The Tools I Use
On this page I’ve listed all the tools and services I use. I stand 100% behind all these tools as I use them daily.
Some of these links are affiliate links. That being said, I have tested and used all of them.
Hosting
HostArmada
I recommend HostArmada up to around 100,000 monthly pageviews. It's a great beginner's plan with quick chat support and good value. Use the discount code "passiveincomegeek75" with the affiliate link above to get a full year of hosting + one domain for $40 (Thanks to Alex over at WPeagle.com for the recommendation!)
WPXhosting
After 50,000 monthly pageviews I move my sites over to WPXhosting. They have EXCELLENT service and GREAT load times! And they're very affordable too! You can use them up to many millions of monthly pageviews!
Selling Websites
Empire Flipper
This is the service I use for selling websites. They are the industry leader and just have the biggest pool of buyers which justifies giving them a cut of the sale. GREAT guys that I also call friends!
AI Writing Tool
KoalaWriter
I'm starting to try out AI content, as Google upgraded their guidelines to no longer forbid AI-assisted content.
This tool seem to work really well, and I'm testing it right now alongside many inside my community.
I think this is a tectonic shift happening right now in blogging (or whatever you call what we do).
Affiliate Programs
Shareasale
ShareASale is one of the best affiliate networks. You will find a ton of ecommerce stores here to promote for almost any niche out there.
Commission Junction
CJ.com is the other affiliate network I use a lot. They are also great and if you join CJ and ShareASale you typically have what you need.
Ad Networks
Ezoic
Ezoic is a good alternative to Adsense when you don't quality for Raptive. They also offer the BEST data on exactly which topics and articles that earns the most money.
Raptive
Raptive is another ad network I use. For some verticals like lifestyle, interior, garden, food, family, etc. they make you more money. You need 100,000 page views per month to join. You also need to have at least 50% of your traffic to be U.S. based.
Speed Plugin
WP Rocket
I have used lots of speed plugins (like shortpixel, WP Total Cache, autoptimize, etc.) but nothing really moved the needle like WProcket. I literally just switched every feature in the plugin on and I now score 90-100 on Google's speed tool (with ads!).
Stock Photos
Deposit Photos
I've tried a ton of stock image sites. You just get much more bang for the buck with these guys. The prices are super-low and they have a lot to choose when you need NATURAL looking images (rather than staged super models).
VPN Services
XpressVPN
XpressVPN is the fastest and most reliable VPN you can get. It's a little more pricy but it's also the best. I use it daily to make sure I access Google from a U.S. address (to make sure I find the best topics to write on). It costs $6-7 with this discounted link.
SurfShark
Surfshark is a cheaper alternative to XpressVPN. They are also VERY reliable and just a little bit slower. But they are much cheaper ($2 /mth).
Mic for Voice Typing
Samson Mic
This is the mic I use when dictating on my computer instead of typing on the keyboard. It's a great way to increase the "typing" speed. It works with PC & Mac and it's only around $50.
Project Management Tool
Clickup
Clickup is AWESOME. I use it to manage my team of writers and my editor. I create a "space" inside Clickup for each of my sites and assign each writer to the relevant spaces.
Each writer gets to choose the articles he/she likes and I can 100% monitor the progress across each articles, each site etc.
Couldn't be happier with a piece of software!!
SEO Tools
Link Whisper
Use exactly this link with the discount code "passiveincomegeek" to get a $15 discount! Link Whisper is a great tool to quickly add relevant internal links to your site.
I saw an immediate 20% increase in traffic after going over the "orphan pages" report and adding internal links to them. This tool will save you a TON of time!
Keyword Chef
This is a good keyword tool for finding underserved topics. I really like Ben Adler and what he has created with this tool.
It's a great way to find new ideas and get some quick ideas for your site. However, I still mainly use the more manual techniques I teach inside my course.
Email Automation Tool
Convertkit
Convertkit is a really great tool to help you create automatic email flows for your readers or customers. I use it and can only give these guys my best recommendations!