Content | GrowMap

AIO Content Strategy for Less Traffic Due to AI Overviews

So, your content used to get a lot more clicks and traffic from Google organic search. You need a new AIO Content Strategy to deal with it!

But now, you’ve potentially lost 34.5% according to Ahrefs of what was normal, right?

Also see Insights From 55.8M AI Overviews Across 590M Searches—A Study by Ahrefs.

Since their research, I’ve seen SEOs sharing on LinkedIn that some clients have seen 40-60% less traffic when AIOs appear.

MailOnline SEO Carly Steven shared many specific stats on how AIOs affect them in Google AI Overviews leads to dramatic reduction in clickthroughs for Mail Online.

She goes into specifics on click-through-rates (CTRs) and differences between desktop and mobile. Besides that, she sounds the alarm on a new Google AI Mode.

How Much Can Traffic Drop?

Groundbreaking data was released on May 12, 2025 by Kevin Indig in The first-ever UX Study of Google’s AI Overviews: The Data We’ve All Been Waiting For.

Read both of the above – they’re enlightening and that 55.17% of users trust AI accuracy is downright scary. [LinkedIn won’t let me tag or link to these, so I’ll try to add them in the comments.]

And it gets worse. According to John Iwuozor‘s post (shown below), some sites are being hit with traffic drops of 90-99%!

He mentions Techopedia – down 99%, Travel lemming – 94% drop, and Retrododo – down 90%. The graphs are from Semrush for Techopedia:

The more content you published that is informational rather than transactional or commercial, the more likely an AIO will be shown for keyword phrases related to that content.

Will this get better or is the internet in decline? Find out what Pubcon Founder and CEO Brett Tabke believes.

He wrote “Cloudflare CEO Sounds the FIRE Alarm: AI Is Breaking the Web’s Economy! Search Is Broken!” for Search Engine World.

But It’s Not All Bad News: Same Conversions from Less Traffic

Rand Fishkin shared this excellent explanation of why you still need a website and content in a zero click world:

So What Can You Do? AIO Content Strategy Step 1: Research

Think about what your ideal client would want to know when buying what you sell. Brainstorm some search keyword phrases.

Then go to Google search and see what they’re displaying for each piece of search. If there is an AIO for that search or none of the ranking content is for a business like yours, move to the next keyword phrase.

You’re looking for the phrases that display your content or something similar that you are likely to be able to outrank.

Now that you’ve found some keyword phrases that are at least currently not affected by AIOs, you can use a keyword research tool to check search volume.

Use this tip from Neil Patel as your guide. Your goal is to look for a keyword phrase that has:

High search volume
High cost-per-click (CPC)
Low competition

He elaborates on why and how to do that using his tool in this short video:

NOTE: Neil’s Ubersuggest keyword research tool has a free version and the upgrade is worth having.

Step 2: Update and Optimize Existing Content or Create New Content

Once you’ve selected one or more keyword phrases, look at your existing content. Have you covered this topic or keyword phrase before?

If you have an informational post that is similar enough, you can update that post with your new transactional or commercial angle.

And if you don’t, use that keyword phrase to do additional keyword research. The easiest way to update or create new SEO-optimized content is by using Surfer SEO.

Impact of AI Overviews on Traffic

NEW: Cyrus S., founder of Zyppy SEO, created a great graphic showing how the links in Google AIOs don’t go to the sources. Instead, his research shows that:

Many links currently in Google’s AIOs lead to other Google searches, even when it doesn’t make sense.

See that graph and examples of what he means in How AI Overviews Shift Traffic From Publishers to Google.

From Neil Patel: How AI Overviews Affect Click Rates on Google

And another from Neil Patel showing how AIOs affect branded keywords:

How much will AIOs affect you? See Thomas Demers‘s research on AIO impact by type of search here.

Russ Macumber at Impressive shared this research on the percentage of AIOs shown by search intent (informational, navigational, commercial and transactional).

Jaskaran Singh from Grazitti Interactive who shared some interesting research:

I’d like to credit the original source, but several people have shared the chart above and I haven’t found any attribution.

NEW: Research from Semrush and Datos, A Semrush Company shared by Mordy Oberstein compares what percentage of searches are no click with and without AI overviews:

Want even more research? Refer to Thomas Baekdal‘s What do we know, so far, about the impact of AI search?

Hat tip to “the” analytics expert Avinash Kaushikfor sharing the Baekdal/Basic newsletter.

How Publishers and Writers are Affected

These changes along with Google algorithm changes have dramatically affected publishers whose business model was organic traffic and ads.

Two examples:

My primary income ended when Google took traffic away from one of the largest small business publishers. Their traffic and income dropped so dramatically that they shut down the project I worked on for almost six years. They had to let almost all of their staff on that project and their major site go.
Another of the largest small business publishers first pivoted to publishing 30+ posts a day hoping for more traffic. And then they changed their focus entirely to gambling to survive.

Since then, another client decided to stop having me update content. I suspect they’re not sure it is worth spending money on anymore if it doesn’t see a huge increase in traffic to contribute to lead generation and visibility.

I’ve collaborated with about two dozen writers for years. The only one with enough work let clients cut rates dramatically. So she works harder than ever for less money.

All of the others are struggling. Some, like me, are on the verge of homelessness. This is my 25th year of freelancing. 24 great years where I shared extra work with others.

This past year, I am one of those on the verge of homelessness. My only option is to increase my income and get my lease caught up.

What Can We Do About This?

For now, content can still work for businesses. Its primary value is providing your existing customers, clients, or patients and potential new buyers the information they need.

And, pivoting to focus on transactional keywords instead of informational can get you more organic traffic – at least for now.

The Sovereign CMO Patrick Moorhead makes a strong case for why human-written content is the best way forward in When AI Eats Itself: Why Human Content Is the Most Underrated Growth Strategy in B2B Right Now.

NEW: Cyrus S. of Zyppy SEO Consulting Agency, Community, and Software answers what kind of keyword/content strategy might be most effective at AVOIDING Google’s AI Overviews?

Benefits of Using Surfer SEO

The first benefit is that their content audit feature makes it easy to see what content is most likely to see an increase in traffic if you update and improve it.

When you update or create content using Surfer SEO‘s content editor, the first step is to enter your primary keyword phrase.

The built-in keyword research tool will suggest additional keywords along with their monthly search volume (MSV).

Click on the phrases you want to include. You can also type in additional ideas to see what keyword phrases Surfer suggests.

I recommend adding 3-12+ keyword phrases, but you really only need to use one. Select “Write Yourself” or “Write with AI”. Personally, I write all my content myself.

Then you can either use the URL of your existing content to pull it into Surfer or click on “Create”. [Or, now you can use the WordPress plugin to do it right in the WP dashboard!]

