Lose the credit card or at least leave it behind

by Hope

I am finding myself tempted to spend more often now that I have money in the bank. With a comfortable savings account and most bills on auto-draft, my financial life feels safe right now. A very new feeling for me.

And I find myself tempted to spend money without any forethought and without a budget line item. This is especially tempting with my credit card in hand.

But I’ve also found the solution…leave the credit card behind.

I can’t take credit for figuring out that this works for me. I accidentally left my credit card at a restaurant in Atlanta the last time I had to go to the city for work. Instead of going back to get the card I ordered a new one. It took over a week for the new one to get here.

During that time, I had to really think through every purchase. Was it in my budget? Was it budgeted for now? Because every purchase was coming directly out of my cash account.

It was a really good lesson for me. Really, really good.

Long term application

I’m trying to figure out how to apply this lesson for more long term affects.

I’m thinking that when I am home, most of the time, I do not carry my credit card in my wallet or purse. That will make me continue to double think any purchase. I don’t like using my debit card, in general, or accessing my cash account. It just makes me nervous. This will make me plan for purchases or at least think about them a bit longer.

Not to mention, I hate leaving my house most of the time, so having to go home to get a payment method will be a deterrent in and of itself. Can anyone else relate to that?

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.

How to Use SEO to Increase Your Profit

by Semify

Search engine optimization (SEO) has emerged as a powerful strategy for increasing sales, primarily due to the increase in internet users and the number of websites worldwide. About 1.8 billion websites are operating at the same time every day. These statistics imply that businesses can explore SEO to get more customers and increase revenue to get out of any debt. Here’s how to use SEO to increase your profit to get out of debt.

1. Use the Right Keywords

Keywords are fundamental in SEO because they determine when and where your site will appear when individuals conduct searches on search engines. 90% of searchers haven’t decided about a brand they want to acquire goods or services from before starting their search. Therefore, using the right keywords will enable online users and potential customers to find your site easily. A high-ranking website will lead more customers to your business, allowing you to make considerable sales and profits in the process. Since there are other enterprises with an online presence offering the same products as your business, it would be best to include your keywords on headings, image descriptions, page titles, webpages, and main content.

2. Create Quality Content

While keywords are important in helping your business increase profit, they would be useless without good content. Besides harboring keywords, quality content is significant in turning internet users into customers. Good content provides internet users with information regarding their inquiries and can be shared with many people. Since content can be created in many forms, be sure to use blogs, videos, ebooks, how-to guides, product reviews, and other channels to create outstanding content. Constantly update content and include backlinks to your site. Great content will increase traffic to your site and enable you to make sales and increase profits.

3. Integrate Unique Titles, Headings, and Descriptions

Google engines evaluate hypertext markup language, commonly known as HTML, to determine whether or not a page meets specific requirements. That’s because many searchers examine these HTMLs before heading on to sites. Ensure you integrate peculiar titles, headings, and descriptions into your content to attract many people. Unique HTML will make your site stand out and attract more searchers who can be turned into prospects.

4. Customize SEO for Local Markets and Mobile Use

Although often overlooked, customizing SEO content for local markets and mobile use has proven to increase traffic. After conducting searches online, most customers tend to acquire goods and services from nearby businesses. Therefore, your SEO content should target local customers who can easily access your business by using local keywords, terms, and landing pages. In addition, the content should be mobile-friendly because most users use their phones to access the internet. Mobile-friendly sites also have a good ranking on search engines, like Google, than sites that don’t support mobile content. Going local and having a mobile-friendly site will increase your business’s visibility on search engines, allowing you to attract many potential customers and increase sales.

5. Make Good Use of Social Media

Social media is necessary for disseminating SEO content, given the high number of people using social media globally. According to research, more than 40% of the world’s population uses social media with thousands of people joining it every day. That said, you should continuously post SEO content on your social media platforms. In addition, you should utilize advertisement and promotion services provided by social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Actively using social media will enable your business to interact more with internet users and turn them into potential customers. Social media also allows you to interact with past clients, which helps turn them into repeat customers.

Bottom Line

SEO is a significant marketing tool in the modern era hence the need to use it to reach many customers. These five tips can help a business increase its profits and get out of debt. Contact SEO specialists if you need help or have any questions.