Let’s face it.
Not all types of blogs make money.
Sure, you might have heard of standout successes like Jon Morrow, who earns $100,000 a month from his blog.
Or Chandler Bolt, who pulled in $9.6 million in 2021 alone.
But the truth is, these people are outliers.
According to ProBlogger, most people earn less than $10 a month from their blogs.
Check it out.
Source: problogger.com
But on the flip side, 9% of bloggers earn between $1,000 and $9,999 a month, and 4% of bloggers earn over $10,000 a month.
Good news: you can be one of these bloggers.
How?
For starters, you need to know the types of blogs that make money.
(Not all blogs do.)
Interested?
That’s what we’ll be looking at today.
Read on to find out:
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The top 12 blogging niches that make the most money in 2023
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Superstar examples of bloggers making it within these niches
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The best ways to monetize your blog so you can make thousands of dollars per month
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And more!
Let’s dive right in.
12 Types of Blogs that Make Money in 2023 (This List May Surprise You)
Back in the dark ages of the internet, getting a blog audience was easy as pie.
All you had to do was build a site, write about the last sandwich you ate, stuff in a few keywords here and there, and voila!
You’d have a bunch of sad readers browsing your site and vicariously eating the sandwich with you.
You could then sell them stuff (whether your own or an affiliate partner’s), or monetize your site through ads, quickly and easily making some cash on the side.
But things are different now.
For one thing, the blogging space is supersaturated. (Yup! 70 million posts are published by WordPress users each month.)
For another, Google has become almost human (you can no longer keyword stuff and trick your way into page #1 of the SERPs).
Then, there’s the fact that those who want to read personal stories about sandwiches can simply jump on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
In short, making money from blogging in 2023 is hard.
But it’s not impossible.
And if you ask me, it’s more profitable than ever, with 4.6 billion active internet users typing keywords into Google every second of the day.
All you need to do is select a money-making blogging niche, choose your monetization strategy, and voila!
You could easily be earning thousands of dollars per month.
So if you’re ready, here are the # types of blogs that will make you money in 2023.
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Finance Blogs
As scarface once said, “Money makes the world go round.”
And while we don’t believe that’s 100% true (or do we?), we can’t deny the importance of money.
The problem is, a ton of people have less money than they’d like to have.
And when they do have it, they go out and splurge it on things they don’t really want, leaving them broke, empty, and savings-less after a weekend of fun.
Don’t believe me?
Here are some scary stats:
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In 2020 alone, the lack of financial literacy cost Americans $415 billion.
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The average credit card debt in America is a staggering $6,270.
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About 40% of Americans don’t have less than $300 in their savings account.
Still think people don’t need financial help?
This is where you come in.
As an expert on finances, you can teach people how to save, how to view their money, how to invest, how to set up funds for retirement, and more.
And here’s where it gets even better.
You don’t have to have a degree in finance to help others out of their sticky situations.
All you need is a unique method that works for you, and that can work for others if they implement it.
Need an example?
Check out Ramit Sethi’s blog.
Source: iwillteachyoutoberich.com
Ramit’s blog is unique because it doesn’t teach people to scrimp and slave away at saving money…
…but rather to spend wisely on things they absolutely love.
Is Ramit successful?
You bet.
In fact, his net worth is over $25 million.
Does Ramit have a finance degree?
No, he doesn’t.
In fact, he gained a Bachelor of Arts in Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University.
Another great example of a financial blog is Rachel Cruze’s.
Source: ramseysolutions.com
Rachel’s blog touches topics like budgeting, retirement, home buying, debt, saving, investing, and more.
Is Rachel a financial expert with a hundred PHDs?
Nope.
In fact, she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Tennessee.
Long story short: no matter your background, you can reach blogging success by helping people make sense of their finances.
Still scratching your head, not sure if you’ll have an audience for your finance blog?
Let’s look at the hard data.
According to Ahrefs, Ramit Sethi’s blog traffic is at 66,800 per month.
Source: ahrefs.com
That’s 66,800 searchers looking for advice on their finances.
