Why Search Engine Optimization doesn't Matter!

Introduction

SEO -- everyone talks about it. Everyone says I need to have it to have a successful blog. If everyone says it's true, it must be true, right? Well, I'm here to say it is NOT true. Maybe that's too strong. Let me rephrase it. I have another opinion. I never worry about SEO. It happens naturally.

Show me you say?

Don't you hate it when someone asks for proof? I love it. If there is no proof, or at least support, then it's an unsubstantiated opinion. This will be a "one-substantiated" opinion as I'm only looking at one website. If you disagree with this opinion, I'll cheer you on to show me another website. Between us, we can find the truth as we want to express it. Not the real truth, mind you. Just the truth we decide on for the present.

Master Blogger's site

Steve Scott is one of the people I respect most in the world of writing and making  money on the internet. Consider buying every one of his books on Amazon. Study them carefully and extract what you can use.

He is also an excellent blogger. He has been doing it since about 2007, maybe earlier. Not only doing it, but working hard at it. He shows real numbers in his books and sometimes on his blogs. This means we can learn how to make as much as he does.

 Alexa

Sarah Arrow from www.sarkemedia.com mentioned www.alexa.com. You plug in a website and out pops some statistics.

 I noticed only about 10% of Steve's views come from search engines. Huh? Yep. Only 10%.  How did I find his site today? The long story is I first heard about it in a book. Now the autocomplete function in my browser finds the site when I type the first two letters. This happens to most of the sites I visit.

Where does traffic come from?

Check out my site http://48statehike.blogspot.com. You don't have to read it. Take a look at the picture on top and then forget about it. Set a reminder for a month from how and try to remember the site name. My guess is most people won't, but if you have autocomplete turned on for your address bar, when you type 48 the URL will appear.

Looking at  my personal browsing habits, I use Google for a one time visit to a blog and autocomplete for most of my repeat visits. Given that Alexa says only about 10% of people's views come from search engine, I suspect this is normal. 

First two characters of blog name

In my opinion, the first two characters of the blog name are critical for repeat viewers.

Conclusion

Look at Alexa to see where your viewers come from. What's the right metric to improve?  I think it is the Daily Time on site. This is the amount of time unique visitors spend on the site. I can't think of a better way of grading a blog than this.

Forget about SEO for a long time. Work on quality content so people read what you write. If they are reading what you like, they will come back. They might also buy your product if you are selling one.

Comments?

Why my Brains don't Fall Out!

Introduction

I write eBooks for a living. The only reason I can do this is I get retirement pay from the Air Force and have another small source of income. So, writing for a living is an exaggeration. I make $500 to $600 a month selling eBooks. By itself, it wouldn't be much of a living, but hey, I'm almost always in the top 1 or 2% of authors on Amazon. In other words, I'm doing something right.

This is why I'm slow to listen to suggestions.

Unauthoritative suggestions

Is unauthoritative even a word? I don't know, but it means suggestions coming from people who are not yet successful on Amazon to the same extent that I am. 

Do I listen to them? Absolutely, I listen. But I don't always follow. The suggestions I follow come from the example or the words of those who are more successful than I am. There are some things I've noticed.

Successful authors seldom use social media. Oh, they tried a couple years ago, but almost without exception, they have disappeared from Facebook.

People often say I have to advertise. This sounds rude, but I don't HAVE to do anything. I suppose it is rude, but here is where it is coming from. I've tried advertising on Facebook and Adwords. I could not show it had any statistical impact on my business. If anyone can demonstrate a statistical impact for their books I'd be glad to listen.

Although I get a few sales from blogs, it's not enough to justify the time. I blog for fun, not profit.

What I think when someone makes a suggestion

Thanks for the suggestion, and I really appreciate the thought. I'll evaluate the suggestion and either take action or not.

What I'm doing is working

What I'm doing is working, so I will keep doing it. When it stops working, I'll try something else.

"You have a closed mind..."

to which I respond "That's so my brains don't fall out!" Seriously, in Positive Mental Attitude, the Science of Success!  (US market only), Napoleon Hill said self-reliance is one of the most important attributes for success. (Hint to those in the US: This is an advertisement on a blog. Please prove me wrong by clicking on the link and picking up a copy of the book! It's only 99 cents.) 

