[Don’t forget to bookmark the landing page for this experiment. It contains all the posts in order.]
I was inspired by Pat Flynn’s Niche Site Duel 2.0 that he announced recently.
In short, he is creating a brand new niche website and the goal is to rank it at the top of Google in 2013 after all the changes that have taken place with SEO over the last couple of years.
Pat encouraged his podcast listeners to join him and I decided I’m all in! I think it will be an interesting and fun experiment.
In fact, I’ve decided to chronicle the journey on this blog so those of you who are just starting (or are simply curious) can follow along. If you want to keep up with everything, bookmark this URL…
http://www.2createawebsite.com/nse
That is where you will be able to find all the content regarding my experiment.
Right now that link goes to this post, but in the future there will be a landing page with all the updates that pertain to this experiment.
Do I Really Need Another Site?
No, I honestly don’t. I’m busy enough as it is.
However, I think it’s a very relevant experiment to conduct since so many of you are brand new or are having trouble getting out of the gate.
I think it will be cool for you to follow along and see how I handle some of the brainstorming before I begin a website. It will be a great learning experience for a lot of you.
Even if the experiment fails, there are still going to be great lessons to learn from, and I will report on my progress no matter how this goes.
This Won’t Be Easy
I’m not for one minute expecting this to be a cakewalk. Yes, I’ve got some experience under my belt, but SEO has changed a lot, and you really have to take your time with the research process today.
I think a big reason people fail to rank their pages is they target keywords that are too competitive.
As you will learn below, I’m taking a slightly different approach so it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
The Site Will Remain Hidden
I can hear some of you groaning, but keep reading because I will still be revealing a lot as you will see below.
Trust me. I debated over this a lot.
I definitely think it will add to the credibility and interest of the experiment if I reveal the site, however there are a couple of big disadvantages to doing that…
1) Competition & Copycats
I’ll be honest. I get so incredibly tired of lazy people copying my work. If this site does take off then I want to protect my income, period.
I learned several years ago that I have to keep some of my work behind the curtain because of issues I’ve had with copycats and sabotage in the past.
I could really tell you some stories, but I’ll save that for another post.
So as you may know, this isn’t my first hidden website and it probably won’t be my last. 🙂 However, this is the first time I will be sharing so much of my planning process publicly.
2) I Don’t Want to Tarnish the Experiment
Of course, if I reveal the site I could use nofollow links so I wouldn’t pass any of my existing link juice that may give me an unfair advantage. However, I want to make sure this experiment is clean.
If I blog about it and others happen to link to the site, those links could actually give the site a minor boost. Again, I don’t want any outside sources giving this site any help.
Plus, I won’t have to hear, “Well the only reason your site is ranking is because you have links from your existing site” or “Your subscribers have linked to your site so that gave you an advantage.”
That also means I am not going to be linking this site to my Google Plus Account to keep from passing my Google Authorship / AuthorRank to the site, which could also give this experiment an unfair advantage.
I want to act as if I’m starting from scratch with no online profile just like many of you. Yes, we will be down in the trenches together!
So are you ready to get your hands dirty with me? Hope so!
What I Will Reveal About The Site
So even though I’m not going to reveal the site, I will be revealing a lot and showing screenshots of traffic, earnings, and more.
In fact, I’ve already chosen my niche so I’m going to give you a lot of insight into how I’m going to be approach the new site in this article.
Keyword Research
Like Pat, I am using Spencer Hawes’ Long Tail Pro (affiliate) software to help me analyze my competition.
Are you shocked?
Yes, I’m actually using a paid keyword research tool for a change — something that is pretty rare for me these days.
I stick by the fact that I hate keyword research (as I mentioned in my niche site video) and still believe it can be incredibly paralyzing. But since this is a semi-public experiment, I wanted to take my time on the brainstorming process.
I can’t lie. I feel a bit of pressure because all eyes will be watching. So I’m taking a lot more time than I normally do before starting a website.
In 2013, I think it’s more important than ever to really get an idea for how competitive a niche really is.
For the record, I still don’t think you need to buy any software to research your niche, but it may give you an advantage and I will show you how I’ve used it to research my topic.
If you can afford something like this, wonderful. If you can’t, save your money and stick with the free tools (Google AdWords Keyword Tool, etc.)
A Little About My Niche
The niche I’m going with is in the health and wellness field. Like most of my sites, it is something I have gone through and ultimately had success with.
I have something that a lot of people want. So right away that makes for a potentially great topic for a website.
Start with something you’ve had a problem with, show how you fixed it and teach others how to do the same.
I’m a big believer in having some kind of experience and success with a topic. The personal connection keeps me interested and the success is inspiring to people, which builds trust and credibility.
