Tom Dupuis Interview On SEO, Affiliate Marketing & More

It’s been a protracted whereas since we revealed a brand new interview on our bloggers interview collection.

There are lots of people who ask me “how do I develop my affiliate gross sales, enhance my web site pace, and what running a blog instruments to make use of?”.

In right now’s interview with Tom Dupuis, you’re going to search out solutions to all of these questions. 

Tom Dupuis is the founding father of On-line Media Masters, the place you possibly can uncover WordPress pace and search engine marketing tutorials.

When you’re trying to enhance your web site’s search engine marketing and put together for the upcoming Google’s Core Net Vitals replace, you need to positively try this interview.

So are you prepared? Let’s leap into the interview of Tom Dupuis.

Interview With Tom Dupuis from On-line Media Masters

1. Hello Tom, welcome to BloggersPassion. Are you able to please introduce your self to our viewers?

Hey all, I’m Tom – the man behind onlinemediamasters.com.

I began my weblog on the finish of school in 2011. I write about WordPress pace optimization and earn cash by referring individuals to speed-related companies (internet hosting, CDNs, cache plugins, and so forth).

My affiliate revenue is 6 figures, but it surely wasn’t all the time like that. I used to be broke for a few years doing tedious internet design and search engine marketing work for purchasers. I received my break in 2016 after I began taking my weblog severely by creating extra in-depth content material. 

Google lastly determined the content material deserved to rank and my search engine marketing visitors tripled in about 1 week. I used to be dwelling with my dad and mom on the time and instantly packed my stuff and moved to Denver, Colorado the identical week.

Since then, I’ve been persevering with to develop visitors and monetize my weblog. I used to be awarded SiteGround’s affiliate of the month in July 2017 (though I don’t promote them anymore). 

I’ve additionally accomplished webinars with Cloudways and have been talked about by Neil Patel and different authority websites. Now I’m specializing in serving to individuals with core internet vitals.

Key takeaway: Tom has been doing affiliate internet marketing since 2011 (round 10 years). Identical to most different profitable affiliate entrepreneurs, Tom additionally used the ability of “in-depth content material” to succeed.

2. When you needed to begin once more in running a blog, what would you do in a different way?

I want I had created extra YouTube movies. I see lots of YouTubers who aren’t giving good data however nonetheless in all probability earn more money than me. I additionally really feel like it may be a lot simpler to rank movies than weblog posts.

I additionally want I had began ahead of the tip of school. When you’re simply considering of beginning a weblog, simply do it and leap it to it. 

You may all the time change your area, internet hosting, theme, even your area of interest. However the bottom line is to begin studying and get some hands-on expertise working as quickly as potential.

Lastly, I want I hadn’t made the error of hiring an affordable hyperlink builder. Within the brief time period, my rankings improved and I positively received some enterprise from it. 

However finally, as soon as Google (and I) received smarter, we realized these hyperlinks weren’t prime quality and it was a ache to try to take away them. This was after my visitors dropped tremendously, which I consider was as a result of low-quality hyperlinks.

Key takeaway: YouTube is the second greatest search engine after Google. If you wish to fast-track your running a blog success, don’t ignore YouTube.

3. If you got $100,000, how would you make investments it to develop your weblog?

I might rent a videographer to assist me create tremendous high-quality YouTube movies, rent somebody to assist me create a web based course, and rent a content material author. I might additionally think about hiring a developer to create a plugin.

Key takeaway: Tom REALLY desires to take his YouTube advertising and marketing technique to the subsequent degree! Investing your cash in rising your enterprise ALWAYS provides excessive returns. 

4. What’s your favourite visitors supply? Why?

search engine marketing. You don’t need to pay for promoting and it may be very constant. You simply want to remain on prime of Google’s core algorithm updates and consistently enhance your content material.

Key takeaway: search engine marketing is the holy grail of promoting. If accomplished proper, search engine marketing can assist you generate enormous income and visitors.

5. What instruments do you MOSTLY use for affiliate internet marketing and search engine marketing?

Rank Math for my search engine marketing plugin and Thirsty Associates for managing affiliate hyperlinks. I take advantage of the Search Console for monitoring fundamental search engine marketing metrics. I don’t use any particular software program in any other case, not even Ahrefs or Semrush, however I in all probability ought to.

Key takeaway: We love Semrush too. You may seize a 30-day free trial of Semrush from right here.

6. What are your recommendations to optimize a WordPress web site for core internet vitals?

That’s what I weblog about – higher make this good!

I’ve an extensive guide on WordPress pace and am additionally in the course of creating one particularly for practically each advice in Lighthouse.

• Optimize fonts – internet hosting them regionally, check preloading them, add font-display: swap, and take away fonts/weights you don’t use. This could additionally enhance your CLS rating.
• Optimize LCP aspect – that is often a picture or background picture. Make it smaller, think about a next-gen format (e.g. WebP), and preload it.
• Optimize CSS + JavaScript – attempt Autoptimize and Async JavaScript particularly in case you have render-blocking assets. Even in case you already use a cache plugin to optimize CSS/JS, these can assist.
• Optimize third-party code – host fonts/analytics/GTM regionally. Prefetch third-party domains and delay non-critical JavaScript (i.e. feedback) utilizing WP Rocket or Flying Scripts. Don’t add third-party code until you actually need it.
• Skip shared internet hosting – go straight to the cloud particularly in case your TTFB is excessive. I’m a fan of Cloudways DigitalOcean who’s popping out with premium DO droplets (quickly). LiteSpeed and GridPane are strong decisions too. Benefit from optimizations in your internet hosting account (server-side caching, Redis, PHP 8.0, and so forth).
• Use an asset unloading plugin – use Asset CleanUp or Perfmatters to disable issues the place they don’t must load. Can take a while, however positively price it.
• Eliminate Elementor and Divi – they add a number of CSS/JS and make your whole web site bloated. Core internet vitals appear to punish websites with heavy JavaScript. When you don’t wish to utterly take away it, a minimum of exhausting code your header, menus, sidebar, and footer in order that they don’t depend on a web page builder. Unload unused belongings from web page builders (i.e. with Asset CleanUp) and benefit from the experimental options if utilizing Elementor. Attempt Oxygen, GeneratePress, Gutenberg, or Kadence.
• Use a strong CDN – attempt Cloudflare’s APO or BunnyCDN, they will typically offer you higher outcomes than different CDNs.
• Make components in your viewport sooner – don’t load heavy JavaScript above the fold (i.e. advertisements), exclude above the fold photographs from the lazy load, exhausting code your menu, and optimize your LCP picture.
• Benefit from preload, preconnect, prefetch – preconnect third-party fonts and CDN URL, preload LCP picture and fonts, and prefetch third-party domains.

