Does SEO feel like a waste of time?
Trust me, I get it. You already have a lot on your plate—you’re running a business. It’s more than a full-time job. You’re blogging—at least, you’re trying to—and you’re not getting any results.
You publish this week’s masterpiece and…
…crickets.
That used to be me.
I used to experience this kind of rise-and-bust cycle myself. It was constant. I was following the advice of all kinds of writers and marketers and I wasn’t seeing any results.
They said to publish daily, so I published daily.
They said to hunt long-tail keywords, so I found long-tail keywords.
They said to make sure to hit that keyword density on Yoast, so I edited my posts, shoehorning my keyword into titles and paragraphs even where it only marginally made sense, in search of that green light.
Maybe this used to work, but I can assure you it doesn’t work anymore.
Then I invested in a proven content system.
I learned all the secrets SEOs and content marketers use to help push their content to the top of Google.
Specifically, I got trained by one of the world’s most respected SEO experts, Brian Dean, who runs Backlinko.
And the best part? Most of what I learned isn’t complicated.
You can learn most of it.
And I learned how to become a marketer.
Here’s the thing:
Marketing changes people. And marketing works.
Since marketing works, we have a responsibility to approach marketing from a heart-centered perspective. We have to be very intentional about who we wish to change and which change we wish to make.
I learned this from Seth Godin in his Marketing Seminar. (Which I highly recommend you go through, even if you’re not interested in becoming a marketer.)
I decided I have a responsibility.
Ranking my website on the first page of Google means that somebody else isn’t on the first page. This kind of influence over what content people find can go horribly wrong.
If I can single-handedly, over the span of a couple of months, rank a website for a business that is not actively promoting the kind of world I wish to create, and thousands of people do business with them as a result—am I responsible for the damage?
Or did I help a company give more people well-paying jobs and help the local economy?
Ethics are complicated. I’m not perfect at them.
I only want to work with companies that do good.
I resolved to only work with brands and businesses that are committed to making the world a better place. I want to improve the visibility of the healers and helpers of the world.
People who donate to charities that are doing good work around the globe. Businesses that operate on 1:1 models, or companies that source their product ethically and sustainably, who charge more for a premium product because they pay their workers fairly.
I’m interested in working with healers and coaches who help people overcome obstacles and get happy and healthy, travel companies that offer enabling scholarships for people who might otherwise not be able to afford to travel, and all kinds of creatives, researchers, and engineers who are rethinking and disrupting our broken education, healthcare, and transportation systems.
If that’s you, consider this your invitation to reach out.
All the best,
— Jake Ballinger