Looking Ahead

Ok.
New Year, new stuff to do.

I want to ride my Vespa more during 2009.
I want to play a minimum of 5 gigs...don't care which instrument.
I want to build sites for more of my musician pals, and help them promote themselves.
I want to attend 2 distant conferences (minimum), more if possible.
I want to rebuild my site before the Summer.

More than anything else, I guess I simply want to keep enjoying what I do.
Let that take me where it may.

Year End Wrap-Up

So as the year draws to a close, I am looking back over it all, and seeing what I learned.

1. Schedule more time for my own stuff.
2. Keep the flow of projects steady, so one ends as another begins (reduce overlap).
3. Participate in more online discussions of interest.
4. Attend more conferences (try to hit 2 per year).
5. It's all about backlinks (today, anyway).
6. Bartering rocks.
7. Smaller businesses are typically more of a hassle, but can be extremely rewarding.
8. Communicating SEO in numbers is the best possible way to get more work.
9. Old clients can surprise you with new requests any time.
10. It's all about the relationships you make, maintain, and build upon.

I am sure there was more, but this is a fine little list of 10 things that definitely were a part of 2008.

Overall, Articulayers had a really solid year. Surprisingly, had more work toward the end than at the beginning - which is a polar opposite of the norm (especially when the economy is sluggish). I did see some folks coming to me for a "life-saving" effort (economy-driven), but it definitely felt like more people were hip to SEO this year than last.

I didn't make one cold call in 2008 - a first.

Lots of blogs went up this year - hope they make it. Blogging can be a bear if you are not into it. And jeez, I even like blogging now, but can hardly find time to write anything here, much less plan and execute detailed posts. As with many things, blogging looks much easier than it is. But I helped launch a dozen or more really solid corporate-type blogs - hope they all succeed.

Finally, I gained 8 new clients since July, and they are my main focus as 2009 begins. Some won't have more work right away, but I believe all of them will be back for more of the SEO copywriting love they find here. Great folks, running businesses I believe in or solid reps for bigger companies.

So Happy New Year. Hope you, like me, are psyched for it - SEO work has never been better, or more detailed...and I still love what I do, every day.

Piece.

Oh Months, Must you Keep Flying By

So November came and went, and now December is half through, and I haven't had anything to blog about...well, not really true - lots to blog about, just no good time to do it. I had a couple major website releases for some clients, so work prevents other work, you know?

But in releasing some new stuff for these clients (one here in Atlanta, two up in Wisconsin), I am streamlining the way I communicate SEO. I have talked before about why the suits like numbers, so I have created a few report templates that now allow me to offer really solid reporting for any website...it is a plug-and-play way for me to keep the communication flowing upstream. And they have all the money, so I keep them happy.

So in October/November, I concentrated on 3 clients, helping 2 others with some minor updates. I did some SEO copywriting and web optimization, and actually did a pretty cool print ad. I gathered up some year-end data, and reported tons of great progress to a lot of my existing folks.

I have also been bitten pretty hard by Facebook - lots of friends out there, and it's been fun. Got a couple light leads from it, but it is a social valve for me right now - not a phishing tool. I have plenty of work - I actually have very few places to use the web for any fun. Social media is a little weird for me - I am not that casual on the web. But this is still pretty fun, and it's great to talk to friends I haven't seen in 20 years or more.

I traveled some in the past two months. Attended some training and webinars, but nothing earth shattering. Have had some direct contact with some industry types, which is cool...simply talking to more like me is always a good thing.

But I didn't build much for myself in the past 8 weeks - it has been all about the Benjamins. But now that the Christmas coffers are full, I am going to try to balance 2009 and the holidays more in my own favor.

Art Versus Eating

I just watched a great documentary (called "My Kid Could Paint That") about a suggested art wunderkind - Marla Olmsted, the 4 year-old painter from New York. It was a good film, in that it made me think. Don't care whether or not it is true - because it had the desired effect. It was good art, in and of itself. Many of the characters are pretty tragic, and not the point here.

