Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!

Ready for a HARO (Help a Reporter Out) masterclass? HARO is a platform that connects journalists with 'experts' to include their insights into articles. This is great for link building but can lead to a lot of questions on how to do it right. Thankfully, Chris Panteli joins the Niche Pursuits podcast this week to shed light on: How and when you should respond to HARO queries, What you should say, How to vet reporters, How to follow-up, And a whole lot more... All to save you time, increase your success rate and land more links. Chris runs a purely white-hat, digital PR link building agency that averages 100 links per month. And he has a ton of awesome insights to share. He starts off by explaining some context. How valuable HARO links are for building credibility, increasing domain authority, and improving search rankings. And how to succeed with HARO, it's important to position yourself as an expert in your niche and have a well-optimized LinkedIn profile and website homepage. Success rates vary depending on the niche and competition, but having expertise and credentials increases the chances of winning pitches. He suggests starting by targeting websites your competitors have featured on their homepages and then expanding to high DR (domain rating) and high-traffic publications. Chris also believes vetting HARO queries is crucial to save time and increase success rates. The key is to look for relevant queries from reputable domains and avoid low-quality websites. Engage with journalists and editors to ensure your link is included in the final article. And don't be afraid to follow up to convert unlinked mentions into links. Timing is also important in HARO link building. And while subject lines are not a major factor, it's important to follow any specific instructions from the journalist. He even gives an awesome tip on how to use AI to assist with research and generating pitches in a way that'll work like a charm. It's really a great and valuable discussion you don't want to miss. And Chris also offers a free vetting resource (in the shownotes below) and a 20% discount for Niche Pursuits listeners on link building services and a HARO masterclass course with the code NichePursuits20. Hope you enjoy! Links & Resources Home - Linkifi freebie - Linkifi And as always, this podcast episode is hosted by Jared Bauman, co-owner of 201 Creative SEO Agency Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

This week’s episode of Niche Pursuits News is hosted by Jared Bauman, of 201 Creative, and Shawn Hill, a previous podcast guest and the brains behind The Grilling Dad. The first topic they dive into is Ezoic’s announcement of the end of its affiliate program and its plan to lay off workers. They talk about the blow to affiliates but also mention how it created an interesting juxtaposition in providing a financial incentive for referring people.  They talk about the statement from Tyler Bishop, the company’s CMO, about the discontinuation of the program, in which he shares some interesting data, as well as the letter from CEO Dwayne Lafleur about the layoffs. They also discuss whether there needs to be an entry-level ad provider for website owners. Jared and Shawn then move on to a different topic: the Claud 2 launch, by Anthropic. Claud is an AI language model which is gaining attention for having more human-like responses. Claud also allows users to upload files and ask questions about different documents, which is a unique feature.  Shawn shares his thoughts on it after using it a little bit and comparing it with ChatGPT, and Jared has some ideas about how to leverage Claud for SEO. Listen in to hear what they have to say! Moving on, Jared and Shawn touch on the recent volatility in the SERPs, suggesting that a Google update is underway. While the exact cause of the update remains unclear, there is evidence that changes are happening in the search engine landscape. The next topic on the agenda is Wix’s launch of its AI website generator. The tool allows users to create complete websites with just the press of a button. Jared and Shawn discuss the implications of this new tool and its target market, noting that it will help certain types of businesses establish a web presence.  In the Shiny Object Syndrome portion of the podcast, Jared goes first with an update on his progress with the Amazon Influencer Program. He continues to rake it in and recently surpassed the 300-video mark. He also talks about taking a brief break from his Weekend Growth newsletter. Shawn talks about helping a friend build his first niche site and documenting the process publicly, and he also has a positive report on The Grilling Dad, which continues to grow and do well despite spending less time on it. As for the weird niche sites, Jared kicks things off with HEIC to JPG, which is a great tool for iPhone users, as photos are sometimes saved as HEIC files. They talk about the site's clean design and ease of use. It has a DR of 62 and only ranks for 5200 keywords, but it has a ton of number-one rankings and ranks for keywords with very high search volumes. They also talk about the idea of creating a tool that adds to your business or your website. Shawn then shares his weird niche site: Cooler Spy. He highlights how the site is dedicated to just one product, how it has lots of addictive YouTube videos, and has just 24 pages. He estimates traffic of around 10k and earnings of up to $1k per month, and although it’s a small site, its quality is off the charts.  And that concludes another thought-provoking and inspiring episode of the podcast, where you can learn about the latest in SEO and niche site news and what it means for you! