01 Current State Assessment
Overall Grades
The Bottom Line
50States.com is a sleeping giant. You've got an incredible domain name, strong domain authority, 500K+ organic visitors, and a brand that's been around for decades. But the site looks like it hasn't been meaningfully updated since ~2014. It's drowning in ads, the content is thin on most pages, the design screams "early WordPress era," and you're leaving an enormous amount of money on the table.
The good news: The foundation is rock solid. The domain name is literally perfect for this niche. You rank for thousands of educational keywords. Your competitive moat is wide — the closest competitor (netstate.com) gets 96% less traffic than you. With a modern redesign, content expansion, and smart monetization, this site could be generating $25K-$50K+/month.
Current Traffic Profile
| Metric | Current Value | Assessment |
|---|
| Monthly Visits | ~282K-500K | Strong organic base, but declining engagement metrics suggest underperformance |
| Bounce Rate | 58.8% | Too high — indicates users aren't finding what they need or are turned off by the design/ads |
| Pages/Visit | 1.71 | Very low — users should be exploring multiple states/topics. Goal: 3.5+ |
| Avg Duration | 1:04 | Way too short for an educational reference site. Goal: 3:00+ |
| Global Rank | #198,906 | Decent but should be sub-100K with this domain and content potential |
| US Rank | #47,352 | Room for significant improvement |
Competitive Landscape
| Competitor | Monthly Visits | Relative Size |
|---|
| 50states.com (YOU) | ~282-500K | Dominant #1 |
| ontheworldmap.com | 450K | Maps-focused, different angle |
| legendsofamerica.com | 209K | History/legends niche |
| netstate.com | 19.3K | Tiny — poor design, thin content |
| theus50.com | 19K | Tiny — minimal competition |
Key insight: You have essentially NO real competition in the "comprehensive US state reference" space. This is an incredible position to be in. National Geographic Kids has a states section but targets children specifically. Wikipedia covers individual states but isn't a curated, purpose-built experience. You own this niche.
02 Content Inventory & Audit
Content Categories Discovered
| Section | Pages | Content Depth | Quality | Status |
|---|
| State Pages (50 states + DC) | 51 | Moderate | C+ | Template-based, decent facts but thin narrative content |
| State Capitals | 1 index + 50 | Low | D | Just a map image + list. No depth on capital cities |
| State Birds | 1 index + 50 | Moderate | B- | Good photos, scientific names, drill-down pages |
| State Trees | 1 index + 50 | Moderate | B- | Similar quality to birds |
| State Flowers | 1 index + 50 | Moderate | B- | Good reference with Latin names |
| State Flags | 1 index + 50 | Moderate-High | B | Images + adoption dates + detail pages |
| State Songs | 1 index + 49 | Low | D+ | Just titles and links, minimal content |
| Famous People/Bios | 1 index + 50 | Moderate | C | /famous/ redirects to homepage; /bio/ works |
| Fun Facts | 1 index + 50 | Low (index) | D | Index page is just a state list, zero actual facts shown |
| Zip Codes | 1 index + 50 | Moderate | C+ | Educational intro about ZIP system + state pages |
| Area Codes | 1 index + 50 | Moderate | C+ | Good directory with all codes per state |
| Maps | 3+ pages | Moderate | C+ | Interactive SVG map, blank outline maps, capital map |
| Quizzes | 4 quizzes | Very Low | F | Only 4 quizzes, broken images, dead-end page |
| Study Tools | 1 hub page | Moderate | C | Decent resource hub with flashcards, worksheets |
| College Finder | Multi-page | Low (on-site) | D | Thin gateway pages to affiliate/lead gen |
| National Parks | Unknown | Very Low | F | Index page missing/redirects to homepage. Individual pages may exist but no directory |
| Mountain Ranges | 1 article | HIGH | A- | Best content on the site! Rich, long-form, data-heavy |
| Travel Blog | ~10 posts | Very Low | F | Dead WordPress blog, last post Oct 2018. Completely abandoned |
| Newspapers | 0 (broken) | None | F | URL redirects to homepage |
Content Assessment Summary: The site has a massive URL structure (~400+ pages) but most are thin, template-driven fact sheets. The Mountain Ranges article proves the site CAN produce excellent content — but it's the exception, not the rule. The overwhelming pattern is: thin index pages that are basically just state lists, linking to moderately detailed but still formulaic state sub-pages. There's enormous room to deepen every single content category.
03 Subdomain Audit: Travel & Learn
travel.50states.com
A separate WordPress installation (WP 6.1.9) with its own GTM container (GTM-PPVX2CCX). Runs MH Themes. Simple blog layout with News, About Us, Contact Us navigation. Separate ad stack: Adzerk, Tribal Fusion, AirFind, Aimtell push notifications.
