The Ubiquitous Secretary

Google+ Improved my Blog's Google Ranking!

2013-02-25T00:44:00.001-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannysullivan

Surfing through the community board on Pinterest from which I belong to, I found this interesting article about how Google+ would be critical to the success of blogs in 2013. Larry Deane in his article "Why Google+ Will Be Critical to Your Blog's Success in 2013", shares that becoming active in Google+ would significantly affect your blog's ranking in Search Engine Results Page or SERP, which as bloggers is one of our important goals, if not the most important, of reaching as many viewers as possible. Deane explains:

"Google also has full access to Google+. Google+ can store information about social media activity directly into their core data engine and can use that data to understand what's being talked about, what's being +1ed by people and then factor that data into the search results. They can also see what you share, what you like, and use that data to customize the search results you see so they are more in line with your needs.

Google+ is a social media platform, but more importantly a data feed into Google's search and ranking engine. Google's ability to factor Google+ data into it's SERPs is the key concept you need to pay attention to."

Deane also suggests becoming active in Google Communities where sharing content with Google Plusers with the same interest as you do would amp up your Google rank as well.

So I tried experimenting with my biggest earning blog which is Crochet Philippines and began joining Google+ crochet communities. It even reminded me that I made a Google+ page for my blog about a year ago which I've neglected to update!

And over the weekend, I got this nice message from the Crochet Lounge Google+ Community:

Not really sure how Sara searched and found my blog because I tried and my blog didn't come out in the page 1 of the SERP but at least she gave me an idea that being active in Google+ is really effective in improving your Google ranking. But I did find my blog by using its top keywords and this was the result:

The top ranking in this search used to be sulit.com.ph and I finally overtook them! As you can see, my blog's Facebook page is also up there.

So go ahead and open your Google+ account now! Don't forget to add me up in your circles :)

My Crochet Blog Now Ranks 5th in Google!

2012-09-20T12:33:00.003-07:00

Was about to shut down my laptop and get an early snoozefest (yup, nowadays 3:00 am is early for me) when I thought of checking my crochet blog in Google and here is what surprised me:

I guess having a Google Plus page helps a lot :) even though it's not as popular as Facebook pages. Well, not yet anyways. But what's important especially to bloggers like me is that coveted place in the Google searches where you are highly visible to searchers.

So make sure you share your blog posts to your Google Plus page, if you aren't doing so already.

By the way, you may want to start earning online either through blogging or becoming a virtual assistant or both (like I do!). Check out my mentor Jomar Hilario's website and find out how by clicking here. Becoming his student was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

Work From Home, More Quality Time

2012-08-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

Working while taking care of my huggable, kissable nephew :)

Quitting from my 7-year job as Executive Secretary, I found more time to pursue my passions and thankfully, get more virtual work from oDesk.

In a month, I was able to finish two e-books, launched them into a self-made site and get new clients from oDesk. The pay may not yet be as great as my office-based job but the rewards of freedom, peace and sense of fulfillment are far more gratifying than any amount of money. Plus there's that cutie pie you can watch while you work :)

Start your own career as a virtual assistant or---as some prefer to be called nowadays---virtual contractor! Check out the easy-to-follow tutorials of my internet mentor Jomar Hilario by clicking here.

How I Almost Lost P25,000 On The Internet

2012-05-14T02:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anonymous9000

For over 2 years now, I've been a webinar junkie. Starting an online career as a virtual assistant, it was my constant concern to improve my skills and get as much updated information from online content that's why I'm always on the look out for free webinars.

So far the best ones I've been following are from Jomar Hilario (I've been one of his students since 2009) and Brendon Burchard of Experts Academy and best-selling author of The Millionaire Messenger. These guys have changed my life dramatically with Jomar teaching me to have an online career and Brendon inspiring me to be a motivator and author.

Every now and then I get some e-mails inviting me to check out a video on internet marketing and recently I've been following the webinars of Robert Allen after I bought his book The One Minute Millionaire. One of his frequent webinar hosts is Bob Gatchel who teaches multiple ways to earn from the internet that's why whenever he's on, I make sure I attend.