I don’t know how some of you just choose topics because of the earning potential when you have no interest. I know it works for some, but that just doesn’t cut it for me.
I’ve tried it before and got bored. And since it takes a lot more work to rank a website today, I realize this has to be something I like writing about or it will be hard to compete and stay motivated.
My Keyword Strategy
So just like a lot of my sites it will be a how-to/problem solving site, but keyword strategy I’m using this time is going to be slightly different from how I normally approach a niche.
Let me explain…
When using Long Tail Pro, the “how to” version of my desired keyword seemed way too competitive. There were too many top branded sites sitting in the top 10.
This is something you definitely want to pay attention to since Google now heavily favors brands (especially in certain niches).
The Domain and Page Authorities were all very high and the sites had too many Juice Page Links for my liking (I’ll explain what that means in a bit.)
That is one benefit of having a keyword tool that provides more analytical data. It allows me to perform a better analysis on those sites that rank in the top 10 spots.
So instead of targeting the “how to” keyword, I am actually targeting a related keyword that is a symptom of the more competitive phrase.
Let me give you an example…
So instead of targeting “how to tone your arms”, I am targeting “flabby arms.”
Remember, this is NOT my niche. I’m just giving you an example so you can see how the keywords relate to each other.
Now, this could be a crucial mistake because I’m assuming that those who search for “flabby arms” want to learn how to tone them (and not just browsing for images of flabby arms), but I’m willing to risk it because the latter keyword has a demand of 6,000 Exact Match monthly searches according to Long Tail Pro.
Today I like for my keyword phrase to have at least 2,000 EXACT MATCH monthly searches (if you’re using Google AdWords or Long Tail Pro).
So this phrase has three times as many monthly searches as my minimum requirement, and the top 10 sites are not as competitive as the “how to” keyword.
So what do I mean by not as competitive?
Well, even though there are some popular health-related sites ranked in the top spots, the remaining sites may be easier to compete with because they consist of content like a YouTube video, a Hubpage article, a Tumblr article and a couple of other articles with lower Page/Domain Authority.
Speaking of YouTube, the video that is ranked on the first page for my targeted keyword is actually not very well done in my opinion.
It’s less than a minute long with bad sound quality, yet it’s received over 2 million views in 3 years. That is something I hope to capitalize on big time!
One reason I believe the YouTube video does so well is it doesn’t appear people are really targeting this phrase much — they seem to go for the more competitive, “how to” phrase I decided not to target.
So even though it’s not the best video, it’s the best and most relevant one for that keyword.
The like/dislike ratio is also not very good (which impacts YouTube rankings). But again, it’s ranking well because people just aren’t targeting this phrase much.
Nevertheless, you know I really enjoy doing videos so I hope to use this to my advantage.
The other thing I noticed is that there are not a lot of comprehensive sites on this topic. That is something else I look at when starting a website. Are there just solo articles or are there a lot of well-developed sites?
In this case, there are a lot of solo articles on larger sites that don’t necessarily focus on this keyword.
That’s a good sign and I also noticed the same thing with my other experiment site I blogged about here.
And finally, none of the sites in the top 10 use any kind of personal approach. They’re mostly articles written by anonymous “experts.” I will try to also take advantage of that with pictures, personal stories, video etc.
My Keyword Competitive Analysis
Here’s what the analysis looks like for my main keyword I’m targeting (according to Long Tail Pro).
Now if you don’t use Long Tail Pro, these numbers may not mean much, so let me give you a breakdown.
What the software does is show you how many links and domain/page authority for the top 10 sites in Google. It also shows the PageRank, domain age and more.
Notice how few backlinks the top-ranked sites have. The 3rd column (Juice Page Links) represents how strong the backlinks are. So if a site is about politics and there is a backlink from CNN.com that would be considered a Juice Page Link.
The number of backlinks for these sites are weak overall. This is a good sign for me because as you know, I’m not big on manually building links anyway.
The numbers I’ve circled represent “low competition” relative to other keywords I searched.
Probably the most competitive column is the Domain Authority (100 is the max) — which is calculated by measuring the collection of links and other factors. So the first 7 sites have a very strong DA, but it’s also promising that sites #7-10 have very weak authority.
Just to give you something you can compare, look at the chart for the keyword “stock prices.” Notice how many Page Links and Juice Page Links this keyword has. The PageRanks are also very strong.
So this is clearly a much more competitive phrase.
Obviously it’s almost impossible to find the PERFECT phrase to target. As I’m always saying, at some point you have to trust you have the content to compete and go for it.