Content Inventory (14 posts, all from 2016-2018)
| Article | Date | Topic Type | Travel Value |
|---|
| Coolest Architecture in America | Oct 2018 | Listicle | Medium — could be expanded per state |
| Tips to Stay Safe While Traveling | Oct 2018 | Generic tips | Low — not state-specific |
| Ways to Pack Efficiently for Your Next Trip | Oct 2018 | Generic tips | Low — not state-specific |
| Top Ways to Eat Healthy While Traveling | Sep 2018 | Generic tips | Low — not state-specific |
| The 14 Best U.S. Beaches | Aug 2018 | Destination listicle | HIGH — perfect for 50states brand |
| 12 Interesting Inventions Made in the U.S. | Aug 2018 | History/trivia | Low — not travel content |
| 10 Things You May Not Know Happened in U.S. History | Jul 2018 | History/trivia | Low — not travel content |
| 10 Strange State Symbols | Jul 2018 | Trivia | Medium — belongs on main site |
| How Important is the Location of Your College? | Jun 2018 | Education | None — wrong subdomain entirely |
| 14 of the Strangest Town Names in the U.S. | Jun 2018 | Trivia/fun | Medium — good brand fit |
| 7 Tips to Survive a Cross-Country Road Trip | May 2018 | Road trip tips | HIGH — perfect topic, needs depth |
| Enjoyable Ways to Teach Geography to Young Kids | May 2018 | Education | None — belongs on learn subdomain |
| Why Travel is the Best Education | Apr 2018 | Opinion | Low — generic |
| Best Springtime Destinations | Mar 2018 | Destination listicle | HIGH — should be state-by-state |
| 12 Most Breathtaking Views on U.S. Roads | Feb 2018 | Road trip/scenic | HIGH — perfect for expansion |
| Back To School Success | Sep 2016 | Education | None — wrong subdomain |
Diagnosis: The travel blog was a half-hearted experiment that was abandoned in 2018. It's a mix of generic travel tips, trivia that belongs on the main site, and education articles that belong on the learn subdomain. The content is scattered and unfocused. BUT — the 4-5 articles that ARE genuinely travel-focused (beaches, road trips, scenic views, destinations) hint at the massive travel vertical that should exist here. The domain "travel.50states.com" is incredibly valuable real estate that's being completely wasted.
learn.50states.com
High
Monetization Potential
Another separate WordPress installation. Nav links to: College Planning, Find Colleges (links to main site), Study Tools (main site), State Facts (main site), Travel (travel subdomain). Tagline: "Your Resource For Getting In And Paying For College."
Content Inventory (~10 articles)
| Article | Topic | Edu Lead-Gen Value |
|---|
| College Basics: Understanding and Making Your Way to College | Pillar/overview | HIGH — gateway content for leads |
| How to Write a College Essay | Application help | HIGH — high-intent audience |
| Easy Scholarships You Need To Apply For | Financial aid | Very HIGH — money-focused visitors |
| Top 65 Questions To Ask When Selecting A College | College selection | Very HIGH — decision-stage visitors |
| Learn How Student Loans Work | Financial aid | Very HIGH — finance intent |
| Learn How to Choose a College Major | Career planning | HIGH |
| What are College Minors and are They Worth it? | Academic planning | Medium |
| How to Afford College – 20 Strategies | Financial planning | Very HIGH |
| Finding Your Best-Fit College | College selection | Very HIGH |
| The Common App: What you Need to Know | Application process | HIGH |
Diagnosis: The learn subdomain actually has the RIGHT idea — college planning content that naturally feeds into education lead generation (QuinStreet, Clicks.net). The articles are decent quality and target high-value keywords. The problem is: (1) it's isolated on a subdomain splitting SEO authority, (2) only ~10 articles is way too thin to rank, (3) no connection to the main site's state-by-state structure. This content should be expanded dramatically and tied into state-specific college guides (e.g., "Best Colleges in Texas," "How to Apply to California State Schools").
The Subdomain Problem: Three Sites, Zero Synergy
Current: Fragmented
- 50states.com — Main site with state facts + thin college lead-gen
- travel.50states.com — Dead blog, 14 generic posts from 2018
- learn.50states.com — ~10 college articles, isolated
- 3 separate WordPress installations
- 2 different GTM containers
- 3 different ad stacks
- SEO authority split 3 ways
- Zero cross-linking or content synergy
- Confusing brand experience
Target: Unified Powerhouse
- 50states.com/travel/ — Massive travel vertical as a section
- 50states.com/college/ — Deep college guides with lead-gen
- 50states.com/learn/ — Study tools + educational resources
- Single WordPress (or headless CMS) installation
- Single analytics + GTM setup
- Single premium ad network (Raptive)
- ALL link equity consolidated on one domain
- Deep cross-linking between states ↔ travel ↔ colleges
- Unified brand: "Everything about America's 50 States"
04 Critical Problems Found
Design & UX Issues
- CRITICAL The site looks like 2012. Rust-red gradient nav bar, cramped layout, no whitespace, stock photo hero images, tiny cluttered sidebar. It instantly signals "outdated" to visitors.
- CRITICAL Ad overload destroys the experience. State pages show American Express ads on BOTH sidebars, inline banners, AND sticky footer bars simultaneously. Ads literally surround the content from every direction.
- MAJOR Broken images on multiple pages. Quizzes page shows broken image icons. College Finder sidebar has broken image thumbnails across multiple pages.
- MAJOR No mobile-first design. While technically responsive, the experience on mobile is severely ad-cluttered with interstitials and sticky overlays competing for tiny screen real estate.
- MAJOR Zero visual hierarchy on state pages. Quick Facts, State Symbols, and Geography all run together in a wall of text with minimal visual separation.