I like hearing new ideas. I really do! I often read what others say. However, at some point, I make a decision. When I make a decision, I close my mind. An open mind lets in self-doubt, and that can be more destructive than not doing the perfectly right thing.

Conclusion

This post is a bit blunt, but I can't write and I don't care! Besides, at some point we all have to close our minds and get to work.

Save Water, Stop Pissing away Your Money!

Disclaimer: I've decided to direct this blog to self-examination and goal-setting. At least until I change my mind and direct it to something else! 

Introduction

Most people make small and unnecessary daily purchases without calculating the cost of the purchases. Meanwhile, they keep putting off a large purchase until "they have the money" as if this is ever going to happen if they are short each month. 

I'm going to use a personal example to illustrate the cost of small daily purchases and end with a commitment to eliminate something in exchange for an expensive item I want more.

The cost of small daily purchases

Each morning, I take a 5.1 mile walk. Near the end of the walk, I stop to buy coffee and donuts at the quick stop. I sit outside to eat them. What is the cost of these?

Each morning, I spend $3.39. If I stop 300 times a year, then I'll spend $1,017 a year. About $600 of that will be for the donuts! 

Well, as I go through my day, I can find another $15 a day that I don't NEED to spend. If I give up those things 300 days a year, I can save $6,102! 

I'm pissing away money and I need to stop now!

Decide what you want to buy and when

When people give up something, they like to get something in return. The item I'd like to get is an expensive down sleeping bag that will cost about $600. 

Since I'm pissing away $18 a day, I should be able to buy it in 33 days. But, I still want to piss away some money, so I think I'll save $10 a day. 

To put this in goal-setting terms, I want to save to buy a sleeping bag in 60 days. December 30th is my target date.

Decide what to give up

I can give up the donuts and coffee. I can also give up eating out so often. 

Pay yourself the cash each day

This seems hard to do. Where am I going to get the money to set aside $300 at the beginning of the next two months? On the surface, this is patently ridiculous because it's money I'm not going to spend. 

So, what I'll do at the beginning of the week is withdraw $70 from the bank and put $10 a day in my wallet. Each day, I'll get to keep what I don't spend on the things I'm giving up. 

Conclusion

Now that I've calculated the monthly cost of the little things I don't need, I have a plan to redirect that money towards something I want and kind of need. At least when I have it, it won't be consumable and gone at the end of the month.

What about the Layout?

Introduction

One thing you have to do is decide on the layout for the blog. There are many choices available. Pick one and make slow modifications to find what you like.

Many choices

Blogspot gives a zillion layouts for a blog, and I didn't know which one to choose. That's because I'm pretending not to know anything about blogging. Surely there is a "best" layout for the blog I want, but I don't even know why I want this blog. Oh, that's right, it is to prove I don't know how to write!

Pick one 

Every idea starts with a point of expansion and grows from there. Guess what?! It doesn't matter WHICH layout you choose because you will eventually change it! I picked the default layout which is a plain white screen. That suits me fine for now. Later, as I make more posts, I may change it. 

Make slow modifications

When I previewed this blog, I saw the type was that gray that is impossible for old eyes to read. So, I clicked the layout button and figured out where to globally change the default font color. I had a few stumbles, but eventually I solved the problem. When in doubt, Google how before asking how. Google is awake all the time. 

Conclusion

Start with any layout, but don't stress over the perfect layout. As you learn, you may find a better one or figure out the best way to work with the layout you chose! Either way, get to writing. 

I knew someone would check!

Friday, October 31, 2014

I can't write and I don't care. I made this blog to prove I can't write and maybe I'll do it daily. Write that is, not my morning constitutional.

Writing Format

All a person needs to write is an:

• Introduction
• main point
• main point
• main point
• conclusion

Well, don't give me names, give me examples! you say?

There are three parts to a blog post. The introduction where you tell the reader what you are going to say. Three main points where you elaborate on the introduction. And the conclusion, where you sum things up.

Each main point should be revealed in the introduction. Each main point should support the title of the topic. 

The conclusion summarizes the purpose of the post. That's all! Do not introduce anything new.

So, if you can't write start with a concept for the title. Then work from the "inside out" meaning find three main points. Write no more than 125 words on each main point. Then write the introduction and conclusion and, Voila! (it's always better to show off intelligence with a foreign word!) You have a blog post. Forget about proof reading. Nobody is going to read this blog anyway.

Introduction

main point

main point

main point

conclusion