The blogging strategies Deacon Hayes is using to make $1,000,000 in 2018

Updated

November 20, 2017

Listen to my episode with Deacon Hayes from Well Kept Wallet

Listen to my episode with Deacon Hayes from Well Kept Wallet:

or listen on Apple Podcasts \ Google Podcasts \ Spotify

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Show notes and referenced links

Deacon’s blog: Well Kept Wallet
Deacon’s new blog: Well Kept Body, a health and fitness blog!
Good to Great, by Jim Collins. Really great read, but thick.
Brian Dean (greaaaat guy to learn SEO from), Neil Patel
SEMrush – Deacon’s go-to SEO tool
Trello – Nice and free project management / task manager tool
Flourish with Facebook Ads (use PETE20 at checkout for $20 off)

Key takeaways from today’s episode

Here are a few fave comments or perspectives I took away from my chat with Deacon Hayes.

For 80/20 easy mode SEO, focus MORE on UX, less on optimizing

Deacon might be the first podcast guest to speak on his SEO strategy (which is the 2nd half of his entire traffic strategy, next to his Monica Louie built FB ads)

So what does he do?

1. A minimal SEO optimization to start (20%)
2. Highly relevant and quality body content (80%)

First, I’m incredibly sorry to report that you DO need to know at least a few SEO “tactics” and/or on-site optimization.

Include your keyword in the post title, URL slug, maybe an H2 tag or so…

BORING.

I get it, but you some familiarity with basic on-page SEO, which you can learn /way/ more about on Brian Dean’s site here.

You’re welcome for the additional backlink Brian, geez. Not like you need it.

Moving on to the 80%…

When Deacon finds a past blog post performing fairly well on Google (i.e. on the 2nd or 3rd pages), that’s a strong sign it could easily be on page 1 with a few minor adjustments.

*Those adjustments = adding and further improving the content and format.*

That’s it.

For one, making sure word counts are up. 2,400 is roughly the average 1st spot on Google. The average.

But of course you shouldn’t just add more words…you need to add quality content that satisfies Google’s mysterious user intent.

When adding more words to your blog posts, focus on this perspective:

When a user searches Google for my keyword, does this post answer their question fully, and in an easy to read way?

Google is smarter than ever, and you should focus more time on correctly and completely answering your users’ questions!

That’s Deacon’s SEO strategy, and should probably be ours too.

#Flexibility

If you’re not a regular financial independence, FIRE enthusiasts, you may not hear this often enough.

Early retirement and financial independence is NOT about not working.

Sipping Pina coladas on the beach can only happen for so many days in a row.

Instead, it’s about flexibility.

Nothing will make you happier than options. The ability to decide what to work on, when you want to work on it, and where in the world you want to work on it. Flexibility decreases stress, add happiness, and is the true /goal/ of pursuing FI.

Not money. Money is not a goal. Money is a tool.

Write for a damn purpose.

Don’t “write for writing’s sake.”

This is a bit broad, but let’s leave it at this:

Every piece of content you produce should adhere to your purpose. Your blog’s purpose.

*What is the change you’re seeking to make within your readers? That defines your purpose.*

Write based on that.

Yes, you may absolutely blog only for your life’s desire, and only promote it to mom and dad.

Your purpose might just be to bring you joy (I’d argue it’s not, but it could be). You could do that.

If you have any intention to grow, sooner or later you’ll have to scrap the more meaningless content and focus entirely on your purpose.

Mission. Change. Impact.