Welcome to an exclusive interview with Keith Mint, a seasoned web publisher based in Ireland, Europe. With nearly two decades of experience in website creation and a passion for building niche sites and helping others do the same, Keith has established himself as a trusted figure in the industry.
Through his online journal, Minted Empire, Keith provides a glimpse into his journey through the world of content creation, affiliate marketing, and web publishing.
With a focus on building a portfolio of websites in different niches, he shares his insights into his experiences with new domain acquisitions and targeting low-competition keywords.
Keith’s dedication to continuous learning and his willingness to adapt his strategies shine through as he discusses the impact of Jon Dykstra’s Fat Stacks community on his keyword research and niche selection process. This demonstrates his commitment to staying on the right path and constantly improving his approach to website building.
As a seasoned entrepreneur, Keith also brings a wealth of experience in nurturing businesses and achieving success. His authority website, which operated as a successful lead-generation business with a team of full-time employees, recently caught the attention of a competitor and was acquired, further highlighting his expertise in developing and growing online ventures.
In this interview, we delve into Keith’s perspectives on content site building, content creation strategies, effective link building techniques, and SEO optimization.
His insights, honed through years of experience and continuous experimentation, provide valuable guidance for aspiring web publishers and online entrepreneurs.
Join us as we unravel the journey of Keith Mint, exploring his strategies, experiences, and passion for nurturing online businesses. Let his insights inspire and guide you in your own path to success in the dynamic world of web publishing.
Interview with Keith Mint
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started in the world of web publishing and content creation?
My background is in finance but I’ve been building websites on and off for about 20 years. These sites were either for fun, for local businesses, or for lead gen. I didn’t get started in niche sites until around mid-2020.
I was actually researching SEO for local sites on YouTube to keep myself occupied during the pandemic. I randomly stumbled across an Income School video about making money from content sites and I decided to give it a go.
Q. What motivated you to focus on niche websites and affiliate marketing after having experience in different aspects of online business?
The global pandemic affected the cash flow of my primary business, which led me to explore other potential earning opportunities. I discovered the Income School’s YouTube channel and realized that earning a full-time income from content sites was possible.
Q. Can you share some insights into your approach to building a small portfolio of websites in different niches? How do you select these niches, and what strategies do you use to identify low-competition keywords?
When I’m selecting a niche these days, I tend to only go into a niche that I’m familiar with. Although, lately, I’ve been experimenting with entering new niches that I know to be more lucrative. More lucrative usually means much tougher competition obviously.
When it comes to keyword research, I definitely don’t have a set pattern. Sometimes, I simply start with a seed keyword and then search Google to see what comes up in the autocomplete and then I try to find keywords that are longer tails and more niched down. I use LowFruits to find keywords too.
Lately, I’ve been taking the topical authority route and just writing what needs to be written in order to completely cover a topic. I’ll do that regardless of the competition for those keywords.
Q. You mentioned discovering Fat Stacks and how it helped you stay on the right path. Could you elaborate on the specific ways that Fat Stacks and its community have influenced your approach to niche websites and affiliate marketing?
Fat Stacks and its community have been instrumental in guiding my approach to niche websites and affiliate marketing. They’ve helped me with technical SEO issues as well as helping me refine my keyword research and niche selection strategies.
Some community members are earning six figures per month with many more earning high five figures per month. So, it’s a great community to be a part of.
Q. With your experience in owning and nurturing businesses, how do you apply that knowledge to the growth and development of your web publishing ventures? Are there any specific strategies or techniques you find particularly effective?
From my experience in owning and growing businesses, I’ve learned that it’s all about people. This is something I always remember when I’m building a team. In publishing, I keep in mind that people buy from people, which guides me when creating content.
Authenticity is really important to me, and I make sure it shows in everything I do.
Q. Congratulations on the acquisition of your lead-gen business! Can you share some insights into the process of building and scaling that business, and how it ultimately led to the acquisition?
It was an online lead-gen business but it was more traditional in the sense that we had a physical office with full-time employees. Our customers were the type of people who liked to pick up the phone and chat with real people behind the business.
This was only a decade ago but it seems like a very different world now. It was difficult to scale the business because our market was local domestic and we reached a glass ceiling before too long.
In contrast, there is no limit to earnings from the content site business. Success will come from keeping running costs low (thanks to AI content!) and focusing on scaling growth in a sustainable way.
We were approached to sell the business at a time when we hadn’t even thought of selling. That put the idea of an exit in our heads. The potential buyer was not currently in our local market.
Out of courtesy, I approached our much larger competitor and offered them a chance to make an offer to buy our company. Our competitor ended up making an offer that we accepted.
Q. As someone who has been involved in startups and business development, what are some key lessons or insights you have gained along the way that you believe is crucial for success in the online business and web publishing space?
