1st anniversary: Blogging on a new platform

It has been a year since I switched to Ghost from DEV Community to publish content. In my 4 years of blogging, I started my site instead of relying on free platforms sharing content and I have had my fair share of getting familiar with the platform. Since I started I have worked on a few projects throughout the year. I have had ups and downs like many blogs, learning to boost views and general marketing. My first year has been a trial and error learning how to use Ghost and it's been a positive experience.

Creating my first Video game

My first project was a small video game I created earlier in the year. I initially developed it for a game jam on itch.io until I developed it into a shorter game. I enjoyed learning about game development and completing a game in its entirety. I also joined a few local game dev meetups this year. I still plan to get more involved in networking and I'm currently working on my second game. I considered my first video game a test to learn more about game engines and develop a concept. I do plan to improve in networking and marketing within the next year.

Data analysis and visualization

I started a personal project that deals with public health ratings among the local counties in the state. This project requires GIS and data analysis to interpret and present the data accurately. The part I enjoyed is how my research can help non-profits and local organizations shape public health policies. This is a community project that I decided to start on my own.

SEO and site views

It's no surprise that SEO is vital for any blog to have success. I am a blogger who writes about tech and coding, so it is a very niche topic that may not get any views in the beginning few years. At the time of writing this, my developer street cred is still weak and can be corrected with constant networking and marketing. I have made past 1000 total views in less than a year, my next goal is to get between 10-25 daily views a day. Most of my views are from organic searches on Google.

What's next?

I set a subscription tier and plan to offer more content and products. I'm continuing to work on the draft for my next video game. I'm continuing to update my projects to grow my portfolio.