I’ve been in the blogging trenches for years, trying countless strategies to grow my online presence and generate income. When I discovered the Blogging Success Engine course, I was admittedly skeptical. Another blogging course promising the moon? But after diving deep into the material and implementing the strategies, I can confidently say this program stands apart from the crowd. In this comprehensive Blogging Success Engine review, I’ll share my personal experience, break down exactly what’s inside, and help you determine if this is the right blogging course for your journey to online success.
Quick Snapshot
- ✅ About: Blogging Success Engine is a comprehensive course teaching bloggers how to build profitable websites through strategic content creation, SEO, and affiliate marketing techniques.
- 💰 Price: $497 one-time payment or three monthly payments of $197 (total $591)
- 😍 Pros:
- Step-by-step framework that’s easy to follow even for beginners
- Active community with direct access to the instructor
- Regularly updated content to keep up with industry changes
- 😩 Cons:
- Requires significant time investment to implement strategies
- Some advanced SEO concepts may overwhelm true beginners
- Success timeline varies significantly among students
- 🟡 Verdict: Blogging Success Engine delivers exceptional value for bloggers serious about turning their website into a profitable business, though results require consistent effort and patience.
- ⭐️ Overall Rating: 4.7/5
So, how does this actually make you money?
Blogging Success Engine teaches a three-pronged approach to monetizing a blog: affiliate marketing, digital products, and display advertising. The primary focus is on building a content-driven website that attracts organic traffic from search engines, then strategically monetizing that traffic.
Here’s a real-world example of how this works: Let’s say you build a blog in the home improvement niche. Following the course’s keyword research strategies, you identify low-competition terms like “best cordless drill for apartment dwellers.” You create in-depth content around this topic, optimize it using the SEO techniques taught in the course, and build backlinks following the outlines strategies.
Within 3-6 months (timeline varies), this post starts ranking on page one of Google. You’ve included affiliate links to cordless drills on Amazon and Home Depot throughout your content. When readers click these links and make purchases, you earn commissions ranging from 3-10% of the sale price. With enough content following this model, many students report generating $3,000-$5,000 monthly within their first year.
The course sales page promises: “Build a blog that generates passive income while you sleep using proven strategies that actually work in 2023.”
Who Is This Course For?
Blogging Success Engine is ideal for intermediate bloggers who have a basic understanding of website creation but struggle with generating traffic and monetizing their content. It’s particularly well-suited for people who:
- Already have a blog but aren’t seeing meaningful traffic or income
- Are willing to invest time in creating strategic content
- Have basic technical skills (or willingness to learn them)
- Are patient enough to wait for SEO results (3-6+ months)
- Want to create a semi-passive income stream through affiliate marketing
This course is NOT a good fit for people seeking:
- Get-rich-quick schemes or overnight success
- Social media-focused blogging strategies
- Advanced technical SEO training only
- Quick traffic from paid advertisements
Absolute beginners can still benefit from the course, but might feel overwhelmed by some concepts. I recommend at least understanding basic WordPress functionality before enrolling.
About the Instructor
Shawna Newman is the creator of Blogging Success Engine and has been in the blogging and affiliate marketing space for over 15 years. She’s built and sold multiple six-figure blogs across different niches and is particularly known for her transparent approach to teaching blogging strategies that actually work.
What I appreciate most about Shawna is that she isn’t just teaching theory—she actively runs several successful blogs herself, regularly sharing case studies and real metrics from her own properties. She’s respected in the industry for avoiding hype and focusing on sustainable, white-hat strategies that build long-term assets.
Unlike many course creators who disappear after the sale, Shawna remains highly active in the private community, personally answering questions and providing feedback on students’ websites. Her straightforward, no-fluff teaching style has earned her a loyal following and numerous student success stories.
What’s inside the course?
Blogging Success Engine is structured as a comprehensive, module-based program that takes you from selecting your blog niche to scaling your income. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
Module 1: Foundation & Mindset
The course begins by addressing the critical mindset shifts needed to succeed with blogging. Shawna emphasizes treating your blog as a business from day one, which was eye-opening for me. This module includes exercises to identify profitable niches aligned with your interests and market demand. The value here is setting realistic expectations—Shawna is refreshingly honest about the work involved and typical timelines to success.
