How One Blog Post Generated Over $20,000 in Passive Income

The Big Win: One Article That Keeps Paying

In late 2014, guitar instructor Jake Posko launched a simple WordPress site to support his side hustle teaching in-person lessons. He wrote about questions beginners ask all the time, like “How much is a new guitar?” and “What’s the best starter model?” One entry—“How long does it take to learn guitar?”—took off in search and became the site’s primary traffic driver.

Setting Up a Niche Resource

Jake focused every blog post on a clear question learners type into Google. With clean site navigation and straightforward titles, each article targeted a single search query. He used the built-in WordPress editor, chose a clean theme, and installed an SEO plugin to set meta titles and descriptions. That simple structure made it easy for Google’s crawler to index pages.

The Superstar Post

The “How long to learn guitar” article included timelines for practice, video embeds, recommended exercises, and gear tips. It answered the query thoroughly without fluff, which improved dwell time and reduced bounce rate. By mid-2016 the post hit the top spot for both “how long to learn guitar” and “how long to learn acoustic guitar.”

Monetization with Affiliate Links

In 2016 Jake signed up for Amazon Associates and JamPlay’s affiliate program. He embedded Amazon guitar recommendations and placed JamPlay signup links near practice tips. JamPlay paid $40 per new member, and this quickly eclipsed Amazon earnings. Even after pausing new content for 2–3 years, the page still drives $200–$300 monthly in affiliate payouts.

Traffic and Growth Metrics

Traffic snowballed when Jake committed to publishing almost daily from September to October 2016. By January 2019 the standout post earned over 12,000 organic visits per month, sustaining 95% search-driven traffic. Notably, 65% of total site sessions still funnel into that single piece of content.

Key Lessons Learned

Jake could have scaled faster by duplicating the same formula across multiple topics. He advises peers to stick with a subject they know well, target clear search queries, engage with every comment to boost social proof, and treat each article as a standalone asset. Building a portfolio of similar posts helps diversify income streams and reduce reliance on wild traffic swings.