Loading ...
(Note: I wrote this rant after reading Seth Godin’s first “linchpin” session. It’s worth the read. )
The Problem
Let me be honest with you. When I wrote my book, The Care and Feeding of Search Engines, A Simple Guide To SEO, I was hoping that people would read it, apply it to their web sites and become fabulously wealthy. They would be so happy with what I had to say, and they would love my advice so much, that they would pay a lot of money for my next books.
That didn’t happen.
I got a ton of feedback from people that said this is the most amazing book ever, that this is the first time that they understood SEO, that now they are in control of their SEO.
A few told me that they got the book and maybe read most of it, and they intend to get around to applying it real soon now.
Only a couple people actually ever applied the advice to their sites. The ones that did were successful.
NO ONE has told me that they tried anything in the book and it didn’t work.
The advice in the book is true, but not many people have applied it.
I've got the map. You drive.
The Fear
There’s a fear, deep inside the back of your mind, that causes you to hesitate before you do something that might fail. That fear is the obstacle to being successful. It’s the fear of failure.
In spite of that fear, you need to do what you need to do. Do it even if that voice in the back of your mind is telling you that you will fail and that you will be humiliated. Do it even if it hurts. Do it even if that voice is telling you that you are not good enough. Make a rational choice and don’t listen to the voice.
The Key To Success
The key to success is failure.
If you don’t try, you’ll never fail. The more times you try stuff, the more times you’ll fail. The more times you try stuff, the better chance that you’ll succeed. The key to success is failure.
The real message here is that you need to get off your butt and go out there and make it happen.
I don’t want to give advice or write books for people who are too afraid to do something about it. I want to be with a group of people who want to do what it takes to win, do what it takes to make things happen and achieve the goal.
Is that you?
I can give you the map, but you have to drive the car.
It’s time for a road trip.
Everything you say above is true. One thing that holds some of us back from implementing all the things you recommend is a lack of internet knowledge. If at any point in putting your recommendations into action we encounter a question we don’t know how to answer, we’re stumped and give up. I know we should take a chance and press on, but usually we don’t.
Bless your heart, you’re right.
Conrad,
Your post has helped me to wrap words around something that I am currently learning.
Short Version:
“We need to do complex things wrong before we can figure out how to do them right.”
Long Version:
If they were not complex, we would have already done them right. If we don’t get off our duffs and try SOMETHING, we will never figure out what works and what doesn’t. If we are not willing to risk some things not working (and maybe making some people mad, Oh NO!) we will never know how to adjust the plan.
Success is not so much doing complex things right, as it is incrementally improving the way we do the complex things in order to get better and better results!
Nan in TExas
PS I have read your book and have applied some, but not all, of your advice. I started with the easy stuff and am working my way up and convincing myself as I go that it is worth the investment of my time to learn to apply it all!
Love your posts–the ones that I take the time to read. And here’s the deal, bub–I’m in this gig for the enjoyment of the process. I’m retired and really enjoy making these little dresses. Oh, yeah, I don’t mind if I sell a few, but I really would rather be sewing than sitting at a computer. So, maybe my success is doing what I enjoy, when I enjoy it and to hell with making a ton of money. PS, I’m 71 (and not computer illiterate) and retired.
For those who are trying to become rich and famous, they do need to pay attention to your sage advice.