- MINOR "This Day in History" video player auto-loads on every page in a floating overlay, adding to the cluttered feel.
Technical & SEO Issues
- CRITICAL Broken URL redirects. /bird.htm and /tree.htm redirect to the homepage instead of /bird/ and /tree/. Any inbound links to the old .htm URLs are wasted. Similar issue with /famous/, /capitalcities/, and /nationalparks/ all redirecting to homepage.
- CRITICAL Massive JavaScript bloat. Every page loads 6-8+ third-party ad/tracking scripts: Google Analytics, GTM, Taboola, PowerAd.ai, Pushnami, Advanced Ads, Clicks.net, QuinStreet, HBS/Affinity, Facebook Pixel. This kills page speed.
- MAJOR Outdated data. Population figures are from 2019 Census. Government officials may be outdated. No "last updated" dates visible on any content.
- MAJOR Cloudflare bot protection blocking some pages. National Parks section triggered a Cloudflare security challenge, potentially blocking legitimate users and search crawlers.
- MAJOR Duplicate/separate WordPress installations. travel.50states.com runs a completely separate WordPress with its own GTM container (GTM-PPVX2CCX vs GTM-NSKZBV). This fragments SEO authority.
- MINOR Maine capital misspelled. Listed as "Agusta" instead of "Augusta" on the homepage. Quality control issue.
Content Issues
- CRITICAL Most index/landing pages are empty shells. Facts, Capitals, Famous People pages are just state lists with zero actual content on the index page. These are missed SEO opportunities — Google wants to see substantive content.
- MAJOR Only 4 quizzes on the entire site. For an educational reference site, this is embarrassingly thin. Should have 50+ quizzes covering every topic.
- MAJOR Travel blog completely dead. Last post October 2018. Generic listicle content. Zero engagement (0 comments on every post). Wasting the travel.50states.com subdomain.
- MAJOR National Parks section appears broken. No index page, individual pages may exist but are inaccessible via navigation. This should be a MAJOR content vertical.
- MAJOR College section is purely lead-gen. No actual educational content about colleges — just affiliate gateway pages. Adds no value to users.
05 Current Monetization Audit
Active Revenue Streams Detected
| Revenue Stream | Implementation | Assessment |
|---|
| Display Ads (Taboola) | Content recommendation widgets on every page | Low-quality, clickbait-style — hurts brand credibility |
| Display Ads (PowerAd.ai) | Dynamic ad placements across site | Non-premium network, likely low CPMs |
| Display Ads (Direct) | American Express, GoDaddy, Adobe banner ads | Direct buys suggest some sales activity, but overwhelming volume hurts UX |
| Education Lead Gen (QuinStreet/Clicks.net) | College Finder widget, school category pages | Likely the highest-value revenue stream currently. Education leads pay well ($5-50+ per lead) |
| Push Notifications (Pushnami) | Browser push notification prompts | Aggressive, annoying to users, minimal long-term value |
| Yellow Pages (OpenList) | Business search widget on sidebar | Likely generates minimal revenue, adds clutter |
| Travel Blog Ads | Adzerk, Tribal Fusion, AirFind on travel subdomain | Dead traffic = dead revenue. Blog hasn't been updated since 2018 |
Monetization Diagnosis: The current approach is "throw every ad network at the wall and see what sticks." The result is a terrible user experience that drives people away (58.8% bounce rate, 1.71 pages/visit) while generating far less revenue than a properly optimized setup would. You're trading long-term audience growth for short-term ad pennies. A single premium ad network like Raptive or Mediavine would likely generate MORE revenue with FEWER, better-placed ads.
Estimated Current Monthly Revenue (Rough)
| Stream | Estimate |
|---|
| Display Ads (Taboola + PowerAd + Direct) | $3,000-$6,000 |
| Education Lead Gen (QuinStreet/Clicks.net) | $2,000-$8,000 |
| Push Notifications | $200-$500 |
| Yellow Pages/OpenList | $100-$300 |
| Estimated Total | $5,300-$14,800/mo |
These are rough estimates based on typical RPMs for these ad networks at this traffic level. Actual revenue could vary significantly.
06 The Vision: What 50States.com Should BE
The Definitive Digital Encyclopedia of America
50States.com should be THE go-to resource that answers every question anyone has about any U.S. state — a beautifully designed, deeply researched, constantly updated platform that serves students, teachers, travelers, trivia lovers, and anyone curious about America. Think of it as a modern, curated, visual Wikipedia specifically for U.S. states — but more engaging, more interactive, and more useful.
Core Identity Pillars
1. The Ultimate State Reference
Every state page should be a comprehensive, visually stunning profile — like a "baseball card" for each state. Population, economy, weather, cost of living, politics, culture, food, sports, history, geography — all in one place, beautifully presented with data visualizations, photos, and interactive elements.
2. The #1 Educational Resource for US Geography
Teachers and students are already coming. Lean into this HARD. Interactive quizzes, flashcards, printable worksheets, study guides, classroom lesson plans. This audience is incredibly valuable for education advertisers.
3. America's Travel Inspiration Hub
National Parks, state parks, landmarks, road trips, "best of" lists for every state. This is a massive untapped content vertical that aligns perfectly with your domain and would attract high-CPM travel advertising.