Anyway, last Thursday on my first day of vacation leave, I woke up early to catch Bob's latest webinar training on "10 Ways to Make $10,000.00 online". It was an exhilarating audio training where you'll learn unique ways to make money online from eBay, blogging, PLR products, etc. Got some ideas and was already choosing some of the tips there that I would be using but what got me really interested was the offer of Bob to a limited number of people to be coached one-on-one by his team of professional internet marketers for 30-days to guarantee that you could earn right away from any of the 10 ways he presented. Saying that there was an interview to go through before being considered for the program, I immediately hooked on by magicjack and called the number Bob gave. A nice gentleman got my call and started the interview by getting my name and what's my job and a little later on he started asking about my financial status. Was a little embarrassed at first but if this is what I needed to answer to qualify for the program then what the hell. I admitted that I had some credit card debt that I wanted so much to get rid of and he reassured me that it was really why they offered the program, to help people get out of debt as fast as possible. He said that I was a fitting candidate especially that they don't have a market yet in the Philippines and I could be their first success story here.

Encouraged by his words, little by little I became more open about my finances and a few moments later he was calculating my credit card debt, thinking that he was doing this to estimate how many months I should expect to pay all of my credit card debt after enrolling in the program. To my surprise, he was actually computing how much credit card balance I had left so I could pay the program. He said that since they believe in my dedication as a solo parent and they would really want to help me get out of debt right away, they would shoulder most of the $1,995.00 program fee and only ask me to pay a "measly" $600.00. Furthermore, soon as they swipe my card they could immediately start me on the program by helping me open my own eBay store. So if I was really serious in improving my finances and give a secure future to my son then I could start giving him my credit card details.

And I did. Because I was dead serious in getting out of debt and securing my son's future but not by getting into more debt! As he was calling his assistant to run my credit card, I was already in a lot of stress especially when I got my phone calculator and saw that $600 was roughly P25,000! God must have heard my desperate prayers because when the guy went back he said that his assistant had already gone home but he would call me back the following day to verify the transaction. Yes, I still didn't try and cancel the transaction because of "hiya" or misplaced embarrassment.

But as soon as the call was finished, I called up my credit card company and asked them to send me a new one as I have misplaced the card and to cancel all immediately incoming transactions. Okay, I didn't chicken out all the way because the following day when I got the call from the guy, I told him that I had changed my mind about the program and I don't believe that getting into more credit card debt would improve my finances. He still tried to persuade me by saying that they were really "committed" to helping me out of debt and that if I changed my mind I could call him anytime.

Today, a Google + friend of mine posted a video about get-rich-quick internet scams and the phone conversation there pretty much resembles the one I had with the online marketer. After watching this, I began researching on the web about Robert G. Allen and I found this video clip from an Australian news network:

Whew! Without divine intervention I would have really ended up in more trouble. Next time, I'd practice a little more due diligence! That's the lesson here folks, DUE DILIGENCE!

Desk Lunching A Growing Health Risk

2012-05-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcogomes/

With the dawn of multitasking, came the epidemic of desk lunching which according to this article on Forbes.com has been on the rise and should be cause for alarm with the health risk it entails.

According to the article:

The desk lunch does have an incredible allure to it of being within close proximity to your workload and without all of the time consuming extras of going out (i.e. waiting for a table, waiting to take a group order, waiting for the check) that the group lunch of old can't boast. Continuing to stay seated throughout the day may not only prove to be a health risk, but at the same time it may be your only option.

To break the pattern of the desk lunch, Forbes suggests some tips here.

Informative Blog on Internet Marketing

2012-04-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital

Was browsing Pinterest and found this very informative website on internet marketing: jeffbulas.com

Jeff offers tons of free social media and internet marketing advice and resources ready to read and implement. A few of his helpful articles are listed below, go check them out:

How to Make Money on Content Marketing

"There’s been a lot of buzz this year around content marketing but no one is really talking about how to directly make money from a campaign.

If you want to generate revenue, it’s important to understand how information spreads on the internet. StumbleUpon and BuzzFeed recently teamed up to figure this out."

Your Social Media Success Toolkit: 10 Must-Have Resources

"Like love, it takes time, passion, consistency and effort. That said, there are some standout tools that will allow you to get the most out of social media—while simplifying your life!

In our quest to provide the very best service to our clients, our agency has spent countless hours trying and testing every conceivable social media tool and technology. There are the good, the bad, the ugly and, well, the downright heinous! Here are 10 of the most effective (and cost-effective) tools and resources we’ve discovered:"

4 Signs You're Blogging for the Wrong Reasons

"Good, regular blogging is one of the best things you can do to help your business grow – businesses that write on their blog regularly receive 55% more website visitors and have 437% more indexed pages in Google than business that do not. But even inside the realm of business blogging, there are still important mistakes to avoid, or pitfalls that can prevent you from fully seeing that success."

