So. I’ve come full circle. My blog has had its first birthday plus a few months (I started this blog in November 2018). And boy have I got news for you.
I write these reports because reading others was what inspired me to start a blog. When I began, it was hard to find realistic benchmarks and timelines; most bloggers only start publishing traffic and income reports once they’re already established. That left me unsure about what to expect when I was just starting out.
The classic example many people point to is Pinch of Yum, who documented their progress from the beginning. But older reports lose relevance quickly—changes in search engines, social platforms, and ad markets mean data just a couple of years old may not reflect today’s reality. So I’m sharing my honest, current numbers: the wins, the mistakes, and what I’m focusing on next.
If you’re catching up, the previous quarterly reports are listed below as plain titles for reference:
- Food Blog Traffic & Income Report Q1 Y1
- Food Blog Traffic & Income Report Q2 Y1
- Food Blog Traffic & Income Report Q3 Y1
- Food Blog Traffic & Income Report Q4 Y1
I Qualified for Mediavine!
Great news: I qualified for Mediavine. My goal from day one was to join an ad management company that pays well. The threshold is 25,000 sessions in a 30-day period, and I reached that milestone only weeks after my first blog anniversary. That milestone changes how I’ll report going forward: instead of quarterly updates I’ll publish monthly reports now that ad income is part of the picture.
- Posts
- Traffic
- Subscribers
- DA
- Income
- What’s next?
Posts
- November – 3 posts
- December – 2 posts
- January – 4 posts
Nine posts in total this quarter, three of which were major rewrites of older content. That’s a disappointing output compared with earlier periods, but several factors played a part: technical issues with my laptop, illness in the family, and time spent on courses to improve strategy. I used to publish more frequently, and I know consistent, varied content matters for growth. My aim is to get back to a steadier publishing rhythm to attract a wider range of traffic sources.
Traffic
- November: Page Views 28,390 (compared to November 2018: 1,460)
- December: Page Views 28,503 (compared to December 2018: 1,486)
- January: Page Views 37,752 (compared to January 2019: 1,862)
- Average Monthly Views: 31,548
Traffic surged earlier in the year, then trended down. Thankfully it remained sufficient to qualify for Mediavine. The decline was largely due to a viral pin that faded, plus site speed problems after ads went live. My theme was slow and I’d also missed saving some optimization settings, which compounded the issue.
To address this I switched to a lighter theme (GeneratePress), reoptimized images using ShortPixel to serve WebP format, and configured performance plugins like AutoOptimizer and WP Rocket. I worked through recommendations from PageSpeed Insights and got load times under three seconds—good enough for an ad-driven site. There’s still room to shave off a few tenths of a second, and I’ll consider hiring a developer to fine-tune performance later.
Subscribers
171 subscribers. This looks like growth from the last quarter but it’s been a challenge. When I joined Mediavine I had to remove my Mailchimp popup, which had been a significant source of daily sign-ups. The alternative that integrates well requires a paid plan I’m not ready to purchase yet. I prefer subscribers who want genuine updates rather than signing up only for a freebie, so I’m cautious about offering incentives that inflate list size without engagement.
Facebook followers rose to 1,522 from 889 last quarter. I attribute this to a more focused, though still irregular, effort. I plan to add a scheduling tool and enable Facebook analytics so I can post at optimal times. Better data will help me be more consistent and increase reach.
Pinterest followers finished the quarter at 1,000. Monthly impressions declined to about 926,800 from 1.3 million the previous quarter, but impressions alone aren’t the best metric. Looking at Google Analytics, Pinterest drove roughly 22,581 sessions this quarter versus 12,306 the previous quarter. That’s a solid gain.
I took the Pinning Perfect course and implemented most strategies. The result has been a clearer, more efficient Pinterest workflow: I pin less but with better purpose. Reworking older pins to the new method is time-consuming, but it’s paying off in improved traffic.
Instagram remains a low priority for me. Followers increased to 280 from 215, but the platform doesn’t fit my strengths or focus right now.
DA
Homepage Domain Authority is currently 26. DA is an approximate metric that reflects age and backlinks. It can fluctuate after algorithm or industry tool updates. I’ll track DA regularly in future reports so I can monitor longer-term trends.
Income
- November – $40.61
- December – $418.81
- January – $344.86
These are gross ad earnings. November included only a few days of monetization, while December and January reflect full ad revenue. Mediavine pays on a NET 65 schedule, so payouts arrive a couple of months after the earnings month. RPMs dipped in January, which is normal after the holiday ad surge, but they stayed reasonable.
I haven’t recorded expenses in detail yet because tax and social security obligations begin when income is actually received. I’ll start tracking costs and profitability next month and share what I consider worthwhile investments at this stage.
What’s next?
I’m pleased with the overall direction, but recent personal circumstances make it important to accelerate revenue. My short-term goals for next month are focused and practical:
- Complete the Mediavine RPM challenge to improve revenue and traffic strategies.
- Add simple videos (slideshows) to increase engagement and ad potential.
- Set up a Facebook scheduler and use analytics to post at peak times.
- Continue implementing Pinning Perfect strategies and create fresh pins.
- Study food photography to improve lighting and composition; invest in artificial lights once ad income stabilizes.
- Increase overall traffic by at least 10%, aiming for 20%.
I’ll tighten up photography and lighting, refine pin creation, and prioritize content that performs well seasonally. Monthly reports should be more concise and actionable; please tell me if there’s anything you’d like me to include.
I hope you found this report useful — leave a comment with your thoughts. Happy blogging!
Recent posts:
- Easy Garlic Labneh
- Easy Spicy Miso Sauce
- Quick Ensalada Mixta (Spanish Mixed Salad)
- Easy Garlic Salad (Toasted Garlic Dressing)
- Easy Frozen Vegetable Soup (No Tomatoes, Vegan)