I know how to get to the top of Google!

And what's more I'm prepared to share it with you.

No don't send money, plaudits or accolades I'm more than happy to share my knowledge with fellow businesses who struggle with the smoke and mirrors of conventional SEO (that's search engine optimisation) for the uninformed readers.

Perhaps more surprisingly, I should confess at this point that I am by no means a SEO expert. I have no in-depth knowledge or experience, I'm merely drawing on our own journey, that has involved dragging our own website www.collabor8online.co.uk, from the obscurity of page 3, 4 or 5 on Google search to the heady heights of page 1 (actually, and we are astonishingly proud to say this, for certain phrases number one in the list, that is if you include "uk" in your search term) - I know that's cheating but we're still proud of it!

Yes, over the last two years I've paid, met with, talked through, analysed, researched and paid again many experts in the arenas of PPC (pay per click) and SEO. The scenario is usually the same, there is a meeting, then usually a payment, then some results, possibly some fixes, usually another payment, then some more results, then another payment, then everything breaks so needs fixing, which as you can imagine implies another payment (I hope you get the picture).

The thing I’ve learnt is that knowing a little about the process is extremely valuable and knowing a little about the process is actually quite easy to achieve. I feel much more comfortable employing experts now to help me (rather than do for me) my SEO marketing and that's a crucial difference, being hands-on really is relevant.

So, here it is, the answer, the secret, the mystery unveiled–here's how you get to the top of Google.

You get the BBC to write a really positive article about you or your company, saying how good you are at what you do. It's also important that they link to your site using your key phrases. So in our case we need a link from the phrase "Online project management" to our website rather than just including our website name. Easy?

Well you've got it–NO it's not easy and that just about sums up the scenario! You need to get highly respected websites to write unique content around your chosen activities and include links around your key phrases to your own site. The reason behind this is that when higher ranking (from Google's perspective) websites link to your site you will in turn increase your ranking (around the phrases that they link to you with).

In other words, there is no shortcut, no easy way, no quick fix. You just need to build a web presence so that Google, (by gleaning information from yours and other sites) believes that you are a respected authority on the subject is covered by your key phrases.

You (well most of us) do need assistance, both in the technical areas and in the areas of actually doing the work because, producing content of the right type that you can distribute to the relevant sites does take time, effort, involvement and therefore costs in its own way. But if you're having some direct input yourself at least you can control how much of your own time and money you spend and have a good feeling of which areas of effort produce the best results and which are less effective.

Sorry if this answer is in the one you're looking or hoping for, but as I said this is not an expert view simply the views of a business owner who has trodden this path, and paid for the privilege!

www.collabor8online.co.uk
020 3369 6491

Flat tyre on a hot day like this, could things get any worse? YES read this!

Okay–before I tell you the full story, I think this is a lesson in positivity–truth is I didn't even realise I was doing it but, as this scenario kept throwing up problems for me it didn't even occur to me to quit.. I just kept going ..read-on!

On my way home from an appointment this morning, I decided to detour to the local garage to have a tyre changed that had a slow puncture in it. About 100 yards from the garage, I hit a pot hole (thank you Bury Metropolitan Borough Council!) and BANG the tyre completely deflated. I pulled into the side of the road, (into a petrol station actually) inspected the damage and realised that to change my tyre in this weather, in my shiny new suit (on the garage forecourt), was not going to be a pleasant experience. I thought, “I'm only 100 yards away from the tyre fitting garage–I'll  drive at 5 mph and 'limp' there. 10 min later, hazard warning lights flashing and with several curious looks from passing motorists I pulled into the garage forecourt only to realise it had closed down! - Forlornly I called the number above the door, "No problem they said we relocated we're about 10 miles away!" - Oh dear.

Never mind I thought, forget the suit change the tyre. Jacket off sleeves rolled up (beginning to sweat), spare tyre out of boot, jack out of boot, find the jacking points, begin to get dirty, more sweating, position the jack and start to raise the car, (remembering before the tyre leaves the ground), loosen wheel nuts!- Get wrench from boot, loosen first nut, loosen second nut (lots of sweating), get to locking wheel nut find its seized fast! Won't budge even with my considerable weight behind it! - It's no good, I'll have to limp across town to the nearest tyre garage.

Put all equipment back in boot (incredible amount of sweating and getting dirty) set off at 5 mph again,  then remember my iPhone can locate things like tyre fitting businesses–amazingly it informs me there's one near–quick phone call to Express tyres "Do you fit tyres, are you open?" "yes" came the reply, "where are you?"–"about a hundred yards away", I'll be there in 2 min" I said.

The nice man explained that he didn't have any new tyres that would fit my car, but he did have a partially worn one that would be slightly less than half price. "I'll take it" I said (at this point I hadn't mentioned about the seized locking wheel nut!)

Now my new best friend, proceeds to grunt grimace and sweat around the aforementioned seized up locking wheel nut.. However he was sweating, grunting and grimacing with the right equipment! In about 30 min he'd got the "x5$^362'er" off, and another 10 had fitted the part worn tyre, which happened to be exactly the same make as the rest of the tyres on the car all for £35! Bargain of the century!

Is there a moral to this story? Well plan A didn't work, because I got a puncture on the way to the garage, plan B wasn't much better because the garage I drove to had closed down. Plan C got nowhere because of the seized up wheel nut, it wasn't until I got to plan D that things improved and although I got a little sweaty and it took about an hour longer than it should have, Plan D was actually much better than Plan A!

My own take on the situation, 99% of sucess is down to "just keep on trying!"

BE positive with our online project management software  Collabor8online provides online project management solutions and whether based document sharing solutions for all businesses large or small click or call 0203 369 6491

You Need Commitment Not Compliance

Someone asked me today what was the biggest challenge when managing my team. I resorted to an old adage I adopted quite some time ago.

“You need commitment not compliance"

I developed this approach quite some years ago when dealing with a quite brilliant but often stubborn office manager. We would often discuss the issues of the day, I'd put my point of view she would put hers, an argument would invariably follow at some point she would usually end the argument by saying;

“Okay, we'll do it your way".

"But do you now believe my way is the best?" I'd ask. 

"I said we'll do it your way" would be the reply.

“But do you believe?" I'd ask.

"No, but you're the boss we'll do it your way" would be the reply.

"Then, probably better if we do it your way" would be my answer. Because, I need you to be committed to this project not simply doing it my way because I said so.

Far better to have someone carrying out a task that they believe in than simply simply going through the process because you've told them to. So unless “their" way truly compromises the effectiveness of the project, better to have them being truly committed and simply complying.

Of course, sometimes if you're taking responsibility for the delivery of a project, you have to do “dig your heels in" and insist but you'd be surprised how often a little "flexibility" can ensure that the results or project gets delivered first time and on time.

Of course the right tools help and if you're looking for online project management  or online document sharing  then http://www.collabor8online.co.uk/  would certainly be a good place to start!  you can create  projects in folders, assign tasks, share files and even see progress in the project calendar!

Here's a light-hearted look at Project Management.  We were trying to get across the difficulties that our online project management solution helps businesses solve. We started with the idea that conventional methods  are complex  and that it's easy to get tied down with them...  then we moved on to string .. the rest is history! -  we hope this makes you smile!

http://www.collabor8online.co.uk/2012/07/24/how-does-project-management-work/

Not just wishful thinking

Someone once said to me that setting a deadline that was unrealistic wasn't Project Management it was just wishful thinking.