4. Living Data Dashboard
Real-time and regularly updated data: population, cost of living comparisons, weather, election results, economic indicators. Give people a reason to come BACK, not just visit once for a homework assignment.
Target Audiences (Prioritized)
| Audience | % of Traffic | Value | Content Needs |
|---|
| Students (K-12) | ~35% | Medium (edu ads) | Quizzes, study tools, facts, worksheets, state reports |
| Teachers/Educators | ~15% | High (edu leads) | Lesson plans, printables, classroom tools, data sets |
| Trivia/Knowledge Seekers | ~25% | Medium | Fun facts, comparisons, "did you know," quizzes |
| Travelers/Movers | ~15% | Very High | Travel guides, cost of living, parks, things to do |
| Researchers/Professionals | ~10% | High | Data, demographics, economic stats, government info |
07 THE TRAVEL PLAY: Massive Untapped Vertical
This Is Your Biggest Growth Opportunity
Travel content is the single highest-value content vertical you're not capitalizing on. Travel keywords command premium CPMs ($25-$60+), travel affiliate programs pay generously (Booking.com: 25-40% commission, Viator: 8%, GetYourGuide: 8%), and your domain name literally contains "states" — making you the natural authority for domestic U.S. travel. This vertical alone could generate $15K-$30K/month at scale.
Why 50States.com Is Perfectly Positioned for Travel
- Domain authority: "50states.com/travel/texas" is a more trustworthy URL than almost any travel blog for state-specific travel content
- Built-in audience: 500K monthly visitors already interested in U.S. states are a natural audience for "things to do in [state]" content
- Cross-linking goldmine: Every state page becomes a gateway to travel content. Every travel guide links back to state facts. The content reinforces itself.
- Seasonal traffic: Travel searches spike in spring/summer planning seasons — this diversifies your traffic beyond the school-year education peaks
- Premium advertisers: Hotels, airlines, rental cars, tour companies, outdoor gear brands — all paying top-tier CPMs for travel audiences
The Travel Content Architecture
Here's the full content structure I'm recommending, organized by content type and estimated page count:
Tier 1: State Travel Guides (50 pages — foundation)
URL: 50states.com/travel/[state]/
Each state gets a comprehensive travel hub page: top destinations, best time to visit, getting around, regional breakdown, unique experiences, food & drink, budget tips. These become the "homepage" for each state's travel content and link out to all the deeper content below.
| Content Element | Example (Texas) | SEO Target |
|---|
| Overview & highlights | "Texas is the second-largest state with diverse landscapes from Gulf Coast beaches to Big Bend desert..." | "things to do in Texas," "Texas travel guide" |
| Best time to visit | Month-by-month weather + events calendar | "best time to visit Texas" |
| Regional breakdown | Hill Country, Gulf Coast, Big Bend, DFW, etc. | "Texas regions," "where to go in Texas" |
| Getting around | Driving distances, airports, public transit | "getting around Texas," "Texas road trip" |
| Food & drink | BBQ, Tex-Mex, craft beer scene | "Texas food," "best BBQ in Texas" |
| Budget guide | Average costs, budget tips, free activities | "Texas travel budget," "cheap things to do in Texas" |
Tier 2: National Parks Deep Dives (400+ pages — the big play)
URL: 50states.com/travel/national-parks/[park-name]/
"National parks" is a 500K+ monthly search volume category. Every NPS unit (63 national parks + 400+ monuments, seashores, historic sites) gets a comprehensive guide. This is your single biggest traffic growth opportunity.
| Content Element | Example (Yellowstone) | Monetization Angle |
|---|
| Overview + what makes it special | First national park, 3,400+ sq mi of wilderness | Display ads (travel CPMs) |
| Best trails / hikes | Grand Prismatic overlook, Fairy Falls, etc. | REI / outdoor gear affiliates |
| Where to stay | Old Faithful Inn, campgrounds, gateway towns | Booking.com / Hotels.com affiliates |
| When to visit + seasonal guide | Avoid July crowds, September sweet spot | Tour booking affiliates (Viator) |
| Wildlife viewing guide | Bison, wolves, bears — where and when | Camera / binocular affiliates |
| Practical info | Entry fees, passes, parking, accessibility | America the Beautiful Pass affiliate |
| Nearby attractions | Grand Teton, Jackson Hole, West Yellowstone | Cross-linking to other park/state pages |
Tier 3: Road Trip Guides (100+ pages)
URL: 50states.com/travel/road-trips/[route-name]/
U.S. road trip content is HUGELY popular and highly monetizable. Each guide includes route map, stops, driving times, where to eat, where to stay, costs.
