How to Start a Pet Blog and Pawsitively Delight Animal Lovers

By focusing on these elements, you can find a niche that not only excites you but also has the potential to attract and engage a dedicated audience.

We’ve written extensively about niche research for bloggers, but you should look for these qualities in your final choice:

• A mix of big and small competitors. If the niche doesn’t have big sites, there isn’t much money to be made. If there aren’t small sites, you won’t be able to compete.
• Income potential. A healthy mix of affiliate offers, display ads, and original products will allow you to diversify your income.
• Keywords and link-building opportunities. You’ll do more extensive keyword research later, so right now you’re just looking for content gaps. Are there keywords you could realistically rank for and get traffic early?

Popular Pet Blog Niches

If you're thinking of starting a pet blog, picking the right niche can make a big difference. Focusing on a specific area not only boosts your blog's relevance but also attracts a dedicated audience. Here's a look at some of the most popular pet blog niches:

• Dog Training: Cover everything from basic commands to advanced tricks. Helpful for first-time owners and seasoned dog lovers.
• Cat Care: Discuss feline health, grooming tips, and behavior insights. Cat parents are always on the lookout for ways to pamper their pets.
• Pet Nutrition: Provide advice on diets, homemade recipes, and the best commercial foods for different pet types and breeds.
• Exotic Pets: Dive into the care of less common pets like reptiles, birds, or even tarantulas. This niche is perfect for those interested in unique animals.
• Pet Tech: Explore the latest gadgets in the pet industry, from tracking devices to automated feeders. Tech-savvy pet owners love this niche.

Each of these niches offers a unique angle to engage with pet owners and share valuable content that can help them better care for their beloved animals.

Planning Out Your Pet Blog

So you've picked a niche for your blog, that's amazing! But don't forget,'failing to plan is planning to fail.'

Before you run off and start posting, let's take a moment to plan out your business strategy.

Set Your Blog Goals

Setting goals for your Pet blog is essential to its success. It gives you direction and helps you stay focused on what matters most.

When setting your goals, it's important to consider your audience, your niche, and what you realistically hope to achieve.

This can include things like increasing your readership, building your email list, or monetizing your blog.

By setting clear and achievable goals for your pet blog, you'll be able to create content that resonates with your audience, establish yourself as an authority in your niche, and achieve the success you're looking for.

Define Your Target Audience

Defining your target audience is crucial when starting a pet blog. It helps you create content that resonates with your readers, making your blog more engaging and successful. Here's how to nail it down:

Identify pet owner demographics: Consider factors like age, location, and type of pets owned. Are your readers young urban apartment dwellers with cats, or rural families with multiple dogs and other animals?

Understand their needs and interests: What are the main concerns of your audience? Are they looking for advice on pet health, training tips, or simply entertaining stories about pets?

Engage with them: Use social media, comments, or surveys to ask your audience what they want to read. This direct feedback is gold for tailoring your content effectively.

Check out the competition: Look at other pet blogs. What are they doing that you can do differently or better? This can help you find a unique angle for your blog.

Focus on a niche: Instead of targeting all pet owners, you might focus on a specific group like reptile owners, eco-conscious pet practices, or a particular breed of dog or cat.

Do Your Keyword Research

Keyword research is an important aspect of creating content for your Food blog. It helps you understand the phrases and questions people use to search for information on the topic you're writing about. That way, you can use those phrases and questions to optimize your content for search engines.

Identify the keywords that are most relevant to your niche. These are your “seed keywords.”

Seed keywords are broad terms used to generate super-specific long-tail keywords.

Hey there! If you're diving into the pet blog scene, you'll need some great seed keywords to start with. These broad terms will help you brainstorm those detailed, long-tail keywords that can really attract the right audience to your blog. Here’s a list to get you going:

• Pet care
• Pet training
• Pet nutrition
• Pet breeds
• Pet health
• Pet grooming
• Pet adoption
• Pet toys
• Pet behavior
• Pet safety

Take your seed keywords and feed them into your keyword tool of choice. I like using Ahrefs.

Add them to the report and hit search. Then, go to “Keyword Ideas” and click “Matching Terms.”

