"I does what I does"
So there I am... sitting at my desk 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I optimize websites, tweak Pay Per Click accounts, monitor conversion tracking data, design websites, create graphic design solutions, and develop email advertisements. I write and respond to emails, introduce and follow up with all-sorts of projects, speak with vendors, and discuss the pros and cons of search marketing to interested potential clients. I maintain two websites, a blog, and a directory. I read SEO and marketing related newsletters, books, magazines, and participate in a variety of different forums, and Blogs. And most recently, I've been tuning into several different SEM related radio shows via podcasts from WebmasterRadio.fm. Does this sound at all familiar?
It should be no surprise to anybody who knows me personally that I am very involved in this industry and with my position at All Web Promotion. To me... search engine marketing is not just a pay check, rather a passion. It has become a big part of me and who I am... obviously getting paid for it is a major plus.
The only problem that I have with this industry, and it's a major one, is that I find it very hard to just "turn it off" sort of speak. I have often found myself sitting at home after work or on the weekends pondering some of the SEO challenges that await my return to the office and I will often spend hours researching creative ways to improve and beef up my website. It's also not a rare occurrence for me to wake up during the night and think about the contents of my "inbox", and its impossible for me to surf the net without stopping for a moment to view a source code file or to appreciate a website's CSS and JavaScript attributes.
So with that, how does one simply "turn off" something that he or she puts so much time, effort, and thought into on a daily basis. Let me tell you that its not easy and most of the time it's actually impossible to do so... at least for me anyway. I mean there is no magical switch to flip or button to push that will clear your heard of search engine marketing. Is there?
On the other hand, I do feel that that there are things in life that can certainly help suppress the mind long enough for a person to manage from day to day. Here are a few things that help me to unwind after work and on the weekends. Maybe these will help you to do so as well.
Good Company
Having friends, family, and a girlfriend who are NOT involved in search marketing and graphic design industries or with computers in general really does help to keep work where it belongs... at the office. Simply put, there's really no reason to talk about the recent Google or Yahoo! developments outside of work as chances are nobody's going to care anyway... or in the case of my family, they're not going to know what Google, Yahoo!, or a search engine is.
Video Games
I know that playing video games may actually seem a bit child-like but I guarantee you that there is nothing that takes your mind off of SEO faster than sinking 10 clips from your M16 into the chest of a zombie-like creature who is destined to consume your soul. I own a PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and a PSP (among other older systems) and play them as often as I can. I am a fan of action-adventure games and my current favorites are Metal Gear Solid 3, God of War, and Hot Shots Golf (PSP). In addition to playing games, I maintain subscriptions to a few different VG magazines which help to defuse my brain during breaks and lunches.
Poker
I have been a student of the poker for quite some time now and enjoy playing the game very much. I know some of you readers out there are saying something along the lines of "Poker is a game of luck" or "it's all in the cards", but trust me when I say that it is a true game of patience and skill. I currently play once a week and enroll into local tournaments whenever they become available.
Camping
Camping is something that is just so relaxing for me that it's almost impossible to think about work. I mean who can resist fishing, sleeping in tents and underneath the stars, and big camp fires that last all night even if you don't. I enjoy camping in the late summer/early fall months just as our Illinois weather is getting ready to switch from "Horribly Humid" to "Comfortable and Cool".
Sports
I am a huge MLB baseball fan and follow the sport very closely. Being from the Chicago-land area, naturally I am a Chicago Cubs fan, which as of late has been really hard to admit to. Even though the cubs aren't as successful as one would hope for their team, its fun to support them year after year. Besides there's nothing better in baseball than catching a game live from Wrigley Field. I have also been really interested in pro football as of late. I've watched more NFL games this year than any other and even though I don't have a proclaimed favorite team... it's still been fun to watch. College basketball isn't all that bad either.
Working in an industry such as search engine marketing and website development definitely takes its toll on me. There is a lot to know and a lot more to learn. Even though I have a huge interest in the industry, I firmly believe that it's important to keep as much work at the office as possible and to keep your nights and weekends SEM-free. Trust me... its for the best!