Ramit ranks for keywords like:
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How to buy assets
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How to make a lot of money
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How to make money work for you
If your blog can rank for terms like these, don’t be surprised when you see tens of thousands of people swarming it to read your timely financial advice.
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Travel Blogs
Here’s a fact not many like to admit:
Most people hate their lives.
This is especially true of the run-of-the-mill middle class, who spends their days slaving away in a cubicle-entrenched, fluorescent-lighted office building.
Not to disparage these people, of course, our modern-day heroes who are doing their best to put food on the table and send their kids to college.
But that’s why vacations are so special.
Vacations are an escape from the dullness of everyday life, where your fat boss taps his fingers impatiently in his corner office as you break your fingers typing up that report.
So let’s be honest here.
Do you squander away your precious vacation time flattened out in front of your gigantic TV?
Maybe you do, but if you’re like a ton of people, you’d rather live a little by traveling to a place you’ve never seen before.
So you jump online and start searching for the best places to go.
And you’re not alone.
In fact, 33% of US travelers read travel blogs for advice.
These people don’t want to waste time.
They want to know where to go, what to do and see there, which hotels to stay at, and how to save money while they’re there.
My question to you: why not help them?
If you have the travel bug in you, you’ve probably already been to a dozen (or even a hundred) places across the globe.
And even if you haven’t been far, every place is special…
…which means you can write guides and advice on your cute hometown to start.
Let’s check out an example of an uber-successful travel blog.
Source: nomadicmatt.com
Nomadic Matt is a travel blogger who helps people make the most out of their vacations while on a budget.
His travel tips are loved by hundreds of thousands of people, as can be seen by his monthly site traffic.
Source: ahrefs.com
He ranks for keywords like:
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Cheap flights
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Travel tips
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Historical places
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Gifts for travelers
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Backpacking in Europe
Is he successful?
You bet.
According to CNBC, Matt quit his $35,000 a year cubicle job and is now earning $750,000 a year doing what he loves most: traveling.
And you can do it too.
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Health and Fitness Blogs
In today’s demanding, fast-paced world, almost everyone is worried about their health.
And for good reason.
I mean, if you don’t know at least one person who has never exercised in the past year, and who calls frozen TV dinners their staple…
…you must be living on Mars.
Because truth be told, everyone’s too busy nowadays.
Too busy to fix a home-cooked meal. Too busy to take a walk around the apartment complex. Too busy to turn on a 20-minute YouTube video teaching yoga.
And if they’re not busy, they’re lazy.
And if they’re not both…it’s because broccoli tastes bad.
Where we’ve ended up: almost everyone is unhealthy nowadays.
In fact, according to a Health Survey for England, 9 in 10 people have at least one bad health habit.
Check out these shocking percentages:
Source: bbc.com
So yes, we all need to be healthier.
And if you’ve got advice to share, and practical tips busy people can use to achieve a healthier lifestyle, you’ll be famous in no time.
For example, take the popular blog Delish Knowledge.
Source: delishknowledge.com
Delish Knowledge is all about eating right.
It has a ton of quick but healthy recipes on hand (check out that 10-minute vegan black bean taco recipe!).
It also features nutrition advice aimed at helping readers understand how to eat better.
Source: delishknowledge.com
Do people read their blogs?
BIG YES.
Check out their monthly site traffic.
Source: ahrefs.com
Apparently, a ton of people want to know how to make 15-minute vegan pad thai and vegan instant pot lentil soup.
Delish Knowledge ranks for keywords like:
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Salsa canning recipe
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Tofu spring rolls
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Vegan instant pot recipes
Don’t have a ton of recipes you can share with the world?
Don’t worry.
There are other ways you can build your fitness and health blog.
For example, you can do something like Mind Body Green.
Source: mindbodygreen.com
Mind Body Green’s content isn’t written by a single writer, but by a variety of doctors and health experts.
They cover all kinds of topics such as eating, exercise, medicine, and more.
