Looking for blog ideas that can get you a neat income while working from home or anywhere in the world? Here’s a list of the types of blogs that will keep the cash till ringing!
As more people are opting to quit 9-5 jobs and work from home, a common concern is how to pay the bills. Well, you’re in luck if you have expert knowledge in one or more areas and you can write well.
Blogging is a lucrative career option if you know the types of blogs that make money and some blogging tips.
Blog niches that make money span from technology to food. With such a wide range of profitable blog categories, there’s bound to be some niche that will click with your interest and expertise.
Let’s look at the top money making blogs in 2021 that will help you take the leap of faith from your desk job to one that gives you the ultimate freedom and maximum earning opportunities.
Top 21 Money Making Blogs in 2023
Blogging is a feasible pursuit that you can leverage if you have in-depth knowledge about any subject. Let’s look at some of the blog niches that have the potential to earn you a sizable income.
1. Finance Blog
Most people love insights about making and saving money. So, if you have or had a career in investment or banking, creating a finance blog could be your side hustle.
You can narrow it down to target a more specific audience with a finance topic such as saving money, making the right investments, planning for retirement, managing debt, budgeting smartly, accounting, and others.
There are finance and accounting software companies that may offer affiliate marketing deals to you so that you can make money while promoting them.
2. Business Blog
More and more people are switching from regular jobs to set up their businesses. A business blog would make sense for this segment.
As exciting as it may sound to have your business, there are many aspects like logistics, people management, making a business plan, generating business ideas, marketing your service or product, accounting, etc.
Just pick any one or two sub-topics that you know and have experience with to write a blog about.
3. Sales and Marketing Blog
Although marketing is part of the greater topic of business, it is a vast area with many branches, each of which can be a separate blog niche.
Sales is often tagged with marketing and in some ways, they are connected. If you’re an expert in retail or institutional sales, selling insurance, high-value products, and others, you can create blog ideas that you would be most comfortable with.
Your experience in traditional marketing can help you blog about branding, communications, processes, marketing budgets, portfolio management, and others.
Digital marketing itself has become such a huge area that you can select blog niches that make money within this sphere. Examples include social media marketing, SEO, email marketing, content marketing, etc.
4. Legal Blog
Lawyers are one of the highest-paid professionals in the world. And a legal blog can certainly get a pretty penny (or two) for you.
Be it tax filing, traffic rules, getting advice on the power of attorney, or anything with a legal angle to it, you can write about it and publish it on pre-monetized platforms. Or you can create your own website.
Before consulting a lawyer in person, anyone can search online for legal advice that’s not too complicated. Therefore, legal blogs have a good market. Offer online legal services in exchange for a fee.
And with the right search optimization, you can sell ad space on your site or offer content in a subscription format to leverage blogs that make money.
5. Fitness Blog
Health and fitness blogs are definitely up there in the blogosphere, especially with the recent pandemic that led to unwanted weight gains and psychological issues.
There are so many topics that can shoot off from this wide area and if you’re a pro in any one of them, now is your chance to make money blogging.
Besides various kinds of workout routines, health and fitness blogs can also discuss ways to practice mindfulness, yoga, and meditation to keep mentally fit.
Clean and healthy eating, various diets, and nutritional advice always make a welcome read for those looking for the motivation to lead a healthier life.
6. Parenting Blog
Moms and dads have a first-hand experience in bringing up kids and all the joys and tears along the way.
Those who want to be parents or are new ones or struggling with teenage kids can get a lot of help and advice from parenting blogs. Therefore, this is one of the types of blogs that make money through affiliate links or by giving advertisers the space to promote kids’ products.
If you want to bring up your children while working from home, a parenting blog site is certainly your niche. You can earn while keeping an eye on the kids at home.
Topics that you can discuss can range from children’s food habits to child psychology to home schooling to traveling with kids.
7. Personal Growth Blog
We all need someone to tell us that we can do it. Motivation gurus are all the rage these days as they show us the way we can develop our emotional quotient and become better.