Here’s Danni from Surfer SEO with a short video on how the content editor works:

NOTE: Surfer SEO contains many tools including a separate Keyword Research tool. And guess what? Besides search volume, it labels search phrases as:

- informational
- local
- customer investigation
- shopping

That makes it easier for you to choose phrases that are more commercial and transactional rather than only informational. (But also use what you know and check on Google, too.)

Want to know more? Read Surfer SEO Content I Write Ranks Top of Page 1 on Google.

Why Focus on Transactional and Commercial Keyword Phrases?

So far, Google is not showing AIOs for transactional or commercial keyword phrases. Also, these are likely to be less competitive.

Even if you have many actual competitors in your business, all informational content also has to outrank sites like Wikipedia, Reddit, Quora, and every informational publisher on the internet.

At least with transactional content, you’re less likely to be up against all those other publishers!

Bonus Tips:

Don’t forget your Call to Action (CTA). Transactional content should always have at least one CTA and some have many so they are never far from visibility.

NOTE: Would you love to be updating or publishing new content, but just don’t have the time? Or maybe you could just need a hand getting started?

I’d love to assist you to learn Surfer or manage content creation or even the entire publishing process for you!

WANT MORE TIPS?

Could Not Just Impressions But CLICKS Be “NOISE” and Not As Important As We Thought?

Here’s a really controversial viewpoint. You definitely want to watch the video!

Read and Apply Ann Smarty‘s Create Content That REQUIRES a Click: Traffic Driving Solutions Post Google AI Overviews

NEW: Check out the Nick Nelson authored “Welcome the SEO Apocalypse: A Zero-Click Search Survival Guide“ at TopRank Marketing.

FIND THIS VALUABLE?

If yes, leave me a comment or question below.

And follow me on LinkedIn. Click the bell and choose “All” if you want to hopefully see more of what I share on LinkedIn.

Want to Write Faster? 12 Hacks to Help Speed You Up

Too much work and no time to write?

Content creation is crucial for the growth of any blog. But as you grow, so do your responsibilities.

Sooner than you think, you’ll start to realize that you have less time to write than you initially thought. So how can you write faster without resorting to AI, you ask? I’ve got you covered.

1. Pick the Right Time of the Day

Are you a morning person, or do you prefer working at night?

According to research, people are generally more creative at night, but more productive in the morning. We have more focus, more willpower, and we’ll even make fewer mistakes.

At night, however, things can get a little too cozy. You’ll be more relaxed, you won’t need to rush, and you just won’t be as alert as you would have been earlier in the day.

Different people have different preferences, though, so pick a time that suits you best.

2. Race Against Time

It’s amazing how setting a deadline can help speed up your writing.

When you write without setting a time by when you need to be done, you won’t feel the rush to work. Instead, you’ll be so relaxed that you won’t mind procrastinating or taking multiple breaks, hence reducing your productivity.

Your progress will be much slower than if you had set a goal. It could take you one whole day to complete something that you could have finished in just an hour’s time. So the next time you write, try to set a timer so you have a goal to meet.

3. Get Your Blood Rushing

Everyone has a reason to do what they do. Remind yourself of your personal mantra before you start working on your piece.

My reason to go on is that I still haven’t achieved my goals even after a month. So whenever I think of that, I get a little bit angry with myself. It is good that I do because it gives me the motivation to work harder and get things done.

My brother’s reason to work hard is because he doesn’t want to get a bad image. He doesn’t want to get in trouble with his boss.

Your reason is probably that you have so much work to do but very little time to finish it.

Remembering your objective will really help you to write your piece faster. You won’t easily be distracted when your eyes are set on reaching your goals.

If you don’t have a goal, be sure to find one, and don’t choose it just for the sake of having one. It needs to be an emotional anchor that will get your blood running and help you deeply focus.

4. Don’t Stop Writing until Your Fingers Hurt

Have you ever done work in the same room as your friend, and he kept bothering you to hang out, go to the mall, or even get something to eat?

Or have you been working at home, where many millennials still are, and your parents kept disturbing you by pressuring you to clean the dishes or help out in the kitchen?

When we take regular breaks, we lose our concentration on the ideas that are flowing at that moment of writing. And if you were to take too many breaks, you would eventually start telling yourself, “Hey, maybe I’m too busy to finish it today. I think I’ll do it tomorrow.”

When you start writing, the best way to maintain productivity is to set your mind not to stop writing even until your fingers hurt.

With that amount of concentration, you can save more time. Because you’re already working, pushing yourself a little bit more can help you finish faster.

5. Find a Quiet Room for Yourself

When writing a piece, you need to be completely focused and in the zone. You will be far less productive if your parents or your friends are distracting you, so it’s best to find a room where no one will disturb you.

You should be so absorbed in writing that you don’t even notice your surroundings. When you feel that way, you are on the right track and are getting all your thoughts together to finish your piece.

6. Put Your Phone Away

It’s very hard to live without your phone. But in order to maintain your concentration and finish quickly, you should put it away.

You might not notice it, but the moment you touch your phone when there’s a text or call, your mind will be in a different place already.

You’ll start thinking of your other jobs, you’ll start thinking of who you need to call, and you’ll start browsing your social media thinking of what to post. When that happens, you’ll break your concentration and feel overwhelmed.

7. Settle Your Errands Before Touching Your Keyboard

Another way to help lessen your distractions and disturbances is by planning ahead and finishing your errands early. That way, the rest of the day will be smooth sailing.

I love waking up early to finish all my errands. By 9 a.m. onwards, I can put my phone aside and go into full force writing mode all the way until the afternoon when I have my lunch break and recharge.

8. Pinch Yourself Every Time You Procrastinate

Procrastination is something every one of us faces.

There’s no cure for it. The only way for you to fight it is by keeping yourself super busy until you learn how to ignore that feeling.

Still, from time to time we do feel like taking a break, and we procrastinate unknowingly. So when this happens, you need to remind yourself to stop getting distracted and to continue writing your piece.

Some people put sticky notes on their monitors, and some put up pictures that remind them of their goals.

Others, like me, tend to pinch themselves to bring themselves back to reality whenever their minds wander off.

9. Outline Your Ideas Before You Even Start

Most writers tend to start outlining their ideas at the same time they want to start writing.

While this practice might work for some, I find that outlining my ideas a bit earlier can help me get even more prepared before I start writing.

If I want to write content today, I will have outlined my points the night before. That way, by the time I want to write in the morning, I can go full steam ahead. Often I’ll get more ideas in the middle of writing after I start.https://www.facebook.com/riaz.shah.357

10. Body First, Then the Intro

Most readers speed-read whenever they read an article, and yours will be no different to them.

Don’t waste time thinking of the right words to say for your intro.

Instead, go straight to writing the body first. After you finish covering the main points, you can see your content from a broader perspective, which can help you cover your intro better.

11. Perhaps You Need a Better Tool

As writers, we spend more time on our keyboards than people in any other profession in the world.