Check out more of Jeff's articles here.

Google Offering Free Online Storage Starting at 5GB!

2012-04-25T00:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/manfrys

Seems like Google is jumping in the bandwagon with the popularity of free cloud storage storming the web like those of Dropbox and Sugarsync. Google launched today Google Drive, offering free 5GB storage and paid storage of up to 1 TB.

According to Google's official blog:

Today, we’re introducing Google Drive—a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. Whether you’re working with a friend on a joint research project, planning a wedding with your fiancé or tracking a budget with roommates, you can do it in Drive. You can upload and access all of your files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond.

At the moment, Google Drive is still not available locally and when you go to the site, you'll be able to sign up but Google will notify you later when you can start using the storage.

Google's Doodle Today: An Interactive Zipper!

2012-04-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Google celebrates today the 132nd birthday of Gideon Sundback, developer of the zipper, with a cool, interactive doodle.

As reported by The Guardian:

Google's latest doodle, a giant zipper running down the centre of the search engine's homepage, marks the birthday of Gideon Sundback, the Swedish-American electrical engineer most commonly associated with the development of the fastening device that revolutionised the clothing industry.

More of the story here.

Increase Your Blog's Earning Power with Google Affiliate Ads

2012-04-23T07:16:00.001-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks

Got great news from Blogger Buzz: Google has launched their Google Affiliate Ads program so you can now earn from being an affiliate aside from Google Adsense!

According to Blogger Buzz:

When you post about a brand or product from a featured advertiser, the Google Affiliate Ads for Blogged widget will help you to display an affiliate ad in your blog, which can be a text link, a product image, or a banner. You may earn commissions when someone clicks on your ads and makes a purchase on the advertiser’s site, going beyond “payment per click” to “payment per action” and extending the influential relationship you have with your audience.

As of now this service is only available for U.S. residents but soon Google will offer it internationally when more of their advertisers sign up for the program.

To enable Google Affiliate Ads in your blog, click here.

Free Brainbench Tests!

2012-03-08T23:33:00.001-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/indieflickr

One of the effective ways to attract employers and increase your hireability (if there's such a word) as a virtual assistant is to have certifications on your online resume.

Brainbench.com is one of the most-recognized online assessment company in the industry and being certified by them will make your resume quite attractive to potential employers, especially if you have minimal experience in the virtual assistant field or if you're only starting a career and have no ratings yet (some employers prefer higher-rated contractors).

Known for its innovative, yet easy-to-use online assessment solutionsBrainbench is the only assessment company with a rich offering across personality, knowledge, skills, abilities, and past work behavior. Other companies offer strengths in one or two of these areas, but only Brainbench offers world class tools in each category.

Create your free account now and avail of their free tests while they still are. Most of the important assessment tests here are paid so better grab this opportunity so you can be certified free-of-charge.

Kuwait couple gets death for Filipina murder - Yahoo!

2012-02-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikekline

Kuwait couple gets death for Filipina murder - Yahoo!: "Kuwait couple gets death for Filipina murder"

'via Blog this'

Another of our countrymen victimized as an overseas domestic helper, quite sad. That was the point I was trying to make on my blog post on virtual workers, that Filipinos need not be out of the country to earn dollars. We have got to get out the word out there that there are jobs in the country and they could even work from home via oDesk!

It's the Year of Virtual Workers!

2012-02-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joconnell

Just read Chadwick Hagan's article on The Huffington Post telling that 2012 is the year of independent workers:

The internet has opened up markets that were originally unavailable and now independent contractors can simply join an online marketplace and upload their details. They can be ready to go in a matter of hours. Online marketplaces like oDesk, Guru and eLance offer employers the ability to hire employees for a wide range of projects -- from specialized engineering to hourly employment. Managers have the ability to review work before ending the contract and can see screen shots of the employees computer. Employers can easily post job notices on these sites and have qualified contractors submit their information.

Read the article: Why 2012 is the Year of the Independent Worker

I'm inclined to believe that because at the start of 2012, my oDesk employers went from 1 to 3 and that's only in January. And just this week, my new employer gave me a bonus barely 2 weeks after she confirmed my contract under her.

Here's some of the tweets, I got from fellow VAs and oDesk too!

oDesk @odesk

Congrats Millicent! RT Bonus already from my new @odesk boss?! The Lord just keeps on proving that we can never outgive Him :)

Benjamin Hall @bendhall

@millimarti @odesk Congrats Millicent!