As a freelance seo writer, I often get asked about why I do this. Especially by folks who know me, and know how much art has driven my life. I started out playing in bands and writing comedy and fiction. So there is some internal struggle from time to time as well - why do I do this? But the reason is so simple, it almost hurts. Art is communication. This makes anything you do well, anything that connects you and your message to other people, art. So for me, I simply had to re-think what I thought it means to be an artist.

I have a lot of friends that play music. Most have day jobs, some don't. But all of them have to play, because they do. I play - piano, drums, guitar - whatever. Sometimes with others, more often without. I decided a long time ago, I like owning stuff. Having stuff, and expecting music to pay for the stuff I like made a few decisions for me. I am a realist. Fiction is tough. Writing comedy is tough. Playing music is tough. One out of a million make enough to eat. That makes for a lot of hungry folks. So I aimed my art more specifically, I discovered and subsequently targeted my product(s) at an audience always willing to buy...I got into copywriting. To me, this is easy. Give me a specific direction, I'll give you the script for success. Easy.

But I think there is a great deal of art in what I do. I am mastering the art, by hitting the mark in fewer conversations. Less revisions. Quicker flips. If I can talk to you once and deliver, you benefit from my artistic bend.

I eat well. I had sushi for lunch today, and was happy that the high price didn't matter to me. I could easily afford it. My current art affords me sushi lunches, which is cool by me. Because I want my art to pay for my life. It makes me happy and content - I find creativity as well as monetary rewards.

Some of the best artists I have ever known struggle with paying bills on time. I don't. Some of them question their paths, don't know what to expect from their futures. I don't. I buy their art. I see their shows, and drop my money in the tip jar. I go home to a nice house, and have all the stuff I need. I don't feel I want for much. Freelance copywriting has been the key to my success.

So how this ties into Marla Olmsted and the documentary, I don't know. What I do know, is that I appreciate my art. I know how to create something from nothing, or can make simple ideas more beautiful. My professional detachment allows me to not be married to anything I write for work - changing my text is part of the drill. If I don't want a comma moved or a verb switched, I have fiction to save me. My art is still there, it is still mine. But when they are paying me, and paying me well to say what is important to them (not me mind you, but a collective them), I let them change whatever they want. I offer opinions on what's best, but don't let my art get in the way of my eating. Eating costs money...and so does my time. It balances out nicely.

Ongoing Education

The thing about SEO work that appeals to me (one thing, anyway) is that it changes all the time. This means that you must be ready to study forever if this is a career choice you wish to pursue and actually do anything with your skills for others.

As an example, this week I have already completed an hourlong Webinar on podcasting, and have another tomorrow on the changing face of SEO work. I register for these things all the time. I pay attention to what the experts are saying, and make sure I am doing all I can in the interests of myself, and my clients.

I do have to say, most of the time, I already know most of what they are preaching. I have been doing this for over 6 years, so I had better be on top of it. But I do get something out of every bit of time spent...sometimes, it is one simple hint that can really open up some good possibilities. The point is, I never know what they are going to cover unless I am there, ready to listen (not judge them or compete).

In that respect, attending a conference or 2 per year is also a great idea when you can do so. I have only been to one so far this year, but am trying hard to get my employer to send me to PubCon in Vegas in November. Why? Because these are the industry pros that I pay attention to, this is the elite group of folks I would like to be on par with, if not directly associated with someday. I don't tend to crawl from the cave too often, so I don't make a public spectacle of myself either when I do attend something. I am the quiet guy in the back row.

But attending the right conference can be a great experience - it really energizes you to hear from people you respect. I have met some of my SEO heroes, not that they'll ever remember me. Again, back row lurking has its drawbacks.

But the point is, I am not afraid or vain enough to ignore the potential of talking with a bunch of people who do what I do. I don't see it as competition at all...I have yet to meet someone that I compete with in my niches. I am not an affiliate marketer, and I don't usually go after things that don't support small businesses. So strategy is strategy - and we can share lots without stepping on each other's toes.

In the case that I do already know everything they are discussing, bully for me. It just makes it a little easier for me to know that I do know what I am doing, that I do add serious value to my clients' efforts. It gives me some strength to argue my intentions.

After all, if I know everything they are talking about, I am consistently doing everything I can for my clients, no? Not a bad place to be at all...and again, I don't know this until I hear what they have to say.

