How to be incredibly successful in SEO

Everybody is trying to make it big in digital marketing. The SEO market is currently worth a whopping $65 billion, and is estimated to grow to an even more impressive $72 billion by 2018.

With so much money at stake, sometimes it feels like the world and his wife are trying to grab their piece of the pie and establish themselves as the go-to SEO expert. It’s the new rock ‘n’ roll – with a dab of talent, a dollop of nous, and an even bigger load of luck, you too can become the next blogging sensation, feted by advertisers and sponsors, with a regular slot on This Morning.

But although this is a pipe dream for most people, there are a few digital gurus that everyone listens to. These are the guys who’ve put their own stamp on SEO, the rock stars of the digital world. So we asked THEM the secret of their success, and this is what they said…

1. Rand Fishkin
Rand Fishkin is the founder of multi-million dollar SEO software startup Moz, one of the most trusted names in the marketing business which hosts an online community of more than one million globally based digital marketeers. In 2009, he was named among the 30 Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs Under 30.’ The Moz blog is read by tens of thousands of people every day. Never did a man deserve his nickname – ‘The Wizard of Moz’ - more!

Rand says: “[My advice to aspiring digital marketeers is] do something unique and specific. It's hard to stand out as a generalist, but much easier to become known for a highly particular set of skills or expertise.

I'd say the two traits that helped me most in my career were A) learning to communicate broadly in ways that made others pay attention and care and B) constantly striving to help others, even when (actually, especially when) there was nothing in it for me or my company. "A" paid dividends over and over in the growth of our audience and in the attention we received. "B" paid dividends because that reputation spread and amplified and eventually made its way to people who were crucial to Moz's growth and success.”

 

2. Madalyn Sklar 
A business coach, consultant and Twitter marketing expert, Madalyn is a real force to be reckoned with. Known for being the #1 social media influencer in Houston, USA, a city of more than 2 million, she’s been founding communities online since 1996. If you want book her for social media, consulting or speaking, visit her website and you’ll find her Tweeting @madalynsklar.

Madalyn says: “If you want to get ahead you need to do two things. Firstly, you need to have the long game mindset. You will not become an overnight sensation. You have to work very hard. So many people give up when they're on the one-yard line. Persevere and great things will come.

Secondly, work harder than anyone else you know in the industry. And work smart. Don't get too wrapped up in what others are doing in the industry. It's better to go against the pack and do your own thing. People will take notice.

The secret to my success is the motto "Just Do It." It's become a way of life for me. It's even tattooed on my arm! I don't over-think things. I have an idea and go execute on it. I just do it.

My best advice is to find something you're passionate about and go all in. Don't listen to naysayers. Listen to you. Follow your dreams.”

3. Marko Saric
Veteran blogger Marko Saric is the founder of howtomakemyblog, featured in FHM, Forbes and on BBC TV, which shepherds aspiring bloggers through the often bewildering world of plugins, templates, widgets and content creation. Believe it or not, he started off blogging about his favourite band, Metallica, and it all spiralled from there!

Marko says: “[To be a success in this industry] it takes a lot of time, continuous effort and patience. Nothing happens overnight. You need to believe in what you're doing and be prepared to put in the time and effort even when not seeing any immediate results. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
I like the flexibility that working online allows you to have. Day to day flexibility in your schedule with regard to the commute, when to work, where to work from, even what city or country to be in. This helps you be more immersed in what you're doing and it makes for a better overall balance.  

My advice is: just do it. Go for it. Start it, launch it, give your dreams a chance to become reality. Most people talk about their ideas, they plan things, dream about big goals, wait for a better time but they never take action and without massive action they never see any results.
This isn’t what I wanted to do as a kid – I wanted to be a rock star!”

4. Jacqueline de Rojas
The techUK president was named Most Influential Woman in IT in 2015, entered the @Computerweekly Hall of Fame as the most influential woman in UK IT in 2016 and was recognised as one of London’s top 10 tech leaders in 2017. She began her career as a tech recruiter, and has worked in the industry for more than 27 years. A champion for women everywhere, she has made it her mission to get more women working in the digital industry.

Jacqueline says: “I think we will all, as women in a male-dominated industry, have inflection points where there’s a fork in the road and we have a decision to make. I would say walk tall, don’t let your head go down because there is definitely opportunity out there if you can see it.” (Interview with Amanda Alexander).

“Women occupy just 17% of tech jobs. Fewer than one in ten of these women are in leadership positions in the sector. Women make up only 20% of tech founders, and only 4% of software engineers. These statistics are shocking - not only because of the clear issues of diversity but they also show an opportunity missed as tech com-panies grapple to deal with rising vacancies as skills gaps widen….

Next year, my goal is to open International Women’s Day with a blog that comments on all the achievements made in 2017 for women in tech, and hopefully, some more positive statistics. So come and find out how you can make the difference #WomenReturn-ers #IWD2017.”

5. Violeta Nedkova
A rising star in the digital world, with 39.2K followers on Twitter, Bulgarian writer, ‘creative rebel’ and business coach Violetta’s blog has been described as one of the ‘great marketing blogs you should follow (but probably don’t.)’ With her unconventional rock ‘n’ roll outlook, she’s a digital marketeer to watch!

Violeta says: "You need to be authentic. These days it's not about listicles and life hacks or about what you're supposed to do to grow as a blogger. You can follow a dozen "best practices" and trends, and yet you can end up getting traffic and numbers, but not make any real difference. If you want to stand out in any industry, you gotta figure out your unique value and then just give it. And keep giving it until people notice, and believe you me, if you're being authentic and different from the crowd, they will notice. And they will appreciate it because we are all tired of the same things and the BS some people bring into the equation.

It’s important to define your success. My success is being able to do what I do every day and feeling fulfilled at the end of it. If you're looking for this kind of success, then you need to be patient, consistent, and tenacious. Also, when people come to me saying my writing changed something for them, I realize they're talking about resonance, and that resonance happened simply because I use one of my natural strengths - empathy. I always recommend to my clients to be on their strengths instead of following blueprints because their strengths will give them their competitive advantage.

My advice to digital entrepreneurs is: be safe. Don't jump without having a safety net first. Some people jump, expecting that it would work itself out, but actually, it takes time and it takes money and it takes patience. So be safe first. Everything else I already said. Good luck, my rebel friends!”

So if you want to be a huge success in digital marketing, that's what you've got to do. Easy, right? Now go forth and prosper...

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