I’m excited to share my January 2026 food blog traffic and income report with you! It was a bit of an odd month (as January typically is), but with so a few new and exciting endeavors.
If you’re new here, I’m Taylor! I’m the recipe creator, food photographer, blog writer, and SEO specialist behind Fresh Cup of Joy.
I share traffic and income reports for two reasons:
- To keep a clear, honest record of my blog’s growth for myself
- To share the behind-the-scenes reality of food blogging with others
This is a very transparent post. I’ll be sharing real numbers, real income, and real lessons learned.
Before jumping in, thank you so much for supporting Fresh Cup of Joy. Every recipe you make, page you visit, and pin you save truly makes a difference.
TL;DR – January 2026 at a Glance
- Page views: 16,000 (according to Google Analytics), 9,905 (according to Mediavine)
- Sessions: 6,500 (according to Google Analytics), 6,129 (according to Mediavine)
- Posts published: 7 new recipes (no roundups)
- Top traffic sources: Pinterest (growing) + Google (steady)
- Total income: $942.29
- Ads (Journey by Mediavine): $539.30
- Brand Partnerships: $400
- Amazon affiliates: $2.99
Why this month was different: While the blog experienced a big dip in traffic (a combo of both analytics discrepancies and post-holiday slump), it’s my highest earning month to date, primarily due to brand partnerships.
A Quick January Recap
January was filled with big personal life changes including buying a house, moving, and my husband’s surgery, so I wasn’t able to publish as many recipes as I wanted to.
In January, I published 7 new recipes (no roundups this month). I averaged 10 pins/day on Pinterest.
Recipes Published in January
- How to Make Chocolate (With Only 3 Ingredients!)
- Muddy Buddy Recipe | Puppy Chow Recipe
- Red Thai Chicken Curry Recipe | One-Pot Meal
- Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Roll Muffin Recipe
- Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins
- Cottage Cheese Egg Bake Recipe
- Delicious Cottage Cheese Banana Muffins
The cottage cheese series may be my favorite so far!
Traffic Overview
- Total Page Views: 16,000
- Total Sessions: 6,500
January sessions were down compared to December, which is common after the holiday season. Page views are comparable according to GA, however RPMs are low (nearly half of last month’s average).
Top Performing Posts (January)
These posts continued to lead the way in January:
- How to Make Homemade Pasta (Easy)
- 17 Best Pizza Combinations You Have to Try
- Rosemary Parmesan Bread Jersey Mike’s Copycat Recipe
Traffic Sources
Pinterest continues to grow and be a major traffic driver.
- Pinterest outbound clicks: 12,280
- Overall Pinterest performance: growing
Pinning consistently (10 pins per day), especially to evergreen content, has made a noticeable difference.
Google Search
- Google organic sessions: 2,930
- Google performance: growing
Google organic traffic is slower growing than Pinterest, but growing noticeably month over month!
Other Traffic
- Direct traffic: 637 sessions
January 2026 Income Report
Total Income: $942.29
Income Breakdown
- Ads (Journey by Mediavine): $539.30
- Sponsored Posts & Brand Partnerships: $400
- Amazon Affiliate Income: $2.99
The newest source of income was from sponsored Instagram posts for two brands: Synear Foods and Surasang.
Lessons Learned in January
- Google pays off longer term than Pinterest. While Pinterest does pay off over time, it must be constantly nurtured and given effort in order to continue growing. Google is powerful and can build over time, without constantly posting.
Looking ahead to the next few months, I’m planning to:
- Create more content series (high-protein, Dutch oven, crockpot, baking, salads) and cluster recipes intentionally for stronger SEO
- Build out supporting side recipes so readers have complete meal resources.
Want to Support Fresh Cup of Joy?
If you enjoy these reports, my recipes, or want to support the continued growth of this blog, you can buy me a coffee here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/Freshcupofjoy
Your support helps cover recipe development, site tools, and behind-the-scenes work and allows me to keep sharing transparent reports like this. Thank you so much for being here!