| Road Trip Category | Examples | Est. Pages |
|---|
| Iconic Routes | Route 66, Pacific Coast Highway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Great River Road | 20+ |
| State Road Trips | "Best road trip in Texas," "California coast drive," "Vermont fall foliage route" | 50+ |
| Themed Road Trips | "Best national parks road trip," "Southern BBQ trail," "Craft brewery road trip" | 20+ |
| Multi-State Routes | "New England fall foliage," "Southwest desert loop," "Deep South food tour" | 15+ |
Tier 4: "Best Of" Lists & Rankings (200+ pages)
| Content Type | Examples | Search Volume | Monetization |
|---|
| Best beaches by state | "Best beaches in Florida," "Best beaches in California" | Very High (100K+) | Hotel/resort affiliates |
| Best restaurants/food | "Best BBQ in Texas," "Best seafood in Maine" | Very High | Restaurant booking, food tour affiliates |
| Best hikes by state | "Best hikes in Colorado," "Best hikes in Utah" | High (50K+) | Outdoor gear affiliates |
| Best small towns | "Best small towns in [state]," "Charming towns to visit" | High | Hotel/B&B affiliates |
| Hidden gems | "Hidden gems in [state]," "Underrated places in [state]" | High | Tour/experience affiliates |
| Best camping | "Best camping in [state]," "Best campgrounds near [park]" | High | Camping gear + reservation affiliates |
Tier 5: Seasonal & Event Content (100+ pages, refreshed annually)
| Content Type | Examples | Value |
|---|
| Fall foliage guides | "Best fall foliage in [state]," "When do leaves change in Vermont" | Huge seasonal traffic spike |
| Holiday travel guides | "Best Christmas towns," "4th of July fireworks by state" | Annual recurring traffic |
| Festival/event calendars | "State fairs by state," "Music festivals in [state]" | Ticket affiliate potential |
| Ski/winter guides | "Best skiing in Colorado," "Snow conditions by state" | Ski resort/gear affiliates |
| Spring break destinations | "Best spring break in [state]" | Hotel/flight affiliates |
Travel Monetization Stack
| Revenue Stream | How It Works | Monthly Potential (at scale) |
|---|
| Display Ads (via Raptive) | Travel content commands $25-$60+ RPMs — the highest CPM vertical after finance | $8,000-$20,000 |
| Hotel/Accommodation Affiliates | Booking.com (25-40%), Hotels.com, Airbnb, Vrbo | $3,000-$10,000 |
| Tour & Experience Affiliates | Viator (8%), GetYourGuide (8%), TripAdvisor Experiences | $1,500-$5,000 |
| Outdoor Gear Affiliates | REI (5%), Amazon Associates, Backcountry.com | $1,000-$3,000 |
| Car Rental Affiliates | Discover Cars, RentalCars.com, Auto Europe | $500-$2,000 |
| Travel Insurance Affiliates | World Nomads, SafetyWing, Allianz | $500-$2,000 |
| State Tourism Board Sponsorships | Paid partnerships with state/regional tourism offices | $2,000-$8,000 |
| Travel Vertical Total | | $16,500-$50,000/mo |
The Math: If you build out 800+ travel pages over 12-18 months and capture even a fraction of the millions of monthly "things to do in [state]," "best [activity] in [state]," and "national parks" searches, the travel vertical alone could be worth more than the ENTIRE site generates today. Travel is where the real money is — and you have the perfect domain to own it.
The Learn/Education Play (Parallel Opportunity)
The learn.50states.com content is actually solid in concept — college planning content that feeds education lead gen. Here's how to supercharge it:
- Migrate to 50states.com/college/ and /learn/ — Consolidate all education content under the main domain
- Create state-specific college guides: "Best Colleges in Texas," "How to Apply to University of California," "Cheapest In-State Tuition by State" — this is where the real education lead-gen money is
- Expand the college planning content from 10 articles to 100+: FAFSA guides, scholarship databases by state, SAT/ACT prep resources, college comparison tools
- Build interactive tools: "College Cost Calculator by State," "Which College Is Right For Me?" quiz, "Compare Colleges" tool
- Education leads pay $5-$50+ per qualified lead — with state-specific college content driving targeted traffic to QuinStreet/Clicks.net, this could be a $5K-$15K/month revenue stream
08 Design & UX Transformation
Current Design (Before)
- Rust-red gradient nav from 2012
- Cramped layout with no breathing room
- Wall-of-text state pages
- Ads on every side, inline, floating, sticky
- Broken images on multiple pages
- Generic stock photos
- Yellow Pages and College Finder widgets crammed in sidebar
- No visual data — just text lists
- "This Day in History" video overlay
Target Design (After)
- Clean, modern nav with clear mega-menus
- Generous whitespace, card-based layouts
- Visual "state dashboard" pages with data cards
- Premium ad placements: 2-3 per page, non-intrusive
- Beautiful photography — hero images of state landmarks
- Interactive data visualizations & charts
- Interactive SVG maps with rich hover/click behavior
- Dark mode support
- Engaging interactive quizzes embedded throughout
Key Design Principles
- Content-first. The content IS the product. Remove every UI element that doesn't serve the content. Kill the Yellow Pages widget, kill Pushnami, kill the floating video player.
- Visual storytelling. Every state page should have a stunning hero photo (state landmark), data visualization cards, high-quality images of state symbols. Make the experience VISUAL.
- Intuitive navigation. Users should be able to go from "I want to learn about Texas" to any sub-topic (Texas birds, Texas national parks, Texas cost of living) in 1-2 clicks maximum.
- Mobile-first. Design for phones first, scale up. At least 50%+ of traffic is mobile. Current mobile experience is terrible with ad clutter.
- Speed. Target sub-2-second page loads. Current page is loaded with 6-8 ad/tracking scripts that kill performance.
