TREXposé officially launched 180 days ago. Since most blogs fold after 100 days, it’s cause for celebration! To mark the occasion, I’m pausing to answer some of your “behind-the-scenes” questions about the website. And at the end of the article, I invite you to help Dave take on Goliath!
What’s in a Name?
The blog’s main objective is helping travelers find unique, lesser-known experiences across the globe. And I wanted the blog name to reflect that. But finding a suitable moniker available as a website and on social media platforms proved next to impossible. Finally, I blended the words “travel” and “exposé” to come up with TREXposé.
Bonus Content on Social Media
Speaking of social media, my Instagram and Facebook accounts do in fact have bonus content not available on the website. Click on the links in the preceding sentence or in the “Follow Me” section of this page to see more.
And to receive a weekly email with quick links to the latest blog articles, click “subscribe” on this page. You’ll get a quick confirmation email— simply click on the button inside that message to confirm your email address and you’ll be all set.
It Takes a Village
You’d be surprised how much work goes into creating and maintaining a blog. I personally write every article— 40 and counting. And the 400+ videos and photos are my own (except where rarely indicated otherwise). But I’ve relied on a global team of freelancers to build and sustain the website itself.
Robert designed the site logo in England, and Moin in Bangladesh built the layout to my specifications. In Malaysia and Vietnam, Woon and Ken optimized the images and ensured the site loads quickly to Google’s standards. Meanwhile, Zach in the UK is on standby to provide tweaks and fixes to keep things looking sharp and running smoothly. Finally, teams in the United States handle the corporate filings, internationally compliant legal notices, and accounting.
The goal is to make the site easy, useful, and attractive for you.
Trending Stories
My job is to provide content that meets your needs— and it requires me to mix things up a bit. Half of my readers prefer practical trip advice, and the rest of you enjoy personal anecdotes and travel stories. You’ll see those preferences reflected in the three blog posts currently rocketing to the top of the most-read list:
My Biggest Travel Mistakes (primarily anecdotal)
Best Things to Do in Madrid (purely practical)
Learn to Fly a Hawk: Ireland’s School of Falconry (a mix)
Let me know in the comments what you would like to see more of— or send me a private message via the “Contact” page.
Not All Devices Are Equal
Consistently 88% of readers access the website on their smart phones, and the site is optimized for mobile devices. But did you know the layout looks different on tablets and computers? The larger screens allow for a more interesting display. Have a look, and you’ll see why a tablet is my preferred way of viewing the site.
David Versus Goliath
There would be no point to any of this if you weren’t here to share your valuable time with me. And I am sincerely grateful. Without readers, bloggers are just sending words into cyberspace. But each of your visits, comments, clicks, and shares is far more powerful than you may realize.
About 84% of internet searches worldwide are done with Google. Since Google dictates what appears in those search results, bloggers and businesses behind the scenes cater to Google’s complicated definition of a worthy website. And Google views website traffic as one of the most important metrics.
That means bloggers— especially new ones— face daunting competition from well-established corporate giants for Google’s attention. Without that recognition, we won’t appear anywhere near the top of Google’s search results. And if we’re not in those top search results, new readers can’t find us. Our hard work becomes less impactful.
Why the 6-Month Milestone is Important
That’s why I’m especially grateful every time you visit, click, comment, and share— both at the website and on my Instagram and Facebook profiles. As scary as it is, Google sees and counts all that activity— even when you decline cookies. And it rewards TREXposé with better recognition in the search results.
The 6-month milestone is especially important. Most experts agree that’s when Google acknowledges a new blog is still up and running— and starts to take it seriously. In other words, Google is watching the site more closely now— so would you be willing to help me out?
Maybe share your favorite blog article on Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, or Twitter? Or email a site link to a relative, friend, or co-worker who also loves travel, history, or photography? And in six more months, I’ll let you know how we fared against the corporate giants of the travel niche!
Thanks for your support— I appreciate each and every one of you sharing your time with me.