Just out of curiosity, what kinds of things do you do to help keep the SEM head-swell to a minimum?
It should be no surprise to anybody who knows me personally that I am very involved in this industry and with my position at All Web Promotion. To me... search engine marketing is not just a pay check, rather a passion. It has become a big part of me and who I am... obviously getting paid for it is a major plus.
The only problem that I have with this industry, and it's a major one, is that I find it very hard to just "turn it off" sort of speak. I have often found myself sitting at home after work or on the weekends pondering some of the SEO challenges that await my return to the office and I will often spend hours researching creative ways to improve and beef up my website. It's also not a rare occurrence for me to wake up during the night and think about the contents of my "inbox", and its impossible for me to surf the net without stopping for a moment to view a source code file or to appreciate a website's CSS and JavaScript attributes.
So with that, how does one simply "turn off" something that he or she puts so much time, effort, and thought into on a daily basis. Let me tell you that its not easy and most of the time it's actually impossible to do so... at least for me anyway. I mean there is no magical switch to flip or button to push that will clear your heard of search engine marketing. Is there?
On the other hand, I do feel that that there are things in life that can certainly help suppress the mind long enough for a person to manage from day to day. Here are a few things that help me to unwind after work and on the weekends. Maybe these will help you to do so as well.
Good Company
Having friends, family, and a girlfriend who are NOT involved in search marketing and graphic design industries or with computers in general really does help to keep work where it belongs... at the office. Simply put, there's really no reason to talk about the recent Google or Yahoo! developments outside of work as chances are nobody's going to care anyway... or in the case of my family, they're not going to know what Google, Yahoo!, or a search engine is.
Video Games
I know that playing video games may actually seem a bit child-like but I guarantee you that there is nothing that takes your mind off of SEO faster than sinking 10 clips from your M16 into the chest of a zombie-like creature who is destined to consume your soul. I own a PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and a PSP (among other older systems) and play them as often as I can. I am a fan of action-adventure games and my current favorites are Metal Gear Solid 3, God of War, and Hot Shots Golf (PSP). In addition to playing games, I maintain subscriptions to a few different VG magazines which help to defuse my brain during breaks and lunches.
Poker
I have been a student of the poker for quite some time now and enjoy playing the game very much. I know some of you readers out there are saying something along the lines of "Poker is a game of luck" or "it's all in the cards", but trust me when I say that it is a true game of patience and skill. I currently play once a week and enroll into local tournaments whenever they become available.
Camping
Camping is something that is just so relaxing for me that it's almost impossible to think about work. I mean who can resist fishing, sleeping in tents and underneath the stars, and big camp fires that last all night even if you don't. I enjoy camping in the late summer/early fall months just as our Illinois weather is getting ready to switch from "Horribly Humid" to "Comfortable and Cool".
Sports
I am a huge MLB baseball fan and follow the sport very closely. Being from the Chicago-land area, naturally I am a Chicago Cubs fan, which as of late has been really hard to admit to. Even though the cubs aren't as successful as one would hope for their team, its fun to support them year after year. Besides there's nothing better in baseball than catching a game live from Wrigley Field. I have also been really interested in pro football as of late. I've watched more NFL games this year than any other and even though I don't have a proclaimed favorite team... it's still been fun to watch. College basketball isn't all that bad either.
Working in an industry such as search engine marketing and website development definitely takes its toll on me. There is a lot to know and a lot more to learn. Even though I have a huge interest in the industry, I firmly believe that it's important to keep as much work at the office as possible and to keep your nights and weekends SEM-free. Trust me... its for the best!
Just out of curiosity, what kinds of things do you do to help keep the SEM head-swell to a minimum?