The truth is, there’s no single way to build a health blog.
As long as you’re giving people helpful advice on how to be healthier, they’ll listen.
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Food Blogs
Ok, so maybe you’re not a health expert.
That doesn’t mean you know nothing about world-class cooking.
Or unique cooking.
Or international cooking.
Maybe your ancestors came from a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and you know a thing or two about making desserts from starch and shaved coconut.
Or maybe your grandma has a bunch of handwritten recipes in the attic, dying to be made and savored by the world.
If you love to cook, starting a food blog may just be your road to a profitable side income.
Because the truth is, people have loved to eat since the beginning of time.
We’ve always been obsessed with adding new ingredients to that already-beloved dish, experimenting with this and that until we’ve developed something breathtaking.
So if you’ve got unique recipes to share with the world, you bet they’ll come flocking in to read your blog.
Just like they do at Smitten Kitchen.
Source: smittenkitchen.com
Smitten Kitchen has a ton of truly unique recipes, like Middle Eastern and Balkan pastries, Austrian pancakes, and North African salads.
(I mean, who doesn’t want to show off to friends and Instagram fans by making a dish from halfway across the world?)
No wonder their monthly site traffic is through the roof.
Source: ahrefs.com
They rank for keywords like:
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Red wine chocolate cake
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Brown butter rice krispie treats
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Russian honey cake
Now, if you believe your cooking skills are terrible, and you’ve never made more than a lopsided fried egg, don’t worry.
There are other ways to build a food blog.
For instance, if eating out is your favorite pastime, you can start a restaurant review blog.
Or you can review online food products to help people with their purchasing decisions.
In the end, there are a million and one ways to start a food blog.
All you need is the love for eating.
(And don’t we all have that?)
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Business Blogs
When you think of the word “business” what pops into your mind?
A giant, shiny conglomerate perhaps.
Or huge companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Google.
But the truth is, most businesses aren’t that huge or unreachable.
There are a ton of companies that are smaller and more, well, relatable.
Like that mom and pop shop down the block.
Or that tiny content agency that supplies awesome blogs and email newsletters to companies.
So yes, even if you’re not Elon Musk or Jeff Bullas, you might know a thing or two about business.
And here’s the thing: millions of people want to hear your advice.
Yup!
A ton of people out there want to know things like:
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How to start an online business
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How to market a brand
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How to make a decent side income
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And more!
For inspiration, check out Smart Passive Income.
Source: smartpassiveincome.com
SPI started out as a blog helping people make money online.
Today, it’s a huge success, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars each month from its almost 80,000 site visitors.
Source: ahrefs.com
It ranks for keywords like:
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How to start a podcast
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Affiliate marketing
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How to start an email list
Or check out Melyssa Griffin’s blog.
Source: melyssagriffin.com
Melyssa’s brand is different in that it’s more personal.
Instead of the usual hardcore business advice, she helps her audience grow their business by first growing from the inside.
In other words, it’s not only about success in business but also about living life to the fullest.
Does her thing work?
You bet.
In fact, she earns a whopping $238,000 a month.
And you can too when you identify what today’s entrepreneurs want to learn and address it in a unique, valuable blog.
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Marketing Blogs
These are related to business blogs, but they focus more on how to grow a business through marketing that works.
Because in the end, we can’t just start up a business, close our eyes, and hope and pray it grows into something we can be proud of.
To get there, we need hard work, strategy, and great advice from people who’ve made it.
So if you own a business you’ve made successful through an awesome marketing strategy, you can bet there’ll be a ton of people banging on your door to learn your secrets.
And really, why keep your secrets?
You can always share it in a blog and earn a nice side income from it.
Check out this example of a successful marketing blog.
Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com
Content Marketing Institute’s name says it all.
It exists to teach people the latest way to market their brand: through valuable content.
Does it work?
Yep!
Just check out how many visitors their site gets each month.
Source: ahrefs.com
They rank for keywords like:
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Content marketing
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Content marketing strategy
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SEO best practices 2023
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
“This looks like a super pro blog! That type of content just isn’t me.”
