Recently, I went to a talk by Google about best online practice for journalists. At work I use Google adwords and trends as an aid to writing web content, but it was interesting to find out just how many tools Google has and is developing all the time. A good site for journalists or those keen to learn more is Google for Media.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing about this is because my question for the Google team was on Search Engine Optimisation, specifically, did they have any tips. And, of course, they said they couldn’t say. They did, however, suggest that I check out the blog of Matt Cutts, Head of Webspam at Google.
As well as SEO, Matt writes about his 30 day challenges, where he gives himself 30 days to try something new. He’s climbed Kilimanjaro, run his first marathon, learned to play the ukulele and done simple things like cutting out social media or taking a photograph every day. He says it’s a good way to try out the things you’ve always wanted to do and just enough time to discover a new skill.
Well, I know Lent has just finished, but I got quite inspired by his talk for TED (website on ideas worth sharing). How many of us have a list of new things we want to try or just stop doing for a while? We were talking at work recently about giving things up, so from tomorrow I have decided – dun dun duhhh – to give up sugar. Why? Because, it probably doesn’t do much for me and because I just ate a load of chocolate for Easter. I’m interested to see if I need it less after this.
On the face of it, I think I eat pretty healthily and don’t actually have that much sugar. But then I started thinking about it and realised that in fact giving up sugar is probably going to be really hard. For a start, I normally eat jam on toast for breakfast, then there’s sugar in my favourite Bottlegreen cordial, which I drink all the time, I eat regular amounts of chocolate and usually deal with that 3pm slump with something sweet (not difficult at Seven with the Sainsbury’s food teams churning out plenty of cakes).
So, it’s going to be tough. It may seem a bit like cheating, but I am going to allow myself honey; nothing else mind. It starts tomorrow, so as I discover ways of cooking around it, I’ll put them up on here.
Here’s hoping I survive…
Anna-Marie Julyan 