People need expert advice and insights into managing relationships, understanding the self, finding the true purpose of life, achieving the goals one has set, and handling various life situations without blaming or harming oneself.
Your personal growth blog can change someone’s life for the better and at the same time, earn you a neat income if you offer courses and gated how-to guides.
8. Travel Blog
Fact: “33% of US travelers use travel blogs for travel advice”. (Source: Optimonster)
33% is a large share of the traveler market and if your travel blog finds space in this pie, you’re set to milk one of the top money making blogs.
Travel blogs are easiest to start since you write them from your experience instead of second-hand accounts.
Budget traveling, traveling with children, solo traveling, religious trips, adventures, staycations, and plenty of other topics related to travel are out there. You can share packing trips, where to stay, things to do, places to eat, and other sub-topics to make your travel blog unique.
9. Food Blog
Food has become one of the top blogs that make money.
There are quite a few food blogging options. If you’re a home cook and passionate about creating new recipes, you’re on! If you like to restaurant-hop and write reviews, it saves you from the hassle of cooking but you still get to maintain a review blog.
Some people are experts at baking without an oven and they have a substantial fan base.
Healthy recipes that adhere to Paleo, Keto, and other diet types are also a profitable blog niche.
Besides, you can also write about meal prepping and quick meals to target working couples. Or, simply focus on international cuisines that appeal to a wider audience.
With food, you can be innovative and creative with your blogs. Just be sure to support your food blog with a Pinterest and Instagram account with high-quality and mouth-watering food images.
10. Pet Blog
Pets are as important as our children, health, and finances. There are so many things to know about pets. Like, their ideal diet, how to train them, what are the signs that they may be unwell, which vet to take them to, different types of medical treatment, where to keep them while you’re on vacation, how to maintain an aquarium of fish – the list goes on!
So, if you’ve had ample experience with birds, fishes, cats, dogs, or any exotic pets, your blog can appeal to a huge audience. With affiliate links in your blog that reward you each time someone buys pet food, toys, etc., it’s an easy way of passive income for you.
11. Green Living Blog
From sustainable agriculture to sustainable clothing, green living has taken the world by storm. Conscientious citizens try to reverse the effects of climate change and return to a lifestyle that doesn’t harm the environment.
Within this wide area of interest, you can write blogs about growing your own vegetables, using solar energy, recycling waste materials, the impact of plastic use, and many other subjects related to eco-friendly living.
12. Lifestyle Blog
Lifestyle is an all-encompassing area and your blog can cover plenty of sub-topics within it.
Healthy eating, exercising, minimalist lifestyle, relationships, culture, personal experience, time management, and any other topic that addresses the way we live, think, change, and approach life, treat our planet and all that’s within it.
13. Beauty Blog
The beauty industry in the USA in 2020 was worth a whopping $49.2 billion (source: Statista.com).
Therefore, you can try your hand at beauty blog niches that make money. Blog ideas for this topic could be color cosmetics, skincare, herbal beauty products, haircare, trending makeup and hairdos, etc.
It’s easy to add affiliate links to beauty products and as there’s no dearth of such products. You can earn a good amount through affiliate marketing. Plus, when your blog grows, you can sell ad space, offer makeup tutorials to subscribers, or even promote your brand.
14. Fashion Blog
Closely related to beauty is the fashion industry. For fashion enthusiasts, a blog can be a successful means to earn money.
You can discuss high street fashion brands, fashion for older women, styles for teenagers, seasonal fashion, festive clothing, upcoming brands, sustainable clothing, fashion around the world, trending patterns and colors, and many other related topics.
Affiliate marketing and promoting your fashion brands can be the two major sources of income from your blog.
15. Interior Decoration Blog
Our living and working space are merging with the work from home format becoming the norm for many industries.
Interior decoration sets the mood and tone of our workspace and living quarters. Be it a 600 square feet studio apartment or a two-storeyed house, we all need interior decoration ideas to make our house a home. And our office space motivating and energizing.
Blogs regarding interior decoration may include color tones for the different rooms in the house, decoration pieces, floral arrangements, Zen décor, feng shui, etc.
