We launched Seeking Profit in January, and listeners started sending niche site questions right away. Every month or two, Andrew and Emil pick five submissions and answer them on the show. This post covers site structure, how ChatGPT might change blogging, finding reliable affiliate partners, what to do with your profits, and how to build a site while you still have a day job.
Updated 2026.
How Should You Structure a Niche Site?
Submitted by @therobertleonar
There are two popular structures for niche blogs: the silo structure and the hub-and-spoke structure.
In a silo structure, you break content into categories. Posts inside each silo link to each other and usually do not link outside the silo. Each silo typically has a cornerstone piece that internal links flow toward. On a mountain biking site, that might mean separate silos for gear, guides, bikes, and accessories.
Hub-and-spoke is similar, but one primary category defines your site’s identity. Subcategories sit inside that primary bucket, and links flow back to the center. Using the mountain biking example again, you might have one primary category for mountain biking essentials and guides. Subcategories for bikes, seats, and helmets all link back to that hub content.
Whichever structure you choose, your URL structure should put primary content closer to the root. A category page for trails might look like www.mountainbikeadventures/trails. A Florida subcategory sits one level deeper: www.mountainbikeadventures/trails/florida. Google and your readers both understand the hierarchy faster when URLs match how the site is organized.
How Will ChatGPT Affect the Future of Blogging?
Submitted by @alton_lex
AI will reshape search and how engines answer queries. Anyone who says blogging is definitely dead is guessing. Nobody knows how this shakes out yet.
Google wins when answers build trust with searchers. In early 2023, AI could not deliver that reliably. In the years since, the landscape has shifted, but the core tension remains: speed versus authority, automation versus expertise.
Expect more regulation around plagiarism, accuracy, and who owns AI-generated answers. Governments are still figuring that out.
For niche site operators, the practical prediction holds. AI search will not kill blogging, but it will change what ranks. Low-effort informational keywords get even less valuable. Queries like “How tall is Chris Hemsworth?” or “How old are the Pyramids?” are easy wins for chatbots.
You need keywords that require topical authority and real expertise. Thin answer posts will not carry sites the way they once did. For how Andrew and Emil think about AI and content today, read our April 2023 Q&A on ChatGPT and SEO.
How Do You Find Reliable Affiliate Partners?
Submitted by @PlayWithFIRECo
Working directly with brands, instead of routing everything through a large network, can earn you more per conversion. It also takes finesse.
Diversifying is smart, but few programs match Amazon’s conversion rate. Weigh higher commissions against lower conversions and do the math. If a brand pays 3x the commission but converts at one-third of Amazon’s rate, you broke even, not ahead.
Start with the brands you already sell the most. Reach out and ask for a meaningful commission bump in exchange for sending sales direct. Once you prove volume, you have leverage to negotiate again before a competitor steals the placement.
Direct relationships also give you room to optimize how links appear on the page. Solid affiliate link management keeps those direct deals organized as your catalog grows.
Run an Opportunities Scan to see which products you mention most often without monetized links. That list is your shortlist for outbound partner conversations.
What Should You Do With Your Niche Site Profits?
Submitted by @thejoe126
Most operators will tell you to reinvest. Put profits back to work and compound. The simplest path is another niche site. That adds workload, so plan for it.
You can also park
Here are practical ways to spend profits that still move your life forward:
- Your time. Use site income to buy freedom from a day job. Buying back your calendar is often the best investment you will make.
- Travel. It broadens perspective in ways small luxuries do not.
- Debt and peace of mind. Conventional wisdom says do not prepay a mortgage when you could invest elsewhere. Fair. Paying off a car, credit cards, or student loans still removes stress. If killing the mortgage makes you sleep better, do it.
Before you reinvest in a second property, make sure the first one is actually earning. Read the 8 principles for creating a well-monetized website for a framework on sites that justify more capital.
How Do You Start a Blog When You Have a Day Job?
Submitted by @themadbahndari
The honest answer is not glamorous. You work on the blog outside your job, in whatever free time you have.
Blogging is a side hustle. If you want job-replacement income, you need hours on the site. That might mean late nights after your kids go to bed. It might mean skipping the pub on Saturday to publish.
Time invested in a blog is a real risk. This business is hard. That difficulty is also what keeps rewards high. If niche sites were easy, competition would crush margins for everyone.
Start small, protect your energy, and treat consistency like the constraint it is. You are not looking for a miracle weekend. You are stacking months of focused work.
Submit Questions for Our Next 5 Questions Episode
All five questions came from Seeking Profit listeners on Twitter. Got a niche site question? Tweet @andyfieb or @emilshour with your question. We pick five each cycle and answer them on the show.
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