If you’re new to food blogging, this step-by-step guide will help you find success! I’ve learned that building a successful food blog requires patience, dedication, a hearty dose of creativity, and a little technical know-how.

I just got home from the Tastemaker Conference in Las Vegas. It’s an inspiring event for food bloggers and content creators to connect and learn how to grow their online businesses in a rapidly evolving world.
Blogging has given me so much freedom, time, and happiness. And if blogging is your calling too, I have so many things to share with you.
After reviewing my notes from the conference and combining them with everything I’ve learned so far as a successful food blogger with millions of annual readers, I knew I needed to share. Because gatekeeping isn’t what we do around here.
In the guide below, I cover the mindset needed, technical steps, and my favorite resources for blogging.
This blog post does contain affiliate links to products or services I use and trust. I may receive a commission from purchases made through these links at no cost to you.
Jump to:

Mindset Is Everything
Growing a successful blog takes time and anyone who tells you anything different is trying to sell you something.
There are so many course creators out there teaching people how to use AI to start a blog and produce content. Don’t be fooled. Many AI-generated food blogs are getting shut down by advertising companies so that they cannot be monetized quickly.
While you can use AI to help you with organizational tasks, brainstorming and editing, the most helpful content should be provided by you.
Don’t get discouraged by slow starts or setbacks or not knowing how to do something. Persistence, along with strategic adjustments based on what works and what doesn’t will lead you to success.
- Persistence is Key: Think of your blog like investing. Most blogs don’t see significant financial returns right away, but every post you publish contributes to long-term success. It generally takes at least 100 recipes/posts to start really gaining good traction traffic-wise.
- Have A Long-Term Perspective: Keep reminding yourself why you started. Your blog is a long-term project, not unlike investing in stocks or real estate. You might not see the growth you dream of overnight, but give it time, and it could reward you beyond your expectations. Here’s why I blog.
- Be Ready for Challenges: Expect a few setbacks and frustrations along the way. Each mistake is a chance to learn and improve. Stick with it, remember your ‘why’, and keep pushing through. Join a community of bloggers to help get you through the rough patches.
Goal Setting
Take out a sheet of paper and brainstorm this the old-school way. Physically write down the answers to these questions in bold:
What are your personal blogging goals 1 year from now, 5 years from now, and 10 years from now?
Bad goals involve a large amount of recipes in a certain time frame. A bad goal example is “Publish 100 recipes in 300 days or less” because this may not be realistic for you starting out.
Good goals are realistic, small, and attainable for you. A good goal example is “Publish my 30 best quick weeknight dinner recipes”. This gives you a strong incentive to have a silo of content built around one thing. It gives you a clear path to start without feeling overwhelmed.
How much time do you have to dedicate toward your goals? One day a week? 4 hours a week? 3 days a week? You know your schedule best.
To get perspective, it generally takes about 20 hours of my time for every recipe blog post from start to finish. This includes grocery shopping, recipe development and testing a few variations, photographing the final dish or dessert, editing the photos, and writing the blog post and recipe. Use the guide of 20 hours of time = 1 recipe.
Once you understand how much time you have to give, then you can set a goal and a realistic timeframe to reach your “1 year from now” goal. How does that fit in to your 5 and 10 year goals? Break it down year by year to create a plan. If you need help, ask ChatGPT or another AI tool to help you.
Monetization Strategy
Think about how you want to earn money from your blog. Options include advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, selling digital or physical products. It’s crucial to plan this early, even if monetization will come later.
My blog is 99% monetized through ad-generated revenue (I’m on Raptive). Both Raptive and Mediavine are the two largest ad agencies food bloggers are using. They also both have smaller ad revenue programs for low traffic sites and then once you hit a certain monthly pageview threshold, you’re eligible to monetize through their main program (higher revenues earned).
At the end of the day, if your goal is to blog as a business, it has to make money so that it can continue making helpful free content for others. Otherwise it’s a hobby that can cost a lot of money.

Building Your Blog: Personal Touches
Know Your Niche
Understand what unique angle or aspect of food blogging you’re passionate about. Whether it’s desserts, vegan cooking, or regional cuisines, specializing can help you stand out and attract a dedicated audience. Example niches include: French Pastry, Sourdough, Vegan Chinese Recipes, Gluten-Free Baking, Southern Comfort Food.
Pick something that feels authentic and genuine for you. Don’t start a blog purely for the ultimate goal of making money. It should bring you joy and meaning first and foremost. Think about what you’re good at and what inspires you.
Quality Content is King
Always prioritize creating high-quality content. This includes engaging and well-edited writing, stunning photography, and reliable recipes. Content that provides value, entertains, and solves problems will keep readers coming back.
Both writing and photography should complement each other to tell your food story effectively. While beautiful photos attract attention, compelling writing keeps readers engaged.

