Hello everyone. I’m Yogen, co-founder of Rising Creator.com and I’m happy to have you here. If you’re looking to learn from my experience of going from an art student to a digital entrepreneur or looking for inspiration to begin your online business, you’ve come to the right page.
I’ve shared everything about my passion for digital innovation—my success and failure, ups and downs, how I used my frustration as fuel, and what I’ve learned about blogging, SEO from scratch, turning ideas into income, and building a sustainable income. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences and the learning I have achieved in the process.
Ready to uncover what’s possible? Let’s dive in!
Introduction
I first learned about blogging in 2007 when I was still a college student in my second year studying arts. At that time, I worked part-time doing copy-paste jobs to support my pocket money. While working online, I discovered the exciting world of blogging. Back then, the internet was very costly and not easily available to people of my age unless they came from a rich family.
My Early Years in the Digital World
The $1 Cyber Caf That Sparked It All
I vividly remember visiting a cyber cafe in 2007 to create my first Yahoo email account, for which the cafe charged me just $1. Deeply fascinated by the endless possibilities of the digital world I used to go to the internet cafe regularly, mostly to use Yahoo Messenger and chat with unknown people. Each visit to the cyber cafe increased my curiosity and excitement about what the internet could offer. Yes, that $1 visit ignited my curiosity.
The Cyber Café Incident
One day, while I was at the cyber cafe, I discovered that I had forgotten my wallet at home. I explained the situation to the owner calmly, offered him my watch as a substitute for payment, and assured him that I would return the following day to settle my bill and retrieve my watch. Although this was difficult at the time, it made me more curious about the digital world and taught me a valuable lesson about trust and resourcefulness.
Problogger My Inspiration
Soon after, I had the advantage of using my office internet for my side-by-side learning. I would open a new browser tab during breaks and read everything about blogging while still working for my employer. I found that blogging was a way of making a living for most individuals, and this made me understand that one did not have to look for work in a conventional 9-to-5 type of employment. It was at this time that Darren Rowse↗ was my icon; I stumbled upon his blog ‘ProBlogger – Blog Tips to Help You Make Money Blogging‘ and was drawn by his articles.
The Start of My Blogging Journey
Classified Ad Gig, A ClickBank Scam
A year later, my blogging journey took an unexpected turn when I learned that the copy-paste job I was working on turned out to be a scam. My employer had a website where he was selling ClickBank affiliate products. I was hired along with several other employees. The job involved posting classified ads with affiliate links for a website. The content was provided to us. We would open the link, paste the content (which also contained an affiliate link), and post it online. At that time, I was completely unaware of the intricacies of the process because my main focus was on receiving my salary.
Although I initially got my salary on time, later on, I was not paid on time. I didn’t realize it was a scam until the office shut down, leaving me unpaid for months and jobless.
That job taught me two things:
- The internet could make money if you do it right.
- Not to rely on a single source of income.
Joining Blogger for a Side Hustle
After losing that job, I joined a medical shop as a salesboy in 2008 while continuing my final year of college. At the time, I had a basic cellphone with a small display—far from the smart devices we use today. Although it had GPS, I realized I needed to expand my knowledge and invest in an internet plan to learn more about websites, blogging, and making money online.
Determined to leave my imprint on the internet, I realized I needed to have a platform—a blog. I already knew that Google offered a free blogging website named Blogger↗, where bloggers could post their ideas and earn money by displaying targeted advertisements. So, I joined Blogger and began writing. However, success didn’t come overnight, and I didn’t make a fortune right away.
AdSense: From Rejection to Approval
AdSense, the program that allowed bloggers to earn money through ads, had very specific requirements. Perhaps I did not meet these requirements at first, and as a result, I did not get approved. Nevertheless, I did not give up; I kept creating blogs on different niches. I experimented with various tips, tricks, and tactics, even though success did not come immediately.
On January 15, 2010, Adsense finally said “yes.” My website got approved for AdSense. I started displaying ads and felt extremely happy and excited to have received approval after such a long period of trying. I continued writing blog posts and learned several additional strategies that helped me grow my blog. Even though time passed, I couldn’t still generate much income from AdSense initially in the beginning because it could only pay upon accumulation of $100 in earnings and I wasn’t yet reaching that.
Overcoming Challenges and Learning SEO
SEO Knowledge: The Missing Key
Feeling a little frustrated but still hopeful, so I searched deeper to understand the reasons behind my low earnings. I discovered Google Analytics↗, and through its statistics, I discovered that numerous other bloggers (my competitors) were creating the same kind of content. I found that my blog posts were buried deep down in Google’s search result pages. It did not even rank in the top 100 results.