Monetization
The great thing about this niche is there are some higher-priced products that I use so there is some decent affiliate commission potential.
The CPC for AdSense also looks VERY good, so there is great potential there as well.
Both Long Tail Pro and The Google AdWords Tool give you the CPC for a keyword. That’s the average price (cost per click) the AdWords advertiser pays to rank for that phrase in the paid results.
So as an AdSense member you earn 68% of that when someone clicks the ad. Checking that stat is a great way to get an idea for how much AdSense earning potential exists.
Will I Be Outsourcing?
There is one task I will definitely outsource.
As you know, I prefer to write most of my content, but this project will involve a big product-comparison article with a chart that provides information about relevant products in this niche.
This kind of content is time-consuming and is the perfect task to outsource because it doesn’t necessarily have to be in my voice. It will just be a comprehensive chart with pros, cons and comparisons.
I got the idea from one of Pat’s podcasts where he interviewed Spencer Hawes of NichePursuits.com.
By the way, make sure you listen to that podcast. In fact, I share many of the same topic research strategies he talks about in his interview with Pat.
With regards to the outsourced chart, I will definitely be adding my own content as well (because I’ve used the products myself). And of course, the links to the products will be affiliate links. 🙂
I actually did some research on various product comparison keywords and once again, there aren’t a lot of sites that have done this very well. So there’s another gap that could be filled.
Are you starting to see a trend here?
So much of starting a new website is believing in your ability to offer something more useful than what already exists.
Too often we don’t aim high enough or we try to mimic sites that are already out there, but today that’s just not good enough in 2013. You have to take things to the next level.
My Approach
I am not going to do anything different in terms of my approach.
You know that I like to build those “how to” sites that focus on topics I have experience with. This site will be no different.
Since I like doing YouTube videos, I’m looking to take advantage of some gaps in that space as well.
In fact, I hope to record my first video this week.
What is My Goal For This Site?
I have no desire to make this site as big as the 2 Create a Website brand. That would take time that I simply do not have.
In 2010, I’d probably be a lot more confident in the success of this site, but today I’m not sure. It’s going to be a challenge, for sure — especially since I’m not using any of my existing AuthorRank (content that is associated with my name and synced up with my Google profile.)
Ranking #1 for the keyword I’m targeting will take some effort because of the kinds of sites that rank there now (solid brands).
However, after my Long Tail Pro research, I believe I can still make it to the first page and would be more than satisfied with that result.
If this site brings in a couple of hundred dollars per month passively, I would consider it a success. I’m really just looking forward to the challenge of starting from scratch in 2013.
It’s probably going to be a couple of months before I report back. So far I’ve done nothing but purchase the domain and I want to have some decent content and time invested before I begin to analyze the results.
I will also be logging everything such as time spent, how many articles I’ve written, money spent, when I add AdSense ads, etc. and will keep you updated as time goes on.
How I’m Creating The Site
I will be building the website with WordPress and using the Focus Theme from StudioPress (affiliate). I’ve never used this theme before, but I chose it because it’s clean, has a space for a banner in the header and it’s mobile responsive.
For the record, I would never create a site today without making sure it’s mobile-friendly.
As an existing StudioPress customer, the theme only cost me $18.
As far as the layout, it will be mostly static Pages instead of a typical blog layout with Posts organized by date. My Napturally Curly website is a great example of the layout I’m going to use.
It doesn’t mean I’m not going to have posts, but I’m going to lay it out more like a traditional site.
Summarizing Key Points
So let me sum up the important points I’ve pointed in my research process…
1) I’ve chosen a keyword phrase with decent demand (6,000 monthly searches).
2) Instead of choosing the more competitive “how to” phrase, I am targeting a related phrase that is more than likely used by the same people who search for the more competitive phrase.
I’m definitely making some assumptions here so it will be interesting to see how that decision plays out. It may turn out to be a brilliant idea or a bad move. We’ll see!
3) I have examined my competition and found gaps on both YouTube and other websites (There are not many sites with thorough info — just articles here and there.) Don’t just look at keyword research data. Do physical research and scope out the quality of the existing sites.
4) The AdWords CPC looks good for a variety of related keywords (some are over $7+) so there is probably going to be a lot of AdSense earning potential if I can drum up some traffic.
5) Some of the products associated with this niche are pretty high-end in terms of price. The downside is this niche has pretty low commissions in general. But of course there’s always room to sell some sort of digital product like an eBook.
6) I will use my own personal approach and success stories to make the site more inviting. This is definitely lacking in the top 10 results.
Any Concerns?
I have to be honest. My biggest concern is time and commitment. It’s the summertime and this is my travel season. But one of the reasons I wanted to announce this is it will hold me accountable.
