When I started blogging actively around 2011 on my own domain (.com) and not just on free sites (2005-2011), my traffic went up exponentially and I ranked on the first page of Google for years.
Then cancer happened and after experiencing some brain fog (cognitive impairment) and blurry vision due to the chemo I didn’t blog as actively 2016 onwards.
Then in 2019 Go Daddy, where I bought my real estate on the web from (that is my .com address) and host my site, was hit by malware, but I feel they didn’t really take full responsibility. They just dropped WordPress support and replaced it with c-panel linux (interface that is not as user friendly for regular folk) which only web developers use. I was at my wits end calling up the helpdesks and being on hold for days. I honestly felt so dejected. Years of what I put my heart into, down the drain. It was nerve wracking loosing half the posts on my site at some point.
Due to all the above, Google no longer listed my blog. Traffic plummeted drastically. I’ll show you pictures. Truly makes me sad. Feel invisible. Very much like how I feel I’m real life with changing circumstances, so it hits hard.
Since the end of February I have rectified this by buying security (moving from http to https and even adding a firewall).
So I’m really hoping I’ll be easy to find again. But right now the easiest way is to bookmark my address https://singaporeactually.com
Just want to focus on writing and not look at any of the technical stuff, but I can’t afford to hire a web developer. I’m earning zilch, so that would be like going into the negative.
Thought it would be useful to share some of the trials and tribulations of blogging. Especially if you want to own your site and not have random ads placed on it. I personally find ads very distracting and the site looses integrity. But I can see why many have to go that route, because maintaining a website is not cheap and requires hours of labour (of love) a day.
Also I might eat my words very soon if a company with products I actually already love, make me an offer. Moleskine? Singapore Airlines? SKII? One can dream. What’s that they say about manifesting?
Another thought I had. I also started being very active on Instagram instead. It was a lazier way of mini blogging, but just not the same or as fulfilling as this online diary.
I hope people still read blogs and not everyone is solely on TikTok (I say this as I’m hooked on it as well).
