Whether you're an in-house SEO or in an agency, it can be difficult to manage your time appropriately when doing SEO. Deliverables and client demands add up. This talk focuses on reducing the stress of a truly wonderful job through the development of SEO time management skills.
4. The 5 Step Process to Good SEO Time
Management
1. Identify your time sucks
2. Identify your regular deliverables
3. Regulate your time
4. Bake in time for ad/hoc work
5. Reduce distractions
5. Step 1: Identify Time Sucks
Tools That Help
• RescueTime tracks everything
• Toggl tracks tasks
6. Step 1: Identify Time Sucks
Findings
• We’re marketers, we have to
communicate
• But WE control our calendars
(mostly)
7. Step 1: Identify Time Sucks
Findings
• Slack, social media, and email
are the (necessary) enemy!
8. Step 2: Identify Regular Deliverables
• Don’t just identify, count!
• How many recurring deliverables
do you have?
• How much time do you have to
complete them?
9. Step 2: Identify Regular Deliverables
• Do not focus on the amount, focus
on how to get it done
• Note: this process does not work
for new or recent hires
10. Step 3: Regulate Your Time
• Block off time on your calendar for
each deliverable
• Remember to overestimate!
• Bake in buffer time
• Leave time for meetings
11. Step 3: Regulate Your Time
• Take lunch breaks away from your
desk
• Take vacation
12. Step 4: Bake in Time for Ad/Hoc Work
• Don’t overschedule your
calendar
• Leave at least an hour a day
open
13. Step 4: Bake in Time for Ad/Hoc Work
• If possible, don’t schedule any
meetings on a certain day of
the week
14. Step 5: Reduce Distractions
• Mute unnecessary Slack
channels
• Respond to email only at
certain times of the day
15. Step 5: Reduce Distractions
• Use StayFocusd, Moment, and
others to block social media
sites
• Put your cell phone somewhere
you can’t see it
16. Practice!
• This will not come easily at first
• Ultimately, do what works for
you
• Treat other people’s time with
respect
