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For years, I underestimated this idea (including me). I fell into the niche trap—not because niche teaching is wrong, but because it’s so true that we forget there’s more than one way to build an online business.
Yes: building a niche website and targeting keywords is one of the best ways to grow traffic and income.
But no: it’s not the only way to start.
Sometimes focusing on a niche alone can be counterproductive—especially if you’re forcing it. You may lose momentum because you feel like you can only talk about your “industry” instead of real life. And real life is what gives you endless content.
That’s why I like a hybrid approach:
- Your niche (what you want to become known for)
- Your real life (what you’re actually living day to day)
When you combine both, your website feels human—and it quietly builds a giant footprint of keywords over time.
The simple strategy: start by journaling your real life online
If you want the easiest on-ramp, start here:
Think of your website like your own social media platform… but it’s yours.
You post about:
- what’s happening day to day
- what you’re learning
- your wins and losses
- your opinions, lessons, and stories
- your photos and videos
- the “behind the scenes” of your life
If you do this consistently, your blog can grow just from the massive amount of search terms you naturally create.
Will you make money faster with a focused niche and keyword plan?
Most likely, yes.
But journaling online has a hidden power: it gets you started. And you can always pivot later.
We’re playing the odds here. Who knows what your “special” website will do once it has enough content.
Why most internet marketers still choose a niche (and why that’s okay)
If you understand SEO, you probably will build a niche website eventually. Because the logic is simple:
“If I’m going to do this anyway… why not do it in a way that can make money?”
And it’s true: old-school blogging “just for fun” usually doesn’t pay if you never monetize.
If you’re not using affiliate links…
If you’re not building traffic…
If you’re not running ads…
Then yeah—your site may never earn a dime.
But here’s what I want to tell anyone who wants an extra income stream:
Start blogging and journaling your life online anyway.
Then learn monetization as you go.
How to turn journaling into income (low-intensity options first)
While you’re journaling your life, you can learn how to make money online through:
1) Affiliate marketing (recommended)
You mention products/services you truly use or recommend, and earn a commission when someone buys through your link.
2) Sponsorships
As your site grows, brands may pay you to feature products, reviews, or mentions.
3) Google AdSense (or other ad networks)
Once you get enough traffic, ads can generate ongoing income without you having to “sell” anything directly.
These are my favorite options because they’re low-intensity income streams. You do the work up front (content), and the content can keep earning later.
More hands-on options (higher intensity)
If you want something more involved, you can use your traffic to build:
- an ecommerce shop
- digital products
- services
- drop shipping
Those can work, but they require more management. If you’re busy, keep it simple in the beginning.
The part that still blows my mind
Imagine being able to earn money because you sat behind your laptop and wrote about your day.
Not perfectly. Not like a school essay.
Just real writing. Real stories. Real lessons.
What should you write about? Here are endless ideas
You can blog about:
- funny stories
- rough days
- how you overcame obstacles
- triumphs and tough spots
- failures and bounce backs
- what makes you laugh (or mad)
- your favorite sports moments
- your faith journey
- your DIY projects
- what you cooked last night
- a review of the new restaurant around the corner
- pictures of nature
- travel adventures
And the list goes on.
This is basically freewriting with a purpose.
My real example: it was 12:57 a.m. and I needed to calm down
Let me show you how easy this can be.
It’s 12:57 a.m. and I’m sitting down at the computer to put down a few notes before a late-night walk.
The day was rough. I almost flipped out if I’m being honest.
So how do I calm down at night?
I free write.
Usually I write more personal things. But tonight I had too many negative emotions, and this idea came to my mind—so I just started typing.
It took me maybe 20–25 minutes to write it out.
And that’s the whole point: you don’t need hours.
Why free writing works (even beyond money)
Free writing helps me:
- relieve stress after a long day
- organize thoughts and emotions (“how do I really feel?”)
- become my own counselor
- ask questions and analyze what’s going on in my life
- keep a record of each year
- go deeper later when I turn it into a real blog post
- teach someone a lesson from something I lived through
- sleep better
That’s powerful.
Because now you’re doing something constructive with your time—instead of scrolling social media and watching random videos you won’t remember tomorrow.
A simple “start tonight” plan
If you want to try this, do it like this:
- Start a blog (WordPress is great, but any platform works)
- Write 2–4 posts a week about real life
- Add one small section called: “What I learned today”
- After 10–20 posts, start learning:
- basic SEO (titles, headings, internal links)
- affiliate marketing basics
- AdSense requirements and traffic goals
- Pivot into a niche later by noticing patterns in what you naturally write about
That’s it.
Momentum first. Strategy second.
So what do you think?
Do you think you’ll try blogging and journaling online?
I hope you do. I think you’ll enjoy it—and you may surprise yourself with what your website becomes a year from now.
If you’d like to learn how to make money online by building a niche website or by starting with blogging and journaling first, check out my friends at Wealthy Affiliate:
https://www.wealthyaffiliate.com?a_aid=0da84477
My name is Cedric—and I’ll meet you over there if you sign up!
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