This list will contain thousands of possible terms for you to write about. I recommend targeting the lowest-volume keywords possible, no matter the traffic.

When you first start your pet blog, it’ll be hard to get traffic. But you can get it by targeting keywords that other site owners ignore.

By doing your keyword research, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages and attracting more traffic to your Food blog.

How to Start a Pet Blog | Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you're done with the business plan, let's get to the fun part.

Here's how to start a Pet blog:

Step 1. Pick a Blogging Platform

Choosing the right blogging platform is crucial for the success of your Pet blog.

I strongly recommend building your blog with WordPress. It’s open-source, so your blog won't be dependent on a private company, and it’s fully customizable.

Some bloggers are intimidated by the number of features WordPress offers, but the best way to learn is just to jump in and start.

Here are some other options to consider:

• Blogger: A free platform owned by Google. Offers simple templates and easy integration with Google AdSense for monetization.
• Squarespace: A premium platform known for its design-centric approach. Offers visually appealing templates and in-depth customization options along with integrated eCommerce solutions for monetization.
• Wix: A free platform with a drag-and-drop website builder and customizable templates. Offers e-commerce options for selling products.

Consider the features, ease of use, and cost when choosing a platform that fits your needs. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to do your research before making a decision.

Step 2. Register a Domain Name

Registering a domain name gives your blog a unique online identity. When choosing a domain name for your pet blog, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Make it easy to remember
• Keep it short and sweet
• Include your main keyword
• Avoid using numbers and hyphens

Also, please don’t create an exact-match domain name, like An example of an exact match keyword domain name in the Pet blog niche could be bestcatlitterreviews.com..

It’s limiting, has terrible branding potential, and just looks amateurish. You can do much better.

Instead, spend some time brainstorming pet blog names that have the following:

1. A keyword related to your niche
2. A feeling, emotion, or quality you want your website to communicate
3. Three words or less

So, instead of the example used above, you could use one of these:

• HappyPawsBlog.com
• LovingPetsCorner.com
• JoyfulPetTalk.com
• CozyCatTales.com
• BlissfulBarksBlog.com

All of those are available at the time I’m writing this, and all would be easy to build a brand around (not to mention better for Search Engine Optimization or SEO).

You can also use a domain name generator tool for inspiration.

Once you have a few ideas for a domain name, you can check if they are available using a domain registrar.

Many services can help you register a domain name, but I recommend getting one from your hosting provider. (They usually include a free domain name when you buy hosting.)

When you find the perfect domain name, register it right away before someone else takes it.

Step 3. Secure Reliable Hosting

Once you’ve chosen a domain name, you have to purchase website hosting to make your pet blog accessible online. (As I mentioned earlier, you can usually purchase both simultaneously.)

Website hosting is a service that allows your website to be stored on a server and accessed by Internet users.

Here are some popular website hosts for pet blogs:

• WP Engine: I host all my sites with WP Engine. It's lightning quick and super easy to use. I've tried almost every shared hosting provider, and WP Engine is by far the best.
• Kinsta: A premium hosting provider known for its high performance and managed WordPress hosting solutions.
• Hostgator: A popular host that offers affordable pricing and easy WordPress integration.

After you’ve chosen and registered your domain (following the instructions from your hosting company), you’re ready to install WordPress and start building your site.

Step 4. Install WordPress

The first step to setting up your pet site is to install WordPress.

Any legitimate host these days will offer automated WordPress installation with the click of a button. Follow their instructions, and reach out to their support if you get stuck.

Once you’ve installed WordPress, go to your WordPress Admin Dashboard and start customizing your site.

Step 5. Pick a Theme for Your Pet Blog

When choosing a theme for your website, it's essential to consider your niche and target audience. Your theme should reflect your content's style and tone while being visually appealing and easy to navigate.

There are thousands of themes available to choose from, both free and paid. These are the free themes I recommend for new bloggers:

• GeneratePress - GeneratePress is one of the most popular WordPress themes on the market. It's lean, fast, and easy to customize. There's free and paid versions available.
• Kadence - Kadence is an extremely fast and lightweight theme, with a wide range of free customizations, although it does fall behind in updates from time to time.
• Astra - Astra is a simple WordPress theme that makes designing a website easy. It makes it easy to create a stunning niche website without all the fluff.