I’ve promised to report my progress, so I think that will keep me more focused.
Another concern…
I’m not a big backlink builder and that may also come into play. But as I’ve already mentioned, the top-ranked sites don’t appear to have many backlinks, so I’m hoping I won’t need as many to rank either.
Not aggressively building backlinks worked for this site, but that was 2011 and I think I really got lucky with that niche.
For the record, that site is still thriving and survived all Google updates to date.
That’s why it’s so incredibly important to pick the right niche and narrow it down. I cannot say that enough.
As I’ve already mentioned, choosing to target the symptom over the “how to” keyword may be a mistake. Perhaps there’s a reason that phrase is not that competitive (low conversions, etc.) However, the demand and lack of overall competition looks so good, I have to try it.
Whatever happens, I will definitely document it and report back (with screenshots of traffic, etc.) once I get the ball rolling. Good or bad, you’re going to hear about it.
Are You In?
Hopefully you’ll take Pat’s challenge too! I didn’t officially sign up, but I will be doing this experiment on the sidelines and working at my own pace while following along with him.
I think this will be great if you have tried to create a niche website before and you’ve failed, or if you are new and would like to do this with me and everyone else participating in Pat’s challenge.
I also hope this post gave you more insight into my thought process when I’m researching a topic. I’ve never published anything this detailed so I hope it was helpful.
Notice how it’s not just about keyword research, but taking advantage of gaps and having confidence that you can publish something that is even better than what already exists.
Just Do It!
Now, here’s a message for those of you who just can’t seem to get your feet off the ground with regards to your website.
Whether you realize this or not, so much of your success or failure is mental and it starts with your level of self confidence in the beginning.
After being out here for so long, I can immediately tell who is in the right or wrong place mentally by the questions they ask or excuses they make.
This is not about you being computer savvy (or not) or your level of Internet experience. Yes, those things can make some difference, but it’s really about…
Can you define and fulfill a need then create a unique, trustworthy site that connects with people who have that need? Can you fill a gap in the existing information and stand out? Many, many people who make money online had no Internet marketing experience whatsoever, but they learned over time. This is more about the niche you choose and your execution.
The reason many people fail is not because they aren’t computer savvy or lack Internet marketing experience. It’s usually poor planning or they let fear and/or excuses get in the way and they are doomed before they start.
Of course those aren’t the only reasons sites fail. Obviously how you market a site, niche selection, etc. matter, but in my experience with the informal coaching I’ve done over the years, lack of planning and fear of failure also play a significant role.
The Crippling Fear of Failure
One thing I often notice is some of you are putting off starting your sites because you are already anticipating or fearing failure.
Well let me tell you something, most people (including myself) failed first before they succeeded.
I’ve had way more failed sites than successful ones, and this experiment could fail too.
If it does, so what? It won’t be the first time, and I can take what I’ve learned from it and move on.
You might not even know this, but I had about 4 sites BEFORE I created 2 Create a Website.
You never hear about them because they failed and no longer exist.
I think it’s easy to assume that people with successful sites have always done everything right or can’t relate to what it’s like to fail or struggle.
Wrong.
Most successful people have failed at some level. The difference is we don’t let those failures define us or cause us to give up.
I can give you a compass to point you in the right direction, but you have to create your own road map. And you can’t do that without stepping out on faith and start driving.
I am often asked to hand-hold people through this process or provide some kind of assurance that a certain niche is the best way to go, but some things need to be learned by doing and experiencing.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with gathering info in the beginning so you can prevent as many errors as possible. But there’s a fine line between ensuring you’re starting off on the right foot and letting fear paralyze you into doing absolutely nothing.
I think doing nothing is way worse than making a mistake or having to start over.
Plus, the internet is so incredibly forgiving! You can always adjust and re-group if you find that your site is going in the wrong direction. I lost count of how many times I have done that myself.
OK, I’m done with my pep talk. I hope this post encouraged those of you who have been stuck in neutral with your site planning.
Sometimes you have to just go for it! That’s what I’m doing. 🙂
I have read over ten posts on your website today, I have to say you are a really good writer. I am a little new to this blogging thing, I was thinking of starting a new website with a paid webhosting as currently you see i am using a free webhosting. So i just wante to ask which webhosting are you using and which one’s you would recommend to a new blogger as I was thinking of going with godaddy webhosting.
would you like to give some advice me before i start my new website, and would you please take a look at my current website and tell me what you think if there can be some improvements that I need to make.
I know this is my first comment on your blog and I am asked a lot of questions but your response would be greatly appreciated. and btw best of luck for you new website 🙂
Hey Lisa,
How are you getting on with your niche site for NSD2?
