Roo Around The World

I know it sounds kind of bad, and maybe a little unethical, but this is something I’ve been thinking about for a while…I want to find a way of using this blog to not only express myself and (hopefully) provide an insight into my life and my travels but also to make some money and fund said travels. If I can do that, then I can travel more, thus providing you, the reader, with more of my wonderful tales from around the world and other stories.

So in order to do this I’ve been researching on the web about the different things one can do to enhance and monetize your site. Obviously, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a biggie, and is something I’m still trying to wrap my head around (if you have any advice, I’d be hugely grateful), but essentially it seems that it comes down to getting the right keywords on your site, whether in your blog’s name, or just generally within your posts, so that you are easily searchable.

Sponsorship’s a good one too…perhaps you could try to find a angle for your next trip (a volunteer venture perhaps) and gain sponsorship money for that.

And then there’s always Advertising…yes, ads can generate a huge revenue on your site if you’re willing to let them. Adsense seem to be the most popular, and the most effective way of earning cash from your blog. But do we really want adverts cluttering up our screens? Maybe that’s the price we have to pay.

I’ve found a few great articles and books on this topic that have helped me out hugely, explaining all the nitty-gritty details, although I am yet to actually follow through on any of their tips.

1. http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/make-money-with-your-travel-blog/

2. http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/05/how-to-make-money-from-your-blog/

3. http://www.dailyblogtips.com/ways-to-make-money-online-with-website/

4. http://gigaom.com/collaboration/10-new-ways-to-make-money-online-1/

5. http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/01/18/secrets-to-making-money-online/

So there you have it…a whole bunch of ways to monetize your blog. Now I highly doubt I’ll ever actually make massive amounts of money from this site, and nor do I really want to. That was never the intention of this blog…it’s just an outlet, a space to share what I do with people who are interested.

But wouldn’t it be great if I could fund my next trip through blogging and doing what I love to do?

A girl can dream, right?