You could also buy a premium theme, but free themes are fine in the beginning.

Step 6. Install Essential Plugins

A lot of people are afraid of plugins because they think more plugins will slow their site down.

However, any good plugin these days is built for speed, so you shouldn’t worry too much about it.

If you’re still worried about site speed, our Cloudflare review shows how to perfect it.

To install a new plugin, click on “Plugins” in your WordPress dashboard sidebar. Then, click on “Add New” and either upload a plugin ZIP file or search for free plugins in the WordPress Plugin Repository.

Here are a few plugins that I recommend for every new Pet blog:

• Lasso Lite - The best way to insert product displays and affiliate links into your content is to use Lasso. Lasso Lite is the free version of Lasso and is great for new sites.
• Cloudflare - I recommend the paid Cloudflare plan, but even the free CDN will do wonders for your site speed.
• Imagify – Big images are the biggest thing that slows down websites, and an image optimization plugin like Imagify fixes them instantly.
• RankMath – RankMath is my favorite SEO plugin, but you could also use Yoast SEO or All-In-One SEO. SEO plugins provide guidelines rather than done-for-you solutions.

Now that you’ve installed and set up WordPress and your plugins, it’s time for some branding.

Step 7. Design Your Site

I’m not a web designer, but here are a few guidelines for beginners to create a professional-looking site:

• Use two colors: You only need two colors for your brand, a primary and an emphasis color. The emphasis color should contrast your primary color and only be used for CTA buttons. I use Coolors to quickly find a color palette that works for me.
• Use one or two fonts: You don’t want to overwhelm your audience. A tried and true technique is to use one font for your headings and one for your body text. It also helps to have one serif font and one sans serif font, so they stand apart. Fontpair is a great tool for this.
• Start with a text logo: Too many marketers get hung up on details like logos. You don’t even know what your site is going to be yet. Give your brand time to develop by starting with a simple text logo.

Don’t worry too much about your site’s design in the early stages. You can change all this stuff later when sales start coming in.

Step 8. Set Up Your Basic Blog Pages

You'll need to create a few key pages before you can start publishing awesome Pet content.

The first page is your homepage, which should introduce your blog and give readers an idea of what they can expect to find on your site.

You should also create an "About" page, which provides more information about you and your blog. This is a great place to share your story and give readers a sense of your personality.

Another important page is the "Contact" page, which makes it easy for readers to get in touch with you. You can include a simple contact form or provide your email address and social media links.

You can create these pages by using your blogging platform's built-in categories or by creating custom pages that link to your posts.

By providing readers with clear navigation and easy access to your content, you'll be on your way to building a loyal following.

Step 9. Write Your First Blog Posts

Once you've set up your blog and have a clear idea of what you want to write about, it's time to start publishing your first blog posts.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Choose a topic you're passionate about and that your audience will find interesting. Research what's already out there and offer a fresh perspective or unique insights.
2. Plan out your post by creating an outline or mind map. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your post flows logically.
3. Write your post in a conversational tone and avoid using jargon or overly technical language. Use short paragraphs and sentences to make your post easy to read and scan.
4. Include images or other media to break up the text and make your post more visually appealing.
5. Use subheadings and bullet points to organize your content and make it easier to read.
6. Edit your post carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Read it aloud to ensure it sounds natural and flows well.
7. Once you're happy with your post, hit the publish button! Share it on social media and other channels to get it to as many people as possible.

Get our FREE toolkit and checklist for writing articles that convert.

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How to Write Great Pet Blog Posts

Now that you officially have a site, it’s time to fill it with top-notch content.

You won’t get really good at it until you’ve done it for a while, so it’s best to write as much as possible in the early days

Here’s how to publish better pet articles from day one.

Brainstorm Ideas

Coming up with great blog post ideas based on your niche and your audience's needs can be very tough.

What I like to do is start by writing word clouds with pen and paper. It helps me quickly move from one topic to the next without thinking about it.

Once I have a good list of topics, I organize the keywords and put them into Ahrefs. Then I prioritize my content production based on what I think I have the best chance of ranking for (and what sounds like the most fun to write about).

