Today, I reflect on a journal entry from January 30, 2018, where I expressed a desire to own four profitable online brands, but recognized that Swim University was my main success. I discuss how I constantly revisit the same goal: improving Swim University by focusing on traffic, conversion rates, and product development. The realization that I’ve been circling around the same insights for years underscores the importance of consistent practice. The core message? The key to success is to simplify and commit to daily content creation, just like consistently moving more and eating less for health.

Answering three questions today, I explore the overlap between Swim University’s info products and e-commerce business, the future of Brew Cabin, and a topic I wish people would ask me about. Discussing Swim University, I explain how SEO drives leads, while email marketing and cross-selling between courses and chemicals generate most sales. Reflecting on Brew Cabin, I share my passion for homebrewing and the potential for future content focused on personal projects. Lastly, I express a desire for more questions about my work process, sharing my enthusiasm for discussing the behind-the-scenes aspects of my projects.

I've been working on the Swim University about page and sought feedback on Twitter. Suggestions led to changes like adjusting text alignment for readability and adding photos of me working on pools. I also switched from Yoast SEO to Rank Math for better features and cost efficiency. Additionally, I migrated to the Gutenberg editor in WordPress, finding its new features beneficial for my workflow. Lastly, I separated our brand assets and press information into distinct pages for better clarity. If you have any questions or feedback, email me at [email protected].

Eric asked about expanding my course offerings and improving lead magnets. I have specific cheat sheets for pools and hot tubs. I'm considering smaller, targeted courses and other lead magnets like quizzes or webinars to boost engagement. I'll test these on Facebook first. Offers must be specific to convert better. For example, a saltwater pool cheat sheet for saltwater pool owners works better than a generic pool cheat sheet. Offering multiple products and specific lead magnets can capture more of my audience and turn more leads into customers. If you have more questions, email me at [email protected].

Today, I'm sharing some thoughts about my business. I'm covering six main points: post-purchase email flows, content syndication, Facebook traffic, micro-products, using fewer but better tools, and sending more emails. I dive into my dilemma between using Podia and Thinkific, why I need post-purchase emails, and how content syndication can increase reach. I explore leveraging Facebook traffic through engagement ads and creating micro-products for specific audiences. I discuss optimizing tools like Rank Math to streamline processes and my strategy for sending more emails without overwhelming my audience. Email me at [email protected] with your thoughts!

I took a break from work to record this episode and share what I've been working on lately. I've been coding and designing for three days straight, focusing on updating my website. I talked about changes I've made, like improving SEO, updating design elements, and streamlining user experience. I also shared my thoughts on using different tools and platforms for my courses and email marketing. If you're curious about my SEO strategies or have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected].

I share my experience using AI tools to dictate and create sales emails for a hot tub chemical. I discuss using Descript to transcribe voice memos and ChatGPT to edit and format the emails, emphasizing the efficiency and effectiveness of this process. The outcome was positive, with successful sales results, and I plan to continue using this method. If you have any questions, email me at [email protected].

I explore creating an SEO maintenance process with Semrush, focusing on fixing broken links, disavowing toxic links, and improving internal linking. I also discuss social media strategies to boost page visibility. I'm dictating a three-part email sales series for our hot tub chemical, Weekly Cleanse. The emails will explain the product, share customer testimonials, and include a last-chance reminder for a BOGO sale. This process aims to create engaging, effective sales emails. Email me at [email protected] with any questions.

I'm working on creating a weekly (or possibly monthly) process for SEO maintenance. This will cover tasks like improving SEO, backlink building, and technical stuff. I use Semrush as my main SEO tool, having switched from Ahrefs because I prefer Semrush's interface and all-in-one functionality.My focus includes fixing broken links, such as affiliate links, internal links, and external links. I use Lasso for affiliate links to check if anything is out of stock. I also plan to disavow any new toxic links that come up via Semrush and whitelist good ones. Addressing audit errors flagged in the weekly Semrush audit, like HTML-to-text ratios or duplicate title tags, is another key task. I'm also exploring backlink outreach by reaching out to companies to get on their resources page, which involves creating a good template and emailing a set number of companies each week. Recovering old links by reaching out to site owners to update outdated links or recreating content for old URLs is also part of the plan. Additionally, I'll be using tools like Link Whisperer to create internal links to orphaned posts.Improving our social media strategy to drive traffic and potentially "goose" pages that need a boost is another area I'm considering. This might involve promoting specific posts via email, ads, or social media. This is the initial process, and I'll refine it over time. If you have any SEO maintenance tasks that work well for you, I'd love to hear about them. Email me at [email protected]. If you share something useful, I might include it in my process and discuss it in a future episode.

I'm diving into the world of SEO, reflecting on the recent drop in traffic at Swim University following the helpful content update. I'll share my thoughts on why this might be happening and my strategies to combat it, including producing more content, updating existing content, and exploring new methods like digital PR and podcast guesting. I'll also discuss the importance of diversification and staying proactive rather than reactive in the face of challenges. Join me as I brainstorm ways to navigate this overcorrection period and come out stronger.