Lunniey Nescense @lunniey

Hi @millimarti I work in @odesk too! nice to hear that ^^ God bless u!

Becoming a virtual assistant only last 2011, under the mentorship of Philippine Internet guru Jomar Hilario, made me realize that I could work from home by offering the same skills I use at my day job to online employers. No additional skills needed, just the same honest and consistent service one can give when you're working at an office setting. Don't let the technology discourage you either because it's as easy as surfing the internet which I'm pretty sure you know how (otherwise, how did you get to read my blog?).

Read the article: How to Open an oDesk account

Having an online career has given me a new perspective in life, especially in improving my earning capacity as a solo parent. I can earn extra dollars while being with my son and without having to be an overseas contract worker like so many Filipinos believe they have to become in order to provide better for their families. I hope and pray that more Filipinos, especially parents, would explore this new industry so that they wouldn't have to sacrifice the very important things in their lives just for a couple of dollars.

How to use AlertPay

2011-08-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for an alternative to PayPal for your online payment processor needs, try using AlertPay.

Here's a simple step-by-step instruction on how you can use AlertPay in your sites:

How to Use AlertPay as a Seller

View more presentations from Millicent Reyes

Funny Google Trick

2011-08-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Just noticed this when I was changing my search page's default language:

Funny!

How to Open an Account in Odesk

2011-06-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034360592@N01

After honing your skills and deciding which virtual career you would take, the next step is to open an account in a reputable and dependable freelancing website.
As a neophyte virtual assistant, I have only so far used oDesk in starting my career online and I find it to be user-friendly. Well, not at the beginning when I had to set up my resume and portfolio but it only shows that this site means business and would only tolerate serious contractors. But it was oDesk's helpful tests and guides that landed me my first job on my 3rd application, considering that it was mentioned in oDesk's blog that the first gig is usually sealed after an average of 45 applications!

oDesk is described as:

"... a company with a global job marketplace and a series of tools targeted at businesses that intend to hire and manage remote workers. Based in Menlo Park, CA, oDesk was founded by Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis. The name is a short version of "no desk" in reference to the company's intent to enable anyone to work anywhere, anytime."

I'd advise you to open an account in oDesk even if you have no idea yet how to use it so that you can already access the site as you study their instructions. Here's a simple presentation on how to open an account in oDesk:

How to open an account in oDesk

View more presentations from Millicent Reyes

CARPE DIEM!

Got interviewed as a Virtual Assitant!

2011-05-27T01:45:00.000-07:00

With excitement for being hired as a VA in such a short a time, I wrote a lengthy letter of thanks to my Internet Marketing mentor, Jomar Hilario.

Jomar responded right away and invited me to be interviewed via live streaming for those interested to become VAs! Check out the recorded version of the streaming below:

Yup, am 8 days into my job as a Virtual Personal Assistant and Social Media Expert! And I got the gig on my 3rd application! Really grateful to Jomar for all the fab lessons he taught me.

If you want to earn in US Dollars and twice what you're getting on your day job while working from home, click here: http://www.jomarhilario.com/p/how-to-be-virtual-assistant-work-from.html

CARPE DIEM!

Becoming a Virtual Assistant: The First Step is The Hardest!

2011-05-18T01:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83046634@N00

I have heard about "Working from Home" from my mentor Jomar Hilario, the Philippines' Internet Guru and got interested so I enrolled in his workshop "How to be a Virtual Assistant" sometime in April 2010.

After so many excuses and with a drastic change in my financial status, I finally decided to pursue becoming a VA, in the meantime as a part-timer, and build a career from there. I hope to be a full-timer later so that I could spend more time with my son, being a single mom and all.

There are so many sites where you can learn on how to start a career in VA but the lesson of Jomar was so concise, I had no trouble applying what I learned even though I didn't do the homework at the end of the lesson (forgive me, Jomar!) but I am doing all of it: the application and the homework (this blog is one of the homeworks) simultaneously so I could already begin looking for a job right away! I'm a chronic multi-tasker, you know ;)

So the first step which is the most difficult is to DECIDE! Yup, DECIDE that you want to dedicate some of your free time to this job --- less Facebook time, no more Plants vs. Zombies, no more late night-outs, etc.--- or all your work time if you want to do this as your day job (or night if your employer is on a different time-zone). DECIDE that you can earn from home and spend more time with your loved ones! And DECIDE that in the near future, you will be your own boss!

In my next post, I will tell you about my application to Odesk, the best marketplace for online work!

CARPE DIEM!