I’m starting a new blog!

Hi Reader,

So… I’ve been keeping a big secret from you…

I’m starting a new blog!

But his new blog is going to be quite different from Productive Blogging and Easy Peasy Foodie…

Not least because this one is more of a passion project.

I will monetize it, but monetization is not the main motivation for this new blog.

(I know that probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense right now, but it will make so much sense when I reveal the niche and the full back story!)

It’s actually something I have been thinking about for YEARS, but not especially seriously.

But then a couple of things happened back in November 2025 that made me realise NOW is the time!

It’s still a work in progress, and I’m not going to release any details about the niche / URL etc. until it goes live.

But as I've been putting this new blog together, I've noticed something interesting...

I am doing things VERY differently to how I did it back in 2015 (when I started Easy Peasy Foodie) and in 2018 (when I started Productive Blogging).

Because let’s face it… 2026 is not 2015 (or 2018) and the things that worked back then are not going to work in 2026!

Anyway, as I was putting this new blog together, I kept thinking…

“This is actually really good advice for ANYONE who wants to succeed at blogging in 2026!”

So I thought I'd share it with you.

Here are 7 things I'm doing differently this time around...

1. I’m niching right down

I mean RIGHT down. Like, a teeny-tiny niche.

Why is this good advice?

Because topical authority matters more than ever in 2026.

I see this constantly when I am doing keyword research: tiny blogs leapfrogging huge sites in the search results simply because they’re hyper-niched.

If you want to succeed at blogging in 2026, you definitely need to niche right down and really OWN that niche!

2. I’ve chosen a niche where an AI Overview won’t cut it

I’m hoping this one is pretty much self-explanatory…

If you are still covering simple informational topics, where most people will be perfectly happy with a one-paragraph AI Overview, then good luck getting ANY traffic to your blog in 2026!

If you want to succeed at blogging in 2026, you need to write on topics where most people will want a living breathing human answer that’s based on genuine expertise and real world experience.

We often think of E-E-A-T as “a thing we do for Google” but actually, in this world of generic robot answers, creating content that simply could not have been written by a bot is how we as bloggers can cut through the noise and attract real humans to our blogs.

(It’s a funny old world where “being an actual human” is now a USP 😂)

3. I’m prioritizing email marketing from Day 1

As we have seen over the past few years, building an online business based on borrowed traffic is incredibly risky.

That’s why, with this new website, I am making converting borrowed traffic into owned traffic a priority from Day 1.

And that means putting in place a strong email marketing strategy from the start.

4. Instagram will be a major part of my strategy

I NEVER EVER thought I would be saying this…

I mean, I am Little Miss SEO 😂

But this niche does REALLY well on Instagram.

And honestly…

I think I might have been missing a trick when it comes to Instagram.

I’ve been learning A LOT about how to do Instagram well over the last few months.

(Because let’s face it… I do Instagram really badly ATM - take a look at my PB Instagram account and you'll see what I mean!)

It’s definitely going to be an experiment.

It might be a total disaster 😬😬😬

But I think it might just pay off…

I’ll keep you posted on this one!

(And don't worry - I've not gone completely mad! SEO will still be a key part of this website's traffic strategy!)

5. I’m focusing on digital products, not ads

As I said earlier, monetization is not the main motivation for this website.

Not by a long shot.

BUT I do want this website to at least cover its costs. And hopefully make a little more besides.

And to make even a modest amount of money from ads requires HUGE traffic volumes – I honestly don’t think that’s a smart monetization strategy for a new blog in 2026.

Digital products have much higher RPMs – which means even a new blog can make good money from digital products – with the right strategy of course!

That, and this new blog is in a niche where ads feel kinda “icky”.

So for this new blog, I’ll be focusing on digital products as my main monetization method. And I have no plans to put ads on this new site… EVER!

6. Affiliate income will be my secondary revenue stream

I’ve chosen a niche where trust really matters and where people actively look for recommendations.

I will have my affiliate marketing set up from the start so my new blog can (at least in theory!) earn from Day 1.

And I’ll be specifically targeting affiliate keywords to maximize my affiliate income.

7. I’m targeting low-competition keywords

There’s no point chasing high-competition / high-volume terms with a brand new site.

And because this will be a digital product based business, I don’t need massive traffic numbers anyway – I just need to attract the RIGHT people.

I’ll put my focus into targeting low competition keywords that will attract people most likely to convert… into subscribers, and ultimately customers.

And I won’t waste my time chasing after high competition / high-volume terms that I know I won’t be able to rank for… and which I know are unlikely to attract the right people anyways.

So that’s the plan… I’ll share more next week!

Eb 😊

P.S. Can you guess what niche my new blog will be in? Hit REPLY and tell me what your hunch is 😉

Productive Blogging