Homepage Redesign Concept
- Hero section: Beautiful interactive US map (modern SVG with hover animations showing state name, capital, and a thumbnail photo) with a prominent search bar overlay
- Below the fold: "Explore by Topic" cards (National Parks, State Capitals, Famous People, Cost of Living, etc.) with stunning photography
- Trending/Featured: Dynamically updated content section ("State of the Day," trending quizzes, recently updated articles)
- Quick Access: Popular comparisons ("Texas vs California," "Cost of Living Rankings"), latest quiz challenges
- Footer: Clean sitemap, newsletter signup, social links
State Page Redesign Concept
- Hero: Full-width stunning landscape photo of the state with state name, nickname, and key stats overlaid
- Quick Stats Dashboard: Visual cards for Capital, Population, Area, Statehood Date, Nickname, Motto — using icons and clean typography
- Tab Navigation: Overview | Geography | Government | Symbols | Travel | Economy | Education — allowing deep exploration without page reload
- Interactive sidebar: Mini-map showing bordering states (clickable), weather widget, "Compare with another state" tool
- Related Content: National parks in this state, famous people, fun facts, upcoming events
09 Content Strategy & Expansion
Priority 1: Fix What's Broken
- Fix all redirect issues (/bird.htm, /tree.htm, /famous/, /capitalcities/, /newspapers/, /nationalparks/)
- Fix broken images on quizzes page and college finder sidebar
- Update population data to 2020 Census (or later estimates)
- Fix "Agusta" typo → "Augusta" for Maine
- Verify all government officials are current
- Add "Last Updated" dates to all content pages
Priority 2: Deepen Existing Content
- State pages: Add Cost of Living data, climate/weather, economy breakdown, demographics, top employers, sports teams with more detail, notable landmarks, cuisine/food culture
- Fun Facts: Actually put facts ON the index page! Show 3-5 fascinating facts per state in a visual grid
- Capitals: Create real capital city profiles with history, population, things to do, photos
- Famous People: Add photos, short bios, and categories (athletes, politicians, entertainers, etc.)
Priority 3: New Content Verticals
| New Vertical | Page Count | SEO Potential | Monetization Value |
|---|
| National Parks Guide — Every NPS site with photos, visitor info, trails, tips | 400+ | Extremely High | Very High (travel ads, gear affiliates) |
| State Comparisons — "Texas vs California," "Best states for retirement," "Cheapest states to live" | 100+ | Very High | Very High (finance, real estate, moving ads) |
| Cost of Living by State — Data-driven comparisons, calculators, rankings | 51+ | Very High | Extremely High (finance, insurance, real estate) |
| Road Trips & Travel Guides — "Best road trips in Texas," scenic routes, itineraries | 200+ | High | Very High (travel, hotel, rental car affiliates) |
| State Rankings & Lists — "Safest states," "Best states for education," "Most visited states" | 50+ | Very High | High (varied advertiser interest) |
| Interactive Quizzes (expanded) — 50+ quizzes across all topics, shareable results | 50+ | High | Medium (engagement + pageviews + social sharing) |
| State History Timelines — Interactive visual timelines for each state | 50+ | Medium-High | Medium (education) |
| Weather & Climate by State — Monthly averages, best times to visit, severe weather info | 50+ | High | High (insurance, travel) |
Content Expansion Impact: Adding these verticals could take the site from ~400 pages to 1,500+ pages of high-quality, keyword-targeted content. Each new vertical opens up new advertising verticals (travel, finance, real estate, insurance) that pay significantly higher CPMs than generic education ads.
Priority 4: Kill What's Dead
- Shut down travel.50states.com subdomain. Migrate any valuable content to the main domain as /travel/ pages. Consolidate all SEO authority under one domain.
- Remove Yellow Pages/OpenList widget. It's not 2005. This adds zero value and screams "outdated."
- Remove or rebuild the College Finder. Either create genuinely useful college content (acceptance rates, campus life, state school guides) or remove the thin lead-gen pages that add no user value.
10 Revenue Maximization Plan
Step 1: Switch to a Premium Ad Network
Recommendation: Apply to Raptive (formerly AdThrive)
With 500K monthly visitors, you easily qualify (minimum is now 25K). Raptive publishers report RPMs of $25-$50+ (vs. the $5-$10 you're likely getting from Taboola/PowerAd). This single switch could 2-4x your display ad revenue while running FEWER, better-quality ads that improve user experience.
- Why Raptive over Mediavine: Higher RPMs reported by publishers ($47-$57 average in Q4 vs Mediavine's $22-$44), 75% revenue share, NET 45 payments. Your US-heavy educational traffic is a perfect fit for their premium advertiser relationships.
- Eliminate: Taboola, PowerAd.ai, Pushnami, and all other low-quality ad networks. Let Raptive handle all programmatic optimization.
- Ad placement strategy: Max 3 ad units per page — one above-fold leaderboard, one mid-content native, one sidebar sticky. Clean, non-intrusive, high-CPM.
Step 2: Optimize Education Lead Generation
- Keep the education lead gen (QuinStreet/Clicks.net) but integrate it better. Instead of ugly sidebar widgets, create genuine "Find a College in [State]" pages with real content around each state's education landscape, then embed the lead gen naturally.
