If you’ve ever Googled how to start a travel blog, you’ve probably been promised fame, freedom, and a laptop lifestyle that mostly happens on beaches with suspiciously perfect Wi-Fi. The reality? You’ll spend more time wrestling with WordPress than sipping coconuts.

When I started my travel blog, I was writing for my mum. Literally. She was my one and only reader. I’d pour my heart out about every sunset, every hostel cat, every dodgy bus journey, and she’d reply, “Lovely, darling.”

By the time I learned what SEO even meant, I’d already published 50 articles. Fifty! All beautifully written, all read by… my mum. I’m still rewriting them now because here’s the truth: nobody wants a travel diary.

But people do love personal stories woven into useful, practical advice. That’s what makes them stay. And that’s how you build a blog that ranks and resonates.

So, if you want to know how to start a travel blog that actually ranks, not just one that exists, here’s what I’ve learned from turning Bea Adventurous from a personal hobby into a thriving online business that now ranks for over 150 first-page keywords (and counting).

Disclaimer! All of my blogs may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and make a purchase I may receive a small amount of commission for the referral at no extra cost to you. This commission is what allows me to continue creating guides to help travellers plan their next trip!

Step 1: Choose a Name That Will Last the Test Of Time

Before you worry about plugins and SEO, the first step in learning how to start a travel blog is choosing a name that you won’t regret when you’re 40.

It should be memorable, timeless, and spellable. Avoid clichés like WanderlustWithWendy or BackpackingWithBrad. They blend into the crowd faster than a free walking tour.

Ask yourself:

• Will this still fit me in 10 years?
• Is the .com available? (Check Namecheap or Google Domains.)
• Can I use it on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok?

Pro tip: avoid putting a specific style (like “backpacking” or “budget”) in your name unless you’re sure that’s your forever niche. Trust me, you don’t want to be “HostelQueen” when you start reviewing boutique hotels.

I settled on Bea Adventurous because it left room to grow. And grow it did. That said, it’s far from perfect. Most people read it as Be-ah Adventurous rather than the intended Be Adventurous, completely missing the play on words. Oh, and half the internet can’t spell “adventurous,” so there’s that too.

Step 2: Get Hosting Sorted Before You Lose the Will to Live

If you’re serious about learning how to start a travel blog, hosting is the first real hurdle. It’s where most people either overpay or underprepare.

Hosting is your website’s home, where all your words, photos, and accidental drafts live. You want it safe, fast, and secure.

Here are a few tried-and-tested options:

• WordPress Hosting: Perfect for beginners who want simplicity.
• Showit: Gorgeous design flexibility for creatives (but hosting is outsourced). 
• Bluehost: Affordable and beginner-friendly, with great support.
• SiteGround: My personal favourite, it’s fast, reliable, and scalable when your traffic explodes.

Once you’ve chosen your host, install WordPress.org (not .com, the latter is like renting when you could own). Then make sure your website is safe and sound:

• Add an SSL certificate – this is the little padlock you see in your browser bar (the “https://”). Most hosts include it free these days, you just need to activate it in your hosting dashboard. It keeps your site secure and tells Google you’re trustworthy.
• Schedule automatic backups – because accidents happen. Most hosts or plugins like UpdraftPlus let you back up your entire site once a week (or daily if you’re posting a lot) so if something goes wrong, you can restore everything in minutes instead of crying into your coffee.

Yes, the tech side feels scary at first. I promise you’ll figure it out faster than the Wi-Fi password in a new café.

I’m not the most technical person, so I found a brilliant tech guy on Fiverr. Whenever I get stuck, we jump on a quick screen share, he fixes the problem and teaches me what he’s doing. He’s been an absolute godsend, like my own personal IT team. If you’d like his details, drop me an email, I’m always happy to share the love.

Step 3: Learn SEO Before You Write Your First Word

Now we get to the part nobody tells you when you’re searching how to start a travel blog: you can’t just write and hope people find you.

I learned that the hard way. For months, I was writing beautiful, heartfelt blogs that nobody read, except my mum.

Then I stumbled into SEO.

At first, I didn’t even know about keyword research. Yet somehow, my blogs started ranking, but for the wrong things. Imagine writing a 3,000-word masterpiece on the impact of climate change on the Great Migration only to find out the keyword had a search volume of… zero.

When I finally learned to research keywords, my blogs started ranking for real searches. But here’s where most people stop, and it’s also where I realised something big: ranking doesn’t automatically mean converting.

If your blog inspires but doesn’t answer the question people actually typed, it won’t make money.

Inspirational posts funnel traffic. Practical posts convert.