Many people use computers, but writers utilize their keyboards for long hours non-stop. Imagine the immense pressure on the keyboard and your fingers!

Clunky keyboards, although great for gaming, can quickly tire your fingers out.

But if you use the light touch keyboard, you can streamline your writing and let your fingers do the talking.

12. Proofread with Grammarly

Finally, you finish your work and you need to go through the boring part: re-reading everything to fix your mistakes. There’s an easy way to do so.

Instead of relying on Grammarly’s automatic web browser AI detector like many of us tend to do, download the desktop application.

Copy and paste your written content into the desktop app. From there, you’ll get a better, more detailed view of your work to help you proofread faster.

It’s a bit tedious, yes. But for a lengthy article, this habit will help you scan your words faster, as though you have another set of eyes.

Ready to Write Faster?

Review these tips and start implementing them today.

Originally published 4/19/17; updated 7/2/24 to fix outdated links and restore author bio lost due to tech issues.

Save

Surfer SEO Content I Write Ranks Top of Page 1 on Google – 30% Off NOW ONLY!

Surfer SEO content optimization is how content I’ve written for clients immediately ranked for keyword phrases that generate income for those businesses.

Even better, that content is STILL in position one or two whenever I check. It has been over a year since I optimized some of it.

And it still ranks!

I’m not talking about easy to rank for content, either. These are highly competitive keyword phrases for clients with dozens of competitors.

Does Surfer SEO Content Optimization Work? YES!

Based on that, I have to say that content optimized using Surfer SEO does rank well. Keep in mind that this is NOT AI generated content.

This is content that I either originally wrote and then optimized later. Or that someone else wrote and I optimized it later.

Do I Recommend Surfer SEO Content Optimization?

Yes, I do. In fact, I would love to optimize content for many more small businesses so that they can increase their incomes — especially in tough times like now.

In the interests of full disclosure, the content I optimize is important to my clients. So it does already have some incoming links.

It is likely that you need incoming links if you are targeting competitive keyword phrases.

Surfer SEO Discount 30% Off Until 4/24/24 8 a.m. EDT

If you want to optimize your own, right now is the best time to try it out because it is 30% off – but only until 9 a.m. EDT the morning of Wednesday 4/24/24.

There is no risk because you can use the 7 day free trial and cancel before you pay if it isn’t for you!

Surfer SEO Free Trial

😮 Risk-free 7-day trial: Customers can try Surfer and still get the discount!

Benefit from:

✅ Greater Visibility

✅ More Clicks

✅ Additional Traffic

✅ Extra Conversions

The Surfer SEO 7-day free trial includes:

- - 5 Content Editor credits (1 credit = 1 article to write and optimize)
  - 5 Keyword Research credits
  - 5 Auto-optimize credits
  - and 2 seats (number of people you can invite to your Organization)

You can sign up for the free trial using the 30% Off link to lock that in before it expires.

See Surfer SEO from the Inside

Want to see inside? Check out this short review video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m48x-ulA4pQ

Have questions? Ask me in the comments. Save this post as I’ll be updating it and adding more details in the near future.

13 Types Of Content That Drive Increased Traffic And Engagement

Are you looking for ideas on how to create content that is both informative and engaging?

You’ve come to the right place!

This article will explore thirteen types of content that will attract the right attention and build a loyal following.

So, are you ready to improve your brand’s online presence?

Let’s dive in!

1. The Mighty Blog Post

The key to a successful blogging strategy often lies in balancing pillar and cluster content.

Pillar content acts as the foundation for your blog, covering broad topics that are then interlinked with more granular cluster content (targeting long-tail keywords).

A successful pillar post is comprehensive, high-quality, and serves as an ultimate guide on the subject.

It includes various elements like infographics, videos, and downloadable resources like fonts that provide additional value.

Examples: Medium’s famous ‘How-To’ series, HubSpot’s comprehensive marketing guides, and Backlinko’s highly detailed SEO analyses.

1 How to Rank on Page 1 of Google FAST In-Depth Case Study by Brian Dean’s Backlinko

Tools: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to research and identify high-volume, low-competition keywords to build your pillar content. For content ideation and performance tracking, consider platforms like BuzzSumo or CoSchedule.

2. The Power Of Infographics

Infographics are powerful tools for turning complex data into easily digestible visual content.

Some effective infographic ideas include timelines, comparison charts, and process diagrams.

They are highly shareable, boost SEO rankings, and can be used as a lead generation tool.

Design Tip: keep the design simple but engaging. Use bold, high-contrast colors, clear typography, and intuitive layouts to guide the viewer’s eye through the information.

Example: Semrush’s infographic about ten tips to improve content gives a visually pleasing overview of various strategies.

https://www.semrush.com/blog/infographic-examples/

Tools: Canva, Visme, or Adobe Illustrator are great for creating infographics. To find the right data, use sources like Statista or Datawrapper.

3. Mastering the Video Content

In a digital age where the ‘how’ is just as important as the ‘why’, tutorial videos are an excellent way to provide value to your audience, which in turn improves engagement and builds trust.

Tip: sequence your tutorials logically, ensuring each step follows the last. Use screen recordings to give viewers a hands-on experience.

Example: ‘How to Create a WordPress Blog from Scratch’ by WPBeginner, making a seemingly complex process accessible to beginners (it counts almost 400k views).

Tools: For screencasting, Camtasia or Loom are great options. An additional tool you should use is a GIF creator like the one Adobe offers.

4. Interactive Content

If you can offer a tool that provides a specific value to your audience, you can enhance engagement significantly. This could be anything from mortgage calculators to body fat estimators.

Tip: ensure that your tool is well-presented and easy to use. The process should be quick, and the results should be both clear and actionable.

Example: HubSpot’s ‘Marketing Plan Tool’ which helps users create a personalized marketing plan by answering a series of questions about their business.

https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-plan-template-generator

Tools: Many plugin and widget options are available depending on your CMS. Services like Zoho Creator, Formstack, or a Formstack alternative can also help build custom tools.

5. The Power of Podcasting

Hosting leaders, experts, or influencers in your industry for an interview can provide your audience with unique insights and perspectives they might not find elsewhere.

Tip: prepare ahead of time with well-researched questions and a clear structure. Engage in active listening and follow up with relevant and thought-provoking questions.

Example: ‘Authority Hacker’ podcast where the hosts interview successful online entrepreneurs and industry experts.

Tools: Use tools like Zencastr or Ringr to record high-quality audio. Services like Buzzsprout or Transistor can help with hosting and distribution.

6. Lead Magnet E-Books

Offering an e-book as a lead magnet can be a powerful tool for lead generation, particularly for B2B businesses. Create high-quality, actionable content that leaves the reader wanting more.

Tip: focus on a problem you can solve for your target audience and ensure that the types of content used are genuinely valuable. Use a compelling mix of text, images, and maybe even video to keep your reader engaged.