If you just thought that, it’s totally OK.
Because “marketing” doesn’t have to be synonymous with “serious.”
If you’re into the more fun vibe, why not do something like Marketing Harry?
Source: marketingharry.com
The point is, if you know a thing or two about helping a business grow, it’s an awesome foundation for a money-making blog.
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Self-Improvement Blogs
Here’s a fact.
Only a precious few people are really happy about who they are today.
The rest of us keep seeing faults and shortcomings in ourselves.
Is that a bad thing?
Not necessarily.
Because the truth is, seeing our shortcomings teaches us the way forward.
We need to know we lack something in order to go get it.
We need to know we suck at our job in order to make a change for the better.
We need to know we’re terrible at a new language in order to enroll at that night class every Tuesday and Thursday.
And because so many people are unhappy with where they are and want to improve…
…there’s a huge space open for self-improvement and personal development blogs.
So if you’ve got something to say to help these people, why not say it?
Don’t worry.
You don’t have to be a psychiatrist to help people improve their lives.
You can simply teach them a skill you’ve perfected, or give them some dating advice from your decades of failed relationships.
Want an example?
Here’s Let’s Reach Success, a personal development blog designed to help women create an abundant life for themselves.
Source: letsreachsuccess.com
As you can see, its organic traffic is pretty cool at 5,000+ visitors per month.
Source: ahrefs.com
It ranks for terms like:
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How to become a millionaire with no money
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How to fix yourself
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Mirror affirmations
Did this blog “make it”?
Sure it did.
In fact, its founder, Lydia, started making enough to quit the nine to five rat race and move to her dream country, The Netherlands.
Since then, she’s been helping other women gain financial freedom and basically live the life of their dreams.
As you can see, Lydia’s blog is a cross between business and personal development.
And that’s OK.
When you start doing research on what kind of blog to start, you’ll notice that there are overlaps between blog types.
This, in my humble opinion, is what makes blogging truly exciting!
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Parenting Blogs
According to Humanium, there are 2.2 billion children in the world to date.
This means there are also quite a lot of parents trying to figure out the exciting and maddening world of parenthood.
Because really, it’s not easy.
From screaming tantrums in malls to finding the right diaper that doesn’t give baby rashes…
…parenting is like an 18-year mad roller coaster ride.
Which is why parents are desperate for all the help they can get.
Enter, you.
If you’ve had your share of parenting ups and downs, and have learned a thing or two from hard experience, it’s time to start sharing what you know in a blog.
Trust me, millions of people will thank you for it.
And you don’t even have to be the perfect parent to get started. (Really, who can claim they’re the “perfect parent” anyway?)
In fact, Lucie’s List founder Meg Collins started her blog because she felt she’d made a ton of mistakes and wanted to help others avoid them.
Source: lucieslist.com
Did other parents ignore her because she was no guru?
Not at all.
In fact, Lucie’s List has over 350,000 subscribers.
Its monthly traffic is insane.
Source: ahrefs.com
And it ranks for great keywords like:
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Best double stroller
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Toy storage ideas
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Little baby carrier
So if you have some parenting experience under your belt, you can go ahead and start a blog that’ll change the lives of millions of clueless new parents.
Who knows?
It could be the blog that gives your life new meaning AND allows you to quit your job and spend more time with your own family.
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Pet Blogs
True, not everyone is a parent.
But there’s a new type of parenting that’s gaining popularity today.
Pet parenthood.
Yup!
You probably have more than one friend who takes her dog to the mall in a carrier, or has a wardrobe of cute outfits for her cat.
And trust me, pet parenthood is (almost) as complex as real parenthood.
I mean, there are problems like shedding and cracked paws, issues like chewing and barking, and questions such as “should I leave my puppy with a sitter or book a pet hotel?”
People want to know how to house-train dogs, how to stop cats from punching holes in the curtain, and how to care for their exotic chameleons.
They want to know what kind of hamster cage to buy, how to start their own aquarium from scratch, and what kind of toys birds like.
