Techulator.com interview with Atish Rajan – Blogger and SEO Specialist

You have been a well known blogger and an inspiration to many other new bloggers. Can you please tell us about yourself?

My name is Atish Rajan and I am from a small district of Bihar, Sitamarhi (India). After completing my basic studies, I moved to New Delhi and completed my studies. Now I am working as Sr. SEO in an IT firm and I am a blogger by passion. My first blog is Techtricksworld.com, which is being handled by me and my friend Zainil.

How old are you? How many years you have been blogging? How many blogs do you have? Do any family members help you in blogging?

I am 25 years old and I am blogging since 2010. Currently, I am having 4 blogs, which are being managed by me and Zainil. None of my family members is in blogging, but they always appreciate my love for blogging.

How did you come to know about blogging/How was your beginning in the blogging/Tell about your first blog

I started a blog on Blogspot, but I never knew that it was called blogging :P. Just sharing computer tips and hacks were my hobby, but later as I got to know about blogging, AdSense earnings etc. I moved my blog to a self-hosted domain. Since then, Techtricksworld.com is doing very good. That was my first blog.

What makes your blog interesting to your current readers/What made your blog popular?

I am not able to give an answer to this question because I think my readers can tell what they like on my site. I got a little popularity because I always try to help everyone as much I can.

What is your background in the niche you are blogging/Are you a technical person/why did you choose this niche?

I haven't focused on a single niche site. Currently, I am working with the tech niche only. I am not a fully technical person, but I can do the basic tech things, which are needed to setup domain , web hosting, migration and changing CSS, HTML etc. Professionally I work in SEO.

What do you do in order to keep up with the latest tools and technologies/Which websites your browse regularly/What is your source of up to date knowledge

To keep myself updated I do readings online on daily basis. I usually read SEOMOZ, SEJ, mashable, TechCrunch and other SEO related blogs.

What are the technology websites and blogs you are associated with/How many blogs you have/do you write articles on other sites

I do write posts on my blogs only, but sometimes I do guest postings on multiple blogs. I have 4 blogs currently.

What do you do when you are not building software or contributing in technical web sites and blogs?

When I am not blogging I do watch movies, listening songs or sometimes hang out with friends.

How is your daily schedule/how many hours you work in your blog

I need to reach my office at 9:30 and from then, till evening 6:30, I have to work for my company. After that, I return home and start blogging at night. Usually, I give 2-3 hours of time daily to blogging.

Which webmaster/blogger is your role model? Which sites/blogs you like to follow?

Pradeep from HBB and Amit Agarwal from Labnol are great. Especially I don't follow anyone, I do research and then do what I love to.

Who are the top 5 technical experts/bloggers in your network? Can you mention the name of the big bloggers in your friend's list/network?

I mentioned above that I don't follow anyone, I love to do what I like. In fact, I love to connect with bloggers, which are newbies and willing to learn. Sorry to say, but most of the big bloggers of India don't even want to reply to your messages. Everyone is good in his / her own ways.

What do you think about the future of blogging? Do you think it will continue to be a profitable business in the long run?

The future of blogging is bright. Why not, in fact, this is already opted by many as a business. But, In the blogging business, you need to diversify your earning sources. You cannot put all your eggs in one basket.

What are your future plans/Are you planning to be a full-time blogger/Any other online business you plan to start

I seriously want to start full-time blogging and am working hard to achieve that. Yes, there are many plans, but I will execute them after I come to full-time blogging.

Do you like to share your earnings/how much you make from your blogs/which are your highest earning blogs/what are the sources of income. (list the monthly income in each site from each source, if ready to disclose)

My highest earning blog is, of course, Techtricksworld.com. Blogging income fluctuates every month, but on average, I am able to make at least 1100 USD per month. Sometimes I cross 1500 USD too, but it fluctuates every month.

I don't believe in sharing monthly reports and I am not going to share ever. I saw many bloggers are sharing their monthly report, but most of them are not true.

Do you use affiliate marketing to earn revenue? What is your advice to others on affiliate marketing?

Yes, I do use affiliate marketing, but I haven't been doing it full-fledged, but am planning to do it seriously.

If you seriously want to earn from affiliate marketing, then you should first attract a great number of targeted traffic and need to win the trust of your audience.

Which source of revenue you suggest as an alternative to Google AdSense?

If it comes to Contextual ads, then AdSense is the best. Apart from AdSense, product reviews, banner advertisements, and affiliate marketing are the best options.

Which are the online social communities you are most active on.

Facebook, G+ and Twitter.

Most big bloggers have reported that their revenue has been coming down in the last few years due to high competition. How are your earnings in the last few years? Are they growing? How is your traffic growing?

My earnings went high after last year. Yes, they are growing. My direct traffic is going on well and Google organic traffic is also booming. A few months back organic traffic reduced a bit, but again it's getting up.

How did blogging help you personally other than making money?

Personally, I have developed so much confidence. Initially, I always had the fear to share my views in front of anyone, but now everything has changed. I do share my views and most of the time that worked too.

What does your family think about your blogs?

My family members feel proud to see my blogs and appreciate my hard work in blogging.

What do you think about the Panda and Penguin updates from Google? Did your blogs get affected by it? What advice you give to other bloggers to avoid Panda/Penguin penalties?

Google wants to deliver better results to users, so it rolls out these kinds of updates. I don't put copied content so never get penalized. My advice is to follow the webmaster guidelines to stay safe from these updates.

What do you think about the future of SEO?

SEO is never going to end as long as the online business exists. But, SEO has been changing quite a lot after Google's update. Keep users in mind and then create content. Don't do anything in excess.

What you advice - focus on a single site or create several sites in various niches?

If you think from a business perspective, you should start sites in different niche to earn more. If you are doing it only for passion, then a single blog is fine.

I have seen in many online blogger communities, many bloggers share insulting information about other prominent bloggers. What is your take on such unhealthy practices?

I don't think anyone should insult others. If you disagree with someone's views, then just share your views via comment below their posts. Insulting is not the solution. Discussion is the only solution. So, discuss if you do not agree.

Which technology companies you like the most - Microsoft/Google/Apple? And why? Which company you think will be doing best after 5 years from now?

Company – Google
Technology – Google Search

Do you have any Microsoft certifications or other certifications? Are you a Microsoft MVP? How does the MVP status help you?

No, I don't have any certification, but am planning to appear for Google Adwords exam as I have good experience in PPC now. Not much idea about MVP.

Thank you Techulator Team for giving me an opportunity to share my words here.

Read Tips to increase traffic to your newly launched blog or website