Example: Marketo’s ‘Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing’ serves as an educational resource that also demonstrates the company’s expertise in the subject.

Marketo Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing

Tools: Tools like Beacon or Designrr can convert your existing content into an e-book, making it easier to distribute.

7. Whitepapers and Research Papers

Whitepapers and research papers that provide an in-depth analysis of industry trends, consumer behavior, or market data can solidify your position as an industry expert.

Tip: ensure that the information you provide is both accurate and actionable. Use professional charts, graphs, and data visualizations to present your findings in a research presentation.

Example: “The State of Link Building Industry 2023” by Smarty Marketing, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future predictions of the link-building industry.

The State of Link Building Industry Survey Results

Tools: Use Google Scholar or JSTOR to find relevant research papers and studies. Adobe InDesign or Canva can help design visually appealing whitepapers.

8. Newsjacking

Newsjacking involves creating content that leverages the buzz of a current event, news story, or trend. It can propel your content into the spotlight and engage users looking for the latest information or perspectives.

Tip: react quickly but thoughtfully. Ensure your take connects with the larger narrative while offering a unique insight.

Example: SEJ talks about Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover with the timeline of events that led to the Twitter rampage.

Tools: Google Trends and social media monitoring tools are invaluable for spotting trends and news stories as they break.

9. Interactive Storytelling

The immersive nature of AR and VR can take your storytelling to the next level by literally placing your audience inside the narrative. This emerging field has huge potential for brands that fully utilize this technology.

Tip: prioritize the narrative over the technology. Content should be compelling on its own, with AR or VR elements enhancing the experience.

Example: British Airways’ “Take a Virtual Tour” uses VR to showcase their Business Class experience.

Tools: Specialist AR/VR development agencies can bring your vision to life. Branded content does particularly well in these formats so investing in your app or experience could also be worthwhile.

10. Types of Content Roundups

These can be a great resource for your audience to stay on top of the latest industry news, best practices, or trends. They save time for your readers by doing the legwork of content curation.

Tip: provide context and your take on the content to add value. Make sure the roundups are comprehensive and on time.

Example: Diggity Marketing monthly roundup of SEO and digital marketing industry news and insights.

Tools: Implement an RSS feed or use online services like Feedly or Flipboard to keep current with the latest types of content in your field. A dedicated newsletter platform can maintain consistency in delivery.

11. Evergreen Content

Create the most comprehensive resource on a topic in your industry. These types of content can take time to produce but are a long-term asset, ranking highly for targeted keywords and continually attracting traffic.

Tip: update frequently to keep it current and reflect changes and evolutions in the industry.

Example: The Moz Beginners Guide to SEO, which provides an essential resource for those starting in the field of search engine optimization.

Creating a content strategy that incorporates different types of content is essential for engaging and retaining your audience.

Tools: Utilize keyword research tools to find topics that have high search volume and low competition. Ahrefs or surferSEO are perfect for this purpose.

12. Lists and Comparisons

Comparing your product or service to others in the market can help highlight its unique selling points and demonstrate how it stands out from competitors.

Tip: be honest and use data to back up your claims. Don’t shy away from mentioning areas where your product may not perform as well.

Example: The Motley Fool vs Zacks 2024, by ModestMoney, compares two popular investment research platforms to help readers make an informed decision.

Tools: Use review platforms like G2 or Capterra to find data on competing products and analyze their features. Visual comparison tools like Canva or Venngage can help create eye-catching comparisons.

13: Repurposed Content

Slides in a slide deck can often be expanded into standalone blog posts or articles. This repurposing is economical and can extend the life of the content.

Tip: ensure the standalone article provides enough context and value to make sense without the rest of the deck.

Example: Marketing presentations that are also used as the basis for white papers, articles, or webinars.

Tools: Utilize CMS systems that can easily incorporate visual content like WordPress or Squarespace. Keep a visual identity consistent across all platforms for a professional look.

Final Words

Creating a content strategy that incorporates different types of content is essential for engaging and retaining your audience.

Use the tips, examples, and tools provided in this guide to create a well-rounded content plan that will keep your audience coming back for more.

Remember to continually analyze and adapt your strategy based on metrics and feedback from your audience to ensure its effectiveness.

Use our Content Audit Success: A Step-by-Step Guide [Videos] to get started.

With dedication and creativity, you can create evergreen content that will stand the test of time and keep your brand at the forefront of your industry.

How to Build a Successful Blog: 10 Key Factors

Building a successful blog and making money with it takes more than just publishing content and waiting for visitors to come.

You need to have a plan and work through it in order to drive traffic, build your brand, and keep your readers coming back for more.

Luckily, there are ten key factors you can focus on that will help you create a successful blog.

Research a Niche

When researching a niche for your blog, it’s important to make sure you are creating content that people will actually be interested in.

Take the time to do research into topics and trends related to the niche you are considering.

Focus on things like who is going to read your blog, what problems they might have that could be solved, or even what other people in your niche are doing wrong that you can do better.

Practical Advice You can use Google to find topic ideas. Just type a broad term you’re interested in and check through the suggestions the search engine provides. For example, via the Autosuggest:

Or in the People Also Ask section:

Or related searches

Pick a Domain Name

This is one of the most important steps for website creation.

When it comes to choosing a domain name, you want something that is memorable and easy to type.

You also want it to reflect what your blog is about without being too long or complicated.

Practical Advice. There are a few things you need to consider. Your domain name should be:

- Easy to remember
- Short, with your keywords included
- Without numbers or hyphens
- Brandable

Once you have some ideas, check if the domain name you want is available via a domain registrar like GoDaddy.

Now, since most of the .com domains are taken, you can also opt for other popular domain extensions such as .net, .io, or .blog. You can even choose among new ones like these:

Get Web Hosting

Once you have chosen the perfect domain name, it’s time to select a web hosting provider.

You want one that is reliable, secure, and offers good customer support.

When it comes to web hosting, look for a provider with good customer reviews and one that offers the features you need.

The amount of storage and bandwidth will depend on the size and traffic of your blog. It’s also important to check if they offer automatic backups, security features, staging environments, and other useful tools.

Practical Advice. Based on my experience, you want to focus on the server response time and uptime statistics.

You can find this information on the web hosting provider’s website or ask their customer support team before signing up. I recommend WP Engine since its uptime is 99.99% and then they have the highest percentage of sites loading under 200ms:

In fact, checking my Google Search Console data, I found that my site’s average response time is under 160!

Install WordPress

After choosing a web hosting provider, the next step is to install WordPress. This content management system (CMS) will allow you to manage a blog and promote content easily. You don’t need any coding skills and it only takes a few minutes to set up.

Do you know that according to W3Techs, 43.1% of all websites on the internet are built on WordPress?

No wonder why it is so popular and user-friendly.