Are you joining in on the leaderboard…the community over there is awesome; everybody sharing tips and strategies; this really is something epic Pat has put together, and I’m sure will change hundreds of lives. Incredible.
🙂
Hey Lou,
I’m blogging about it Monday. I didn’t get in on the leaderboard and I’m kind of working at my own pace. I plan to launch a few videos next week as a matter of fact and hope to officially launch.
Cool. Just want to add that I don’t think there is any cut off to join up, and the stats haven’t started yet; I like it for the forum though, and the Q&A vibe over there. Your knowledge would benefit loads, I’m sure.
Talking of video’s, I made a load for my blog today- about 4 and then when I came to render them, realised I hadn’t turned the flamin’ mic on…lol. Do it all again tomorrow now. Haha!
I’ll be sure to look out for your video’s.
Just an update… just joined and logged into the community area! Fabulous!
Haha….Innit?
Yes I’m in love/addicted to the forums everyone is really helpful ans its great to see how others are tackling the challenge
Like anything, there is a learning curve to niche sites. You have to buy a domain and set up hosting. However, the most important part is finding a keyword (topic) to target. This is not an easy skill to master, as it requires a good understanding of how Google works, so that you can begin to understand what might be low competition.
Just a question, would it be okay if the niche of a blog would have a lot of topic? Would it be advisable to do that? or should I stick to only one niche first?
Always stick with ONE topic and narrow it down as much as possible.
I see. Thank you for your reply. I would try to stick to one then just create other accounts for different topics. Thanks.
My goodness, your post here is so incredibly helpful. I do plan to build a niche website in the future. I just learned about keyword research using Google’s tools. For now, I just want to try growing traffic to a blog I maintain by adding non competitive search terms.
Longtail pro is based on google keywords tools, doesn’t it??
Both Google AdWords and SEOMoz data. I actually find the SEOMoz data to be much more useful.
Thank you for such a clear and informative post (as always). I think in niche sites it is much more important with finding good keyword and, of course, good content that persuasively makes people to buy the products.
Anyways, I’m looking forward to hearing for more updates on this and I believe you will nail it!
Personally, I still feel some product niche sites could outrank ecommerce sites – there are examples of this out there – but it’s definitely an uphill battle so you may want to avoid keywords like this.
Clear tutotial, Thanks for sharing..
Lisa, I wanted to get your perspective on a question. Do you feel it is better to target a non-competitive keyword that you may not be thrilled with writing about or target a (much) more competitive keyword that you are truly passionate about…in essence, blogging as a labor of love.
Definitely the more competitive keyword you are passionate about. I have created so many sites over they years that I gave up on because I was just not motivated. Because SEO is so much more challenging now, I think passion is more important that EVER! You have to be passionate enough to stick with it and get creative so you can compete. Obviously neither scenario is ideal but if I had to pick, I’d definitely go with passion.
That’s what I thought you’d say.
Because I am starting a new site with the Niche Site Duel and every idea I come up with is too competitive according the SEO metrics outlined in SEMRush and Open site Explorer that Paul goes through.
I also questioned how someone could be so passionate about food trucks (his current site) and security guard training (his last site).
So while his metrics should be used in some respects to steer away from ultra-competitive fields it should also serve to whittle down a larger niche, like the health and wellness field you are tackling, into a very small niche of that field that you can own.
From everything you have written, I believe that is what you are planning to do.
Yes, you are exactly right.
Seems like Pat Flynn’s niche site dual is gaining a lot of traction for a lot of people. Even you are participating in it!
Recently Google just rolled out its Penguin 2.0 update. I wonder how it will affect small niche sites’ rankings and the SEO.
Nowadays, Google favors big brands. It’s tough out there for the small guys. Looking forward to your updates in time to come for your niche site.
You’re right and I don’t think this is going to be easy at all. So it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
The keyword research stage is the most difficult, as you stated, but recent reports detail that meta keywords are an outdated practice, and ignored by Google.
Hello Lisa,
This is really cool that you are taking a part of this. You and Pat are two of the people I have learned from the most along the way. I completely agree with you that writing about something you are passionate about is so important. People just beginning do not realize the work that you really have to put into this on an almost daily basis and if you aren’t feeling the topic, it just makes it that much harder.
I can’t wait to follow you both!
Great article about the importance of engaging with your customers on social media websites.
Hi Lisa,
First time on your blog and I enjoyed the feast.
The killer article describes every steps in very organized manner. I am sure this will definitely help a newbie.
thanks lisa really it s a good article
I love your style. You are simply straightforward and clear so you are easy to understand and get excited about. With this competition it’s easy to want to get involved because of the way you describe it all. Thanks!