Writing: Engaging Your Audience Through Words
Tone and Voice
The way you write can either draw readers in or push them away. A conversational, friendly tone often works best for food blogs. It makes readers feel like they’re getting advice from a friend. Your unique voice should reflect your personality and resonate with your target audience.
Clarity and Conciseness
Good writing is clear and easy to understand. While it’s tempting to use elaborate descriptions, simplicity often reigns supreme, especially when explaining recipes or cooking techniques. Your goal is to communicate in a way that anyone, from beginners to experienced cooks, can follow and appreciate.
Storytelling
Every recipe has a story. Maybe it’s the first dish you learned to cook on your own or it has sentimental value tied to a family tradition. Sharing these stories can create a deeper connection with your readers, making your blog not just a place for recipes, but a source of entertainment and nostalgia.
SEO Best Practices
Incorporating SEO best practices into your writing is crucial. Use keywords naturally, focus on making content useful and relevant, and structure your posts with subheadings to improve readability and SEO. I follow the advice of Search Engine Land through all the ups and downs of Google’s algorithm updates.

Photography: Capturing The Senses
Commit to learning something new about food photography every single year to stay on top of trends and techniques.
Visual Appeal
We eat with our eyes first, and this is especially true online where smell cannot be conveyed. High-quality photos can make the difference between someone deciding to try a recipe or not. Invest in good lighting, learn basic food styling techniques, and always aim to capture the most appetizing aspects of your dishes. Top-down and 45 degree angles are my preferred.
Style
Your photos should have a consistent style and quality, aligning with the overall branding of your blog. This could mean using similar backgrounds, color schemes, or props that help establish and reinforce your blog’s visual identity.
Instructional Images
For complex recipes, step-by-step photos can be incredibly helpful. They aren’t necessary on basic recipes. Photos help guide readers through the process and help prevent confusion, making your blog a reliable resource for learning how to cook.
Optimization
Besides quality, image size and format impact your site’s loading speed—an important factor in SEO and user experience. Optimize images for faster loading while maintaining quality to enhance performance and engagement. Your featured image should always be 1200×1200 pixels for best practice.
Would you like to save this recipe?

Building Your Blog: Technical Steps
I have a full article explaining the technical steps about how to start a food blog in 2025 if you don’t have one yet. Here’s a quick summary:
Choose an available blog name: Use a domain name database to check availability.
Pick a host: They provide basic services to get your website running. I use Bigscoots.
Choose a platform: WordPress is widely recommended for its flexibility and scalability. If you plan to monetize, this is your best option.
Tech Stack Essentials:
- Hosting: A reliable host like Bluehost or SiteGround could cost around $3-$10 per month. Larger food blogs like mine use BigScoots for more support and Cloudflare for security.
- Theme: Choose a responsive WordPress theme; prices range from free to $100+. Most people I know are using Feast Genesis Theme or Kadence. I hired Grayson Bell with iMark Interactive to switch our outdated blog onto a Feast theme two years ago.
- Plugins: SEO, Security, Site Speed, Recipe Plug-in schema, and many other tools that help your blog posts in general – being able to leave a starred review on a recipe is critical.
Here are the main plug-ins I use: Yoast SEO, Hubbub, WP Recipe Maker, Akismet Anti-Spam, WP Rocket, and Updraft Plus.

