One was a third-year engineering student, the other a 22-year-old full-time blogger, and SEO changed both their lives. 💻
At BNLF Mumbai 2015, I spoke with Iftekhar Ahmed of IftiSEO and his partner Karan Wyas about blogging, SEO and money-making niche sites. 🎙️
📊 In this episode, we unpacked:
- 👋 Who Iftekhar and Karan are
- 🔤 How IftiSEO got its name
- ☀️ A blogger’s day
- 👨👩👦 Family pressure vs blogging
- 💡 Their tips for newbies
🎥 Watch the full episode:
👋 Who Iftekhar and Karan Are
Karan, 22, handles server optimization, WordPress theme customization and back-end work. He taught himself online, including from Lynda. After completing his electronics and communication engineering degree, he went full-time into blogging. 🛠️
Iftekhar was a third-year computer science engineering student. He started blogging in his first year, in 2014, searching for ways to make money online, trying freelancing, and finding SEO. He learned from Harsh Agrawal of ShoutMeLoud, Neil Patel and my blog. 📚
🔤 How IftiSEO Got Its Name
A friend from Saudi Arabia, where Iftekhar lived until 10th standard, called him “Ifti”. His niche was SEO, so he merged the two: IftiSEO. It felt odd at first; now it’s popular. 🔤
His Facebook group, Premium Tricks by IftiSEO, had about 600 members sharing SEO and blogging tips. For more on how SEO changes lives, read Kulwant Nagi’s success mantra. 🔗
☀️ A Blogger’s Day
Iftekhar starts by checking paid posts and PayPal payments, then messages Karan about deals that came in overnight, and checks real-time stats. ☀️
He works about 16 hours a day. On college days, he works from when he gets home until midnight or 3 AM. Karan says his college mates were on low salaries, while he was happy as a full-time blogger. ⏰
👨👩👦 Family Pressure vs Blogging
Iftekhar’s family was 50-50 on whether he should blog or pursue studies and a job. They support him, but he still has to prove more. 👨👩👦
He calls it a common Indian psychology, but he’s sure he’ll keep blogging, and planned to join friends in Bhopal working on startups. For another young blogger’s story, read Umer Qureshi’s interview. 🔗
💡 Their Tips for Newbies
Everything is out there for free; there are no secrets. Don’t fall into traps, follow the good people, and keep your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles active. 💡
Bloggers fall into controversies because of greed. Making money takes time (about six months for them). Be honest with your readers and yourself: black-hat money may come fast, but long-term blogs are better. For more on SEO, read Matthew Woodward’s interview. 🔗
📝 Key Takeaways From the Iftekhar Ahmed & Karan Wyas Interview
- 📚 You can learn SEO and blogging for free online
- ⏰ Balancing blogging and college takes long hours
- ⏳ Expect around six months before making money
- 🤝 Stay away from controversies and follow good mentors
- 🌱 Long-term blogs beat black-hat shortcuts
❓ FAQs About Iftekhar Ahmed and Karan Wyas
Who is Iftekhar Ahmed?
The founder of IftiSEO, who started blogging in 2014 during his first year of computer science engineering.
What does Karan Wyas do?
Server optimization, WordPress theme customization and back-end work, as a full-time blogger after his engineering degree.
How long did it take them to make money blogging?
About six months, they say, which is why they advise patience and honesty.
🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love
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- Interview with Karthik Ramani Top Indian JVzoo Product Launcher
- Jitendra Vaswani Interviewed By Avijit Singh Arya on #Askaviarya Show
- Jeff Bullas Interview: How He Became Top Social Media Influencer
How long did it take you to earn your first income online? Share this with a student blogger. 💬
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Jitendra Vaswani is a well-known expert in SEO and AI-driven digital marketing. He has spoken at international events and founded Digiexe, a digital marketing agency, and AffiliateBooster, WordPress plugin designed specifically for affiliate marketers. With over 10 years of experience, Jitendra has helped many businesses succeed online. His bestselling book, Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom, with over 20,000 copies sold globally, underscores his influence and commitment to empowering digital marketers.
Thanks for sharing this Iftekhar Ahmed & Karan Wyas interview but this all are the my inspirations but thanks again this interview.
thankyou for sharingthis IFTI SEO Good to see ur nice blog this is great information for us Thanks for sharing
I learnt many things from Iftiseo. It is really a high quality blog. Good to see home with karan. Both are really inspirational bloggers. Thank you very much jitendra for interviewing them. Everyone who is falling to controversies in social media is due to greed very true. Again thanks for aharing.
Thanks for sharing this Interview. I have seen previous Interview on Youtube. I really learn lots.
Thanks again…
Thanks Jitendra Sir,
For this interview and I want to say that few things that are how they manage blogging and other daily works man. I’m also doing part time blogging and learning from ifti and I also get my first earning in sixth month.
I agree with the thing that India’s mentality is not going to change because parents are thinking that this thing are waste of time and a job is a secured option to go for.
Thanks again for this interview sir.
Thanks for sharing video . I get new inspiration idea after see the interview.
I love talking Iftikar Ahmad. He is my favorite blogger. Well, still he did not tell how much he earns.