Thanks MaryAnne!
Hey Lisa,
Pat just announced the topic of his site for the second niche dual. It’s a clever niche and I think he’ll do very well with it.
I’m in full steam on building a niche site. I have a 4 under way; I’ve been building them for some time and am getting good results. 3 of them are in niches that will always have new topics to add; one site which will be fairly large, has a pre-set number of keywords and once I’ve published all the content won’t require too much additional content.
I found your blog not too long ago and love it. Thanks for the all the info.
Yep saw his post today! It’s going to be interesting to see how he tackles it!
This is a great experiment if you ask me especially after all these Penguin and Panda updates. I will be following this experiment. But I have a question, don’t you think micro niche site is dead or that is what I have heard.
You re absolutelly right! I have a website related to betting niche and i now realize how many mistakes i ve made because i didnt pay attention in the research phase!
appreciated work lisa i’m sure that you will go higher because this type of post keep it up.
Hi Lisa, great post Im glad I found. I’ll also be following along with Pat’s challenge. I’m a newbie at Niche marketing so I’m trying to take in as much as I can (I’m even considering blogging about from a newbie perspective)
I signed up for the leader board site because I really want to see how everyone is making this work and if I can share some insight from web strategy background
I’ve already found a keyword and plan to launch a site this weekend. I used long tailpro too, great tool, I’m just afraid it’s way to general although it has great numbers, I’m almost in disbelief no one has done it yet. Either way I’m excited for the challenge and will be following along with your progress along with Pat.
Interesting project Lisa. Very honest, as usual! It s a very different Internet now so I will be interested to hear how it goes. Looking forward to the next update. Good luck!
Great work Lisa – will be watching you from the wings all the way.
I’ve got a lot to learn from a Marketing and Monetizing aspect.
I’m passionate about my blog, which has great content and some freeebies, but no-ones’ buying.
So learn, learn, learn for me and I wish you success, – you are an inspiration to us ‘newies’.
Cheers
Good luck with your experiment Lisa. I was thinking of doing the same too though I am trying to figure myself out if I can have myself dedicated to do some experiments on the side. Looking forward with yours experiment progress, hopefully you’ll also share what have you done with your experiment.
Choosing keyword of your niche is the foremost important thing and it could be done in expressing your knowledge in particular field in which you feel comfortable and then you could go for only after knowing how much searches are going to be made for the particular keyword which is already told in this beautiful blog post.
This blog post will definitely going to serve the guidance for many bloggers like us.
Regards
Siddhartha Sinha
Lisa, I love your way of doing things, because they are simple and effective. I will follow Pat, too, but your way of doing things seems more easy to follow.
Awesome post Lisa and love how your detail each and every step of this program. Best of luck with new site and can’t wait to see it. I will have to check out Long Tail Pro as well in the coming weeks. Love that they offer a FREE trial too. I’ve heard of it before but haven’t actually used it.
Thanks, Lisa!
Wow Lisa, really looking forward to this case study, would you disclose everything you used in order to make it a great site??
Thx, Josh
Hi Josh
I sure will. I will actually be taking notes of what I used, how much time I spent, how many pages, etc.
Thanks for the reply Lisa 🙂 Really looking forward to final results!!!
Hi, I am a new visitor in this site. I can’t wait for the outcome of what you are planning to do. I fyour experiment works, i might do the same too
Thanks Lisa, good post. I am following pat’s niche duel 2.0 and it will be an honor to follow yours as well. Let’s Go lol.
Hi Lisa,
I beat you to the game. I’ve been following Pat for awhile now and purchased LongTail Pro and loving it. I wish I had more time to develop my new websites. I’m working on 4 sites at the time and one got on the first search page in 1.5 weeks. Fast! Another is on the second page and moving up. The other two are off the radar. But I know why. They are eCommerce keywords which Spencer said the SEO rank doesn’t work. So might dump these but for now I’ll see what they do in 6 months.
I’m working on some new ideas using this tool with the hopes of making my websites more productive. It’s a real time saver.
One thing I’m facing is that 99% of the good names do not have exact match domain names for purchase so you have to add to them. However the exact match ranks faster with Google.
Another thing is that looking for exact searches over 5000 is tough to find where the competition is low. But I’m always looking for new root words to plant in LTP.
I’m happy were on the same page.
Yes, that’s why I was shocked to find this keyword with such low competition and decent demand. I wasn’t really going to do this experiment but after finding that phrase in LTP, I’m curious to see if I can rank well. Wow, 1.5 weeks! That’s pretty fast. I can’t say I’m expecting results that quickly but that’s GREAT you are doing so well with your sites.
