, light, and includes great-looking starter templates.
RankMath
This free WordPress SEO plugin handles several key SEO tasks, from submitting your sitemap to Google to organizing your 301 redirects. It also includes a useful on-page SEO guide.
WP Rocket
Speed is a problem for many blogs, so I advise using an optimization plugin to keep everything running smoothly. WP Rocket cuts through the complexity of speed optimization, so you can easily install and go.
Semrush
Doing SEO starts with a strong keyword research strategy. Semrush is an all-in-one SEO platform with a huge database of keywords, plus numerous other tools to help you surge past your competitors in the SERPs.
Calendly
If you’re offering online consultations from your blog, then Calendly is an essential tool. It provides a handy widget for clients to book time on your calendar without having to email back and forth.
Canva
Canva is a super easy way to produce custom images for your blog. The Pro version includes a huge library of stock images, along with graphical elements, filters, and many other exciting design features.
Stripe
Stripe offers an elegant solution for collecting payments on your blog. You can easily integrate it with currently so clients can book a consultation slot and make payment – all in one seamless workflow.
Ahrefs
Another powerhouse SEO tool, Ahrefs is the main competitor to Semrush. They have broadly similar, capabilities so it’s a question of which one you find easier to work with. Unfortunately, Ahrefs doesn’t offer a free trial.
Jasper AI
Jump into the world of AI writing with this clever and versatile marketing tool. Jasper can assist you with all kinds of online writing, from Facebook ads to blog posts. You can get 10,000 credits with my link below.
Ezoic
Ezoic is one of the best display ad platforms for early stage bloggers. I highly recommend you skip Google AdSense altogether and go straight to Ezoic for higher rates and better customer service.
Fiverr
Fiverr is the best online market place to find all kinds of freelancers to help with tasks in your business, from creating graphics and writing blog posts, to fixing technical issues on your WordPress website.
Lasso
Perfect for affiliate marketers, Lasso is a powerful WordPress plugin that enhances your affiliate workflow by keeping your links organized and updated, generating gorgeous product boxes for your blog posts, and even helping you drive more revenue by spotting new affiliate opportunities on your blog!
Link Whisper
Internal links on your blog are critical for good SEO, but it’s easy to get lost among the jungle and forgot to add them. Link Whisper is a WordPress plugin that elegantly solves this issue by managing all internal links across your blog, spotting new opportunities, and making sure you don’t leave any pages orphaned.
Mediavine
Mediavine is another ad platform, like Ezoic, but one that provides a more hands-off and streamlined experience. Once your blog hits the 50K monthly sessions mark (and assuming you’ve got mostly US traffic) it’s well worth applying to Mediavine as the next step on your profitable blog journey.