That’s why blogs like What to Pack for Tanzania or Where to Stay in San Sebastián perform better financially than Why You Should Visit Africa. The first two solve a problem; the last one sparks a dream. Both are valuable, but for different reasons.

And here’s the best part: I’ve always written for humans first, Google second, and Google has rewarded me every single time.

If you want to skip the guessing game, here’s how to do simple keyword research, it’s not the science people make you believe.

1. Get Keysearch. It’s one of the easiest, most affordable keyword tools out there.
2. Type in a phrase you’d love to rank for. For example, “visiting Paris.” You’ll see that it has a huge monthly search volume (around 9,900 searches per month — great!) but also a high competition score (41), which makes it tough to rank for as a new blogger.
3. Look further down the list. You’ll find related keywords that are much easier targets. For instance, “is Paris worth visiting” has 720 searches per month (still decent) but a competition score of 24 which makes it a much smarter goal.
4. Choose your sweet spot. I aim for keywords with over 100 searches per month and as low a competition score as possible. This strategy has enabled me to grow from 10,000 to nearly 100,000 views per month in less than 6 months. 

You don’t need to be a data analyst. You just need to understand what people are searching for and write content that genuinely answers it.

If you want to learn how to find these opportunities consistently and use them to build authority fast, that’s exactly what I teach in my 1:1 SEO tuition. You’ll learn how to uncover hidden keyword gems, structure your posts for conversions, and grow without killing your creativity.

Step 4: Write for Humans, Optimise for Robots

Knowing how to start a travel blog is one thing; writing posts people finish is another.

Google might rank you, but humans are the ones who stay, subscribe, and share.

So how do you write for both?

1. Answer the question the reader actually asked.

If the search is “Best Restaurants in Bilbao,” don’t open with your life story. Give them what they came for, then weave your story in naturally.

2. Be engaging.

Write like you talk. Add humour, observations, personality. People want connection, not copy-paste travel guides.

3. Use headers.

Break up your post into sections with H2s and H3s, they help readers and search engines navigate. I try not to exceed 300 words without breaking it up with a header.

4. Include the keyword naturally.

Use it in your title, intro (tick), a few times throughout the text, one header, the meta description, and at the end.

5. Link internally.

If you’ve written about related topics, link to them. This creates a “spiderweb”, an interlinked network of posts that tell Google, “Hey, this person really knows this topic.”

For example, I’ve written so much about the Basque Country that when I publish a new article on it, it ranks within a week. Google trusts me because I’ve built authority there.

But if I write about Zimbabwe, it’ll take longer, not because it’s bad, but because I haven’t proven expertise yet. So when you start writing, focus on one area first so you can build authority by writing all the articles related to that subject. 

That’s how authority works. It’s not who you are, it’s what you consistently publish.

Step 5: Build Authority (Even If You’re Starting From Scratch)

One of the most misunderstood parts of how to start a travel blog is that you’re not just creating a website, you’re building a brand.

Google doesn’t fall in love at first sight. It needs to see consistency, quality, and expertise.

Here’s how to build authority faster:

• Pick a niche (or two). Don’t try to be everywhere. Start with something specific, like plant-based cooking for beginners or family RV travel in North America.
• Create clusters (aka your spiderweb). Interlink articles within the same topic. For example, Think of it like cooking. If you write one article about “How to Bake Sourdough,” don’t stop there. Follow it up with:

• Best Flours for Homemade Bread
• Why Your Sourdough Didn’t Rise and How to Fix It
• The Difference Between Sourdough and Rye Bread
• 10 Tools Every Home Baker Actually Needs

Together, those posts form a spiderweb of expertise. Google starts recognising that you’re not just someone who baked once, you’re the bread whisperer. The same logic applies to any niche: stick to one topic until you own it, then branch out.

• Get backlinks. Write guest posts, collaborate, or pitch features on reputable sites. It signals trust.
• Stay consistent. One excellent post per month beats five rushed ones.

Think of authority like a relationship. Google needs time and proof before it commits. But once it does? You’ll see your rankings snowball.

Step 6: Monetise Without Becoming Clickbait

Once you’ve built your blog, the next question is inevitable: how do I make money from it?

Because let’s be real, how to start a travel blog isn’t just about creative expression. It’s about freedom. And freedom often requires funding.

Here’s the honest breakdown:

Affiliate Marketing

Recommend what you love and earn a commission when people book or buy, it’s one of the easiest ways to monetise your blog if you do it strategically.

The key? Understand your reader’s intent and match your affiliate links accordingly.

Pay attention to cookie life, that’s how long you still earn a commission after someone clicks your link. Some programs (like Booking.com) have a short window, even just one day, but if your reader is already in “ready to book” mode, that’s fine. You’ll still catch them while they’re searching and clicking.

