When I stepped into the blogging world a short month ago, I had little idea of what I’d find in the blogosphere. I wondered if anyone would want to read my thoughts and musings. Thankfully, I’ve discovered many like- minded individuals who are committed to sharing their stories with the hopes of helping others make wiser financial decisions. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find an entire network of people who share the same basic beliefs in regards to finances.
What is This Yakezie Challenge Anyway?
No, it’s not some Japanese crime syndicate, that’s the Yakuza. The Yakezie Network is a network of personal finance and lifestyle bloggers who are committed to helping their readers lead improved financial lives. Their secondary goal is to help improve the quality of material seen on its network member blogs.
As a challenger, I am taking on a six-month program that will ideally allow me to become a member of the network. The main goal of the challenge is to help decrease (or improve) the Alexa ranking to a number below 200,000. The Alexa global ranking assigns a numeric value to websites based on a variety of metrics. As of October 7, my ranking is 265,978 and my goal is to get that under 200,000 by April 2013. There are other required activities such as posting quality content 2-4 times a week as well as selflessly promoting the work of other members of the Network.
I don’t take this challenge lightly as it reflects my commitment to producing high quality work to help others improve their financial lives. I appreciate all the help I’ve received from many of the members to date, especially their sharing my work on Facebook or Twitter.
By the way, here’s my shameless plug to follow me on Twitter or Facebook if you’ve not done so already. I look forward to the following six months with the end goal of becoming a full fledged member of the Yakezie Network.
Good luck with the challenge John! I have no doubts you’ll break 200K in no time, and quality content isn’t a problem either!
Pauline recently posted..France or Guatemala, three real-estate options
Thanks for the kind words Pauline. I am interested to see which of your three options you choose.
Welcome to the challenge!
Michelle recently posted..Spending, Life, Income and Food Updates…
Thanks!
Best of luck John
I might have a serious look into this Yakezie challenge, you are about the 3rd person I have seen join in the last week or so.
Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted..A Super Waste of Money
Thanks Glen. I would recommend it. Everyone I have dealt with through the Challenge is great.
I joined the Yakezie challenge in August and it ended up being a great decision. I got under 200k just over a month. Having the Alexa ranking is a great motivator to put the time and hours into a site.
Welcome to the challenge!
DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted..What are Health Insurance Exchanges and How Do They Work?
I agree DC. I am hoping, honestly, to do it in the same timeframe that you have. I know it will be a challenge, but I am up for it.
Welcome to the Challenge! I just joined this week but am starting at a MUCH higher alexa ranking. How did you get it so low in just one month?
Kay Lynn recently posted..Joining the Yakezie Challenge…Again!
Thanks Kay Lynn. I am actually working on a post that will go over how I did as I’ve had a number of bloggers ask me. A big part of it is just being social and sharing others work as much as I can. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
Yay! Welcome- good for you!!!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..Why People Aren’t Buying Life Insurance
Thanks Holly!
Congrats, John. You’ll probably break 200K by the end of the week!
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..Being a Boss, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Thanks Kim! I doubt it will be that quick.
I would be happy to get to it within the next month.
John, glad to see you decided to join the challenge! I’m sure you won’t be disappointed and will meet your goal of 200k alexa without a problem.
Veronica Hill recently posted..34 Money Tips from Top Personal Finance Bloggers
Yea, it was a pretty easy decision to make once I sat down and read the expectations/goals.
Welcome to the challenge!! The group is really great when times get tough and you start consider quitting. I’m looking forward to a future post indicating you successfully completed the challenge!
MoneySmartGuides recently posted..Increasing Your Odds for Successful Investing
Thanks Jon! I am looking forward to that accountability and having completion as part of the end goal for the next six months.
Good for you John. Your Alexa ranking will drop like an anchor now that you’ve joined this and will have tons of other members visiting.
In case you need a little help, here is a post I did a while back about how I got my Alexa ranking down. I know it has been helpful for a number of people now. Enjoy.
http://www.mymoneydesign.com/passive-income-2/blogging-passive-income-2/how-i-got-my-alexa-ranking-below-200000/
My Money Design recently posted..Do You Flaunt It?
Thanks MMD! I came across your post a week or so ago and it provides some very helpful tips.
Congratulations on joining(or starting the process at least) ! It seems to be a very successful group! All the best to you.
Gillian @ Money After Graduation recently posted..I hate making payments against my debt. So I got rid of the debt.
Thanks Gillian!
Well, there you went and did it! Your life will never be the same.
Welcome to the coolest group of bloggers around.
AverageJoe recently posted..Two Guys and Your Money #13: How Wall Street Became the Capital of Capital
Thanks Joe. There’s no time like the present!
Whoo! I’m just starting myself but you’re way ahead of me(my alexa restarted when I moved to self hosted as well which doesn’t help)! You’re a blogging allstar it would seem!
Catherine recently posted..Taking Over Someone Else’s Finances?
It’ll come back down in no time Catherine. I don’t know that I’d say that I am an all star, just throwing all I can at it. Thanks for the compliment though.
Dude, <300k in one month?!= All star
Catherine recently posted..Taking Over Someone Else’s Finances?
You’ll be under 200k by the end of the month! Congrats on joining the challenge and good luck. I’m sure you’ll do fine as long as you continue to network as you have!
Jason @ WorkSaveLive recently posted..Blog Income and Site Statistics – September 2012
Thanks Jason, that would be awesome!
Welcome to the challenge. Best of luck. I think you will really enjoy it. The people on the network are amazing and really do become great friends.
Miss T @ Prairie Eco-Thrifter recently posted..6 Ways to Improve Your Marketability
Thanks Miss T! I think I am going to enjoy it too.
Good luck buddy! Love the comparison to a Japanese crime syndicate!!
Savvy Scot recently posted..12 Crazy Disney Facts You Never Knew
I am also thinking of joining Yakezie Challenge it will help us to motivate and reach towards our targets. Good Luck
Ravi Ahuja recently posted..How Much Life Insurance Cover Do You Need?
Good Luck John. I’ve found the Yakezie network to be amazingly friendly, helpful, and genuinely interested in helping out the community of bloggers…. very happy I joined.
Jason Clayton | frugal habits recently posted..Should you Consider Converting your IRA to a ROTH IRA
Thanks Jason. I’ve found the same thing to be true. Good luck to you as well!
Congrats on joining! I haven’t joined just yet, I keep putting it off until I have more time to devote to my blog.
Jordann @ My Alternate Life recently posted..How I Paid Off $12,713.50 of Debt in 10 Months
Thanks Jordann! It definitely can be a time consumer, I’ll be the first to admit that.
Welcome! I’m a challenger too — enjoy the ride!
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland recently posted..State of my Debts: October Check in
You as well Kathleen! I am liking it so far.
John, welcome to the Yakezie Challenge. As of today while I’m typing this, your Alexa ranking is 200,136. Absolutely amazing after just a couple of months. Congratulations!
Rich@MoneyWisePastor recently posted..Save Money on Buying Bags of Ice at McDonald’s
Thanks Rich! Not to toot my own horn, but it’s been five weeks.
I will add though, that I definitely could not have done it without the help of all the other great bloggers out there. Thanks for stopping by!