Internet Marketing and Time Management

We live in a fast-paced world. Time is much more valuable than it has ever been with the presence of fast communication and increased competition. So, it would make sense that the management of time as a personal resource would be that much more valuable. After all, like any other resource, it is limited in our lives. This is especially true in the world of internet marketing. Time and the growth of technology is far faster than what any human can keep up with. Much like the stock market, all it takes is one simple miscalculation or some mismanagement before all of it will crumble on you. So, we are going to look at ways how we can best manage our time in the world of SEO and internet marketing alike.

Keep Yourself Motivated

What does self-motivation mean exactly? What does it look like in the world of SEO and any other technological landscape? There are a lot of job listings that require a ‘self-starter’ but don’t exactly explain what they mean.  A self-starter is the ability to do what needs to be done, without the need for the influence of others. Basically, once you know what you need to do, you can do it without someone or something nagging you to get it done.

While the efficiency of that self-motivation can waver at times, a self-motivated person gets what needs to be done within an assigned timeframe. People who work in any sort of tech career, including internet marketing, need to have a basic level of self-motivation. Because there is rarely anyone that will tell a blogger that they need to stop goofing off.

That sort of discipline is not always easy to come by. Especially, if you are doing something that you really don’t want to do.

That is why most internet marketers, bloggers, and social media managers need to have a level of passion for what they do. If you can find something you like about it, even just a little, you are much more likely to be motivated to take care of your workload and projects. People in marketing without any sort of passion for it will not only make their message fall flat to audiences. It will also increase the likelihood of bloggers and marketers putting off much-needed content creation.  You might not even be cut out for internet marketing if you can’t find the motivation to actually do it.

Remove all Distraction

It is one thing when you are working in an office with a phone or an open door for other people to reach you. Also, it one thing to have some sort of background music going on while you are making your content or setting up your blog schedule. It is an entirely different thing to look at your Facebook feed while you are trying to type content.

The internet, while a valuable tool can be ridiculously distracting. After all, we can interact with just about anyone or anything. There is a strong chance of distraction if you aren’t willing or able to manage your time for work or play. Outside distractions are oftentimes just as annoying too. Pets, kids, and other forms of social interaction while in public or at home, or just a need to go outside during a sunny day can be a foil to your deadlines if you are not paying attention.

So, it is best, when you are coming up with content, or are communicating with someone about an internet marketing plan, that you remove as many instances of distraction as possible.

• Keep your office tidy before you get to work.
• Take care of your personal needs.
• Set up boundaries if your office is at home.
• Don’t open Netflix on your computer until after you finish posting content for your social media client.

Whatever it is that you do to contribute to internet marketing, make sure that you have time allotted for work and play. Then stick to that schedule.

Keep Track of Your Deadlines

Much like a child with homework, if you do not know what is due when you are going to get bad reviews. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a calendar to keep track of your schedule. Especially when something like internet marketing relies entirely on that schedule. Keep track of when Google or your viewers are expecting to hear updates from you. Post your content on a regular basis. Check your analytics and use that to make a schedule. There is so much technology at our fingertips that can help us keep track. There is no reason not to use it to our advantage.

If you pay more attention to how and when your content, your site, and your overall business is ‘graded’, you will be much more equipped for success. And isn’t that what all businesses want?

www.purpletieguys.com

I was browsing through Medium.com earlier today and stumbled upon an article that perfectly explains what I’ve been trying to articulate for a very long time.

The year was 2005. I was a newly hired computer repair person that went into other businesses to help them with everyday computer stuff. Hook up this printer. I can’t connect to the internet. Why is my screen blank? Things of that nature. And I got called out to a LOT of businesses. And the first impression I had of any of them was their business card.

From that business card I could easily tell how much money the owners of the company put into their business. Here’s the benchmarks. High quality paper? Check. Interesting or memorable logo/wordmark? Check. And then, the last, but very crucial, thing. Email address. cardetailingforyou@aol.com. Nope. That’s a dead sign that either a) they aren’t putting as much into their business as they should, or b) they didn’t think that the internet was going to affect them in any measurable way.

That was 13 years ago.

Now, here we are in 2019, and business cards are, surprisingly, still a thing. And those benchmarks still hold true. Cards are made of a good material (we can do plastic and even metal cards now, woohoo!)? Check. Memorable or interesting logo/wordmark? They’re all starting to look a bit like iPhone app icons, but sure. Okay. Next. Email address. ThisIsASuperCoolCompany@gmail.com. Nope. Sorry. Not buying it.

From the article:

Let’s say you have a company XYZnABC. If I’m a customer, I expect your business card to tell me to contact you on your phone or by emailing you at supercoolperson@xyznabc.com (we can talk about websites some other time). If instead, your card shows an email address of supercoolpersonnotreally@gmail.com, then the deal’s over.

Again, show me through your email you’re invested in your job/business and product/service through putting in a little effort.

I 100% agree.

Take Rusty’s advice. Invest in a domain. It’s less than $100 a year. You’ll reap so many benefits from having it.

There. Now MY rant is done.

Google Algorithm Update “Medic” Wreaks Havoc On The Medical Industry

Most people aren’t aware that Google is constantly changing stuff behind the scenes, making your search experience easier and search results more relevant. To that end, we wanted to let you know about the most recent update, labeled “Medic.”

The label “Medic” was given to this latest change because it primarily targets health industry websites. Although, other sites were affected by the most recent changes, as well, the health and medical industry were the primary focus because of the uptick in recent “gray” area websites that could be seen as more of a scam than a legitimate business or company.

Your Money or Your Life

Another area affected is YMYL, or Your Money or Your Life; websites about banking, wellness, insurance, etc. Google gives some guidelines for YMYL sites, but I’ll paraphrase.

Basically it’s any site that asks for personally identifiable information (driver’s license, bank account, etc), pages that allow purchases (any page that lets you buy something), pages that give medical information that could impact your well-being, pages that give advice on major life decisions (like parenting, buying a house or car, etc.), and pages that offer advice on major life issues (like legal or financial advice).

When asked, Google said that if your website was affected, there isn’t anything you can do to immediately change the shift in search position.

If you were shifted up, it was because your website was seen to give more value than the sites that were shifted below you. If you were shifted down, it was to give sites that were previously overlooked more prominence, since they were “previously under-rewarded,” according to Google.

“What can I do if I was pushed down?!”

I hear you crying out. If you’re already putting out quality content on a regular basis, then you’re already doing it. Google says that over time, your site may rise relative to other pages if it proves to be more authoritative than the rest.

If you’re not currently producing quality content (blog posts, podcasts, or video), I’d suggest you start. By producing content about your business, you’ll be more likely to be pushed to the top of Google search results. Just don’t expect changes overnight. Search engine optimization is a long game.

If you’re not sure if you’ve been affected and want to find out, give us a call at (256) 585-6425 x 101 or schedule a time to chat at https://purpletieguys.com/book .

For a more in-depth analysis of the algorithm update, check out Search Engine Land’s article.