Then, I learned about the very important concept of search engine optimization (SEO). I discovered that SEO covers many separate niches and is an inevitable part of successful blogging. In hindsight, blogging without proper SEO was like trying to build a house on a weak foundation. I realized that my lack of SEO knowledge was the primary reason I could not generate a decent income from my blog.
Mastering SEO: The Journey to AdSense Success
As I learned more about SEO—the true soul of blogging—I began to study it in depth. I read several articles and invested significant time into learning techniques.
In those days Vloggig were not as popular as they are today. Even Facebook content was not monetizable back then; it was mainly used to connect with friends. It was the time when Orkut was a major player in social media. Today, things are very different; you can join online courses, watch YouTube tutorials, and learn almost any skill available.
After I began to understand SEO and began implementing it effectively, my tech blog started gaining daily visitors. I started earning some money from Google Adsense. However, I still did not reach the required threshold because my blog posts were climbing slowly in search engine rankings. Over time, the situation improved significantly.
I also learned essential skills like HTML, CSS, and a little bit of JavaScript, which were necessary to modify, beautify, or transform my website in terms of both appearance and SEO. Eventually, I began ranking at the top of search results, and I made my very first check from AdSense.
Transition to WordPress and Advanced Skills
Blogger Served Me Well—Until It Didn’t
When I understood that Blogger was not sufficient for my growing needs, I wanted to seek a better alternative. I had previously heard of WordPress↗, a robust content management system (CMS) with numerous features, optimizations, and proven ways to earn money online.
I further discovered that to create a WordPress blog, I would need to purchase hosting and domain names. Moreover, I had to learn how to install WordPress and deal with important aspects of site security.
While the front-end development on WordPress was very user-friendly with its drag-and-drop features, the back-end setup and configuration were a bit troublesome.
Shifting From Blogger to WordPress
To overcome these challenges, I purchased several online courses to learn more about WordPress and related topics. Even while I continued working on Blogger and earning a decent income, I began studying WordPress in depth.
Once I felt that I had learned enough, I installed XAMPP↗, a local host on a Windows XP PC, and started building a dummy website to further develop my skills and gain hands-on experience.
My first approach to website building involved using free hosting and a free domain, which taught me many valuable lessons. After gathering more experience, I experimented with 3-month trial hosting, then 6-month trial hosting, along with a free domain. Later on, I made my first payment to develop and create a full website. I switched from a free domain to a top-level domain (TLD) by purchasing low-cost hosting, and later, I moved from low-cost hosting to dedicated WordPress hosting.
Looking back, I can honestly say that I was patient, remained persistent, and learned a valuable skill that allowed me to earn money online.
In the event of a trial, what I lost:
- Free Domain: Lost domain authority, backlinks, and brand value.
- Free Hosting Disasters: Lost 3 blogs when free hosting 000webhost wiped my account.
- First Cheap Paid Hosting: Frequent downtime and poor customer support impact my website’s performance and user experience, potentially harming my business reputation and SEO rankings. (ate 2 months’ Adsense income!)
Today, I use Hostingial + Astra Theme—lightning-fast sites under $50/year.
Learning Skills and Earning Money Online
Learning new skills is one of the most important things these days. I learned not only about blogging but also about WordPress, Facebook, YouTube, and other monetization skills. Patiently, I invested more time to learn everything I could about the internet, websites, and how to make money online.
I focused on creating a medium—a blog—which helped me earn money. With persistence, I deployed different tips, tricks, and tactics that I picked up along the way. I continued to learn by reading articles, watching videos, and purchasing online courses. To master various online platforms adapted to changes by learning new skills. All these skills have helped me create a sustainable income and build a successful online career.
Skills I have learned:
- Front-end development: HTML websites, Blogger, WordPress.
- Programming languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Increase unpaid traffic to a website from search engines.
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Crafting content that appeals to AI-driven search engines.
- Generative Artificial Intelligence: Create new content (text, images, videos, and music).
Conclusion
Hidden Secrets Behind My Success
The one-word answer would be perseverance. I took my time, remained consistent, and learned valuable skills to keep moving forward to achieve my goal. This grit now allows me to make a living by working online. My blogging journey from being a college student with limited means to becoming a confident blogger and entrepreneur proves that with persistence and continuous learning, you too can succeed online.
My goal?
To empower you to build successful online businesses. Equip you with actionable strategies and honest insights so that you can navigate your digital journey with confidence.
Join Rising Creator
At Rising Creator, our mission is to empower you to achieve success as a content creator. I invite you to join me in learning how to create a WordPress website, add a blog, and monetize your blog. By learning practical SEO strategies, mastering WordPress blogging, and unlocking new income opportunities through online monetization, you too can begin your success story. Don’t wait—join now to receive a limited-time bonus resource that will kickstart your online journey. Do check out my free course on WordPress at Rising Creator.com.
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