- Create a proper "Colleges by State" content vertical with acceptance rates, tuition data, campus life info. THEN monetize with education leads within that genuinely useful content.
- Education leads can pay $5-$50+ per qualified lead — this is potentially your highest-value revenue stream if done right.
Step 3: Build Affiliate Revenue Streams
| Affiliate Category | Where It Fits | Example Programs | Potential Revenue |
|---|
| Travel Booking | National Parks, Travel Guides, Road Trips | Booking.com, Viator, TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide | $2,000-$8,000/mo |
| Outdoor Gear | National Parks, Hiking, Camping content | REI Affiliate, Amazon Associates, Backcountry | $500-$3,000/mo |
| Educational Products | Study Tools, Quizzes, Worksheets | Amazon (books), Teachers Pay Teachers, Coursera | $500-$2,000/mo |
| Moving/Relocation | Cost of Living, State Comparisons | Moving company leads, apartment listings, Updater | $1,000-$5,000/mo |
| Insurance | State comparison pages, cost of living | Insurance lead gen (very high CPA) | $2,000-$10,000/mo |
| Real Estate | Capital cities, cost of living, state guides | Zillow, Realtor.com, local agent referrals | $1,000-$5,000/mo |
Step 4: Sell Digital Products
- Premium Printable Packs: "50 States Study Pack" with worksheets, flashcards, coloring pages, and quizzes — sold as PDF downloads for $9.99-$19.99. Teachers will buy these.
- Classroom License Packs: Bulk licensing for schools at $49-$99/year for unlimited classroom use.
- State Report Templates: Pre-formatted state report templates for students at $4.99 each or $29.99 for all 50.
- Interactive Online Courses: "Master US Geography" course on Teachable/Thinkific, priced at $19-$49.
Step 5: Sponsored Content & Direct Advertising
- With 500K monthly visitors in a clean, brand-safe educational environment, you can charge $500-$2,000+ per sponsored article from state tourism boards, colleges, travel brands, and outdoor companies.
- Create a proper "Advertise with Us" page with a media kit showing traffic, demographics, and sponsorship packages.
- Target: 2-4 sponsored posts per month = $2,000-$8,000/month.
Step 6: Email Newsletter
- Build an email list with a "State Fact of the Day" or "Weekly US Trivia" newsletter.
- Monetize with sponsored newsletter placements ($200-$500 per send at scale).
- Drive repeat traffic back to the site (improving pages/visit and ad impressions).
- Target: 50,000 subscribers within 12 months using popup + inline signup forms on high-traffic pages.
11 SEO & Traffic Growth Strategy
Immediate Wins
- Fix all broken redirects — Recover lost link equity from /bird.htm, /tree.htm, /famous/, etc. with proper 301 redirects.
- Consolidate travel subdomain — Move travel.50states.com content to 50states.com/travel/ and set up 301 redirects. This consolidates all domain authority.
- Improve page speed — Removing 5-6 ad/tracking scripts and switching to Raptive will dramatically improve Core Web Vitals. Target: 90+ Lighthouse score.
- Add structured data (Schema.org) — State facts, FAQ schema, quiz schema, breadcrumb schema on every page. This will improve rich snippet appearance in Google.
- Internal linking overhaul — Every state page should link to its birds, trees, flowers, parks, famous people, etc. Every sub-topic should link back. Create a web of connections.
Content-Driven SEO Growth
| Keyword Category | Example Keywords | Est. Monthly Search Volume | Current Ranking? |
|---|
| State facts | "Texas facts," "California facts," "Florida facts" | 100K+ combined | Likely ranking, but could rank higher with richer content |
| State capitals | "state capitals," "US capitals list," "50 state capitals" | 100K+ combined | Should be ranking #1 given domain name |
| Cost of living | "cost of living by state," "cheapest states to live" | 200K+ combined | Not ranking — NO content exists |
| State comparisons | "Texas vs California," "Florida vs Texas" | 100K+ combined | Not ranking — NO content exists |
| National parks | "[state] national parks," "best national parks" | 500K+ combined | Not ranking — broken section |
| State rankings | "safest states," "best states for families" | 200K+ combined | Not ranking — NO content exists |
| Moving/relocation | "moving to Texas," "living in Colorado" | 300K+ combined | Not ranking — NO content exists |
Traffic Growth Potential: The keywords you're currently NOT ranking for (cost of living, state comparisons, national parks, rankings, moving guides) represent 1M+ monthly searches. Capturing even 10% of these could double your traffic to 1M+ monthly visitors within 12-18 months.
Technical SEO Checklist
- Implement proper canonical URLs across all pages
- Create and submit comprehensive XML sitemap
- Add hreflang tags if targeting any international traffic
- Optimize image alt text and implement WebP format
- Add breadcrumb navigation with Schema markup
- Implement FAQ Schema on state pages
- Set up proper 404 error page instead of homepage redirect
- Audit and fix all internal broken links
12 Technical Roadmap
Platform Decision
The site currently runs on WordPress. The question is whether to rebuild or renovate:
| Option | Pros | Cons | Recommendation |
|---|
| A: WordPress Renovation |
Faster to implement, keeps existing URL structure, lower risk |
WordPress performance ceiling, plugin bloat, harder to create truly custom interactive features |
Best for Phase 1 (0-6 months) |
| B: Headless CMS + Next.js |
Blazing fast, modern tech stack, custom interactive features, better developer experience |
Higher upfront cost, needs careful URL migration, more complex deployment |
Best for Phase 2 (6-18 months) |
| C: Astro/Static Site |
Fastest possible page loads, cheapest hosting, great SEO |
Less dynamic functionality, harder to update frequently |
Worth considering if content is primarily static reference |
Recommended Approach: Start with a WordPress theme overhaul (Phase 1) using a modern theme framework like GeneratePress or Kadence. This lets you dramatically improve the design and UX quickly. Then plan a Phase 2 migration to a headless CMS + Next.js setup once you've validated the content strategy and revenue model. Don't let "perfect" be the enemy of "dramatically better."
