My Favorite Blogging Resources (What I Actually Use to Grow My Food Blog)

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🖥️ 1. Website Hosting (Start Here)

If you don't have hosting yet, start here - this is the foundation of your blog.

Bluehost (best for beginners)

If you're just starting your blog, Bluehost is the easiest and most affordable way to get online fast. I used them when I first started out, and I loved how simple everything was. Setup took just a few minutes, and they walk you through everything step by step.

It's perfect if you don't want to deal with anything technical and just want to get your blog live.

P.S. You'll hear a lot of people online saying you need "premium" hosting right away - I don't agree. I started with basic hosting, and it worked just fine. In my experience, it's much more important to focus on content and traffic first, and upgrade only when your blog actually needs it.

BigScoots (best for growing blogs)

Once your blog starts getting traffic, BigScoots is 100% worth switching to. I moved my site there after outgrowing shared hosting, and the speed difference was honestly huge. My site became faster, more stable, and I stopped worrying about crashes during high traffic days.

Their support is also amazing - which matters more than you think.

👩‍💻 3. Essential Plugins

These are a few plugins that are a must-have for serious blogging growth.

• Link Whisper - Helps you add internal links to your posts quickly, which is great for SEO and improving site structure.
• Shortpixel - A super helpful plugin to compress and optimize your images so your site loads faster. It runs in the background and keeps your images lightweight without losing quality.
• PrettyLinks - A plugin that lets you create clean, branded affiliate links instead of long messy ones. It also helps you track clicks, which is really useful once you start monetizing.
• Antispam Bee - An easy, free way to stop comment spam without annoying captchas or privacy issues.
• WP Rocket - A caching plugin that makes your site load much faster without needing technical setup. I noticed a big speed improvement after using it.
• Code Snippets - Lets you add small bits of code to your site safely without editing theme files. Super useful for custom tweaks without breaking anything.
• WP All Export - Makes it easy to export your posts, recipes, or data into files. Helpful if you're working with a VA or organizing content.
• Replace Media - Allows you to replace images or files in your media library without changing the URL. Saves a lot of time when updating content.
• Hubbub Pro - A helpful plugin for managing and organizing content workflows, especially if you're working with a team or VAs.
• UpdraftPlus - A backup plugin that automatically saves your site. It's one of those things you hope you never need, but you'll be glad you have it.

🛠️ 4. Theme & Tech Support

• Kadence - A lightweight, flexible WordPress theme that's easy to customize and works great for food blogs. It's fast, clean, and beginner-friendly, but still powerful enough as your site grows.
• Feast Foodie Pro (by Feast Design Co.) - A theme made specifically for food bloggers. It's quite simple and a bit limited in customization, but it's built with SEO, speed, and monetization in mind, which is what really matters. I also like their White Glow service if you want everything set up for you - although honestly, doing it yourself is much more affordable and easier than it might seem.
• Grayson Bell from iMark Interactive - My go-to for technical support. If something breaks or you need custom fixes, having someone reliable like this is honestly a lifesaver.
• NerdPress - Helps with maintenance, fixes, and keeping your site running smoothly. Great once you start earning and don't want to deal with site optimization.

📧 5. Email Marketing (Grow Your List Early)

Flodesk

Flodesk is my favorite email platform, especially for food bloggers. I switched to it after trying a few others, and it completely changed how I handle email. The templates are beautiful, automation is simple, and it's very beginner-friendly. If you've been putting off starting an email list, this makes it way easier. Other platform I recommend: Kit.

🔍 6. SEO + Keyword Research (This Is How You Get Traffic)

If you want traffic from Google (and Pinterest), keyword research is not optional.

KeySearch (best for beginners)

This is what I started with. It's affordable, simple, and perfect when you're learning SEO. Also check out Keywords Everywhere.

Semrush (best for scaling)

This is what I use now. It's a full SEO tool that helps with keyword research, competitor analysis, and content planning. Once your blog grows, this is a game-changer.

🧠 7. Analytics & Tracking

• Google Analytics - Helps you understand how people find and use your site. From basic setup to deeper insights, it's the main tool I use to track what's working.
• Google Search Console - Shows how your site performs in Google search and helps you track traffic, rankings, and any issues. It's essential for understanding what's bringing people to your blog.

💰 8. Monetization + Affiliate Tools

Tasty Links (Amazon affiliate plugin)

This plugin makes managing Amazon links so much easier. It automatically creates keyword-based links, pulls product images, and helps you stay compliant with Amazon rules - all in one dashboard.

If you're doing affiliate marketing, this saves a lot of time.

Amazon Associates

This is one of the easiest ways to start making money from your blog. You recommend products you already use (kitchen tools, ingredients, gadgets), and earn a small commission when someone buys through your link. Create your own Amazon storefront to list all of your fave products in one place.

💰 Affiliate Networks

You may not get accepted into these right away, and that's totally normal. Once your blog starts getting steady traffic, these are great to apply for and can open up more income opportunities beyond basic affiliate links.

• Skimlinks - Automatically turns product mentions into affiliate links, which is super convenient. Great for monetizing content without manually adding links everywhere.
• Awin - A large affiliate network with lots of well-known brands. Good once you're ready to work with more established partnerships.
• Impact - Another popular platform that connects you with bigger brands and higher-paying affiliate programs as your blog grows.

🎓 9. Courses + Learning (If You Want Real Growth)

• Food Blogger Pro - This is one resource I wish I joined sooner. Their courses and community helped me understand SEO, grow traffic, and treat my blog like an actual business - not just a hobby. I also love their podcast - I still listen to it for updates and ideas. If you're serious about turning your blog into income, this is a great place to start.
• AppSumo - A curated marketplace for apps, software tools, and online courses, including creator courses for bloggers and influencers. It's a great place to learn new skills and test tools without locking yourself into another monthly plan.
• Photography Courses - There are a lot! I recommend taking a few different ones so you can have more experience and find your own style.
• Youtube - I learned so much in the beginning just by watching videos on lighting, food styling, and composition. It's such an easy (and free) way to improve your photos. Start with TheBiteshot.
• EatBlogTalk Podcast - The best for anything blogging related!
• Niche Pursuits Podcast - Start with blogger interviews (any niche, I listened to all of them!)
• Tophatrank Podcast - A helpful podcast for keeping up with blogging and SEO updates. I personally use it more for awareness and trends rather than following every tip exactly - once you have experience, you'll naturally find what works best for your own blog.

🛍️ 10. Passive Income + Digital Products

• Beautiful PLR Templates - If you've ever felt stuck creating products from scratch, this is a huge time saver. You get hundreds of ready-to-sell printables, and you can customize them for your audience. Think meal planners, grocery lists, kitchen printables - perfect for food bloggers. I love how quickly you can go from idea → product → income with this.
• Etsy - A great place to find affordable Pinterest templates, logos, and ebook templates. There are tons of ready-made designs you can customize quickly, which saves so much time (especially if you're not a designer).
• Creative Market - Tons of beautiful logos, and design elements from talented designers. You can also read reviews before buying, which is super helpful.

🧠 My Exact Blogging Setup (If I Started Today)

If I had to start from scratch, this is exactly what I would do:

1. Start with Bluehost
2. Install WP Recipe Maker
3. Use KeySearch to find keywords
4. Start an email list with Flodesk right away
5. Listen to Podcasts to learn faster
6. Join Facebook Groups/communities for bloggers

Simple, focused, and no overwhelm.

Blogging Tips: FAQ