Build a Solid Framework

Before I ever write a blog post, I build an outline using Dynalist.

I look at what competitors have published for my keyword, write down my version of the headings, and move the structure around until the flow makes sense.

Not only does this give me a solid foundation to build my article upon, but it helps me pace my article. If I’ve written 300 words under an H3 heading, I need to wrap it up and move on to the next point.

If you establish solid guidelines, your posts will practically write themselves.

Write Without Stopping

Once you have an outline of where you want your article to go, it’s time to just sit down and write.

I like to shut out any distractions and write in silence, or put on very quiet music. It’s insane how quickly you can write when you don’t have anything else to think about.

You shouldn’t even care about quality when writing your first draft. Just get your words down on paper.

Once you’re finished, step away for a bit, then come back and start editing. Correct any grammar mistakes and make sure your ideas make sense (it helps to read the content out loud).

Optimize Your Content for On-Page SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your content to rank higher in search engine results.

Make sure you do these things when writing your pet blog posts:

• Properly structure your headings. Headings are like a map that search engines like Google use to decipher what your content is about. Make sure your headings make sense (nest smaller ideas under larger ideas), and that you’ve included keywords.
• Use your target keyword naturally and often. It’s common knowledge that keyword stuffing doesn’t work anymore, but it’s still important to use your target keyword often. It will help your readers stay on track and help search engines better understand what you’re talking about.
• Add Photos and Videos. Images and videos increase the time readers spend on your page. That signals to Google that your article fits what readers are looking for. They also break up a post and allow your readers to breathe before reading the rest of the article.
• Promote the post immediately after publishing. There’s some disagreement about whether traffic is a ranking factor, but I’ve definitely had faster rankings when I got early traffic to my blog posts. And, if you have a mailing list, your subscribers want to know about your content anyway!

Use AI to Speed Things Up

At the time I'm writing this, AI still isn't able to replace a skilled, knowledgable writer.

But it's getting really close.

As AI tools continue to improve, you're going to find more and more content online that's produced without a human writer. And that content will rank in Google. There's no consolation prize for human-written content.

For the time being, here's my advice; use AI to write the first draft of your content. Then edit it thoroughly before publishing.

To get the best AI content out of the gate, I recommend Copy.AI.

Out of all the AI writing tools I've tested (which is a lot), Copy.AI produces the best, most natural content, and also has the most reasonable pricing.

Promoting Your Pet Blog

Once you publish a blog post, you need to promote it.

Seriously, most pet bloggers post and pray. If you use even one of these promotional methods, you’re doing more than 99% of the competition.

Make the Most of Social Media

Social media and blogging go hand-in-hand. Social media can be a game changer, especially in the pet niche, where readers care about the person behind the blog.

I don’t recommend spending all day on Twitter, but comment on popular threads, respond to outreach and share helpful things.

Also, shout out when you have a new blog post! Your followers want to know when you put out new content.

Build an Email List for Pet Enthusiasts

There’s a reason why email marketing is the only form of online marketing that’s barely changed in the past 15 years. It works.

It’s also challenging. Most pet blogs ask readers to join their mailing lists, so give them a special reason to sign up for yours.

It could be a workout plan, equipment guide, or anything else that sets you apart from other pet bloggers.

Why go through all this headache? Because anyone who signs up for your mailing list is devoted to what you have to say. These people are your congregation.

If you recommend a product to your mailing list, they’ll likely purchase it. At a bare minimum, send your new blog posts to your mailing list to pump up early traffic numbers.

Be ethical, but find things your mailing list will appreciate and sell, sell, sell!

Collaborate with Other Pet Bloggers

As website owners, we tend to think of our competitors as enemies, which is a bit silly. When you think about it, they’re just like us, trying their best to hustle and make things work.

Instead of worrying about how other pet bloggers will outrank you, reach out and see if you can work together.

If you build a network of small pet bloggers who all promote each other’s content, you’ll stand a much better chance of competing with established pet authorities.

Engaging in Pet Communities

Join online communities related to your niche and engage with other members. This will help you establish yourself as an expert and build relationships with potential readers.

