So you want to start a blog that actually makes money?
I wanted that too!
The dream of earning from your words while sipping coffee in your pajamas is tempting.
But here’s the cold truth: most blogs die a slow, painful death because people pick the wrong niche from day one.
I created my first blog back in 2011 and burned through three years of wasted effort before figuring things out.
Since 2014, I’ve been making a full-time living online. And blogs have been a cornerstone of my income since then.
Most people get stuck in analysis paralysis.
They obsess over WordPress themes, plugins, and logo designs while ignoring the most critical decision: what the heck to write about.
Picking the wrong niche is like building a house on quicksand. No matter how pretty the paint job, it’s going down.
Let me show you 5 proven ways to find a niche that could actually pull in $5-10K monthly within a year:
Choose a topic you’re obsessed about
Everyone says “follow your passion,” but that’s only half right.
What you need is an obsession, not just a casual interest.
When I started a blog about emotional intelligence back in 2012, I thought being “somewhat interested” was enough.
I threw in the towel after a few months because my heart wasn’t in it.
Here’s why obsession matters: blogging is a marathon disguised as a sprint.
The internet is flooded with content.
Standing out requires relentless consistency that only comes from genuine obsession.
Ask yourself: “What topic do I naturally research at 1 AM when I should be sleeping?” That’s your obsession.
If you’re not willing to think, talk, and breathe your niche for the next 1,000 days, pick something else.
Be knowledgeable enough (or commit to becoming it)
The beautiful thing about obsession is that it naturally leads to knowledge.
When you’re truly obsessed with something, you’ve probably already consumed more content on that topic than 95% of the population. That’s your unfair advantage over casual competitors who just read a book or two on the subject.
I wasn’t an expert when I started blogging about note-taking and second-brain concepts.
But I was obsessed.
I spent hours every day experimenting with different systems, reading everything I could find, and implementing what I learned.
Your readers don’t need you to be the world’s foremost expert. They need you to be a few steps ahead of them, sharing real insights from the trenches.
If you’re not there yet, commit to the journey:
▪︎ Show your work.
▪︎ Document what you learn.
▪︎ People connect with the climb more than the summit anyway.
Don’t blog to a broke audience
This might sound harsh, but it’s a lesson I learned the hard way.
When I started my first real online business, I targeted students. My income hit a ceiling at $2,000 monthly because–surprise–students don’t have much disposable income.
The harsh math of making money online is this: selling to broke people = staying broke yourself.
The most profitable way to monetize isn’t through ads or sponsorships. It’s by selling your own products:
- courses
- coaching
- services (like implementation)
These can generate 10-100x more revenue than advertising, but only if your audience can actually afford them.
Ask yourself: “Does my target audience have the means to invest in premium solutions to their problems?”
If the answer is no, you’re putting gas in a broken engine.
Blog Niche Research 101: How to make sure people are interested in your niche
Having an obsession is great, but demand is what pays the bills.
Before you write a single word, confirm that people actually care about your topic enough to spend money on it.
Here are 4 ways to validate your niche before committing:
Why you don’t want to pursue low competition blogging niches
When I first started, I was terrified of competition. I thought finding a “blue ocean” niche with no competitors would be my ticket to success.
I was dead wrong.
With 8 billion people on the planet, the chances of discovering an untapped, profitable niche are basically zero.
Competition is actually a good sign. It proves there’s a market. It confirms people are spending money. It validates your instincts.
The absence of competition should set off alarm bells.
Either you’re too early (which means years of educating a market with no revenue), or there’s simply no demand.
Don’t be the genius who builds the world’s first underwater restaurant for cats. Be the smart entrepreneur who puts a fresh spin on a proven market.
Identify Profitable Niches With AI (Using Ai Niche Generator)
The best way to find a niche is by blending all the different factors that we already talked about in this article together (what you’re interested in, where there is market demand, yada yada yada.)
So you could spend hours banging your head against the wall to find a prompt that will help you do this with tools like ChaGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.
Or you could use a simple tool that is free, called the AI Niche Generator™.
Simply answer 2 questions and then see tailored suggestions and their earning potential in less than a minute
Free AI TOOL to find your profitable blogging niche in 3 minutes:
No signup required 🙂
Find Profitable Blog Niches On Reddit
Reddit is a goldmine for niche research for one simple reason: anonymity.
People won’t complain about their man boobs on Facebook where friends and family can see them, but they’ll pour their hearts out behind a Reddit username.
These deep insecurities and problems are where the real money is. People pay to solve painful, embarrassing problems they can’t talk about openly like this one: MAN BOOBS!
I’ve spent countless hours lurking in subreddits related to my niches, taking notes on the language people use, the problems they face, and the solutions they’re desperately seeking.
Pay attention to recurring questions, emotional language, and problems people are willing to throw money at.
Use Google Trends To Find A Profitable Blogging Niche
Google Trends shows you what people are actively searching for.
I use an extension called GLIMPSE to dig even deeper into search patterns and volume. This helps me spot rising niches before they get saturated.
Look for topics with consistent or growing search interest over time, not just seasonal spikes that disappear.
I have a whole video on that, you can watch it:
Finding Profitable Blog Ideas On Amazon
Books are essentially collections of blog posts bound together, and Amazon tells you exactly which ones people are buying.
The bestseller rank is pure gold for niche research. It reveals what topics people are actually spending money on, not just what they claim to be interested in.
I regularly browse Amazon categories related to my potential niches, looking at bestseller ranks, reviews, and recurring themes among popular titles.
Niching down
When I started this blog in 2021, I didn’t just write about “productivity.” That’s like trying to boil the ocean.
I niched down from productivity to note-taking and second-brain methods.
Then I niched down further to focus specifically on Obsidian (a note-taking app).
Why?
Because while everybody and their mother was creating content about Notion, I was actually using Obsidian daily.
I created articles about blogging with Obsidian, which perfectly exemplifies finding a niche within a niche.
The narrower your focus, the easier it is to establish authority, rank in search engines, and build a loyal audience who sees you as their go-to expert.
Think of niching down like drilling for oil instead of scraping the surface of a vast territory.
Common Questions About Choosing Your Blog Niche:
1. What is a blog niche?
A blog niche is the specific topic or area you focus on. It’s the intersection between what you’re obsessed with, what you know (or can learn), and what people are willing to pay for.
It’s not just “fitness” but “strength training for busy parents over 40” or “plant-based nutrition for endurance athletes.”
2. What blog niches are most profitable?
This is the wrong question to ask.
The most profitable niche for YOU is one that meets all the criteria we’ve discussed: you’re obsessed with it, you have knowledge to share, the audience has money to spend, and there’s proven demand.
That said, perennial profitable categories include health, wealth, and relationships–because these are fundamental human concerns that people always spend money on.
3. What niche should I choose for blogging?
The niche that checks all four boxes:
- You’re obsessed with it (sustainability)
- You know enough about it (credibility)
- The audience has money (profitability)
- There’s proven demand (viability)
Don’t chase trends. Build on foundations.
4. How do I know if my niche is profitable?
Look for these indicators:
- Existing products selling at premium prices
- Multiple competitors making a living in the space
- Books on the topic with strong Amazon rankings
- Active communities discussing the topic
- People actively searching for solutions (not just information)
What are the highest paying blogging niches?
Again, this is the wrong question. A niche that’s profitable for someone else might be a disaster for you if you lack the obsession, knowledge, or unique angle to compete.
Instead of chasing “high-paying niches,” find the intersection of what you love, what you know, and what people need.