Practical Advice. You can install WordPress in a few easy steps:

Log in to your web hosting account and go to the control panel.
Find the one-click installer (such as Softaculous or Installatron) and select “WordPress” from the list of applications available.
Click on “Install Now”
Follow the instructions to complete the setup.
When it’s done, you can log in to your new blog with your username and password.

Choose a Theme

WordPress comes with hundreds of different themes that you can customize and use for your blog.

After logging into WordPress, go to Appearance; Themes and select one from the list.

When deciding on a theme, consider the type of blog you are creating and select one that matches the design you have in mind.

Practical Advice. There are many free templates available but I recommend using a premium theme. Moreover, if you opt to be unique, there are many sites to hire web designers. The top ones are Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and Flexiple.

Add Important Plugins

WordPress plugins are like small pieces of software that can add extra features and functionality to your site.

They are essential for creating a successful blog, as they will help you do things like optimize your content for search engines, create contact forms, integrate social media, and much more.

Practical Advice. I suggest starting with popular and reliable plugins such as:

Yoast SEO (to optimize your blog for search engines)
Akismet (to fight spam comments)
Broken Link Checker (to avoid any broken links)
WP Super Cache (to make your pages load faster)
Jetpack (for added security and performance )

You can find these plugins in the WordPress repository or look for third-party options. Be sure to read reviews before installing any plugin.

Do Keyword Research

Successful blogging requires you to target specific keywords that will help you get more traffic from search engines.

For this, you can use keyword research tools to find relevant terms that have high search volumes and low competition.

These are the so-called long-tail keywords. And there are still plenty of opportunities.

In fact, did you know that based on Ahref’s research, almost 95% of their U.S. database is made of terms with 10 searches or less?

Practical Advice. During this phase, you can use tools like Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer or Ubersuggest. You can also take advantage of Google search to get ideas for long-tail keywords. But my favorite one is Keyword Surfer. Once you download and install the Chrome extension here, you can use it to find keyword ideas and even the monthly volume!

Write Your First Post

Now it’s time to create your first blog post.

Choose a topic that is relevant to the ones you want to focus on and make sure it adds value to your readers. Keep in mind that good content is informative, entertaining, and useful.

You should target a target keyword when writing your new articles and include it in your title, headings, slug, and meta description.

Try to cover the topic in-depth, as long-form content has been proven to be among the most successful ones.

In fact, according to Backlinko research, the first page on Google search results contains more than 1400 words, on average.

Practical Advice. Writing a blog post starts with selecting a good title. This should be catchy and it should include the keyword you are targeting.

It’s also important to keep in mind that titles should not be longer than 70 characters (including spaces).

Once you have chosen an interesting title, start writing your post, and don’t forget to include visuals like images, infographics, and videos. These will make your content more entertaining and will help you keep visitors engaged!

Set Up an Editorial Calendar

To stay organized and create content consistently, you must set up an editorial calendar.

This will help you plan ahead and manage the topics you will cover in the future.

It’s also a great way to keep track of the marketing strategy for each post and measure your blog’s performance over time.

Source

Practical Advice. You can use tools like Trello or Asana to create an editorial calendar. Or you can use a simple spreadsheet, with columns for the title of your post, its keywords, the date it should be published, and even notes related to each topic. This way, you will always have a clear view of what needs to be done!

Monetize Your Blog

Once you have a steady amount of visitors, it’s time to start thinking about monetizing your blog.

With the right strategies, you can start earning money from your content. But first, you’ll want to get familiar with the different ways you can monetize your blog.

Practical Advice. Choose among these monetization options:

Advertising
Affiliate Marketing
Sponsored Posts
Digital Products
Donations

Advertising

Advertising is perhaps the easiest way to monetize your blog. You can use Google AdSense to display ads on your site and get paid for each click they generate.

Here’s an example of how AdSense looks on a blog post.

Other alternatives include Media.net and AdThrive.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing consists of promoting products or services from other companies in exchange for a commission.

You can register on affiliate programs like Amazon Associates, CJ Affiliate, or ShareASale, and promote them on your blog.

Here’s an example:

In this post, the author reviews Elite Trader Funding, writing about the pros and cons.

Digital Products

Selling digital products is another way to monetize your blog. You can create ebooks, courses, templates, or any type of product you think your audience will find useful.

You can use services like Gumroad, Selz, or SendOwl to set up your store and start selling.

You can also join platforms like Teachable, Udemy, or Skillshare to offer courses and other products.

Donations

Finally, if you have been able to build a strong and engaged community of readers, you can ask for donations.

There are tons of donation apps you can use or services like Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee to create donation buttons and let people support your work.

The key is to provide value with each post and be transparent about how you will use the money.

Bonus Tips

Be patient: Building a successful blog takes time. You won’t see results overnight so keep working hard and stay motivated!
Connect with other bloggers: Join groups on social media platforms like Quora or Reddit and connect with other bloggers. This will help you establish relationships and find new opportunities to grow your blog.
Be consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to blogging. Keep producing content regularly to stay in your readers’ minds and increase their engagement.
Learn from others: Pay attention to what other successful bloggers are doing and apply what you learn to your blog.
Analyze your analytics: Use Google Analytics or other tools to track your website’s performance and understand what works and what doesn’t. This will help you adjust your strategy and make better decisions in the future.

Final Words

Building a successful blog requires dedication, time, and effort.

Remember that it’s about providing valuable content that is useful to your readers.

You should also focus on SEO and the basics of blogging to make sure you create content with high-quality standards.

Finally, you will be able to monetize your blog and start earning money. Leverage different options like advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or digital products.

How to Create a Blogging Schedule You Can Stick with to Succeed

Does creating a blogging schedule make you feel stressed? Many entrepreneurs don’t like to have set appointments.

It takes away their freedom of time. But having a set schedule for your blog will help it succeed.

I know I’ve not liked being under the pressure to write every day until it became a habit. Once that habit is formed it becomes much easier.

According to 2021 research, it can take from 59 to 70 days to form a habit.

To Become a Better Writer, Write!

Ryan Biddulph taught me that years ago, write, and write 1,000 words every day to become better at it!

Of course, I broke that up into 300 words a day then went to 500, and finally to 1,000 words per day. It took time and patience.

But it got easier as the days and months went on.

If you are new to blogging or even if you are an experienced blogger you need to create a blogging schedule that you can stick with: a blogging schedule that won’t make you feel all stressed out.

Otherwise, you will never begin the process of blogging and it’s a common rookie blogging mistake.

There were over 570 million blogs on the internet in 2021. As of 2023, that number is over 600 million! This number is based on activities reported by:

WordPress
Tumblr
Blogger
Wix
Squarespace
Medium

And this number is constantly growing. In the United States alone there are 40 million blogs.

So, you see, having a schedule to blog, will set you apart from the millions and help you track your blog to success.

Not all bloggers have a schedule as you may have noticed.

So, you see, having a schedule to blog, will set you apart from the millions and help you track your blog to success.

