Our life is but a greater and longer childhood
Benjamin Franklin.
Remember when 24 hours felt like a year and 7.00pm bedtimes seemed like a curse rather than a rare luxury we all crave now. For many of us, childhood is a distant memory that we only just realise as adults that we didn’t take full advantage of at the time.
The great news is, there is a way to resurface your inner child and learn from what they naturally do as well as than learning from those with masses of industry experience.
If you think of day to day life, we only really unleash our immature side when around children; whether this be your own, friends’ or families’. However, a child never matures when around its elders, so can reversing this approach really help an SEO campaign?
It’s time to graze some knees, brush the dust off the Wendy-house and start acting your shoe size!
Arts and Crafts Time!
Creativity is a huge part of being a child. Whether this is deciding what pencil to use in a brand new colouring book, or placing stickers on irrelevant pages in a magazine ; nothing really matters.
Unleashing your creativity can not only do wonders to your mental health but can also unleash ideas normally outside of your comfort zone. As adults we come to terms with the fact that things must be a certain way, look a certain way and be structured a certain way. Children don’t, and this means that they get praise for just doing what they know; not what conforms.
Next time you look at your website, a client’s website, or even a blog, see it through a child’s eyes and make the changes you want. This will not only go in favours of your readers, but may greatly improve your chances of attracting new attention as well as working in your favour regarding your search engine listings.
Procrastination: A Power Ranger’s Enemy
The biggest worry an under 5 faces is whether peas will be on their plate at dinner time. Worrying about whether or not you should put the key phrase in the first line or second seems pretty irrelevant in a child’s view, and in all honesty, it is.
For SEO, there are things you need to know how to do, but there is no point pondering for hours over them. Sometimes the best thing is to give it a shot and if it works, keep doing it and if not, try a different tactic.
Sitting at your desk tearing your hair not only reduces the time that could be spent on a different part of a campaign, but also only makes you more confused and stressed in the long run, and when have you ever seen a stressed 4 year old?
Listen to your elders?
Mum always knows best; even in adulthood. So as a youngster, eating your carrots did make you see in the dark, the tooth fairy was real and pulling faces when the wind changed would make you stay that way.
Now, although many of our mothers may not know the first thing about SEO, using this principle within a campaign is crucial. Listening to the experts is vital in ensuring you stay on track in an ever changing industry and keep ahead of competition.
Whether or not you take that advice is up to you, but always keep in the back of your mind that boy who didn’t eat his greens.
Make Friends, Shake Friends, Never Ever Break Friends:
Still in touch with your best pal at nursery? No, me neither, so the sub heading doesn’t completely ring true. But the point is that at the time, he or she was your BFF and despite them not being that now, you would have jumped through hoops to keep them at your side.
In the world of SEO it can be too easy to see everyone as fierce competition but the truth is that by making contacts and building relationships, it can actually be hugely beneficially to getting you where you want to be; what other reason are businesses signing up to social media sites left, right and centre for?
By having people to turn to, you can therefore ensure you are kept up to date with latest techniques and features of SEO worthy sites. Not knowing anyone in the know how, not only gives you twice the work to do, but also means you are always in a battle with those who may possibly be able to help.
Throw a Tantrum Every Now and Then
Letting off steam is a sure fire way to blow the cobwebs away and there is no shame in throwing your rattle out the pram if the reason is valid. The problem is if it happens too often, just like a child, you’ll be sent to the naughty step.
In the world of SEO, sometimes failing really just isn’t fair; especially when you know others aren’t working as hard as you, or cheating to get themselves to the top. Problem is, pointing this out makes you a snitch (which no-one likes, regardless of your age), but keeping quiet just builds up more frustration.
Be sure to take the time out and have a full blown tantrum every now and then, and you’ll feel better afterwards and should be able to see a way forward in more rational and logical mindset.
So, whether you’re either 18-25, 26 -35, 36 – blah, blah, blah, don’t forget to tune into that inner voice that doesn’t judge you for liking Jenga and missing being tucked in; it may just make a little sense.
cc licensed flickr photo shared by Dаvid