Plus, there’s the never-ending, hyper-controversial issue, “pet food or table food?”
Trust me, pet parents out there need you.
The demand for pet advice is so huge that blogs like The Spruce Pets have made it to millions of viewers per month.
Source: ahrefs.com
They rank for super-profitable keywords such as:
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Dog collars
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Best cat toys
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Hamster cage
So if you know a thing or two about pets, go ahead and share it with the world.
Trust me, the pet parenting space will thank you for it.
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Fashion and Beauty Blogs
Here’s a famous quote from bestselling author David Schwartz:
“Make no mistake about it. Your physical exterior affects your mental interior. How you look on the outside affects how you think and feel on the inside.”
Great saying, no?
And it’s 100% true.
Feel that you look sloppy and unkempt, and you’ll slouch and slump your way through the day.
On the other hand, feel that you look neat and sleek, and you’ll walk tall and feel important.
That’s why fashion and beauty are so important.
When people feel they look great, they naturally feel great about themselves.
But the truth is, there are a ton of clueless guys and gals out there.
They have no idea how to dress, what kind of makeup to buy, and what type of designer handbag is “in” at the moment.
This is where you come in.
You’re here to guide the fashion terrorists into a new way of life.
You’ll get them from looking like bums to shining like glamorous movie stars.
Is there a demand for what you do?
Sure there is.
In fact, there are 224,000 searches for the term “fashion” in the U.S. alone.
Worldwide, that’s 1.3 million searches.
Source: ahrefs.com
And it’s not just stats.
Real blogs like Who What Wear have made it in the fashion sphere, amassing over 4 million site visitors per month.
Source: whowhatwear.com
Source: ahrefs.com
They rank for uber profitable keywords such as:
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Chanel perfume
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2000s fashion
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New Year’s Eve Dress
Now, the thing is, there’s an overlap between fashion and beauty blogs.
There are fashion bloggers who also include a list of the best makeup brands by season.
And there are beauty experts who include trendy fashion picks as well.
Which means, you can either do a fashion-only or beauty-only blog…
…or combine the two into a blog that helps people look and feel great.
Make sense?
A note on beauty blogs: they’re super profitable too.
Just check out Instyle, a blog with an organic traffic number that’s through the roof at 4.8 million searches per month.
Source: instyle.com
Source: ahrefs.com
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Lifestyle Blogs
To be honest, not all blog types are set in stone.
There are blogs out there that are a mix of different ingredients, all aimed at making life better for readers.
These are generally termed “lifestyle blogs.”
They can be about anything including:
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Fashion
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Beauty
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Travel
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Dating
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Health and fitness
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Career development
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Personal Development
Confusing much?
It doesn’t have to be.
Think of lifestyle blogs as a mashup of different elements all combined with one purpose:
To change an audience’s life for the better.
Let’s take a peep at an example.
Check out The Every Girl.
Source: theeverygirl.com
Instead of focusing on a specific niche, The Every Girl is a blog on career and finance, beauty, fashion, home and living, dating and relationships, culture, wellness, and more.
Basically, it’s a blog that helps girls around the world improve every aspect of their lives.
Does being so diverse work?
It seems so.
Just check out the blog’s monthly traffic.
Source: ahrefs.com
They rank for keywords such as:
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Leather pants
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New hobbies to try
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Tech background
Diverse, huh?
But it works.
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Technology Blogs
Ah, technology.
How much it’s changed the world.
How we’ve gone from turning on the radio and praying our favorite song came on to downloading cool apps like Spotify.
From breaking our backs writing with feather pens and ink to typing up anything at a hundred words per minute on our laptops.
From letters that took ages to arrive, to instant chats on our smartphones.
If you’re like me, you can’t imagine a world without tech and gadgets.
And we’re not alone.
There are millions of people who feel the same, people who want the latest on which gadgets are “in.”
That’s why technology blogs work so well.
Just check out PC Mag and how much monthly organic traffic it’s getting.