You can offer interior decoration consultancy through your blog to earn money. It’s also possible to have affiliate links to other interior consultancy services and related products like paint brands, furniture stores, and others.
16. Arts and Crafts Blog
Many people are into DIY and offering a blog that provides detailed processes and tips on arts and crafts is a great way to leverage top money making blogs.
You can categorize arts and crafts online lessons according to age groups of students and sell these. Your blog can get sponsored posts from brands of paints, glue, paper, brushes, etc. And, of course, affiliate links always help to increase revenues from blogs.
Gardening, home decoration, woodwork, paper art, holiday crafts, candle-making, etc. make interesting topics.
17. Technology Blog
With the ever-increasing use of technology in all spheres of our lives, no wonder technology blogs are hot and happening.
Your tech blog can discuss how to fix glitches in your device and other guides, the latest smartphones, software, product reviews, sneak peeks into the industry, and others.
Since tech software and products usually involve more time, money, and research, if your blog gives genuine reviews and feedback, chances are high that you can earn a good commission through affiliate marketing.
18. Gaming Blog
Thanks to the tech revolution, the gaming industry has also grown by leaps and bounds and it’s recognized as a profession. The gaming market size in the US in 2020 was at an all-time high of $66.88 billion (source: Statista.com)
Your gaming blog can be popular if you review games, compare them, give real-time industry updates, top gamers reviews and updates, or offer guides and tutorials. Brands would like to get into affiliate marketing deals with you.
19. Sports Blog
One of the blog niches that make money is the sports blog. Updates in the world of soccer, basketball, tennis, Paralympics, Super Bowl, and other sporting events can be a profitable blog niche.
You can focus on the top sportsmen in your blog or talk about strategies and techniques in different sports, upcoming sports events, new sports, sports news, etc.
If your organic traffic is of a good size, you can sell ad space to sports brands.
20. Religious Blog
Many people these days are converting to another religion or trying to know more about the one they currently follow. Some people want to know about religions even though they may not be a follower of any specific one.
Religious blogs could be something you can tinker with if you have very good knowledge about any one or more religions. You must have complete faith in what you are writing and must back it up with trusted and knowledgeable sources.
You can talk about ancient religions, new religions, or focus on Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Jewish religion.
Various facets within these religions deal with everyday life rules, spiritual guidance, prayers, and others. So, you can go as deep or as wide as you want with your blogs without making them too broad.
21. Entertainment Blog
Everyone loves to be entertained and our greatest source of it comes from movies and music.
You can do reviews on movies, directors, musicians, actors, etc. With a sizeable follower, cinemas can sell tickets through your blog. Or, your blog can be an entertainment news forum that shares the latest in the industry.
Our curiosity in the lives of the rich and famous is practically insatiable. So, your entertainment blog need not be confined to movies and music only but can cover this aspect too.
What Types of Blogs Make the Most Money
Two types of blogs make the most money – evergreen content and trending content.
Evergreen content is the content for which there is a neverending interest among the target audience. Examples are health and wealth. These are the two areas of life everyone is concerned about at all times, in all eras. So if you’re into finance, investment, or health and fitness, this could be something up your alley.
The second type of blog that makes money is trending content. These are usually short-lived topics of interest that spike quickly and also taper off equally fast, though they don’t die altogether.
Examples are HIIT or high-intensity interval training. This topic is not trending as much as it was at the beginning of this year.
For finding out what’s trending, check out Google Trends. You can even compare two or more terms to see which one is the most trending.
To blog about trending content, you should do regular and vast research. That’s because after a topic is already trending, it would be difficult to attract readers as many blogs will already have been published about it.
The best time to blog is just when you start to hear or read about a new phenomenon that has the potential to trend.
How to Choose Blog Niches That Make Money
You can follow the steps below to choose the blog niches that make money for you.
Step 1: Choose Your Area of Interest.
From the list of 21 types of blogs that make money, choose a few to start with. For example, if you’re a new mom, have a marketing job, and are interested in DIY crafts, you can try your hand at parental, arts and crafts, and marketing blogs.