Monetizing Your Pet Blog

Ok, so your blog is up and running, and you're gaining a following. How do you monetize a pet blog?

Here are the best ways to earn a real income from your new pet blog.

Affiliate Marketing

I recommend pet bloggers start with affiliate marketing before any other monetization method.

I love affiliate marketing because it’s a low-effort way to monetize your website without ruining your reader’s experience.

To monetize your pet blog with affiliate marketing, first, you have to identify products your audience will find helpful. Then, find the affiliate program for those products, and write thorough product reviews.

For beginners, I recommend focusing on the Amazon Associates affiliate program. The conversion rate is incredible, and you can diversify when your site is more successful.

For products that aren’t available on Amazon, just do a Google search for “[Product] affiliate program,” and you’ll find their program’s signup page.

Another way to find affiliate programs is by checking Lasso's database.

To save you some time, here are a few of the best affiliate networks for pet bloggers:

1. Innovet Pet

   

   Commission Rate: 20% - 40% Per Sale

   Cookie Duration: 30 Days

   Innovet Pet is a pet supplement marketplace full of specialized products designed to fit the unique needs of different pets.

2. Chewy

   

   Commission Rate: $15 Per Sale

   Cookie Duration: 15 Days

   Chewy has everything you need for your pet at amazing prices, every day. Explore more than 1,000 favorite brands, all from the comfort of home.

3. Petco

   

   Commission Rate: 2% Per Sale

   Cookie Duration: 7 Days

   Petco is a big, general pet supplies retailer. Join their affiliate program with a 2% commission and 7-day cookie duration.

Once approved for your chosen affiliate program, add your affiliate link to products and images, and you’re good to go. You’ll earn a commission if a reader clicks on your link and makes a purchase.

If you're still wondering how to earn money with affiliate marketing, check out these affiliate marketing website examples for inspiration.

Earn More Affiliate Income With Lasso

If you want to take your affiliate marketing strategy to the next level, I recommend you sign up for Lasso.

Lasso is a WordPress plugin that helps affiliate marketers manage links and create product displays that convert.

All you need to do is paste the affiliate link in your Lasso dashboard, add some interesting sales copy, and you’re ready to insert that Display into your blog posts.

Your product displays could look like this one:

Best Plugin for Affiliate Marketers

Lasso

$39/mo

Lasso is the best WordPress plugin for affiliate marketing. If you want to earn more affiliate income and grow your niche site, you need Lasso!

Create Displays Like This Learn More

Great Displays Increase Conversions!

If you ever need to change the link, you can change it once in your Lasso dashboard, which will update the link across your entire website.

Lasso will also handle your link cloaking and attributes, so your site will always be optimized and compliant.

That’s not even mentioning things like Tables, Grids, Lists, Link Alerts, and more.

Our Pick		Budget Pick
4.8	4.6	3.7
Starting at $30 a month	Starting at $30 a month	Starting at $2.75 a month
Try WP Engine	Try Kinsta	Try HostGator
Our Review	Our Review	Our Review

Our Pick

4.8

Starting at $30 a month

Try WP Engine

Our Review

4.6

Starting at $30 a month

Try Kinsta

Our Review

Budget Pick

3.7

Starting at $2.75 a month

Try HostGator

Our Review

If you want to monetize your pet blog the easy way, sign up for Lasso today.

Display Ads

Another great way to monetize your pet blog is with display ads. Display ads use cookies to advertise products your readers will love, so it’s a very individualized experience.

Display ads are also the most passive way to monetize a pet blog. You turn them on, configure the settings, and wait for the money to roll in.

The drawback to display ads is that nobody likes them. It’s why so many people install ad blockers in their browsers (which stop you from making money, by the way).

Here are the best ad networks to join based on your site’s page views:

• 50,000+ Visitors per month - Mediavine
• 10,000-50,000 Visitors per month - Ezoic
• <10,000 Visitors per month - Google Adsense / waiting to grow

Digital Products

Selling digital products is the easiest way to transition from advertising other people’s products to selling your own.

That’s a great step to take because it means instead of earning 3-8% of the profit, you’re taking 100% of the profit.

