One of my goals for 2021 is to get CrossingColorado close to where it was before Google torpedoed it. The site isn’t completely sunk, and I plan on rebuilding the blog. It’s part of paying as much attention to myself as I do clients.
After all, my own websites are a reflection of my expertise. And if they’re failing, why would anyone really listen to me?
In reality, I put WAY too much time in client projects and they see the results. So, I never really had to put a lot of effort into my own blogs.
But, that changes in 2021. And all of them but one is on track to have record-breaking years…CrossingColorado.com.
How Am I Going to Rebuild the Blog After So Much Neglect?
So, I have my work cut out for me. CrossingColorado has had a massive decrease in traffic since August of 2018, when Googled rolled out one algorithm change.
Then, in June of 2019, Google finished the site off with the massive Your-Money-Your-Life update. CrossingColorado was lumped in with many other fraudulent websites and penalized.
I’m not sure as to why, especially since everything I share is scientifically based and accurate.
After that, my heart just wasn’t in it and I was too depressed to really work on rebuilding the blog.
Today, though, I have a renewed sense of purpose.
Addressing EAT and YMYL Issues
So, the acronym of EAT stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Then, I have the YMYL issue I mentioned above from Google’s “medic” update.
Since I don’t have a degree in anything fitness-related and am just a man trying to lose weight, how do I address these aspects and still rank better in Google?
By taking myself seriously and establishing CrossingColorado as a viable source of information. It’s why WriterSanctuary and ColoradoPlays are doing so much better overall.
Plus, I don’t know if I have a viable contact and about page on the site. So, these will be probably one of the first things I do when rebuilding the blog.
Another part is demonstrating I know what I’m talking about. And that means meeting my own fitness goals.
Would you rather trust a recipe from Hannibal Lecter or Gordon Ramsay?
Getting Back Into Writing Content
Part of the reason why the site has never recovered is because of my depression. I really didn’t put effort into the content, nor did I bother with updating older pieces.
At one point, I even thought about dropping the site entirely.
Since I have a secondary goal of writing 1 million words in 2021, I’m sure I can get back into writing blog posts. Especially since I am looking forward to hitting my goal weight soon.
Using a Project Notebook
When it comes to clients of all kinds, I use a project notebook to take notes of what needs to be done.
Yes, I have a slight notebook obsession.
Anyway, I often find writing things down to be far more effective than trying to type them on a computer. Besides, it gives me something I can take with me that I can jot notes down on the fly.
You should see the page I have for ColoradoPlays right now.
Weekly Updates
Not everyone is going to care about weekly updates to the website. But, it’s a way of holding myself accountable. As my audience is growing, so is the expectations of me being an expert.
If I can grow a client’s target audience by 500% in a year, I’m sure I can do the same for myself. I only wish I had their traffic, though. We’re talking nearly hitting half a million per month.
Besides, weekly updates will help me stay focused on what I’m doing. And, I can go back to see what I’ve done and what I need to do in the near future.
After all, isn’t that what a blog used to be? A digital web-based log of data?
Why Not Just Let the Blog Die?
As I said, I was debating on just shutting the site down and chalking it up as a failure. But, I’ve decided that it played too much of a role in my life to just abandon it.
CrossingColorado has helped me move from literally killing myself from a lack of activity to where I am today. I guess you can say, it needs me now more than ever.
Plus, it’ll give me a chance to see just how good I really am. It’s definitely going to be a challenge.
So in reality, rebuilding the blog will boost my confidence, demonstrate my expertise, and give me a website that can generate additional income.
Well, at least more than just a few bucks a month.
Never Give Up, Never Surrender!
Lately, I’ve been on this kick to do more. I don’t know if I’m just truly tired of “getting by” or if there is something else going on in my head. But, I kind of like where I’m going and how things are falling into place.
I know that rebuilding the blog can happen, but it’s going to take quite a bit of effort to get back to where it was.
Let the planning phase begin!
You can do it, Michael!
Looking forward to your first weekly update
Yes. Yes, I can. 🙂 Already started working on it, actually.