Search Engine Optimization is complicated and confusing. For starters, Google always seems to be changing their algorithm. Look at the recent chatter on Disavow, for instance. People spend so much time trying to game the system. People continue to say the best way to get noticed is to “write valuable content“. That advice is OK, but it’s really unspecific, and I don’t buy it completely, because the number of webpages that are created grows exponentially each day. You can’t just get noticed by writing “good, valuable content.”
It’s time to stop relying on SEO, and focusing more on other things. When you think about it, the Internet is just another medium to get your message across. Why not combine your Internet skills with traditional business skills? That means networking (online and off), sales, creativity, marketing, hustling, and other business skills that work in the real world.
© David Guo’s Master
I think too many people focus purely on SEO and not enough on other business skills. I admit that for a while I was one of them. I fantasized that all I had to do was build a few backlinks on some small mini site and get traffic from Google and then just sit back and collect the profits. But more and more I’ve finally realized that I’ve been going about it the wrong way. I’ve been looking at it from the wrong angle.
For instance, with this blog, I have spent virtually no effort on traditional SEO. And it gets more traffic than some of my other sites that I worked hard on behind the scenes building backlinks. Why? Because with the Real World Myth, I am committed to a long term strategy. I am trying to write content that will help people, and I am building real relationships with people instead of anonymously trying to build links that Google may or may not like behind the scenes.
I still have a lot of work to do, and perhaps several iterations, but I feel confident that I am moving in the right direction.
Here are some things I am currently working on.
Do work, son!
Networking: This is an invaluable skill that I’ve neglected in the past. Real relationships are the best part of life. There are tons of people who are willing to help you get to where you want to go. And also, it’s a great feeling when you help people as well. I used to view networking as a sleazy tactic, where people “use” other people. That’s a cynical way to view it. But if you genuinely want to meet someone and build a symbiotic relationship where you each help each other, that adds more good to the world. Unfortunately there are some selfish and manipulative people out there, but the majority of people are good and truly want help or are willing to be helped.
Building my Email List: One thing I’ve been putting on the backburner is focusing on my email list. However, having a solid email list is one of the most important assets you can have in an online business. Why? Because people who sign up for your email list willingly take the time to go out of their way to sign up and to listen to what you have to say. And of course they can opt out at any time. That means that if something were to happen to your site, you still have a list of people who are willing to listen to what you have to say. So, in the coming weeks, I will be making some iterations. First, I need to give an incentive for people to sign up. I am currently writing a valuable free report that I will give to people who sign up to my email list. I am also thinking about doing more videos, which I can shoot from my Galaxy S3 (aff).
Guest Posting:In the future I want to do more guest posting. If done right, guest posting is a win-win situation for everyone. You can help the blog owner out with good content, and in turn you might pick up some more traffic and subscribers.
Sales:While I don’t plan on selling any products on my blog any time soon, I want to improve my sales skills. Whether we realize it or not, we sell ourselves every day. If you want to convince your friends to go to a new bar, you are using your sales skills. If you don’t want to do something that your wife wants to do, you are trying to sell her on your viewpoint.
Site Redesign: While my good friend James Kerti did a great job designing my site, I think there are a few changes I could make, such as making the logo and header smaller. I also am going to update my about page and a few other pages.Graphic Design: I want to learn graphic design because I think it would be an interesting skill to have. There are several reasons for this. I know graphics can be outsourced or even picked up on fiverr, but I think it is still a valuable skill I to have. I can use this skill for networking and also maybe I can do freelance work as I travel the world.
Conclusion
Wow, when viewing this list, it seems that I have a lot of work ahead of me. But not really, because learning is fun for me, and I am confident in some of my skills already, I just need to hone them and sharpen them a little bit.
Also, in the big picture, this post is not about me. It is meant to get you, the reader, thinking of what you can focus on or improve upon. What do you think about my SEO opinion? If you are just going with the flow currently, why don’t you sit down for a few minutes and map out your success plan like I did above? What do you need to focus on? What are your short and long term goals? If you don’t feel like taking the time to write them down, at least think about them over the next few days.
Feel free to leave a comment below about what you are working on, or you can also email me your goals and I will look them over and do my best to give you some suggestions. I read a lot of blogs and books, and I’m not an expert, so if I can’t offer you specific advice, I can at least point you in the right direction.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post.