Yes, that’s right. A simple calendar, one that you can write on or refer to on your mobile device.

Having this calendar is more of a psychological game.

This calendar will help you to complete tasks by writing them down and having them on a calendar.

It’s like setting a goal. For example, if you set a goal to write 2x per month you want to be sure to have the time to meet that goal.

Tasks for Your Blog Schedule

Now, there are also many tasks that are needed to complete a blog post. For example:

Research your topic
Define your audience
Research for keywords
Create graphics
Begin the writing
Create a video
Edit the blog post
Hit the publish button
Use a tool to automate social promotion
Send out an email
Engage with others in your niche

How Much Time Does It Take Do a Blog Post?

The average blog post today takes over 4 hours. Now, everyone is different so your blog posts may take 2 hours or 6 hours or more.

But figure in at least that to complete a blog post. If that’s a lot of time in your schedule, spend 1-2 hours per day on a post.

Breaking things up into little pieces really helps you to complete a project. Otherwise, you may never even start it!

So go back to the list above with the 9 tasks and figure how long each task will take.

You may not do a video in each blog post so you can eliminate that from some of your postings.

The average blog post today takes over 4 hours. Now, everyone is different so your blog posts may take 2 hours or 6 hours or more.Click To Tweet

Keep Your Schedule Doable

Now, you don’t want to commit to writing a blog post every day or every week, especially in the beginning.

So, keep it doable for yourself. Plan out a blog post once or twice a month.

Whatever you do, be sure to stay consistent. Consistency is one of the keys to blogging.

Look over your life schedule, other commitments, jobs, family, health, etc., and find the best amount of time you can commit to blogging.

Pick the Best Time for YOU to Write

Some people can write in the early morning and others late at night. Find your sweet spot!

However, this doesn’t matter except to you. Choose your best time to be creative and think clearly to write concisely.

Not only the time to blog consistently but the place to write your blog posts is important.

Now, find the place that suits you best for your writing. However, you may need a quiet spot or a place away from others in your home.

Increase Your Blogging Schedule

Now, after you start blogging effortlessly for a while, increase your schedule a notch.

Go from one blog post per month to 2 or from 2 to 4 blog posts per month.

Don’t let yourself get too comfortable for a while. Otherwise, there will be no growth and no gain.

Most bloggers today post weekly. But according to Orbit Media, those that post more often do get better results.

According to their study:

High-frequency bloggers are getting better results. In fact, more than any response to any question in the survey, daily bloggers are the most likely to report “strong results”.
Conversely, inconsistent bloggers are the least likely to report “strong results”.

Most bloggers today post weekly. But according to Orbit Media, those that post more often do get better results.Click To Tweet

Add Contributor Posts to Your Schedule

After you have your blog up and running, it’s time to consider adding contributor posts to your blog schedule.

This will both help you achieve more blog posts on your website and free up time for you improve other areas of your blogging business, such as:

Boosting website speed
Security
Relationship building
More effective monetization

And when you add other reputable bloggers as contributors, it will bring in more and new readers.

Now, beware that you must edit your contributor posts. Not all contributors will include internal links and images the way you like them.

So be sure to save yourself some time for this process too.

But in the end, it’s a win-win situation for you and the other person contributing to your blog.

Become a Contributor Elsewhere

Now that you have others writing for your site, it’s time for you to write on other blogs.

This may help generate backlinks and will increase your own audience. Without it, you are blogging alone on an empty internet.

Teamwork will help you grow faster.

However, do pick blogging sites that are in your niche and have reputable readers and consistent traffic.

You don’t want to waste your time writing for just for any site that comes along. Choose wisely!

Finally, Consider Adding Sponsored Posts to Your Blogging Schedule

Once your blog is generating traffic and is up and running well, you may want to add some sponsored posts to your blog schedule.

This will help offset your time with some money for your time. Only consider those types of posts in your niche.

You don’t want to ruin what you have built up with unrelated content.

However, once you start earning money from your blog posts you will become excited to write more.

And the more you write, the more success you will have. It’s a vicious but nice circle to be in!

However, once you start earning money from your blog posts you will become excited to write more.Click To Tweet

[Editor note: If you mark posts as sponsored, links in them should be nofollowed.]

Why You Are Not Doing By Hitting the Publish Button

They say you should spend 20% of your time writing a blog post and 80% of the time promoting it! Imagine that?

You worked so hard to write the post but now you have to spend more time promoting it!

You have to get the word out about your blog post to your readers and hopefully new readers.

How to Promote Your Content

Serious bloggers have many methods for bringing visitors to their sites. They may start with building their own list to send out email newsletters.

And then they will be creating videos and scheduling social media posts.

They take time to engage, share and post using forums, niche social networks, and other blogging groups online like:

With that kind of time in mind, really consider the promotion factor when you set your writing blog schedule.

For example, if your blog posts take 4 hours to write, then your promotion schedule may take up to 7.5 hours!

Research shows we should spend 20% of our time writing a blog post and 80% of our time promoting it!Click To Tweet

Can You Take a Break from Your Blogging Schedule?

Yes, you can take a break from your blogging schedule. Like anything else, it’s good to get away as it will help you get more focused and energized.

Therefore, by taking breaks you avoid the infamous blogging burnout. You could update and schedule existing content to go out again.

Or for a longer break, enlist a blogging collaborator you trust to temporarily publish on your site.

So many bloggers don’t make it past their first year due to burnout and lack of making money for their time.

Your Turn

Lastly, how are you managing your blogging schedule? Do you have any schedule or a rigid schedule?

I’d love to know more in the comment section below.

Already a great blogger? You may want to read Content Audit Success: A Step-by-Step Guide [Videos]

Updated 8/10/23 to add a new video

How the Employee Retention Credit Can Help Your Business

Employee retention credit (ERC) can be very beneficial to employers. ERC is a refundable federal tax credit that is designed to encourage employers to keep employees on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is additionally not considered a loan that needs repayment.

Employee Retention Credit Criteria

ERC is currently available for the 2020 and 2021 tax years. The 2020 ERC is 50% of the wages paid up to $10,000 per employee for the period between March 12, 2020 and December 31, 2020 with the amount capped at $5,000 per employee.

The 2021 ERC is 70% of the wages paid up to $10,000 per employee per quarter for three quarters of 2021 with the amount limited between $21,000 and $28,000 per employee.

Only a company that opened after February 16, 2020 with less than $1,000,000 in revenue can file for the fourth quarter of 2021 as a recovery startup business.

If your business suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic and you are considered a recovery startup business, you could receive between $26,000 and $33,000 of tax credit per employee.

The ERC is designed to help businesses recover from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, make up lost revenue, and keep employees while continuing business operations.

Although the ERC program officially ended in 2021, you can still receive funds. Not all businesses qualify for ERC, but several of the ones that do don’t realize it.