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Have you ever considered building a project in public? In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Noah Bragg shares his journey of launching, growing, and eventually selling Potion. It's a website builder built on top of Notion that lets users create optimized sites in minutes. Noah started by using the "build in public" approach, sharing his progress and journey on Twitter. And with the support of an open-source community, his own software development experience, and a strategic marketing strategy grew the success story he shares today. Here's a quick rundown of Potion (although you'll want to jump down the page to watch the full interview): Noah initially priced the product at just $6 per site and gained his first 75 customers through Twitter. Of course, he wanted to further expand his customer base and continue building awareness. So, he strategically launched on Product Hunt once he already had a bit of a community to help him promote and upvote it. As Potion continued to grow, Noah focused on compounding growth and reducing churn. There were lots of ups and downs throughout this process though and Noah does a great job of highlighting what seemed to work best for him. In the end, he managed to reach $6k MRR (monthly recurring revenue) and sell it for $300k after just 2 and a half years of work. Noah is now working on a new project in the crypto space called TrustScore which aims to provide data and content to help users evaluate and trust different crypto projects. He plans to share his progress on Twitter and YouTube, and may even continue the build-in-public approach that worked so well for him with Potion. Noah's story is a great example of strategic planning and execution. And the way he thinks about things and solves problems will certainly help get the gears moving for your own projects. Hope you enjoy! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

It’s been another busy week in SEO news, and Spencer Haws and Jared Bauman, of 201 Creative, explain it all here! Don’t miss the latest edition of the best news podcast for SEOs, people in the digital marketing and niche site development space, and everyone in between. First, they talk about how Google was recently hit with a class-action lawsuit claiming that it stole data from millions of users to train its AI tools and seeking compensation. Jared points out that we’ll have to wait to see how this all plays out and how we address issues like copyright infringement and content rights and ownership.  They predict that, even if the suit moves forward, it won’t stop AI or make much of a difference in the long run. That being said, lots of people are suing AI tools and there could be quite the legal battle ahead. Jared and Spencer then move on to talk about how Google has sent out emails notifying website owners of Core Web Vitals and INP issues on their sites, giving them until March 2024 to fix the issues. Then Spencer talks about how he was invited to use Google’s new Search Generative Experience. By the end of the year, around 30% of all users will participate in a gradual rollout, and the remainder will be provided with access over time. Then Spencer and Jared do a few search queries live and talk about what it looks like, how it seems to work, and what they think of it. Spencer goes on to share a few podcast reviews before shifting to the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast.  He starts by discussing a niche website he created with his kids, who eventually lost interest. However, he’s been working on it for the last 6 months and has been able to build up a Facebook page to +30k followers. His strategy is to post short articles on the website, share them on his Facebook page, and drive traffic back to the website, which is monetized with ads. Although he hasn’t seen much success so far, he did have an article go viral, registering 48k users in about a week. Spencer’s still wondering what to do with this project and he offers listeners the chance to reach out and partner with him to take it to the next level. Jared talks about his side hustles, focusing on his experience with the Amazon Influencer Program. He talks about the impact of Prime Day on his earnings and clicks, and how he’s increased his earnings to more than $2k in the last 30 days. He also gives some ideas of unique places to go to get content for your videos. Jared also talks about the YouTube channel he’s developing with his wife and the progress they’re making, particularly with regard to copyright issues. He briefly mentions a WordPress plugin he’s considering developing. Stay tuned to hear more about it! In the Weird Niche portion of the podcast, Spencer talks about a single-page website with approximately 3.3 million visitors a month, Sleep Calculator. The simple site helps you figure out when to go to bed and explains the various sleep cycles and it’s monetized with display ads. He and Jared talk about sleep as a niche and the potential it has as a niche. Jared shares his weird niche site, Dash Lights, which focuses on dashboard warning lights and what they mean. The design is quite generic, it has a DR of just 8, and it’s monetized with ads, but it’s ranking for 27k keywords, 2000 of which are number 1 rankings, and probably gets over 100k visitors per month. Jared’s theory about the success of this website is the great way it has established topical authority, and he thinks it could be earning up to $5k per month. And that concludes another informative edition of the Niche Pursuits News podcast. We'll see you next week! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want to learn how to create a profitable media business via the Amazon Influencer program? Then don't miss the episode below! Thomas Smith joins the Niche Pursuits podcast today to share how he's making good money with the Amazon Influencer Program. He doesn't stop there, though, as he also profits by repurposing those videos for YouTube and transcribing them into a blog! He's a long-time Youtuber, an Amazon Influencer Program member, and an expert in creating effective content. And luckily for us, there's no shortage of tips he's willing to share. Here are just a few examples: He discusses how the information conveyed in the videos far outweighs the importance of production values. And he suggests finding low-competition or long-tail products to review, as they have a higher chance of standing out and driving sales (with examples that may surprise you). To create better shoppable videos, Thomas advises focusing on using the product in its context of use and sharing genuine thoughts and opinions. Demonstrating how the product is used in real-life situations helps contextualize it for viewers and converts better. Thomas also mentions how he uses Jungle Scout as a helpful resource for product research. And he emphasizes the value of authenticity and relatability in videos, as viewers prefer real people's opinions over highly produced content. He also mentions that the Amazon Influencer program offers various opportunities beyond shoppable videos, including live streaming, shoppable photos, and brand deals. And to maximize reach and monetization potential, Thomas repurposes influencer content for other platforms like YouTube and blogs. Overall, Thomas Smith provides really valuable insights and resources for creating successful influencer content. And his tips on authenticity, low-cost production, and providing useful information will help aspiring influencers stand out in the competitive market. Check out the full interview below! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Are you ready to tune into another exciting episode of Niche Pursuits News with Spencer and Jared Bauman? This episode was actually recorded live on YouTube, so if you missed it, you can check out the replay below. In this episode, Spencer and Jared talk about a new bill in Canada, Twitter’s SEO fail, the new Threads platform, and how AI has run a known content agency out of business. They also share updates on their side hustles and discuss some weird niche sites. Let’s jump in!  The first topic they discuss is a new bill in Canada that was passed where digital properties and media outlets are able to charge Google to display their news. In response, Google has said that it will remove their news links from its search results and will stop sending traffic to their websites. They talk about the possible repercussions and how Canada might be the first country to take this step, but it might not be the last one. Spencer and Jared then move on to discuss Twitter’s massive SEO fail when Elon Musk tried to reduce the number of bots crawling it and accidentally limited Google’s access. This led to a massive drop in Twitter’s search visibility in Google, which Twitter then tried to reverse. The next news item they discuss is Mark Zuckerberg’s launch of a Twitter rival called Threads. With 30 million people signing up after its launch, Spencer and Jared talk about the use of a .net domain and a mobile model for the new platform and their plans to use it. Then they talk about niche-specific news, sharing how Niche Website Builders, which rebranded as Make Lemonade, has essentially filed for bankruptcy. The agency, which specialized in content creation for niche website owners, was overtaken by AI and run out of business. The key takeaway for Jared and Spencer is that content agencies must step up their game by offering unique strategies and top-notch content to stay ahead of the curve. In the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the podcast, Jared talks about his YouTube project with his wife, copyright issues, and demonetization as that project moves forward. He also talks about the remarkable success story of the Weekend Growth newsletter, sponsorship opportunities, and his Amazon Influencer side hustle progress. When it’s Spencer’s turn, he talks about his RankLogic launch and his recent Facebook Live on using AI content and tracking its performance. In the last section of the podcast, Jared shares his weird niche site: Weird and Wild Pizza for Weirdoughs, which caters to people who like interesting pizzas. The pizza recipe site has a low DR but ranks for 4700 different keywords and a ton of images and has a solid social media presence. Spencer shares the site he found, Know Your Meme, which is a huge database of all memes ever created on the internet. It has a DR of 85, ranks for 3.9 million keywords, and gets over 50 million page views per month. Jared chimes in with some very interesting details about the site as well and both he and Spencer talk about using a similar strategy to create a niche website. Another episode filled with a wealth of advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this week’s Niche Pursuits News! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Want the full rundown on the Amazon Influencer Program? Matt Donley joins the Niche Pursuits podcast this week to deep dive into this exciting opportunity. The Amazon Influencer Program is still relatively new and evolving, but as you'll soon learn, it provides great opportunities for content creators to make significant passive income. To apply for the program, you just need to link a social media account like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram with a following of around 1,000 or more. Then once approved, you must upload three videos for manual review to be eligible for onsite placement. Once these are approved you're off the races! Remember, the videos you make are placed on the product pages. Meaning the people watching them are highly qualified and almost ready to buy. The key to success according to Matt lies in creating videos that provide valuable information and help customers make purchasing decisions. And so, videos should focus on answering customer questions and showcasing the product in a conversational and authentic tone. And since people on the Amazon pages can be swayed by real people showing off the actual product, the quality of the videos don't even need to be high production, and can be shot using your phone. Earnings are based on commission percentages for each product category. And so, if your goal is to reach $100 per day, you'll want to start reviewing high-quality and profitable products from the start. This is why product selection is crucial, not only in terms of price, but also focusing on products that have a demand for video reviews and may require more explanation or demonstration. Starting with products you already own is a good way to get started and gain instant validation. And Matt also forecasts, and shares important advice on what sorts of content he believes Amazon may crack down in the future. Currently, the program is only available on the US Amazon site, but there are plans to expand to other countries in the future. For those interested in learning more about the Amazon Influencer Program, Matt has created a great Amazon Influencer course to help you get started and set up for success. But don't miss the full episode below to learn the full scoop! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast with Spencer and co-host Jared Bauman, of 201 Creative. This week they talk about the latest problems for Google, their side hustles, and some very strange niche sites. You won’t want to miss this one! They kick off this episode by talking about how Google employees recently expressed their dissatisfaction with search results after the Reddit blackout. In response, Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the issue and introduced a new feature called "perspectives" to address it, a move that shows that Google is trying to balance AI-generated content with human perspectives.  Jared and Spencer discussed how bloggers who provide unique human perspectives and hands-on experiences can benefit from this change, highlighting the importance of honesty, expertise, and authenticity in search results. Spencer also shared his thoughts about Google’s plans with its search generative experience, as it's clear that people want well-researched human reviews in the search results. Also, the fact that the Reddit debacle has got Google’s attention is great news for content creators and bloggers. Jared and Spencer then talked about more bad news for Google.  Google is getting in hot water on YouTube and across the web as they haven’t been complying with the agreed characteristics of the ads they display on websites. This is relevant for content creators and niche site owners as they often have ads displayed through Ezoic, Mediavine, or AdThrive.  Tons of companies, large and small, have been paying for video ads and Google has been charging them but hasn’t been complying with the agreed characteristics of the ads and hasn't been transparent or accurate in how the videos are being displayed. The big question that Spencer and Jared ask is how this affects us as website owners and content creators. Listen in to hear more about their thoughts on this topic. Then Spencer shared some reviews of the podcast on Apple Podcasts Reviews and asks people to leave a review and he will read your name and website on their next podcast episode. In the Shiny Object Syndrome portion of the podcast, Spencer begins by talking about his new WordPress plugin, Rank Logic, which is now available. He talks about the challenges behind creating a plugin and preparing for the launch. Rank Logic offers users a better way to track their SEO performance. Jared talked about his side hustle using the Amazon Influencer Program, of which he has officially been a member for 30 days. He was happy to report that he broke the $1000 mark in his first month, a trend that will likely continue even if he doesn’t keep uploading videos. He also talks about his daily earnings and the possibilities of growing his income even further. In the Weird Niche Site portion, Jared goes first and talks about Hire Goats, a site that lets you rent goats and have them come and manicure your property. The site was created in 2017 and has a DR of 26 although it’s only ranking for 260 keywords. The 7-page site does, however, rank number one for all keywords related to renting goats, and although it’s a very glitchy experience and it’s a directory website, it’s very possible that they’re earning some money from it. When the hosts click around, they see that the goat landscaping website links to HireSheep.com. It’s a whole world of possibilities! Then Spencer talks about his weird niche site, Random Word Generator which, as the name suggests, lets you generate random words, numbers, and phrases with certain characteristics. It’s monetized with ads and gets 1.3 million organic visitors per month from Google and potentially 3 of 4 million visitors per month in total.  It has a DR of 72 and has really capitalized on all kinds of random generators, from dinner ideas to Bible verses, and could be earning at least $50k per month. As Jared and Spencer dig a little deeper, it looks like the creator has a whole network of successful sites. This conversation and Spencer and Jared’s ideas are sure to get the creative juices flowing, so don’t miss this episode! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Interested in 10x'ing your niche site profits? Garrett Yamasaki joins the podcast today to share how he started a dog site in 2018 and grew it into a massive success thanks to his strategic use of Amazon FBA. In the first three months, he wrote close to 100 articles targeting low-competition keywords before and after work. He saw exponential traffic growth around months four through six and knew it could be a viable business long-term. So he started hiring others to scale the business and started putting money into it. By 2019, he had 10 writers, one editor, and one virtual assistant. (He also lays out the simple yet effective workflow he uses to this day that any site operator should take note of.) In 2020, the Amazon affiliate side was growing rapidly, and by 2021, they were earning around $10,000 per month. That's when Garrett realized they could create their own product and make more money. He chose to go the private label route for a faster time to market. He identified manufacturers and branded the products for their market. And chose middle-priced products on Amazon to avoid competition from affiliates and generate external traffic to sell their products. To make it all work, he went with Amazon FBA for logistics, fulfillment, and storage and hired a VA to handle customer service. Garrett explains how Amazon FBA offers you 30-40% profit margins, compared to the 2-4% commissions as an affiliate. Plus, with Amazon's Brand Referral Bonus, you get 10% back for external traffic to their site, making it more profitable than going with a Shopify store. He also shares what the most effective type of Amazon ads are for generating sales and bestseller status. Plus, he discusses how adding FBA to his business has helped build a brand and traffic source outside of SEO. A much more profitable alternative to say, focusing on social media for brand building. It hasn't always been easy though, and expanding this business requires some experience. He discusses how going from one to now eight products have benefited from hiring a mentor and outsourcing to agencies to help with PPC and listings. Inventory management has also been difficult due to unpredictable sales curves. But he mentions that ordering a lot can help prevent stockouts. As such, Garrett keeps inventory in his garage in case of emergencies, as selling out affects his bestseller rating on Amazon. Overall what started out as a dog site has become a full-blown business. And although he's already making great money, he's still in growth mode. He reinvests much of the 20% profit margin he could be taking home back into the eCommerce side of things. And on top of all of this, his website generates at least $500,000 a year in passive income from ad revenue. This is a really great success story. Garrett shares tons of valuable tips, strategies, and things to consider adding to your own business to make way more money! Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper

Get ready for an exciting new episode of our podcast, where Spencer and co-host Jared Bauman of 201 Creative dive deep into the fascinating world of AI, SEO, and website building!   First up on their agenda is Google's policy on AI-generated content and EEAT. At the moment, Google does not distinguish between AI and human-generated content and is not requiring creators to label their content. The hosts talk about why this may be and about how Google has also shifted its position on this topic and will probably continue to do so. They also discuss EEAT and AI, as artificial intelligence-generated content can’t claim any kind of experience. As this is a topic that is constantly evolving, they agree to discuss it as changes arise. The next topic Jared and Spencer talk about is OpenAI’s potential plans to open an AppStore for ChatGPT. This could include customized AI chatbots, which several companies are already selling. The hosts then briefly talk about how the INP report has now been added to Google Search Console and is now a part of the Core Web Vitals report. GA4 comes up when Jared asks Spencer about his thoughts on the new analytics, and the hosts talk about their experience using it. In the Shiny Object Shenanigans portion of the episode, Spencer talks about his new side project, the WordPress plugin Rank Logic, which helps users track their SEO performance. It’s a real game-changer that enables content creators to understand what’s working and what’s not and tracks changes they make as well as content and author performance. He’s even considering incorporating GA4 into the app to make it the data user-friendly. The launch is imminent, so stay tuned! Jared talks about his new side hustle using the Amazon Influencer Program, reporting that in his first month, he will have made around $1000 from 229 videos. He talks about how daily earnings from the program fluctuate a lot and how inspiring it is to be able to build such a lucrative income stream in just one month.   As for Weird Niche Sites, Jared goes first and talks about the site People of Walmart, which features user-generated photos of the people that shop at Walmart. He talks about how a site like this could be created for any number of stores, although he and Spencer point out how normally it’s very risky to use the name of a company as part of your domain name. Spencer shares his site, which is Psychic High School, a humorous site. It’s updated actively but is a low-traffic site that’s ranking for very few keywords. The hosts talked about why the site might have been created and they have a good laugh about the content. You won’t want to miss this episode, where the hosts share insight, opinions, and a few surprises along the way!