One key lesson I’ve learned is the importance of community and learning from those a few steps ahead of you. This has been instrumental in accelerating my journey. I also get a lot of value from peer accountability groups.
Q. How do you approach learning and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and strategies in web publishing, content creation, and affiliate marketing? Are there any resources or communities you rely on for continuous growth and learning?
I stay up-to-date by being a member of various communities, keeping an eye on Twitter, and also various SEO groups on other social platforms.
The good tips that move the needle usually float to the top! I also take a few courses each year to stay up to date with what’s working.
Q. Can you share some of the tweaks and optimizations that you have found to be particularly effective in growing your websites? Are any specific strategies or techniques that have yielded positive results?
Compared to my peers, I’ve not had huge success in the content publishing realm yet. My biggest mistake has been starting too many projects and not focusing hard on one.
That said, I’ve seen my biggest successes when I really focus on one project for an appropriate length of time.
Specifically, I believe you can have good success with aged domains, building topical authority, becoming highly proficient at keyword research, and learning the 80:20 of on-page SEO.
Q. What are your favorite monetization strategies or networks for your niche websites, and why do you find them successful?
I’m a display ads guy for the most part but one of my latest sites has some really great affiliate opportunities that I fully tend to explore. Up to now, I’ve been lazy with affiliate marketing and simply settled for the main go-to, Amazon.
Q. In terms of link building for your websites, what approaches do you take to build high-quality and authoritative backlinks? Are there any specific link building techniques or strategies that you find effective?
I’ve had bad luck with a few agencies that I’ve tested. Some well-known names in the industry reached out to offer them for free in exchange for a case study.
I’ve always been disappointed with the quality of the links that they put forward. For the most part, the links were from spammy link farms. I didn’t want them anywhere near my sites.
I’ve had reasonable success with HARO outreach. I haven’t tried other link building methods apart from a bit of digital PR which I did manually myself and didn’t get terribly far with it.
Q. How do you see the impact of AI and emerging technologies in the realm of web publishing and content creation? Are there any areas where you believe AI will play a significant role in the future?
I think AI will play a significant role in pretty much all areas of our business. It’s hard to avoid it these days. I was slow to adopt it in my business but I embrace it daily now. It’s here to stay.
Q. Have you experimented with AI writing tools or automation in your content creation process? If so, what has been your experience, and do you have any advice for others looking to incorporate AI tools into their workflow?
I’m a big fan of KoalaWriter and ZimmWriter. I use them daily to create first-draft articles for my sites. My advice to others is to not just take the one-click publish approach. That’s just lazy and it probably won’t have a long-term ROI.
Q. Throughout your journey as a web publisher and entrepreneur, what are some notable successes or milestones that you are particularly proud of? How have these accomplishments shaped your motivation and drive for further growth?
I’ve worked hard to grow other award-winning businesses and that in itself is an achievement that I’m proud of. I’m also proud that I’ve been able to work for myself (as opposed to having a “real boss”) since 2006.
I keep joking with people that I’m probably unemployable at this stage because I’m so used to being my own boss. I do have an inner drive to grow my business to a point where I have total financial freedom and the option of having more time off.
Q. Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations in the world of web publishing? Where do you envision your business and ventures in the next few years?
My 12-month goal is to continue growing my portfolio. I might sell a site or two within that timeframe, but I’m honestly not sure yet. I’m also open to purchasing an under-monetized site with the intention of growing and flipping it for a profit.
Q. On a personal note, could you share one interesting or fun fact about yourself that people may not know?
I must be bored because I can’t honestly think of anything interesting to say here! During the lockdown, I learned how to play the drums albeit quite badly!
Thank you for your time!
In conclusion, our interview with Keith Mint, the seasoned web publisher behind Minted Empire, has shed light on the ever-evolving world of content site building, content creation, link building, and SEO strategies.
Keith’s dedication to learning, adapting, and sharing his knowledge is evident throughout the conversation.
From his experiences in website creation spanning nearly two decades to his current focus on niche sites and affiliate marketing, Keith’s journey exemplifies the constant pursuit of growth and improvement.
Keith’s success in nurturing businesses, evidenced by the acquisition of his lead-generation website, further solidifies his expertise in building and developing online ventures.
His passion for sharing tweaks and optimizations that drive website growth is a testament to his commitment to the success of fellow web publishers.
As you embark on your own journey in content site building, content creation, link building, and SEO, may the insights shared by Keith Mint serve as a source of inspiration and guidance.
Embrace the lessons learned and apply them to your strategies, enabling you to carve your path to success in the ever-evolving landscape of web publishing.
Where you can find me…
Website: mintedempire.com
Linkedln: linkedin.com/in/keithmint
Twitter: twitter.com/MintedEmpire
YouTube: youtube.com/@MintedEmpire/featured