How Your Business Can Qualify

Your business can qualify for ERC if you experienced a decrease in revenue due to COVID-19, such as a significant decline in gross receipts during 2020 or general decline in gross receipts during 2021.

Your business can also qualify if you are operating as an organization in the U.S. (regardless of size). This includes nonprofits, colleges, universities, real estate, industrial, construction, retail, and hospitality.

Another way your business can be considered is if you experienced a full or partial suspension from government authorities that limited business hours, or:

- Suspended operations either partially or completely
- Shut down your supply chain or vendors
- Stopped the delivery of important goods or materials
- Reduced offered services
- Limited the workforce in a way that led to the suspension of operations
- Closed specific divisions or departments
- Stopped visitations to client job sites
- Reduced operations via social distancing
- Slowed work that could not be completed from home.

If government orders limited travel and group meetings, resulting in reduced operations and a “more than nominal impact” on business operations (defined as an impact of 10% or more per quarter), you may qualify for ERC in that quarter.

For any quarter you had a full or partial suspension that lasted for at least two weeks due to government interference, you may still have a chance to qualify for ERC in that quarter.

To be considered a recovery startup business in the third or fourth quarter of 2021, your business should have opened on or after February 16, 2020.

Additionally, your annual gross receipts should not exceed $1 million for the 2020 and 2021 tax years.

You must have more than one W2 employee as well (not including owner-operators or family members).

It is very important to remember that getting ERC requires qualifying wages.

This means the wages taken into account include cash payments and a part of employer provided health care costs.

Businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans may still be eligible for ERC.

Credit amounts are calculated based on whether an employer had more or less than 100 or 500 average full-time employees in 2019.

If an employer had less than the target number, credit will be based on wages paid to all employees whether they worked or not during the calendar quarter.

If the employer had more than the target number, credit will be contingent on wages paid to employees who did not work during the calendar quarter.

In 2023, many businesses are claiming ERC by amending their tax filings as it takes between four to ten months on average for the IRS to process ERC claims and mail checks.

In Conclusion

Don’t worry if you already received PPP loans during the pandemic as there is still time to find out if your business is eligible for employee retention credit.

A Look at Commercial Real Estate Trends

No investment market is easy to understand, but real estate can be uniquely volatile.

It is then important to develop a strong understanding of the market before investment.

This can be challenging, especially following all the drastic changes that were seen post-COVID.

The first change worth discussing is the rise of remote work. Let’s dive in to understanding more about commercial real estate trends below.

How the Pandemic Shifted Commercial Real Estate Trends

Remote work, while certainly utilized before COVID, was not even close to as popular as it is today.

While some investors and analysts theorized people would return to office spaces entirely, this has not held true.

In San Francisco, for example, office vacancies have gone up nearly 10% from pre-pandemic to now.

Changes like these have started to drastically change the value of properties across America.

All in all, employees are spending 25-35% less time in the office now than before the pandemic.

This has made the home office an increasingly more popular concept while physical buildings are left vacant.

In some areas, landlords have even started to convert what was previously office space into residential space.

Unique solutions have to be made in the market, but regardless these commercial office spaces are diminishing.

What Sectors of Real Estate are Improving

Looking at what is in demand, three forms of real estate show themselves. Data centers, industrial real estate, and housing are all in consistent demand today.

Industrial and residential space is needed to keep up with the growing population.

Residential spaces can be made quite effectively but industrial spaces tend to take up more land than is desirable.

Data centers on the other hand are representative of the power technology has today.

There is more data being stored on the internet every day. And it needs to be held somewhere.

It seems this will be a trend that will continue for a long time.

Of course, data storage can be made more efficient, but not to the extent of not needing more storage.

To get into the real estate market as a whole – a lot of market uncertainty occurring currently, with a down-slope seemingly occurring.

Yet the U.S real estate market is generally considered quite safe with good returns.

America consistently outperforms other regions at 10.4% per year, for example.

Rising Interest Rates

Yet, again, things are trending downwards. Interest rates, for example, are rising to correct the market.

It seems that cheap investments and money within real estate is becoming harder and harder to come by.

Real estate loans are also crashing down upon investors and owners. In the next four years over $450 billion in loans are coming to term.

The real estate market is worth over $21 trillion, but billions in loans is still a massive amount.

Naturally, there is a lot of variance from industry to industry.

Earlier it was mentioned that residential real estate was popular, but more specifically multifamily rentals are popular.

It isn’t nearly as realistic as it used to be for a family to buy their own home. Many, in response, have turned to rentals.

Building apartment complexes that can fit entire families, then, is a lucrative option.

Single family rentals are also popular, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

New York is a region that is seeing particularly volatile shifts.

While some real estate is being bought out, luxury brands like Gucci for example are using a lot of retail space.

New York more than any other region is seeing issues with their office spaces.

Commercial property prices as a whole have dropped 13% from the 2022 peak. This rate is even higher with a potential to climb for office spaces.

Unsurprisingly this is due in very large part to the post-pandemic high of a 47% office vacancy rate.

There has been a rebound, but some question if this will hold. It seems remote work has changed work in New York forever.

It’s changes like these, alongside other select issues, that could drop New York commercial commercial real estate up to 16%.

Conclusion

Real estate today is in a weird place. The pandemic created conditions that were never before seen, and the effects remain today.

Old reliable commercial real estate spaces have become far less reliable as others have boomed.

The need for housing and industrial space is undeniable, while the desire for data centers has similarly boomed.

Real estate has been a tricky investment for a long time. There’s a lot of room for gains and growth as the market changes.

Today though, with awareness, one can at least start to look at the right places.

Source: ChessRealtors.com

Nine Essential Lessons for Business Owners from Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett, CEO of the massive conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, is widely known as the “Oracle of Omaha” for his ability to seemingly predict the future of the stock market and publicly traded companies.

However, in addition to knowing how to invest wisely and choose winning investments, Buffett also has lots of wisdom for business owners as well.

Buffett as Business Owner

Of course, Buffett made his billions investing in the stock market, but as CEO of a massive conglomerate, he also has what it takes to run a successful business — many times over.

Through Berkshire Hathaway, he owns many well-known businesses, including Geico, DQ, Heinz, See’s Candy, and more.

In fact, Buffett and Berkshire own more than 65 companies spread across virtually every sector, spanning:

- Financial services
- Consumer businesses
- Energy
- Healthcare
- Technology

Types of Companies Buffett Invests In

Nearly half of the portfolio consists of financial services companies.

But with hundreds of billions of dollars invested, that still leaves lots of room for other types of companies.

Part of Buffett’s selection process includes an assessment of company management.

In fact, he’s been known to invest in companies because of how much he respects the management.

One notable example is a furniture store in Omaha that was run by “Mrs. B.”

Buffett bought a majority interest in Nebraska Furniture Mart decades ago for $60 million in a handshake deal.

