Hi there! Today, I want to share an inspiring story from Isabel Leong about her journey to becoming a full-time travel blogger. Enjoy!
I’m Isabel, a digital nomad and the full-time travel blogger behind Bel Around The World. What started as a hobby in 2015 during my university days has now earned me over $79,000. This doesn’t even include the amazing sponsored experiences like skydiving in New Zealand, paragliding in South Africa, or glamping in Australia.
At its best, my blog gets over 55,000 page views a month. This consistent traffic and income have made my dream of traveling full-time a reality.
But it wasn’t always like this…
Growing up in Singapore, life felt pretty monotonous. Don’t get me wrong, Singapore is great, but having lived there my whole life, I felt surrounded by skyscrapers and man-made gardens. I yearned to explore more, see national parks, world wonders, and meet new people.
Everything changed with one trip. I bought a one-way ticket to a continent I had never visited before, and that decision altered my life forever.
I went on a semester-long study abroad program in Europe for six months. I packed a huge suitcase and got a DSLR for my 21st birthday. It was my first big investment, and little did I know, it was a prelude to my future.
During my budget travels around Europe, I took countless photos, researched destinations, and found the cheapest ways to travel. I started a blog to share my travel tips and tricks, hoping to make things easier for others.
It was during this time that I realized travel bloggers could actually make a living from their blogs. This idea stuck with me, even as I graduated from university and got my first job. My role in a social media agency complemented my blogging experience, but I soon realized corporate life wasn’t for me.
A year after graduation, I decided to pursue my dreams. I left everything behind and went on a six-month working holiday in New Zealand. Living in a small town, I fell in love with the simplicity of rural life and helped tourists experience natural glaciers.
Meeting people who loved their work and doing a working holiday reassured me that work doesn’t have to be confined to an office. My travel blog was still just a hobby, bringing in a small income, but I decided to take a risk.
I moved to the mountains of Japan and dedicated myself to my blog full-time. Within three months, I was earning as much as I would have in a full-time job back home, but I was loving what I did and where I was. I learned that if you don’t take your blog seriously, it will never grow beyond a hobby.
Thanks to my blog, I’ve had incredible experiences like skydiving, luxury safaris, and visiting overwater villas in the Maldives. I’ve even lived on a boat in Indonesia.
Living a life of mini-retirements, I work hard and play hard. My blog has given me the freedom to work from anywhere and live in places I love, like Japan and Hawaii. I’ve learned that life is about experiencing the world and learning from different cultures. It’s about trusting yourself and pursuing what you love.
As I write this from a beach cafe in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, where I’ve been for the last seven months, I realize how much my life has changed. Five years ago, I couldn’t have imagined relying on my blog for income. Now, I’m living a life of no regrets, embracing the unknown, and trusting in serendipity.
My story shows that work freedom and mini-retirements can happen at any age. I made it happen at 25, and you can too.
WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE
There are a few things I wish I had done differently to turn my blog into a money-making business faster. The most important is focusing on SEO from the beginning.
If I had written SEO-optimized articles from the start, I wouldn’t have had to spend extra hours re-optimizing or deleting old posts. My aged posts would have ranked better on Google, and I could have saved time trying to drive traffic through social media.
WHAT IS SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is about optimizing your site for search engines to help them recognize your content and rank it on Google for certain keywords. It’s like a bridge connecting your content with your audience.
WHY IS SEO IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BLOG
A study showed that the first result on Google has an average click-through rate of 28.5%, while the second result has 15.7%. The click-through rate decreases exponentially from there. Ranking high on Google increases your visibility and drives more traffic to your site.
Thanks to SEO, I’ve been able to earn a passive income from blogging without selling a single product or service.
WHY NOT JUST RUN ADS?
People want to be informed, not sold to. They Google reviews and look for trustworthy information. Education is the new marketing. Your audience prefers being taught and guided rather than being sold to.
HOW TO SET YOUR BLOG UP FOR SEO SUCCESS
To rank well on Google, keep these factors in mind:
1. Your article should solve a question.
2. Your website should provide a good user experience.
3. Your website should have backlinks.
4. Your article should be as trustworthy as possible.
1. Your article should solve a question
Find out what your audience is Googling by typing a generic search term into Google. Use the auto-populated suggestions and “People also ask” questions to guide your content. For more in-depth keyword research, consider investing in a tool like Keysearch or Ahrefs.
2. Your website should provide a good user experience
Ensure your site loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and has a clean interface. Avoid intrusive ads and make sure your content is easy to read.
3. Your website should have backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites to your site. They signal to Google that your content is valuable. Aim for do-follow backlinks from authoritative sites with relevant anchor texts.
4. Your article should be as trustworthy as possible
Include authoritative links, expert quotes, studies, and data-backed research in your articles to improve credibility.
If you’re feeling lost about SEO, I’ve created a bite-sized SEO course to help you get started. You can download my free SEO course here.
Author bio: I’m a full-time travel blogger and SEO coach, exploring the world and helping aspiring bloggers achieve traffic goals and financial freedom. I believe the world is my playground and love sharing my experiences with others.
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