Module 2: Technical Setup & Brand Building
This module covers everything from domain selection to WordPress configuration. What sets this apart from other courses is the focus on brand positioning from the start. I found the website mockup templates particularly helpful for visualizing my site before building it. The step-by-step walkthrough for setting up essential plugins saved me hours of research.
Module 3: Content Strategy & Keyword Research
Here’s where the course really shines. Shawna’s approach to keyword research transformed how I create content. The module includes specific strategies for finding low-competition keywords that can rank quickly, even for new websites. She provides her personal content planning templates and SOPs that her own content team uses. The video on search intent analysis alone justified the course price for me.
Module 4: Content Creation Mastery
This module breaks down the anatomy of high-converting blog posts. I learned specific frameworks for different post types (reviews, comparisons, how-tos) and how to structure content to maximize both SEO and conversion potential. The included swipe files for headlines, introductions, and calls-to-action have dramatically improved my writing efficiency.
Module 5: SEO Implementation
Rather than overwhelming with technical SEO, this module focuses on the 20% of SEO tactics that deliver 80% of results. The link-building strategies are ethical, actionable, and effective—I secured three quality backlinks in my first month using just one of these techniques. The on-page SEO checklist has become my bible for optimizing new posts.
Module 6: Monetization Strategies
This comprehensive module covers multiple revenue streams with a strong focus on affiliate marketing. Shawna provides real examples of high-converting product showcases and comparison tables. The section on creating your own digital products was particularly valuable as it included templates for lead magnets and pricing strategies for online courses.
Module 7: Traffic Acceleration
While SEO is the foundation, this module explores complementary traffic sources to grow faster. The Pinterest strategy alone helped me double my traffic in two months. There’s also training on leveraging email marketing to maximize the value of each visitor.
Module 8: Scaling Your Blog Business
The final module focuses on systems and processes to grow beyond a one-person operation. The SOPs for hiring and training writers saved me countless hours when I was ready to expand my content production.
Bonuses:
- Private community access with weekly Q&A sessions
- Monthly live website reviews where Shawna analyzes student sites
- Affiliate program rolodex with contact information for 200+ programs
- Quarterly trend reports highlighting new opportunities in the blogging space
What impressed me most was how actionable everything is—no fluff or theoretical concepts without implementation steps. Each module includes specific assignments that build upon each other, creating a complete blogging business by the end of the course.
Are people seeing real results?
Based on my research and interactions in the community, students of Blogging Success Engine are achieving meaningful results—but with important caveats. The success stories aren’t overnight millionaires but rather bloggers building sustainable businesses over time.
I’ve personally connected with several students who have reached significant milestones:
- Sarah L. went from $0 to $3,200/month with her parenting blog within 14 months
- Marcus T. built a home improvement site generating $5,700 monthly after 18 months
- Jennifer K. scaled her existing food blog from $800 to $4,500 monthly in just 8 months
What’s refreshing is the transparency about timelines. The course doesn’t promise immediate results, and Shawna regularly reminds students that SEO is a long-term game. Most successful students report seeing their first affiliate commissions within 3-4 months, but meaningful income ($1,000+/month) typically takes 8-12 months of consistent effort.
The community regularly features case studies and income reports from students at various stages, which helps set realistic expectations. I’ve also noticed that students who follow the process most diligently—particularly the keyword research and content creation frameworks—tend to see results faster.
That said, not everyone succeeds. Some students report feeling overwhelmed or struggling to maintain momentum after the initial excitement wears off. The course requires significant time investment to implement fully, which can be challenging for those balancing full-time jobs or other commitments.
Pricing & Other Costs
Blogging Success Engine is available for a one-time payment of $497 or three monthly payments of $197 (totaling $591). This price point positions it in the mid-range for comprehensive blogging courses, which typically run from $300 to $2,000.
Beyond the course itself, here are additional investments you’ll need to consider:
- Domain name: $10-15 annually
- WordPress hosting: $3-29/month depending on the provider (I recommend Bluehost for beginners at $3.95/month or SiteGround for more established sites at $6.99/month)
- Premium WordPress theme: $0-129 (the course recommends several free options, but you might want to invest in a premium theme later)
- Email marketing service: $0-29/month (ConvertKit starts free for up to 1,000 subscribers)
- Keyword research tool: $0-99/month (the course teaches free methods, but professional tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush accelerate results)
All in, you should budget about $700 upfront (including the course) and $10-50 monthly for essential tools. More advanced tools can be added as your blog generates income.