In fact, he stated in one of Berkshire’s annual letters a few years ago that he would “rather wrestle grizzlies than compete with Mrs. B.,” a nice tribute to one of the best business owners he ever knew.

The Best Buffett Quotes for Business Owners

Given the importance Buffett places on management, it would do business owners well to listen to his advice.

Here are some of his best quotes on business management for new and would-be entrepreneurs.

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

First, let’s start with advice for anyone who’s thinking about starting a business.

On one hand, anyone can look back and see the long-lasting effect someone’s vision had that inspired them to plant a tree.

However, successful business owners can also look forward at the big picture they hope to see in the future.

What significant impact do you want your business to have in the future? And what will it take to get there?

“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”

This quote is also for anyone thinking about starting a business. Anyone can have an idea, and many people have great ideas.

However, not everyone knows enough to develop their own good ideas. It’s risky to take on a project or business in an area you know nothing about.

Thus, those who are thinking about starting a business would do well to focus on what they know.

In some cases, business owners might need to do their homework to decide whether an idea is worth developing into a business.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

Many business owners are so excited and passionate about what they do that they get carried away, and people start wondering whether they’re splitting their focus too much.

This quote suggests the importance of focusing on a few things rather than indulging every wild idea that comes to mind.

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”

This quote takes more of an explanation that most of the others on this list. Essentially, Buffett is saying that things might look great up to a certain point.

As a result, some business owners may be tempted to take on too much debt with the expectation that a wave will come rolling in, flooding them with profits.

However, if the tide goes out instead of a wave coming in, the business — and its owner — will be totally exposed, and that’s just not a good thing.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Successful business owners spend years building up a reputation for themselves, but a single comment or action can ruin everything in the blink of an eye.

Thus, entrepreneurs would do well to weigh every decision they make every step of the way.

In today’s digital world, nothing is ever truly deleted, so something you did 10+ years ago may come back to haunt you after you’ve started a successful business.

As a result, it’s always advisable to think before you act.

“Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.”

This bit of advice is for entrepreneurs whose businesses are in every stage. If you’re preparing to start a business, it’s always a good idea to think about the long term.

Many businesses enjoy a boom period in the beginning because they cater to a brief period of hype.

However, when it comes to running the marathon of business ownership, they fail because they were thinking in the short term rather than the long term.

The best businesses stand the test of time because they were built to last.

On the other hand, the worst businesses may sprout up for a short time but then fade away when whatever hyped-up situation they were profiting on disappears.

“Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.”

This quote is a natural progression of the last one, and it also addresses businesses at all stages.

If you’re starting a business, you’ll want to think carefully about what you’re offering.

Premium brands that don’t deliver something special simply won’t last.

They may enjoy success briefly due to hype around their brand name, but they won’t stand the test of time.

“If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is. Your life is a disaster.”

“Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.”

These last two quotes go together. Buffett often speaks about self-improvement, but part of that process is your character and reputation.

Even the most successful entrepreneur might want to do some soul-searching if either of these quotes causes them concern.

Learning from Warren Buffett

Given that Buffett is one of the world’s most successful investors, it’s no surprise that people come from around the world to attend Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meetings in Omaha, Nebraska.

Of course, investors have been learning from him for many years, but as you can see, there’s plenty for entrepreneurs to learn as well.

Cloud Monitoring: Are You Secure?

The complexity of the modern age serves as a double-edged sword and, as complexity grows, both the benefits and challenges of technology steepen.

Modern innovations such as cloud infrastructure enable people to do even more, but it also raises the minimum skill required to utilize this technology.

This is why it’s paramount for innovations to focus on not only efficacy, but also efficiency and usability.

In recent times, everything is being virtualized and connected to the cloud. 94% of enterprises already utilize the cloud and that number is likely to go up as more and more utility is built into it.

But how accessible are cloud processes?

Presently, the cloud operations market is led by Amazon with “Amazon Web Services” with an estimated 34% market share.

The second and third largest providers are Microsoft’s “Azure” and Google’s “Google Cloud” comprising 22% and 9.5% of market share respectively.

While the first mover advantage is prevalent for providers, the widespread usage of cloud services has been documented as well.

There is 1 exabyte, or over 1 billion gigabytes, of data already in the cloud.

Alternatively, this amount of data would require around 50,000 trees with the traditional pen-and-paper method of storing data.

For aggregate quantities of data, like the amount used commercially, the cloud provides more cost- and time-efficient methods of both storing and retrieving data.

The issue is when growing complexity intermingles with growing accessibility.

A Deeper Look at Your Cloud Operations

Around 4 in every 5 organizations report poor visibility in their cloud operations.

This happens for a variety of reasons ranging from ineffective tools to data being overly spread out.

Most notably, cloud tools are meant for development and security rather than troubleshooting and the plethora of services used provide a single metric each.

Consequently, it’s hard to gather the data relating to a problem and it’s even harder to actually identify a problem.

The measurable downsides include 330% increase in related incidents and 74% of companies reverting to physical alternatives to cloud operations.

Other smaller effects include more frequent outages, poorer application performance, and various delays in troubleshooting.

Network operators, or NetOps, often struggle to combat the inefficacy provided by most cloud operations.

But solutions have begun to arise and cloud monitoring services have become the most popular amongst them.

Introducing Cloud Monitoring Services

The implementation of cloud monitoring services shows a reduced security risk, lower mean time to resolution, and increased perceived business value.

Cloud monitoring helps to mitigate issues of poor visibility by consolidating the previously scattered metrics.

By centralizing this data, not only does it eliminate the need to accumulate data, but it also expedites the problem-assessment process.

As a result, the mean time to resolution (MTTR) mentioned above is reduced by a noticeable margin.

Conversely, cloud monitoring goes beyond mere function and aids with perception.

A business that implements cloud monitoring is more easily comprehensible, which makes a business appear more valuable.

While this seems more speculative, this notion is almost universally agreed upon across physical, virtual, and hybrid environments.

Finally, a more efficient and effective system means there is less room for error and more resources to allocate to security.

As discussed, cloud monitoring can save both time and effort by compiling data and making analysis easier.

However, with the improved cloud monitoring tools, your company is less susceptible to security risks and data breaches.

The improved tools enable real-time troubleshooting, allowing NetOps to solve problems before program and update deployment.

By reviewing and fixing programs before deployment, you significantly reduce the chance of security breaches and other issues.

In Conclusion

Ultimately, the modern age of technology is about optimization and increasing efficacy.

Just like the cloud can be a major improvement on pen-and-paper, cloud monitoring services are currently an improvement on the cloud.

You can vastly improve the experience for network operators, which, in turn, improves the health and longevity of the applications.

Cloud monitoring services go even beyond the traditional benefits and all integration of third-party services for even greater ease of use.

With the ever-evolving nature of both the cloud and cloud monitoring services, businesses without one are sure to be behind the curve.

Those who are able to get ahead with technology can get ahead of their competition.

Source: Live Action