So get out there, and register for whatever you can. Learn, learn learn. SEO work will never get any less complicated...so be willing and able to become a part of it. It's a simple reward of this profession to become a part of a community willing to share the tricks of the trade.

Branching Out

As a freelance seo writer, I have a unique opportunity to help people. Lots of times, it is small business owners, who I help by offering affordable rates and honest service. But this weekend, I started a new thing, and thought I'd write just a quick note about it. Bear with me.

I know a lot of blues musicians here in Atlanta, and they are some really great people. However, though they are very talented, most cannot do much with their websites. It's a shame, because better sites would mean more people find them.

So I bought a bunch of webspace, and a couple domains, and I am going to help them. I am creating some sites to showcase a lot of their work, and will include calendars for where they are playing, and pix, videos and whatever else they want. I am helping them for nothing - simply because I believe in what they do.

So while most of the time, being a freelance seo writer means getting paid, in this case, it means using what I know to give back. It is like speaking to college students, or mentoring new writers. I just believe that these are important things to do, and am glad I have the chops to do something of value. You don't always have to get paid to get paid, if that makes sense.

So don't think that doing one thing for a living means that every time you do it, you always have to charge for it. Branch out a little. Do what feels good, just because. Balance your zen.

In the end, I know it will make me a better writer. If not, it will at least make me a better person - so how can I lose? When i get the sites up and running, I will post about here, so you can see why I care. Cheers!

Is SEO the Secret Sauce?

With the economy doing slow laps around the toilet bowl, many business owners are starting to panic. They look at a shrinking income coupled with rising costs, and they realize there is trouble ahead. Many of them are looking for any answer to try to breathe new life into the business. So is SEO the secret sauce that will save the day for businesses now struggling?

It sounds weird to hear me say this, but most often, probably not.

I believe SEO work is important for any business seeking to gain web traction. As a freelance writer who specializes in SEO, you know I believe that content is king. But SEO is a part of a web business, not a magic pill to suddenly turn the tide of the badgered economy.

A Little Syrup for the Eggo Above.
Ok, I know that probably sounds mighty waffle-like. On the one hand I think that every business on the web should be doing some SEO work, but on the other, I don't want them to think it is magic.

In actuality, for many businesses, organic SEO might be magic. A little SEO work by a professional can have some pretty quick results, and quick results make anything easier to swallow.

But for many businesses, it won't. Chances are pretty good that if the current state of economic affairs is the thing that is driving you to now consider SEO work, you likely have bigger issues to iron out. Does this mean you should rule it out as a strategy? No...not by a long shot. But it should be a strategy that works with others to improve the entire financial picture of the business.

One way to think of it, is say your business is like your arm (stay with me here...). Your arm gets cut, and starts bleeding. The cut is deep, and you need to think of a way to fix it.

• The Band-aid. One option is to go to the bathroom and put a band-aid on it. This may help a little with the bleeding, but since the cut is deep, it may not help much. Using only a band-aid you might also have some issues trying to get your arm to heal correctly because you are dealing only with the result of the cut - you are treating a symptom, not the issue.
• Getting Stitched up. Another option is to go to a Doctor for stitches. With stitches, you will invest a little more, trust a professional, and take a little longer to see the full effects of how it helps your arm heal. It may slow you down a little, but the professional is interested in the long-term healing of your arm. They want to close the wound, stave off infection, and help you get back to 100% use as soon as possible. If the professional knows what he or she is doing, you won't even have a scar.

So if you are thinking about how SEO might be used in your business, don't think of it as a band-aid that will allow you to survive a rough economic slide. It may work for you this way, but it also may not...and this is a dangerous bet for many businesses.

Instead, think of organic SEO as a careful, deliberate and ongoing effort to keep your business strong and healthy.

A freelance SEO writer is not a rainmaker. A genius, perhaps. A wizard or miracle cure, probably not.

So if you are freelancing for some businesses, make sure not to blow smoke up their collective dress about what SEO will do for them right now. If you are a business owner looking for a way out of tough economic conditions, think of organic SEO as a good tool, but certainly, only one of many. Be sensible.

True organic SEO work takes time. It takes effort. The work really never ends. It can be insanely profitable, while bad SEO work can be insanely expensive.