Holey moley Lisa, this is one of your longest posts I’ve reads from you so far, I’ve got dust gathering on the top of my head, wow ha! But very interesting, can’t wait to see where you go with it. Great post cheers.
LOL! Yes, it is definitely a record – 4,000 words according to WordPress. 🙂 Sorry about the dust. LOL
haha, no problem, the cat makes a great duster
Hi Lisa,
Great information! I’m looking forward to what you learn and the information you’ll share. I wasn’t already taking part in a product creation challenge, I would definitely join you guys. This is so interesting! Good luck.
Hey Lisa,
That’s an awesome post. I have not come across Pat Flynn’s Niche Site Duel before so it is all news to me. (Where have I been?)
There are some interesting articles on his site that I will go back to read when I have some time. I’m involved in some other projects ( too many) right now so I could not entertain the idea of getting involved in that.
I will, however, be interested to read more about your experiment and look forward to it.
You are right about assuming a person has always been successful. I am surprised to hear that some previous sites before this one failed.
Good luck with the experiment.
Hey Sandy! Oh yes, I have met failure many times in my journey and that’s exactly why I wanted to add that because I think people assume I haven’t.
Hey Lisa,
I was about to start a project using your Niche Website Success book that I have purchased yesterday.
I think I will watch as you post your progress as I am focusing on setting up another site using your eBook. Or, maybe I will take Pat’s challenge along with you and the others.
By the way, your eBook is very well written. I am presently on about page 80 and can’t put it down.
Andrew
Thanks for buying my book Andrew. Means a lot!
Go, Lisa. I’ll be watching in the wings. Am working on this Web site I already have. Am still building that. Plus, I’m about to launch into the eBook world. Don’t want to spread myself too thin. I might be in, tho’. Still thinking about it. Sounds like a fun challenge. I became aware of Pat Flynn because of you. Followed some of his work because you’ve NEVER steered me (a newbie) wrong, thus far. Matter of fact, I’m on your trail (in a positive way). Got AWeber ’cause of you. Protected my domain over @ WebsitePalace ’cause of you. @ this point, some stuff is osmosis, oozing in my pores. I refer to your previous material CONSTANTLY. & to hear about your failures, wow. That makes me like you even more, makes you even MORE down-to-earth, if that were possible. Nevertheless, I continue to grind. I’m over there @ WebsiteBabble. However, I don’t just babble, to babble. I’ll only babble if I really have something to say (lol). Actually, I’ve gone on way too long here. I look up to you. I admire you. You’ve got swag and you’ve got the experience and skills to back it up. Keep going. I will, too. God bless.
Hey Jean,
Well I certainly appreciate your support and glad you are continuing to grind. I wish you the best with your site!
I have all the time in the world to create niche websites and still do not focus any time on one, and actually maintain it. I will get frustrated and take it offline :/
The biggest part of the problem for me is failing, even thought the topics I would write about are huge topics and little competition. The thought of failure is keeping me from doing anything.
All the new Computers and Laptops in front of me and 8 domains ( parked ) with nothing to do with them. I get bored of Video Games sorry Steam friends.. LOL
I really need to just do it. I will get these websites online by Friday or slap myself. 🙁
Hi Phoebe,
This is sooooooooo common, which is why I wrote about it in this post. I think I’ve failed so many times I got immune to it so it doesn’t bother me. LOL Here’s the thing I always wonder about those who are afraid to start because of that fear. If you do fail, who is going to know? No one has to really know you’re working on this but you, right?
The other thing is most people fail in one way or another when they start because it’s hard to do everything right the first time. So don’t look at it as failing, just look at it as you are trying. And through trial, you may make some goofs along the way but you are in good company. We all goof. But you’ll never learn if you don’t try right?
Go for it!
Thanks Lisa… that’s true, nobody will know I failed but meeee 😛
Will follow what you and Patt Flynn are up too on your blogs.
Phoebe AKA Miss Procrastination
hi lisa,
this sounds all very interesting. i’m already in for pat’s challenge so i definitely will follow along your approch as well. thanks for the inside on this! i look forward to read more
A friend sent me this post and I’m in. Just need to sign up on the referring page. I was already in the midst of doing keyword research and you’re so right Lisa. It sucks! I keep going round and round in circles trying to figure out what angle to use. It will come to me but I’ve got a ton more research to do on it! So excited yet nervous at the same time!
Just saw that the deadline to qualify for the MLB has passed. Bummer. But I’m still in!
Tremendous endeavor. Lisa, do you know a trait many great leaders share? They say “Follow me!” I’m following and looking forward to how this develops. And good pep talk about keeping at to be successful. Trial and error (mostly error) is how I learn and succeed.
