Passive income websites can be extremely lucrative if done right. In this comprehensive case study, we'll walk through how James Ackerman and his team grew a content site from $217/month to $2 836/month in just 9 months — a 355% increase! He then sold the site for $59 000.
Overview
Here are the key stats from James Ackerman's case study:
- Starting Revenue (October 2022): $217/month
- Ending Revenue (June 2023): $2 836/month
- Growth: 1 205% increase in 9 months
- Valuation (Oct 2022): $5 750 (26.5x multiple)
- Valuation (June 2023): $59 000 (26.5x multiple)
- Sale Price: $59 000
- Return on Investment: 355% in 9 months
The site was originally registered in 2016 and built up over time. James acquired it and then used AI-generated content to quickly scale it up.
No backlinks were built during this time. The site already had a strong backlink profile with 500+ referring domains.
“In this case study I used AI-assisted content to grow an existing site from $217/m to $2 836/m in 9 months (NO BACKLINKS) and sold it for $59 000.”, says James Ackermann
Below we'll break down the step-by-step process James Ackerman used to grow this site rapidly in only 9 months.
Choosing the Right Niche
The first step was validating that this niche had potential. James used tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and manual analysis to ensure there was enough search volume and monetization opportunity.
Some key factors he looked for:
- Enough search volume for core keywords (10k+ searches/month ideal)
- Low-medium competition on core keywords
- Clear monetization path (display ads, affiliate, etc)
- An existing site structure/content to build upon
This niche passed all the criteria, so James decided to move forward.
Creating a Structured Content Plan
The content plan is crucial — it guides the entire growth process. James' team spent about a month mapping out:
- Main site topic and related subtopics
- Semantically related keywords to target
- Page structure (categories/subcategories)
- Priority topics and articles
Researching the Topic and Keywords
They started by identifying the core site topic and related subtopics using tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Inlinks. ChatGPT also provided ideas for relevant subtopics and keywords.
The goal was to create a comprehensive content structure covering all aspects of the niche.
Organizing the Site Structure
Next, they organized all the subtopics into categories and subcategories. The most relevant ones were grouped together into core categories. These drove the most traffic. They also identified secondary subcategories to round out the site's topical authority.
Planning Priority Articles
Within each subcategory, they extracted keyword targets for potential articles. Questions often make great article titles. They focused on 10-20 core articles first, then expanded out. Similar keywords were consolidated into one article.
The end result was a detailed content plan mapping out categories, subcategories, and article titles with target keywords.
Producing High-Quality Content
With the plan complete, it was time to produce content. James' team used the following process:
- Pick a target keyword
- Thoroughly answer the question in 1500+ words
- Incorporate 5-10 related subtopics/keywords
- Include relevant data, stats, examples
- End with a summary/conclusion
The goal was in-depth, comprehensive articles that provided value to readers.
On-Page SEO and Formatting
As content was produced, they optimized each article for SEO:
- Keyword-focused H1s and H2s
- Meta descriptions with keywords
- Image alt text optimization
- Internal links between related articles
- Schema markup for rich snippets
- Featured images and content images (with alt text)
- Videos where relevant
This improved on-page SEO, making articles more scannable/shareable.
Getting Content Indexed Quickly
With bulk content publishing, getting indexed quickly was crucial. They used the RankMath WordPress plugin which has an "Index Now" option. This submits new pages to Google's indexing API for faster inclusion in the search results.
Overall it allowed their new content to get indexed within 1-2 days, helping accelerate growth.
Optimizing for Conversions
Once they had traffic, it was time to boost conversions. James implemented two key optimizations:
1. Amazon Affiliate Product Tables
They added Amazon affiliate product recommendation tables on popular posts. Despite the informational nature of the content, this significantly increased earnings.
Monitoring analytics helped identify top-trafficked pages to add tables to.
2. Video Advertising
They also used Ezoic to serve video ads on the site. Combined with the product tables, this increased RPM substantially.
Building Credibility and Trust
Google values sites that demonstrate expertise, so James focused on building authority and trust:
- Added author bios and headshots
- Grew their contributor network by allowing select guest posts
- Linked author social profiles
- Promoted their content across social media channels
This strengthened the site's credibility and authoritativeness.
Monetizing with Advertising and Affiliate Marketing
Here are the main monetization methods James leveraged:
- Display ads like Google AdSense
- Amazon affiliate recommendations
- Select sponsorship/native advertising opportunities
- Selling a limited number of guest post opportunities
Diversified monetization improved overall earnings and reduced reliance on any one source.
Tracking Progress and Results
Throughout the process, James monitored key metrics to assess growth:
- Google Analytics: Traffic, top pages, conversions
- Search Console: Impressions, clicks, rankings
- Ahrefs: Total keywords ranking for, search volume
- Earnings reports: AdSense, Amazon, others
This allowed him to double down on what worked and optimize areas that needed improvement. Analyzing the data was crucial for maximizing growth.
Results: 1 205% Revenue Growth in 9 Months
The strategies outlined above led to tremendous growth in only 9 months:
- Traffic increased 239%
- Revenue increased 1 205%
- RPM increased 185%
- 490 new articles added
- Average word count per article: 1500
- Total words: 735 000 (approximately)
- Cost per word: 2 cents (includes research, entities, production, quality assurance, uploading, formatting, adding images, featured images, alt texts, onsite SEO, publishing/scheduling, etc.)
Expenses:
- Content: $14 700
- Misc (hosting and others): $500
- Total: $15 200
Return on investment — Earnings:
- Oct 22 - June 23 Earnings: $10, 99
- Sold for: $59 000
- Total Earnings: $69, 99
- ROI over the 9 month period: 355.25%
You can see the month-by-month growth trajectory in this table:
The growth was fast and consistent thanks to James' methodical process.
Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned
Here are some of James Ackerman's key learnings:
- Have a structured plan (topics, keywords, content types)
- Produce high-quality, in-depth content
- Format and optimize articles for SEO
- Leverage tools to index quickly
- Monitor analytics to optimize conversions
- Build author authority and expertise
- Be patient — growth takes time
- Experiment relentlessly to keep improving
The process James outlined here can be replicated across any niche. The keys are having a solid plan, executing consistently, tracking data, and optimizing over time.
Scaling Things Up
This site was an experiment for James to validate a new AI-assisted content process. He plans to refine and automate things further to reduce costs and maximize returns across more sites.
James' goal is to create an efficient, repeatable model, and then scale it up over hundreds of sites. AI will help drive down content costs substantially compared to past case studies. He's excited to see the results from additional experiments and sites as James continues optimizing this passive income strategy. The opportunities are endless!