The course does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it requires showing you’ve completed the first three modules and attempted the assignments—a fair policy that prevents people from downloading all materials with no intention of implementation.
Course Breakdown
- Total Content: 8 core modules containing 57 video lessons (approximately 32 hours of content)
- Format: Primarily video-based training with over-the-shoulder demonstrations, downloadable worksheets, templates, and checklists. All videos include captions and transcripts.
- Topics Covered:
- Niche selection and validation
- WordPress setup and configuration
- Keyword research and content planning
- Creating high-converting blog posts
- On-page and off-page SEO strategies
- Affiliate marketing optimization
- Email list building and monetization
- Creating and selling digital products
- Content scaling systems and outsourcing
- Bonuses:
- 12 months of access to the private community
- Monthly live Q&A calls with Shawna
- Quarterly trend reports
- Affiliate network directory
- Guest posting database
- Writer hiring and training templates
- 25 blog post templates for different content types
- Support: Questions answered in the community typically within 24 hours. Priority email support for technical issues.
- Updates: The course material is refreshed quarterly to reflect industry changes. All updates are included at no additional cost during your access period.
Pros
- Comprehensive Yet Actionable: Unlike many blogging courses that either overwhelm with information or provide only surface-level tips, Blogging Success Engine strikes the perfect balance. Each module builds logically on the previous one, creating a complete roadmap without unnecessary fluff.
- Emphasis on Sustainable Strategies: The course focuses on white-hat, algorithm-proof methods. I appreciate that Shawna doesn’t teach short-term tactics that might work today but get penalized tomorrow.
- Exceptional Keyword Research Training: The keyword research module transformed my approach to content planning. I’m now targeting terms I can actually rank for instead of wasting time on impossible competitions.
- Practical Templates and SOPs: The ready-to-use templates save hours of work. I particularly value the content briefs and affiliate review frameworks that have standardized my content creation process.
- Active, Supportive Community: Unlike many course communities that feel like ghost towns, this one has daily activity with both peer support and instructor involvement. Shawna regularly participates in discussions and answers questions.
- Regular Updates: The blogging landscape changes rapidly, and Shawna updates the course content quarterly to reflect current best practices. This alone makes the investment more valuable long-term.
- Multiple Monetization Paths: While affiliate marketing is a primary focus, the course covers diverse income streams, helping students build resilient businesses not dependent on a single revenue source.
Cons
- Time-Intensive Implementation: The strategies taught require significant time investment—this isn’t a “set it and forget it” system. Creating the type of in-depth content the course advocates can take 8-10 hours per post initially.
- Results Timeline Can Be Discouraging: Despite clear warnings about the time needed to see SEO results, some students get discouraged during the initial 3-6 months when traffic growth is minimal. The course could benefit from more milestone celebrations during this “valley of despair.”
- Some Technical SEO Concepts Overwhelming for Beginners: While most material is accessible to newcomers, certain SEO discussions around indexing, canonicalization, and schema markup might confuse absolute beginners.
- Limited Focus on Paid Traffic Strategies: The course prioritizes organic growth, with minimal coverage of paid advertising. Those looking to accelerate growth through ads will need supplementary training.
- Could Use More Niche-Specific Examples: While the principles apply universally, sometimes the examples skew toward certain niches. More diverse case studies would help students in unconventional niches visualize application better.
- Community Access Limited to 12 Months: After your initial year, continued community access requires a membership fee ($19/month). While reasonable, this should be highlighted more prominently.
Other Things to Know
A few additional insights from my experience with Blogging Success Engine:
The course places heavy emphasis on creating what Shawna calls “power pages”—comprehensive, authoritative content pieces that serve as cornerstone articles for your blog. These typically run 3,000-5,000 words and require significant research. While extremely effective for SEO, they’re also resource-intensive to produce. I’d recommend budgeting more time than you initially think for content creation.
Another interesting aspect is the peer review system within the community. Students can submit content drafts for feedback before publishing, which significantly improves quality but adds another step to the process.
The course includes quarterly “trend alert” webinars where Shawna shares emerging opportunities and algorithm updates. These live sessions aren’t mentioned prominently in the sales material but provide tremendous value for staying ahead of industry changes.