7. What are your prime three suggestions for rookies to extend affiliate gross sales in 2023?

1. Use coupon codes in YouTube movies – many associates like Cloudways and HostGator are keen to offer you a customized coupon code. You may point out this to your readers and in the event that they use it, you get credit score for the sale with out viewers even having to click on an affiliate hyperlink. It saves them cash, and it could positively improve your gross sales.
2. Do unique analysis – many websites simply regurgitate data that’s already on the market. Give you new concepts and options – be unique. Don’t simply copy data that’s already on the market. Run some checks, put it in a chart, and create higher content material like Backlinko.
3. Be a part of Fb Teams – Anil’s group has lots of polls on the very best internet hosting, finest CDN, finest cache plugin, and so forth. Attempt recommending the highest merchandise you understand individuals are proud of, not simply those with the best commissions.

Key takeaway: Coupons, creating informative content material, and utilizing Fb teams to search out what your target market desires – these three issues can simply provide help to increase your affiliate gross sales.

8. What do you suppose is the BIGGEST mistake most affiliate internet marketing rookies make?

They rush content material. Even prime websites like Kinsta or WP Rocket (who’ve a workforce of content material writers) solely publish 1 article each 2-3 days, but it surely’s often an awesome one and you’ll inform they spent lots of time on it. 

Google your key phrase and ensure your content material is best than whoever’s within the prime outcomes. Once you publish an article try to be saying “yeah, that is actual and other people will share/hyperlink to it.”

You additionally have to be revisiting outdated posts and updating content material there too.

Key takeaway: At all times give #1 precedence to “high quality content material”. Creating one epic put up is best than ten mediocre articles.

9. What are your prime THREE ideas for rookies who wish to construct a money-making weblog in 2023?

1. Decide a distinct segment you’re obsessed with – in case you’re simply in it for the cash and don’t take pleasure in what you’re doing, you’re going to burn out rapidly. Spend your life doing one thing you take pleasure in.
2. Don’t all the time select associates with the best commissions – I used to be enticed to advertise WPEngine since they provide $200/sale, however they’re not the only option and I don’t suppose my readers would purchase it. And I didn’t wish to steer individuals in the precise path. The associates you suggest have a big impact on whether or not readers belief you – many individuals can sniff out an affiliate who is barely in it for the cash.
3. Don’t overextend – As a substitute of “digital advertising and marketing” you may simply wish to write about internet design. As a substitute of internet design, you may simply wish to write about WordPress web site design. As a substitute of WordPress web site design, you may simply wish to write about Gutenberg, Elementor, or Oxygen. The purpose is, you don’t need to do all the things. Do one thing and get actually good at it. This is applicable to what you’re running a blog about in addition to the companies you supply. Slender down your area of interest.

Key takeaway: Do what you like, decide solely these merchandise which might be useful to your viewers and deal with a small area of interest!

10. Are you able to describe your every day routine as a digital marketer? What number of hours do you’re employed in a day?

Typically I’ll work 10 hours/day, different instances I’ll take a 2-week trip. If I’m actually enthusiastic about what I’m doing, I’ll get up, make a espresso, and go straight to work. 

These days, I’ll spend 5 days/week going to the fitness center. I can keep up working late, too. There’s all the time time for some video video games too 🙂

11. What are your future plans with On-line Media Masters?

I would like On-line Media Masters to be the go-to supply for enhancing WordPress pace and core internet vitals. I additionally wish to create extra YouTube movies and finally, a web based course. And naturally, make my web site even sooner and look nicer.

12. What are your favourite blogs? Please point out any three of your favourite blogs that you simply learn repeatedly?

• Backlinko
• WP Velocity Issues
• WP Rocket

13. What’s your favourite search engine marketing technique to develop your weblog’s search rankings? 

At all times begin a weblog put up by making a desk of contents. This makes you extra organized and there are a lot of advantages on your readers in addition to search engine marketing. You may create a TOC in HTML/CSS or use the Fortunate Desk Of Contents plugin. 

This encourages longer, in-depth content material, lets individuals hyperlink to particular sections in your put up, and offers you a greater probability of being awarded “record featured snippets” in Google.

Key takeaway: Use the table of contents plugin in case you’re on WordPress. It’s a simple means so as to add the desk of contents.

Closing ideas on the interview with Tom Dupuis

Tom is constant together with his weblog posting schedule. He typically creates in-depth and informative weblog posts. That’s why he’s capable of generate a lot of income and visitors to his weblog.

Have you ever loved our interview with Tom Dupuis from On-line Media Masters?. Have any questions? Tell us within the feedback. When you like our blogger’s interview collection, please share it with others.