Key Technical Improvements
- CDN & Caching: Already on Cloudflare. Optimize cache rules, enable Cloudflare APO for WordPress.
- Image Optimization: Serve WebP, implement lazy loading, use proper image sizing (no oversized images)
- Script Reduction: Remove Taboola, PowerAd, Pushnami, and 3+ other tracking scripts. Replace with single Raptive tag.
- Database Optimization: If staying on WordPress, clean up post revisions, optimize database tables
- Security: Review Cloudflare bot protection rules — currently blocking some legitimate page loads (National Parks section)
13 Revenue Projections
Current vs. Optimized vs. Fully Transformed
| Revenue Stream | Current (Est.) | After Phase 1 (6mo) | After Phase 2 (18mo) |
|---|
| Premium Display Ads (Raptive) | $3,000-$6,000 | $8,000-$15,000 | $20,000-$40,000 |
| Education Lead Gen | $2,000-$8,000 | $4,000-$10,000 | $6,000-$15,000 |
| Travel Affiliates (hotels, tours, gear, car rental) | $0 | $1,500-$4,000 | $6,500-$22,000 |
| State Tourism Sponsorships | $0 | $1,000-$3,000 | $3,000-$8,000 |
| Other Affiliates (books, insurance, moving) | $0 | $500-$1,500 | $2,000-$8,000 |
| Digital Products | $0 | $500-$2,000 | $2,000-$5,000 |
| Sponsored Content | $0 | $1,000-$3,000 | $3,000-$8,000 |
| Newsletter Sponsorships | $0 | $0-$500 | $1,000-$3,000 |
| Push Notifications / Yellow Pages | $300-$800 | $0 (removed) | $0 (removed) |
| TOTAL | $5,300-$14,800 | $17,000-$38,500 | $42,500-$106,000 |
~$10K
Current Monthly Rev (Est.)
~$28K
Phase 1 Target (6mo)
~$75K
Phase 2 Target (18mo)
Key Assumptions
- Phase 1 assumes traffic stays flat at ~500K/mo but monetization improves dramatically via Raptive + reduced bounce rate
- Phase 2 assumes traffic grows to ~1M+/mo via new content verticals (national parks, cost of living, state comparisons, rankings)
- Raptive RPM assumed at $20-$35 average (conservative for educational content with US traffic)
- These projections assume consistent content investment and execution
14 Implementation Timeline
Month 1-2: Quick Wins
Immediate Revenue & UX Improvements
Apply to Raptive. Fix broken redirects. Remove low-quality ad networks (Taboola, PowerAd, Pushnami). Fix broken images. Update outdated data. Fix typos. Remove Yellow Pages widget. Remove floating video player. Set up Google Search Console and audit crawl errors.
Month 2-4: Design Overhaul
Modern WordPress Theme & UX Refresh
Install modern WordPress theme (GeneratePress/Kadence). Redesign homepage with beautiful interactive map. Redesign state page template with visual data cards and tabbed navigation. Implement mobile-first responsive design. Add structured data/Schema markup across all pages. Create proper 404 page.
Month 3-6: Content Deepening
Enrich Existing Content
Deepen all 50 state pages with cost of living, weather, economy, demographics. Build out capital city profiles. Expand quiz library from 4 to 25+ quizzes. Create rich Fun Facts index page with actual facts. Fix and rebuild National Parks directory. Migrate travel subdomain content to main domain. Build email newsletter with signup forms.
Month 6-12: Content Expansion
New High-Value Content Verticals
Launch National Parks guide (top 100 parks first). Launch "Cost of Living by State" vertical with comparison tools. Create state comparison pages ("Texas vs California"). Build state rankings content ("Safest states," "Best states for families"). Launch road trip / travel guide content. Implement affiliate programs across new content. Start selling digital products (study packs, worksheets).
Month 12-18: Scale & Optimize
Platform Evolution & Revenue Scaling
Evaluate Next.js/headless CMS migration based on performance needs. Expand to 400+ national parks pages. Build interactive tools (cost of living calculator, state comparison tool, "which state should you move to?" quiz). Launch sponsored content program. Scale email newsletter to 50K+ subscribers. Target 1M+ monthly visitors. Optimize all revenue streams based on data.
Bottom Line: 50States.com is sitting on a gold mine. The domain name alone is worth a fortune. You have dominant organic traffic in a niche with zero real competition. The site just needs to be brought into the modern era — better design, deeper content, smarter monetization. The path from ~$10K/month to $50K+/month is entirely achievable within 12-18 months with focused execution.