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posted by Karl Ribas Friday, February 03, 2006 Read Comments (9) | Post a Comment | Subscribe  
 
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9 Comments:
Hey Karl...I agree! Trying not to think SEO 24-7 is difficult. Maybe we need and SEOA (SEO Anonymous Group) I too enjoy games as a break. My PSP is just the right size to carry around, or steal a few seconds from work. Manipulating sites for top rankings is hard enough, manipulating a sims character to wig out is much. much easier. Keep up the good work!
Bonnie
By
Bonnie, at February 03, 2006 1:09 PM
Even though I've only been in this industry for a short time, I'm starting to get those restless nights, except for me, it's right before I go to bed! So I end up tossing and turning till I get the image of an H tag or P tag out of my head.
I too enjoy video games, and I just purchased a red Nintendo DS, mostly because I love the way you can play original Nintendo games on it. But you can also play Gameboy advance games. So I can't wait for Mortal Kombat!
Generally though, my big hobby and passion has always been music. That is why you can pretty much always find me with iPod buds stuck in my ears, me thumping some tunes in the car or going to some concert or watching some concert DVD at home (which you can find me on the new U2 live from Chicago DVD). I also recommend the new Duran Duran DVD live from London, very choice... and I'm not kidding.
By
Jessica, at February 03, 2006 2:22 PM
I have 5 kids. Nothing takes your mind off SEO like running after 5 kids. Of course, making the kids works just as well if not better!
By
Michael, at February 03, 2006 9:06 PM
I know what you mean. I'm currently in my last semester of college and let me tell you, sleep is hard to come by. I usually try to get to bed by midnight or 1 but I end up tossing and turning for another hour or two before finally passing out. I also endulge myself into videogames as often as possible - it's a great stress reliever!
As for that magical button to "turn-off" all that work related thinking, here's the command
Tools>Options>Clear Cookies Now (firefox)
Keep up the good work bro!
By
Drew, at February 05, 2006 4:07 PM
Great article - I love it when people are real! :) I totally understand your point though - being in the website design tends to have the exact same effect on me. If I'm not coding, then I'm reading articles/books trying to learn from great CSS experts like Eric Meyer, or browsing the internet looking for new CSS techniques.
Even though it can be hard to "turn off" - you have to admit - it's thrilling!!!
By
Kelly Wilson, at February 06, 2006 9:51 AM
SEX.
By
Ray, at February 06, 2006 11:19 AM
I hear ya! I often begin work as early as 2:00 or 3:00 am after being wakened by a crying baby or snoring dog. I can't stop thinking about work, so I go to work.
Fortunately, I love sitting at my desk, and my dress code in my home office only requires pajamas at a minimum, it's easy to sneak down to work so and get a full 12+ hour work day in.
I do have plenty of things to escape to for clearing my head of search engine marketing, accounting, linux, php, etc.. The first and most frequent is my custom Google News page that I turn on before even opening my email program. A 6-speaker surround sound system wrapped around my desk ensures a steady supply of excellent tunes with no sticky-iny things in my ears. When not in the office, I like to fish for smallmouth, work in my little wood shop and garden. When the weather warms up a bit, it can be a struggle not thinking about those warm-weather activities.
But hey...if you start work at 3:00am, 8 hours later means you've still got 6-9 hours of fishing daylight!!
Fish on!
By
Peter Roebuck, at February 06, 2006 1:56 PM
It seems to be that video games are a popular remedy for curing our SEM (and college) head-aches, while some prefer family and fishing.
Jessica... I'm sorry to say that the Nintendo DS is very lame. Invest in a PSP dude. Music, however, is definitely a good suggestion. I have a Dell DJ (I'm anti-IPOD) and I do find myself jamming out here and there... mostly in the car and at the office.
Oh and lets not forget about Ray's choice for relieving SEO stress... "SEX". It's not a bad theory, but maybe someone should test it out first and get back to us. :) Any volunteers?
By
Karl Ribas, at February 08, 2006 2:02 PM
...since I'm still wearing just pajamas and my wife works only 10 feet away from me, I'll see what I can do about that stress test for you Karl. :)
By
Peter Roebuck, at February 08, 2006 2:06 PM
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