One thing I wish I’d known earlier: while the course provides comprehensive training, many students find they need specialized tools to implement certain strategies efficiently. Budget for at least one premium tool (like Ahrefs, Surfer SEO, or Conversion AI) to maximize your results.
Lastly, while Shawna is active in the community, the most valuable interactions often come from fellow students who are a few steps ahead in their journey. Don’t underestimate the power of these peer connections—they’ve been instrumental in my own success.
Alternatives
If you’re considering Blogging Success Engine, here are some alternatives that teach similar skills but with different approaches:
Blog Growth Engine by Adam Enfroy
Rating: 4.6/5
Adam’s course focuses heavily on treating your blog like a startup and scaling quickly through aggressive link building and personal branding. It’s more expensive ($2,000+) but includes specific strategies for rapid growth.
Project 24 by Income School
Rating: 4.3/5
This course teaches a content-focused approach with minimal link building. It’s structured as a 24-month roadmap with a community and monthly updates. At $449 annually, it requires ongoing investment but provides regular fresh content.
Authority Hacker Pro
Rating: 4.8/5
More technically advanced and comprehensive, this program covers everything from site creation to advanced monetization. At $997, it’s best for those already familiar with basic SEO and ready to scale aggressively.
Affiliate Lab by Matt Diggity
Rating: 4.5/5
Focused specifically on affiliate sites, this course emphasizes technical SEO and conversion optimization. At $997, it’s ideal for those specifically interested in affiliate marketing rather than broader blogging.
Create & Go Courses
Rating: 4.2/5
Offering several specialized courses ($197-$397 each) focused on Pinterest traffic, email marketing, and monetization. Less comprehensive individually, but allows more targeted learning in specific areas.
Verdict
After thoroughly experiencing Blogging Success Engine and watching both my own blog and those of fellow students grow, I can confidently recommend this course—with some important qualifications.
This program delivers exceptional value for bloggers who are willing to put in consistent work over time. The strategies taught are proven, ethical, and sustainable. Shawna’s clear, no-fluff teaching style makes complex concepts accessible, and the support provided through the community is genuinely helpful.
That said, this is not a quick path to online riches. The methods require patience, consistent content creation, and a commitment to quality. Most successful students don’t see significant results until 6-12 months in, though the foundation built leads to exponential growth afterward.
Blogging Success Engine is particularly well-suited for people who:
- Value building a long-term asset over quick wins
- Have at least 10-15 hours weekly to implement the strategies
- Enjoy the process of content creation and website building
- Are willing to trust the process during the initial slow-growth phase
For complete beginners, the learning curve might be steep at times, but the step-by-step nature of the training makes it manageable with persistence. For experienced bloggers struggling with traffic or monetization, this course could be the missing piece that transforms your results.
Ultimately, Blogging Success Engine provides all the tools, strategies and support needed to build a profitable blogging business. Whether it works for you depends not on the quality of the material—which is excellent—but on your commitment to implementing it consistently over time.
If you’re serious about turning your blog into a meaningful income stream and are willing to put in the work, this course is one of the best investments you can make in your blogging journey.
Is Blogging Success Engine Legit?
After spending months working through the material and implementing the strategies, I can definitively say that Blogging Success Engine is legitimate. The course delivers on its core promises of teaching sustainable blogging strategies that can lead to significant income.
What impressed me most is the integrity behind the program. Shawna doesn’t make outlandish income claims or promise overnight success. Instead, she sets realistic expectations about the work involved and the typical timeline for seeing results. The testimonials featured are from real students with verifiable websites and businesses.
The course content itself is comprehensive, up-to-date, and actionable. Unlike some programs that repackage free YouTube information, Blogging Success Engine provides proprietary frameworks, templates, and strategies you won’t find elsewhere.
Shawna’s reputation in the industry is strong, with many established bloggers recommending her training. She’s transparent about her own sites and regularly shares case studies from her portfolio to illustrate concepts.
Perhaps most telling is the refund rate—according to community discussions, it’s remarkably low (under 5%), suggesting that students find value in the material once they access it.
While no course can guarantee success (which depends largely on implementation), Blogging Success Engine provides legitimate tools and strategies that work when applied consistently.