I discuss the importance of an "About" page for your business, inspired by insights from using Crazy Egg's heat maps on Swim University's homepage. I share my discovery of the high interest in the "About Us" section and brainstorm ways to enhance it for better SEO and user engagement. I outline key elements for an effective "About" page, including a compelling mission statement, company history, team information, and the significance of establishing expertise, authority, and trust.

Matt tries something new by diving into a thought-provoking tweet from Justin Welsh. Join Matt as he explores Justin's "Nine Things That Will Kill a One-Person Business," offering his unique take on each point. While Matt doesn't consider himself a solopreneur, his experience running a business with a small team provides valuable insights. From the pitfalls of having a big ego to the importance of networking, Matt shares candid reflections and practical advice for entrepreneurs. Tune in for an engaging discussion on maintaining and growing a successful solo venture.

Here's a list of everything I did wrong when starting the DTC side of my business (physical products). Let's talk about it.

I found 3 old journal entries in 2023 with similar plans. Some ideas are good. But some ideas need to change. Let's talk about it.

Let's talk about how you (and I) are special. And how we can apply that to our businesses.

I went back through the last year of my journal (2023) and found an entry that I needed to hear again. Let's talk about it.

When a visitor or viewer subscribes to my ecosystem, how can I surprise and delight them to build trust and ultimately earn more revenue?

Let's come up with some ideas on how I can make writing and publishing articles easier and faster.

In 2024, a lot of creators are calling it quits. Is it burnout? Are they not making money? Let's talk about it and I'll share how I run my business to avoid these problems.

After my episode about content improvement tactics, I decided to dive in further on how to implement those tactics.

I got an email packed with tips from a Facebook ads expert (after listening to my episode). I go over all the tips in the email and reveal my responses. Let's dive into it.

I brainstormed a few ideas on how I can walk and talk my way to creating content for my business, killing three birds with one stone. Let's talk about it.

My wife and I wrote, designed, and self-published a paperback book and sold it off our Shopify website. Here's how we did it.

I list out all my current favorite tools in 5 categories: productivity, finance, SEO, e-commerce, and marketing. Let's talk about it.

I give an audio tour of my basement video studio including all the exact gear I use. That's it. Let's talk about it.

I outline my entire business model and process in my year of "stillness." Let's talk about it.

Every time I publish an article on my website, this is the checklist I use to make sure I cover everything needed for good SEO. Let's talk about it.

I brainstorm a few ways we can improve our social media content to help with engagement and attention. Let's crank on this pod.

I've struggled with running ads. But I have a plan to make it easier and more affordable. Let's break it down.

I got 5 SEO predictions and 5 ways I'm building backlinks (organically) in 2024. Let's talk about it.

I talk through the KPIs in my business that I want to track each month for 2024 and beyond. Let's discuss.

I brainstormed 8 ways to improve the written content on my website in 2024. Let's talk about it.

Money Lab is back! But there's a new format. It's my sawdust. Let me explain...

I deleted my posts because they don't get traffic. And it consolidates my link juice to the best posts. Let's talk about that.

If I could tell myself in 2004 what I know now in 2023, I would’ve avoided burnout and built a successful, six-figure online business in half time it actually took.2004 The Idea: Look, here’s the plan. You’re gonna buy this domain, but you won’t do jack shit with it. Then you’ll have to re-buy it for a higher price in a few years. So buy the domain and use it ASAP. Build the site using WordPress. Keep the design clean and make sure it loads really fast.2009: The Blackhat SEO Phase: Don’t waste time building shitty backlinks to your shitty articles and don’t use anything called Unique Article Wizard. All you have to do is write the best articles on pool care and publish them consistently.2011: The First YouTube Video: You need to make at least one video a week. Publish consistently. Try different video styles. You don’t need to be near a pool. Don’t give up on YouTube. Every week.2013: The Podcast: Just keep writing articles and making videos. And stop making those infographics. They don’t work in the future. Your podcast won’t be huge, but it’ll be rewarding. Just stay focused on what your business does well.2016: The Software Phase: Software will NEVER be your thing. You’ll attempt to create and sell software over the next few years and fail every time. All of that time would be better spent working on Swim University. And now Roasty and Brew Cabin.2017: The Airport: There was 2017 Matt staring down at his phone on the verge of tears. He must’ve just read the Amazon email saying commissions were getting cut to the bone.2004: The Future: You’re gonna make money selling banner ads and putting affiliate links on your site. But the most lucrative thing you’ll do is create and sell your own products. Stay in your wheelhouse. Write articles, produce videos and design graphics. In 2013, you will create an e-book on how to take care of a hot tub. You won’t know it, but that’ll be the most important moment in your business. Just build your website on WordPress, make it load fast, do some keyword research, and publish articles and videos around them. Then, make a few digital products, like ebooks and video courses. Promote them on every page. Make this your focus and treat affiliate commissions as a bonus. If you do this consistently, you’ll be successful in about 4 years or less.