Or, if you have expertise in any one category and can write in-depth about the subject, you can focus all your blogging efforts on it. If you have plenty to talk and write about any area, that should be it.
Step 2: Check Google Trends.
Once again, check out Google Trends to see how many people are interested in your subject. This should give you an idea about the target audience size.
Step 3: Research the Topic for the Right Keywords.
Do a keyword search and aim at narrower topics within the area of interest. For example, digital marketing is a wide topic and it would be difficult to attract an audience if you write generic blogs about it.
Within digital marketing, you can choose types of digital marketing, digital marketing courses, or another niche to focus your blogging energies on.
Step 4: Check the Moolah.
When you’re sure what you want to write about, check out the financial side of it. A quick glance at Amazon’s Fee Schedule will tell you which are the most profitable blog categories.
Another way to check if your chosen blog ideas can get you a good income is by searching them on Google or other search engines and see if there are paid ads on the term. If people are paying for the topic keywords, you’re on the right track.
For example, SEO in digital marketing could be a profitable blogging niche since the search results show an ad on this topic on the top of the page.
Ways to Make Money Blogging
Some of the tried, tested, and proven ways to make money blogging are below:
- Insert affiliate links in your blogs so that if the visitor signs up or purchases by clicking your link, you get a commission. Check out this blog on the top paying affiliate programs.
- If you have substantial traffic, use Google AdSense to put ads on your WordPress blogs. Google AdSense connects advertisers to publishers like bloggers to place contextual ads. So, whenever someone clicks on these ads, you end up making money blogging.
- From WordPress, you can create an online store to sell a product or service. It’s easy to set up shop on Etsy.
- You can use your expert knowledge to create and sell courses, eBooks, templates, and how-to guides online.
- Promote your exclusive product or content through your blogs to attract more subscribers.
- You can also sell your blog for a profit when it has reached a level that generates huge organic traffic and ad spends.
Try a combination of these techniques so that you don’t depend on just one source of revenue.
14 Best Blogging Sites to Make Money in 2021
There are many sites from which blogging can be a lucrative exercise. Following are some of the best blogging sites to make money from.
1. WordPress
The leading website creator in the world has multiple functionalities that make it a #1 choice for bloggers to make an income. Armed with various plug-ins, it’s not hard for beginners, intermediate, or advanced bloggers to make the most monetization out of WordPress.
2. Medium
This is a free, pre-monetized, and readymade platform that accepts blogger contributions and pays them according to the members’ time spent on the content. Getting started on Medium is very easy as you just need to write your content and press the Publish button.
3. HubPages
Similar to Medium, this is also a free platform where you can publish your blogs and get paid as per the number of views. HubPages also takes into account the content strength based on its ability to secure ad impressions.
4. Vocal.Media
Budding creatives like musicians, writers, artists, and others can be found on Vocal.Media. They are paid as per the number of readers who consume their content. It even allows creators to be tipped, which goes directly into their accounts.
5. Substack
It’s a hybrid of blogging and newsletter subscription platforms since it allows publishers to send a newsletter and to publish the blog on Substack. Substack gets a part of the revenue from the subscription and publishing here is free.
6. Ghost
What puts Ghost on the list of best blogging sites to make money is its variety of publishing tools. So, you don’t need to stick to just one type of content – blogs. Explore gated digital products and content, subscription-based emails and newsletters, and courses to expand your revenue sources.
7. Matador
Travel bloggers can earn between $80 and $100 per article on Matador. However, every article needs to be pitched for approval before it gets published. Matador is not just about where to go and where to stay. It delves deeper into the culture and lifestyle of the natives.
8. NewsBreak
A platform for publishing local and regional news and events, NewsBreak is focused on trending and real-time news blogs. Bloggers get a flat commission for every piece and depending on the performance, they get a slice of the revenue.
9. Wattpad
Wattpad brings together writers and readers of non-fiction, romance, and other genres. It boasts 80 million readers and authors registered with it. Fiction writers get monetization from their long-form content.
