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1/ I started running the CXL blog two years ago.
Like any idiot, I had plenty of assumptions. Then, of course, I did the work and feasted on crow.
Here& #39;s a non-comprehensive list of learnings:
Like any idiot, I had plenty of assumptions. Then, of course, I did the work and feasted on crow.
Here& #39;s a non-comprehensive list of learnings:
2/ Waking up Monday morning knowing that I need to get two posts out the door that week is stressful. Weekends are better when everything& #39;s lined up by Friday.
But it& #39;s a great catalyst for process development. As a former boss liked to say, "Deadlines are your friend."
But it& #39;s a great catalyst for process development. As a former boss liked to say, "Deadlines are your friend."
3/ So publish now. Google Docs don& #39;t drive traffic or leads. Deadlines push you to find creative solutions, not excuses.
Is there a risk that you sacrifice quality? Sure. But "The New York Times" takes that same risk every day. "The New Yorker" takes it every week...
Is there a risk that you sacrifice quality? Sure. But "The New York Times" takes that same risk every day. "The New Yorker" takes it every week...
4/ Strategy can—and should—position you for success, but *scaling* a good strategy guarantees success.
Sometimes the influencer you want to share something is online thinking about the very thing you& #39;ve just written. Sometimes they& #39;re on vacation.
Can& #39;t plan for everything.
Sometimes the influencer you want to share something is online thinking about the very thing you& #39;ve just written. Sometimes they& #39;re on vacation.
Can& #39;t plan for everything.
5/ If you& #39;ve got a decent plan (e.g., on-brand topics, distribution paths), build processes to execute on it more efficiently.
The highest value thing I& #39;ve done at CXL is turn a 40 hr/wk job into a 25 hr/wk job. Each hour I eked out was spent finding another hour, then another.
The highest value thing I& #39;ve done at CXL is turn a 40 hr/wk job into a 25 hr/wk job. Each hour I eked out was spent finding another hour, then another.
6/ A strong domain helps, but it also comes with higher expectations and stiffer competition.
You spend your life elbowing your way up a SERP with DA90 competitors who& #39;ve recently written a competent, illustrated, 3,000-word essay on whatever you& #39;re trying to rank for.
You spend your life elbowing your way up a SERP with DA90 competitors who& #39;ve recently written a competent, illustrated, 3,000-word essay on whatever you& #39;re trying to rank for.
7/ Page 1 really is the Google Dance. Many traditional SEO bets are off. You rarely get an, "Oh, *that& #39;s* why they rank above me," moment.
And, on top of that, you have to compete with Google, too, who& #39;s constantly eating away at SERP real estate.
And, on top of that, you have to compete with Google, too, who& #39;s constantly eating away at SERP real estate.
8/ Your new posts give you "up and to the right" for a while (~2 years). But you& #39;ve got to reinvest in them to retain rankings.
If 2/3 of your stuff was published 2+ years ago, total traffic will be flat (or down).
We spend ~20% of our time updating content. It should be more.
If 2/3 of your stuff was published 2+ years ago, total traffic will be flat (or down).
We spend ~20% of our time updating content. It should be more.
9/ A 500-post blog with the same tone and quality—even without unique info—is something. Consistency is a brand. It& #39;s just not the most compelling one.
The future of search belongs to those who can publish "their angle" on a topic without undermining the ability to rank for it.
The future of search belongs to those who can publish "their angle" on a topic without undermining the ability to rank for it.