SEO and Time: Building Authority
Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is crucial. It helps your blog get found on search engines.
SEO starts with creating high-quality, relevant content that answers your audience’s questions or provides value. Search engines favor content that users find helpful, which is indicated by how long they spend on your page, how often it’s shared, and if they return. Over time, consistently good content increases your site’s authority.
Initially, focus on long-tail keywords, which are less competitive and more specific (e.g., “best gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe” instead of just “chocolate chip cookies”). As your blog grows and gains authority, you can start targeting more competitive keywords by being specific: “lemon pound cake” or “lemon pound cake with sour cream” are keywords for the same recipe. The latter will be a less competitive keyword because it’s more specific.
Search engines give preference to content that has proven valuable over time. This is why it’s hard to earn money from a blog in the first six months. A recipe posted several years ago that consistently draws traffic and engagement is likely to rank higher than newer content. This is why investing in creating timeless, high-quality content can pay off long-term.
Building Domain Authority through Backlinks
Check your domain authority for free quickly using Moz. More advanced analytics are available through SEMrush or AHREFS.
Quality Backlinks are links from other reputable sites to your blog. Each quality backlink is like a vote of confidence in your content, signaling to search engines that your site is a credible source of information. Over time, more backlinks increase your site’s overall SEO strength.
Referring Domains are not just the number of backlinks but the diversity of sources that matters. Having multiple reputable referring domains (different sites linking to you) is better than having many links from one domain. This diversity helps build your site’s reliability and authority.
Outreach and Networking involves building relationships with other food bloggers, participating in community forums, and creating guest posts to help increase your number of referring domains. These activities take time but are crucial for long-term SEO success.
Technical SEO – why it’s important to be on wordpress and have a well-supported theme
- Site Structure and Navigation: Make sure your blog is easy to navigate. A well-structured site helps search engines index your content more effectively and helps visitors find more of your recipes, which increases engagement and time spent on the site.
- Mobile Optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly blog is crucial. A responsive design ensures your site looks good on all devices, improving user experience and SEO.
- Page Speed: A faster site provides a better user experience and is favored by search engines. Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and reduce redirects to increase page speed.
Long-Term SEO Strategy
Developing a robust SEO strategy involves understanding that results won’t come overnight. It can take months or even years to see the fruits of your labor. However, by consistently applying best practices and remaining patient, your blog’s visibility and traffic will grow, making all your efforts worthwhile.
Consistency and Schedule
Regular posting keeps your blog active and engaging for visitors and also favors search engine algorithms. Decide on a feasible posting schedule—whether it’s once a week or thrice a month—and stick to it. I sometimes struggle with this and need the constant reminder.
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires ongoing effort and adaptation to changing search engine algorithms and user behaviors.
Engage With Your Audience
Respond to comments, engage with readers on social media, and encourage a community around your blog. Building relationships with your audience can turn casual visitors into loyal followers. An email list is a great way to accomplish this.
Leverage Social Media
Use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to promote your content and engage with a broader audience. Each platform can help you reach different segments of your audience in creative ways. Just be mindful that you don’t own your audience on social media.
Continuous Learning
The digital landscape constantly changes, so staying updated with the latest blogging practices, SEO strategies, and social media trends is essential to keep your blog relevant and growing.

Resources For Learning More
Network with Other Bloggers: Join blogging communities on Facebook, attend food blogging conferences (like Tastemaker), and connect with other bloggers. Networking can lead to collaborations, learning opportunities, and support from peers who understand your challenges and successes. Blogging can be isolating otherwise.
Gather Helpful Free Resources First: Many blogging experts offer valuable insights through free content (eBooks, Podcasts, Templates, etc.) in exchange for newsletter sign-ups. This is a great way to learn about email marketing, branding, and content strategy without initial investment.
Select Influencers Carefully: Follow creators who still manage active blogs as they’re likely applying current successful strategies.
These email lists are helpful to start absorbing one nugget of information at a time and see what resonates with you and where you are at. Pick one and dive deeper, focusing on that subject alone.
Helpful Blogging Resources
Click onto each of these sites and it’ll usually prompt you to enter email info in exchange for a valuable free digital product that will help your food blogging goals.
- Jenny Melrose: Excellent for mindset coaching and influencer business strategies. *She produces helpful nuggets of motivation and strategy for bloggers.
- Tastemaker Conference: In-person annual winter/spring conference and a virtual conference in the summer/fall. Very good resource for food bloggers even if you don’t attend any of their in-person events!
- Monica Froese / Empowered Business: Focuses on digital products / digital product shops. Best for lower traffic sites and unmonetized sites. Great podcast.
- Food Blogger Pro: by Pinch of Yum – dedicated support & most comprehensive resources for any beginning blogger. Great podcast.
- Matt Molen / Email Crush: Email list building / newsletters / lead magnets / kit (formerly convertkit) expert.
- Tony Hill and Carly Campbell: Each offer great tips on using new Pinterest strategies to drive traffic. Their Pin Talk Podcast is very insightful.
- Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media: Renowned Pinterest expert that offers Pinterest management services and education. Great podcast.
- Facebook groups: Food Bloggers Central + Blogging on WordPress valuable for community support and practical realtime advice.
- Joanie Simon with The Bite Shot: Food Photography Courses that will change your life. Prior knowledge of photography is helpful.
Different strategies work for different bloggers so just because it works for me or someone else, doesn’t mean it will work for you. It’ll depend on many factors – from site content and SEO strategies to what your audience likes best.
Let me know if you have any questions about food blogging in the comments below!
Leave a Reply