Time to Sharpen the Axe to Execute Your SEO Plan

“SEO is not a knowledge problem. It’s an execution problem”.

I have read this statement somewhere in a blog.

And I strongly believe this statement to be true.

Many knowledgeable SEOs fail when it comes to executing their SEO plan. And as a result, they cannot achieve the desired result.

Most SEOs execute their knowledge in a very messy way.

Not doing keyword research, not spending time on finding user intent, and being rigid towards their knowledge are the barriers in the execution of an SEO plan.

I correlate SE0 execution with the story of a strong woodcutter.

The story goes something like this.

Once upon a time, there lived a woodcutter in a village. The woodcutter was a young, strong, and hardworking person. He earned his living by cutting down trees in the forest.

One day his wife said to him, “See your muscle. How strong you are? Why do you not find a good job to earn more money.”

The woodcutter thought, “She is right. I must find a good job so that our family can enjoy a better life.”

He applied for a job in a local timber company. And managed to get a good job at really a good salary. He was happy to know that he was selected. His assignment was to cut down trees.

The boss of the company gave him an axe and show the area in a forest where he was to work.

On the first day, the woodcutter fell down 20 trees.

“Congratulations”, said the boss. “You did a great job. Keep it up. You are our best woodcutter yet.”

Remembering the encouraging words of his boss, the woodcutter worked hard the next day intending to cut down more trees. But he could only chop down 15 trees.

The third day was even worse. He was able to pull down only 10 trees despite harder work. The day after day, he finished with lesser trees.

The boss warned him, “You are not doing your work well. If it persists, you’ll be fired.”

The woodcutter was sad. He said to himself, “Am I losing my strength?”

So, he worked overtime. But still, it was not enough. He was not able to accomplish his assignment.

Eventually, his boss came to him and told, “You are fired.”

The woodcutter was upset. He sadly handed his axe back to his boss.

The boss took a look at the axe and asked, “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?”.

“Sharpen my axe? I’ve never sharpened it”, the woodcutter replied surprisingly. “I’ve had no time to sharpen the axe. I have been so busy trying to cut down enough trees.”,

Did you find the similarity between a knowledgeable SEO and a strong Woodcutter?

If a knowledgeable SEO does not hone his knowledge, he will flop like a woodcutter who does not sharpen his axe to cut the trees.

How exactly do you sharpen your axe/knowledge?

It matters a lot in every profession.

So, take time to sharpen the axe so that you can work to your potential.

Sharpening the axe is an activity. Here are some ways through which you can sharpen your axe.

· Love yourself. And have adequate sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet.

· Research a lot to keep yourself updated. Read quality books and explore useful resources.

· Attend seminars, conferences, workshops, and webinars. It might help you grow personally and professionally.

· Don’t be rigid to your knowledge.

· Find a mentor who can tell you not what you want to hear, but what needs to hear.

One thing more. Correctly execute your knowledge. Don’t engage yourself in sharpening your axe only. If you spend all your time sharpening the axe, you would have a sharp axe but no wood.

Stay tuned for my next blog that will be up soon. Be good! :)
See you next time!
Cheers!
Rabish Kumar