10. Tumblr
This is a social media platform that reaches wide and deep. Its Post+ wing allows bloggers to earn money from their posts. Content contributors can choose from three subscription plans. Tumblr gets a 5% commission from the revenues generated by the bloggers.
11. Twitter
Not a traditional blogging platform per se, Twitter has given a new meaning to micro-blogging. A new feature called Super Follows enables publishers to offer gated content and earn through subscription.
12. Blogger
Owned by Google, Blogger offers a free platform for blogging and allows you to add videos, images, and a timestamp. You can either choose from the templates or create a customized one on Blogger. Through Google AdSense, you can earn from your blogs.
13. Write.as
If you want to publish your blogs anonymously, write.as could be your choice. It allows authors privacy and a simple way to write and publish their work.
14. Steemit
This is a forum where content creators, curators, and commentators can earn. Contents posted on Steemit can get upvoted or downvoted. A unique way of payment is through its Steem cryptocurrency.
Blogging Best Practices
Blogging may sound like a piece of cake. Until you find out there are hardly any visitors to your site and those who visit do not stick around for long. Follow these best blogging practices to ensure a steady flow of organic traffic.
1. Create Useful Content.
Think about the utility of the content you want to write. As discussed earlier, do keyword research related to your blog topic to find out if people are interested in your chosen topic.
If yes, make the content useful and valuable by writing from the reader’s point of view, answering all the questions they have in mind, adding value to what is already known, and being genuine in your tone and approach.
2. Make the Content Easy to Read.
Your blog should flow in a sequence that makes it an easy read. No matter how useful your content is, if it appears like a wall of words, your readers won’t dwell long enough on the site.
Add interesting and contextual images, facts, infographics, charts, and other visuals. Because, as the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
When a blog contains interesting quotes that can be clicked to tweet, it becomes easier for the reader to follow your thought and to share it as well.
An easy read structures content by leaving enough breathing space in it. You can do this by keeping the paragraphs short, giving headings, sub-headings, and bullet points.
The language of blogs that make money is easy and doesn’t use difficult words to keep things comfortable for the reader.
3. Create a Niche.
To stand out from the crowd, you must create a niche blog that will attract and grow your traffic. If you write what everyone else is writing then where is the value and the uniqueness?
Narrow down your topic so that your content is written for a particular age group with a specific set of needs. For example, a blog niche that talks to new parents about parenting for special needs children is more specific than general parenting.
4. Optimize for Search Engines.
So, you have created great blogs targeted at a specific audience, giving lots of valuable content, and are easy peasy to read. But what if it doesn’t show on search engines when readers type in the keywords and phrases?
This is where search engine optimization comes in. You have to enable your website and content to be crawled and indexed by search engine bots.
Without optimization, Google, Yahoo, Bing, or any other search engine won’t find your blog. Let alone rank it.
SEO is a separate topic and if you want to know more about it, you can check this article on organic search engine optimization.
Final Words
Blogging is truly a fun activity although you have to invest much time in research and writing. Nothing comes out of blogging if you don’t put your heart and soul into it.
From the many types of blogs that make money, choose the one that fits you best. Follow the best blogging tips and practices, make sure to SEO it, and before long you will be counting more money than you had expected.
Sujan Sarkar is one of the co-founders of OneLittleWeb. He leads the agency with over a decade of experience.
In 2018, he founded OneLittleWeb, driven by a vision to fill a void in the industry, providing top-quality SEO and backlink services.
His impressive track record includes crafting over 25,000 backlinks for more than 1100 clients, generating over 1 billion in traffic. This has earned him a significant presence in the SEO realm.
He successfully leads a dedicated team of 65+ SEO professionals, focused on helping SaaS and Enterprises scale their organic traffic.
Sujan firmly believes that the best backlinks are not paid for but earned through high-quality content and strategic relationships.
Every day, he works tirelessly to position your business at the forefront of your customers’ minds, striving to elevate your brand’s visibility and authority.
His daily inspiration centers around securing client features on top-tier publications like Forbes, MSN, BBC, Yahoo, and many more. He leverages the right SEO strategies to achieve this mission.