Hi Lisa, this is really going to be a learning experience on both our paths. I may get the keyword software from your site to help me with my keyword research. However, I am still working on my niche website that I am passionate about which is relatively young so I won’t be doing the Niche Site Dual. Maybe when it comes out again.
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Im SOO happy you are planning on participating! I was actually hoping you would! lol. I also plan on participating. I was researching a niche/keyword that is a GREAT idea in my head, but after looking at the keyword traffic in google adwords tool… it was just terrible. not even 200 hits a month. however I am still going to keep researching for a keyword within that niche im interested in because as u always say, it’s passion that drives a website!.
it will be fun watching your progress. i know you’ve traditionally focused on authority type sites. welcome to the dark side 🙂
Ha ha ha! Right. I’m still planning on making this a semi-authority site (it will be fairly large) but definitely not as large as 2create. So it’s sort of like I have one foot on the dark side. LOL
Hey Lisa, Y’know I have been umming and erring about doin’ NSD2, since I missed the first one, but I think if you have managed to find the time to do this- then I’m gonna find it too!
My hang-up’s are always the blogs, ‘cos I often make the big doo-doo of picking niches I have absolutely no interest in, so end up struggling with keeping the blog updated, so for this I reckon I ought to take a leaf out of your book and make a 100% static website.
I’m a little excited now to be up against some of the most inspiring IM’s around atm, and to test myself against the best out there!
Better pop over to SPI and confirm I’m in…Good Luck! 🙂
Go for it, Lou! Yes, staying motivated and interested is huge for me. If I am not invested in the niche, I will get bored quickly. Hope you join in!
I’m in!… Will be fun, and interesting to see how everyone tackles it.
As for niche, not sure yet but like I said, I really want to follow your advice and stick with something I’m actually into! I’ll sleep on that one! 🙂
I love this Idea Lisa
This is an opporunity for me to learn everything step by step, Need to thank u too for all the content u r pouring here for free, they have been of a great help for me, but right now, Im having difficulties encreasing my earning even though the traffic has gone wild lately.
Can wait to get started….
Hey Lisa, this sounds like a lot of work so best wishes for your success with it!
One question that I don’t think you answered but maybe I missed it – how will what you are doing be different from what Pat is doing?
I want to ask you this because I know most people won’t be brave enough to do it.
After all, I have a hard time getting excited about Pat’s experiment because let’s face it – keyword research is boring as watching paint dry.
But on the other hand making a ton of cash online is kind of exciting to watch – so I’m torn between which one of you guys can make this experiment exciting to watch.
So that’s what I’m really thinking and I hope you don’t mind me for being so candid. 🙂
Hey Ileane,
LOL! I agree on the keyword research part. That is why I never really spend much time on it. Fortunately that part is done for me so I’m ready to start doing what I love — content and video!
I believe he is still in the research phase so I’m not exactly sure how he’s going to approach it but I’m really hoping to capitalize on the video aspect. There’s a HUGE void in this niche, in my opinion. Lots of mediocre videos that all say the same thing and some have really bad advice.
So I will not be doing much different from the other sites I’ve created. The one difference is the angle I’m taking by targeting the symptom instead of the more competitive phrase.
Since his site will be made public, he’ll probably have a lot more detail but I will be publishing as much as I can along the way.
And of COURSE I don’t mind you being candid. 🙂
If anyone can fill the void Lisa, that would be you!
Best wishes!!
Awww, thanks. I sure hope so. 🙂
Awesome post. I personally think this is a great idea to give others the opportunity to follow along with you…especially being that I am starting to work on new niche sites as well.
Thanks for the blueprint.
Hey Tony! You know, I actually thought of you and a few others when writing this because I remembered your comment from my 150K post and you wanted to know more about the planning process.
Well, I have to say that I am honored to be in your thought process. I just bought the domains and am going to be starting within the new week…so the nice part is that I am going to take this post and devour it, then follow along step-by-step. Thanks for everything.
I really enjoyed this one. First, isn’t this one of the longer posts you’ve written here? 🙂
I’ve been following along with Pat’s work forever and think about joining in on the challenge without registering for it. Simple reason is same as yours, lack of time so I am not sure if I will keep up at the same pace and I have started working a bit more on my fitness site and some freelance writing, so I need to prioritize my time. But I have been search for the right keywords and I think I will do it the way you do it.
I love these challenges and let’s do this 🙂
LOL, yes I think it’s a record for length! I hope you do it, Brankica! I just need to focus, focus, focus and hope I don’t get too sidetracked. lol