Source: pcmag.com
Source: ahrefs.com
It ranks for keywords like:
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Ergonomic keyboard
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Vr head set
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Smart kitchen
Pretty profitable, as you can guess.
Yes, Blogs Make Money…But How?
Now, you may be thinking, “Cool. Now I know which types of blogs make money. But I’m still confused. Exactly how can I make money with my blog?”
Glad you asked.
Here are five stellar ways you can make money with your blog.
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Start Affiliate Marketing
Ok, I’m a bit biased.
That’s because I’ve been doing affiliate marketing for 11 years and have made it to the $40,000/month mark. (Check out my full story here.)
But hey, that just proves that affiliate marketing works, right?
Trust me, it’s an awesome way to make money blogging.
That’s because as a blogger, you’re already setting yourself up as an authority in your industry.
From there, it’s natural that you recommend products to people you care about (your audience).
To get you even more excited, here’s a fact from Investopedia:
Affiliate marketing is set to become an $8.2 billion industry this year.
Wow!
Interested to learn more about affiliate marketing? Check out our FREE course here.
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Join an Add Network
Ever notice those cute little banners at the corner of any web page you visit?
You know, the ones like this.
Source: investopedia.com
Yup, those are ads.
Once your site starts getting decent traffic, you can sign up for an ad network like:
These ad networks connect you with people running ads and pay you according to the number of clicks and impressions made.
A note on monetization through ads, though.
Most ad networks don’t accept signups from small sites with low traffic.
For instance, AdThrive only allows signups from sites with 100,000 or more page views per month.
Another reason it’s best to skip monetization through ads when you’re new is that an audience who’s still trying to figure you out may get turned off by a bunch of banner ads decorating your site.
So while ads are a great way to monetize your site, it’s best to wait until you’ve set yourself up as an authority in your industry before you start.
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Sell Your Services
It’s amazing, the way your website can work as a giant marketing tool for you.
Because think of it.
On your site, you show your expertise in your field.
So when your loyal audience decides to hire someone…of course it’ll be you.
And here’s the best part: you don’t have to be a traditional freelancer doing writing or SEO for clients.
You can sell your services for any kind of blog simply by being a little creative.
Here are examples to inspire you:
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Finance blog – accounting/budgeting services
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Pet blog – pet training services
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Business and marketing blogs – coaching services
Remember, you don’t have to be a degree holder to offer your audience your services.
All you need is proof that you know what you’re talking about, and you’ll be surprised at how many people pick you to teach them what you know.
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Sell a Course
The truth is, not everyone wants to work for a lifetime.
And while getting on Zoom to personally coach your clients is exciting, you might someday get tired of it and crave for more freedom and time.
If that’s the case, you can create and sell a course.
Inside, you’ll offer students a step-by-step guide from where they are now…
…to where they dream of being someday.
Do online courses work?
Sure they do.
In fact, online schools like CopySchool pull in millions of dollars of revenue per year.
But you don’t have to be that big to claim success.
You can do small courses like Nomadic Matt’s Superstar Blogging Course, which retails at only $99.
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Sell Your Own Products
No, I don’t mean start a giant manufacturing company.
Although you can do that, if you want to.
But you can also minimize your investment by creating small products your audience will love.
Like Rachel Cruze’s eBook, for example.
Source: ramseysolutions.com
Now…It’s Time to Start Making Money Blogging
The truth is, there are a ton of blog types out there.
But not all types of blogs make money.
To succeed in the world of blogging, you need to pick wisely.
You also need to plan your monetization strategy before you start, so you’re not wasting your time with a blog that has limited earning potential.
Don’t worry, though.
If you’ve read this blog from start to finish, you already have a clear idea of the types of blogs that make money…
…and a handful of great monetization strategies.
So go ahead.
Pick the blogging niche that most appeals to you.
Create stellar content your audience can’t ignore.
Choose a monetization strategy and work your a$$ off.
You’ll be surprised to see how soon you can get a trickle, and then a flood, of income from your site.