The drawback to selling anything is that you’re responsible for the bulk of the work. You need to provide customer service, handle returns, and find a way to process payments and distribute products.

Hey, diving into the pet blog niche? Here’s a quick list of hot digital products that could really take off:

• Customizable Training Guides: Tailor them for different breeds or problems. Super useful for new pet parents.
• Interactive Pet Care Apps: Think feeding schedules, health trackers, and reminders. Everything to keep a pet healthy.
• Online Pet Behavior Courses: Videos and tips from experts. Great for sorting out those tricky pet issues.
• E-books on Pet Nutrition: Recipes and diet plans for pets. Everyone wants their furry friend to eat right!
• Printable Pet Safety Kits: Emergency checklists, first aid steps, and more. Safety first!

These products are not just trendy; they provide real value, helping pet owners and their furry friends live better together. They're totally worth exploring if you're blogging in this niche!

Once you’ve created a digital product, connect a payment processor like Paypal or Stripe to your site with a plugin like Woocommerce.

Then you can use a tool like ConvertKit to automatically email the lead magnet to customers after they’ve finished checking out.

It’s a lot of work, but the extra profit is well worth it.

Consulting

Consulting on pet care is a fantastic opportunity. By diving deep into the pet world, you've picked up insights that are super valuable. Now, you can offer that knowledge to your readers who are eager for guidance.

As your blog grows, your readers will start asking for advice on specific topics. Why not offer a one-hour consultation for $100? The worst they can say is no, but many will jump at the chance for personalized advice!

If you find you’re selling a lot of consulting services, you can even create a section of your site dedicated to your services.

FAQs on Starting a Pet Blog

How Much Money Do Pet Bloggers Make?

The income range for pet bloggers is enormous. Many bloggers make no revenue, while some pet blogs make over six figures per month. It all depends on traffic and how well you present your offers.

How Can I Monetize a Pet Blog?

The best way to monetize a pet blog is with affiliate marketing, but you can also use display ads, sell digital downloads, or even sell coaching services.

How Do Pet Bloggers Get Paid?

Most pet bloggers make money through affiliate commissions and advertising fees. Both of these monetization methods pay out one or two months after the fees have been generated.

Some pet bloggers also sell sponsored posts, consulting services, or their own products. In these cases, a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe is necessary.

Is Pet Blogging Easy?

Nothing worth doing is truly easy, but that doesn’t mean pet blogging isn’t fun.

As a pet blogger, you’ll get to go places, try new things, and meet new people. And it will be part of your business! What could be cooler than that?

Is It Worth Starting A Pet Blog?

It’s absolutely worth it to start a pet blog. Not only can you make a living from it, but you can also build a community and control the conversation.

Once you’re an established authority, people in pet-related industries will take you seriously.

Final Thoughts on Starting a Pet Blog

That wraps up our guide on starting a pet blog! Yes, it's a tough gig, and you might not see profits immediately, but the journey is totally worth it.

Stick to the tips we've discussed, stay diligent, and create content that excites you. It's hard work, but you've got this!

Keep your posts regular, connect with your audience, and most importantly, enjoy every bit of it!

Why You Should Trust Our Pet Blogging Content

You may be thinking, "that's all great, but what does Lasso know about pet blogging?"

Quite a lot, actually.

Here's why you can trust our process for building a successful pet blog:

We've Built Wildly Successful Blogs

Lasso is built for affiliate marketers, by affiliate marketers. We're not gurus; we've walked the walk.

Our team members have built multiple blogs from the ground up, some of them earning over seven figures in revenue.

We put that experience into every guide we write, so you can trust we're giving you a process that works.

We Talk To Pet Bloggers Every Day

Lasso's WordPress plugin is installed on over 8,000 websites, including a lot of pet blogs.

Our team supports those bloggers every day as they create awesome content and earn lots of money.

These communications give us a bird's-eye view of what's new in the pet industry. We take that information and use it to keep these guides as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

We're Super Nerds

We've put a lot of company focus into learning everything we can about blogging, affiliate marketing, SEO, and anything to do with online entrepreneurship.

We attend conferences, collect high-level contacts, read tons of books, and distill all of that information into our content. We pass information onto you that was previously only available to industry insiders.