How do you set up your database for IM?

I am always looking to improve on productivity and time management, so I have worked out a nice system on paper over the past few months. This system is just how every new site made or every new seo client gained gets put into a database either on paper or on file or both. The problem is that as I get more and more work, this gets bigger and bigger! right now it is barely manageable but I'll go over it's structure.

Lets use a new client as an example:

When I get a new client for seo the first thing I do is get whatever info they have to give me and put it into a normal word type document so I may format it. Usually they provide me with an email and social accounts to use, all of them go into the DB in writing format, maybe with headers and whatnot but nothing too fancy! I try to keep a template file for things like signup info and proxy info, etc etc. Once you have a nice sheet with the info you need to sign up to websites and get backlinks, it can be easily used even if you are doing everything manually.

Next I set up a file folder structure under my main work folder like this:
main seo folder > new clients site name > all folders
the "all folders" being
> client info
> clients website info
> research
> links
> finished folder

Then of course more sorting through file types and sub folders of the sub folders. As you can see the system gets complex and takes some time to set up each time I do another website. I also make heavy use of excel files that hold info like the links to use or the links done, you get the idea.

Believe me this makes for a lot less work in the future if you do a lot of seo or make a lot of websites, but I wish to improve upon it. I encourage others to ask questions about my system and I will be happy to elaborate on anything so as to help people get better organized with their own work, plus it helps me to augment my system by going over things that I may not have thought of.

Oh the beautiful things about forums huh? Surely outweighs all the pissing contest and foolish nonsense right?

Anyway I was hoping that in this thread people would not only find this useful but also add ideas and refinements to it. Maybe share their own systems or practices that make time go easier. I am also looking to find a solution in the form of software that may simplify the process, anyone know of such? I tried a CRM called vtiger but it is poorly developed and I never got it working properly outside of my own test server here in the office.

Hope that helps some people to get better organized! :44:

I was off beat when writing that it seems... I forgot to mention that my own system was finished on paper and put into use. I'm refining it whenever I get the chance, but was curious as to what others think. I await some constructive criticism and opinions from the good people here. :44:

As a diehard Unix user, I try to do things the "Unix way" by having everything neatly organized in directories and (tab delimited) text files. Having stuff in plain text has numerous advantages - small size, instantly portable, not tied to a specific proprietary app, no database engine required, compresses into a miniscule encrypted tarball, can be read and edited with any common text editor etc.

For every new type of "thing" that gets recorded, I make a dummy template structure of directories and skeleton files, which can be copied, renamed and then edited for every new instance of $thing. Keeps everything organized, sane and machine readable if you end up using a script to interact with your data.

As a PHP dev, I have a lot of little custom PHP scripts that run on localhost that read / access / edit my data as required, eg. all of my website data is stored in tab delimited text files, but then I have a local PHP script that reads them all and prints the info in a pretty table in my browser.

Plain text FTW!

(also, don't knock animal sex until you've tried it)

I use teamworkpm.net. It's great for keeping your projects in order and working with other people. You can have pretty much everything online and accessible anywhere with it. Add dropbox, some nice Firefox add-ons and you're fully mobile.

As a todo-list I used toodledo.com. It's great at keeping you focused on what you need to work on next. I was very productive with it.

XML
Each entity, whether a client or a website has its own file with elements and subelements for PR, backlinks, content, revenue, deadlines, and whatever else needs to be tracked.

It is like a file structure but I can open only 1 file and have all the info in the same window, relatively easy to read and manually editable as well.

Also I can add new types of data to newly created files and the old tools still work 100%. And since xml is just text, it's compressible ~1:10.

Works from windows to aix and solaris, and also even on mobile devices.

XMHell? Yuck

Thanks a lot guys! That's what has always bothered me about computers... the options.. oh the options! So many ways to complete or lay out a task!

3 totally different yet equally good ways to do organization, I have a lot to think on now! I'm currently messing with a freeware program called treeline and fitting it to my current system, but I had thought "custom php script" quite a few times, and the idea of using mostly .txt files is a good way to simplify my overly complicated methods!

I'm the only person I know in life that has the level of computer knowledge that I have, so I find it impossible to bounce my ideas off of anyone or even have a "brainstorm" cipher with anyone in my life. That's why I look to forums for such input, you guys are great! I really appreciate the input of you all!

oh and LOL about the animal sex haha!

I really believe organization is the hardest part of any business, I have spent most of today messing with that treeline program and writing all text files into it, this is really shaping up to be something great! I'll share all new info as soon as I have completed the system, in case anyone else needs some sort of organization help or ideas. I hope to keep this thread going for that reason too! :44:

Great thread, thank you guys.

Thanks for the post. Curious to see how some of the veterans are staying organized.

I use Excel for large databases

I use NoteTab Pro for little SEO notes and ideas
for example if I wanted to write a note on a client I could create an Client.otl/txt file and then in its side panel create a data tree.

So it would be JohnDoe.otl, and add Links Done, Info, etc.. in different 'tabs'.



I used to use treepad, but I like working with dozens of text files at the same time, opened that I can TAB through, so I prefer notetab