On the other hand, if your post is more inspirational (say, “Why Visit Africa” or “10 Best Digital Nomad Destinations”), use affiliates with longer cookie lives, for example, travel insurance, luggage, or eSIM companies. Those readers aren’t booking right now, but they might buy later, so you want links that keep paying for weeks or months after the click.

It’s not about only promoting long-cookie affiliates, it’s about placing the right affiliate on the right post. Think about your reader’s headspace: are they dreaming, planning, or booking? Match your links to their intent.

Confused? Drop me an email and let me help you!

Where to find these affiliate programs? Start with Travel Payouts. It’s an affiliate network built specifically for travel creators. Instead of signing up for dozens of separate programs, you can manage hundreds of travel-related brands (like Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Viator, and more) all in one place. It’s free, transparent, and shows you each brand’s cookie life, commission rates, and payment history, making it much easier to choose wisely.

Sponsored Posts

Collaborate with tourism boards or brands, but choose partners that align with your values, not just your bank account. Readers can sense insincerity faster than you can say “#ad.”

As your blog grows, the offers will flood in. That’s when it’s most important to stay selective. Saying yes to everything doesn’t just dilute your brand, it can also affect your site’s standing with Google if you start accepting low-quality or irrelevant content.

And here’s a little lesson from experience: I used to accept externally written guest posts. I don’t anymore. Now, I only publish sponsored posts that I write myself. It means I keep full control over quality, tone, and SEO, and I earn nearly three times as much for the same amount of space. Don’t be afraid to negotiate; you’re providing authority, reach, and trust. all of which are worth paying for.

Ad Networks

Once you’ve got enough traffic, apply for Mediavine or Raptive. I personally don’t use ads because I prefer a clean, minimalist look, but they’re a valid revenue stream.

Remember: people buy from people they trust. If your content feels authentic, monetisation becomes natural.

Step 7: Treat It Like a Business, Not a Hobby

If you treat your blog like a passion project, it’ll pay you like one. If you treat it like a business, it’ll change your life.

Here’s what separates pros from dabblers when it comes to how to start a travel blog that actually ranks:

• Have a plan. Decide your content pillars and set goals: traffic, income, or partnerships.
• Track performance. Use Google Analytics and Search Console to see what’s working.
• Batch and schedule. Consistency matters more than motivation.
• Reinvest. In hosting, coaching, tools, your time has value.
• Keep learning. The industry evolves. Stay curious.

Behind every “overnight success” is someone who quietly worked for years, writing, optimising, and believing when nobody was watching.

Step 8: The Secret Ingredient Most People Miss

Everyone wants to know the “one trick” for viral success. Here it is: there isn’t one.

But there is something almost no one talks about when they ask how to start a travel blog that actually ranks: authenticity.

Your blog doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be you.

Your voice. Your lessons. Your perspective.

Google’s algorithms change constantly, but authenticity doesn’t. It’s what keeps readers coming back.

Be honest about what worked and what didn’t. Write with personality. Laugh at yourself. Cry in your captions if you must. People will connect with the human behind the advice.

That’s the real SEO: Soulful, Engaging, Original.

Step 9: Ready to Build a Blog That Ranks (and Lasts)?

If you’ve made it this far, you’re clearly serious about starting a travel blog that actually ranks.

And that means you’re already ahead of 90% of the people who’ll never get past the “I should start a blog” phase.

But you don’t have to figure it out alone.

I offer 1:1 SEO and blogging tuition to help you:

• Find keywords that attract readers and income
• Build a structure that converts
• Optimise posts while keeping your voice
• Create a realistic growth plan that fits your life

You’ll leave with clarity, strategy, and confidence, and a blog that’s ready to work for you.

Send me a message via my Contact Page or drop me an email at bea@bea-adventurous.com to book a session.

Quick FAQ

How much does it cost to start a travel blog?
Between £100–£150 a year for hosting, domain, and basic tools.

Do travel blogs still make money in 2025?
Yes, if you treat them like a business, not a side hustle.

How long does it take to rank on Google?
Typically 6–12 months, depending on your niche and authority.

What’s the biggest mistake new bloggers make?
Writing without intent. Every post should either inspire, inform, or convert.

Final Thoughts

Starting a blog changed my life, but not overnight.

When I first asked how to start a travel blog, it was just a side hobby. I wanted a voice, a platform, a way to connect the world through stories that mattered.

Now, years later, I can tell you this: you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start and keep learning.

Because the moment you stop treating your blog like a diary and start treating it like a business, everything changes.